Yaohuang
The change happened overnight. The emperor moved the empress to Changmen Palace on the charge that she was practicing witchcraft in the palace, a heinous crime.
He knelt before the emperor, and in the face of his wrath, he remained unyielding and refused to record the crime in the file.
"Your Majesty's decree is inappropriate. The Empress did not perform any witchcraft to curse you. The files are all in the Censorate. You have made an appointment with the Censorate to adjudicate the case. This is against protocol, and I cannot comply."
"My words are the rules!"
"Ever since the Grand Empress Dowager took over the government, she has strictly adhered to this rule left by the late Emperor. The Emperor and his ministers must abide by the law and not overstep their bounds."
Liu Che picked up the inkstone beside him and threw it at him, "You are just a small censor. If you dare to interfere in my affairs again, I will chop you into pieces!"
Blood flowed from Zhang Yannian's forehead. There was a loud bang in the room. Censor Lu outside the door saw this and hurriedly pulled Zhang Yannian back, "Hurry up and leave. Don't say anything more."
He took the file from him and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Censor Zhang is still young and his judgment is unclear. I have offended Your Majesty. I have reviewed the file and Your Majesty is absolutely right. I have brought my official seal with me, so the case can be closed now."
…
"Master Zhang is here again. Haven't I explained everything clearly? I admit all the crimes you mentioned. Please don't bother me anymore."
This time it was dusk when we returned, and the sun was hiding behind the mountains. After the bright rays of light briefly illuminated the sky, the dark night fell.
She was still admiring the flowers in the yard, but it was already early autumn, and the cold wind blew the fallen petals and leaves. Her thin hands looked even more desolate as her clothes fluttered.
When she heard many footsteps, she turned around and saw Zhang Yannian followed by several eunuchs and guards.
"Your Majesty asks that Your Majesty move to Changmen Palace."
She was stunned for a moment, and after a long pause, she stood up. "Well, if he doesn't ask me to leave, I will leave on my own. What's the next step? Dethrone the queen? Tell him that from now on, he and I have nothing to do with each other. He can find his woman, and I will live my own life. I, Chen Yu, will sever all ties with Liu Che!"
"Ayue, pack up all your things. I don't want anyone to use my things after I leave. I know it's disgusting."
She forced herself to shout orders to the palace servants. The eunuch behind Zhang Yannian said awkwardly, "Empress... Empress, His Majesty has said that nothing in Changxin Palace can be taken away."
Gillian's eyes filled with anger swept over and the eunuch quickly lowered his head. He served the emperor and had seen the queen throw a tantrum before.
Fortunately, she didn't hit anyone today, nor did she drive them out.
"Then go get some braziers, big ones."
The eunuch heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this, as he only wanted a brazier.
They brought a brazier and watched the queen throw all the clothes, boxes, gold and silver jewelry into the fire, which made them feel a little sad.
Watching the last box being thrown into the brazier and roasted by the blazing fire, her face felt a little stinging, and she didn't realize that her belt was stained by sparks and started to burn.
A pair of hands grabbed her belt in time and pulled her away from the fire. She looked at him in shock.
"You...your hand..."
"Ayue, bring the medicine."
Ah Yue looked embarrassed, "My Lady, the medicine box was just thrown in."
"Then go call the imperial physician and fetch some well water."
As she spoke, she pulled his hand and hurried to the inner room. Ah Jiao placed his hand in the copper basin and soaked it. The well water was icy cold, and it stung the wound and made him shiver.
She took his hand and handed him a towel to wipe it dry. "Just pat it off with your hand. You are so stupid as to hold it with your palm."
"There is a distinction between the ruler and his subjects, and the subjects dare not overstep their bounds."
She twitched her lips mockingly, "I'm not the queen anymore."
He opened his mouth, as if about to say something, but fell silent again. Gillian took his hand and examined the red and swollen wound.
Seeing her suddenly pull his hand to her lips, his brows jumped and he quickly pulled his hand away. "Your Majesty only asked you to move, not to depose the queen."
"He's just thinking of a suitable excuse." The pain on her face flashed away, and she replaced it with a teasing look, "What are you afraid of, Master Zhang? Am I going to eat you?"
"I heard that spitting on burns might help. Your injury is serious. I'm afraid it will worsen by the time the imperial physician arrives."
Zhang Yannian twitched his lips and quickly pulled his hand away. "No, no, no, that's not necessary." He pulled out a medicine bottle from his bosom. "I brought some powder. It's for bruises, but it contains mint, so it should have some effect."
She glanced at the porcelain vase. The chrysanthemum bottom seemed to be painted by him himself. As she applied the medicine to him, she asked, "Do you like chrysanthemums?"
"My mother likes it. She prepared this for me."
"Are you often injured in the palace? Has anyone bullied you?"
Zhang Yannian shook his head. "I am your only son, my widowed mother. I am simply overly worried."
"I really envy you..."
"What?"
"Nothing. I should have expected this outcome, but the punishment wasn't severe enough..." She sneered. "How can simply deposing and relocating the empress be enough? He has the guts to kill me. He wants to, but he can't. Otherwise, his reputation for coldness and indifference will be forever etched in the court and beyond."
"My Lady, it's time to leave."
The eunuch suddenly stuck his head in at the door, and a lacquer box was thrown at him, so he quickly stepped back.
Then Ah Jiao opened the door and walked out, scolding him: "Why are you rushing me? Don't worry, I won't stay here. You guys are going to make room for that bitch Wei Zifu, right?"
"Tell Liu Che that I'm not going to that Changmen Palace. I want to go home. Just give them the entire palace. I won't be a nuisance to them!"
