After being sent to the cold palace, the emperor’s heart was burned into ashes CHAPTER 32

Chapter 32: Admitting a Mistake

The clouds drifted lazily as the setting sun cast its slanting rays. Intense golden light spilled over the whitewashed walls into the courtyard corner, gathering into specks of gold through the gaps in the pagoda tree leaves.

An east wind gently brushed past the flowering branches, causing the tree full of snow-white pear blossoms to rustle down, landing on her apricot-colored collar shirt and emerald green skirt.

One blossom, in particular, nestled into her loosely pinned hair, making her look even more radiant and charming than the spring flowers themselves.

The Empress, who should have been sulking with him and washing her face with tears, was happily swinging on the swing. The swing went higher and higher, causing the hem of her emerald skirt to ripple in circles, like a pool of water gently swaying in the wind.

And Gu Zhen’s heart swayed along with that emerald skirt, his expression becoming slightly dazed.

“Does Your Highness want to go higher?” a young palace maid suddenly asked with a laugh.

He only heard the Empress laugh twice more before replying, “Alright, then you’ll have to use some strength.”

Gu Zhen suddenly froze.

So, she wasn’t crying?

He had thought that coming here today, he would at least see the Empress weeping alone, or looking dejected and listless.

But the scene before him was the complete opposite of what he had imagined.

After a brief moment of disbelief, Gu Zhen’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. A wave of inexplicable irritation surged up, causing his breathing to stagnate for a moment.

For some reason, a sudden confusion rose in his heart as he stared blankly at the swing under the pear tree.

His deepest impression of the Empress from the past was from that year’s Winter Solstice banquet. That day, when the Empress competed with him in pitch-pot, every time she hit a target, she would turn her head and smile brightly at him.

Her almond eyes held specks of starlight, and her lips would even curve into a dimpled smile.

She had always looked beautiful when she smiled. At that time, although he had no thoughts about the daughter of the Zhao family, he had to admit that she was exceptionally beautiful, and even her smile was more stunning than anyone else’s.

Even later, when she lost the competition by a single arrow, she had smilingly said, “This subject’s daughter has lost,” and then accepted his Imperial Father’s reward with a smile, thanking him for his grace.

Even his Imperial Mother had said, “This girl really loves to smile.”

However, after they were married, he rarely saw her smile. Even when she did, it wasn’t as bright and flamboyant as before, but with lowered brows and pursed lips, infinitely gentle and demure.

No matter how much he teased or joked with her, she would only blush slightly, turn her head, and gently tug at the corner of her lips.

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He had thought that the Empress had changed her temperament as she grew older, no longer as innocent and lively as before, and had forgotten how to smile.

But before his eyes was the Empress’s bright smile, as flamboyant and fervent as the young girl who had played pitch-pot with him back then.

Gu Zhen couldn’t help but recall that on the way here just now, he had been thinking about the Empress’s heartbroken appearance, but he hadn’t expected to see such a scene.

She was smiling, smiling exceptionally brightly.

For the first time in his life, Gu Zhen began to doubt his own judgment.

It was also the first time he realized that the Empress might be somewhat different from what he had thought. He actually didn’t know the Empress that well.

Seeming to realize that a pear blossom had fallen by her temple, Zhao Yiyi reached out to grab it. After several failed attempts to find its location, she turned her head again and discovered the Emperor standing in the bamboo grove.

Her expression changed abruptly.

Gu Zhen also took a step forward at this moment.

Too late to remove the pear blossom, Zhao Yiyi jumped off the swing and bowed, “Ten thousand blessings to Your Majesty.”

Her soft, glutinous voice and slightly lowered head made her seem like a different person from just a moment ago.

Gu Zhen stood before her, looking down for a long time. Before him, long eyelashes like butterfly wings trembled gently, and her jade-like cheeks were flushed pink from the swinging just now.

Not seen for several days, she was not as haggard as he had imagined.

