Chapter 74: The tyrant emperor's frosty and snowy world
The emperor did not want anyone to serve him during the New Year holidays, so all the palace maids and eunuchs had the foresight to retreat and disappear without a trace. But Xu Delu was different. He had to be wherever the emperor was.
Thinking that if His Majesty went to Chengluan Palace at this time and was turned away, wouldn't he be even more upset, and he would be the one to suffer in the end? Xu Delu tried to dissuade him, saying, "Your Majesty, if you go now, the noble concubine might still be angry."
This is actually quite disrespectful. When has the emperor ever needed to consider other people's feelings? But once it comes to love between men and women, sometimes one cannot simply consider the status.
The heavy snow had suddenly stopped, and the outside was about to transform into a world of glass. The emperor paused briefly on the corridor outside the palace, but did not descend the stairs. He simply gazed into the distance with deep emotion and sighed, "The frost and snow at the edge of the world have cleared, and the sky is cold."
"In fact, rather than her being angry with me, I'm more worried that she'll be sad and miserable, and won't have a good time tonight."
The emperor was depressed and remained silent for a long time after saying this.
Xu Delu felt a surge of melancholy as well. Ever since Master Ying appeared, His Majesty seemed to have a more vivid sense of emotion, a greater depth of sorrow and grief. Today's suffering was clearly beyond the reach of an old servant like him.
Seeing His Majesty like this, he was unsure of his intentions, wondering if His Majesty would still go to Chengluan Palace. Given the situation, there was really no need for him to make any noise, so he simply quietly stepped aside and informed a young eunuch to go to the Siwei to get the key to Chengluan Palace.
At this moment, a secret guard in stealth clothing swiftly flew in from nowhere. After landing, he knelt and reported to the emperor: "Everything has been investigated clearly."
Just now, the emperor wanted to interrogate Yunrong, only to discover that she had died in the palace several months prior. The secret guards quickly uncovered the truth and presented the investigative scroll, which blatantly stated: Yunrong was registered dead while still breathing, then thrown into a mass grave to die, making the falsehood seem real. Furthermore, many palace servants who had fallen ill over the years but had not been sent home were often dealt with in the same manner.
Some people, though they held little power, were capable of such acts of disregard for human life. The emperor, after reading this, said with disgust and indifference, "I will eliminate every one of them. This is the correct way to deal with this."
When Xu Delu heard this, he knew that His Majesty was just angry and had no place to vent, so he started with a "clean-up" attack, which meant that no life would be spared.
It seems that these heartless things are doomed to die.
The secret guards quickly took orders and went about their business. They were the emperor's most effective pawns in the shadows, constantly navigating unseen corners. However, they weren't solely responsible for secretly investigating and carrying out matters on their own. They had companions within the court who mediated matters for them under the sun, assisting them in carrying out the emperor's orders.
Investigating this small matter and dealing with a few eunuchs would naturally be as easy as puffing away.
The emperor then walked out again.
This time he did not ride in the sedan chair, but walked in silence.
The new snow had just accumulated into a thick layer. Even if the palace servants were diligent, they had no time to clear the road. The emperor's footsteps became a little slow and muddy.
After finally arriving there, Xu Delu realized that his precautions had not been in vain, as the gate of Chengluan Palace had indeed been locked tightly.
However, the sounds of palace servants talking and laughing could be heard from inside, which showed that this door was only used to keep people out.
Xu Delu opened the door and carefully glanced at the emperor's face.
This is the second time that Your Majesty has been locked outside Chengluan Palace.
The emperor had not had time to change out of his imperial robes after the banquet, and a majestic dragon robe appeared at the door. The cheers in the courtyard froze instantly, and the palace servants who were sitting or leaning seemed to be frozen for a moment, staring at the emperor. After a moment, they hurriedly lowered their heads, straightened their posture, and stepped forward to pay their respects.
Xiao Fang glanced over and confirmed that Qingzan was not among the crowd, then asked, "Has your master gone to bed?"
The maid replied "no" at first, but then hurriedly changed her words: "Yes, the master went to bed after returning. The imperial physician has been here, but we dared not wake the master."
Xiao Fang understood everything, as someone had already told him about it.
But he didn't expect that she would even refuse to use the imperial physician he sent.
Once she got angry, she would do whatever she wanted, not even caring about her own body and the royal heir in her womb.
I don't know who spoiled this.
He strode into the hall.
However, there was a partition door between the innermost sleeping room and the outside, which was now bolted with a wooden bolt and could not be opened from the outside. The emperor reached out and pulled it twice, but it did not budge.
