Chapter 88 Jealousy and rivalry
When the wind picked up, Xiao Dao returned to his palace from Daqing Hall. Since he had just ascended the throne, the number of memorials he submitted was increasing day by day. Most of the time, Yu Shu would handle some of them for him. However, today Yu Shu had gone to the Yong'an Marquis's residence, and he didn't want to wait until Yu Shu returned to have her do them, so he reviewed them until late at night.
He started coughing on the way back, probably from catching a cold. He also had been experiencing abdominal pain and chills for the past few days.
Once inside the sleeping quarters, he felt unsteady on his feet and dizzy. He sat at the table for a while, and found the room unusually quiet.
Yu Shu took Jin Ye and Yin Ya with him when he left the palace. He was not used to being served, so he only left a young eunuch to fetch water for him to wash up.
Hearing the strong wind outside, he couldn't help but ask, "Has a carriage been sent to the Yong'an Marquis's residence to fetch the Empress? It's getting windy, don't let the Empress ride back on horseback."
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Just now at Daqing Hall, the person you sent came back saying that Her Majesty the Empress will not be returning to the palace tonight." The young eunuch came over to help him and said softly, "Her Majesty will be staying at the Yong'an Marquis's residence tonight."
Xiao Dao then remembered that someone had just reported that Yu Shu wouldn't be returning tonight.
Tonight, he will be all alone in this vast hall.
He felt inexplicably uncomfortable. He used to always come and go alone, but since marrying Yu Shu, they had been together every night. He had gotten used to having Yu Shu by his side, listening to her voice, smelling her scent, and sleeping close to her skin. Now, the palace was too quiet.
"It feels so lonely without the Empress." Xiao Dao helped herself up with the eunuch's hand, but then felt dizzy and lightheaded. She heard the eunuch laughing and saying something, but the voice became distant and unclear.
He forced himself to the sink, then suddenly started coughing violently, as if he were about to vomit his lungs out, spitting a mouthful of thick liquid into the sink.
In his dizziness, he heard the eunuch say in a panic, "Your Majesty, you, you've vomited blood..."
Blood?
Xiao Dao propped himself up and looked up to see his lips stained red with blood in the bronze mirror.
He hadn't taken that kind of pill for a long time, and had almost forgotten that he could be poisoned...
"Summon the imperial physician!" the eunuch shouted frantically towards the outside of the palace. "Quickly summon the imperial physician! Go to the Marquis of Yong'an's residence to report to the Empress!"
Xiao Dao pressed down on his shoulder, stopping him in his dizziness: "There's no need to summon the imperial physician, nor to disturb the Empress. I'll be fine after a nap."
The imperial physician cannot be summoned. His position is currently unstable, and if word gets out that he is ill or poisoned, the court will surely be thrown into turmoil, and the Second Prince's faction will also be eager to make a move.
When Yu Shu returns, she will have a more reliable method.
He wiped the blood from his lips and thought to himself: At least I can hold out until Yu Shu stabilizes the court, right?
In the silent hall, he suddenly missed Yu Shu terribly.
#
Xie Yushu heard the system's voice in her half-awake state. The name Xiaodao brought her back to her senses. She opened her eyes and saw Song Jie's neck, marked with red welts, being grabbed in the dim light.
The room was very warm and filled with a complex odor.
Song Jie's arms were wrapped tightly around her, and his warm palms were gently stroking her back.
He hasn't slept at all?
Xie Yushu gently stirred Song Jie, who then looked down at her and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why are you awake?"
Some color returned to his face; before, when he was panting heavily, he looked as pale as if he were about to faint.
"You're not asleep?" Xie Yushu asked him.
He just stared at her like that, then leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose, saying, "I can't bear to sleep, you'll leave at dawn."
This night was so precious and blissful for him that he couldn't bear to sleep, nor dared to sleep, for fear of missing out on the happiest night of his life.
"It's too hot." She pushed against Song Jie's chest, trying to get him to let go.
Song Jie, however, still held her and said, "I'll have Cang Shu move a few of the heaters away."
"No need," Xie Yushu said, sitting up from his lap. "I can't sleep anyway, so I'm going back to the palace."
"Didn't you say you weren't leaving tonight?" Song Jie sat up and hugged her again, kissing her neck affectionately, saying, "Weren't we waiting for news from the Second Prince's residence? Let's stay a little longer."
He then used a serious matter to persuade her to stay.
"That letter should have been delivered long ago, right?" Xie Yushu helplessly pinched his chin and turned his face around: "Cang Shu has been back for a long time. Song Jie, you are too greedy."
