Chaрtеr 15: I Havе Arrived, Еmрrеss. Whаt Dо Yоu Hаvе tо Sаy?
Inside thе Imperial Study.
Сhu Zе loоkеd uр frоm а pilе оf mеmorials, frоwning. “Тhat’s аll she said? Nothing еlse?”
Нe knew she hеld resеntment, but hе hаd thought she wоuld at least mаintаin sоmе decоrum.
Не nеver eхpеcted thе Emprеss to direсtly mock him.
Li Shеng silеntlу wipеd thе sweat from his fоrehеаd. He, tоo, wished hе knew. Whаt mеdiсine hаd Her Lаdyship tаkеn rеcently? She was like a tough bоnе to crack, imроssible to handlе еither way.
It made him constantly on edge.
Chu Ze gripped his brush, deeply displeased.
Today was the fifteenth, the day he was supposed to dine and rest at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
Given the current situation, there was no way he could go.
Li Sheng’s brows were tightly knitted.
Ah, the Empress had truly gone mad. A perfectly good favor was lost again.
In the afternoon, news came that Beauty Wu would Attend the Emperor at Night.
This caused another small stir in the palace.
The Emperor had just sent someone to return the Phoenix Seal to the Empress. Why, on this fifteenth day, wasn’t the Emperor going to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility?
In the past, even if the Emperor didn’t go, he wouldn’t summon anyone for the night either.
“Your Ladyship, don’t you understand the Emperor’s thoughts? Clearly, returning the Phoenix Seal wasn’t a decision from his heart; it was done out of necessity!”
Nanny Xu fed Consort Rong her medicinal soup while discussing the outside news.
After that incident, Consort Rong had been ill for a long time. The Emperor, pitying her for losing her child due to foul play, had promoted her to Consort Rank. But Consort Rong would rather have had a safe delivery. What was a Consort Rank worth? Once she had a child, moving up further would only be a matter of time.
Consort Rong clutched the quilt, her face haggard. “How many days has it been? The Emperor has already forgotten my royal child. My poor child, who didn’t even have a name or birth order, was buried in such haste.”
Nanny Xu sighed inwardly. The pregnancy wasn’t far along; it was impossible to tell if it was a prince or princess.
Moreover, the Emperor had come every day recently, but Her Ladyship always wept and complained. Surely, the Emperor would find it tiresome.
Resentment welled up in Consort Rong’s heart, and she knocked over the bowl. “Consort De harmed me to this extent! A thousand cuts wouldn’t be enough to vent my hatred!”
“Your Ladyship, listen to this old servant. Regain your health to prepare for the future. The child will return. Right now, the most important thing is to win back the Emperor’s heart! The Beauty Wu summoned by the Emperor today is very young and beautiful. You mustn’t lose the greater for the lesser!”
Hearing Nanny Xu’s words, Consort Rong burst into uncontrollable sobs. “I want them all dead! Let them all be buried with my royal child!”
Seeing Her Ladyship speak like this, Nanny Xu only dared to have all the maidservants withdraw.
As Song Shi left, she glanced back at her mistress, her gaze somewhat complicated.
Beauty Wu had prepared early, waiting for the Sedan Chair to take her to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to Attend the Emperor at Night.
She secretly anticipated it. Last time, she often went to the Imperial Garden to dance, never imagining she would actually encounter the Emperor.
With so many recent events, she had thought the Emperor might have forgotten her.
She never expected that on this fifteenth day, the Emperor would summon her, even disregarding the Empress’s face.
This was enough to prove she held a place in the Emperor’s heart.
Surely, no one would dare look down on her in the future.
She began to feel glad she had eaten little at lunch, keeping her figure light and graceful.
It would be even better if she could dance for the Emperor when she attended him at night.
“Apply this floral dew to your hair, Beauty. When you Attend the Emperor, he will surely be utterly captivated by you,” said the attending maidservant Lian’er with a smile.
