Chapter 75: Unable to Retrieve
A breeze swept past, and Zhao Yiyi instinctively closed her eyes and leaned back.
When she opened her eyes again, the bamboo-green curtain had been lifted, swaying gently before her eyes.
A person was tugging at her sleeve, brows slightly cold, jaw clenched, staring at her with a dark expression. “Yiyi, what did you just say? You want to switch to another one?”
“Why? Can I not?”
The gauze curtain swayed. Zhao Yiyi followed the light and looked up.
Under the bright sunlight, the man’s face remained as before: a high nose, thin lips, sword-like eyebrows extending to the temples. Beneath the brow bone, a pair of deep phoenix eyes were glued firmly to her.
Looking closer, there was a burn mark on the side of his forehead.
The scar wasn’t large, but it was conspicuous.
Zhao Yiyi was visibly stunned, a trace of astonishment flashing across her hibiscus-like face.
Upon seeing the shock in her eyes, Gu Zhen reacted belatedly. His pupils constricted sharply, his body tensed up abruptly, and even his voice was tainted with unconscious fear. “Yiyi…”
Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time he understood what inferiority was.
It was also the first time he knew what panic and unease were.
His body was riddled with scars. He didn’t feel much seeing them himself, but if Yiyi saw them and was afraid, what should he do?
If she was disgusted, what should he do?
Gu Zhen called her carefully, his voice raspy. “Yiyi, Zhen knows this appearance must have scared you. If you find it ugly, don’t look.”
Although his mouth said not to look, his heart held a secret expectation.
He hoped that the girl, brilliant as spring sunshine, would lift her head—lift her head and look at him.
Just one look would be enough.
“How did you get it?” Zhao Yiyi didn’t answer his words directly. She simply looked up at his face slightly and asked abruptly.
Gu Zhen’s heart trembled. He replied, “Perhaps it was splashed by sparks that day.”
Zhao Yiyi’s gaze lingered on the scar for a moment before she said softly, “Your Majesty should be more careful.”
So there really was karma in this world.
The debts owed in the past would eventually have to be repaid in full one day.
His body hurt, and his heart hurt too. But no matter how painful, he never thought of letting go.
He would rather spend a lifetime slowly repaying it than let go. Even if he had to bear the consequences for a lifetime, he would do so gladly, trapped deep within and unable to extricate himself.
Not wanting her to see the scars on his neck and arms, Gu Zhen extended his arm, pulled her gently into his embrace, and whispered, “Mn, Zhen will be careful in the future.”
He deliberately used a word that left room for imagination.
In the future.
There were still many “futures” between them. What he owed her would be repaid one by one in the years to come.
Zhao Yiyi leaned against the edge of the couch, watching him put on his clothes and fasten a jade belt. His figure was tall and upright; just standing there, he was like a sturdy pine facing the wind.
“It’s getting late. After Zhen sees Mother, it will be just time for evening cuisine.” Gu Zhen turned back to look at her with a smile. “Shall Zhen have someone make another portion of shrimp and crab soup later?”
Bathed in the warm light, standing against the backlight, the expression on his face couldn’t be seen clearly.
Zhao Yiyi turned her face away lazily. “I got tired of eating that long ago.”
Gu Zhen’s expression stiffened. He whispered, “It was Zhen’s lack of consideration.”
Under the fragmented sunset, although his face was flawed, it did not diminish his handsomeness in the slightest. But standing there, he seemed to have an added air of helplessness.
The Empress Dowager entered Zichen Palace at this moment. When Gu Zhen went out, he saw the Empress Dowager sitting at the head of the main hall drinking tea, with Wu Mao smiling apologetically beside her.
Gu Zhen composed himself and stepped forward, asking warmly, “Why has Mother come today?”
As he approached, the Empress Dowager naturally saw the scars on his body.
The side of his forehead, the back of his hand, the neck hidden by the collar. The Empress Dowager’s eyes reddened almost instantly. Her lips moved slightly, but she couldn’t speak for a long time.
She wanted to pull him closer to look, but remembering her son was grown and they hadn’t been close, it wasn’t quite appropriate.
” Aijia thought to come and see you.” After an unknown amount of time, the Empress Dowager finally squeezed out this sentence, but couldn’t help saying, “Why are you so… As the Emperor, you actually went deep into a sea of fire for a woman. Jiao Fang Palace was blazing that day; weren’t you afraid?”
“You, you…” The Empress Dowager looked at him and shook her head, saying hatefully, “Emperor, how could you disregard your own safety just for a woman?”
Gu Zhen’s brow darkened slightly. He said softly, “Mother, that is Zhen’s Empress, not an outsider.” He looked at the Empress Dowager, emphasizing every word, “That is the person in Zhen’s heart. Zhen entered the fire because she is in my heart.”
The Empress Dowager said, “Even so, you shouldn’t…”
“Shouldn’t what?” Gu Zhen asked back. “Mother, as a husband, can Zhen not even protect his own wife?”
“With such a big fire, should Zhen have left her to suffer inside alone, ignoring her from then on?”
He questioned her repeatedly until the Empress Dowager had no way to parry and finally fell silent.
Gu Zhen tightened his hand hidden in his sleeve and lowered his eyes. “Mother, this is a matter between Zhen and her. It has nothing to do with others, nor with her. It was entirely Zhen’s own worry that made me rush in regardless of everything.”
After a long time, she finally said annoyedly, “Fine. Since you are willing, Aijia is too lazy to care about your affairs.”
