Chapter 2

Initially, the marriage of Tang Xiu and Chen Yue was a grand affair. Tang Xiu, the daughter of the Left Duke, was a precious gem of the Tang family. Chen Yue, the son of the Princess Royal, was a promising young man, the Duke of Jiangxia. Their wedding was a spectacle, with a ten-mile-long procession that drew envy from many. Not to mention the numerous imperial gifts, which, when collected, would fill several carriages.

Fortunately, the Duke of Jiangxia’s mansion was not short of money, and they had plenty of carriages. Tang Xiu had also sent word ahead to the Tang family, who sent even more carriages. The carriages shuttled back and forth, ensuring that all the collected items would be transported back to the Tang residence within the day.

With numerous capable servants, Tang Xiu didn’t need to personally oversee the move. After giving a few simple instructions, she headed towards the Xi’an Gate.

Having submitted a request beforehand, the Emperor granted Tang Xiu an audience. Her carriage was quickly allowed through the Xi’an Gate and into the imperial city. After reaching the Xihua Gate, it stopped. This was the entrance to the Forbidden City.

After touching up her makeup, Tang Xiu alighted from the carriage. A eunuch was already waiting for her at the Xihua Gate.

“Greetings to the Duchess of Jiangxia,” the eunuch bowed. “Please follow me.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

The eunuch repeatedly said he dared not, and bowed as he led the way.

Years ago, a fire broke out in the Forbidden City, burning down the Emperor and Empress’s sleeping quarters. The Emperor and Empress had since moved to the Qixiang Palace and remained there. This eunuch served in the Qixiang Palace and had often seen Tang Xiu come to pay her respects to the Emperor. He was familiar with her, so Tang Xiu subtly tried to gauge the Emperor’s attitude towards her request for a divorce.

Liucai, taking advantage of a bend in the path, discreetly quickened her pace and slipped a pouch into the eunuch’s hand.

Those who served in the Emperor’s presence were all shrewd. The eunuch merely had to lightly press his palm against the pouch to sense its substantial weight. A genuine smile immediately spread across his face. The Duchess of Jiangxia was indeed generous.

After pondering Tang Xiu’s words, the eunuch understood. Though the Duchess of Jiangxia appeared decisive, ultimately, the Emperor’s word held sway in matters of divorce.

Taking the pouch, the eunuch, though unable to directly tell a court lady about the Emperor’s thoughts, had received money after all. Besides, he didn’t want to offend Tang Xiu. Looking around cautiously, he lowered his voice and said in a roundabout way, “Your Grace, I brewed tea for His Majesty half an hour ago. When I left, His Majesty hadn’t touched a drop.”

Tang Xiu listened, her mind now at ease.

Reaching the Qixiang Palace, Tang Xiu waited briefly before being summoned inside.

It was almost noon, close to mealtime. The Emperor, not reviewing memorials, was relaxing. The palace servants stood silently like wooden posts, the vast palace eerily quiet, save for the ticking of the self-ringing clock.

Tang Xiu was led to a spot not far from the imperial desk and bowed.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, who had been closing his eyes and resting, opened his eyelids slightly upon hearing her voice and slowly glanced at Tang Xiu.

It was now the thirty-sixth year of the Wanli reign. The Emperor had been on the throne for so long that he had developed a habit of concealing his emotions. Even now, seeing Tang Xiu, who had abandoned her usual Daoist robe and dressed in fine attire, seemingly taking the divorce seriously, the Emperor, despite his displeasure with the matter, still spoke.

“Rise. Have a seat.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Tang Xiu rose to her feet after expressing her gratitude. Chang Yunsheng, the eunuch who kept the imperial records, immediately had someone serve tea, showing great attentiveness.

This was due to Tang Xiu’s aunt, the Imperial Noble Consort.

Her aunt had entered the palace as a Consort and was promoted to Noble Consort within two years. Two years later, she was elevated to Imperial Noble Consort, greatly favored by the Emperor. As the only niece of the Imperial Noble Consort, Tang Xiu naturally enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, to the point that the Emperor had personally arranged her marriage to Chen Yue. This was why Tang Xiu insisted on coming to the palace.

