Chapter 95 Don't get...the clothes dirty

The kiss was domineering and passionate, carrying an undeniable sense of possessiveness.

As their lips intertwined, the imperial aura completely enveloped the narcissus.

Yinzhu and the others had already discreetly slipped out and quietly closed the palace door.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but when Narcissus felt her breathing become completely erratic, Emperor Zhaoheng reluctantly released her.

Narcissus breathed slightly, her cheeks flushed, and her originally delicate lip rouge had been smudged during the passionate kiss, adding to her alluring charm.

She looked up and met the lingering dark flames in Emperor Zhaoheng's deep eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

Narcissus leaned against him, her voice incredibly soft.

"Your Majesty... You already stayed overnight at Yongle Palace last night. If you stay overnight again today, it might cause controversy... How can you stay in my palace for several days in a row?"

Emperor Zhaoheng, however, did not care at all. His arm remained firmly around her slender waist, and his rough fingertips gently caressed her wedding dress.

"Dissent? Let's see who dares to criticize! I can stay wherever I want. Has Xian'er forgotten that I've stayed at Yongle Palace consecutively before?"

Before Shuixian could say anything more, Emperor Zhaoheng leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Besides, I have nothing to do this afternoon..."

Before he finished speaking, he had already picked up Narcissus horizontally and strode towards the inner room.

Narcissus gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

The jeweled floral crown on her head swayed slightly with her steps, making a crisp and pleasant clinking sound.

"Your Majesty, these festive robes were finally made with great care; we can't let them get dirty..."

Don't ruin this nice outfit.

The man seemed to heed her suggestion, chuckling as he peeled her from her wedding dress.

"I will listen to Xian'er."

The brocade curtains fell, obscuring the spring light from the room.

The soft tinkling of the hairpins mingled with the low, gentle singing, lingering for a long time before finally fading away...

......

A few days later.

Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager sat high on her phoenix throne, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. Her expression was solemn, exuding a sense of oppression from someone who had long held a high position.

She deliberately chose a time when Emperor Zhaoheng was discussing matters with his important ministers in the imperial study to summon Shui Xian.

At the bottom of the steps, Shui Xian bowed respectfully: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

"No need for formalities." The Empress Dowager's voice was calm, her gaze falling on Shui Xian with scrutiny. "Consort Jin, I have summoned you here today to discuss a matter, and also to bestow upon you and Yong Ning a great favor."

Ever since she met the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager summoned her to Cining Palace, nothing good has ever happened to her.

Shui Xian's heart stirred slightly, and she lowered her eyes respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, I am all ears."

The Empress Dowager got straight to the point, her voice deep and heavy, "The Empress is frail and sickly, and needs to rest and recuperate. I am truly worried that she will not be able to handle the young Princess Yongning, and that it will only harm the princess."

Narcissus, standing at the bottom of the steps, thought to herself, "Sure enough, it's about Yongning."

“Yongning is the Emperor’s eldest daughter, and her status is extremely noble. Although she was raised in Kunning Palace and received instruction from the Empress, in the end… it is not as honorable and prestigious as being raised in my Cining Palace.”

"I wish to bring Yongning to Cining Palace so that I may raise and educate her personally."

The Empress Dowager paused, then looked sharply at Shui Xian and said in a condescending tone, "As Yong Ning's birth mother, if you truly care about your daughter's long-term future, you should be sensible and know when to advance and retreat."

"Go and propose to the Emperor and Empress that Yongning be sent to me to be raised! Do you understand?"

The Empress Dowager's move was extremely insidious!

She forced Shui Xian to play the villain and ask the Emperor and Empress for the child to be transferred to Cining Palace.

Whether it succeeds or fails, all the conflicts and the emperor and empress's dissatisfaction will be focused on the troublemaker, Narcissus.

The Empress Dowager herself, on the other hand, remained high above, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger, and even gaining a reputation for loving her grandchildren.

Narcissus sneered inwardly, but her face showed fear.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's grace is boundless, your humble servant... your humble servant is moved to tears!"

Isn't it just sweet talk? She can say that too.

"However... Princess Yongning has been raised by Her Majesty the Empress herself, who treats her like her own flesh and blood."

"Whenever His Majesty visits, he is always delighted and deeply gratified. This was a decision made after careful consideration by His Majesty and Empress, and I dare not speak of it presumptuously."

The narcissus adopts an extremely humble posture.

She raised her eyes, her gaze filled with helplessness: "Your Majesty, I am but a lowly concubine, how dare I presume to comment on the arrangements made by the Empress and the Emperor?"

Narcissus's words were met with a cold sneer from the Empress Dowager.

You think your words carry little weight? You rose from a lowly palace maid to a Noble Consort in less than a year of serving the Emperor, a rank equivalent to a Vice Empress. How is that insignificant?

Narcissus seemed not to hear the Empress Dowager's sneer, and continued to spout eloquent lies with her eyes wide open.

"Your Majesty, I am of lowly status. If I were to bring this up rashly, I fear it would displease the Emperor and the Empress... and I would be failing to live up to the Empress Dowager's kindness and affection..."

She cleverly passed the ball back to the Empress Dowager, making it clear that the custody decision was a joint one between the Emperor and Empress, and that she dared not interfere.

