Chapter 237 He's the emperor; he can pamper you, but he won't love you.

Wei Ting paused upon hearing this.

The old lady's cane struck the ground, making a sound.

He said in a strong voice, "You're going to find the Empress now? Don't you even know what time it is!"

Wei Ting glanced at the moon hanging in the sky.

She said dismissively, "Young man, you're still so energetic at this hour. Grandmother, you should go and rest."

The servant at the door respectfully relayed the message: "Consort Wei has already retired for the night and said she will return to the palace after lunch tomorrow."

Wei Ting drew out an "oh" and said, "Then I'll go again tomorrow."

Only after seeing her troublesome grandson return to his room did Old Madam Wei go to rest.

Once inside, Wei Ting waved the servants away.

When he looked up again, there was no trace of the drunken haze in his eyes.

He sat down with a clear mind, gazing at the Welwitschia mirabilis in his hand, and gently touched the petals and leaves with his fingers.

Then she picked a flower and put it back into the brocade box containing the old items.

The next day, early in the morning.

Wei Liru had breakfast with Old Madam Wei. The two of them didn't talk much, and their politeness was tinged with a cold and distant air.

Just as they were about to finish eating, Wei Ting arrived late.

Wei Ting's face showed the fatigue of a hangover. Even if he wasn't really drunk last night, the emperor had made him drink quite a lot, so he couldn't help but have a headache the next day.

He sat down casually and was immediately met with a disapproving look from the old lady.

Old Madam Wei asked, "Why didn't you go to court today?"

Wei Liru put down the soup bowl in her hand and continued, "Grandmother, please don't get angry. You can tell from my brother's face that he is not feeling well."

Madam Wei's tone softened considerably.

"Your Majesty, you don't know this, but last night Wei Ting had a drinking contest with His Majesty and came back completely drunk."

Today, there was no news of Emperor Wusu suspending court.

Even the Emperor still attends the morning court session on time, but Wei Ting asks for leave and hides in his residence, which will inevitably attract criticism.

Although Madam Wei spoke sternly, she still instructed Granny Cao to set out a bowl and chopsticks for him and to have the kitchen prepare a few more of his favorite breakfast dishes.

Wei Liru asked expectantly, "Did His Majesty drink last night? Did he have a pleasant conversation with my brother?"

Seeing that Madam Wei looked unhappy, Wei Ting remained silent.

Wei Liru's lips also fell into a slump.

Ever since she learned of Wei Ting's disgrace and subsequent demotion, she had been looking for an opportunity to return. This time, she happened to be there for Princess Qingyun's wedding, so she asked the Empress Dowager to let her return home to visit her family.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager was in a good mood due to the happy occasion and granted her the privilege of returning home for a day and a half.

Now, not only has the political climate changed, but she herself has also been implicated in the affairs of the inner palace.

The servants in the palace are adept at changing their allegiance to those in power, and there are already quite a few whom she can no longer command.

Wei Liru sighed and said, "Brother, have you offended the Emperor again? How can you be so foolish?"

Wei Ting didn't hear any concern in her words; instead, he heard more blame.

After finishing the half bowl of soup the old lady had served him, he said, "It's not that I intentionally contradicted him, but the Emperor's mind changes so quickly that I can't possibly handle it."

Wei Liru put down her chopsticks, having lost her appetite.

He said anxiously, "Thunder and rain are both the emperor's grace. Brother is a subject and should obey."

Wei Ting picked up another chopstick of rice noodles and put it in the bowl, glancing at her.

"What the Emperor wants is my military power. Tell me, should I give it to him or not?"

Wei Liru was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

It turns out that the emperor wanted the elder brother's military power, and if he didn't want to give it to him, the elder brother had no choice but to fight against him.

The result of the struggle was that Wei Ting lost his position as General of the North and was now demoted to Commander of the Vanguard Battalion.

But if she were to give it to him, regardless of the Wei family's situation, her future in the harem would be limited to that point, and she might even face further bullying in the future.

After the brother and sister finished their meal in silence, Old Madam Wei wanted to pay respects to Buddha, so the two left the courtyard.

Upon entering the pavilion, Wei Liru instructed her maid, Bitao, to wait behind her.

With no one else around, Wei Liru asked nervously, "What are your thoughts on military power, brother?"

Wei Ting said meaningfully, "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

Wei Liru paused, but did not mention the matter of military power.

Instead, he asked, "Is what happened between you and Ji Qingwu true? I've never seen you mention it in your letters home before. Were you really together in the Northern Army?"

Wei Ting looked at her and said, "You care about this a lot?"

Wei Liru said, "I mentioned it to my brother last time. The Emperor treats that Ji Wu very specially. At first, I thought that she was a relative of the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor would not allow the Ji family to become too powerful. As long as she doesn't enter the palace, she won't pose any threat to me."

“But I learned from the Empress Dowager that one day, Ji Qingwu stayed in the Emperor’s Hall of Diligent Governance for a long time before coming out.”

Wei Liru continued, "It was the day you and Prince Yong were forced to kneel outside the palace as punishment."

Wei Ting's body stiffened for a moment.

Wei Liru observed his expression, unsure of how much Ji Qingwu held in her brother's heart.

“If brother wants military power, he must never think of marrying Ji Wu again.”

That day, Ji Qingwu was indeed inside. He thought he had mistaken the figure of the woman dressed as a palace maid.

The number of women who could enter the Hall of Diligent Governance was very small.

The Empress Dowager and Consort Wei had only been to Phoenix Palace for a short time, on official business.

But once Ji Qingwu went in, he could stay for several hours.

Regardless of the emperor's intentions, whether or not he wanted to bring her into the harem, Ji Qingwu was the emperor's woman, and he could no longer touch her.

Military power and she—both were Emperor Wusu's Achilles' heel.

If Wei Ting wants both, his insatiable greed will only lead him to utter ruin.

Wei Liru turned her head to the side and looked at Wei Ting's tense jaw.

If my brother were to exchange his military power for the emperor's, the emperor might just agree to his previous marriage proposal.

Wei Liru asked casually, "What would you like more, brother? It's all up to you, brother. I'm fine with anything."

Wei Ting turned and looked into her eyes, saying directly, "What if I said I wanted military power more?"

The moment he uttered those words, a deep sense of loss flashed in Wei Liru's eyes.

The morning sun wasn't intense; it felt warm on her skin, but Wei Liru felt cold all over.

Wei Liru's skills were nothing compared to Wei Ting's.

"Liru, you've been in the palace for all these years, but you still haven't learned to hide your thoughts."

Under the light, Wei Liru's face was so white it was almost transparent.

She frankly said, "I don't want Ji Qingwu to enter the palace."

"Even before she appeared, in the harem, the Emperor treated me the most specially, even if..."

Wei Liru lowered her head and said, "The Emperor used to come to my Guanju Palace every month, but now, I can hardly even see the Emperor."

Wei Liru is proud by nature; she has never looked so dejected before.

Wei Ting sighed, "Li Ru, I told you long ago, he's the emperor. He can dote on you, but he won't love you. You insisted on entering the palace back then, thinking you'd be the exception, but look at you now."