Chapter 174.3: Midnight Fright
Don't look at how Ruan Fang Fei appeared like this on the surface, she was actually unprecedentedly clear-headed on the inside, very much clear-headed, including previously when she was frightened to the point of somewhat losing her rationality. After this matter, she seemingly 'recovered without medicine' instead, perhaps more or less the same as 'when things reach an extreme, it can only move in the opposite direction'.
Around midnight, her maternal family's older cousin ran over looking for her. Because her personal servants by her side, and even her mother, all knew him, and knew about their intimate relationship, they didn't block him, and weren't able to block him either. He told her, he had been tailing behind the carriage fleet the whole time. He said he missed her, nearly going crazy thinking about her, and had many words he wanted to say to her. He dragged her down from the horse carriage, ordering her servants that they were forbidden to follow. He was a reckless person, his martial art skills were also very impressive, but Ruan Fang Fei didn't care, and even trusted him. Not just because he knew too many of her secrets, helping her do many things that she couldn't personally step in to do, but also because she knew her condition wasn't too good. As soon as her surroundings quieted down, those three human heads would appear before her eyes. She needed to do a bit of something to distract herself. She knew in the current situation, if she were to get discovered by someone, her ending would be very miserable. But, regardless whether it was the serene fragrance on her older cousin, or his strong arms, it all made her feel at ease. That's why, she complied with him on everything.
Even if quite a few torches were inserted in the outer surroundings of the carriage fleet, he still had her brought out. The straw pile field next to the village faced one side of the carriage fleet and was illuminated by the torches, faintly visible. But once one enters the inside, one basically wasn't able to see anything.
What happened next was her nightmare for a lifetime............
But Ruan Fang Fei can't say anything. Towards her mother's matters, she although didn't know the specific ins and outs, she knew she had secrets, including her maternal family, all having undisclosable secrets. That older cousin of hers and her mother perhaps came from the same origin. Her entire maternal family, for all these years, all never came to the capital, and that portion of people that came, also just secretly conducted business in private. It wasn't for her mother's sake that she decided to make the sacrifice, but rather, once her mother's matters gets exposed, it's very likely to affect the entire family, perhaps the whole family will get executed. She didn't want to throw in her own life. Moreover, her mother although cared about her, but if it involves the matters behind her, most likely, her mother won't let her blurt out a single word that might threaten her. Perhaps, her mother will even kill her first.
"Mother, just let me die, I don't want to live anymore, let me die.........." Ruan Fang Fei's tears streamed down, and while her mother was distracted, she suddenly slapped aside her hand and violently got up, charging towards a tree in the courtyard.
That tree wasn't considered big, yet wasn't considered small either. Just, no one would stand under that tree for no reason, so Ruan Fang Fei rammed right into it. Afterwards, her body just weakly collapsed.
Ruan Rui Zhong and Ruan Old Madam first blanked, and shortly after, came to realization, "Fang Fei........" That mournful voice was as if declaring that, that was already a dead person.
Fortunately, although the number of people in this village was relatively high, but it was also big enough, so between neighbors, they all lived relatively far apart. Otherwise, with just this voice, it'd be enough to startle the entire village. However, even so, the nearby families, afraid, all heard.
The couple frantically scrambled over, hugging the already unconscious Ruan Fang Fei crying miserably.
Le Cheng Emperor rubbed his swelling temples, "Invite the imperial physician."
Because of that 'if entering the imperial family, can't be the main wife', strange fate of Ruan Fang Fei's, Le Cheng Emperor at first didn't think much of it, but unfortunately, Noble Consort Su didn't like. Having this kind of fate, this person definitely has problems. She was a good consort mother that loved her son, and just worried that there will be something inappropriate that will harm her son, so from time to time, she would mutter a few words by Le Cheng Emperor's ear. Even if it wasn't intentional, but as time went on, Le Cheng Emperor's impression towards Ruan Fang Fei would also worsen. Once this impression worsened, good things can make one skeptical, and bad things can make one be further disgusted to some degree. Ruan Fang Fei attempting suicide really didn't make Le Cheng Emperor pity in the slightest. If she really died, he probably wouldn't even crease his brows once. And inviting the imperial physician was nothing more than just seeing on Ruan Rui Zhong's behalf.
