Chapter 10 The Greeting Incident

"Ah Che! How are you? Does it hurt?"

Startled, Su Luoxue disregarded all etiquette and social hierarchy, hurriedly pulling herself out of Yuwen Che's embrace and grabbing his hand that had just blocked the cup to examine it. She saw a clear red mark on the back of his hand, and his sleeve was soaked with tea stains. Her eyes reddened with heartache, and her voice trembled with tears.

"You burned such a big area."

The word "A-Che" that came out of his mouth sounded particularly clear in the Phoenix Palace.

Yuwen Che's originally gloomy expression softened somewhat because of her heartfelt concern and affectionate address. He squeezed her slightly cool hand in return, his tone calm: "It's alright."

Having said that, he stopped looking at the shattered teacup outside the hall, put his arm around Su Luoxue's shoulder, and strode into the main hall of Fengyi Palace.

Everyone in the hall was still shocked by the emperor's burns. Upon seeing him enter, they hurriedly knelt down in unison, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor!"

Su Luoxue finally snapped out of her shock and worry about Yuwen Che's injuries. When she saw the pale-faced Empress sitting on the throne, she remembered the purpose of her trip and hurriedly tried to break free from Yuwen Che's arms. She was about to kneel and pay her respects to the Empress.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects..."

However, just as her knees bent, Yuwen Che's hand firmly supported her, preventing her from kneeling.

His gaze swept across the entire hall, finally settling on the pale-faced Empress. His voice, though not loud, carried his innate authority and clearly resonated throughout every corner of the hall:

“No need to kneel.” He paused, then spoke each word as if declaring, “In this palace, apart from the Empress Dowager… you don’t need to kneel to anyone.”

boom--!

These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, resounding in everyone's hearts!

No need to kneel? Even the Empress doesn't have to kneel, except for the Empress Dowager? This… this is practically placing Consort Chen's status above all other concubines in the harem, even subtly elevating her to the Empress's level! No, even more revered than the Empress, because the Empress must perform a grand ceremony when meeting the Empress Dowager! Consort Chen, however, only needs to kneel before the Empress Dowager!

All the concubines lowered their heads, looking embarrassed and incredibly surprised. The Empress swayed, almost collapsing, barely managing to maintain her posture only by digging her fingernails tightly into her palms, but her face was ashen.

Yuwen Che seemed oblivious to the astonishment of the crowd. He led Su Luoxue directly to the main seat next to the phoenix throne—a seat usually reserved for emperors when they traveled there. He sat down calmly and then said indifferently, "Rise, all of you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty..." The crowd rose tremblingly, stood with their heads bowed, and dared not utter a word.

Yuwen Che's gaze then turned to Yuwen Hao, who was still sobbing softly in Consort De's arms. His feelings for this son were indeed complicated; he couldn't say he loved him much, but after all, he was currently his only heir, and his features did resemble his own somewhat.

"Why are you crying?" His voice was as cold and hard as ever. "Stand up."

Startled by his father's authoritative voice, Yuwen Hao stopped crying. With the help of Consort De, he timidly straightened his small body, but still couldn't help feeling aggrieved. He bit his sleeve and mumbled softly, "Hungry... Father, Hao'er is hungry..."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che's eyes turned cold instantly. He turned to the Empress, who had just barely managed to regain her composure, and spoke in an icy tone:

"My eldest son, the Emperor of the Great Zhou, is actually crying incessantly from hunger in your palace, Empress? Your Majesty, you have truly opened my eyes... If this were to get out, wouldn't it be a legendary tale?"

The Empress trembled and knelt down with a thud, her voice shaking: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! It was my... my negligence. I was so busy waiting for Consort Chen to come and pay her respects that I... I forgot the time and failed to prepare the pastries in time... Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

She cleverly shifted the blame onto Su Luoxue, who was "late".

However, Su Luoxue paid no attention to the Empress's accusations. Seeing the little boy crying out that he was hungry, her maternal instincts overwhelmed her. She didn't care about anything else and picked up the exquisite pastries that were originally prepared for the concubines from the small table next to her. She gently handed them to Yuwen Hao and said softly, "Is the Crown Prince hungry? Have a snack to fill your stomach first."

Yuwen Hao was still just a child, and he was starving. Seeing the sweet pastries, he forgot his fear and wolfed them down, finishing them in two bites. Then, with wide eyes, he stretched out his little hand, still covered in crumbs, and looked longingly at Su Luoxue, saying in a childish voice, "More...more..."

His endearing appearance made Su Luoxue giggle; her pure and warm smile dispelled much of the gloom in the hall. She then took an even larger piece of pastry and carefully handed it to him.

"Come on, eat slowly, don't choke, there's plenty more."

Seeing this, Consort De was both grateful and apprehensive. She quickly pulled her son aside and said, "Hao'er, don't be rude! Quickly thank Her Majesty!"

With his mouth stuffed full, Yuwen Hao mumbled, "Thank...thank you, Mother Chen..."

This scene, witnessed by Yuwen Che, stirred a gentle feeling within him as he watched Su Luoxue treat Hao'er with natural tenderness. However, the Empress and the other concubines felt a complex mix of emotions. Consort Chen's move not only defused the Empress's accusations but also showcased her "compassionate" side before His Majesty, making the Empress's harshness and dereliction of duty all the more apparent in comparison.

Yuwen Che stopped looking at the kneeling Empress and said to Consort De indifferently, "Take Hao'er back for a meal. In the future, unless there is something important, there is no need to wait for you at Fengyi Palace."