You really have to be on guard against everything.
A dignified emperor, yet he was reduced to the same treatment as a thief and a bandit. If he hadn't always been secretive, he wouldn't have been able to knock on the door so calmly.
"Green hairpin?"
However, no matter how hard the emperor knocked, the person inside did not respond. There was no light in the room, only the cold and silent darkness that shone through the window screen.
All the emperor's actions fell on deaf ears, as if what he was struggling against was just an empty building.
But he knew she was inside and must not have gone to bed yet.
With her temper, there is no way she will be able to sleep well tonight. It would be a blessing if she doesn't cry.
After a moment, he deliberately lowered his voice and said, "You are pregnant, and you are the apple of my eye. I will not touch you. But you falsely conveyed my instructions. This crime cannot be tolerated, and you must not teach anyone else to do the same."
Finally, there was a slight sound in the room.
Xiao Fang smiled.
He continued, "Your servants are responsible for not trying to stop them. How about punishing or killing one person for every time I stand here for a cup of tea? What do you think?"
This time, the people inside seemed to be extra calm, and remained indifferent to these harsh words.
Xiao Fang was not in a hurry. He paced leisurely outside the door, his voice becoming increasingly stern and cold: "Qingqing, are you so determined not to see me that you don't even care whether they live or die? Or do you think I dare not, or won't?"
"Let's start with her." He seemed to have chosen someone. "Come here."
As soon as the sound came, the door opened.
Qingzan's face was pale and she seemed extremely reluctant, but she had to show up. She immediately asked, "When did Your Majesty become such a tyrannical and murderous tyrant?"
But when the pair of hands adorned with tiny beads actually stepped out of the carved wooden door, she was shocked to see that there was no one in front of her except the emperor.
There wasn't a single palace maid around. Who was the emperor calling and who could he punish? From the beginning to the end, it was clear that he was just deceiving and deceiving her!
Finally, they met as they had wished. Xiao Fang naturally did not care about her disobedience. Although that clear face was filled with regret, anger, and even a hint of disgust, he still could not bear to miss a glance. He only felt that her eyebrows and eyes were lively, pitiful and adorable.
In fact, he had already lost the ability to get angry when they were separated by a door.
"I am a tyrant, and what is Qingqing?" He took a slight step towards her, regaining some composure, and commented, "You are so easily fooled. Does this mean that Qingqing's determination not to see me is not strong enough?"
Qingzan always felt that the emperor was deliberately trying to make her more angry and cause her to lose her composure. She pursed her lips and stubbornly refused to speak.
The emperor just looked at her like this, as if if she didn't say anything, he could stay with her like this forever.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" Qingzan finally asked with a frown.
The emperor stared at her for a long moment, then said, "I want to see you."
Qingzan felt it was ironic. The rift between him and her was not just an ordinary quarrel. Did he still expect her to treat him the same way as when she was ignorant and didn't know the truth?
How can my mother rest in peace in peace in the nine springs!
When I think about the fact that even if the people who really helped the late emperor were cruelly persecuted, even if the emperor knew the truth, he would still choose to defend the murderer's merits for the sake of ridiculous face and reputation.
She would think over and over again, mother is really not worth it!
Moreover, if it weren't for saving his father, his mother might have been able to live with her in hiding, without being found by the Duan family, and would not have died in vain.
She has a home.
Thinking of this, his eyes couldn't help but become moist and hot. Qingzan didn't want to let others laugh at her sad and miserable look, so she turned around and went back to the house to close the door.
The emperor immediately stretched out his arm to stop him.
The hand that held the throne, held in high esteem and held sway over the land, was fiercely pressed between the two doors. A faint, gruesome sound of finger bones colliding with the doors could be heard, and the back of the emperor's hand immediately turned red.
Qingzan's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't immediately let go of his hand out of fear.
She continued to close the door, hoping to make him retreat in pain, but the emperor did not back down and actually competed with her completely.
Qingzan was charged with another crime today - intentionally causing damage to the dragon's body, which was an unforgivable crime.
The emperor said he wanted to kill everyone in her palace. Even if he really did it, it would not be without a reason.
But what could she do? Qing Zan steeled her heart and tried harder, but she felt powerless and didn't dare to. Finally, she was forced to cry but couldn't, as if she was suffocating, and could only shout angrily: "Xiao Fang!"
The emperor was suddenly called by his name. He half-closed his eyelids and smiled: "It sounds nice. Call me again."
Qingzan was almost driven to collapse by the nonchalant teasing words.