Noble Consort Su further had a dark expression. This kind of little trick, she has seen plenty of. This matter clearly had problems, yet she was unwilling to say, desperately wanting to have this matter swept under. Wasn't that letting people suspect that she was fickle, 'not picky when hungry', as she schemed against other men? What kind of position was this putting her son in? What kind of position was this putting the imperial prestige in? If it wasn't ordered by his Majesty, she definitely wouldn't have allowed inviting the imperial physician. Little slut, it's best if you died, so as to avoid disgusting others!
Li Hong Yuan coldly watched from the side. He'd saw very clearly. Don't look at how fiercely Ruan Fang Fei rammed towards the tree, in the last moment, when she connected with the tree trunk, she deliberately slanted her position. He was certain that Ruan Fang Fei won't die.
This matter he just ordered the people below to take care of and really didn't know what exactly happened. However, it didn't matter either. He has already cut clear of the relationship anyways. But being this tenacious was also good, rather want to see how long she can endure.
Immediately after, he had his gaze shifted to that woman holding her. Right now, this woman was already suspicious of him. However, it was precisely so that she was increasingly 'fearful of shooting the rat to avoid breaking the vase'. After all, once her identity is exposed, she will inevitably die without a burial site.
As for Li Hong Yuan himself, because he temporarily didn't want to have his own power exposed, he thus didn't completely lash out ruthlessly. It was nothing more than preventing this woman from counterattacking when facing death, having the matter made big. However, even if he really were to get exposed, Li Hong Yuan wasn't afraid either. It'd just be that the clean up of the mess afterwards will be very troublesome, and perhaps might even implicate Wan Wan. The only one that was truly able to make him have misgivings was forever just Jing Wan.
Besides, this woman at most just had the Ruan family rear court managed like an iron bucket. Towards the outside, her hand didn't stretch very far. Ruan Rui Zhong wasn't a fool. If she really were to touch upon his forbidden zone, afraid, he would immediately wake up. Without Ruan Rui Zhong, this big tree, this woman's days will also come to an end. And those people of hers in the capital, their various movements were all within his grasp.
That's why, really, even if there were some small leaks, he was all too lazy to patch. Whether these leaks are being ignored, or torn open, the process will be divided between complicated and simple, but the final result won't change.
Li Hong Yuan nonchalantly got up, "Imperial father, consort mother, this son will take one's leave first."
His voice wasn't considered loud, but everyone present all heard.
Le Cheng Emperor looked to him, "This matter, how do you want to take care of?"
Li Hong Yuan glanced at his old man, "Imperial father's words are so strange. Naturally it's to take care of it however it should be taken care of. Could it be that this woman, who don't know how many men she's slept with before, still need to be lifted back to this son's manor?"
The corner of Le Cheng Emperor's mouth twitched, "Don't be sarcastic with this old man, if it was as simple as you say it is, why would you still need to be called over?"
Li Hong Yuan mockingly laughed, "This son's face has long been lost multiple times. It's nothing more than just the wife curse's range expanding that even the concubines are getting cursed too. The Head Cabinet Minister for better or worse is your backbone minister, so his face, this son still needs to give, but Ruan Fang Fei has nothing to do with this son anymore. Everything else, imperial father can just take care of however it should be taken care of."
"Yuan'er, don't say nonsense, this time, it has nothing to do with you at all." Noble Consort Su's gaze stabbed towards Ruan Fang Fei like knives, especially after seeing her having the signs of waking up, hating that she can't directly go forward and have her strangled to death. "And only you would be this good-tempered to not bicker with her, else, even if having her drowned in the river, it would still be her deserved punishment."
Ruan Fang Fei indeed woke up already, her head aching terribly, feeling both dizzy and heavy, and also feeling nauseous inside. She although avoided dying directly, but for the sake of making it look real, she naturally couldn't ram her head too lightly either.