After being sent to the cold palace, the emperor’s heart was burned into ashes CHAPTER 41.1

Chapter 41: An Apology part 1

The wind whistled dismally, sweeping through the hall and lifting the hem of the man’s robe in the corridor. The sky-blue round-collar robe, embroidered with flying birds, snapped in the wind.

A few peach blossoms were brushed off by the spring breeze, tumbling over the green stone bricks.

One even rolled right to the edge of Gu Zhen’s leather boots.

“A living person as big as that kneeling right outside your Suzhang Gate—how could you not know? In Aijia’s view, you did it on purpose, and now you stand there full of excuses!”

“Empress, you and the Emperor have been married for nearly three years, yet there is still no news of an heir. That Aijia can overlook, but Xunling acted out of kindness, going to apologize to you with a guilty heart. Aijia thought you were a good person, but who knew your heart had rotted like this!”

These cursing words, each and every one, smashed defenselessly into the pit of his heart, as if tearing a gash in his organs to expose the dripping wounds and fresh blood within.

It was clearly a spring day, yet as that warm breeze blew past, Gu Zhen felt his entire body turn ice-cold. Even his raised hand trembled slightly.

From the propped-open window, the Empress Dowager’s scolding, Consort Dowager He’s consolation, and various other chaotic noises continued to drift out.

Before today, he had never known that the Empress’s life in the palace was like this. It seemed that no one took her to heart, and no one held her in any regard.

Including him.

Perhaps it wasn’t that he didn’t know, but rather that he had never cared to pay attention before. He had been too lazy to bother with these things, thinking them only trivial matters.

It wasn’t until he heard it with his own ears that he realized how piercing and unbearable these words were.

A soft voice replied, “Mother, this daughter-in-law did not think that way.”

Gu Zhen’s violently trembling heart suddenly calmed considerably, as if a soft, boneless hand had gently stroked his chest twice.

The voice spoke again, “I hope Mother will see clearly.”

“See clearly? How do you expect Aijia to see clearly? Xunling fainted…”

The Empress Dowager showed not the slightest sign of her anger subsiding.

In this late spring weather, he felt cold even to his fingertips.

Through the cluster of peach blossoms, He Xunfang spotted the Emperor standing gloomily in front of the hall, dressed in a sky-blue round-collar robe with a leather belt and leather boots.

She lifted her skirt and hurried over, asking in surprise across the flowers, “Why has Your Majesty come already?” She then craned her neck to look behind him.

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The Empress Dowager paused, seemingly not expecting that instead of asking what happened, the Emperor would start nitpicking over such trivial details on the Empress’s behalf.

Zhao Yiyi felt a slight surprise. She couldn’t help but look up at him, only to meet those extremely cold and stern phoenix eyes. The chill contained within them was enough to make anyone tremble with fear at a single glance.

The Emperor was angry. Everyone knelt in unison. Zhao Yiyi pinched her palm to force herself to remain calm and knelt along with them.

Gu Zhen’s expression stiffened. Looking at her bending knees, a flash of annoyance crossed his heart, but he couldn’t very well reach out and pull her up.

Even at a time like this, she insisted on opposing him.

She truly didn’t know how to read the room, nor did she consider for whose sake he was getting angry.

“It was Aijia who told them to sit.” The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea to suppress her fire and replied indifferently.

Lowering his eyes to look at the people kneeling in the hall, Gu Zhen said in a deep voice, “Even if the Empress Dowager is kindhearted and ordered you to sit, you should know the rules. When the Empress is standing here listening to the Empress Dowager’s teachings, how can there be any reason for you to sit?”

He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if a knife were constantly stabbing into his heart. Severe pain assaulted him, causing his heart to curl into a tight ball.

Everyone responded with “Yes.” The Empress Dowager, having been contradicted, showed a flash of discomfort on her face. “The Emperor is being too petty.”

Gu Zhen told them to rise but did not order them to sit. Having just been scolded by him, everyone had learned their lesson and certainly dared not sit, standing with heads bowed to the side.

Looking at Zhao Yiyi, who stood aside with lips tightly pursed, Gu Zhen felt annoyance in his heart. Barely suppressing his anger, he asked, “The Empress has been standing for so long; do you feel tired?”

Zhao Yiyi’s almond eyes were misty, her eyelashes lowered slightly. She shook her head gently and replied softly, “This consort is not tired.”

She has already been punished by standing for so long, and yet he still has to press her, asking if she is tired.

Is there such logic in the world?

Feeling as if something was blocking her chest, she only felt suffocated. She pinched her fingertips hard within her sleeves just to barely keep her composure.

Gu Zhen choked on his words, then waved his hand. “Sit down and rest a while.”

Since the Emperor wasn’t rushing to ask what happened, the Empress Dowager grew anxious. Her attitude was completely different from before as she said coldly, “Emperor, look at the good deed the Empress has done today. Because Lin Nanjun was previously at Shicui Palace, who would have thought the Empress would later fall ill too? Xunling recovered today and learned of this. The child has a kind heart and couldn’t get over this hurdle in her heart, so she hurried to apologize to her. But the Empress! She actually let Xunling kneel outside for more than half an hour!”

“Eldest Aunt… Eldest Aunt, please don’t say anymore.” From behind a screen, a young girl’s pleading voice came. “It is all Xunling’s fault; Aunt must not blame Her Highness.”

“Did the Empress order her to kneel?” Ignoring the voice from inside, Gu Zhen asked calmly.