Gu Qimu glared at Shen Ye. "Fine, it's settled then."
"Don't get too excited. I need you to be available whenever I call. Don't give me any nonsense. Also, I'm not going to do anything like serving you in bed."
"Want me to sleep with you?" Gu Qimu glanced at Shen Ye with disdain. "I wouldn't even look at someone like you with no breasts or butt."
Shen Ye was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond, but he kept muttering to himself: You think I'd even look at you? My heart belongs only to beauties, and if I'm going to sleep with someone, it has to be a beauty.
Seeing that Shen Ye didn't speak, Gu Qimu spoke again, "It's settled then. Go back and happily wait to kneel and receive the imperial edict."
Watching Gu Qimu's departing figure, Shen Ye muttered under her breath, "Still happy? Pshaw, acting like someone's willing to be your empress."
Two weeks later.
Empress Li was deposed as empress because she had no children, lacked virtue, was jealous, and was incompetent in managing the six palaces. She was confined to Changmen Palace (the Cold Palace) to reflect on her mistakes.
All of this happened so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard, especially Empress Li Xixiang, who had been deposed after less than two months in office. This brought shame to her family and disgrace to her ancestors.
People were puzzled by Gu Qimu's actions. Empress Li Xixiang was his first wife, a virtuous and kind woman whose character was beyond reproach. Yet now she was demoted to Changmen Palace for her lack of virtue, which seemed rather far-fetched.
However, none of these are the main points. The main point is that the next day, Shen Ye, the daughter of the Left Chancellor Shen Lihui, was made empress, replacing Li Xixiang's previous position, and moved to Lizheng Palace.
When faced with this news, Shen Ye simply smiled, her delicate face devoid of any extra emotion.
Gu Qimu's move indirectly harmed Shen Ye. Li Xixiang was deposed and demoted to Changmen Palace without doing anything wrong. Why did he issue an edict to appoint Shen Ye as empress the very next day?
Isn't this directly telling everyone that Li Xixiang's misfortunes were all thanks to Shen Ye? Making him and the entire Left Prime Minister's Mansion the target of everyone's criticism?
Qiu Ci seemed to sense Shen Ye's worry, so she poured him a cup of tea and said, "Your Majesty, no matter what, you are now the Empress. The investiture ceremony will be held today. You are now firmly in power, and those people can't cause any trouble at all."
Shen Ye wanted to tell Qiu Ci that things were not as simple and easy to deal with as she thought, but the words stuck in her throat. There were many things that were better left unsaid to her, because she wouldn't understand anyway.
That very evening, that damned Gu Qimu came to Ganquan Palace, and asked Chen Ye with a look of great accomplishment, "How does it feel to be the Empress soon and to move to Lizheng Hall?"
"I don't feel good." Because of him, the Left Prime Minister's residence has become the target of everyone's criticism. How can he be in a good mood?
"You heartless woman, do you even know what the Ritsujeon Hall is?"
Seeing Gu Qimu's expectant look, Shen Ye almost spat out his tea. "I'm not a heartless woman, I'm a heartless man!"
"I don't know, and I'm not interested in knowing." Shen Ye kept his head down, fiddling with the ring on his finger, deliberately acting indifferent, just to annoy you.
"Fine, I won't be angry with you. Anyway, we're just business partners." Gu Qimu turned his face away and stopped looking at Shen Ye.
Shen Ye remained calm, leisurely sipping his tea and ignoring Gu Qimu. The atmosphere became so awkward that the servants who were supposed to come in to serve him dared not enter.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