Without the Emperor’s approval, even if Chen Yue wrote a thousand divorce papers, it would be useless.

And to gain the Emperor’s approval, to sever the red thread he had personally tied, was undoubtedly more difficult than ascending to heaven.

As expected, before Tang Xiu could even offer a few greetings, the Emperor’s inquiry came directly.

“Did you bring the documents? Let me see.”

Tang Xiu complied, taking out the divorce papers and handing them to Chang Yunsheng, who presented them to the Emperor behind the imperial desk.

The document written by Chen Yue was a traditional one, concise and brief, with few words. It was a thin sheet of paper, folded twice and tucked away deep in the letter. The Emperor opened it, glanced at the contents, made no comment, and placed it on top of a pile of memorials.

Noticing the Emperor’s action, Tang Xiu’s eyelids twitched slightly.

The Crown Prince was the foundation of the nation. Due to the dispute over the heir apparent, the Emperor had not attended court for many years. He rarely received ministers unless there were major matters, and he handled most of the affairs of state through memorials. However, memorials were also classified by urgency and importance, and even by the Emperor’s preferences. Some memorials the Emperor would personally endorse, while others he would simply set aside. Once a memorial was set aside, it would remain there, and coincidentally, the pile of memorials on top of which the divorce paper was placed was the one the Emperor had been holding back for a while.

Tang Xiu squeezed her fingertips.

He didn’t even ask a question, just put her divorce paper aside like that?

Even though she had prepared herself for the fact that this trip wouldn’t be smooth sailing, Tang Xiu hadn’t expected it to be so unfavorable. Before she could even use the various tactics she had planned, she had already suffered a crushing defeat. Was her red thread to Chen Yue tied so tightly?

“This document, leave it with me for now,” the Emperor, seated on the throne, picked up a blue and white porcelain teacup and slowly sipped the hot tea newly brewed by the eunuch, his tone flat. “When you’ve thought it over, tell me, and I’ll return the document to you.”

Tang Xiu’s heart sank.

Everyone knew that once something reached the Emperor’s hands, it was virtually impossible to get it back.

The Emperor was stalling for Chen Yue.

Tang Xiu opened her mouth, wanting to try again. “Your Majesty…”

In the past, when she called him this, the Emperor would often soften, treating her even more kindly than the Imperial Noble Consort.

But today, the Emperor remained unmoved.

He simply said, “Think carefully.”

Then he waved his hand, signaling that she could leave.

The Emperor’s words were like an imperial decree. What else could Tang Xiu do but obey?

But it was alright.

As she left the Qixiang Palace, seeming docile, Tang Xiu thought to herself, so be it if the document was kept. It was just a formality. She and Chen Yue had clearly separated. Whether the document was approved or not didn’t really matter.

Besides, she had moved house this morning, such a big commotion, everyone who should know, should know that she and Chen Yue were getting a divorce.

How could a piece of news that everyone knew not be a settled fact?

Having figured this out, Tang Xiu felt her spirits soar. She happily prepared to return to the Tang residence.

As soon as Tang Xiu left the Qixiang Palace, the Emperor spoke to Chang Yunsheng about her.

“This divorce paper was written by Chen Yue, and it doesn’t seem like she’s just throwing a tantrum. Is it truly that they can’t go on together?”

Chang Yunsheng smiled obsequiously and said, “Your servant is a eunuch, how could I understand the affairs of a couple?”

The Emperor didn’t comment.

He asked again, “Does the Imperial Noble Consort know about this?”

Chang Yunsheng replied, “She should know by now.”

If the Emperor hadn’t finished speaking and called the Duchess of Jiangxia to see the Empress instead of directly ordering her to leave the palace, the Imperial Noble Consort would probably have already stormed in.

The Emperor took another sip of tea.

After a while, he put down the teacup with a “clink”: “Summon the Duke of Jiangxia.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a eunuch went to deliver the summons.

Perhaps the Duke of Jiangxia had anticipated the Emperor’s summons, for as soon as the eunuch reached the Dong Hua Gate, he found the Duke already waiting outside the Forbidden City.

Tang Xiu also arrived at the Dong Hua Gate at that moment.

