Chapter 22 – Xuanyuan Ling Feels Frustrated

“Consort Yu is indeed a bit flamboyant in nature. I will reprimand her,” Xuanyuan Ling made no effort to refute the Empress Dowager’s words.

The Empress Dowager had much more to say, but now couldn’t get a single word out. “Since you know, then good. I’ll say it again—if the Empress has no legitimate son, she won’t be able to keep the rest of the harem in line. You, as the Emperor, should understand that clearly.”

“I understand.”

With that, the conversation between mother and son reached an impasse, and the Empress Dowager took her leave.

After she left, Xuanyuan Ling’s expression darkened completely. Outside, the Empress Dowager’s face was equally unpleasant.

“The Emperor truly no longer puts me in his eyes. Did you hear how perfunctorily he spoke to me just now? He couldn’t even say he’d visit the Empress today.”

The old maid beside her didn’t dare respond. Those words were not something she could reply to.

Xuanyuan Ling exhaled slowly, his face curled into a cold sneer. Breaking the rules, having “clear understanding”—these were words he’d heard all his life.

He had become the Emperor just as she had wished, yet she still interfered like this.

All to get the Empress a legitimate son?

So that child could carry her maternal bloodline?

Was he her son, or what?

His thoughts then turned to Consort Yu.

The Empress Dowager had come to him at least seven times out of ten because of Consort Yu’s unruly behavior. In the past, he had indulged her. Consort Yu was someone he had genuinely favored. She had been fruitful, giving birth to a pair of dragon-phoenix twins, which had made him happy. Now she was pregnant again. But before, there had been that business with Beauty Wang which implicated her, and now this scandal with Noble Lady Fang—used again as an excuse by the Empress Dowager.

It seemed he truly had spoiled Consort Yu too much. Now, he felt genuine displeasure toward her.

Consort Yu was too lacking in judgment.

“I don’t think Consort Yu is focusing properly on her pregnancy. Send someone to tell her she should stay quietly in her Zhongyu Palace and take care of herself.”

“Yes.”

With that single sentence, chaos erupted in Consort Yu’s palace. She had never expected this—she was pregnant! All she had done was punish a Noble Lady. Why was she being confined?

Though there was no official announcement of her being grounded, Zhao Hai had delivered the message that she should stay quietly in her palace. That was already saving face for her. But Consort Yu understood immediately—it meant the Emperor was angry and intended to restrict her movements.

As soon as the messenger left, Consort Yu smashed a teacup.

Wen Qiu, the maid beside her, was afraid she would harm the fetus. “Your Ladyship must not get angry. Be careful of the little prince in your belly.”

Consort Yu felt deeply stifled. “Hasn’t this palace always punished the concubines in the harem? Even when I didn’t give the Empress any face, the Emperor never said anything. But now? Now he grounds me over a Noble Lady? I’m still pregnant!”

She had only done one extreme thing in recent days—making Noble Lady Fang kneel. Naturally, she linked Xuanyuan Ling’s warning to behave with the kneeling punishment.

As she spoke, she began to feel aggrieved.

Consort Yu had always had a smooth and easy road. She had never suffered like this before.

“It must be that little wretch speaking ill of me in front of the Emperor!” Hatred flashed in her eyes. “Right now, I still have a child in my belly. Her cheap life isn’t worth as much as mine. When I give birth to this child—hmph!—there’s still a long road ahead.”

Wen Qiu sighed in relief. “That’s the right way to think, Your Ladyship. What matters most now is your health. That Noble Lady Fang isn’t worth as much as the little prince. Your Ladyship is the only one in the harem with such noble status and three children. Who else has your good fortune?”

Only then did Consort Yu feel a bit better.

The next day was the fifteenth. According to palace rules, on the first and fifteenth of every month, Xuanyuan Ling had to spend time in the Empress’s Fengyi Palace. Today was no exception. It was a sign of respect and status given by the Emperor to the Empress, and Xuanyuan Ling would never violate it.

As usual, he went to the Empress’s palace. The Empress received him with a smiling face.

Previously, because of the Beauty Wang affair, Xuanyuan Ling had avoided the harem for more than half a month. He didn’t go anywhere, and the Empress used the excuse of being busy to avoid seeing him. So his arrival today made her happy.

But Xuanyuan Ling wasn’t in the mood. After dinner, he read for a while and then told the Empress to rest. Shortly after, he went to bed. They didn’t even talk—he just slept.

That night was tormenting for the Empress—perhaps even more tormenting than when the Emperor didn’t come at all.

The next morning, the Empress got up to help Xuanyuan Ling dress and saw him off.

Once he left, the exhaustion on her face could no longer be hidden.

Jinzhi, one of her maids, felt sorry for her. “Your Ladyship, why don’t you try talking to His Majesty more? It might—”

“Can’t you see the Emperor doesn’t want to speak to me?” the Empress said, her breath heavy. “I must follow the rules. I am the Empress, not a concubine. I must be dignified and cannot try to seduce the Emperor. That is for the concubines to do—not me. Do you understand?”

Even the marital relationship had to follow rules. How good could it possibly get?

Xuanyuan Ling didn’t look pleased when he left the Empress’s palace either.

Zhao Hai was exhausted just watching. The Emperor never seemed to leave Fengyi Palace with a smile.

It was one thing for the Empress to displease the Emperor from time to time, but for their relationship to be so strained—it was a serious issue.

After staying overnight at the Empress’s, Xuanyuan Ling spent the next day handling state affairs. Near sunset, he headed to Consort Shun’s palace.