When she and Song Jie took their first bath, she vaguely heard Cang Shu return, but she was too engrossed in the moment to call Cang Shu in.
Song Jie looked at her with a moment of disappointment, "Do you really want to go back to the palace to see Xiao Dao? Weren't we happy just now? I met you before Xiao Dao, and I've spent more time with you, so why do you like Xiao Dao more?"
Perhaps because of their unprecedented intimacy tonight, he became greedy. He didn't like the feeling that she would leave as soon as she woke up, as if he were a mistress, not legitimate and without proper status. No matter how hard he tried to please her, she still wanted to go back to the palace to find Xiao Dao.
He has indeed become greedy.
Xie Yushu looked at Song Jie. People's desires expand infinitely after they get what they want. Just like Song Jie now, after getting her intimate relationship, he started to worry about why Xiao Dao got more.
“Because I don’t like you.” Xie Yushu deliberately wanted to hurt him, saying, “Everything you’re doing for me now is just to atone for your past sins. Have you forgotten how you treated me before?”
Song Jie's brows furrowed, and his gaze turned sorrowful. He wanted to refute her but couldn't find a way to argue, so he could only say sincerely, "Yes, I treated you badly before. I'm willing to atone for my sins and spare no effort to pave the way for you, but..."
He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes reddening, and said, "You really don't like me? Not at all?"
Even though they were so compatible, she would kiss him in her infatuation and answer: I like him, I like him very much.
Xie Yushu pushed his hand away and deliberately didn't answer him, saying, "Call Cangshu in."
She lifted the bed curtains and casually put on her undergarments. "I need to get back to the palace before the morning court session."
Song Jie gazed at her retreating figure, unable to describe the feelings in his heart. She could easily make him incredibly happy, yet she could also make him sad with just a few words.
He preferred to believe that Xie Yushu was deliberately making him sad because she harbored resentment towards him and always wanted to make him sad when he was happy, rather than believe that she really didn't like him at all.
How could someone kiss, caress, and enjoy each other's bodies with someone they don't like?
She must like him.
Song Jie got out of bed and draped an outer robe over her before calling Cang Shu in.
"Has the letter been delivered?" Xie Yushu asked Cangshu, sitting at the table.
Cangshu didn't dare to look up and replied, "It's been delivered. My people delivered it in person."
"Has the Second Prince made any moves?" Xie Yushu asked again. "Tell me everything he did after reading the letter."
Cangshu answered in great detail: "After the Second Prince finished reading the letter, he burned it. As usual, he took his medicine, sat blankly for a while, and then went to his study to read for half an hour."
"A book? What book did he read?" Xie Yushu immediately grasped the key point. Reading was something the Second Prince didn't usually do in the evenings, but tonight he suddenly read a book after reading the letter.
Cangshu couldn't answer, "This subordinate didn't notice."
"It's alright." Xie Yushu didn't blame him. "When the Second Prince sees the letter, he will definitely find a way to reply to the person who contacted him. Have your men keep a close eye on him these days. Record who he meets, what books he reads, what he eats, and any unusual behavior he exhibits and report them to me."
"Yes," Cangshu replied.
Song Jie handed her tea and asked, "Should Pei Heng know about this?"
Xie Yushu thought for a moment, then glanced at the time and said, "Yes, I'll go see Pei Heng."
"Now?" Song Jie frowned.
Xie Yushu had already gotten up and called Jin Ye in to comb her hair. "Of course, Pei Heng is now an ally, so he should know everything as soon as possible. Do you want him to realize he's been kept in the dark until the truth comes out?"
“I’ll go with you,” Song Jie said.
Xie Yushu insisted that he stay in the mansion, and she left the Prime Minister's mansion with only Cangshu.
On the way to Pei's residence on horseback, the green hat value kept refreshing, and in a short while, 6 green hat values were generated, all from Song Jie.
He was unusually jealous tonight.
Xie Yushu ignored him and hurried to the Pei residence.
Pei Heng's men had already been put on guard outside the Pei residence. Upon seeing her, they immediately invited her into the main hall to wait.
Xie Yushu guessed that Pei Heng had given instructions.
The main hall was still furnished the same as before, but there were far fewer flowers and plants in the courtyard. She heard that Pei Shilin's mother, Li Huixian, was still taking medication and would occasionally say a few crazy things.
Pei Shilin wasn't much better off. After the palace coup, he was so frightened that he stopped going out altogether and stayed at home taking care of his mother. He grew thinner and thinner each day, and a couple of days ago he was diagnosed with some kind of chronic cough and lung disease.
retribution.
