Part 2
“This consort obeys.” Zhao Yiyi crossed her hands and slowly bowed, respectfully seeing him off.
The moment Gu Zhen was gone, Yunzhu rushed forward to support her, her voice trembling. “Your Majesty, just now… wasn’t everything alright just now? How, in the blink of an eye, did His Majesty… did he…”
Fear and worry choked her, and she couldn’t finish her sentence, her face filled with alarm as she looked at Zhao Yiyi.
After the initial shame and embarrassment had passed, Zhao Yiyi’s expression was strangely calm. She just pulled at the corner of her lip. “Yes,” she said flatly. “Perhaps I angered him.”
Her nonchalant words sent a tidal wave of panic through Jiaofang Palace. The attendants’ knees went weak, and they nearly collapsed to the floor.
Mancao, who had been with Zhao Yiyi since she was a child, was a bit slow but could see the dazed look in her mistress’s eyes. She quickly dismissed the other attendants from the hall.
A bright, clear moon cast a frost-like glow on the stone steps before the hall. Yunzhu’s heart was in her throat. She couldn’t understand how things had come to this.
When His Majesty had entered, everything had seemed perfectly fine.
She blamed herself for not being able to stop him, then gently tried to console her mistress. “Your Majesty, it’s alright. His Majesty has been overwhelmed with state affairs lately and is easily agitated. In a few days, when his mood has improved, Your Majesty can make some pastries and personally deliver them to Zichen Palace. His Majesty will surely be happier than anyone.”
Zhao Yiyi suddenly took two steps back and shook her head. “I’m not going. I’m not going anymore. I’m not going.” She covered her face with her hands, her body sliding down the doorframe as she choked out, “I’m never going again.”
As her body slid down, she ended up sitting on the floor, her face buried in her hands, sobbing as her body trembled. She kept repeating that she was “never going again.”
What was the point of going? To be an annoyance?
Having been by the Empress’s side for nearly three years, Yunzhu had never seen her in such a state. Her heart ached, and she tried to help her up from the floor.
The Empress of the past was always impeccably dressed, gentle and beautiful. A single glance from her brought joy, and a word of praise could make one’s heart pound.
When had she ever been seen like this, curled into a ball, with no regard for her image?
“I’m not going.” Zhao Yiyi curled up, her head buried in her knees. “I’m not going anywhere.”
From now on, she would stay in Jiaofang Palace and stop putting herself in his path to be an annoyance.
Loving him was so bitter, so painful. She would pull her love for him away, bit by bit, and take back all the affection she had given over the years.
Then, she wouldn’t feel so sad.
She would be happy.
That… should be how it works… right?
After a long time, Zhao Yiyi looked up at the stars in the night sky and murmured, “Do you know, I used to love you so much. So, so much. But I don’t want to love you anymore. Never again.”
It was as if she were speaking to him, or to herself, or perhaps to the heavens.
As long as someone heard it, it meant the words had been spoken.
Many peach, plum, and apricot trees were planted in Wanchun Palace, making the spring scenery there far more vibrant than in other parts of the palace.
Gu Zhen bypassed a peach tree in the courtyard and strode inside, only to see a child running around the hall, playing blind man’s buff.
The child was the Seventh Prince. The palace attendants dodged around him, calling out to lead him on while nimbly avoiding his grasp.
Gu Zhen stood there silently, watching with a cold eye. He suddenly recalled the trouble at the last flower-viewing banquet. Just as he was about to have someone stop the game, the Seventh Prince suddenly ran towards him, his hands outstretched.
He was firmly blocked by a palace attendant.
The Seventh Prince shouted that he had caught someone. The moment he pulled off his blindfold, he froze completely, then was pulled to his knees by his own attendant. “Ten thousand blessings to the Imperial Brother.”
Looking at the blindfold in the Seventh Prince’s hand, Gu Zhen remembered the chaos he had caused at the banquet by running out blindfolded. That day, everyone at the banquet had been knocked over. He had told Consort Dowager He to punish him herself, but here he was, still daring to play this game.
Clearly, he hadn’t been punished at all.
He ignored the kneeling Seventh Prince and his attendant, walking straight into the inner hall and sitting down opposite the Empress Dowager.
