0p0 Chapter 357 Snow Begins
Chapter 357 Snow Begins
An Lingrong slapped her temples hard, and the impact of her palms and forehead made a dull sound, but her mind was still in a mess.
She reached out and lifted the curtain, then got off the bed. The slight movement immediately woke up Juqing who was sleeping on the soft couch not far away.
Ju Qing sat up with a start, her eyes still sleepy, her voice hoarse from just waking up: "Your Majesty, are you going to get up at night?" She quickly tidied up her messy hair and came to An Lingrong.
An Lingrong waved her hands gently: "I can't sleep!"
After saying that, she walked straight to the door and pushed it hard with both hands.
As the door creaked open, the cold air was unstoppable and rushed into the house in an instant.
An Lingrong was attacked by the chill and shivered suddenly.
However, this sudden coldness was like a sharp ice blade, which made her mind clearer.
Seeing this, Ju Qing quickly took a cloak from the hanger beside her and put it on her: "My lady, be careful not to catch a cold."
An Lingrong gathered her cloak and stood in the corridor.
The strong wind mixed with snowflakes, flying wildly and landing on her forehead and shoulders. The things that happened in the past few days flashed quickly in her mind like a series of bizarre phantoms.
Suddenly, a name popped up without warning, and in just a moment, a chill rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
When she dealt with Jingbai in Ganlu Temple, she thought that Zhen Huan would never return to the palace, so she did not kill Jingbai. However, she did not expect that it would leave such a big hidden danger.
Although Gua Liu was under house arrest, the empress dowager's birthday celebration was a major event and according to the rules she had to attend.
An Lingrong took a deep breath, tried to control her thoughts, and slowly turned around: "Juqing, help me change my clothes."
Ju Qing saw that her queen had a serious expression and her usually gentle eyes were now filled with gloom. Although she was full of doubts, she knew that she should not ask too many questions. She replied "yes" and then swiftly helped An Lingrong put on her clothes and wrapped her tightly in a cloak.
Then, she quickly walked to the fire basket, carefully picked up a few pieces of burning charcoal with tongs, put them into the hand warmer, covered the lid, and handed it to An Lingrong, saying softly, "My Lady, hold the hand warmer well and keep it warm."
An Lingrong took it and saw her start to put on her clothes. She said, "Juqing, it's so cold, I can go by myself!"
Ju Qing quickly buttoned her clothes while responding, "My Lady, it's snowing heavily outside. I'll go with you."
An Lingrong looked at the heavy snow outside and thought that the roads were slippery, so it would be helpful to have someone to hold her up. So, she turned back to the clothes rack, reached in and pulled out another cloak, handed it to Juqing, and said briefly and forcefully, "Put it on."
"My dear, this is against the rules."
"My words are the rules. It's so cold outside. If you get sick, who will take care of me?"
Juqing was deeply moved. Knowing her queen's temper, she stopped refusing and took the cloak, put it on herself, then supported An Lingrong and went out together.
As I stepped out of the door, a strong wind carrying snowflakes blew in my face, causing pain on my face.
When I walked into the courtyard, the lights in the main hall had been turned off, and there was a thick darkness. Only a few lanterns in the corner of the palace wall in the distance swayed in the wind and snow, emitting a faint light.
An Lingrong stood there, looked for a while, then took a deep breath and walked out of Yonghe Palace.
The palace road was already covered in a thick layer of snow, a flawless white, yet also presenting numerous obstacles for progress. The master and servant trudged through the snow, each step a struggle, each one a struggle.
Although both of them were wrapped in thick cloaks, the wind and snow could not penetrate any hole. The biting cold wind brushed against An Lingrong's cheeks, making them flush red and the tip of her nose feel slightly cold. Snowflakes fluttered down, landing on her shoulders and the tips of her hair.
Ju Qing supported An Lingrong, not daring to relax for a moment. The hot air from her mouth instantly condensed into white mist in the cold air. Her hands turned red from being exposed to the cold for a long time, but she still held An Lingrong's arm tightly, giving her the most solid support.
Fortunately, Yonghe Palace and Yongshou Palace were not far apart. After two quarters of an hour, they finally arrived at the gate of Yongshou Palace.
Juqing went forward and knocked on the door. The eunuch on guard first opened it a crack, and then immediately opened the door when he saw her.
The master and servant entered Yongshou Palace and headed straight for the main hall. Huanbi, who was on night watch, was awakened by the noise and, sleepily rising from her couch, saw An Lingrong and hurriedly saluted, her face filled with surprise. "Madam, why are you here so late?"
An Lingrong looked solemn: "Huanbi, go wake up Sister Zhen, I have something to do!" After that, she took off her cloak and walked quickly to the stove, trying to dispel the coldness on her body.
Huanbi didn't dare to delay and hurried to the bedside to wake Zhen Huan and whispered a few words in her ear. Zhen Huan woke up instantly and pulled aside the curtains to see An Lingrong warming herself by the fire.
Zhen Huan's heart tightened. Without even bothering to straighten her clothes, she quickly walked over to her and asked anxiously, "Rong'er, what's wrong? What happened?"
An Lingrong turned her gaze towards Huanbi and said calmly, "Take Juqing downstairs to warm herself by the fire. Sister Zhen and I have something to talk about. No one should interrupt us."
"Yes!" Huanbi responded, placed a pot of hot tea on the small table, and then took Juqing to the side hall.
After they all left, only An Lingrong and Zhen Huan were left in the palace.
The flames in the fire basket danced happily, and the orange-red light flickered on An Lingrong's face, reflecting the difficult-to-conceal confusion and fatigue in her eyes.
Zhen Huan sat opposite her, her eyes fixed on her, never moving away. She knew that An Lingrong's coming in the snow late at night must be about something extremely important, so she didn't rush her, but waited patiently.
The room was suddenly so quiet that it felt a little depressing, with only the flames in the fire basket making slight popping sounds from time to time.
After a moment, Zhen Huan picked up the teapot, poured a glass of water and handed it to her.
An Lingrong took the teacup, but did not drink it immediately.
"Sister Zhen, do you believe me?"
Zhen Huan was slightly startled, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Then she leaned forward, took An Lingrong's hand, looked deeply into her eyes and said, "We have known each other for many years. Is this even necessary?"
Her voice was sincere and powerful. "I'm only saying this: you're someone I can trust with my life!"