Xie Yushu suddenly realized that if she became the woman of destiny, those who opposed her would not have a good ending without her having to take action.
There were fewer maids and old women in the mansion, and only a few guards were stationed in the courtyard.
She took her seat in the main seat and heard footsteps outside the corridor.
Pei Heng appeared at the door wearing a robe with cinched sleeves, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his temples damp from washing his face. He was slightly surprised to see her, but still followed etiquette and stepped forward to greet her before asking, "Has something happened in the palace that has brought the Empress here so late at night?"
Xie Yushu smelled a faint scent of soap on him. Had he just washed up?
"General Pei, have you just finished your morning exercise?" She looked him over and noticed that his collar was slightly open, as if he had put it on in a hurry and hadn't straightened it properly.
"Yes, I have a habit of practicing boxing in the morning," Pei Heng answered truthfully, but inwardly he wondered: Was it his sweat that made her smell it, which was why she asked? But he had just hurriedly washed up; he shouldn't have any smell...
He then remembered that no one had served her tea yet, so he said, "Would the Empress like some tea?" and turned to order someone to make tea.
Xie Yushu stopped him, "No need to trouble yourself." She waved for Pei Heng's men to leave, leaving only Pei Heng, "Someone sent a message to the Second Prince tonight, but it was discovered and stopped by Song Jie's men."
Pei Heng frowned: "What is the contents of the letter? Have you found out who sent it?"
“It’s a few numbers.” Xie Yushu handed the copied contents of the letter to Pei Heng and said, “We haven’t found out who it is yet.” He added, “I had Song Jie’s men impersonate the vegetable vendors who deliver vegetables every day and send this letter in exactly as it was.”
Pei Heng looked up at her from the letter.
"Just follow the messenger's plan and let this letter end up in the Second Prince's hands," Xie Yushu said. "Once the Second Prince gets the letter, he will definitely try to reply to the messenger. As long as we keep a close eye on him, we'll know who the messenger is and what they're planning."
Xie Yushu looked at him and said, "I can roughly guess that these numbers represent the number of pages in a certain book."
"How did the Empress figure it out?" Pei Heng asked her in surprise.
"Because the Second Prince went to read books after receiving the letter tonight," Xie Yushu said. "He rarely goes to his study to read in the evening, which means he was looking for the answers to these numbers in the books."
Pei Heng could not hide his amazement. Even today, he would still be amazed by Xie Yushu's intelligence.
He could hardly deny that Xie Yushu was far smarter than Xiao Dao. From the moment the imperial edict establishing the empress was issued and the officials protested, Xie Yushu had Xiao Dao issue another edict, this time granting Meng Jing the title of king, amidst the protests.
Comparing the two decrees, the one establishing Xie Yushu as empress seems more acceptable.
As Xie Yushu had predicted, the court officials quickly accepted her as empress.
She then appointed Liang Shou's daughter as a minor palace official, gradually swaying the officials' stance. Only after successfully appointing the official did she bestow the title of king upon Meng Jing.
This series of plans was not conceived randomly; she had already planned it out when she wanted Meng Jing to be granted the title of king and inherit the title, patiently scheming step by step.
Pei Heng still remembers what she said to Meng Jing after he was made a king: "I once heard a story that if you want to open a window against all odds, you should first say that you are going to tear down the roof. That way, the protesters will be more likely to accept that you just want to open a window."
She's not just smart; she has the guts to lift the roof off the house and the patience to open the windows first.
Pei Heng admired her from the bottom of his heart and believed that she was capable of helping Xiao Dao protect the Great Xun Dynasty.
So he asked, "What does the Empress need me to do?"
He will naturally abide by any decision she makes.
Xie Yushu looked at him and smiled, "I want you to deploy an elite army outside the city, ready to be deployed at any time."
Pei Heng then asked, "Does the Empress suspect that someone is plotting a rebellion?"
"We'll find out soon enough whether anyone's causing trouble." Xie Yushu noticed a tabby cat in the courtyard and asked Pei Heng, "Do you keep a cat?"
As she walked out, the tabby cat that had been rolling around in the yard hurriedly got up, darted into the yard where she used to live, and peeked out from under the archway, meowing at Pei Heng.
“Not really.” Pei Heng followed her out, squatted down beside her, and clicked his tongue twice at the cat.
The cat was shy and didn't dare to come closer; it just rubbed its head against the wall and meowed.
