Chapter 9 The Empress's Dissatisfaction
Inside the Phoenix Palace, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.
Empress Shen sat regally on her phoenix throne, clad in a bright red phoenix robe and a nine-dragon, four-phoenix crown. Her makeup was exquisite, yet it could not conceal the fierceness in her brows and the weariness of a sleepless night. Below her, the imperial concubines, arranged according to rank, sat in rows—from the virtuous consorts and wise consorts to the lowest-ranking talented ladies and selected attendants—not a single one was absent. Everyone held their breath, not daring to utter the slightest sound.
They were all waiting, waiting for the Consort Chen, who had entered the palace in such a blaze of glory yesterday, to come and perform the grand kowtow to the Empress. This was the rule, and it was the only straw the Empress could cling to at this moment to prove her status as the Empress.
"What time is it?" the Empress asked coldly, her voice as if it had been chilled to the bone.
The head maid beside her quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it is almost noon."
It's almost noon! She's made the entire harem wait for her until now! What a Su Luoxue, what a Consort Chen! She hasn't even had a formal audience yet, and she's already so arrogant!
Just then, a report came from outside the hall that the matron in charge of checking records had come to report.
The Empress perked up and sat up straight. She wanted to see what tricks this vixen had up her sleeve!
The old nanny bowed her head, held the tray containing a white wedding veil, and knelt on the ground.
When the bridal veil, stained with bright red blood, was presented to the Empress, Shen's carefully maintained composure crumbled instantly. That red was so glaring; His Majesty had actually… slept with her!
"Your Majesty," the old nanny said, bracing herself, and reported according to the words that Li Dehai had "reminded" her of beforehand, "Last night... Consort Chen received the Emperor's favor for the first time, and His Majesty... His Majesty's affection was perhaps a little too much. Consort Chen was exhausted... and did not rest until almost dawn. She was quite unwell, so... she did not get up until noon."
"Overworked? Not feeling well?" The Empress seemed to have caught something red-handed, her voice suddenly rising, filled with sharp mockery. "What a delicate Consort Chen! Does she not even care about palace rules and etiquette? Serving His Majesty is her duty, how can she neglect to pay her respects to the Empress because of this? Such arrogance and indulgence, what should be her punishment!"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, as if she wanted to vent all the resentment she had accumulated the previous night.
The old nanny trembled with fear and quickly prostrated herself, adding, "Your Majesty, please calm down! It's not that Consort Chen deliberately neglected you, it's just... it's just that His Majesty... His Majesty has been staying at Guanju Palace, personally accompanying Consort Chen, and has ordered that no one should disturb Her Majesty's rest. This old servant... this old servant simply had no choice but to call out! His Majesty... His Majesty is still at Guanju Palace with Her Majesty at this moment!"
Upon hearing this, the entire Fengyi Palace fell into a deathly silence!
All the concubines were horrified and exchanged incredulous glances.
Is His Majesty still at Guanju Palace? With Consort Chen?
How could this be?! Everyone knows His Majesty is diligent and self-disciplined, practicing swordsmanship every morning without fail, followed by dealing with mountains of official business. He almost never neglects his duties for personal reasons, let alone lingers in the harem! But now, for a newly arrived imperial concubine, he not only broke his rule, but even put aside his official duties after the morning court session? Just to stay with her like this?
Enraged, the Empress grabbed the teacup beside her and smashed it on the ground!
"Crack—" The crisp sound of shattering was particularly jarring in the silent hall. Shards and tea splashed everywhere, startling the concubines into bowing their heads.
"Wait!" The Empress's chest heaved violently as she forced out the words through clenched teeth. "You all wait! She's a concubine, I'm the Empress! As long as she's in this palace, she must come and pay her respects to me! That's the rule! That's my right as the principal wife!" She seemed to be persuading others, but more like she was persuading herself. It was as if only through this belated kneeling could she prove that she was Yuwen Che's rightful wife, and salvage a sliver of her long-lost dignity.
However, her blustering outburst seemed utterly powerless in the face of the fact that "His Majesty is still in Guanju Palace."