She was a bird, an ant, so her rebellion, her struggle, her despair, in his eyes, need not be taken seriously at all, perhaps just amusement when he was bored. The reason why the emperor pursued her relentlessly was probably because no one had ever dared to disrespect him in this way, and he found it novel.
She risked her head just to add a touch of interest to his imperial career.
Therefore, she had no right to know the truth from the beginning, and his so-called love and protection were just a condescending charity that could be easily given up when weighing the pros and cons.
Qingzan covered his aching abdomen and felt as cold as if he was immersed in a pond in the coldest days of winter. The water in the pond seemed to freeze every inch of his bones and would turn them into powder with just a casual knock.
How could she harbor such foolish fantasies about a person in power who was so far removed from her?
She lowered her hand, raised her head, and wiped away a tear that had fallen uncontrollably from her cheek. She closed her eyes dejectedly and said, "Your Majesty, do you absolutely have to treat me like this? Do you want to embarrass me? I once trusted you deeply, and I relied on you. Now, everything I have is your gift. Therefore, I cannot speak ill of you, nor can I speak up for my mother. I can only implore Your Majesty to consider me dead from now on, so that we can live in peace... I'm afraid this is the only way forward for Your Majesty and me."
When she died? Both of them were at peace?
It was not known whether someone was angered and hurt by her cursing him in such a harsh way, or whether it was because she belittled the past affection as worthless and trampled on the emperor's sincerity, the emperor could not help but feel full of sarcasm.
But the little bit of imperial majesty that had just arisen was completely defeated when he saw that tear.
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Fang stepped forward and hugged her, as if he realized that if he didn't hold her tighter, he would lose her completely.
It wasn't until he felt a warm embrace that the emperor regained consciousness. He felt a piercing pain in his right hand, his face paling, yet a smile lingered on the corners of his lips. It wasn't until he noticed her clutching her abdomen that he frowned again and asked, "Are you feeling unwell again?"
Qingzan stared at the ground without saying a word.
The emperor sighed helplessly and let her go. "I'm not angry with you anymore. I can leave. But you must let the imperial physician in. You must not be afraid to seek medical treatment. If anything happens to my flesh and blood—"
He was silent for a moment, then said, "I will ask you for another one."
Qingzan immediately raised his face in astonishment.
The emperor knew that after saying this, he would definitely be in a worse position in her heart, but he only curled his lips and said, "I'm just trying to scare you. I won't force you, and don't give me the chance."
Before she could get too far away, the emperor grabbed her arm, lowered his head slightly, and gently touched her brow with his thin lips. He was patient and restrained, stopping just enough.
Then he let the man retreat like a frightened deer.
Her expression was still cold and solemn, with an aloofness that kept people at a distance, but her eyes seemed to be accusing him, saying, "Don't you know how to use force?"
The emperor's smile suddenly turned weak and miserable: "One kiss doesn't count."
He kept his word and left without delay. After all, if the hand she had injured was not treated, it might really be useless.
Later, Xiao Fang thought that he would probably never forget this day, the first day of the first lunar month in the third year of Shenwu. This was the day when he had made the most compromises and felt the most helpless since he took the throne.
*
The two of them had made such a commotion that naturally, even those outside Chengluan Palace had heard about it, and the news spread almost overnight. There were all sorts of stories, but the bottom line was that Concubine Ying had acted too recklessly, ultimately incurring the emperor's wrath. The emperor looked extremely unhappy as he left Chengluan Palace.
This is undoubtedly telling everyone a message - although Concubine Ying has been favored until now, she will eventually fall out of favor.
It is even possible that His Majesty disliked you.
After that, the emperor didn't enter the harem for more than ten days. The Empress Dowager summoned Concubine Ying, but she didn't care that she was pregnant and scolded her for some unknown reason.
There have been two snowfalls in the past ten days. The snow fell and melted again, and now only a few sparse piles of snow remain on the ground, like the blank spaces in an ink painting.
Qingzan was walking on the palace road when she suddenly heard someone mention her name behind the corner of the palace wall. However, the voice was still far away and was inevitably a little vague.
She and Doukou looked at each other, and both stopped and did not move forward.
...The gossip gradually approached from a distance and became clearer.
"I heard that the deposed queen in the cold palace seemed to have gone mad. She ran out barefoot in the heavy snow, howling like a ghost!"
"Is this really true? Concubine Zhao has been to the cold palace several times, and Concubine Wu has been there too. I wonder who has driven our Empress to madness."