“What is it?” The Empress Dowager looked at his tightly drawn lips and asked flatly, “What was all that commotion outside?”
Gu Zhen asked, “Why is the Seventh Prince in Mother’s courtyard? Where is the Consort Dowager?”
The Empress Dowager smiled. “Your aunt hasn’t been well these past few days, and Linchuan gets along well with the Seventh Prince, so she often brings him over to play.”
Gu Zhen was slightly displeased by this, but said nothing, merely nodding. “As long as Mother is happy.”
“Speaking of which, the Seventh Prince is already eight or nine this year.” The Empress Dowager said softly, “I remember when you were that age, you were already helping your Imperial Father with state affairs.”
Gu Zhen understood her implication and put down his teacup. “Has someone been speaking to Mother?”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand. “No one said anything. I was just reminiscing.”
Gu Zhen’s expression turned completely cold.
His mother had always been soft-hearted and easily swayed by others. With her mind, she probably couldn’t have come up with these ideas on her own.
“The rule that princes are enfeoffed at the age of ten was set by the Grand Ancestor. There is a law to be followed.” Gu Zhen looked out the diamond-patterned window, his eyes slightly dark.
Her thoughts exposed by her son, the Empress Dowager’s expression was a little awkward. She mumbled, “It’s just a saying. Who really follows it? Wasn’t the Fourth Prince enfeoffed at seven? The attendants just said that the Seventh Prince’s essays were praised by his teacher. I remember when you were little, your teachers never praised you a few times.”
Gu Zhen silently curled his lip. He had been the Crown Prince since he was a child. His teachers were all under the Imperial Father’s orders to push him hard, afraid he would become arrogant. How could they possibly praise him?
He took a sip of tea. “The Fourth Prince was enfeoffed by the Imperial Father,” he said flatly.
Having been immersed in the palace for many years, even if the Empress Dowager was not particularly sharp, she understood that the Emperor was clearly telling her that he was not the Seventh Prince’s father.
The Emperor held great power, and his every move was filled with a noble coldness that gave off a strong sense of pressure. The Empress Dowager was actually a little afraid of this son. Seeing his brow furrow, she smiled awkwardly and muttered a few words under her breath.
After they had spoken for a bit, just as Gu Zhen was about to leave, a young woman with a delicate, beautiful face entered from outside.
Seeing her, Gu Zhen’s movements paused. “When did Xunfang come to the palace?”
He Xunfang curtsied and said warmly, “Replying to Your Majesty, this subject’s daughter was brought to the palace by my aunt yesterday afternoon.”
Her expression was gentle, and after speaking, she lowered her head slightly and said no more.
Gu Zhen looked back at the Empress Dowager, his expression slightly grim. “Mother is getting older and is inevitably lonely in the palace, and your thoughts can become heavy. Linchuan is playful. You should stay here and talk with Mother more, to prevent her from overthinking things.”
He Xunfang wanted to say that Consort Dowager He was also in the palace to keep the Empress Dowager company, but when she met the Emperor’s stern phoenix eyes, her expression froze, and she quickly lowered her head and replied, “This subject’s daughter understands.”
“Stay? What for?” the Empress Dowager said gloomily from behind them. “She just arrived yesterday, and her father is already rushing to pick her up today.”
He Xunfang curtsied to the Empress Dowager and said warmly, “The person father sent should be arriving soon. Xunfang has come to bid farewell to my aunt.” She was a little conflicted. Her aunt treated her very well, but her father seemed… unwilling for her to stay in the palace for too long.
Although she didn’t know why, she had always been an obedient child, so she obediently packed her things and prepared to go back.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, her voice muffled. “Go, go.”
Gu Zhen and He Xunfang left the main hall one after the other. The Seventh Prince was now sitting under a flower trellis, being fed pastries by a palace attendant.
“Mother enjoys lively company. When she’s bored, she’ll talk to anyone.” Gu Zhen’s gaze swept over the wisteria trellis, his voice strangely cold. “If you have nothing to do, you can come to the palace more often.”
He Xunfang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Gu Zhen suddenly asked, “We vaguely recall that you can play the zither?”