Meanwhile, the scene inside Guanju Palace was quite different.
After bathing and changing, Su Luoxue donned a simple pink palace dress, losing some of her dazzling brilliance from yesterday and gaining a more gentle and charming appearance. Fuling was carefully combing her long, glossy black hair, preparing to style it into a simple bun.
Yuwen Che did not leave. He stood aside and watched for a while, then suddenly waved his hand: "Let me come."
Fuling was taken aback, then quickly presented the jade comb and respectfully stepped aside.
Su Luoxue also looked up in surprise, glancing at the man behind her in the bronze mirror. She saw Yuwen Che pick up a jade comb and gently comb her long hair.
He didn't style her hair in any complicated way; he simply gathered her long hair together, tied it into a simple bun, and then picked out a delicate jade hairpin from her vanity case, carefully inserting it into her hair. His movements were a little clumsy, but very focused.
After she finished dressing, he didn't put his hands down, but gently hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head, his gaze falling on her exquisitely beautiful face in the bronze mirror.
The bronze mirror reflected the two figures leaning on each other; the man was handsome and dignified, while the woman was delicate and charming—they looked quite harmonious.
“My Xue’er,” Yuwen Che’s deep voice sounded in her ear, with an almost sigh of satisfaction, “is the most precious gift that Heaven has given me, a priceless treasure.”
Su Luoxue's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her eyelashes shyly. Yet, her heart was stirred by his straightforward and earnest words. "Your Majesty..."
Li Dehai, who was serving nearby, was completely numb. He stood there meekly, but his mind was screaming: Is this still his cold-hearted, indifferent Emperor who treats women like dirt? It's as if he's been possessed by some demon! Before, he wouldn't even bother to look at his concubines, let alone comb their hair. Now, he's even left the mountain of memorials in the Sizheng Hall and is here accompanying Consort Chen as she gets ready, saying... saying such nauseating things!
Li Dehai secretly glanced up and quickly looked at the Emperor's slightly softened profile in the bronze mirror, sighing inwardly: The situation in the harem has not only changed, but it seems that this Consort Chen is about to tear it apart! I'm afraid that the Phoenix Palace... won't even get to see this greeting.
Inside the Guanju Palace, the ambiguous atmosphere was broken by a cautious reminder from Fuling.
“Your Majesty, it’s getting late. We should…we should go to Fengyi Palace to pay our respects to the Empress.” Fuling’s voice was filled with obvious worry.
Upon hearing this, Su Luoxue seemed to snap out of a daze, the blush on her face instantly fading, replaced by a look of panic. She hurriedly stood up from Yuwen Che's embrace: "Yes, yes, we still need to pay our respects to the Empress! Your Majesty, I must hurry over!"
She knew the palace rules were strict, and she had already been "disrespectful" yesterday. If she didn't pay her respects today, the Empress would certainly not let it go. She had just entered the palace and had no connections whatsoever, and she really didn't want to become everyone's target because of this.
However, Yuwen Che grabbed her wrist and said, "You don't need to go."
"Huh?" Su Luoxue was stunned.
Yuwen Che looked at her and repeated, "I said, you don't need to go anymore. From now on, you don't need to go to Fengyi Palace to pay your respects."
Upon hearing this, not only was Su Luoxue stunned, but even Li Dehai, who was standing by with his hands at his sides, and all the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall could hardly believe their ears and almost lost control of their expressions!
No need to pay respects to the Empress? His Majesty is the one who values rules and traditions most! Yet now, for the sake of Consort Chen, he has uttered such words... almost like "favoring a concubine over the wife"? This is practically putting Consort Chen on a hot plate!
Alarm bells rang in Su Luoxue's mind. She shook her head vigorously and quickly said, "Your Majesty! No! Palace rules dictate that I cannot act arrogantly so soon after entering the palace and invite criticism. The Empress is the head of the inner palace, and I should go and pay my respects to her!"
She didn't want to become a target of public criticism because of Yuwen Che's favoritism; that wasn't protection, but rather a form of flattery that could destroy her.
