Сhарtеr 18: Аn Еye fоr аn Еуе
In every аsрect, thе Emprеss hаd соnsidеrеd evеrуthing thоrоughly, leаving no room for fаult.
Nаturallу, thеу hаd nоthing to sау.
Тodaу сould bе considerеd Huа Shu’s warning to evеryоne in thе hаrem sincе her arrival.
Аs thе Еmрress, she must uрhоld thе dignitу befitting her рositiоn.
She cоuld not allоw herself tо be lookеd dоwn uрon in еvеry matter, with аnyоnе daring to сomment frеelу.
Suсh humiliаtion wаs something Нua Shu would nеvеr tоlerate.
………..
In the Imperial Study.
Сhu Zе sat there with his hands сrоssed on the dеsk, uрright and proper, yet his gaze seemed distant.
Li Sheng watched from the side, not daring to disturb him.
Ever since the Emperor left the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and even after the morning court session, he seemed to be in a daze.
Occasionally, one could see the corners of his mouth curl slightly, as if he were smiling, though it was hard to be certain.
Last night, the Emperor had stayed at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, and the commotion had been quite noticeable.
“Li Sheng, notify the kitchen to continue delivering Cow’s Milk to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility,” Chu Ze said, as if snapping back to reality.
“Yes,” Li Sheng nodded. Now he could be sure—the Emperor was indeed thinking about the Empress.
These days, the Empress’s transformation had been evident, but the Emperor’s changes left him utterly bewildered.
Could it be because the Empress was no longer as subservient and flattering as before?
So, did the Emperor prefer someone who defied him, a thorn in his side?
Li Sheng quickly shook off this rebellious thought.
Not only him, but even among all the palace consorts, who would dare challenge the Emperor’s authority?
None would dare emulate the Empress in the slightest.
Chu Ze relaxed slightly, leaning back in his chair. Scenes from last night kept replaying in his mind.
The Empress had been bold, even daring to challenge him, yet their compatibility had left him utterly stunned.
The intoxicating moments of last night lingered even during this morning’s court session.
Having tasted the sweetness, he now understood the true meaning of that phrase.
Just then, a young eunuch entered from outside. “Your Majesty, Beauty Wu requests an audience.”
Beauty Wu?
Chu Ze snapped back to reality, a hint of confusion in his eyes. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t immediately place who she was.
Li Sheng, sensing the Emperor’s thoughts, whispered a reminder, “Your Majesty, she is the beauty who danced in the Imperial Garden the other day. You summoned her to your chambers last night.”
Hearing this, the Emperor finally recalled. Thinking of last night’s events, he raised his hand, signaling for her to be brought in.
When Beauty Wu entered, she performed the proper etiquette.
Bowing low, her full appearance was not visible, but from his elevated position, he could faintly see her tear-reddened eyes.
Last night’s events had indeed been unfair to her. He had already decided to promote her rank, but he hadn’t expected her to come here now.
“Rise.”
Beauty Wu stood up weakly, looking up at the Emperor with tears already falling.
“Your Majesty, this humble concubine is of low status and dares not hope for anything more. My only wish is for Your Majesty’s pity.”
Chu Ze’s gaze lingered on her with curiosity. Just as he was about to offer words of comfort, she continued.
“This morning, Her Majesty the Empress ordered all palace consorts to copy the Palace Regulations daily and submit them for her review. Although I do not understand why, I will comply. Yet, thinking of not seeing Your Majesty last night, my heart aches, so I came here only to catch a glimpse of Your Majesty.”
Beauty Wu was somewhat cunning, lodging her complaint in a subtle manner.
But the Emperor was no stranger to such tactics. He immediately understood her meaning.
The Empress had ordered all palace consorts to copy the Palace Regulations?
Chu Ze was taken aback. His Empress truly lived by the principle of an eye for an eye!Yet this matter, placed out in the open, left no choice but to comply.
“Mhm.” Chu Ze nodded, not continuing further.
Beauty Wu, seeing that the Emperor had nothing more to say, was quite puzzled. Did the Emperor not find this excessive?
