Part 2
Gu Zhen’s brow softened. Seeing that he had finally coaxed her into a better mood, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yiyi, from now on, you don’t need to spend too much effort on these matters.” He suddenly put down the teacup and called her name softly. “Zhen didn’t mean to question you just now, nor did I want to discipline you. Zhen just… wants you to have things go as you wish in the future. In the past, Zhen didn’t treat you well, didn’t give you enough dignity, and let you suffer too many grievances, causing many people not to take you seriously, and making you feel restricted when managing affairs.”
“From now on, regarding these matters, do whatever you wish.”
The inner hall was silent for a long time. Zhao Yiyi just lowered her head and refused to answer.
Not long after, Zhao Duanduan walked out carrying her own baggage, accompanied by several female officials, preparing to move those things to the side hall.
Looking at the small box she was hugging in her hands, Zhao Yiyi suddenly asked, “What are you holding? It looks quite heavy. Why not let someone help you carry it? Aren’t you tired?”
Zhao Duanduan walked over, slightly rolling up her sleeve to reveal a small patch of red marks on her left arm. Opening the small box, she said, “It’s a box of new books, festival gifts sent by Cousin Lu. They are all travelogues and the like, plus a few scrolls of ancient texts. Everyone in the family got a share. I haven’t really read them yet, so I planned to bring them into the palace to read.”
“They do look like good books; he is thoughtful.” After flipping through them casually, Zhao Yiyi nodded and spoke.
Gu Zhen’s gaze followed hers. He looked slightly stunned, and after a moment of stagnation, he snapped back to reality because of Zhao Duanduan’s words, his face darkening slightly: “Who is Cousin Lu?”
“He is the cousin from this consort’s aunt’s family, the nephew of my aunt’s maiden family,” Zhao Yiyi said indifferently.
Gu Zhen frowned slightly: “Aunt’s family’s cousin?”
He didn’t show it on his face, asking only indifferently, but inwardly he thought: The nephew of the aunt’s maiden family—what kind of cousin does that count as?
The sky grew darker, showing signs of the sun setting in the west. Fiery red light filled the entire palace hall, yet Zhao Yiyi showed no sign of keeping him for the evening meal.
Gu Zhen glanced at her, knowing that Yiyi probably didn’t want to see him much right now.
A bitter smile unconsciously hung on the corner of his lips. He stood up and said, ” Zhen recalls there are still a few memorials left unreviewed. I will return to Zichen Palace first.”
Zhao Yiyi’s expression remained unchanged as she stood to see him off: “This consort respectfully sends off Your Majesty.”
Aside from bringing several chests into the palace, Zhao Duanduan had also brought that slender hound into the palace.
“Elder Sister previously instructed Father and Madam Xu to take care of it, but Father is going with Madam Xu to the temple to pray for blessings!” Zhao Duanduan said self-righteously. “Meat is forbidden in the temple, and even kept pets must be vegetarian. Wouldn’t that wrong A-Huang? It’s better to let it follow me into the palace, to Elder Sister’s place.”
She had piles of crooked logic. Zhao Yiyi had no way to deal with her and could only let her be.
Listening to the barking of Zhao A-Huang outside—not loud, but full of energy—she felt a headache coming on: “It really knows how to make a ruckus.”
The second day was the day of the Laojiu (Reward Feast) for the titled ladies who had accompanied the sacrifice.
The Empress was hosting a banquet, and it was for the matter of the Silkworm Ceremony, so the titled ladies naturally dared not be absent. Early in the morning, at the hour of Mao (5-7 am), they were waiting outside the palace.
Zhao Yiyi got up as usual, washed and dressed, put on the ceremonial Juyi robe for the Silkworm Ceremony, and slowly walked into the main hall.
The titled ladies also stood up at this time, clasping their hands to greet the Empress.
Zhao Yiyi looked around the circle, ordered them to be at ease in a flat voice, and her gaze inadvertently swept over the Madam of the Marquis of Hejian seated below.
The Madam of the Marquis of Hejian naturally noticed the Empress’s gaze. After being swept by that cold, knife-like stare, her heart gave a fierce thump, and she almost forgot to breathe.
