After being forced to marry as a substitute, I became famous in the limbo

Chapter 18 Taoyuan Palace

Mu Jingzhao followed Jiang Ning slowly towards the main hall. While walking, he looked around at everything in the cold palace.

His eyes, which were always indifferent like water, kept softening when they touched the vegetable field with all kinds of vegetables in the courtyard.

Finally, his eyes fixed on a light purple cloak hanging to dry in the corner of the wall.

He narrowed his eyes, as if thinking about something.

"The relationship between you and Concubine Liu Gui seems to be better than I imagined."

Jiang Ning didn't look back, just raised his foot and stepped on the steps, "Why did the emperor say that?"

"In the inner courtyard of the palace, she is the only one who can wear clothes with Mulan patterns."

Jiang Ning thought casually, it seems that the relationship between the emperor and the concubine is not as indifferent and distant as Zhe Liu and Lu Feng said.

But with a flash of thought, she lifted her foot and stepped into the main hall.

"A few nights ago, when the concubine passed by the Shuanghua Palace, the empress saw that the concubine's clothes were thin, and felt sorry for the concubine."

She walked to a round table in the middle of the room, stretched out her hand and pulled out a chair from under the table, then bent down and stepped aside consciously.

"That's quite unusual." Mu Jingzhao took his seat, "Concubine Liu Gui never likes to meddle in such nosy matters."

Jiang Ning lifted the teapot on the table, weighed it, picked up a teacup from the wooden tray on the table, and poured a cup of tea for Mu Jingzhao.

"The emperor came here specially today to care about his concubines?"

Jiang Ning sat down beside Mu Jingzhao.

In the evening, the sun had long been covered by layers of clouds. The twilight merged, and the dense sky was no longer able to illuminate the entire palace. The heavy sunlight fell on Mu Jingzhao's side face, which made his whole face look more beautiful. The hair is dark and unclear.

The sound of metal collisions came from the direction of the dining room, mixed with the sound of hot oil.

Zhe Liu's bold and unrestrained voice was instructing Lu Feng to do some work, her voice was urgent, but she called out Lu Feng's name helplessly, and suppressed it under Lu Feng's hissing.

The strong aroma of food and the clear aroma of tea compete with each other in the air, and finally, the whole room is filled regardless of winner or loser.

Mu Jingzhao lowered his head and took a sip of his tea. The hot steam from the tea condensed some crystal drops of water on his eyelashes. He turned his head to look at Jiang Ning beside him, and when his eyes touched the beautiful smile on her face, he slightly Startled.

He slowly looked away, turned his head to look in the direction Jiang Ning was looking at, and a smile similar to hers gradually appeared on his face.

"Is this how you live outside the palace?"

"Yes." Jiang Ning lowered her eyes, and the shadow of her eyelashes left a shadow like a crow's feather under her eyes, "No."

Mu Jingzhao turned his head slightly, but he didn't look at her either.

"The concubine has no relatives and no reason, and has always lived alone outside the palace." She mixed a cup of tea for herself, but she didn't intend to drink it at all, but let the tea cloud her eyes, "It's not so easy to live alone." Pay attention to how much, and being able to eat and wear warm clothes is the biggest luxury.”

Mu Jingzhao didn't speak, he let out a deep breath.

His back rose and fell with the sound of exhaling.

It seemed that there was no intention to continue discussing this topic. After a long time, Mu Jingzhao finally spoke again, "I sent someone to investigate the old lady you mentioned a few days ago."

Jiang Ning raised his eyes suddenly, "How is it?"

"She was hanged in a forest outside the city. She had been dead for a long time when my people found her. The heavy rain all night wiped away all traces."

Jiang Ning's hand holding the teacup suddenly tightened.

Mu Jingzhao slid his fingertips over the edge of the teacup, "I have thought about the assassination you mentioned carefully, and I believe that no matter what the facts are, the man behind the scenes is targeting me."

He just spoke so calmly, without any disturbance in his expression.

"I'm not sure how many people in this palace have been staring at you, waiting for you to complete the assassination, or waiting for you to be useless."

Jiang Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she heard the meaning behind Mu Jingzhao's words.

If she is useless like that old nanny, then keeping her life is only a hidden danger.

Therefore, it is difficult to guarantee whether the other party will directly kill the grass and roots.

And the only way to prove that the plan is progressing smoothly and that she still has value is the increasingly close relationship between her and Mu Jingzhao.

She looked at Mu Jingzhao and suddenly understood everything.

The reason why he put so much effort into performing such a scene with her is to let the eyes and ears of the palace know that her assassination plan is proceeding smoothly.

No matter what his fundamental purpose was, at least he indirectly saved Jiang Ning's life.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She lowered her head and took a sip of tea, swallowing it slowly, "I understand that I will not forget my identity because of this."

In the dining room, the sound of folding willows and cooking vegetables gradually disappeared. Mu Jingzhao's cheeks moved slightly, but in the end he couldn't say anything, and the two fell into a rather tacit silence.

As the sky darkened, Jiang Ning got up and lit a lamp on the table, and the room was lit up again.

Zhe Liu kept putting the fried dishes on the table, and left quickly.

Jiang Ning looked at the food on the table, which was much more abundant than usual, and didn't know how to react for a while.

She usually talks a lot, so naturally she has seen the complicated rules in the palace from the story books.

It doesn't matter if she is in her own palace, she is the boss, no one dares to use any rules to restrain her.

But now, in front of her is the emperor.

Jiang Ning carefully recalled the episode of the concubine serving the emperor with vegetables that he had seen in the storybook,

After a long time, she finally pulled the corner of her mouth with difficulty, and spoke to Mu Jingzhao in a jerky tone.

"Your majesty, eat it while it's hot. We grow these vegetables with our own hands, and the girl's skill in folding willows is not bad."

Mu Jingzhao looked at a vegetable lying quietly in the bowl in front of him.

Finally, he picked it up and took a sip.

Jiang Ning looked at him for a long time, but he didn't see any special expression on his face.

Jiang Ning secretly sighed, it is really not easy to be a noble man in Tianhuang, and he has to hide all emotions in his heart.

She naturally knew the rule of "never talk when eating, never talk when sleeping", so she didn't say much, just started to eat in a dull manner.

The two finished their meal relatively silently.

By the time the two finished their meal, it was already completely dark.

Jiang Ning and Mu Jingzhao went out side by side.

Today, Mu Jingzhao didn't take anyone with her, so she naturally took on the task of sending Mu Jingzhao off.

The two stood still at the gate of the cold palace, and Mu Jingzhao turned to her, "I'm here to remind you, don't forget the agreement with me." He thought for a while, and added, "Fifteen days."

Jiang Ning nodded vigorously. She dared not forget this matter of life and death no matter what.

Mu Jingzhao raised his head and looked at the empty eaves of the cold palace.

"This palace can't always be called Lenggong." He turned his head and thought for a while, "Why don't we call it 'Taoyuan Palace', what do you think?"

"Okay." In fact, no matter what the name is, it doesn't make much difference in Jiang Ning's mind.

Mu Jingzhao nodded, turned and left. In the shadow of the corner of Taoyuan Palace, the servants who had been waiting for a long time rushed to meet him, surrounded Mu Jingzhao and walked out.

(End of this chapter)