Consort De felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly thanked the emperor, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave." She then hurriedly retreated with her son in her arms.

Yuwen Che then turned his gaze back to the Empress, who was kneeling on the ground with a pale face, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger:

"Empress, I hope you will reflect on what happened today. As the Empress, you should be tolerant and compassionate towards the young and weak. If you cannot even do this, I will doubt whether you are still fit to hold this position."

Yuwen Che's words made the air in the entire Fengyi Palace so heavy it was almost dripping with water.

The kneeling concubines exchanged incredulous glances, their hearts churning with shock. What did His Majesty mean by that? "Unworthy of this position"? Did His Majesty actually harbor thoughts of... deposing the Empress? All for a mere Consort Chen who had just entered the palace?

Empress Shen was struck dumb, her head snapping up, her face deathly pale. Her lips trembled as she tried to question him, to defend herself, but meeting Yuwen Che's unfathomable, cold eyes, all her words caught in her throat, leaving only boundless fear and despair. She wasn't stupid. From His Majesty's almost wedding ceremony for Su Luoxue, to their wedding vows, and the old woman's words about him favoring her until late at night, to this merciless reprimand... all these events, strung together, pointed to a possibility she didn't want to believe... His Majesty seemed to genuinely like Su Luoxue; did he already intend to depose her?

The thought sent a chill down the Empress's spine, soaking her inner garments with cold sweat. She had worked for years, relying on her family and the Empress Dowager, to secure her position as Empress. Was she really going to be so easily replaced by a merchant's daughter?

Yuwen Che, however, acted as if nothing had happened, gently pulling Su Luoxue to his side. He picked up a clean silk handkerchief and, with remarkable ease, took Su Luoxue's hand that had just held the pastry, carefully wiping away non-existent crumbs from it, finger by finger. He was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to the imposing emperor he had been moments before.

This possessive yet protective gesture stung the eyes of all the concubines present, especially the Empress kneeling on the ground. Humiliation, resentment, jealousy… a mix of emotions swirled within them.

Consort De, who had just carried Yuwen Hao out of the main hall of Fengyi Palace, hadn't gone far and had clearly heard Yuwen Che's last question, "Are you still worthy of this position?" She stumbled and almost fell, but was fortunately caught by the nanny beside her.

"Your Majesty, be careful!"

Consort De steadied herself, her face deathly pale. She quickly knelt down, tightly grasped her son's little arm, and said with unprecedented seriousness and panic, "Hao'er, listen to me. From now on, in the palace, whenever you see Consort Chen, the one who gave you the snacks, you must be respectful. You must never, ever offend her, understand? You must be as respectful as you are to your mother, no, even more respectful than you are to your mother, remember?"

Yuwen Hao was startled by his mother's serious expression, but he nodded blankly.

Seeing this, the trusted old nanny by Consort De's side was somewhat puzzled and whispered, "Your Highness, aren't you being too cautious? You have the eldest prince, His Majesty's only heir, who is your greatest asset..."

"What do you know!" Consort De interrupted her abruptly, her voice filled with barely suppressed panic and anger. "His only heir? That's because His Majesty used to disdain even setting foot in the harem! Now that he has this Noble Consort Chen, look at His Majesty's attitude, isn't having an heir just a matter of time?!"

She took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and spoke with a clear-headed despair: "What is my background? I only got this rank of Consort because of luck, having Hao'er! But what about Consort Chen? Just today, His Majesty's favor towards her... or rather, his genuine desire to cherish her. When have you ever seen His Majesty so indulgent towards a woman, disregarding ancestral rules? If she gives birth to a prince or even a princess in the future, the child will be elevated because of the mother! His Majesty will surely cherish her like a treasure! At that time, if His Majesty... if he has that thought again, deposes the current one, and elevates Consort Chen to the position of empress, then her child will be the legitimate heir! What is my Hao'er then? Just the eldest son of a concubine born to a palace maid!"

Upon hearing this, the old nanny broke out in a cold sweat: "Your Highness means... His Majesty might..."

"What kind of person is His Majesty? After all these years in the palace, don't you think we can't see it clearly?" Consort De smiled bitterly. "He is cold-hearted and ruthless, decisive in killing. When has he ever truly cared about personal feelings, or even the bonds of blood? If he truly cared about his son Hao'er, how could he have been so indifferent all these years? Now that he has someone else in his heart, to pave the way for the person he cares about and her future child, he might even have to... What does a son he doesn't love matter?"

"If he had truly fallen for Consort Chen, how could he have allowed the woman he cherished to remain merely a concubine?"

Looking at her innocent son in her arms, she was filled with endless worry. In this deep palace, the emperor's favor was the greatest protection; once out of favor, even a prince's future was uncertain. And now, all of His Majesty's affections were clearly being poured into the one in Guanju Palace. She dared not linger and quickly picked up her son and headed towards her own Chengqian Palace.

Inside the Phoenix Palace, Yuwen Che wiped Su Luoxue's hands clean, casually tossed the silk handkerchief aside, took her hand, and said indifferently, "This place is filthy and there's nothing to do here. Accompany me to the Hall of Reflection."

He didn't even glance at the kneeling concubines and the ashen-faced empress again, and directly led Su Luoxue away from Fengyi Palace.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."

The concubines hurriedly bowed, but after this incident, those who saw through everything clearly realized that Consort Chen, Su Luoxue, was not only currently enjoying the Emperor's favor, but she was very likely to completely change the landscape of the Great Zhou's harem. As for Empress Shen, her position was already precarious.