Sensing the gaze above her head, Zhao Yiyi frowned slightly in discomfort, feeling her breathing quicken and her body trembling slightly.

“The Empress is in good spirits today,” Gu Zhen raised his hand to help her up, saying flatly.

Zhao Yiyi still kept her head half-lowered, replying in a low voice, “Mm.”

The Empress’s cold attitude made Gu Zhen freeze abruptly. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, and he immediately asked her, “The Empress said she was unwell some time ago. Are you better now?”

By his ear was his mellow, warm voice, drilling into her ears bit by bit. Zhao Yiyi suddenly had the urge to cry, and the blood in her whole body even coagulated for a moment.

She even wanted to question why he had to come today.

Everything was fine, why did he have to come and break this peace? Why did he have to come and tear open the wound in her heart until it was bloody?

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She had already said that she wouldn’t bother him anymore, wouldn’t add to his unhappiness. Why wouldn’t he let her go?

After the sudden impulse, she slowly suppressed these emotions.

She bit her rosy lip, hiding her hands in her sleeves and pinching her fingertips hard to wake herself up: “Replying to Your Majesty, this consort is well. I just wonder why Your Majesty… came over today?”

Even so, her voice was inevitably tinged with a hint of hoarseness.

She is well. But he had sentimentally thought that she would be sad because of this, and had even been worried about it.

It turned out he had overthought it.

“Since you are well, We are relieved.” Gu Zhen forced down the hostility between his brows, softened a bit, and said softly, “We just went to the Hai Pool, and happened to pass by on the way back, so We thought We’d come in and take a look.”

Hearing this, Wu Mao, who was following behind the Emperor, couldn’t help but raise his head and subconsciously twitch the corner of his mouth. The Hai Pool and Jiaofang Palace were far apart. How was this “passing by”?

His Majesty didn’t even find a decent excuse.

A gust of wind blew past, blowing away the tears that had just welled up in her eyes. Zhao Yiyi smiled brightly: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

As dusk approached, Gu Zhen stayed in Jiaofang Palace for the evening meal.

Because the Emperor came too suddenly today, everyone in Jiaofang Palace was caught off guard, and the kitchen hadn’t prepared the dishes the Emperor liked. The few dishes were all ones the Empress usually liked.

After consideration, the kitchen urgently processed ingredients and prepared a few other dishes temporarily.

Watching the Empress lower her head and eat quietly, Gu Zhen secretly thought that the Empress was indeed different from before.

In the past, when dining, the Empress would always take the initiative to pick a few dishes for him, and coincidentally, they were all ones he liked. But today, she hadn’t done so, but instead buried her head in her meal.

Her temper was so great that even after he had come over, she still refused to be obedient.

Staring at her for a moment, Gu Zhen thought helplessly, Forget it, I’ve already come over, so I won’t bicker with her about these things, lest she continues to be angry.

Thinking of this, Gu Zhen changed to a pair of serving chopsticks, picked up a piece of Sheng meat, and placed it in the Empress’s celadon lotus-patterned small bowl.

Zhao Yiyi’s eating movement paused slightly, then she said softly, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Gu Zhen felt a little more comfortable in his heart.

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Usually, the Empress should be able to understand his meaning.

However, as the Empress ate her evening meal slowly, that piece of Sheng meat remained in the bowl, untouched.

He couldn’t help asking, “Does the Empress not like eating Sheng meat?” But he vaguely remembered that at the last palace banquet, the Empress had eaten Sheng meat.

Zhao Yiyi tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes hidden by thick, long eyelashes. After meeting his scrutinizing gaze, she said, “This consort forgot to eat it.”

Then, she picked up the piece of Sheng meat and ate it in small bites.

Watching the Empress eat the Sheng meat, Gu Zhen felt that he should be happy, but his heart felt inexplicably blocked.

An unprovoked irritation.

After slowly finishing the piece of Sheng meat, Zhao Yiyi turned her head to look at the Emperor again and said gently, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for serving this consort.”