Consort Shun was stunned. After giving birth to the Eldest Prince, her health had deteriorated. Now, her condition was even worse. Her poor health and appearance explained her loss of favor.

She hardly saw Xuanyuan Ling all year. Yet today, the Emperor had come?

But based on the hour, she knew he hadn’t come to stay the night. She felt somewhat disappointed but pulled herself together—if he wasn’t staying, then he must’ve come to see the Eldest Prince.

Consort Shun greeted him properly. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Xuanyuan Ling gave her a glance. “Mm. Rise. I came to see Mingzhe.”

Consort Shun replied, “The Eldest Prince is studying harder than ever these days.” She smiled. “Right now, he’s working on homework from the Grand Tutor.”

Xuanyuan Ling nodded. “Mm.”

They went together to see the Eldest Prince. Sure enough, he was studying diligently. The little boy swayed his head as he recited, which was quite amusing.

Xuanyuan Ling’s lips curved slightly. This was his eldest son—his first child. When he was still a prince, he had few children in his household. Even now, as Emperor, there were only three children in the harem. Naturally, he valued his eldest son.

The child was reciting aloud when he suddenly coughed twice. Then he set down his book and turned to a maid beside him. “Nanny, I don’t want to study anymore.”

The nanny replied, “Your Ladyship said the Eldest Prince must finish the book today.”

“I want milk.”

“The Empress said you can’t have milk until you finish reading. Please continue.”

Consort Shun saw Xuanyuan Ling’s smile fade. She panicked but didn’t dare say anything in front of him. She followed him out, trying to hide her discomfort.

As soon as they stepped out of sight of the Eldest Prince, she knelt. “This concubine has failed in raising our son. I beg Your Majesty’s punishment.”

Xuanyuan Ling looked at her expressionlessly. “Call a physician to examine the Eldest Prince.”

Consort Shun was stunned.

Xuanyuan Ling noticed and his gaze grew colder.

Wanting one’s child to succeed was natural, but the child was coughing and she only worried that he had embarrassed her in front of the Emperor. Saying she had failed in parenting clearly showed she wasn’t even considering the boy’s health.

Even if she had claimed the prince was slacking because he was unwell, Xuanyuan Ling would have found that more acceptable.

He left Consort Shun’s palace looking even more displeased.

He had already been in a bad mood after visiting the Empress. He had hoped seeing his child might cheer him up. But now, he felt even worse.

Zhao Hai could barely breathe around him.

Then, unexpectedly, Xuanyuan Ling said from inside his palanquin, “To Zhaohua Palace.”

Zhao Hai felt even more anxious.

Lady Shen was clearly favored these days, but that kind of pampering—especially the painful kind—only worked when the Emperor was in a good mood. Today, the Emperor was clearly in a foul one.

Could Lady Shen handle it?

Before long, Xuanyuan Ling arrived at Zhaohua Palace.

Shen Qing was busy working on her embroidery.

All because Xuanyuan Ling had said something—if she didn’t improve, it would seem like she wasn’t serious about trying to please him. Shen Qing had always been serious about attracting favor. Fortunately, she loved learning new things. Embroidery was quite fun, even if it strained the eyes.

When she saw Xuanyuan Ling arrive, she paused. He didn’t look happy—his mood seemed off.

She pretended not to notice and greeted him with a bright smile. “Your Majesty, you’re here.”

Then, like offering a treasure, she held up her embroidery. “Look, Your Majesty. Have I improved?”

She looked genuinely delighted.

Xuanyuan Ling had been in a foul mood, but her bright smile was pleasant to look at. A beauty was always pleasing to the eye. Looking at her made him feel a bit better. As for the embroidery—well, it wasn’t great. But she looked so proud.

Rather than comment on the needlework, he gazed at her pretty face. “Your face healed?”

It looked fine now.

Shen Qing replied, “Yes, it’s better.” Then, hesitating slightly, she glanced at him cautiously.

Xuanyuan Ling was not in the mood for secrets. Her expression made him frown. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Shen Qing looked at him with wide eyes. “Then… may I really ask?”

She didn’t seem to notice how foul his mood was. She asked in a small voice, “A few days ago when I woke up, the side of my face that didn’t get bitten by mosquitoes had two finger marks on it…”

Xuanyuan Ling: “…”

He had completely forgotten about that.

Now she had brought it up again and reminded him of that impulsive prank. There was no room left to be angry—only awkwardness.

He could only pretend to be angry. “What, I can’t touch you?”

Shen Qing replied, “Of course you can, Your Majesty. I was just curious. I didn’t expect it to really be you.” As she spoke, she laughed.

She always smiled sweetly, and to Xuanyuan Ling, it looked like she was truly happy.

Looking at her laughing, he couldn’t even keep up his fake anger.

He’d felt embarrassed at the time, even leaving without saying a word. But this little troublemaker had brought it up again—worse yet, she seemed delighted by it.

She was happy that he had done such a thing to her?

Xuanyuan Ling watched her bright smile, and the corners of his mouth curled up too. “And if it was me?”

His tone was much gentler now.

Shen Qing said, “Then Your Majesty is wonderful.”

What kind of answer was that?

Xuanyuan Ling stared at her.

Shen Qing looked around at the servants and leaned closer to his ear, whispering, “Before I entered the palace, I once saw my father sleeping in his study. There was ink beside him, and I couldn’t resist—I drew two lines on his face.”

Her mischievous expression brought to mind the prankster she had been. Xuanyuan Ling imagined her father, a middle-aged man, with two lines drawn on his face, and couldn’t help but picture it vividly.

He said sternly, “Nonsense!”

But his eyes were filled with amusement.