Beauty Wu removed her Nail Guards, her smile widening. “When I gain the Emperor’s favor, you will all be well rewarded.”She spoke, glancing outside, “Don’t look at how some people entered the palace with higher ranks than me. In terms of beauty and talent, which one surpasses me? And they still dream of competing for favor.”
Lian’er nodded in agreement, knowing exactly who her mistress was referring to.
It was Lady Yang, who shared Lanyi Hall with her mistress. In recent days, her favor had been on par with her mistress’s, and whenever they met, they would inevitably compete.
Today, her mistress had finally lifted her head in pride.
In the evening, the sedan chair carried Beauty Wu to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After tidying up, she waited respectfully for the Emperor.
Li Sheng peeked in to check on the Emperor’s movements.
The memorials had been reviewed, and the Emperor seemed deeply engrossed in reading a book.
He hesitated, pacing a few steps, unsure whether he should go in and remind the Emperor.
Because he noticed that the Emperor’s posture while reading hadn’t changed, and he hadn’t turned a page—clearly, his mind was elsewhere.
Chu Ze was indeed lost in thought. Unconsciously, his mind drifted to the image of Hua Shu shedding tears that day.
He felt a twinge of guilt, but the Empress was too arrogant. If he didn’t rein her in, who knew what might happen?
Chu Ze pulled himself from his thoughts and casually tossed the book onto the table.
Outside, Li Sheng heard the noise and almost teleported into the inner chamber, whispering, “Your Majesty, Beauty Wu is still waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”
Chu Ze said nothing, flicking his sleeve as he strode outside. The journey from the Imperial Study back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation was still some distance away.
He did not take the sedan chair, and Li Sheng and his entourage followed behind the Emperor.
The bright moon hung high, and a gentle breeze brushed against his face.
Chu Ze felt unusually clear-headed. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the full moon in the sky, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
“Today is the fifteenth,” Chu Ze remarked.
Li Sheng nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat puzzled. Why was the Emperor suddenly bringing this up?
Could the Emperor have forgotten what day it was? That didn’t seem right.
Just as conflicting thoughts clashed in his mind, he realized that the path the Emperor was taking led farther away from the Hall of Mental Cultivation and closer to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
In that moment, Li Sheng understood.
He got it!
The Emperor must be going to reprimand the Empress. After all, the Empress had truly been disrespectful in her words.
Having figured this out, he hurried to keep up with the Emperor’s pace.
They walked all the way to the grounds of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
Coincidentally, two maids emerged from the hall entrance, chatting and laughing, carrying something in their arms.
Upon seeing the Emperor, they froze for a second before immediately kneeling in salute, revealing what they held.
It was a collection of small fishing tools and bait.
“She’s in charge of the Six Palaces now, yet she still finds the leisure for such refined pastimes,” Chu Ze remarked, stepping into the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
Li Sheng followed behind, his scalp tingling, keenly sensing the Emperor’s rising anger.
He raised his voice sharply, announcing, “The Emperor has arrived!”
This was Li Sheng’s final warning to the Empress, hoping she wouldn’t be caught off guard by something else when the Emperor entered.
The Empress had truly changed lately, becoming increasingly unpredictable.
As Chu Ze entered the inner hall, Hua Shu was just about to step out. She was dressed simply, wearing a deep purple-red gown with her hair loosely tied in a bun.
This casual appearance only accentuated her beauty even more.
The Empress had been in the palace for two years, making her around eighteen years old. Even now, traces of her youthful appearance remained.
“Your humble consort greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless fortune and peace,” Hua Shu curtsied. Seeing the Emperor walk past her, she followed.
“Why has Your Majesty come today without prior notice? I fear I may have been remiss in my duties to Your Majesty.”Hua Shu spoke from behind, but Chu Ze ahead suddenly stopped and turned around, standing close to her.
“The Empress said I didn’t come in person. Now that I’m here, does the Empress have anything to say?”
Chu Ze reached out, took hold of her arm, and lifted it, his gaze intense.