25
The spring sun shone bright and warm.
Outside the imperial study, the empress sat gracefully, sipping tea. Her sharp gaze occasionally flickered toward the elegant chaise lounge nearby, where a delicate young girl lay fast asleep. She exuded an air of quiet authority, clearly waiting for Tang Cheng to wake up and offer an apology.
Yet, Tang Cheng remained blissfully unaware. Not even her eyelashes trembled—she was sound asleep. The Marquis of Nanyang, unwilling to disturb his beloved daughter’s rest, simply stood watch by her side.
To live without grievances, one must have backing and confidence.
The atmosphere was tense.
Palace maids, elderly attendants, and eunuchs all kept their heads lowered, barely daring to breathe.
At that moment, Eunuch Fu emerged, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
Taking in the sight before him—Fourth Miss Tang sleeping soundly while Her Majesty sat there waiting, locked in a one-sided standoff making his lips twitched ever so slightly.
Truly, only Fourth Miss Tang could pull off something like this.
“Eunuch Fu, where is His Majesty?”
Not seeing the emperor, the empress frowned slightly. Though she ruled the harem with an iron grip, she had her own sources of information. The news of the emperor soaking in a strengthening tonic hadn’t spread, but she had taken note of him summoning the imperial physicians and the Marquis of Nanyang entering the palace with a small jar in hand. Piecing together the rumors from the past few days, she had already deduced most of the truth.
She had once secretly commissioned the preparation of a similar tonic, only to dismiss it as a worthless sham. Yet seeing the Marquis of Nanyang so composed and confident, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of doubt.
She was eager to know the results.
After offering a respectful bow, Eunuch Fu replied, “Your Majesty, His Majesty is occupied with official matters. He has issued a decree instructing you to return to Kunning Palace.”
The sudden command took the empress by surprise. Her grip on the teacup tightened. “Eunuch Fu, what is the meaning of this?”
Eunuch Fu kept his gaze lowered and responded with utmost deference. “This is His Majesty’s order.”
“I will not leave. I will wait here until His Majesty comes out,” the empress said coldly, casting a sidelong glance at the figure lounging on the chaise nearby.
Eunuch Fu: “……”
Since the empress refused to leave, Eunuch Fu had no choice but to enter and report to the emperor.
By this time, the emperor had already finished soaking in the strengthening tonic. Graceful palace maids were assisting him with changing into fresh robes, while the imperial physicians stood nearby, unable to conceal the shock and fervor in their eyes as they whispered among themselves.
Eunuch Fu waited respectfully at the side.
Once dressed, the emperor casually asked, “Eunuch Fu, has the empress left?”
Eunuch Fu immediately lowered his head. “Your Majesty, the empress has not left. She insists on waiting for you outside.”
The emperor frowned.
He didn’t need to guess what the empress was scheming. It was impossible to hide the sudden improvement in his health—anyone could tell just by looking at his complexion and bearing.
Sooner or later, the empress would find out the truth. Rather than dwell on it, the emperor shifted his focus to another matter.
“And what about Fourth Miss Tang? Has she woken up?”
Eunuch Fu’s lips twitched as he shook his head. “No, she’s still fast asleep.”
The emperor’s expression darkened. “……”
Saying nothing more, he strode out of the side hall, followed closely by the anxious imperial physicians.
The moment the emperor stepped outside, the empress’s pupils contracted slightly.
Lately, the emperor’s health had been deteriorating, his complexion sickly and sallow. But now, his face was flushed with vitality, his eyes sharp and bright, as if he had shed ten years overnight. The drastic transformation sent waves of shock rippling through the empress’s heart.
Everyone immediately knelt in greeting.
The emperor swept his gaze over them, pausing briefly when his eyes landed on the figure lying quietly on the chaise lounge. Then, he raised a hand slightly.
“Rise.”
As the crowd stood, a faint rustling came from the chaise.
A soft murmur broke the silence, and Tang Cheng slowly opened her almond-shaped eyes, blinking drowsily as if rudely awakened.
“Huh? How long did I sleep?” She lifted the thin blanket draped over her, rubbed her eyes, and looked around in a daze—utterly adorable.
All eyes turned to Tang Cheng in unison.
The Marquis of Nanyang’s heart leaped into his throat. Why did his precious daughter have to wake up at this moment?!
A glint of cold amusement flashed through the empress’s eyes. Finally, this unruly girl was awake. She sneered inwardly—her timing couldn’t be better.
The emperor was momentarily stunned. He had assumed Tang Cheng was only pretending to sleep, but now it seemed otherwise. On second thought, it made sense—she was pregnant. Even if she wasn’t exhausted, excessive drowsiness was perfectly normal.
Everyone watched as Tang Cheng, now fully awake, suddenly gasped in shock.
“Why are there so many people here?”
Then, her gaze landed on the emperor, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Oh! Your Majesty, you’ve finished soaking in the tonic?”