“When I was cleaning up the yard where you used to live, I found a litter of kittens in your small kitchen.” Pei Heng looked up at her, a smile still on his lips. “Anyway, no one lives in that yard, and it’s too cold in winter, so I added some cotton clothes and a stove to the small kitchen and fed them every day. That kitten is the mother cat.”
Xie Yushu looked down at him and saw this relaxed smile on his face for the first time. Usually, he always had a serious face like a stern parent, making people forget that he was only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.
Pei Heng then asked, "Would you like to go see the kitten?"
"Is that courtyard still empty?" Xie Yushu asked.
“Leave it empty. The Pei family doesn’t have that many people. After you leave…” Pei Heng didn’t finish his sentence. Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate, he stood up and didn’t continue.
What he really meant was that after Xie Yushu left, Pei Shilin and his mother moved to the west courtyard because they were afraid to see him, making the Pei residence even more deserted.
A pale blue light gradually peeked through the sky, and a chilly mist hung in the air, making the Pei residence appear much more desolate.
Xie Yushu could clearly sense Pei Heng's loneliness. He had been fighting on the battlefield for several years without returning home, and now that he had returned home, he felt lonely. "General Pei should get married. If you get married, the mansion will become more lively."
She smiled and said to Pei Heng, "General Pei, do you have a girl in mind? If so, I would be happy to act as your matchmaker."
Pei Heng frowned, then smiled: "Someone like me isn't suited for marriage. Who knows, I might die on the battlefield if war breaks out again. Wouldn't that be ruining the girl's life?"
Xie Yushu didn't know what to say. Facing a truly good person like Pei Heng always made her feel a little guilty.
So she didn't want to stay any longer and casually said, "When General Pei meets someone he truly likes, he won't say that anymore. You'll just want to be with her every day then."
Pei Heng looked at her, met her gaze, and then awkwardly looked away: "Perhaps."
Xie Yushu did not linger and left the Pei residence.
Pei Heng escorted her to the gate of the mansion, watching her mount her horse, whip it, and gallop into the mist without looking back. He felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness; she hadn't even gone to see the kittens yet.
#
When Xie Yushu returned to her palace, Xiao Dao had already gone to the morning court session. After washing up, she took a nap.
Perhaps she was too tired, she slept very deeply and for a long time, and when Xiaodao came to see her after court, she was still not awake.
Xiao Dao didn't ask anyone to announce his arrival. He tiptoed in and saw Yu Shu sleeping peacefully on the bed with her head resting on the back of his hand. His heart softened. He carefully sat down beside her and gently touched her black hair that was hanging down by the bed. He tried to stroke her shoulder that was exposed outside the bed, but suddenly noticed a small red mark on her shoulder.
It looked like a kiss mark Yu Shu had left on him, but he didn't remember leaving any mark here...
His fingers lingered beneath her black hair, knowing he shouldn't, yet he couldn't help but let his mind wander: Did he leave this? Wasn't she at the Marquis of Yong'an's residence last night?
An eunuch tiptoed in from outside the palace, as if he were to report something to him.
He gestured for him to be quiet and wait outside, carefully pulled the blanket up for Yu Shu, got up and left, not wanting to wake her, and only let the eunuch speak after he had walked outside the palace.
"Your Majesty, Chancellor Song requests an audience at the Daqing Hall, saying he has something to report," the eunuch said.
Xiao Dao nodded and headed towards the Daqing Hall.
The eunuch asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, you haven't had breakfast yet... You must take care of your health. Should we report your condition to the Empress?"
Xiao Dao thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Don't say anything more. I will find an opportunity to talk to the Empress."
When he arrived at the Daqing Hall and met Song Jie, he had just sat down when Song Jie asked, "Your Majesty the Empress did not catch a cold last night?"
Xiao Dao's brows furrowed tightly. Song Jie was deliberately asking him if Yu Shu had seen him last night.
That red mark...
Xiao Dao clenched his fingers, then looked at Song Jie and said, "You need not trouble Prime Minister Song with the Empress's affairs. I will take care of her myself."
Song Jie was not angry. He stood in the hall and looked at Xiao Dao with a half-smile. He said meaningfully, "As a subject, it is my duty to worry about the Empress and do my best. Besides, His Majesty knows that my life was saved by the Empress many times."
Xiao Dao's blood was boiling, and he stared at him as if he wanted to kill him. Yu Shu was forced to save him back then. Did Song Jie think that Yu Shu wanted to save him because he was so self-righteous?
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Author's Note: Song Jie is just a mistress provoking the first wife [clown].
Pei Heng, on the other hand, is a pure and innocent girl who only cares about you from afar.
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