In the Imperial Study, Chu Ze lifted his head from a pile of memorials, frowning.
“She shows no gratitude, and instead wants to scold me!”
He had thought that even if the Empress didn’t offer thanks, she would at least maintain a proper decorum.
Never did he expect she would directly mock him.
Li Sheng quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was curious too—what had the Empress taken lately? She was like a hard-to-crack bone, impossible to handle, making him uneasy.
Chu Ze gripped his brush, displeased.
Today was the fifteenth day, a day he was supposed to go to Kunning Palace to dine and rest.
He had given her so many gifts, yet she didn’t utter a word of thanks, instead dredging up old matters to mock him.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
“Go, bring the bedchamber summons!”
Li Sheng’s brows twisted like a tangled rope.
Sigh. The Empress was truly mad—granted such favor, and now it was gone.
It was the fifteenth, and the Emperor no longer wished to go to Kunning Palace.
By the afternoon, news came that Consort Wu had been summoned for the night service.
This caused a stir within the palace.
The Emperor had just returned the Phoenix Seal to the Empress, so why on the fifteenth did he not go to Kunning Palace?
Even if the Emperor didn’t visit, he would not summon anyone to the bedchamber.
“Your Majesty, do you still not understand the Emperor’s intentions? Clearly, returning the Phoenix Seal was not his heartfelt decision—it was done out of necessity,”Madam Xu said, feeding Consort Rong her medicine while recounting the news.
Following recent events, the Emperor had promoted Consort Rong to her new rank, making her Rongfei.
Rongfei leaned on the bed, her face haggard. She clutched the bedding.
“How many days have passed, yet the Emperor forgets my child already! Poor little one—he never even had a name or rank, hastily buried without honor.”
Madam Xu sighed. The child was too young to even distinguish whether it was a prince or princess.
Moreover, the Emperor had been visiting daily until recently. But the Empress was always in tears, constantly lamenting. Surely the Emperor had grown weary of it.
Rongfei’s resentment flared. She overturned her bowl in anger.
“Consort De brought me to this!” she shouted. “A thousand cuts cannot repay the hatred in my heart!”
Madam Xu hurriedly had the servants clean up. Seeing her mistress so enraged, she could only comfort her.
“Your Majesty, listen to me. Restore your health and prepare for the future. Your child will return. For now, the most important thing is to secure the Emperor’s favor. Today, the Emperor has summoned Consort Wu—she is young and beautiful. Do not let small grievances cause you to lose the bigger prize!”
Hearing this, Rongfei could only weep bitterly.
“I want them all dead! Let them all accompany my child in death!”
Madam Wen had the maids withdraw quietly.
As Songshi left, she glanced back at her mistress with a complicated expression.
Meanwhile, Consort Wu had prepared early, awaiting the sedan to take her to Yangxin Palace for her night service.
She felt a faint thrill. She often danced in the Imperial Garden, never expecting to meet the Emperor.
After recent events, she thought the Emperor had surely forgotten her.
Yet on the fifteenth, he summoned her, disregarding even the Empress’s presence.
This alone proved she held a place in his heart.
No one would dare underestimate her in the future.
She was glad she had eaten lightly at lunch, keeping her form elegant.
If she could dance for the Emperor during the night service, it would be perfect.
“Apply this floral essence to the Empress’s hair. When Your Majesty sees you, he will be utterly captivated,”the attending maid, Lian’er, said with a smile.
Consort Wu removed her protective armor, a sly smile lifting her lips.
“Once I receive the Emperor’s favor, you will all share in the rewards,” she said, glancing outside.
“Though some may rank higher than me, none can match my beauty and talent. They can dream of competing for favor all they want,” she added.
Lian’er nodded, understanding whom she meant: Yang Jieyu, who lived with her in Lanyi Hall and whose favor had once rivaled hers. Every encounter turned into a subtle contest.
Today, she felt triumphant.
That evening, her sedan carried her to Yangxin Palace. After preparation, she waited properly for the Emperor.
Li Sheng cautiously peeked to observe the Emperor.
The memorials had been reviewed, yet the Emperor seemed to read with utmost focus.
He hesitated to approach. Should he remind His Majesty?
He noticed the Emperor’s posture remained unchanged; no page turned. Clearly, his mind was elsewhere.
Chu Ze was lost in thought, recalling the Empress Hua Shu’s tearful expression that day.
He didn’t know why, but it stirred his heart unlike any prior instance. Even when the Empress had cried before, it had never moved him so. He even wanted to wipe away her tears.
Chu Ze shook himself from the reverie, tossing the book casually on the desk.
Hearing the movement, Li Sheng almost teleported into the inner chamber.
“Your Majesty, Consort Wu waits in Yangxin Palace.”
Chu Ze said nothing, sweeping his sleeves as he left. He did not take the sedan; Li Sheng and others followed him.
The moon hung high, a gentle breeze brushing their faces.
Chu Ze felt unusually clear-headed. Hands clasped behind his back, he looked at the full moon, eyes deep and intense.
“Today is the fifteenth,” he said.
Li Sheng nodded, puzzled. Why mention this now? Had the Emperor forgotten the date? No—something clicked in his mind.
The path the Emperor walked was closer to Kunning Palace than Yangxin Palace.
Suddenly, Li Sheng understood.
The Emperor intended to confront the Empress. She had spoken disrespectfully.
Understanding this, he hurried to keep pace.
They arrived at Kunning Palace grounds.
At the palace gate, two maids were chatting, carrying small items.
Seeing the Emperor, they froze, then knelt immediately, presenting the items: fishing trinkets and bait.
“She still manages the six palaces yet has time for fishing,” Chu Ze remarked, stepping inside.
Li Sheng followed, hair prickling with tension—he could feel the Emperor’s anger rising.
He called out sharply, “The Emperor has arrived!”
This was Li Sheng’s final warning to the Empress, lest the Emperor find any new surprises inside.
The Empress had truly changed, increasingly unpredictable.
Chu Ze entered the inner hall as Hua Shu stepped out. She wore a simple purple-red gown, her hair loosely pinned.
The casual style highlighted her beauty.
At eighteen, having been Empress for two years, she still retained a youthful glow.
“Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty be well,” Hua Shu bowed.
As the Emperor passed by her, she followed.
“Your Majesty, why come today without prior notice? I fear I may have slighted you,” she said.
Chu Ze stopped, turned, and drew close to her.
“Empress said I would not come myself. Now that I have, what do you wish to say?”
He reached for her arm, lifting it, eyes blazing.