Xiao Ziyu continued crying, sorrowful and heartbroken: “Brother, please don’t kill him, alright? You clearly know that I love him… I love him so, so much…”

She cried with such heartbreak, as if she wanted to cry out her very heart. Xiao Ziheng felt distressed watching her, which made him even more irritated. He coldly shouted: “You love him, but does he love you? Xiao Ziyu, wake up! How long do you plan to continue deceiving yourself like this? Qi Jingchen doesn’t love you at all! He has never even regarded you as a woman!”

These words were so direct and cruel, like a dagger thrust straight into Xiao Ziyu’s heart, making her even more agonized. She suddenly raised her head to stare at her brother and loudly replied: “Impossible! I’ve grown up with him since childhood. He’s always been good to me—he must like me!”

At this point she paused, many scenes flashing before her eyes of him avoiding her intimate gestures in the past. She seemed to waver somewhat, then lowered her voice and stubbornly continued: “…Even if he doesn’t like me that much now, water can wear through stone and a rope can cut through wood. His heart isn’t made of iron or stone. As long as I persist, as long as I keep persisting, surely…”

This time she was coldly interrupted by her brother before she could finish.

Xiao Ziheng was both pained and furious, so angry his eyes seemed to breathe fire. He completely lost his temper and scolded: “Xiao Ziyu, you are a princess! Not some cat or dog by the roadside wagging its tail and begging for pity. Just how much do you want to debase yourself before you’re satisfied!”

Xiao Ziyu was already sobbing uncontrollably and didn’t respond for a long time.

The new emperor seemed extremely weary and also remained silent for a long while. Only then did he sigh heavily, looking at his imperial sister who was crying so pitifully with a hint of reluctant compassion in his expression. He softened his tone and said to her: “Qi Jingchen is not the only man in this world. I promise to choose a good husband for you—someone who will wholeheartedly love and cherish you. He…”

Before the new emperor could finish his persuasive words, the Sixth Princess, who had been weeping sorrowfully, suddenly interrupted him with a sharp, high-pitched “Never!” Then she said resolutely: “I don’t want anyone else—I only want Brother Jingchen! If Your Majesty wants to kill him, then kill me along with him! Just remember that if he dies, it will be you who personally forced me to death!”

Such unreasonable and willful absurd words gave the new emperor a terrible headache. But before he could lose his temper, his lovesick imperial sister ran away crying first. She was still quite disheveled when passing the palace attendants, and Su Ping quickly ordered all the palace servants to lower their heads and not look.

At the same time, Su Ping himself didn’t dare to look at what expression that moody new emperor wore at that moment.

Because of the Sixth Princess’s tantrum, the new emperor’s mood naturally became very bad that night. He actually walked two complete circles around the imperial garden before barely calming his anger, then returned to his sleeping quarters to rest.

Outside the Taiping Hall, Empress Fu was personally holding a soup bowl and waiting there, apparently having waited for quite some time.

While Su Ping bowed and greeted Her Majesty, he heard His Majesty ask in a somewhat impatient tone: “It’s so late at night—why has the Empress come?”

This wasn’t really His Majesty’s fault for being in a bad mood. The Empress’s timing was unfortunate, arriving just when His Majesty was physically tired and mentally vexed—she was likely to receive a cold reception.

However, Empress Fu had always been gentle and understanding. Even when encountering His Majesty in a bad temper, she could always greet him with a smile. She now replied: “This consort originally thought that Your Majesty would inevitably drink more at tonight’s banquet and might have a headache tomorrow, so I prepared this sobering soup. If Your Majesty doesn’t wish to drink it, then this consort will withdraw.”

As she spoke, the Empress bowed to the new emperor, truly appearing as if she planned to leave.

“Wait,” His Majesty stopped her, his tone also becoming gentler. “Since the Empress has come, stay here tonight.”

With that, he strode into Taiping Hall.

Su Ping, who was attending nearby, vaguely saw the Empress smile, then follow His Majesty into the sleeping quarters one after the other. He couldn’t help but secretly sigh: This lady… truly understands His Majesty.

Taiping Hall remained as magnificently decorated with carved beams and painted rafters as when the late emperor was alive, with only one difference—there was no longer any medicinal smell or aura of death in the palace chambers, making it seem inexplicably brighter.

The new emperor drank the sobering soup personally prepared by the Empress and leaned back against the dragon bed with his eyes closed, seeming to have fallen asleep, yet perhaps not.

His empress nestled in his embrace, beautiful and gentle.

Setting aside everything else, Fu Rong was naturally very beautiful. Though she didn’t have the stunning beauty that amazed people at first sight like Shen Xiling, she had another kind of gentle beauty. Now that she was with child, she had become more voluptuous, increasingly displaying the charm of a mature woman that stirred men’s hearts.

She leaned against Xiao Ziheng’s embrace, her slender white hands lightly tracing across his chest as if present yet absent, her voice very soft, breath like orchids: “Your Majesty…”

Xiao Ziheng didn’t respond, as if he had already fallen asleep.

Fu Rong didn’t mind whether he answered now or not—after all, she knew he was actually listening.

She propped herself up to sit up, kissed the man’s cheek, and whispered in his ear: “This consort knows Your Majesty works hard. It’s lonely at the top—it has always been so. But Your Majesty should know that this consort will always be here…”

“This consort will never trouble Your Majesty’s heart…”

These words seemed like the most ordinary sweet talk that any palace concubine might whisper beside the monarch, but only when Fu Rong said them would Xiao Ziheng sense the deeper meaning.

