The Changqiu Palace was silent, with Empress Lu sitting listlessly on her phoenix throne.
She and Zhao Yang had not seen each other for a long time since Zhao Yang was placed under house arrest.
Changqiu Palace was the Empress's residence, and was originally the second most magnificent palace in the imperial city after Yong'an Palace. However, no lamps were lit during the day, and only the middle gate of the palace was open, making the vast palace appear empty and dark.
Light footsteps sounded outside the palace, and Empress Lu's expression instantly became agitated. She rose from her phoenix throne, intending to go to greet them. However, she stopped silently halfway and returned to her throne.
Empress Lu stood upright, her gaze fixed on the light and shadow around the palace gate, waiting nervously for the person to arrive.
Finally, a pair of black boots inlaid with gold thread came into her view. Empress Lu's gaze moved upwards eagerly, but what she saw was not the face she had been longing for day and night.
The gentle smile that had just begun to appear vanished instantly, and her expectant eyes turned bitter. She said softly, "Why have you come?"
It sounded like a question, but the voice was extremely low, clearly indicating that no response was expected from the person who came.
The newcomer was a saint dressed in ordinary clothes. He was now dressed as a scholar, and the air of imperial nobility on his body had faded considerably, and his features had become much gentler.
Emperor Zhenlong entered the palace alone, leaving his attendants outside. He looked at Empress Lu, who was reclining on her throne, and instead of reprimanding her for her rudeness, asked with concern, "Is the Empress feeling any better?"
Empress Lu smiled sadly: "I am old, how can I be without illness or misfortune? It's all normal. You don't need to worry about it."
She paused for a moment, then asked again, "Why have you come?"
She wanted to know.
Didn't she say she could let Zhao Yang come to her palace today? Her son, no matter what mistakes he has made, is still her son.
She couldn't bear to part with her son.
The emperor seemed oblivious to Empress Lu's disappointment, and instead asked with concern, "Since you are not fully recovered, why sit here and wait in vain?"
He walked toward the throne and extended his hand to Empress Lu.
Empress Lu looked at the large hand in front of her. The man's hand was clean and broad, as if it had never changed in decades.
However, her state of mind was no longer the same as before.
She still remembered that when they first met, she called him brother-in-law. At that time, the emperor was still a prince, accompanying his sister on her return visit after her marriage. She hid behind the screen, curiously observing this distinguished guest, but unexpectedly stepped on the support on the ground while backing up and almost fell.
She screamed in fright, and in her panic, the screen was pushed over, revealing her to everyone.
The Lu family members were filled with shame. Their mother scolded her to get up, and although her sister felt sorry for her, she hid behind the prince and dared not step forward, only politely apologizing to him. She was flustered and regretted her rash act of stepping forward to see her new brother-in-law. She was even more afraid that her presumptuous behavior would bring trouble to her sister.
The same person in front of her reached out his hand, helped her up, and chuckled softly, "Little sister, you're lively, don't be shy."
After she stood up, he took his sister's hand and stroked it in his palm, offering silent comfort, his eyes full of tenderness.
She noticed that the elders in the family visibly relaxed, and her sister was noticeably less stiff.
She knew then that this noble prince was an extremely kind and generous person. What was even more remarkable was that he seemed to be deeply in love with her sister.
Later, her older sister died in childbirth, and she and her child perished. At that time, she was already engaged to someone else, but her father forcibly sent her to the palace.
She was unwilling.
She and her sister had been close since childhood. To her, the emperor was a respected brother-in-law, so how could they still be husband and wife? But her father said that her sister had left young Yao Yao in the harem. Children without mothers are the most pitiful. If she didn't go into the palace to take care of her, Yao Yao would probably suffer all kinds of hardships in the harem and grow up in peace.
So she agreed. She wasn't unaware that her father's so-called pity for Yao Yao was just an excuse, a pretext for worrying about the Lu family's loss of power in the palace. But she was willing.
After all, children without a mother are truly pitiful.
At the age when love first blossoms, it's not uncommon to experience butterflies in one's stomach. But she knew that the emperor's love was only for her sister; for others, it was for the emperor himself. She could distinguish right from wrong.
She had only ever genuinely cared for Yao Yao in the palace, watching her grow up. But human nature is unpredictable, and she ultimately couldn't help but change her ways.
Perhaps it was because she was no longer content with being an empress in name only and wanted more power.
Perhaps it was after giving birth to Yang'er that she realized she had to protect more than just Yao Yao.
Perhaps as the children grew older, Yang'er asked her father why he only liked her older sister.
Or perhaps, she has never changed.
An uncontrollable malice welled up within her. Wouldn't things be better if Yao Yao weren't there? Wouldn't things be better if Yang'er had more real power? Wouldn't things be better if she held more power?
But she was the most gentle and benevolent empress in the harem; how could she harbor evil thoughts? Therefore, she could only casually mention it every day, seemingly unintentionally, when Yang'er came to Changqiu Palace to pay her respects—
"My son, you are your father's only son, and the throne will surely be yours in the future."
“My son, your sister is just a girl. She’s in your way, so don’t take it to heart. After all, your father dotes on her the most.”
“My son, your sister’s princess residence is bigger than your prince’s residence and closer to the capital. But don’t hold a grudge against her. Your father has always loved your sister the most. After all, he hasn’t forgotten you. You should be content.”
And so it is.
Born into a prominent family like the Lu family, she knew best how to sow seeds of resentment in people's hearts. She just never imagined that she would use such scheming against her own son.
Empress Lu's painstaking efforts were not in vain.
As the two children grew up, the long-hidden estrangement between the only two children in the Forbidden City finally erupted.
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