Yuwen Che looked at the fear in her eyes and remained silent for a moment. He knew her concerns and understood her desire to avoid trouble. He sighed, ultimately unable to persuade her otherwise.
"Fine." He stood up and straightened his robes. "Since you insist on going, I will go with you."
"Your Majesty?" Su Luoxue was surprised again.
Yuwen Che reached out and naturally put his arm around her waist, his tone brooking no refusal: "I'm worried. Go and make an appearance, fulfill the proper etiquette, and then come back. Afterwards, you will accompany me to the Imperial Study to handle official business, is that alright?"
His tone was almost pleading, and it seemed... there was also dependence? Hearing his arrangements, Su Luoxue couldn't help but look up at him. Seeing his serious expression, she inexplicably teased him softly, "Why is Your Majesty... so clingy?"
As soon as she said it, she blushed and hurriedly lowered her head.
Yuwen Che, however, was delighted by her playful teasing. He chuckled softly, pulled her closer, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, each word clear and solemn, spoken only to the two of them:
"Because it's you, only to you. There was no one before, now it's you, and in the future... it will only be you."
These words struck Su Luoxue's heart like a hammer blow, causing her to momentarily forget to breathe and everything around her.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at Fengyi Palace had plummeted to freezing point.
The Empress waited for nearly two hours, from dawn until the sun was setting. Her anger and humiliation had reached their peak. The concubines in the palace were also hungry and restless, but none of them dared to suggest leaving.
The three-year-old prince Yuwen Hao, who was by Consort De's side, was already so hungry that he began to sob softly, tugging at Consort De's sleeve for food.
"Mother... Hao'er is hungry, Hao'er wants to eat."
The crying was particularly jarring in the silent hall, igniting the last thread of the Empress's rationality.
"What are you crying for! You ill-mannered thing!" The Empress slammed her hand on the armrest of her throne and scolded sharply. She glared at Consort De and Yuwen Hao with disgust. Seeing this mother and son reminded her of the humiliation of the past and His Majesty's indifference. If it weren't for this lowly palace maid, how could she have... She had mentioned raising the eldest prince under her own name, at least to have someone to rely on, but no matter how many times she brought it up, Yuwen Che would always coldly reply, "Whoever gives birth to the child should raise it."
Consort De knew, of course, that the Empress hated her. Terrified, she quickly covered her son's mouth and pulled Yuwen Hao to kneel down, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Hao'er is young and ignorant, and I have failed to properly educate him. Please forgive me!"
Startled by the Empress's stern rebuke and his mother's sudden action, Yuwen Hao cried even louder.
"Shut up! All of you shut up!" The Empress was trembling with rage. All the anger, jealousy, grievances, and humiliation that had been building up all day exploded in an instant. She grabbed a teacup from the small table next to her, and without even looking at it, threw it fiercely toward the palace door!
"Go outside and cry!"
Yuwen Che, accompanied by Su Luoxue, had just arrived outside the Phoenix Palace.
A teacup flew out of the hall and smashed straight at Su Luoxue's face, who was walking a little ahead!
"Ah—!" Su Luoxue didn't have time to react. She screamed in fright and instinctively closed her eyes tightly.
Yuwen Che reacted quickly, immediately pulling Su Luoxue into his arms and protecting her tightly, while raising his other hand to shield her.
"Smack!"
With a crisp sound, the teacup was precisely deflected by the back of his hand, smashing against a nearby pillar and shattering on the ground. However, the tea inside was scalding hot, splashing out and mostly soaking Yuwen Che's raised arm and sleeves.
Inside and outside the hall, there was a deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Only after throwing the cup did the Empress see the person outside the palace clearly, and her face turned ashen with fright.
Yuwen Che slowly lowered his arm, feeling a stinging sensation on his skin from the hot tea, but he seemed oblivious. He looked down at the frightened Su Luoxue in his arms, then raised his head, his eyes coldly fixed on the stunned Empress in the hall. The temperature in the entire Fengyi Palace seemed to plummet to freezing point.
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