Chapter 272 Accompany Me to Rest
In the warm chamber of the Qianqing Palace, the flickering candlelight cast a slightly distorted shadow on the emperor's figure.
The commander of the secret guards knelt on one knee, his voice extremely low.
"Your Majesty, the fish have taken the bait. The remnants of Liu's faction have once again framed Lord Lian Chenxi with their meticulously forged 'Empress Dowager's letter,' the contents of which... directly implicate Your Majesty's bloodline, attempting to slander Your Majesty as not being the legitimate heir of the late Emperor, and suggesting that the late Emperor's sudden death was related to this. The evidence has been monitored and recorded by our people throughout the entire process."
Emperor Zhaoheng paused, and when he looked up again, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, like the eyes of a wolf suddenly gleaming on a snowy plain.
Cold and sharp, carrying the exhilaration of finally getting the fish to bite and the prey to fall into the net.
"Good! Very good!"
His voice was deep, yet it held the power of a storm. "Forging the late emperor's edict, slandering my bloodline... every single one of these is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family! The evidence is irrefutable. Let's see how they can try to deny it this time!"
Emperor Zhaoheng stood up, his bright yellow dragon robe shimmering with the power of authority in the candlelight: "Order Lian Chenxi to proceed according to plan! At the morning court in three days, I will personally close the net and wipe out these demons and monsters in one fell swoop!"
"yes!"
The commander of the secret guards accepted the order, his figure disappearing silently into the shadows as he had arrived.
The purpose of arresting and then releasing Lian Chenxi was to demonstrate the emperor's suspicion and his concern and attention towards Lian Chenxi, thereby arousing the concern and persecution of the Liu family remnants.
Little did they know, Emperor Zhaoheng had already thought of this and had contacted Lian Chenxi long ago.
at the same time.
Inside the Dengdi Inn, a secret passage known only to a select few has quietly opened.
Zhou Yan, dressed in black, appeared silently in front of Ting Lu.
Tinglu left the palace to visit her relatives today, but she was still very careful. She only appeared in the secret passage of Dengdi Inn when no one else could see her in the evening.
Zhou Yan handed Tinglu a thin list sealed with sealing wax, his voice steady:
"Miss Tinglu, this is a list of all officials who have secretly been in contact with remnants of Liu's faction, verified through the inn and our connections. It includes preliminary evidence of their acceptance of bribes and involvement in framing others. Three of them..."
He pointed to three names on the list. "They have been successfully turned by our people after being informed of the consequences. They have more evidence of Liu's core crimes and have promised to turn against him at a critical moment to atone for their crimes. Please forward this to Your Majesty. Lord Lian is doing well, and the plan is progressing smoothly. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Tinglu took the list; it felt slightly heavy in her hand. She knew that these few thin sheets of paper carried enough power to overturn a corner of the imperial court.
She nodded solemnly: "Manager Zhou, you have worked hard. Her Majesty is aware of this."
Meanwhile, in Lian Chenxi's study, this humble censor, who was highly regarded by the emperor and secretly supported by the empress, was holding a small piece of paper with only the words "as planned" written on it close to the candlelight.
The paper strip quickly curled up, charred, and turned to ashes.
He watched as the ashes completely dissipated before whispering to his trusted aide beside him:
"Tell the people on Her Majesty's side that Chenxi understands. He will certainly not fail Her Majesty's kindness in secretly protecting him, nor will he fail the Emperor's trust. In three days, he will surely eliminate the treacherous officials, cleanse the court, and restore a bright and just world to the land!"
His eyes shone with conviction and determination, not only for the emperor, but also for the ideal of enlightened politics depicted by the woman in the deep palace who had given him the opportunity and guided him in the right direction.
——
However, Consort Wan's life in the inner palace was not easy.
The Buddhist temple is austere, and copying scriptures is even more tedious and boring, causing wrist pain.
While copying Buddhist scriptures, Consort Wan did not calm her mind. Instead, her resentment grew wildly like weeds, and she blamed all her suffering on Narcissus.
That day, she calculated the time when Emperor Zhaoheng would pass through the Imperial Garden after court, and dressed up carefully. Although she looked a little haggard, she looked even more pitiful.
She knelt on the pebbled path that was the only way to pass by, and upon seeing that bright yellow figure, tears streamed down her face before she could speak. She kowtowed and wept, pleading:
"Your Majesty! I know I was wrong. I have been copying scriptures every day and have never forgotten Your Majesty's teachings... However, I am truly worried and uneasy!"
She raised her tearful eyes, trying to make her expression appear sincere. "Your Majesty, I am not jealous of Your Majesty's favor, but... but the Dengdi Inn is now famous, attracting scholars from all directions. With so many people, there's a lot of gossip and a mixed bag of people. I'm afraid..."
"I fear that some might take advantage of Her Majesty the Empress's virtuous reputation to secretly form cliques and engage in corrupt practices. If this leads to disaster, it could tarnish Her Majesty's honor and even damage His Majesty's wisdom! Your Majesty, we must be on guard!"