She beamed at him, inwardly patting herself on the back for her stellar performance.
The emperor’s lips twitched.
This girl must have slept herself silly.
“Insolence!” The empress, already displeased with Tang Cheng, snapped coldly at her lack of decorum. “Kneel!”
Tang Cheng blinked her large almond-shaped eyes, staring at the empress in confusion.
“Who are you?”
The moment those words left her lips, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
The empress’s face darkened, a faint tinge of blue creeping in.
Eunuch Fu: “……”
The Marquis of Nanyang: “……”
The imperial physicians: “……”
The emperor took one look at Tang Cheng’s expression and fought back a laugh, the corners of his mouth quirking up ever so slightly.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Ahem. Tang Cheng, this is my empress.”
“Oh! So you’re the empress!” Tang Cheng beamed at her, flashing a bright, innocent smile.
And that was it. Nothing more.
Not even a curtsy or a kneel, Tang Cheng simply stood there.
The Marquis of Nanyang: “……”
The Emperor: “……”
The empress was so enraged by Tang Cheng’s blatant disrespect that her face turned green.
“Insolent! Tang Cheng, kneel before me!”
Tang Cheng’s expression shifted to one of utter disbelief.
“But isn’t Her Majesty known for her grace, fairness, and magnanimity? What have I done wrong? Why should I kneel?”
The imperial physicians’ lips twitched.
The palace maids and eunuchs were dumbfounded.
This Fourth Miss Tang really was as brainless as the rumors claimed.
This was the imperial palace, not the outside world.
Wasn’t kneeling the norm?
The onlookers cast a sympathetic glance at the Marquis of Nanyang.
The empress was so furious that her lips trembled.
“Insolent! You have no sense of hierarchy, no manners, no upbringing!”
The Marquis of Nanyang’s face darkened.
The emperor’s expression darkened.
“Enough, Empress. Tang Cheng is just a naive young girl, why must you be so harsh with her?”
His protective stance was unmistakable.
The empress was so furious that her face turned purple. Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a righteous tone.
“Your Majesty, it is not that I am being petty, but you know better than anyone that I uphold palace rules above all—”
The emperor shot her a cold, expressionless glance and interrupted her sharply.
“Indeed. The empress, who values rules above all else, dared to obstruct my orders—denying a pregnant Tang Cheng the right to take a carriage into the palace, forcing me to wait an entire hour for her arrival. What a fine empress you are. Since when did palace rules take precedence over my commands?”
Initially, the emperor had no intention of holding the empress accountable for her petty schemes. After all, she had been a competent empress. However, her relentless persistence pushed him to his limit, leaving him no choice but to publicly strip away her dignity.
The empress swayed on her feet, her face turning deathly pale.
For the sake of an insignificant concubine-born daughter from the Marquis of Nanyang’s household, the emperor had openly exposed her secret machinations. If word spread, the pristine reputation she had so carefully cultivated would be utterly ruined.
Tang Cheng had no reputation to begin with—this wouldn’t affect her in the slightest.
But a single remark from the emperor was enough to send the empress plummeting into an abyss.
Had she known, she would have left earlier instead of getting herself entangled in this mess.
Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.
She wanted to shift the blame onto someone else, but the moment she met the emperor’s cold, piercing gaze, her lips parted only to press together in silence.
Little did she know, an even greater accusation was yet to fall upon her.
The atmosphere was deathly silent.
Everyone knew that Miss Tang, the fourth daughter of the Tang family, was only a little over a month pregnant with the grandson of the Duke of Zhen, a time when miscarriages were most likely to occur.
His Majesty had summoned her to the palace and, considering her condition, had specially allowed her to travel by carriage. No one had expected the Empress to secretly obstruct this arrangement.
It was clear that Her Majesty’s actions were intentional.
No wonder the emperor had allowed Miss Tang to sleep so soundly outside the Imperial Study—she must have been utterly exhausted.
The crowd silently found an excuse for Tang Cheng.
Imperial Physician Chen suddenly realized why the emperor had insisted he check Miss Tang’s pulse.
Only now did Marquis Nanyang and Tang Cheng realize that they could have entered the palace directly by carriage.
Tang Cheng, however, remained unfazed.
The Empress had secretly played tricks and even come to make trouble for her, trying to assert dominance. But in doing so, she had only embarrassed herself, so Tang Cheng didn’t take it to heart.
Marquis of Nanyang, on the other hand, made a mental note of this grudge.
“Guards, escort the Empress back to Kunning Palace!” the emperor ordered coldly.
He had been pondering how to conceal it if Tang Cheng successfully refined the strengthening elixir. Now, this incident provided the perfect excuse to send the Empress away.
She had arrived with great pomp and authority, but now she was returning in utter disgrace.
The other women in the harem, upon hearing that the Empress had angered the emperor, secretly rejoiced. Those with sharp ears and quick tongues wasted no time spreading the news beyond the palace walls.
**