Chapter 16 – The Emperor Was Assaulted

No one had expected that Beauty Wang would actually drown her sorrows in wine. Originally, just one cup would have been enough for the drug to take effect, but she had furiously downed over half a pot in a single day.

Her face grew increasingly flushed, and the way she looked at Xuanyuan Ling became more and more heated.

She gazed at him foolishly, her eyes locked on him until the birthday banquet neared its end. Then, palace maids carrying lanterns began guiding the various concubines back to their respective palaces.

There were people arranged to escort Beauty Wang as well. The palace maid carrying the lantern softly led her forward, and upon seeing Beauty Wang’s flushed complexion, she completely understood what was going on.

However, no one expected that halfway through their walk, Beauty Wang would spot Xuanyuan Ling’s imperial procession heading toward the Empress’s palace.

She forcibly endured the heat surging through her body, her mind filled with nothing but thoughts of Xuanyuan Ling. At this moment, all she wanted was to be favored by the Emperor. The moment she saw him, she couldn’t hold herself back.

She turned around and moved straight toward Xuanyuan Ling.

When Xuanyuan Ling saw her approach, he frowned. For a moment, he couldn’t even recall who she was. After all, he had only spent one night with her, and her looks weren’t particularly memorable.

But the more he looked at her, the more displeased he became.

He was on his way to the Empress’s palace, and now some brainless woman from the harem was trying to intercept him? Was she trying to steal the Empress’s moment? Did she think the Empress was dead? Or that he was so lustful that anyone could throw themselves at him and succeed?

Still, he didn’t think it was worth getting angry over a woman seeking favor. He was just about to walk away when Beauty Wang suddenly called out, “Your Majesty—”

The way she said it was full of sultry intonation, almost like a moan from the bedchamber.

All the nearby servants instantly bowed their heads.

Xuanyuan Ling’s face darkened considerably.

To be fair, he did like seductive women—but seductive didn’t mean shameless! Beauty Wang’s voice was so lewd it sounded like she was soliciting customers in a brothel.

“Stand back!” he said sternly.

Normally, this tone would have frightened Beauty Wang, but now that she was drugged, slightly drunk, and had been feeling repressed these days, consumed with longing for the Emperor’s favor, she was completely out of control.

The man she desired was right in front of her. Without a second thought, she actually stood up.

Even Zhao Hai hadn’t expected Beauty Wang to be so bold. But since she was the Emperor’s woman, and this was a matter of seeking favor, unless His Majesty gave the order, they couldn’t easily stop her.

And so, Beauty Wang actually made it right up to Xuanyuan Ling without any obstruction.

When Xuanyuan Ling told her to stand back and she didn’t obey, he was about to order someone to drag her away. But before he could speak, Beauty Wang lunged forward and reached out to grab his waistband.

The surrounding eunuchs were all stunned. They had never witnessed anything like this. Even Xuanyuan Ling was momentarily frozen. He hadn’t reacted at first—it was the first time in his life that a woman had dared to be so presumptuous.

Was he really being assaulted?

By the time he processed what was happening, his face was pitch-black.

Without another word, he kicked her.

Even if the royal family didn’t specialize in martial arts, they all trained for fitness. He didn’t hold back at all with that kick, and Beauty Wang was sent flying several meters away.

Zhao Hai immediately panicked. “Are you all dead? Protect His Majesty!”

There was no time to ponder how a concubine could act like this. Cold sweat streamed down his back.

Everyone in the vicinity fell to their knees. At this point, no one cared anymore that she was the Emperor’s woman—they tackled her to the ground like she was an assassin.

Xuanyuan Ling glanced down at his disheveled robes—she had indeed tugged them open in the chaos. He thought to himself that if he hadn’t kicked her in time, she might really have managed to latch onto him. The very thought gave him goosebumps.

He had actually once favored such a woman? The very idea sickened him.

In this tightly guarded imperial palace, the Emperor himself had been assaulted face-to-face by a concubine. Who would even believe that if it got out?

He wasn’t some delicate maiden walking the streets!

