Chapter 28: The Dark Emperor vs. the Delicate Concubine

A few days after Shen Yan returned to the palace, he was summoned by the Empress Dowager.

"Emperor, you really can't be like this. The Royal Concubine and I have complained to you that you only favor one concubine when you travel around. How can I save my face? Later, the court will say that you are obsessed with beauty. Even if I have a hundred excuses, I can't save you!"

The Queen Mother's tone was cold and her voice was very aggressive when she spoke to the Emperor.

Shen Yan did not intend to give in. Instead, he protected Shen Li and his own thoughts, and said in a tough voice: "My Queen Mother, I have never liked anything since I was a child. I have always listened to your arrangements. Now that I have become what you want, why can't I even like someone who only likes me?"

The Queen Mother snorted coldly, her eyes full of anger as if he was joking.

"As an emperor, your duty is to ensure that the harem has children. You favored only one person, which not only caused the death of the prince, but also confined the imperial concubine to her house, which made the people feel disappointed with you. If so many people in the harem were more fertile, would I still be so anxious now? If Concubine Li was more fertile, why is her pregnancy still quiet? It's ridiculous!"

Shen Yan's face also turned furious, and even his tone was extremely disrespectful: "My Queen Mother, you don't care about me at all. You are worried that someone else will take my throne. You hope that the bloodline of the Shen family will be passed down from generation to generation. I am not your puppet!"

The Queen Mother was so angry at Shen Yan that her face turned pale and her body was a little unsteady. She immediately asked the palace maid to help her sit down, pointed her finger at Shen Yan and scolded: "You, you are so insolent! Such rebellious behavior is not the behavior of an emperor? I did this for you! For you, the emperor! Do you think I am willing to worry about these? Do you think I don’t feel pain in my heart! Get out! Get out of here!"

Shen Yan saw that the Queen Mother hated him so much, but he still insisted on his original idea, and every word he said made his position clear.

"My Queen Mother, I have thought about what I want to be like. You have never valued me since I was a child. You never cared about me. When I was sick, you said I was useless and couldn't protect myself. When I went out to play, you said I was not studying hard. No matter how hard I tried, I could not be what you wanted. You always criticized me. You always wanted me to be the son you imagined, but why don't you want to be the mother I imagined!"

"I am guilty of angering the Empress Dowager. I will not come to see you these days. Please take a good rest. I will take my leave."

Having said this, he left Cining Palace.

The Queen Mother was left alone there. She became so angry that she fainted. The palace maids were so scared that they kept calling for the imperial physician.

The imperial physician diagnosed that the empress dowager had caught a cold, and due to external stimulation, her body weakened instantly. She was also infected with the recent virus, which resulted in recurring high fevers.

She couldn't get out of bed for several days and nights and was served by palace maids. When they heard that it was a virus, none of the concubines in the harem came to visit the empress dowager, except the Royal Concubine and the Concubine Li.

But he could not avoid her, and seeing that the Queen Mother spoke very weakly, he left in a hurry.

When Chuli learned about it, she immediately ran to comfort the emperor.

Shen Yan was so miserable that he hid in Yangxin Palace and stayed there every day, not eating or drinking. He tortured himself and read memorials like a possessed man. When Chu Li saw him, he looked haggard and had lost his former spirit and nobility.

At this moment, he was hiding in a corner like a spoiled child, biting his fingers and trembling.

The emperor who used to be so arrogant now seems to be more pitiful and distressed.

Seeing Chuli coming over, his expression became a little calm. The woman walked over and knelt on the ground to hug him.

I didn't say anything, just quietly accompanied him to vent.

Shen Yan seemed to finally be unable to hold back. The defense he had put on for the past few days suddenly broke at this moment, as if it had shattered. Tears fell one by one. He spoke in a hoarse voice, like a child who had made a mistake, repeating the same sentence over and over again.

"Li'er, I was wrong. I was wrong."

Chuli patted his back, trying to give him some comfort. This was the first time that the man of the highest rank burst into tears in front of her.

It is said that men don't shed tears easily, but only when they are heartbroken.

His tears burst out, he had never cried so miserably before, as if begging for mercy, his eyes were red, and he spoke bitterly: "I shouldn't have rebelled against the Empress Dowager, I shouldn't have contradicted her, I don't have any relatives anymore, the Queen Mother is my only hope, I was really wrong, no matter what she said, I should have listened to her, she must be blaming me, I was really... wrong!"

Chu Li's eyes turned red unconsciously when she saw his self-blaming look. She took a breath to calm herself down, and said, "No, the Queen Mother loves the Emperor so much, how could she blame the Emperor? Everyone loves in different ways. Maybe the Queen Mother wants you to do that because she doesn't want you to go through the same path she went through before. The Queen Mother is weak now and collapsed in an instant. As princes, we should take better care of ourselves, accompany her, and apologize to her when she gets better, and then communicate our thoughts with each other."

After hearing these words, Shen Yan's expression finally relaxed. He seemed to have really listened to them. He kissed Chu Li's cheek, then pressed her face against his, with tears soaking her face.

He choked up and said word by word: "Li'er, you won't leave me, right? You will always be by my side, right?"

He seemed to be grabbing something dear to him, not letting her escape, and he repeated the question countless times before confirming her answer.

Chu Li kissed his lips and said with certainty: "No, I will never leave Your Majesty in this life. I will always be with Your Majesty."

Chu Li stayed with him in Yangxin Palace all day, and only left in the evening when she saw that he was in a better mood.

Shen Yan asked her to go back and rest. She nodded in agreement but was worried that he would fall into self-doubt and darkness, so she stayed with him for a long time before leaving.

Shen Yan needs constant companionship and love that can never be rejected.

Afterwards, Hatsuri came to Jining Palace again.

The palace maid said that the Queen Mother had already rested, but she wanted to accompany her alone.

It was unclear whether the Queen Mother was truly asleep or pretending to be asleep. Her breathing was shallow and she looked very steady.

Hatsuri wiped her hands with a towel and wiped her body with warm care.

He said nothing, yet he did everything.

The misunderstanding between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor has been going on for a long time. The Emperor has been keeping his dissatisfaction with the Empress Dowager in his heart for a long time without saying a word. On the one hand, he hopes to have the company and recognition of motherly love, and on the other hand, he hopes that his son will listen to him in everything and follow his plan.

On the one hand, I feel suffocated, and on the other hand, I feel that I am not doing well and I worry every day.

Thinking of this, Hatsuri couldn't help but sigh.

Then I suddenly heard a voice in my ear: "What are you doing here?"