Do Not Offend the Reborn Wicked Wife-Chapter 346: Memories, Stop!

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

"Emperor, Shen Chong requests an audience!"

Qi Yun reclined on the Dragon Throne, eyes closed, resting. Since that candle holder had been removed, the frequency of his headaches had gradually lessened. His mood, relatively good, yet he seemed somewhat fatigued, needing frequent recuperation.

At this moment, Chen Zhong entered to report, and Qi Yun nodded slightly.

"Emperor, the wick of the candle holder had something smeared on it."

After Shen Chong entered and returned the candle holder, his first words following caused Qi Yun’s expression to change.

He straightened up, his expression serious, "Speak!"

Shen Chong looked ashamed, clasped hands, and said, "Emperor, please forgive my incompetence. I only know that the smell of that thing is harmful to people, but what exactly it is, I have no way of knowing. Perhaps my knowledge is limited."

Qi Yun’s expression turned slightly cold.

Shen Chong, frightened, quickly added, "Yet I believe this substance most likely comes from the Western Regions, as they have many strange flowers and insects over there, capable of concocting various peculiar poisons. If we can find a merchant from the Western Regions, perhaps there might be a clue."

Qi Yun nodded slightly, furrowing his brow in thought.

"So, you may leave! Also, do not publicize this matter! I do not wish to hear any rumors about this outside!"

"I understand!"

Shen Chong was no fool. Such a significant matter, the Emperor only called him, the Imperial Physician, to investigate, which showed his trust. This matter needed to be kept tightly sealed, ensuring a smooth official path. Loose lips would mean utter disaster.

After Shen Chong withdrew, Qi Yun reclined back in the chair, with Chen Zhong attending by his side. Hesitating for a moment, he stepped forward and asked, "Emperor, would you like to find a Western Region merchant?"

Having a Western region merchant take a look was feasible, as merchants who travel far and wide are knowledgeable. However, Qi Yun waved his hand, "Not for now; place those two candle holders in a box, and make sure no one gets near them!"

"Yes, old servant understands!"

Qi Yun glanced out the window; it was already late autumn, the weather growing colder, but he felt stifled and irritable indoors, and thus said, "Let’s take a walk in the Imperial Garden!"

The Emperor went to the Imperial Garden intending to ponder some matters, and Chen Zhong promptly responded, fetching a thick gold-threaded double-dragon patterned cloak, carrying it on his arms as he followed.

In the Imperial Garden, the blooming flowers gradually withered, even the osmanthus began to wilt, though most of the osmanthus flowers in the Imperial Garden were picked by others to make osmanthus cakes.

Qi Yun stood silently with his hands behind his back in front of an osmanthus tree, thinking of Yun Ruoxiang.

When he first met her, she was a bewildered young girl who had lost her memory. She wore a white fluffy dress, dancing gracefully by the lakeside, like a drifting cloud, with a rich yet not overwhelming osmanthus fragrance on her.

The name Yun Ruoxiang came from this.

Qi Yun slowly closed his eyes, the scene of their first meeting reappearing in his mind—

She danced by the lake, saw him approaching, and warily asked, "Who are you?"

"Someone watching the young lady dance."

That was his response to her, and she chuckled, laughing as beautifully as blooming peach blossoms, "You’re quite interesting, those bad people all say I’m pretty and want me to be their sister, but they’re lecherous, clearly bad people, hmm, so I drove them away!"

She waved her little fists, full of enthusiasm.

Back then, Chen Zhong was worried she might harm him and so guarded him protectively.

"Is this person protecting you? He seems weak and feeble, wouldn’t last in a fight. Why not hire me, so I can protect you?"

Those words startled him, later prompting inquiries to uncover that she, despite her amnesia, knew martial arts, but penniless, was living in Xiangguo Temple to do some menial work to get by.

Was she trying to protect him just to earn some food?

He found her amusing, so he agreed.

Indeed, on that journey, someone attempted to assassinate him, but she risked her life to save him, and ever since then, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

And now...

Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes, a glimmer of loneliness and sorrow passing through them.

Was she genuinely lost in memory, or feigning amnesia back then? Was it an unintentional approach, or a purposeful one?

If it was the former, even if she recovered her memory, she should have come looking for him. Could the years of emotions between them be false? But if they were false, having already gained his royal favor, why did she leave?

Qi Yun sank into endless contemplation.

"Don’t run, stop, quickly stop, someone, grab that little thief!"

Suddenly, a sharp reprimand interrupted Qi Yun’s thoughts. His expression turned displeased as he frowned and looked toward the sound.

A palace maid ran frantically towards him from afar, clutching a bundle, from which a pearl necklace was barely visible through the seams.

Behind her, several palace maids chased angrily.

In a flash, they approached him.

Qi Yun had numerous eunuchs and guards behind him. The palace maid saw it was the Emperor and a group of guards, scared out of her wits, hurriedly turned, but the pursuers were already upon her.

"Thud!"

She knelt on the ground, desperately kowtowing, "Spare me, Emperor, spare me; this maid knows her mistake, implores the Emperor to show great mercy and spare this maid!"

The nature of this Emperor wasn’t very good, apt to punish or kill at the slightest provocation, making all palace maids and eunuchs extremely cautious. The palace maid thought herself doomed, having been caught stealing by the Emperor.

But she refused to give up hope, desperately pleading for mercy.

Qi Yun hated being disturbed while contemplating, so with a displeased expression, he looked at the palace maid coldly, "For stealing palace property, handle it appropriately!"

That meant execution by beating!

The palace maid screamed in terror, heart-rendingly, begging Qi Yun for mercy, but Qi Yun was irritable then and impatiently waved, ordering her dragged away.

The chasing palace maids swiftly stepped forward, grabbing her hair and pulling back, suddenly, with a clang!

As the maid reached for her hair, the bundle she was holding fell and, having been wrestled open, spilled its contents all over.

Qi Yun was annoyed by the clatter of the jewelry and was about to rebuke when suddenly, he saw a hairpin flower.

The hairpin flower was like a cloud, with fine pearls clustered in the middle, adorned with around-the-edge gold-threaded little osmanthus, and its base crafted into a silver dish with exquisite technique.

Seeing this, Qi Yun’s pupils contracted!

He recognized this hairpin; it belonged to Xiang’er, a gift he had personally selected and given to her, saying this flower suited her best.

She accepted it with a smile, adorning it on her hair while dancing a song for him.

The past, like smoke, yet vividly remembered, and Qi Yun’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

The palace maids and eunuchs dragging her were stunned, puzzled as they looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor shouted to stop, what did this mean?