She spoke politely and distantly, as if deliberately keeping a distance from him. Gu Zhen felt a fire burning in his heart, and suddenly lost interest in eating. He put down his chopsticks and asked her flatly, “Has the Empress figured it out these past few days?”

Zhao Yiyi lowered her head slightly, staring at the dishes on the table in front of her, silent.

Gu Zhen waited patiently for a long time. When his patience was gradually running out, he forced himself to ask patiently again: “Has the Empress figured out what We said these past few days?”

What awaited him was still a long silence.

“This consort will definitely live in Jiaofang Palace for a long time in the future. Unless summoned, I will never easily disturb Your Majesty or cause Your Majesty worry.”

The Empress’s words from that day suddenly echoed in his mind, and his brows were tinged with a hint of gloom, looking somewhat frighteningly dark.

Figured it out?

Zhao Yiyi opened her mouth. What should she figure out?

What he said was right. She just hadn’t done what an Empress should do, hadn’t recognized her own identity, and had tried to intervene in government affairs and plead for her brother.

So she had already told him that she wasn’t competent for this job, nor could she fulfill the duties of an Empress well, let alone manage the affairs of the huge Ziwei Palace with ease.

She felt a little tired.

The kind of tiredness that exhausted both body and mind.

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Gu Zhen reached out and pinched her cheek, saying in a deep voice, “Speak.”

Zhao Yiyi tilted her head slightly to avoid it, still refusing to answer. Her face showed a hint of resistance, and her eyes suddenly turned red.

Speak? What to say?

Say that she was wrong and would definitely stick to the duties of an Empress in the future and never make the same mistake again?

Or say that she dared to inquire about matters that were not her concern and contradicted His Majesty, which was truly a crime deserving of death?

Or tell him that she would never make the same mistake again in the future and would definitely stay obediently in the palace, striving to be the virtuous Empress praised by historians?

But these were not what she wanted.

Long before the signs of a quarrel between the Emperor and Empress appeared, Yunzhu, worried that the two would get angry regardless of consequences and that the Empress would lose face in front of His Majesty again, had already led the palace servants in the hall to retreat quietly.

At this moment, only the two of them remained in the side hall.

Looking at her bowing her head in anger, Gu Zhen twisted her earlobe and couldn’t help but chuckle lightly: “Still angry with Us?”

Angry?

Zhao Yiyi closed her eyes slightly, not wanting to answer.

Her attitude of ignoring him caused irritation to rise in Gu Zhen’s heart. Then he reached out and pulled Zhao Yiyi onto his lap.

Zhao Yiyi resisted strongly, struggling a few times, but was confined by him.

Her head was straightened by a large palm, forced to look at him.

“Your Majesty.” Zhao Yiyi reached out to push him, but instead had her hand held by him, so she blushed and struggled again.

“So the Empress can speak.” Letting the Empress make a fuss for a moment, seeing that she seemed to have no strength left, Gu Zhen gently held her down, suddenly feeling amused and angry. He softened his voice and said, “Admit your mistake to Us, and We won’t hold it against you, hmm?”

Her heart cooled inch by inch, completely frozen over.

Her throat suddenly choked, and Zhao Yiyi felt unable to breathe for a moment.

Sure enough, he wanted her to admit her mistake.

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She should have known long ago, shouldn’t she? He asked her to think carefully and go to him after she figured it out. These days, he was probably waiting for her to go to Zichen Palace to admit her mistake to him.

But… Zhao Yiyi suddenly smiled, lowered her head, and said word by word, firmly: “This consort is not wrong.”

Author’s Note:

Gu Zhen: Really? I don’t believe it @

Yiyi: The biggest mistake was knowing you.

Gu Zhen: Really? I don’t believe it @

Today’s update, still 30 small red envelopes~ The word count is a bit low today because I’m a little dizzy and plan to sleep. I’ll make up for the missing words tomorrow. Kiss kiss babies!!!

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