Fortunately, the Empress did not look at her again afterwards, nor did she suddenly attack.
But before long, she realized the Empress was waiting for her later.
Whenever she tried to speak, the Empress would change the subject. Whenever she tried to join the conversation, the Empress would always timely ask another madam. When it was her turn to toast the Empress, the Empress only smiled and said “good,” but her vermilion lips never even touched the rim of the cup.
After several rounds, she gradually realized.
The Empress was deliberately humiliating her.
Not only did she realize it herself, but the other titled ladies naturally sensed it vaguely as well. Those who intended to curry favor with the Empress simply followed the Empress’s lead; without the Empress needing to lift a finger, they began to intentionally or unintentionally ignore her.
One titled lady, having just seen the Second Miss of the Zhao family in the hall, laughed in line with the Empress’s preferences: “Second Miss has such a straightforward and bright personality. Seeing her, this subject wife truly wishes I could snatch her home from Your Ladyship. It is a pity my eldest son is too old and my second son is too young. I wonder which family will get such a bargain in the future.”
Zhao Yiyi held an amber cup, took a sip of grape wine, and smiled: “She just has a rowdy personality. How can she compare to the steadiness of the children in Madam’s family? I am still worrying about her future marriage.”
In the hall, those who knew of the marriage between the Marquis of Hejian’s manor and the Marquis of Huai’an’s manor all changed their expressions, their gazes patrolling back and forth between the Empress and the Madam of the Marquis of Hejian, their hearts filled with uncertainty and suspicion.
“Your Ladyship.” Halfway through the banquet, the Madam of the Marquis of Hejian went to the inner hall to find Zhao Yiyi and said respectfully, “This subject wife was just thinking that the Second Miss has a lively personality, while my eldest son has a steady nature. The two are truly somewhat mismatched. I fear they would not be harmonious in the future.”
Zhao Yiyi nodded: “What Madam says does indeed make sense.”
The Madam of the Marquis of Hejian’s face suddenly stiffened.
She had deliberated her wording for a long time, only to receive this single sentence from the Empress.
“I still hope Your Ladyship can be understanding.” She braced herself and added another sentence.
Zhao Yiyi had a smile on her face, her voice gentle: “Back then, it was your Cui family who wanted to set the marriage, and now the withdrawal of the marriage is also proposed by your Cui family. And now you ask me to be understanding.”
Her expression turned suddenly cold, her voice like a blade of ice: “Madam, give me a straight word today. Does your Cui family still want any face at all?”
The Madam of the Marquis of Hejian looked stunned, her head buzzing, her entire body stiffening.
“If you want to withdraw the marriage, then do it openly and aboveboard; I would even respect you a little more.” Zhao Yiyi’s eyes were full of hostility. She slammed the teacup in her hand directly onto the floor and said coldly, “Are all the people in your Cui family dead?! You didn’t even dare to come personally to withdraw the marriage, but sent a servant to notify us?!”
The Cheng kiln teacup shattered at her feet, splashing tea all over the floor. The Madam of the Marquis of Hejian said sheepishly: “Your Ladyship, this subject wife only… wanted to sound out your noble manor’s tone, which is why I didn’t dare to visit rashly.”
Zhao Yiyi closed her eyes, hiding the anger in them, and softened her voice: “Madam, are you intentionally trying to humiliate my Zhao family? Or are you intentionally trying to humiliate me?”
Her voice was gentle and soothing, like flowing water under the moon, exuding a softness, yet carrying a somewhat grim chill that made people hold their breath in that instant.
The Madam of the Marquis of Hejian’s face changed drastically, and she hurriedly knelt on the ground: “Your Ladyship sees clearly, this subject wife has absolutely no such intention!” Even if she thought it, she wouldn’t dare say it out loud!
What she couldn’t figure out was that she had seen the Empress before; her nature was gentle and soft, and she rarely even raised her voice. It was precisely because of this that she had dared to propose the withdrawal of the marriage directly, and was even too lazy to make the trip herself.
But today, how had the Empress suddenly changed her nature?
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