They met on the narrow path.

A gentle breeze brushed past, ruffling their hair slightly. As Tang Xiu paused, raising her hand to adjust her hairpin, Chen Yue took a step forward, just in time to block her path.

The way forward was blocked, Tang Xiu lowered her hand and looked at him calmly.

Just as Tang Xiu had donned her formal attire for this audience, adhering to etiquette, Chen Yue had also changed out of his training clothes worn at home, putting on a yisa. The yisa was brightly colored and elaborately decorated. He wore a cloud-patterned gauze hat and a belt with a brocade sword. Although he was instantly recognizable as the ruthless and ruthless Jinyiwei of rumors, he stood tall and possessed an extraordinary bearing. As he stood facing Tang Xiu, to those who didn’t know better, they looked like a pair of perfect matches.

Unfortunately, no matter how handsome he was, Tang Xiu felt no emotion.

She looked at him with the same calmness as she would look at a blade of grass or a tree.

Even calmer than when she was at the Duke’s mansion.

Meeting her gaze, Chen Yue’s hand on the brocade sword tightened, his face seeming to grow even colder.

Even when the eunuch urged him to hurry to the Qixiang Palace, saying that the Emperor was waiting, he remained standing, firmly blocking Tang Xiu’s way.

At first, Tang Xiu patiently waited for him to move.

But she knew Chen Yue too well. Seeing that he had no intention of moving, Tang Xiu quickly grew impatient.

What was he doing, just blocking her?

If he had something to say, he should say it, otherwise, who was going to pay attention to him?

Tang Xiu thought to herself, tugging at the corner of her lips, she spoke in a concise manner, using only two words.

“Move aside.”

Chen Yue didn’t say anything, only the knuckles of his hand holding the sword became more prominent, the black scabbard shimmering with a cold gleam under the sunlight.

The eunuch standing beside them, seeing this, didn’t dare to urge Chen Yue to move, he didn’t even dare to breathe.

It seemed like the Duke of Jiangxia was holding back something…

He couldn’t possibly draw his sword in the Forbidden City, could he?

Just as the eunuch grew increasingly uneasy and Tang Xiu was about to speak again, Chen Yue finally released his hand and stepped aside.

He had chosen to compromise.

Logically, this should have pleased Tang Xiu, but she lowered her eyes, her expression unclear.

She walked past Chen Yue.

As they brushed shoulders, Chen Yue turned to look at Tang Xiu. Tang Xiu did not look back.

Outside the Dong Hua Gate, the coachman who had been waiting, seeing Tang Xiu emerge, quickly brought out a small stool and placed it in position, inviting the lady to get in. At this point, Chen Yue should have remained standing, but his first reaction was to stride forward and instinctively reach out to help Tang Xiu.

However, Tang Xiu was faster, stepping onto the stool and entering the carriage in a few swift movements.

The beautiful crimson skirt brushed past the brocade sword at her waist, and the cold blade instantly picked up a faint floral scent. Chen Yue retracted his hand, and Liucai, who had deliberately stayed half a step behind, respectfully bid farewell on behalf of her mistress.

Chen Yue ignored her, his gaze fixed on the swaying carriage curtains.

The coachman had originally planned to wait and see if the Duke had anything to say to the lady before leaving, but he heard the lady’s voice from inside the carriage: “Return to the Tang residence.”

The coachman could only bow to Chen Yue and drive the carriage.

As the carriage gradually moved away, the scorching gaze faded and disappeared. Tang Xiu let out a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid that Chen Yue would pester her. She wasn’t a good actress, and if he discovered anything, it wouldn’t be good.

She didn’t want to experience the investigative skills of the Jinyiwei.

After a while, Tang Xiu leaned back lazily, closing her eyes and summarizing.

Today had gone according to plan, more or less. The Emperor’s withholding of the divorce papers was completely negligible. Even if someone helped Chen Yue, what difference would it make? Seeing is believing, their divorce was a done deal.

So they were ex-husband and ex-wife now, didn’t Chen Yue know to keep his distance? She wanted to meet some young, strong, fresh young men. She didn’t want people to misunderstand that she had a husband.