Chapter 23 Anger is nothing more than a rootless eunuch.....

She was Fang Shi, the aunt who served the Empress Dowager.

Fang Shi was somewhat surprised when she saw her. Considering Zhao Liangxu's identity, she did not bow for a moment.

Zhao Liangxu didn't care, but she wondered if the Empress Dowager might be nearby since she had met Fangshi.

As I was thinking this, I heard a dull thud from behind the red wall on my left, followed by a slightly shrill female voice.

"You dog of a servant!"

Fang Shi realized what was happening and, with a somewhat unpleasant expression, stopped Zhao Liangxu: "Princess Zhao, where are you going? The Empress Dowager is reprimanding this servant up ahead. Would you like to take another route?"

That slightly violent voice belonged to Zhou Mingxi.

Zhao Liangxu understood somewhat; the Empress Dowager, who seemed to be a devout Buddhist, actually had a terrible temper.

Zhao Liangxu didn't want to get involved in this matter. Although she could enter and leave the palace without any hindrance, she didn't actually have any important status. If she went there rashly and was caught and made difficult by the Empress Dowager, she really wouldn't be able to get away for a while.

Zhao Liangxu asked casually, "Did this offend the Empress Dowager?"

Fang Shi replied flawlessly, "It's not that serious. I just angered Her Majesty, and she only gave me a small punishment."

No sooner had the words been spoken than two crisp slaps came from behind the red wall.

At the same time, Li Ying's voice came from behind the red wall, sounding somewhat fearful: "Mother, please don't hit him anymore."

Is it Li Ying?

What a coincidence!

She was just about to go find him.

Now Zhao Liangxu began to seriously consider whether she should get involved in this matter.

Seeing that Zhao Liangxu did not move, Fangshi couldn't help but threaten her: "Princess Zhao, please don't meddle in other people's business. The Empress Dowager is the most honored person in the harem."

Zhao Liangxu raised an eyebrow and, under Fang Shi's puzzled gaze, called out towards the red wall, "Your Majesty."

A sudden silence fell behind the red wall.

Li Ying peeked out from behind the arched doorway next to her.

The Empress Dowager followed closely behind.

Li Ying showed no surprise, but rather some panic: "Zhao Liangxu, why did you call me?"

“I originally intended to go to the Qianqing Palace to find His Majesty, but I happened to pass by here and heard His Majesty’s voice, so I naturally called out to you.”

Zhao Liang murmured with a smile, her eyes sweeping over the Empress Dowager behind Li Ying, and asked curiously, "Who dared to offend Your Majesty and make you so angry?"

Today, Zhou Mingxi wore a navy blue cloak with a few gold velvet flowers in his hair, making him look quite youthful and energetic.

Her expression was displeased, and she raised her hand. Fang Shi, with her sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward and took Zhou Mingxi's hand.

"Princess Zhao, do not think that you have all the power and influence just because my son has shown you some favor. I was just punishing a lowly servant, why should I report to you?"

Zhou Mingxi's tone was tinged with dissatisfaction.

Li Ying looked back, her voice tinged with anxiety: "Mother, Eunuch An instructed you that it's best not to punish the servants. If Eunuch An finds out, you'll be very upset."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager seemed to have been stepped on, and the dignified demeanor she had just displayed vanished. She raised her hand, and her slap nearly landed on Li Ying's face.

Li Ying's usual arrogance seemed to have vanished completely. She didn't know how to resist at all and just stared blankly as the slap fell.

Zhou Mingxi's hand did not land on Li Ying's face.

Zhao Liangxu grabbed her hand.

"It seems His Majesty learned his habit of disciplining and slapping servants from the Empress. Is this all the Empress has taught him after living with her own flesh and blood for so many years?"

Zhou Mingxi pulled his hand out from behind and shouted, "How dare you, you commoner! How can you be so disrespectful to your superiors! Who gave you the audacity to act so arrogantly in the inner palace!"

Zhao Liangxu withdrew her hand, took out a handkerchief to wipe it, an action that further stung Zhou Mingxi's eyes.

"Naturally, it was Eunuch An who gave me the courage."

Looking at Zhou Mingxi's almost distorted face, Zhao Liangxu muttered to herself.

Using Anhe's eunuch-like mannerisms was really effective; even the simple act of wiping his hands was enough to break down Zhou Mingxi's defenses.

Upon hearing An He's name, Zhou Mingxi unconsciously tightened his grip, his sharp fingertips digging into Fang Shi's flesh, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shi disregarded all notions of hierarchy and quickly covered Zhou Mingxi's mouth.

She whispered urgently, "Your Majesty, we can't say that outside!"

Fang Shi hurriedly pulled Zhou Mingxi away, not caring about the palace servants being punished behind the red wall.

At this moment, Li Ying was no longer the clever person Zhao Liangxu had seen the day before, nor did she possess the arrogance of a foolish ruler.

He was completely stunned.

Zhao Liangxu glanced at the palace servant who had suffered the misfortune; he was just an ordinary fire servant.

The young man had a deep wound on his head, and his palm-sized face was swollen. He knew that Zhao Liangxu's intervention had saved him, so he quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Zhao Liangxu waved her hand, instructing the remaining palace servants to quickly take him to receive treatment.

The other palace servants looked at each other and realized that Li Ying had not given any instructions, so they all followed Zhao Liangxu's arrangements.