“A little,” He Xunfang replied cautiously.
After He Xunfang had left, Gu Zhen glanced at the Seventh Prince again. The Seventh Prince instinctively shrank back, forgetting to even swallow the pastry in his mouth.
Gu Zhen frowned in disgust. Him? His essays were praised by his teacher? Only Mother would believe such a thing.
He watched for a moment before giving an order. “Drag away the thing that was spouting nonsense in Mother’s presence. As for the Seventh Prince, if the Consort Dowager is reluctant to punish him, then We will punish him personally.”
Wu Mao’s heart leaped. He first waved to the Zichen Palace attendants behind him, who swarmed forward and dragged away the people serving the Seventh Prince. The Seventh Prince was stunned, and in the next moment, he was held down and carried outside Wanchun Palace, where he was placed on a low stool.
The Emperor had already left. Facing the Seventh Prince, who was lying on the low stool, Wu Mao was in a difficult position.
The Seventh Prince’s threats and curses filled the air. He shouted that he would tell his aunt and mother, and that he would definitely have these dog-slaves killed.
Wu Mao was the Emperor’s close attendant, and the order had come from the Emperor himself, so he naturally wasn’t afraid. He just didn’t know how to punish him. After some thought, he followed the most common punishment for princes who made mistakes during the late Emperor’s time.
After ten strokes, the Seventh Prince had lost his lively energy. He hung his head, unable to even cry out.
After dealing with the Seventh Prince, Wu Mao did not linger, but hurried back to Zichen Palace to serve the Emperor.
It was late February, and the weather was gradually warming up. Countless seasonal flowers were blooming in competition.
Wu Mao lit some sinking elmwood incense in the bronze sparrow stove in the hall. When the smoke began to curl and rise, he crossed his hands and replied, “Your Majesty, this slave took the liberty of having the Seventh Prince caned ten times. The attendants who served him have also been severely punished.”
Gu Zhen was already aware of this. He paused his movements and the vermilion brush in his hand stilled. He sneered, “That was still too light.”
Wu Mao braced himself and replied, “This slave knows his crime.”
His Majesty hadn’t specified the punishment, and that person was, after all, the late Emperor’s son, so he could only choose a lighter punishment.
When he returned from Wanchun Palace, it was almost four in the afternoon. For the rest of the time, Gu Zhen said nothing, just reviewing memorials one after another.
There had been few matters these past few days, and the ministers’ reports were all on trivial matters. In addition, after his series of thunderous actions, the ministers no longer dared to speak nonsense, and the content of the memorials was very concise.
Therefore, his review speed was much faster than before.
Wu Mao stood by his side, only occasionally refilling his tea, not daring to disturb the Emperor at this time.
Before the evening meal, today’s memorials were finally finished. Gu Zhen put down his brush and said, “Have Mingchen come over tonight.”
The evening meal was served one dish after another, and the dining table was gradually filled with dishes. It wasn’t until he saw a dish of steamed shad that he suddenly remembered the evening meal that day, when the Empress had choked on a shad bone.
He had given her the cold shoulder for so many days. He wondered how she was thinking things over.
Surely, she’s come to her senses by now, right?
If she admits her mistake, I can let the past go.
“How has the Empress been these past few days?” Staring at the steamed shad, Gu Zhen didn’t pick up his chopsticks, but turned his head and asked casually.
Wu Mao had been prepared for the Emperor to ask this question for days. First, his scalp went slightly numb, then he replied with a straight face, “These past few days, Her Majesty the Empress… Her Majesty has been staying in Jiaofang Palace and has not gone anywhere else.”
Gu Zhen’s face suddenly tensed, his thin lips pressed into a line, his eyes slightly dark.
Her temper is quite big, he thought. I’d like to see how long she plans to keep this up.
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: Let me see how long you can ignore Us for, hmph!
Yiyi: Stay away.
Gu Zhen: @ What’s wrong with the Empress?
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commenting b.c I can’t hold it in anymore, wym “what’s wrong with the empress” you piece of shit monarch >:0
“oh she’s just throwing a tantrum over nothing, she doesn’t care for me or give me any face” sir????? mans taking doting care for granted and doesn’t believe feelings for him can change