The Empress had clearly snatched away her favor, offered no consolation, and even imposed a punishment of copying texts, stirring discontent throughout the palace.
“You have seen me now. Return early and rest.” As Chu Ze spoke, the thought of promoting her rank, which he had initially considered, was set aside.
Being well-versed in the Palace Regulations was the most basic requirement for imperial consorts. Moreover, if all consorts were required to do so, why was she the only Beauty who came here to complain?
Li Sheng then had Beauty Wu leave. Seeing her body sway unsteadily, it was clear she did not understand the Emperor’s meaning.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If Beauty Wu were clever, she should have only mentioned yesterday’s incident. The Emperor would have given her some face and rewarded her with something.
But she had to drag the Empress into it.
The Emperor had just handed the Phoenix Seal to the Empress. How could he possibly criticize the Empress over her few words?
Besides, what were the Emperor’s recent thoughts toward the Empress?
Even he, as the Emperor’s close attendant, dared not guess. Coming at this critical moment was truly asking for trouble.
When Li Sheng returned, he saw the Emperor stand up, walk to the window with his hands behind his back, and gaze at the eaves outside.
“What kind of person do you think the Empress is?”
“?” Li Sheng couldn’t help but glance around, confirming he was the only one in the room, then stepped forward with trepidation.
But for a long while, he couldn’t utter a single word.
What kind of person was the Empress?
As a mere servant, how could he know? And he dared not speak recklessly.
Li Sheng carefully observed the Emperor’s expression but saw no sign of blame toward the Empress.
“Her Majesty the Empress likely acted this way to ensure all consorts abide by the Palace Regulations and avoid causing trouble.”
Chu Ze remained silent. He didn’t think the Empress had done anything wrong; on the contrary, he believed this was the right approach.
As the Empress, the mother of the nation, excessive leniency would only encourage misconduct.
Yet he truly found the Empress somewhat unfathomable.
Just when he thought her foolish, she would display intelligence; when he thought her bold and unrestrained, she would reveal a tender, girlish side.
She could avoid being taken advantage of while acting decisively and efficiently.
Chu Ze appreciated beauty, intelligence, and novelty. In the past, he never concealed his desires.
Whatever he wanted—be it the throne, the empire, or beautiful women—
he could obtain.
But now, he always had to hold back, and the one suffering was himself.
“Let’s go to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.”
As Chu Ze spoke, he flicked his sleeve and walked outside.
Li Sheng tiptoed to keep pace with the Emperor, lips pressed together. At this rate, his heart could no longer stir any ripples.
When the Emperor arrived at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, he did not have anyone announce him. He saw the maids bustling about.
Upon seeing the Emperor, they hurriedly bowed and greeted him.
Chu Ze glanced inside. “Where is the Empress?”
Yun Xiu replied softly, “Your Majesty, Her Majesty is unwell and resting. This servant will go inform Her Majesty at once.”
Chu Ze waved his hand. “No need. What is wrong with the Empress? Has an imperial physician been summoned?”
Unwell? Wasn’t she perfectly fine last night?
Could it be that last night’s events were too much and had harmed her?
Yun Xiu quickly explained, “Your Majesty, Her Majesty is having her monthly cycle and is suffering severe abdominal cramps. The imperial physician said Her Majesty has a cold constitution and is often burdened with worries, which is why she is in such discomfort. Medicine has been prescribed, and Her Majesty has just taken it and rested.”Listening, Chu Ze had already walked in. The nanny inside the room, seeing the Emperor arrive, suppressed her surprise and quickly bowed.
Chu Ze walked over to the bedside and saw the Empress lying on her side, her small face deathly pale, her brows tightly furrowed, clearly in great discomfort.
Looking at the Empress now, he suddenly realized that perhaps he had been too harsh on her in the past.
She was only eighteen, an age prone to willfulness.
Lost in thought, Chu Ze sat by the bedside and watched her for a long time. His fingers wanted to touch her face,
but just as they were about to make contact, he slowly withdrew them.
He stood up and walked out, not forgetting to instruct the servants below to take good care of the Empress.
Once the door closed, Hua Shu, lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes.