In the emperor’s heart, the empress was his goddess, the cinnabar mole on his heart. He had already cherished her to his very bones, and what he couldn’t bear to see most was her feeling wronged.
Although the emperor was wary of Imperial Uncle Cao in his heart and was also dissatisfied with some of Imperial Uncle Cao’s actions, that had nothing to do with his beloved empress.
“My darling, don’t be sad anymore. My heart aches for you.” The emperor held the empress and gently rocked her, coaxing her like a child: “I disciplined Wang Yuxian because he himself was no good, it has nothing to do with Imperial Uncle. How dare Consort Shu and Consort Xiang mock you over this matter? Interfering in court politics—do those two not want their lives?”
“Your Majesty.” The empress leaned softly against the emperor’s shoulder. “Since entering the palace, this subject-consort has monopolized Your Majesty’s favor, so naturally they feel sour about it. This subject-consort can understand in her heart. It’s just that Your Majesty is in the prime of life, while this subject-consort has gradually become like yesterday’s yellow flowers. This subject-consort truly fears that one day, when Your Majesty encounters new love, you won’t want this subject-consort anymore.”
As the empress spoke, tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto the emperor’s dragon robes and staining several wet spots.
The emperor’s large hand gripped the empress’s slender waist while his other hand gently stroked her long hair. “How could that be? I am the one who has truly aged, while you are still so young and radiant, just like when I first saw you.”
But the empress shook her head, placing both hands on the emperor’s shoulders and straightening to gaze at him affectionately.
“How can Your Majesty say such things? You are the True Dragon Son of Heaven, blessed with ten thousand fortunes and ten thousand years of life. Moreover, you’re not old at all. After using the immortality pills that Tianji Zi presented, you’ve become even more vigorous like a dragon and fierce like a tiger. This subject-consort even…”
Blushing and lowering her head, the empress’s shy appearance and affirming words made the emperor feel as if he were floating. He indeed felt that after taking the immortality pills, he had become even more virile and was confident he could absolutely live to a hundred years old.
The empress hesitated, then said: “Your Majesty, this subject-consort is not like you, a True Dragon Son of Heaven protected by purple qi. This subject-consort has already aged. Look, Your Majesty, at the corners of this subject-consort’s eyes.”
The empress gently touched her smooth, delicate face, then continued: “Your Majesty, this subject-consort knows of a formula for preserving youth. Tianji Zi told this subject-consort about it some days ago, but the medicinal catalyst is somewhat hard to obtain.”
Seeing that the empress finally stopped dwelling on his disciplining of Wang Yuxian, the emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was happy that she had shifted the topic and pressed further: “Yurou, what medicinal catalyst are you talking about? I am wealthy beyond the four seas, this entire realm is mine. As long as it exists in the mortal world, as long as you want it, I will obtain it for you.”
The empress blushed and said coquettishly: “Tianji Zi said that the medicinal catalyst this subject-consort needs to take, while difficult to obtain, is actually not that difficult. We have it right here in the capital, but I fear it might be somewhat troublesome to actually use.”
“Tell me about it, and I’ll resolve it for you.” The emperor greatly enjoyed the empress’s tender appearance when she acted coquettish and asked him for things—it greatly satisfied his sense of achievement.
The empress’s voice became even softer: “Your Majesty, Tianji Zi said that this subject-consort needs the exquisite heart, beautiful bones, and fragrant flesh of a yin-natured beauty born in the year of Ji-Mao, month of Wu-Chen, and day of Ding-You, ground into paste as a medicinal catalyst.”
“Oh?” The emperor was somewhat surprised, not expecting this medicinal catalyst to require the use of a living person.
However, after thinking about it briefly, he smiled: “This isn’t difficult to handle either. I’ll immediately issue proclamations far and wide to search for someone born on this date. A yin-natured beauty? So it must be a beautiful woman?”
Seeing the emperor agree readily, the empress felt hopeful and anxiously tugged at his sleeve: “Actually, Tianji Zi has already calculated who this person is. It’s just that this subject-consort fears Your Majesty might find it difficult and doesn’t dare to say.”
The emperor laughed heartily: “You little clever one, speak up. No matter who it is, I’ll capture this person to serve as your medicinal catalyst for preserving youth.”
“Then this subject-consort will speak, but Your Majesty mustn’t get angry or misunderstand this subject-consort.”
“What, is this someone I actually know?”
“Yes.” The empress nodded and said: “This person is none other than the legitimate daughter of Marquis Anping, the Qin family’s daughter. She was indeed born in the year of Ji-Mao, month of Wu-Chen, and day of Ding-You. The fifth day of the sixth month is her birthday. If Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, you can have someone calculate it again.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor fell silent for a moment before finally saying:
“Qin Meng only has this one daughter. Having him offer up his daughter as a medicinal catalyst probably isn’t quite appropriate.”
The emperor naturally still remembered how Sun Yu had refused to offer his brain matter in Duke Dingguo’s manor and had killed himself by striking his head. Thinking of similar incidents made his heart somewhat resistant.
But the empress furrowed her brow in grievance: “What is Your Majesty saying? This entire realm belongs to you, and all people under heaven also belong to you. No matter how Qin Meng may be, he is still your subject. Isn’t there a saying, ‘When the ruler demands a subject’s death, the subject cannot refuse to die’? Your Majesty isn’t even asking him to die, just asking for his daughter. If he doesn’t offer her up, that would truly show rebellious intentions.”
These words were extremely skillful, each sentence striking at the untouchable vital points in the emperor’s heart. The emperor, occupying a high position, cared first about his own unshakeable, god-like status, and second about his subjects’ loyalty.
And wasn’t the current existence of the Azure Sky Alliance precisely because of the rebellion triggered when he demanded the lives of people from Duke Dingguo’s manor?
He had wanted Sun Yu to sacrifice himself for the country, but Sun Yu dared to kill himself by striking his head.
He had wanted the lives of the Sun family’s men to appease Great Zhou’s anger, but the surviving women of the Sun family dared to create some Azure Sky Alliance to rebel and even dared to assassinate him.
He was the ruler of a nation, master of all people—couldn’t he even make decisions about such small matters?
Moreover, although the Sun family’s Zhaoyun Company was now in Qin family’s daughter’s hands, and although Cao Yuqing had investigated and could confirm that Qin family’s daughter was unrelated to the Azure Sky Alliance, she was still the granddaughter of the Azure Sky Alliance’s leader.
Qin Meng was indeed wholehearted in his loyalty and indeed only had this one bloodline.
But so what?
His imperial authority absolutely could not tolerate any violation or contempt from anyone!
Seeing the emperor’s expression alternating between dark and light, the empress, with her years of understanding of him, could already guess the general situation.
She embraced the emperor’s neck and used her tender body to rub against the emperor: “Your Majesty, don’t you hope for this subject-consort to remain forever young, to always accompany Your Majesty like this and serve Your Majesty? Doesn’t Your Majesty like this subject-consort?”
The empress’s rubbing successfully drew the emperor’s attention, immediately arousing his desires.
Tianji Zi’s immortality pills could make him vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger until a hundred years old. If the empress grew old and lost her beauty early, where would the joy be in his life?
Moreover, his little darling was just asking for a medicinal catalyst to preserve her youth—it wasn’t an excessive request.
Thinking of this, the emperor smiled and said: “Fine, I’ll do as you wish. Who told me to cherish you so much? I’ll find a way to bring her here later.”
Hearing this, the empress beamed with joy and kissed the emperor: “This subject-consort thanks Your Majesty for your love.”
The emperor’s large hand roamed over her body: “If you want to thank me, what will you use to thank me?”
“Your Majesty.” Her tender voice was soul-stirring.
The emperor swept all the memorial documents from the desk onto the floor and pressed the empress down upon it…
At this moment, the guards and eunuchs standing before the imperial study all felt embarrassed. Among them was a young eunuch who blushed and quietly moved several steps away, as if unable to bear the heart-racing sounds from within.
