Respectful as ice

He then asked, "Where was I?"

A Qiu immediately replied, "You mentioned that Emperor Wu drafted that edict with you."

Sima Yao said, "Yes, yes. Later on, I even thought I had hidden that edict, because I knew very well that the edict could not be seen by anyone. But since it is not in my hands now, it has become an unsolved case."

Ah Qiu racked her brains and said, "After all, it happened many years ago. Is it possible that you, Aunt Yao, misremembered and put it somewhere else instead of bringing it into the forbidden area?"

Sima Yao shook her head and said, "Absolutely impossible. If I had taken it, it would definitely be in this wooden box. You must know the importance of that edict. Although it cannot make anyone succeed to the throne, it will become a handle for others to bring down my Langya royal family. If it falls into my father's hands, he may use it to test my royal brother. I absolutely cannot let these things happen. Therefore, even if I lose this hairpin and jade bracelet, I cannot lose that edict."

She concluded, "Therefore, it must not be in my hands. But luckily, no one paid attention to this matter, so it was probably automatically declaring the edict invalid."

Upon hearing this, A-Qiu suddenly felt a strong sense of alarm.

Because she had obtained a clue from Zhao Lingying: all the imperial edicts in the former Huan Palace were recorded and archived, even the repealed edicts.

On the night Empress Shangguan attempted to leave the palace but was caught in the act, Sima Yan issued five punitive edicts, all of which were nullified. However, one of them was an edict appointing Xie Lang as the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards.

Therefore, according to palace regulations, even if the edict drafted by Sima Yan and Sima Yao was invalidated, it would still have to be filed.

However, since no one made things difficult for Sima Yao, this incident was quietly concealed in history.

Aqiu suddenly said, "Aunt Yao, you intended to take away that imperial edict that night. Aren't you worried that Emperor Wu would ask you about it the next day after he sobered up?

An imperial edict is still an imperial edict. Even if Sima Yao secretly went home, Sima Yan might not blame her, but wouldn't he at least question her about it?

Sima Yao smiled wryly and said, "I know my brother's temperament well. By the next morning, he'll probably have forgotten all about it. After all, he doesn't really have a daughter, clearly waiting for him to pass on the throne. This is just his drunken speculation; it's not reliable at all."

Undeterred, A-Qiu pressed on, "After he sobered up the next day, did he never mention it again? Whether he saw the imperial edict or not, did he act as if the events of the previous night had never happened?"

Sima Yao tried hard to recall and said, "I remember now. He wasn't completely silent the next day, but the noise had nothing to do with me."

A-Qiu hurriedly asked, "What's he doing?"

Sima Yao slowly said, "He issued an edict, declaring Qiwu Palace a ruined palace, and ordering Empress Shangguan not to leave the palace unless necessary. Moreover, it is said that he also sent a plaque that read 'Ruined Qiwu Palace' to her. This was a major event during my brother's reign, which is why I remember it. As for what happened the night before, he didn't mention it again, so we can pretend it never happened."

A Qiu felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, chilling her to the bone.

He must have woken up the next day, and after listening to someone's words, he became determined to believe that Empress Shangguan's child was not his own, and thus decided to punish the Empress. Once the Empress's punishment order was issued, the matter of the child was never mentioned again.

Sima Yao's voice still echoed in her ears.

"Actually, everyone finds this matter very strange. First, if the Emperor really wanted to punish the Empress, he should have deposed her and banished her to the Cold Palace, instead of sending her back to the Cold Palace. Instead of removing her title and moving her from her current location, he turned the Qiwu Palace, which has always been the highest-ranking and most prestigious palace in the harem, into the Cold Palace to imprison the Empress."

"Because in this way, although the Empress was punished, it also means that the punished Empress is still the Empress, and there can never be a new Empress in the palace. Because people can be replaced, but places cannot be moved. There is only one palace that matches the level of Yunlong Palace. After being confined, Empress Shangguan will not move until her death, which means that she will occupy Qiwu Palace forever."

Yes. A Qiu was never one to wallow in melancholy, yet she could only think wistfully, "Indeed, it is so." Qi Wu Palace remains the Empress's palace to this day, even in the new dynasty of Dayan, there is still no Empress. Empress Shangguan was the last mistress of Qi Wu Palace, and she still is; Chu Yuanyi is still there, lingering there.

"Secondly, what exactly did the Empress do wrong? Everyone knows that the relationship between Empress Shangguan and the Emperor is practically nonexistent. But because of this, they have lived in relative peace for so many years: the Empress is often ill and doesn't concern herself with the Emperor's affairs, letting him take as many beauties into the palace as he wants; the Emperor doesn't bother the Empress either, rarely setting foot in Qiwu. The two have always maintained a very distant relationship, especially the Empress, who, although she doesn't interfere in affairs, is very dutiful. We outsiders can hardly even see her all year round. It's hard to imagine what she could have done wrong?"

A-Qiu just listened blankly, unable to utter a single word.

What else could it be... naturally, it was about the birth of the child. Sima Yan initially believed the child was his, but later discovered that Yan Xiu planned to elope after giving birth. He began to doubt whether the child was his, yet he remained undecided. Yan Xiu could not go unpunished, but since the crime had not yet been proven, he feared that a harsh punishment would harm innocent people. Thus, Sima Yan took this contradictory approach, demoting Qiwu to the Cold Palace, but without imposing any further punishment.

"Thirdly, everyone knows that although Empress Shangguan has not had children for many years and does not manage affairs, she is still someone who cannot be touched because she is the daughter of the Shangguan family and the niece of the former Grand Chancellor. The fact that the Emperor has openly deposed Qiwu as a concubine is an intention to banish her to the cold palace and also to show that he will never go there again. By disgracing the Shangguan family in this way, is he not afraid of angering the former Grand Chancellor? But strangely enough, the former Grand Chancellor has not reacted at all."

A Qiu thought that he wasn't unresponsive. The imperial edict had barely been issued when Qiwu Palace was engulfed in flames. That very night, Shangguan Jin stormed into Jianzhang Palace with his sword. He wanted to seek justice for his niece, but was stopped by the Four Stars of Heavenly Secrets and Emperor Dezong, Sima Jingwen. After a direct confrontation with Rong Yuexian's "Heavenly Secrets Unparalleled," he learned that the prophecy that his lifespan was no more than fifty years was about to come true. He no longer had the energy to contend with Sima Yan and could only focus on preparing for the upcoming battle across the river, forced to abandon his efforts to seek justice for Yanxiu.

Sima Yao's voice still lingered: "But soon, Empress Shangguan passed away, followed by the battle to repel 800,000 Hu horses crossing the river. Everyone's attention was focused on that, and no one paid attention to these matters anymore. But I always felt that my brother's family affairs were a muddled mess that was hard to explain."

Yes. Ah Qiu thought to herself, Sima Yan and Shangguan Yanxiu originally wanted to live a life of mutual respect and never offend each other, but due to Zhao Lingying's scheming, they ended up having that child.

If Shi Changqing hadn't intervened later, would Yanxiu and Sima Yan have gradually overcome their differences and tried to get along because of the child?

At least for now, it seems that Sima Yan might be. He was arguably pleased to learn that he might have a daughter. After all, he had personally told Sima Yao that he didn't want children unless they were borne by Shangguan Yanxiu.

He even thought that if he only had this one daughter in his life, he would try to pass the throne to her and do something unprecedented in history for her.

Unfortunately, life doesn't offer so many "what ifs".

A Qiu heard his own voice muffled as he said, "Aunt Yao doesn't seem to like Empress Shangguan very much."

Sima Yao was taken aback at first, then asked, "Where did you hear that?"

A Qiu said, "I've heard people call her Empress Wen or Empress Xining, and it's rare to hear her just called by her surname like Aunt Yao does."

Sima Yao said frankly, "That's true. I don't have much affection for her. First of all, you have to understand that I have never liked the refined and gentle manners of high-born ladies, and Sister Yanxiu is the epitome of a lady among ladies. If it were me, I would never marry my brother if I didn't want to. It's better to end it quickly than to suffer for a long time. From the Sima family's perspective, her hypocritical behavior is also ruining my brother's life."

A Qiu knew that Sima Yao's words made sense, but she couldn't find any rebuttal.

Sima Yao continued, "Speaking of how we address each other, haha, if we go back to our childhood friendship, I actually called her Sister Yanxiu, because that's how we've always been. Later, she married my imperial brother, so I should have called her sister-in-law. But later we became very distant; she almost avoided the Sima family, even more distant than before her marriage. So when I mention her, I just call her Empress Shangguan, just like my imperial brother. And then…"

Sima Yao lowered her head and said with a hint of loneliness, "When I married into the Shangguan family, if we really followed the seniority system, Yanxiu would have to call me Auntie. However, we haven't seen each other since then, and Yuqi and the people from the Shangguan family all call me Aunt Yao. Actually, it's still according to the Sima family's seniority system."

Even so, the Shangguan family still regarded her as the Princess of Langya and respected her as an unmarried woman.

Remembering what had just happened, A Qiu couldn't help but remind her, "Aunt Yao mentioned going to the bookstore in the West Market to buy that book, 'The Essentials of Mountains and Rivers,' which marked the beginning of your marriage into the Shangguan family."

Upon being reminded, Sima Yao immediately replied, "Yes! I've forgotten about that! That day, I dressed up as a woman, a rare occurrence, and went to the West Market with only one servant."

She reached into the box and picked up the pearl and gold hairpin, saying wistfully, "That day, I wore this gold hairpin and these earrings."

Ah Qiu could imagine Sima Yao, dressed in a crimson robe like a sunset, with pearls adorning her hair, striding into the bookstore with a horsewhip in hand.

Sima Yao chuckled and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you imagine. After all, high-ranking families have their own etiquette and rules. I was waiting outside the door when I sent my servant in to ask."

Sima Yao would not get involved in such matters as dealing with peddlers and laborers unless absolutely necessary.

As she stood outside the door waiting, she naturally looked around and spotted a carriage draped with a blue cloth curtain parked a dozen steps away across the street.

The carriage was simple and unadorned, with its body made of sturdy cedar wood, making it lightweight and easy to carry.

She glanced at it once, but couldn't help looking at it again.

Although the carriage itself was ordinary, the blue horse in front of it was spirited and had a glossy black coat, which made it clear that it was not a horse that an ordinary family could afford.