At this point, only Zhao Liangxu and Li Ying remained, with two palace servants waiting on the side. They had to stay with Li Ying the whole time.

Zhao Liangxu waved her hand in front of Li Ying.

"Zhao Liangxu, you don't need to do this. I'm not stupid."

Li Ying's voice was muffled.

Zhao Liangxu smiled, said nothing else, and only suggested, "Let's go for a walk in the Imperial Garden."

Neither of them were in the mood to admire the flowers in the Imperial Garden, so they found a pavilion to rest in, and Li Ying remained unusually silent.

Zhao Liangxu wasn't in a hurry to say anything; she felt like she was a patient, gentle, and caring older sister.

If Anhe heard these words, he would probably raise his eyebrows in a mocking and skeptical manner.

Looking at the pond beside the pavilion, Li Ying spoke up: "Zhao Liangxu, I did want to take action when you were in the Empress Dowager's palace before. It was my fault."

Zhao Liangxu was surprised that Li Ying's first words were an apology.

He continued, "Did you feel at the time that I was particularly close to my mother?"

"I really want to get along well with the Empress Dowager. She is my mother, how could I not want to please her?"

Li Ying's voice was listless.

"Zhao Liangxu, you actually discovered what I was secretly hiding a long time ago, didn't you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liangxu honestly replied, "No, I only realized it yesterday."

Li Ying raised her head, looking at her with a strange emotion in her eyes: "Whether I knew it or not, it wouldn't have been any different. Do you think I looked like a complete tyrant when we first met?"

Zhao Liangxu nodded: "Of course. He's quick to resort to violence, doesn't understand right from wrong, and is emotionally sensitive. At such a young age, he already seems to be immersed in imperial power. I feel like he's beyond saving."

Li Ying was a little stunned: "Why are you so blunt? Can't you comfort me more gently?"

"Oh well, no wonder you're different from others."

Li Ying shook her head, looking mature beyond her years.

"If I want to explain it to you clearly, I probably have to start from when Eunuch An chose me."

"At that time, the Emperor was critically ill, and every member of his bloodline in the court was trying their best to obtain an imperial edict from him. However, the more ill the Emperor became, the less he trusted his ambitious sons. He only trusted his close attendants. It was at that time that Eunuch An obtained the highest power under the Emperor and became the Grand Eunuch."

Li Ying felt a little uncomfortable speaking face to face with Zhao Liangxu, so she turned her gaze to the lake by the pavilion: "But Eunuch An doesn't just want to be a chief eunuch. Father Emperor has fallen into a coma and is no longer able to draft edicts, so my brothers have all set their sights on Eunuch An, and even the Crown Prince is no exception."

"I truly hate them. Why do they live in luxury and enjoy the respect of the entire palace, while I struggle in the darkest corner of the palace, being the least favored among my father's countless sons?"

At this point, Li Ying's lips twitched slightly.

"Fortunately, I know how to play dumb. Eunuch An would never choose those princes who are too outstanding, but he would also not choose those princes who are outrageously stupid. I played the part that suited Eunuch An the best, but it still took a lot of effort to get Eunuch An to choose me."

Why did it take so much effort?

Before Zhao Liangxu could ask, Li Ying answered first: "I don't know why, but Eunuch An dislikes my mother so much. I suppose Eunuch An wanted to choose someone else, but I really pleased him. In the end, he still got rid of most of the princes."

Li Ying wanted to laugh, but couldn't: "But Father Emperor left behind too many children, and Eunuch An can't kill them all. Eunuch An is probably also constantly weighing whether I'm suitable."

"So I have to become the kind of emperor that Eunuch An hopes for, a harmless emperor who doesn't care about politics and only wants to enjoy himself."

"In the end, only Eunuch An gave me a chance and pulled me out of those days that I didn't want to remember. It was also Eunuch An who, even if he was pretending and had ulterior motives, made me feel genuinely cared for."

“I truly rely on Eunuch An, so I wish these days could last a little longer.”

Li Ying turned her head, her voice trembling with tears, "But no matter how much I understand, I'm still just a child of ten years old. You tell me, I've cooperated so much, yet I still can't understand why Eunuch An made me study under the Grand Tutor and kept a close eye on my studies, almost instigating me to become a wise ruler?"

"I can't see through Eunuch An. Maybe it's not that I'm pretending to be suitable for him, but that he has already seen through me. In fact, I just happen to suit his wishes?"

"I am filled with fear all day long."

His eyes were shining, filled with tears of confusion and fear.

"I'm really afraid you'll tell Eunuch An about this. If he finds out, he'll definitely look for another way. Which of my brothers will he choose next? Perhaps my twelfth brother, since he's the closest in age to me..."

Li Ying is indeed a smart person; he knew a lot from a very young age.

No matter how clever he is, he is still just a child.

Our understanding of things is always limited by age.

Zhao Liangxu shook her head, reassuring Li Ying: "I won't tell him. Otherwise, I would have told him yesterday when I had the chance to be alone with Eunuch An. Why would I have come to see you today?"

Li Ying remained silent. He wiped away his tears and saw the tear stains on his sleeve. He couldn't help but feel helpless: "I've become the most honored person in the world. I can even wipe my tears on my dragon robe."

He asked Zhao Liangxu with some uncertainty, "Are you really not going to tell him?"

A note from the author:

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I changed the cover yesterday, and then this morning I found I'd lost two favorites (lol). Personally, I think the new cover is quite clean and looks great! [crying emoji]