When she said this, she was actually acting somewhat out of pique, but Gu Zhen didn’t investigate further or ask deeply.
After brief pleasantries, the Empress Dowager spoke to him about He Taifei and Grand Princess Linchuan.
“Her mind is vicious. First, she switched the children, and later, to hide the truth, she deliberately set the fire. Her crimes are unforgivable.” The Empress Dowager scolded with a dark face, then asked carefully, “Has the Emperor decided how to deal with her?”
Gu Zhen took a sip of tea and said indifferently, “Haven’t decided yet. Zhen has one more thing to confirm here, so keep her for a while.”
The Empress Dowager’s heart skipped a beat.
Keep her for a while—that meant he didn’t intend to let her live later.
Feeling unbearable for a moment, but remembering the sins she had committed, she suppressed the thought that had risen.
Hesitating, the Empress Dowager finally asked about the two daughters.
“Since Duanduan is Aijia’s biological daughter, and the Emperor has confirmed it for so long, shouldn’t she be given the title of Grand Princess?”
Gu Zhen said, “What does Mother think?”
As a mother, the Empress Dowager felt some heartache and couldn’t help saying, “Since Duanduan is the Emperor’s own sister… Ah Yu… although not born of Aijia, is ultimately the Emperor’s sister too, and raised as one’s own for so many years. We are used to calling her by this title. Can the Emperor let her keep using the old one and think of a better one for Duanduan?”
Gu Zhen looked indifferent, smiling faintly. “Mother, even if raised as one’s own, the fake cannot become real.”
He still had old scores to settle with Linchuan. He couldn’t possibly let her off, especially with Zhao Duanduan mixed in. If he didn’t handle it clearly today, Yiyi would likely be angry with him.
“She has occupied the name of Zhen’s own sister for so many years—occupied the mother, occupied the name, occupied the fief income. According to Mother’s meaning, you want her to continue occupying it?”
The Empress Dowager stammered, “The title of Linchuan… she has used it for many years after all. Making Duanduan use this one again, isn’t that picking up someone else’s leftovers and making her feel bad for no reason?”
One was a biological daughter; the other was raised as her own for fifteen years.
Both were flesh of her flesh.
How could she make a choice overnight?
Gu Zhen lowered his eyes and remained silent.
“Mother.” He suddenly turned his face cold and said in a deep voice, “Linchuan despised the Empress and disregarded the law. She was pampered by Mother with fine clothes and food for years, while Zhen’s own sister drifted among the people, growing up watching others’ moods. According to Mother, she should still occupy the title that belongs to Zhen’s sister. What do you want the Empress to think? What do you want Zhao Duanduan to think? How does Mother intend to explain to the outside world? Say Mother gave birth to twins back then? Or do you want to say Zhao Duanduan is He Taifei’s daughter?”
Seeing she couldn’t persuade him, and faintly hearing his intention not to tolerate Linchuan, the Empress Dowager could only say, ” Aijia knows your meaning. Since that is the case, let Ah Yu change her title. Back then, your Father Emperor titled her Huayin.”
Gu Zhen suddenly smiled and nodded. “That saves Zhen some trouble.”
The Empress Dowager was stunned, not reacting to the meaning of these words. She hugged her teacup, staring blankly, wanting to ask again.
“Huayin has been dead for so many years. Zhen has been on the throne for a year; it is time to bestow posthumous titles on the brothers and sisters properly.” His voice was faint, leaving no room for doubt in every word.
Posthumous titles…
The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened abruptly. When she realized, her body went cold inch by inch. The hand pointing at him trembled gently, and her breathing became rapid and unstable.
Gu Zhen stood up. “It is late. Zhen will not keep Mother for the meal. I will visit Mother another day.”
“Emperor!” The Empress Dowager suddenly raised her pitch.
She was making a final struggle, wanting to beg for a path of survival for the child she raised from young, but the Emperor was obviously unwilling to give even the last shred of dignity.
Gu Zhen looked at Wu Mao aside and ordered coldly, “He Taifei confused the Imperial bloodline, finding an outsider to impersonate a Royal Princess. Arrest both of them immediately and imprison them to await punishment.”
Wu Mao was stunned. Wasn’t that one He Taifei’s daughter, Princess Huayin? Ultimately, that was still Imperial blood.
Gu Zhen saw through his thoughts and sneered, “Huayin passed away many years ago. A matter concluded by Father Emperor—where does a second Huayin come from?”
These words were even more ruthless than before.
The Empress Dowager went limp, her heart turning half-cold. She collapsed to the ground instantly, unable to make a sound.
In the end, she was supported out by servants.
Zhao Yiyi naturally heard the conversation in the main hall clearly from the inner room.
But she didn’t ask, nor did she investigate deeply.
The two had the evening meal as usual.
Before leaving, Gu Zhen broke precedent and saw her off, walking her to outside the Zuo Yintai Gate, instructing her softly all the way not to blow in the cold wind after drinking wine.
“Your Majesty.” After pondering for a long time, she finally couldn’t help saying, “This consort is very grateful for Your Majesty’s rescue that day.”
She paused. Her clear eyes seemed to have said all the remaining words.
A sourness spread through Gu Zhen’s heart. He begged in a low voice, “Yiyi, don’t say it, don’t…”
But she insisted on finishing the rest. “But it is only gratitude. Your Majesty says you like me, but I… I cannot find the heartbeat I had back then.”
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