Consort Wan felt that the fact that Dengdi Inn was under Shuixian's control suggested that she was gathering scholars from all over the country, which seemed very strange to her.
Although she had no evidence, as a concubine in the imperial harem, she was still able to keenly sense that Dengdi Inn was not as simple as it seemed.
Consort Wan's plan actually made some sense, since no emperor would allow someone else to sleep soundly on the bed next to him.
However, at this moment, Emperor Zhaoheng was planning the operation to close the net three days later. He was confident of victory and was in a good mood.
Hearing Consort Wan repeat this same old tune, he felt that she was like a buzzing fly, extremely annoying and narrow-minded.
He stopped, his gaze sweeping coldly over her tear-streaked face, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"The Empress established the system of female officials to improve the quality of palace women and benefit the court. Her father's operation of the inn was also with my tacit approval, to help the court keep an eye out for talented people and to share my burdens. Such beneficial measures for the country and the people have been turned into forming cliques for personal gain in your mouth?"
He sneered coldly, "Consort Wan, if you have the energy to gossip and speculate about the Emperor's intentions all day long, you might as well go back to the Buddhist hall and copy a few scrolls of Buddhist scriptures to calm your restless heart!"
After saying that, he didn't look at her again and walked away, leaving Consort Wan kneeling on the cold stone road. Her knees hurt, but not as much as her heart ached!
The palace servants around her kept their eyes downcast, not daring to step forward, but they all knew in their hearts that this Consort Wan would probably never have a chance to recover...
......
That night, the moonlight, like water, flowed quietly through the silent palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng finished processing the last batch of urgent memorials late at night.
He rubbed his tired brow, and without summoning the imperial carriage, he walked to Lihe Palace with only a few close eunuchs, including Feng Shunxiang, under the cool moonlight.
The palace gates were not locked, and warm lights still shone inside the hall.
He waved away the eunuch who wanted to announce his arrival and went inside alone.
Inside the inner palace, Narcissus did not go to bed.
She was dressed only in a simple nightgown, with a thin brocade robe over it, and was sitting on a soft couch by the window, intently doing needlework by the bright candlelight.
In her hand was a small garment she had sewn for Yongning, the stitches fine and even, and her expression was serene and gentle in the candlelight.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Emperor Zhaoheng. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which then turned into gentle joy.
She put down her work, stood up and went to greet him: "Why is Your Majesty so late? Has it taken you so long to finish another official business?"
As she spoke, Shui Xian walked to the table, poured a cup of ginseng tea from a teapot that had been kept warm, and handed it to him.
Although she had not yet gone to bed, she would not drink tea so late.
Emperor Zhaoheng was the only one who enjoyed drinking tea at night.
It seems that Narcissus had indeed been waiting for him to come to Lihe Palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not immediately take the teacup, but instead placed it aside and gently pulled her into his arms.
He shed his coldness from the court and pressed his full weight onto her. Their breaths intertwined and gradually merged to form a new fragrance that permeated the space between them.
"Xian'er..."
His voice trailed off in a low, husky tone, and he couldn't resist gently brushing his lips against her ear.
"Only with you can I find a moment of true peace."
Narcissus let him hold her, feeling the slightly rapid heartbeat coming from his chest.
She raised her hand and gently hugged his strong waist.
A moment later, she gently moved up to him, and with one hand she placed her fingers on his temples, pressing and kneading them with practiced ease to soothe his tense nerves.
The pressure from her fingertips was just right, and Emperor Zhaoheng closed his eyes comfortably, letting out a barely audible sigh.
He looked up, and in the candlelight, her unadorned face was close at hand. Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, and her lips were pale, yet she possessed a captivating tranquility and beauty.
Emperor Zhaoheng felt a surge of emotion, and an indescribable warmth filled his chest.
He leaned down and gently kissed her tender lips.
This kiss was devoid of any aggressive lust, filled only with tenderness and appreciation.
It was as if she were the only harbor he could find refuge in amidst the raging storm.
When the kiss ended, he stepped back slightly, looked at her slightly flushed cheeks and slightly misty eyes, chuckled softly, and picked her up in his arms.
"There is another tough battle to fight tomorrow."
He carried her to the inner room, his voice regaining its usual calmness, yet carrying an undeniable intimacy, "Rest with me."
The curtains were drawn, isolating the outside world.
On the dragon bed, he simply held her tightly in his arms, as if embracing a rare treasure that had been lost and then found again.
Narcissus nestled in his warm, firm embrace, listening to his gradually steady breathing, but her mind was filled with thoughts of the trap she and Lian Chenxi had set together.
Thinking of this, a complex emotion flashed in Narcissus's eyes.
However, Emperor Zhaoheng, who had already closed his eyes to rest, did not see it.
Narcissus pursed her lips slightly, and finally slowly closed her eyes.
Outside the palace, the moonlight remained bright, while inside, the emperor and empress slept in each other's arms, as if no storm in the world could penetrate this tender and affectionate world.
However, whether it was Emperor Zhaoheng's unwavering determination to close the net the next day, or Shui Xian's quietly unfolding scheme, both foreshadowed...
This brief peace is merely the final calm before an even greater storm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com