Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 87
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
Wan Bi watched Emperor Ming Cheng’s eyes stare fixedly at the food in front of her. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
Hapless child. After going an entire day and night without food or drink, it would be a miracle if he didn’t drool at the sight of appetizing dishes. Acting as though she couldn’t see his craving, she continued to eat her own food and asked, “How is it that now, when you have troubles on your mind, you would rather seek out the Late Emperor than this bereaved one?” No matter how capable the Late Emperor had been, he was already dead—how could he possibly help?
Wan Bi worried that Emperor Ming Cheng was beginning to drift away from her. In the past, the Emperor would always tell her whatever was on his mind, but this time was different.
Emperor Ming Cheng sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion beside Wan Bi and sighed. “These matters were all caused by eunuchs. What could We possibly say to the Empress Dowager? Hasn’t the Empress Dowager also gotten together with that eunuch named Yao Xi… Sigh!”
Wan Bi did not like hearing that at all. She could understand the Emperor venting his anger on eunuchs in the heat of the moment, but how could her situation be compared to those imperial concubines whose illicit affairs defiled the palace? When the Late Emperor was still alive, she had behaved perfectly. Not to mention, her Xiao Yaozi was an entirely different sort of fake eunuch than those others.
With Wan Bi’s temper, she normally would have snapped right back. But looking at the Emperor’s haggard appearance and his bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, she felt nothing but heartache. Softening her tone, she said, “Your Majesty should be glad this was discovered in time. Besides, you haven’t favored many imperial concubines. It won’t be difficult to thoroughly investigate whether they are innocent. Leave the matters of the inner palace to this bereaved one; just focus on managing state affairs with peace of mind.”
“It isn’t just the imperial concubines. What saddens Us the most is that even the Empress failed to observe the wifely virtues,” Emperor Ming Cheng lamented. “We have ruled in vain as a sovereign, and as a man, We are an utter failure.”
Wan Bi set down her chopsticks and, her heart aching, reached out to grasp Emperor Ming Cheng’s hand. “The fault in this matter does not lie with Your Majesty.” This was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to hold his hand; in the past, whenever Emperor Ming Cheng tried to hold hers, she would always dodge away in disgust.
In low spirits, Emperor Ming Cheng squeezed Wan Bi’s small hand in return. Whenever he encountered trouble, Wan Bi was always the only one standing by his side. Even his Mother Consort still harbored intentions of using him, yet Wan Bi did not. She simply stood beside him without hesitation, weathering the storms together.
“It is also possible the Empress is being framed,” Wan Bi said. Although she felt Feng Xin did not look like the Emperor’s child, the sudden, wild spread of rumors about Empress Zhu at this precise juncture was undoubtedly suspicious. “Right after the incident with the fake eunuchs occurred in the palace, rumors surfaced in the streets claiming the Empress had an affair with a fake eunuch and gave birth to Feng Xin. Doesn’t Your Majesty think it’s too much of a coincidence?”
Emperor Ming Cheng smiled bitterly. “It is a coincidence. But what is even more of a coincidence is that a eunuch truly did go missing from the Empress’s palace.”
“Many people have gone missing in the palace. You can ask the Empress about this and see what she has to say. Even if the Empress truly did something to wrong Your Majesty, there is no need to ruin your own health over it. You are still young. In the future, you won’t lack for either women or heirs,” Wan Bi said, patting the Emperor’s shoulder.
“The Empress Dowager does not understand. The only woman We wish to spend Our life with would rather die than be touched by Us.” Emperor Ming Cheng glanced again at the food in front of Wan Bi, his stomach growling twice.
“Noble Lady Lan?” Wan Bi tried her hardest to suppress the urge to speak ill of Noble Lady Lan in front of the Emperor. No matter what, Noble Lady Lan was Yao Xi’s jiejie; she had to show some mercy with her words.
“En.” Emperor Ming Cheng nodded slightly.
Wan Bi couldn’t quite understand. “Why?” She had always assumed Noble Lady Lan was a little seductress bewitching the Emperor’s heart, so hearing this took her by surprise. Noble Lady Lan had exhausted every scheme to get out of the Cold Palace; why was she now unwilling to serve the Emperor in bed?
“She finds Us repulsive because We have touched other women.” Emperor Ming Cheng pointed at the food in front of Wan Bi. “We are hungry. Give Us some to eat.”