"Who else could it be? Concubine Zhao, or could it be Concubine Wu? The Zhao family is constantly being promoted, and Concubine Ying has fallen out of favor. Concubine Zhao might have a chance to regain favor."
"That's hard to say. Didn't the Empress Dowager recently intend to bring Miss Xun into the palace to celebrate the Lantern Festival? Besides, His Majesty may not really be disgusted with Concubine Ying from now on. It's only been a few days. What if she has some tricks up her sleeve..."
The more they talked, the more unbearable it became. Doukou couldn't bear to listen any longer and wanted to go up to see who was gossiping so that she could have an argument with them. However, Qingzan stopped her and the soles of her shoes made a squeaking sound as she stepped on the snowy dry branches.
When those people realized there was someone in front of them, they immediately fell silent and carefully went around to check.
Several of them were newcomers who entered the palace last year. However, except for one Concubine Zhou, who was good friends with Zhao and Yuan in the past, Qingzan had dealt with her several times, the other two were just barely known by name.
When they saw Qingzan, none of them showed the fear of being caught by the real person while discussing others. Instead, they were curious about her situation after falling out of favor, and whether she had become haggard and thin. They kept looking at her.
They all saluted Qingzan. One of them, Xie Cairen, said with a smile, "How come your Highness came out with such a big belly? You are pregnant with a baby. You must be careful about everything."
The news of Concubine Ying's sudden fall from favor spread like wildfire. In their view, a concubine disdained by the emperor was doomed in the deep palace, even worse than never having enjoyed any glory. It was only because she was still pregnant with the emperor's heir and held a high position that they were willing to show some respect, just for show.
Miao Xuanshi was a chatterbox, and she muttered softly, "That's right, the Empress didn't take good care of her. Don't let her end up like Concubine Yang."
But Doukou, with her sharp ears, heard it and said angrily, "It's better to observe some rules when choosing a concubine!"
Being suddenly ridiculed by a maid, Consort Miao felt humiliated in front of her sisters. She was not one to be humiliated, so she stiffened her neck and tried to argue with them: "How am I being unruly? I'm just concerned about Concubine Ying."
The two were about to start arguing when they heard a slightly shrill voice: "Hey, why are you masters here?"
Xu Delu walked over from another palace road.
Seeing the emperor's favorite, the concubines behaved well again and asked in a sweet voice, "Where did you come from, Eunuch Xu?"
Xu Delu didn't bother with any more pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Masters, please hurry to Ziquan Palace. The Empress Dowager is about to invite you over to instruct us on the performances for His Majesty's birthday banquet. However, time is running out, so I'm afraid you'll have to hurry up and prepare."
Everyone beamed with delight. His Majesty's birthday fell right after the Lantern Festival, just ten days later. They'd heard beforehand that His Majesty had suddenly announced that, due to his heavy workload, he wouldn't celebrate his birthday in a grand manner this year, concentrating on a simple banquet within the inner court. The Empress Dowager, however, felt that wasn't grand enough, so she came up with the idea of having the concubines who hadn't yet enjoyed his presence perform before him. Unexpectedly, this actually came to pass.
Consort Miao asked curiously, "Why is it the eunuch who came to deliver a message on behalf of the Empress Dowager today?"
Xu Delu patiently replied, "The Empress Dowager happened to have some instructions for our family's birthday banquet, so I decided to go there for her."
After sending them off, he looked at Qingzan who was about to leave and said, "Your Highness, please stay!"
"What advice do you have, eunuch?" Qingzan paused and turned to look. Although she was unhappy with the emperor, she would not take her anger out on others.
It had only been ten days since they last met, but Xu Delu felt that Concubine Ying had become more polite and unfamiliar towards him.
"Forgive me for being so talkative, but why are you doing this?"
He also didn't quite understand this master. This was how it was in the palace. Everyone was used to changing with the wind. It didn't matter if they were estranged from him, but if they were estranged from His Majesty, they would be asking for trouble.
Look, it’s only been a while since Concubine Ying and His Majesty have been at odds, and even these unranked concubines dare to turn their backs on her maidservants.
Fortunately, Concubine Ying didn't bother with them, not using her status to oppress them. But even though these people were spared, they didn't appreciate her kindness. Instead, they only thought she was vulnerable because she had lost power. If she hadn't been pregnant with the dragon fetus, wouldn't they have been even more indifferent?
But who would have thought that His Majesty was calling the name of this master even in his sleep!
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The author has something to say: The Empress Dowager: The Emperor's hand was injured so badly, and I only said a few words to her.
Emperor: Efficiency in reviewing memorials -1-1
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