Chapter 101 The Emperor Who Hit the Tree

In Changchun Palace, Meng Yan was ordering people to bring out the various silk threads and satin fabrics that had been stored in the warehouse over the years. She said to Bai Yuxin, "Sister, please take a look and see if they are of any use. If not, send someone to the Imperial Household Department to look for more."

Bai Yuxin looked at the table full of silks and satins—gold-woven, embroidered, plain, Suzhou and Sichuan embroidery, and so on. All sorts of gold and silver threads shone brightly, and she couldn't help but sigh sincerely, "My sister has grown up and never seen so many and such fine cloths and threads. It's as if textiles from all over the world have been piled up in Changchun Palace."

"It's not like everything's piled up in Changchun Palace," Meng Yan picked up a piece of chrysanthemum pastry from the colorful thin-walled porcelain bowl and finished it before she smiled sweetly. "It's just that all the wonderful things in the world have been piled up in the palace like mountains and seas. Feel free to choose and use them. Leaving them in Changchun Palace would be useless if they were just sitting in the storeroom gathering dust."

Bai Yuxin nodded, but she felt a little uneasy. "Sister, is this... okay? Will the Empress Dowager think I'm overstepping my bounds?"

Meng Yan smiled faintly, "You can rest assured about this. The Empress Dowager has always been kind and especially likes the younger generation who are polite and filial. I think that my sister has caused so much trouble in the palace over the years, but it's just because of her nagging. Just listen to my sister, I guarantee you won't go wrong."

Having been rejected from the emperor's favor until now, her position as a favored concubine is actually not very reliable. I am afraid that she cannot take care of Changchun Palace by herself.

Bai Yuxin shared the same thoughts and resolutely refused to fawn on the emperor to gain his favor. Unlike her, she still had her mother's family to rely on, while she was all alone. The only plan now was to introduce her to the Empress Dowager. This would win her favor and give her a foothold in the harem.

So, a few days ago, Meng Yan discussed with Bai Yuxin that when the Queen Mother returned to the palace, they would definitely hold a family banquet and give something to please the old lady.

All the singing and dancing were vulgar, and as for those gold and jade toys, ordinary ones were meaningless, and the expensive ones would inevitably arouse suspicion, making people think they had ulterior motives. Moreover, Meng Yan was trying hard to flatter Bai Yuxin this time. Her small promise should not have brought out anything unbecoming of her status, but rather should have revealed her true character.

One day, when she was chanting scriptures in Baohua Hall, she looked at the clay-gold statue and suddenly an idea came to her.

Bai Yuxin was good at embroidery, so she embroidered a picture of Guanyin Bodhisattva and presented it to the empress dowager. This not only demonstrated her sincerity and filial piety, but also showed her ingenuity and dexterity, and it was exactly what the empress dowager liked, achieving three goals in one go.

After the two of them had discussed it, they started embroidering immediately.

This embroidery was no ordinary needlework, and it was extremely demanding. Meng Yan therefore sent several palace maids who were skilled in embroidery to help.

Finally, today was the day when the embroidery was almost finished. All that was left was to lock the edges and thread, and to lay a base. The two of them were selecting silk threads and fabrics here.

Bai Yuxin lowered her head and smiled, "Sister, you are so wholeheartedly thinking about me. I... I am of low status and my mother's family is not high-ranking. In this palace, if it weren't for you, sister, who would think about me?"

Meng Yan got up early today and was hungry. She ate two pieces of chrysanthemum pastry and put another piece in Bai Yuxin's hand. "Sister, please don't be so polite. We are all in the same boat. To be honest, only when you are better can Changchun Palace be better."

Bai Yuxin understood this logic in her heart and nodded in agreement.

As the two were talking, the palace guard came in and announced, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Rong is outside asking to see you. He looks anxious and seems to have something important to tell you."

The two exchanged glances, Meng Yan's eyes darkened slightly, and she nodded, "Let him in."

The Queen Mother has just returned to the palace. This trouble can’t come so soon!

After a while, Rong An hurried in, bowed, and said with a mournful face, "Your Highness, the Emperor is mad at Qianqiu Pavilion and banging his head against a tree. Please go and take a look."

Meng Yan was extremely surprised. Why did Lu Haozhi have more and more problems? What had the tree done to offend him?

Bai Yuxin glanced at her and said, "Eunuch Rong, please be more careful. Why did the emperor hit the tree?"

Rong An recounted what happened after Lu Haozhi left Shoukang Palace, and kowtowed repeatedly, "The Emperor is furious right now, and his hand is bloody and mangled. I am terrified to see this. If the Empress Dowager asks about it, I'm afraid she will blame me and others for not taking good care of the Emperor and punish us. I beg Your Majesty to go and persuade the Emperor."

After all, Rong An had been the chief steward of the imperial court for many years and was very tactful and resourceful. This not only passed the message to Changchun Palace, but also blocked Meng Yan's way to ask him to go to the empress dowager.

Meng Yan could just walk away and ignore it, but if she did that, wouldn't she be announcing to the world that she, Concubine Meng, did not take the emperor seriously.

Bai Yuxin listened and felt that the situation was very serious, so she advised, "Sister, since Eunuch Rong is so anxious, why don't you go and take a look?"

Meng Yan sighed in her heart, stood up, told her to get dressed and put on makeup, went out, took a sedan chair, and went to Qianqiu Pavilion.

When they arrived at Qianqiu Pavilion, they saw that all the eunuchs who were accompanying them were kneeling, the ground was covered with fallen leaves, and the true dragon emperor was still glaring at the unfortunate cypress tree.

Lu Haozhi's fists hit the tree like raindrops. Although the momentum was not as fierce as before Rong An left, it was still as powerful as before.

He had practiced martial arts since childhood and was very strong. He could draw a bow weighing a hundred kilograms. But after such a beating, cracks appeared on the cypress trunk.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you!"

Although Meng Yan was puzzled, she still walked forward and bowed.

Hearing her voice, Lu Haozhi's fists slowed down slightly, but he didn't stop. After a moment, he said, "Get up."

Meng Yan heard the cold and hard tone and knew that he was in a bad mood. She was thinking of saying something to persuade him, but suddenly she saw that his hands were rubbed by the rough bark and had many bloody cuts, and blood was oozing out.

She originally thought that Rong An was just exaggerating to ask her to come over, but it turned out to be completely true.

Meng Yan didn't think much about it, she stepped forward and held his hand, "Your Majesty, please stop, the dragon's body is the most important."

Being gripped by those delicate and soft little hands, Lu Haozhi's fierce fist softened. He stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, "Rong An is quite cunning. He knew how to invite you here."

Meng Yan took a handkerchief and wiped the bark shavings off the back of his hand. She ignored the conversation and said, "The emperor's behavior must have frightened Eunuch Rong." She then directed someone else, "Take the emperor back to the Yangxin Palace. There's excellent medicine in the Yangxin Palace. Clean his wounds."

Lu Haozhiyuan didn't say anything. After hearing the last sentence, he immediately said, "You come too, otherwise I will still be here."