At this moment, Dingxiang arrived. When she saw Xuanyuan Ling, she was so terrified she fell to her knees with a thud, trembling as she begged for mercy.

“Your Majesty, please have mercy! She drank too much, lost her sense of propriety—it wasn’t intentional!”

Xuanyuan Ling replied coldly, “Then sober her up properly!”

He shot Zhao Hai a glare and said, “Return to Qianyuan Palace!”

Zhao Hai quickly directed people to escort the Emperor back to Qianyuan Palace—which was not the Empress’s Fengyi Palace.

The Empress had been waiting for Xuanyuan Ling. Since he rarely visited her, she had prepared thoroughly this time. But just as everything was ready, word came that the Emperor wouldn’t be coming.

“That’s impossible.”

The Emperor had never humiliated the Empress so directly before.

The Empress immediately sent someone to find out what had happened. When she learned of Beauty Wang’s actions, she was utterly dumbfounded. She couldn’t help but smash a teacup: “Shameless wench!”

Concubines occasionally competed for favor—this was common in the harem. But to brazenly throw herself at the Emperor like that, and intercept him on his way to the Empress? And not only did she fail, she even angered the Emperor. Now His Majesty wasn’t coming to Fengyi Palace—not just a matter of face anymore. It was as if she had failed to properly manage the women of the harem.

As the Empress, she bore responsibility for everything that happened in the harem.

She had always been dignified and proper, managing the inner palace in an orderly fashion. Xuanyuan Ling had never once found fault with her. And now, because of one Beauty Wang, she had lost face in front of the Emperor—how could she endure this?

So before Beauty Wang even sobered up, the Empress’s people had already arrived, saying they were there to “help sober her up properly.”

The birthday celebration of the Crown Prince had ended with such a scandal. It wasn’t a huge affair, but neither was it small.

News traveled fast in the palace, and soon, everyone knew.

Shen Qing was stunned when she heard.

Was Beauty Wang a professional face-slapper in her past life?

Otherwise, how could she offend people this thoroughly?

She lived in Qingyun Palace but insisted on sucking up to those in Zhongyu Palace, thoroughly slapping Consort Ru’s face. Then, right after the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, she stirred up trouble while the Emperor was heading to the Empress—slapping the Empress’s face too. And it didn’t end there. The guards and eunuchs had all failed to stop her, letting her get that close to the Emperor. Wasn’t that basically exposing how useless they were? She had managed to offend practically everyone in one go.

Though Xuanyuan Ling was deeply embarrassed, apart from giving the Empress a warning, he didn’t do much else. But the less he reacted, the more anxious everyone else became.

In just one move, Beauty Wang had offended nearly every powerful figure in the palace.

When she sought Xuanyuan Ling out, she wasn’t in her right mind. But after she sobered up, she suddenly realized what she had done—like being struck by lightning.

How could she have behaved like that while drunk?

But before she had time to process it, the Empress had already sent people to “teach her proper manners.”

A concubine seeking favor wasn’t necessarily a serious crime, but having no sense of decorum in the palace—now that was a grave offense.

Beauty Wang’s life grew more and more miserable by the day.

During one of the routine morning greetings at Fengyi Palace, Consort Ru appeared before the Empress and tearfully complained, “I truly didn’t expect Beauty Wang to act in such a way. She even claimed that His Majesty rarely visits Qingyun Palace, and I honestly can’t keep her there any longer. Your Majesty, please assign her a new residence.”

The Emperor hadn’t visited the harem for several days now. Clearly, he was thoroughly disgusted by the whole affair.

The Empress was still fuming. Hearing Consort Ru’s words, she immediately agreed, “How could someone be so shameless? It doesn’t look like she just made a drunken mistake—more like she’s lost her mind. Have the imperial physicians examine her. For now, move her out of Qingyun Palace and find a quiet place for her to recover.”

When Beauty Wang was removed from Qingyun Palace, she was utterly stunned. She cried out to the people outside, “I’m not insane! I’m not!”

But by then, who would bother sending that message on her behalf?