"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and cannot see you..."
She ignored him and called the eunuch in charge of carriages and horses in Changxin Palace, "Prepare the carriage to leave the palace."
"Your Majesty, this is impossible. If you want to leave, you must wait until we report to His Majesty."
"Then go now."
"Your Majesty...you must return to Changmen Palace with us first. This is the order of His Majesty."
Although the eunuch's words were gentle, his attitude was not relenting. They knew that she was now a woman despised by the emperor, and that a new mistress would soon move into the palace.
She stared at everyone for a long moment, then exhaled slightly, walked out of the house, crossed the courtyard, the rocks, and walked along the long corridor. Flowers bloomed on both sides, and a few tall, twisting loquat trees stood in the middle, standing out from the surrounding scenery.
Those were the trees they had planted here when they were children. She had said she loved eating loquats, and he had said he wanted to fill the area with loquat trees. He had scraped away Queen Wang's flowers and planted two crooked saplings on the long corridor where she often played. He had not allowed the palace maids to help.
He was ten years old that year. When she walked past here, she didn't recognize what the sapling was. She just glanced at it and laughed at the crooked and bare branch.
When he ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, the tree officially blossomed and bore fruit. They had been together for more than ten years, from little children to young adults. She finally fell in love and thought she had found the man of her life. Her understanding of Liu Che changed from a clingy and annoying cousin to her childhood sweetheart and husband.
The young emperor and empress envied others.
She glanced again at the green leaves rustling in the night wind under the corridor, but it was a pity that the autumn wind was bleak and spring would never return.
Some things can be burned, but many things are rooted in the heart, too deep, too long, too complicated and trivial to be eradicated.
She suddenly stopped, turned sideways, picked a peony and handed it to Zhang Yannian behind her.
He was stunned, not knowing what it meant.
"Thank you very much for sending clothes to His Majesty. I have nothing to give you, so I'll just break off a branch as a farewell gift."
He was a little surprised, "Your Majesty, don't you blame me?"
"I know you didn't make the judgment." She smiled and looked at Zhang Yannian. "Some things are left unsaid, but I can see clearly. Lord Zhang is an upright gentleman. I don't want to implicate you, and you don't have to be so stubborn."
"I am merely adjudicating the case impartially and seeking justice."
She smiled and said, "I don't want your justice. I asked you to give the box to His Majesty. It is also my wish."
He frowned in silence.
Seeing that he didn't take it, she smiled, put it on the edge of the railing, straightened her sleeves and walked forward.
He saw the peony-patterned skirt fluttering with the woman's steady steps, gradually disappearing at the end of the corridor, the last bit of her shadow being swallowed up in the night.
A strange feeling flashed through his mind, and he lowered his eyes and picked up the peony.
The fragrance that carried the loneliness and sorrow of the cold night seemed to appear beside him again. He stared at the woman in front of him, as if he wanted to see through her pupils and see another person.
She smiled slightly, "I know her."
Seeing his pupils tremble slightly, the man suddenly lifted his chin. He could hardly move and sat stiffly at the table.
"My Lord, you and I hit it off right away. You are so beautiful, maybe we knew each other in a past life."
His eyes turned cold, and he stood up and took a few steps back, "Madam, please be careful with your words."
"What are you afraid of? I won't eat you. Are you afraid that my wife at home will see you and skin you alive?"
"Zhang is not married."
"Why?"
In response to her question, he asked her a question before answering, "How did Madam know that it was my medicine bottle?"
"I...I saw it fall out before. You always wear it when you go to court. It fell out accidentally that day."
"How did Madam know that I carry it with me every day when I go to court?"
"I'm just guessing..." She couldn't finish her words. She seemed to be angry and asked, "Master Zhang, do you think I'm your prisoner?"
"I just think you look a lot like an old friend of mine." He smiled mockingly, "But...how is that possible?"
"Is she Mr. Zhang's sweetheart?"
Zhang Yannian was silent for a moment, "We've only met a few times."
"Then for the sake of this old friend, please do me a favor."
——
——
Jiang Chong received the secret report and immediately walked into the palace to report it to the emperor. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, tonight, Lord Gongsun went to Censor Zhang's residence."
Liu Che raised his eyes, Gongsun Lin...
Gongsun Lin's mother is Wei Yun's sister. Huo Changqing is now fighting outside and cannot come back. Does she want Wei Junru to help her or to harm her?
"Go tell her tomorrow that I don't have much patience to wait for her. If she stays in the Zhang Mansion any longer, I don't know how Zhang Yannian will die."
Obviously, they couldn't do anything to Zhang Yannian, but time was short that day. If they really wanted to kill a powerless and humble man like him, they could have a hundred charges against him to justify their death.
Jiang Chong responded and stepped aside, with his head down, occasionally raising his head quietly, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Liu Che glanced at him and asked, "What do you want to say?"
"Mrs. Huo...is she really the Queen?"
Coming back from the dead is a story that only happens in movies. If it really happens to you, it would be a bit horrifying.
"Could it be that some evil spirit has transformed into human form and is plotting to murder Your Majesty?"
In fact, what he wanted to say more was that the Empress had been tragically burned to death in Changmen Palace. She must have harbored deep resentment. If she were to resurrect as a ghost, wouldn't the Emperor be the first person she wanted to harm?
"I am the Son of Heaven. Even if I am a demon or ghost, I am not afraid of her coming. I am only afraid of her not coming..."
No matter how much resentment and hatred you have, direct it all at him, whether you are a human or a ghost, don't forget him. In the underworld, in heaven or on earth, in the sea of hatred and in the sky of love, it is better than being alone in this world.
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