“This bereaved one did not bring extra chopsticks.” Seeing that Emperor Ming Cheng finally wanted to eat, Wan Bi was relieved and urged, “If you’re hungry, go out and eat! The meal has already been served.”
“It’s fine. Making do with a little will suffice; We still want to stay here a while longer.” Emperor Ming Cheng reached out, took the plate from in front of Wan Bi, snatched her chopsticks, and prepared to dig in. Wan Bi extended a hand to stop him, saying, “Those chopsticks have been used by this bereaved one. Wait a moment, this bereaved one will order someone to bring in a new pair.”
“We don’t mind.” Emperor Ming Cheng began to pick up food and eat.
Wan Bi, however, felt a bit uncomfortable. Although she treated Emperor Ming Cheng like a son, he was not her biological child after all. Having her stepson eat with the chopsticks she had just used still made her quite uneasy. But seeing the famished Emperor eating with such relish, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve, she handed it to him. “You don’t even have proper table manners. Hurry and wipe your mouth.”
“En.” Emperor Ming Cheng took the handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and said, “Thank you, Empress Dowager.” Everything Wan Bi had brought was food he loved. Although she claimed she had brought it for herself, he knew perfectly well that she had simply been afraid he would go hungry.
“It was actually Noble Lady Lan’s idea for this bereaved one to come to Qianqing Palace. She still cares about Your Majesty.” Seeing the Emperor’s suddenly smoothed brow, Wan Bi suddenly felt a sour ache in her heart. The Emperor and Noble Lady Lan were truly very much like her and the Late Emperor—one party’s feelings were entirely unrequited. And that kind of relationship rarely bore fruit.
“We know.” Emperor Ming Cheng recalled his first encounter with Noble Lady Lan in their youth, lowering his eyes and smiling sorrowfully. He didn’t blame Noble Lady Lan for finding him repulsive. She had been a highly ambitious and proud girl since childhood; how could she ever be willing to share a man with others? “Regarding the virginity mark incident, it was We who wronged the Empress Dowager.”
“Then let this bereaved one hear you say ‘Mother Empress’.” Wan Bi knelt on the meditation cushion, smiling as she watched Emperor Ming Cheng eat.
Emperor Ming Cheng looked up at Wan Bi’s expectant, endearing expression and softly called out to her, “Mother Empress.”
“This bereaved one didn’t hear clearly…” Wan Bi’s eyes unexpectedly welled with tears. She had hoped for this moment for a very long time, but hearing the Emperor suddenly address her like that left her somewhat at a loss.
“Silly wench.” Emperor Ming Cheng smiled, unwilling to call her that a second time no matter what.
“Qian’er.” Wan Bi reached out and smoothed the stray hairs on Emperor Ming Cheng’s forehead. Gazing deeply into his eyes, she asked, “You truly see this bereaved one as your Mother Empress, don’t you?”
“We truly consider the Empress Dowager as family.” Emperor Ming Cheng finished the last bite of food and wiped his mouth with Wan Bi’s handkerchief. “We have already dispatched people to investigate the assassins who infiltrated Longyi Palace. Rest assured, Empress Dowager, We will not spare anyone who dares harbor murderous intent toward you.” That included Lord State Uncle Zhu Xiangchang. The Empress Dowager had only suggested confiscating the Zhu family’s property, but he felt that was far from enough.
Wan Bi could see that the Emperor genuinely cared for her. It was as if everything she had done over the years for self-preservation had yielded an unexpected bonus—and that bonus was the Emperor’s sincerity. How strange. She treated people with hypocrisy far more often than sincerity, yet she always managed to reap genuine devotion. And if someone was true to her, she would set aside her pretense and exchange her heart for theirs.
Her Highness the Empress Dowager had gone to Huiling Hall, and Yao Shuanglan finally had a chance to speak with her brother.
Ying’er, Fu’er, and many of the other palace maids and eunuchs had not been allowed to follow into the dining hall to serve. At the moment, the only people inside were her, her brother, and Eunuch Tang—all their own people.
