After being sent to the cold palace, the emperor’s heart was burned into ashes CHAPTER 49.1

Chapter 49: Disposition part 1

The morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist, spilling down. The Empress Dowager looked dazed, as if knowing this son of hers for the first time.

Gu Zhen’s expression was somewhat cold, a shadow lurking between his brows and eyes, his voice low: “Mother just said Linchuan is Zhen’s own sister. Does Mother not know that the Empress is Zhen’s wife?”

The Empress Dowager pursed her lips tightly, lowering her head without speaking.

But Gu Zhen refused to let her off, his voice remaining so steady it seemed devoid of any ripple: “Father grew up with Aunt, so their affection was naturally different. Mother was at odds with Aunt, so it’s not hard to understand why he favored Aunt.” He paused, the corner of his lips pulling into a smile, his expression growing colder. “Zhen does not have such affection for Linchuan.”

Outside the room, Linchuan’s footsteps as she walked in halted abruptly. She looked blankly at the stone steps before her, an inexplicable chill shooting through her body.

“Mother, give Zhen a straight word today.” Gu Zhen stood up, looking down at the Empress Dowager, turning a black jade thumb ring on his hand. “The Six Bureaus disregarded the Empress, overstepped their authority to act on their own, and were quite disrespectful in their speech towards the Empress. Should they be punished or not? Is there any problem with the Empress’s disciplinary action this time?”

Meeting the Emperor’s phoenix eyes which held a hint of anger, the Empress Dowager’s brow jumped fiercely. She sighed slightly, saying somewhat dejectedly: “They should be punished. For disrespecting the Empress like that, they should indeed be properly disciplined.”

Gu Zhen nodded, a cold heaviness on his handsome face, then said indifferently: “Since Mother says so, regarding the Empress’s disposition of this matter, Zhen hopes Mother will not gossip about it again.”

A look of embarrassment appeared on the Empress Dowager’s face. Her cheeks were slightly red, looking somewhat unsightly—whether from anger or shame was unclear—and she kept her face tight, saying nothing.

On the surface, Gu Zhen’s patience had always been good. Seeing the Empress Dowager silent, he showed no annoyance, though his voice grew slightly heavier: “From now on, matters concerning palace officials will be handled by the Empress. Mother should stop interfering.”

Yesterday, upon hearing the Empress punished the palace officials, he had ordered an interrogation and learned that these officials were usually perfunctory towards the Empress and held little respect for her in secret.

He couldn’t help but recall that night when he had looked at the Empress with disdain, asking her, “Can’t you even do something this simple?”

But no one had taught her. The people below hid things and held back; she could only grope her way forward bit by bit on her own.

Yet she still had to be disdained by him.

A dull pain throbbed in his chest, making Gu Zhen feel a bit breathless. Although he saw the Empress Dowager’s face growing uglier, he continued: “Furthermore, Linchuan’s unruliness, Consort Dowager He’s audacity, and the Seventh Brother’s lack of breeding—all have been indulged by Mother. Zhen has said enough for today. Mother, think it over yourself.”

Coming out from the inner hall, he happened to run into Linchuan.

Linchuan was startled and instinctively wanted to avoid him. Regaining her senses, she bowed her body and stammered: “Imperial Brother, ten thousand blessings.”

Gu Zhen stood on the stone steps looking at her, his imposing phoenix eyes containing some anger. He said coldly: “After reading books for so many years, did Father, Mother, and your teachers only teach you to be arrogant, domineering, and disrespectful to your elders?”

Linchuan’s heart thumped violently: “Imperial… Imperial Brother… Imperial Brother sees clearly, I…”

Seeing her looking around in panic and losing her composure, a flash of disgust passed through Gu Zhen’s eyes: “Not a shred of the demeanor a princess should have. Forget it. Go copy a few scrolls of books and reflect properly. Zhen doesn’t care if you reflect truly or falsely; just come out when you have thought it through.”