If you want a child, go have one yourself. Don't try to use me or pin the blame on me!

Seeing that Narcissus was unyielding, the Empress Dowager's face darkened, her fingers that were fiddling with the prayer beads stopped, and a fierce glint flashed in her eyes.

She never expected Narcissus to be so cunning, daring to use the Empress to intimidate her!

Just as the stalemate reached its climax, a eunuch's announcement suddenly rang out outside the Cining Palace:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Immediately afterwards, the palace doors were pushed open with a bang, and Emperor Zhaoheng, dressed in casual clothes, walked straight into the main hall of Cining Palace with his still-present imperial aura!

His face was calm and expressionless, but his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool.

First, he confirmed that the narcissus was alright, and then he paid his respects to the Empress Dowager.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager was startled, her face showing obvious astonishment: "Emperor? You... weren't you discussing matters in the Imperial Study?"

Her unconscious remark revealed her true intention in seeking out the emperor's whereabouts and bringing Narcissus here during the emperor's council meeting.

Emperor Zhaoheng seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the hall, and said in a clear voice with a calm expression, "I heard that the Empress Dowager has summoned Consort Jin. Is there something important she wishes to tell you?"

"If the Empress Dowager has any instructions, she can simply give them to her son. Why should Consort Jin make the trip herself? She is weak after giving birth and needs to rest more."

Now that things had come to this, the Empress Dowager simply stopped trying to hide it and went along with Emperor Zhaoheng's words:

"Your Majesty's arrival is just in time! I was just about to discuss the Yongning matter with Consort Jin."

"The Empress is frail, and I am truly worried that it will be too much of a strain for her to take care of Yongning. I am thinking that it would be better to bring Yongning to Cining Palace so that I can raise and educate her myself."

At this point, the Empress Dowager suddenly smiled and glanced at Shui Xian, pulling her into the water and saying, "Consort Jin just said that this is Yongning's blessing, and she has no objection."

The way she said this made it sound not like she had summoned Narcissus for discussion, but rather as if Narcissus had already agreed to the Empress Dowager's request.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes, so fast that it was impossible to catch.

He grew up neglected by the late emperor and favored by the empress dowager, and never enjoyed true maternal love. How could he send his precious daughter to this cold and indifferent Cining Palace?

As for Shui Xian agreeing... Ever since Shui Xian gained favor, the Empress Dowager has been targeting her, and Emperor Zhaoheng simply does not believe that Shui Xian would agree to send Yong Ning to Cining Palace.

His expression remained calm, but his tone left no room for argument.

"Your Majesty loves your grandson dearly, I understand. But the Empress is virtuous and kind, and she takes excellent care of Yongning. I visit her every day, and her little face is round and rosy, full of energy. Even the imperial physician says that the princess is very healthy."

"Your Majesty is already advanced in years, and the affairs of Cining Palace are complicated. If we add Yongning, who cries day and night, to the burden, I am truly worried that Your Majesty's health will suffer. Wouldn't that be a great act of filial impiety on my part?"

That's what I meant.

Narcissus appeared respectful, but couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

Emperor Zhaoheng's words were practically saying, "Empress Dowager, you say the Empress is in poor health, but you are also getting old. Who is more capable than whom?"

Afterwards, Emperor Zhaoheng did not give the Empress Dowager a chance to refute and directly defended Shui Xian beside him.

"If Your Majesty feels that the Empress has neglected or acted improperly in taking care of Yongning, it would be better to go to Kunning Palace and discuss it with the Empress in person."

Having said that, he ignored the Empress Dowager's ashen face and walked straight to Narcissus, his tone instantly becoming incredibly gentle.

"My beloved concubine looks so pale, are you exhausted? Feng Shunxiang!"

He called out loudly.

“Your servant is here!” Feng Shunxiang immediately bowed and replied.

"Issue my decree!"

Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was cold and clear, echoing throughout the Cining Palace.

"Consort Jin is weak after childbirth and needs to rest and recuperate quietly according to Imperial Physician Pei's advice! From this day forward, without my personal decree, no one in the harem is allowed to disturb Consort Jin's peace and quiet with any trivial matters! Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished!"

After speaking, he reached out and firmly supported Shui Xian's arm, "I will personally escort you back to the palace to rest."

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Zhaoheng turned to the Empress Dowager, whose face was pale on the throne, and said with a respectful but distant manner: "Your Majesty, please rest well. Your son takes his leave."

After saying this, he didn't linger. He half-supported and half-embraced Shui Xian and turned to leave the main hall of Cining Palace.

Under the winter sun, the two figures overlapped, with Emperor Zhaoheng's tall shadow seemingly enveloping and protecting Shui Xian firmly beneath it.

As the Empress Dowager watched her son resolutely leave with Shui Xian, her chest heaved violently with anger, and the prayer beads in her hands creaked as she gripped them tightly!

"Rebellion! This is outrageous!" The Empress Dowager slammed her prayer beads onto the table, making a jarring sound.

Emperor Zhaoheng had never been so harsh on her before.

Could it be...?

"That lowly servant girl! It must be that lowly servant girl!"

The Empress Dowager blamed everything on Shui Xian, saying that it must have been this bewitching concubine who caused the Emperor to turn against her!

She can't just let it go like this!