Seeing his little disciple being so inexperienced, the head eunuch couldn’t help but laugh: “Little Yuzi, what’s wrong with you? Why are you twisting around like that? Did you get maggots on you?”
Little Yuzi’s face turned red: “Master, I, I, I need to relieve myself.”
“You little monkey, you can’t handle even this? Let me tell you, there will be plenty for you to witness in the future. If you need to relieve yourself, go quickly. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”
Little Yuzi scratched the back of his head and hurriedly ran off like a wisp of smoke, causing the guards and several eunuchs to laugh.
Little Yuzi ran quickly to relieve himself, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he hurriedly avoided people and wrote a note, using the old method to send it into the Eastern Palace.
Yuchi Yan received the note from a young eunuch while having his midday meal. With just one look, he turned pale with shock and nearly knocked over the porridge bowl in front of him.
He was first shocked, then angry, trembling with rage as he murmured: “Demon empress, demon empress! She absolutely deserves to die!”
The Marquis Anping’s manor had been in celebration these past two days.
Imperial Uncle Cao’s disciple had been disciplined and stripped of his position as Minister of Personnel, and Imperial Uncle Cao had also been publicly rebuked by the emperor for incompetent handling of affairs.
Conversely, Qin Huaiyuan, who had successfully facilitated the peace negotiations and impeached Imperial Uncle Cao, was a meritorious official who received great rewards.
These days, rewards had continuously been sent to the manor, from gold, silver, and jade artifacts to snacks that the emperor found tasty—they never forgot to send a portion to the Qin family.
This kind of honor was truly something many families couldn’t cultivate in several lifetimes.
The Old Dowager was so happy these days that she couldn’t stop smiling, feeling that her eldest son had truly brought great honor to her.
The Cao family’s downfall made her less enthusiastic toward Cao Yuqing, but Qin Yining, who could catch Prince Zhongshun’s eye, gained the Old Dowager’s attention, and even Sun Shi’s status rose with the tide.
Now throughout the capital, who didn’t know that Prince Zhongshun was willing to spend lavishly for Fourth Miss Qin of the Qin family, rescuing her from execution grounds and giving her mansions?
Even when encountering Tatar assassins during their farewell, he didn’t forget to take Fourth Miss Qin onto his horse to protect her as they escaped together.
The ladies from the eight great families who had seen Pang Xiao up close at Ning Garden had truly witnessed Pang Xiao’s bearing firsthand. When chatting privately with their close friends, they would mention it once or twice. With this spreading from one to ten and ten to a hundred, who in the upper circles wouldn’t know about Pang Xiao’s extraordinary handsomeness?
With Great Zhou and Great Yan making peace, they had become allied nations, and allies could naturally intermarry openly and grandly.
Such a magnificent man, also a hero with illustrious military achievements, holding the military seal commanding one hundred thousand Huben troops—he was truly awe-inspiring in his region. Such a great hero was naturally what boudoir ladies yearned for, and hearing that such an iron-blooded man was actually devoted to one woman made such devotion even more enviable and admirable.
Qin Yining became the object of envy for all Great Yan noble ladies, and simultaneously became a bridge for the Old Dowager to curry favor with Prince Zhongshun.
Even if they couldn’t curry favor successfully, if Qin Yining went to Prince Zhongshun’s manor in the future as a secondary consort or concubine, it would still be of great help to the Qin family.
Therefore, these past two days, Qin Yining had been kept by the Old Dowager’s side for constant companionship.
When she saw Qiu Lu seeking her at the Filial Garden, Qin Yining took the opportunity to say she needed to change clothes and called Qiu Lu to speak in the corridor.
“Why are you here at this time? Is there some matter?”
Qiu Lu nodded: “Just now, Manager Zhong had someone come to deliver a message, saying that a distinguished personage has arrived at his manor, stating that there are words that must be spoken with Miss face to face, requesting that you absolutely must come immediately.”