Chapter 275 Thanking the Emperor
I heard that there was a beauty who was banished to the cold palace after only exchanging a few words with a guard. This time, she is trapped in a carriage with two thieves, and her situation is more likely to be fabricated compared to that beauty.
If my father were still in court, the emperor might have given him some leeway, pretending not to know or giving him a minor punishment.
Now that my father is dead, the Meng family has become a useless pawn. The Emperor has also been in a bad mood lately, and if he finds out about this, I'm afraid things will not end well.
But her father's body is still warm; if the emperor severely punishes her, she will be criticized.
What I fear most is that the emperor will use this incident to smear her reputation and dishonor her honor. If a woman is accused of being unchaste, even the heaviest punishment becomes justifiable.
However, if this matter blows up, the emperor will lose face, so that old man probably won't do that.
Meng Xiyao's mind was in turmoil, unable to guess how the Emperor would handle the situation.
But she knew that if this matter got out, it would definitely be detrimental to her.
He could only warn the servants accompanying him that what happened today should not be publicized, otherwise they would also be held responsible.
Meng Xiyao returned to the palace in fear and trepidation, and the thing she feared still happened.
Within an hour, she received a message from the eunuch that the emperor wanted to see her.
Most of the people around her were the emperor's henchmen, so it seems that someone did complain to the emperor.
The eunuch who was delivering the message was still waiting, so she didn't have time to think and immediately followed him out.
Ever since she applied the medicine and made her body look terrible, the Emperor has never seen her again. She had long since recovered, but since the Emperor had no intention of seeing her, she had no reason to further ruin herself.
Given this sudden turn of events, administering medication hastily would seem too deliberate. That old man has a strange temperament; the more certain he is that you don't want to serve him, the more likely he is to force himself on you.
But now that she was without makeup, she was worried that the old man might have lustful thoughts about her when he saw her appearance. Meng Xiyao was uneasy, and the already short journey seemed to pass by extremely quickly.
He followed the eunuch into the Hall of Diligent Governance, and the eunuch bowed and withdrew.
Meng Xiyao dared not look around and bowed her head in greeting.
"Your Majesty, I have just finished reading your poem. I hope Your Majesty is in good health."
"Consort Xi is here. Raise your head and let me see you." The Emperor's tone was unreadable. As he spoke, footsteps sounded. When Meng Xiyao raised her head as ordered, the Emperor was already standing in front of her.
The Emperor did not tell her to rise, and she dared not get up. Her gaze, which was shifting horizontally, fell on the Emperor's waist and abdomen. The old man's belly was bulging and his waist was wide, which made her feel physically disgusted.
Meng Xiyao showed no outward signs, and her kneeling posture was impeccable.
The Emperor, looking down from his high position, was still not satisfied with the angle. He leaned down slightly, pinched Meng Xiyao's chin, and lifted it up, staring at her face repeatedly, his eyes slowly filled with lust.
He didn't loosen his grip; in fact, he tightened his grip even more.
Turning her head to look at Eunuch Chu, she said, "I remember that Consort Xi has been in the harem for some time now, but she has not yet served the emperor. What a pity for such a beautiful face. I am too ignorant of how to cherish women."
Eunuch Chu nodded and said, "When Consort Xi entered the palace, she unfortunately contracted urticaria. At that time, the Emperor said that he would visit her once she recovered, but recently there have been many things to do, and you have forgotten about this matter. I also forgot to remind you."
The Emperor gave a cold laugh, released his grip on her chin, and lightly patted Meng Xiyao's face twice. "It is indeed my and Eunuch Chu's fault for neglecting such a beautiful woman. There's no better time than today, so let's arrange for Consort Xi to serve us tonight."
Since it was confirmed that the King of the Northern Frontier intended to attack the capital, and after being forced to send 10,000 elite troops to Guandu Prefecture to suppress bandits, the Emperor has been unable to sleep soundly every night.
The imperial physicians prescribed medicine, but it wasn't very effective. One of them subtly suggested that he relax before bed and spend time with the concubines in the harem, as this might help him sleep better after such exertion.
Hearing this, he decided to give it a try. Just then, a nanny informed him that Consort Xi had been kidnapped by thieves after leaving the palace.
Although Meng Xiyao was forced, she spent about 15 minutes in the closed carriage with the two men. Even though there was a maid in the carriage, who could guarantee that the two men did not assault her?
In just a quarter of an hour, there are so many things that can be done, and so much to leave room for others to imagine.
The emperor's women were subject to extraordinary control. Any act that damaged their reputation could result in death or, in a lesser case, loss of favor.
He had summoned Meng Xiyao to interrogate her, but now that he had seen her face, his long-dormant lust had rekindled. He felt it would be a waste not to enjoy such beauty.
It would be better to favor her before making a decision. This would both verify whether Consort Xi was a virgin and make full use of this seemingly useless pawn.
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Chu immediately understood the Emperor's thoughts and replied, "This servant will inform the Imperial Household Department to make the arrangements shortly. Consort Xi, are you so happy you've gone mad? Quickly thank the Emperor!"
Meng Xiyao was so frightened that her face turned pale. She was being appraised like merchandise by an old man, an old eunuch. The emperor's wrinkled hand patted her face with a slightly insulting gesture, causing her skin to tremble and making her feel nauseous.
Serving this old man in bed would be worse than death.
Should she be made to express her gratitude?
Thank you, grandpa!
The Emperor's lust was obvious. Today's situation was beyond her control. Whether she went along with it or refused, she could not change the outcome.
She endured the humiliation and feigned compliance, and the old man accepted it all.
She resolutely refused and vowed to die rather than submit; the old man was tyrannical and cruel.
Only by using the fact that her father's body was still warm as an excuse could she hope to buy some time.
Meng Xiyao immediately kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated. However, my father died tragically outside, and his body is still warm. As a daughter, filial piety is of utmost importance. I beg Your Majesty to have compassion and allow me to serve you in bed after my mourning period is over."
One may observe a month of mourning upon the death of one's father, but whether or not one is required to serve the emperor in bed is ultimately up to the emperor.
Meng Xiyao's answer surprised the Emperor and Eunuch Chu. The Emperor's lips curled into a cold smile, and he snorted.
Eunuch Chu understood that the Emperor was angry, and said to Meng Xiyao with a faint smile, "Your Highness, Consort Xi, you may not know this, but there is no rule that one cannot serve the Emperor during the mourning period. His Majesty's words are law, so you must not take advantage of his favor."
The rules of the Golden Moon Kingdom were all set by the Emperor. If the Emperor no longer wishes to have this particular rule, then naturally it doesn't exist.
Meng Xiyao persisted, saying, "I am grieving the loss of my family and my mind is in a daze. I am afraid I am unable to serve Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and choose another auspicious day."
"You wretch!" The Emperor was enraged when he saw Meng Xiyao repeatedly refusing him. Suddenly, he slapped Meng Xiyao across the face, knocking her to the ground.
"Who do you think you are? You want me to choose another day? How ridiculous! I think you're not observing mourning, but rather that you had a secret rendezvous with another man today and are no longer a virgin, which is why you dare not serve me in bed!"
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