Yao Shuanglan stepped up beside Yao Xi and said in a low voice, “I will send you out of the palace tonight.” Her brother could have left the palace last time, but who could have foreseen assassins breaking into the Empress Dowager’s palace and delaying the matter? For the Dragon Boat Festival, the Empress Dowager was neither going to watch the dragon boat races nor insert willow branches1. Since the Empress Dowager was inseparable from her brother during the day, the only option was to secretly send him out at night.
Yao Xi hadn’t expected Noble Lady Lan to bring this up so suddenly. She stealthily pointed at Eunuch Tang, who was currently peering in the direction of Huiling Hall, and whispered back, “It’s not very convenient to talk here.” As if hearing something, Eunuch Tang suddenly walked out, leaving only her and Noble Lady Lan in the dining hall.
“If we don’t speak now, there won’t be another chance. A’xian, after you serve the Empress Dowager and she goes to sleep tonight, go to Longyi Palace!” Seeing Eunuch Tang voluntarily step out to give the siblings a chance to talk, Yao Shuanglan raised her voice slightly.
“…” Yao Xi didn’t want to leave the Empress Dowager, nor did she want to leave the palace. She would just be more careful not to cause trouble for the Yao family. “I can’t get away. Because… I have to serve in bed…” Yao Xi said hesitantly. It wasn’t that she couldn’t get away; she simply wanted an excuse to decline Noble Lady Lan’s kindness. She had been the one to beg Noble Lady Lan to send her out of the palace previously, but in just a short amount of time, she had changed her mind. Even if she really had to die, she wanted to die by the Empress Dowager’s side.
“Serve in bed?” Yao Shuanglan’s heart suddenly ached. Her brother acting as a male favorite beside the Empress Dowager must have subjected him to endless humiliation! “It’s all because your jiejie is useless. I have let you suffer.”
Yao Xi felt a little embarrassed. Being by the Empress Dowager’s side wasn’t a hardship at all, actually; she quite enjoyed the feeling of serving Her Highness.
“Your jiejie will definitely find a way to get you out,” Yao Shuanglan said, gazing at Yao Xi with unyielding determination.
Yao Xi gave an apologetic smile. Even if Noble Lady Lan tried to send her away, she wouldn’t go. She even wondered if she should just tell Noble Lady Lan that she wasn’t actually Yao Xian. But she still didn’t dare. Caught between Noble Lady Lan and the Empress Dowager, and still uncertain of the Empress Dowager’s true feelings for her, she dared not offend Noble Lady Lan. Furthermore, she had no idea how to even begin explaining Young Master Yao’s whereabouts. She could easily imagine how devastated Noble Lady Lan would be upon learning of her brother’s death, and she simply didn’t have the courage to tear open that wound herself.
Not long after she finished speaking with Noble Lady Lan, Her Highness the Empress Dowager returned carrying an empty plate.
As soon as Wan Bi entered the dining hall, she saw Yao Xi and Noble Lady Lan standing close together. The two only hurriedly put some distance between themselves when they saw her return. It seemed the sisters had spoken, though there was no telling if Noble Lady Lan had badmouthed her to Yao Xi.
“Xiao Yaozi. Return to the palace.” Wan Bi set down the empty plate and cast a complex look at Noble Lady Lan. Noble Lady Lan was unwilling to serve in bed? What on earth was the reason?
Yao Xi hurriedly stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager.
After returning from Qianqing Palace, Wan Bi ordered people to investigate Empress Zhu and finished organizing the Dragon Boat Festival gifts to be distributed to the imperial concubines of the various palaces. She also prepared a separate, lavish dowry for Longyi. She planned to tell Longyi that these were recently received festival gifts, all of which would be given to her for her dowry. With Longyi’s silly temperament, she would undoubtedly be deeply moved once again.
After staying busy until nightfall, Wan Bi finished bathing and slipped into the warm pavilion. Yao Xi was sitting at a small desk, transcribing the gift list for her.
Seeing Her Highness the Empress Dowager enter, Yao Xi quickly set down her brush, stood up, and bowed. “Your Highness.”
“Stop working,” Wan Bi said with a smile as she walked into the warm pavilion. “Serve in bed!”
“The day after tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival…” Yao Xi backed away warily. Sure enough, she had served too well, causing the inexperienced Empress Dowager to become addicted to that sort of thing. She really needed to hold back a little.
“There will still be time to write out the gift list tomorrow, won’t there?” Wan Bi smiled meaningfully.
0 Comments