This woman was truly very clever—she had already keenly discovered something.

For instance… his attitude toward the imperial relatives.

Tonight’s feast with the Han family had not pleased him.

Although the Han family shared blood ties with him, they were still fundamentally an aristocratic family. Precisely because they had the status of imperial relatives, they were even more terrifying than the Qi family, not to mention they also held military power. He wanted to destroy the Qi family, but that didn’t mean he wanted to elevate other families. He wanted all power to remain firmly in his own hands—only this way could give him peace of mind.

The Han family…

The current Han family head Han Shousong was indeed a rule-abiding person who showed no signs of overstepping bounds. But Han Shouye’s behavior of striking cups and singing tonight had displeased him, and the Empress Dowager’s indulgence made him even more uncomfortable. He felt despised and offended, while also sensing danger.

This empress of his was extremely intelligent and immediately perceived his thoughts. Those words just now were expressing the Fu family’s position to him: they were willing to continue being his blade while promising never to betray their master.

How interesting.

Xiao Ziheng smiled and slowly opened his eyes.

Those peach blossom eyes had seemed romantic and carefree in his youth but now appeared more gracious and luxurious. He had inherited the imperial throne and become the most noble man in Jiangzuo, and power was the world’s finest aphrodisiac, making him even more enchanting.

Fu Rong, being gazed upon by those familiar eyes, felt her body soften for a moment.

Tsk, how wonderful.

The new emperor raised his noble hand and gently pinched Fu Rong’s chin, lifting her face to study it. His smile was profound as he murmured in her ear: “Rong’er, perhaps only you in this world will never disappoint me…”

The Son of Heaven’s praise was the greatest reward for a subject. Fu Rong felt her heart filled completely, experiencing incomparable satisfaction and joy. She looked at him intoxicated, as if drunk, her pregnant body sensitive and easily aroused, so she quickly became lost in the tide of passion the Son of Heaven deliberately bestowed.

They were so contradictory—seeming extremely distant and polite, yet also incomparably intimate and close.

Fu Rong sighed intoxicatedly under Xiao Ziheng’s caresses.

Never mind, let it be like this for now… She would surely obtain more and more things after she personally severed that person’s head for him.

At that time, no matter how noble the dragon bed, she would be the only guest here.

Six days later was Old Madam Qi’s first seven-day memorial.

With Old Madam Qi’s prestigious status, funeral rites naturally had to be properly conducted. Since she had been Buddhist in life, the burning of seven was unavoidable.

The so-called burning of seven refers to performing Buddhist ceremonies every seven days after death, setting up vegetarian offerings to commemorate the deceased, continuing in sequence until the forty-ninth day (seven times seven), which could cultivate merit for the departed. Folk belief held this could deliver the soul from suffering and prevent it from entering hell. The first seven was the most solemn, with spirit tablets erected, wooden memorial tablets offered, incense burned and kowtows performed, paper money and gilt paper burned, and monks and Taoists invited to chant scriptures and perform penitential rites.

In the past when the Qi family held celebrations or funerals, their main residence’s threshold would surely be worn down by visitors. But now with their fortune uncertain, and regardless of how one looked at it, disaster seemed more likely than good fortune, naturally their gates could catch sparrows—no longer like the old days when distinguished guests filled their doors.

Although the Qi family was much quieter, the major matter remained undecided. To prevent them from rising again, various families were unwilling to offend them completely. So while the family heads didn’t come personally, they still sent branch family members to pay respects. Thus Old Madam’s first seven wasn’t too desolate, with some coming and going to maintain a bit of liveliness.

Among the visitors, three in particular deserve mention.

First was Young Master Han Feichi of the Han family.

Every court official knew that General Han and the Chancellor didn’t get along—the two had formed a grudge years ago over the Shicheng campaign. Now that the Qi family had lost power, the General’s joy and satisfaction were displayed almost openly on his face, as if he couldn’t be bothered to hide it. Although the Han family head wasn’t Han Shouye, the General was after all the person with the greatest power in the Han family, and his position most influenced the clan. The Han family’s children and grandchildren had all distanced themselves from the Qi family because of him, yet only this young master was different—not only did he come openly to pay respects, but he also knelt beside the spirit hall together with the Qi family members who wore hemp mourning clothes and mourning caps, staying right next to Young Master Qi while also comforting his sister Han Ruohui, who had cried herself into a tearful mess.

Second was Sixth Princess Xiao Ziyu.

With the Qi family’s fall from power, their marriage had naturally become uncertain. According to the officials’ speculation, the new emperor probably no longer wanted his sister to marry Young Master Qi. But this princess was extremely devoted, displaying a stubborn appearance of never abandoning her fiancé through life and death. She had come from the palace to the Qi family to pay respects in full public view, staring straight at Young Master Qi with tear-filled eyes—truly a contemporary model of avoiding no suspicion.

Third was Xu Zhengning, who had recently returned south from Northern Wei.

This gentleman’s current position was quite delicate. By rights, his infiltration of the northern territories this time had been a great achievement, especially having sacrificed a leg for the great cause, making his service even more meritorious. He should have been promoted and ennobled, appreciated by the new emperor, and risen to become a new court favorite. But this gentleman had always been close to Young Master Qi, showing a respectful and obedient attitude toward him. Now that the Qi family had lost power, he didn’t avoid them but still came personally to pay respects despite his unhealed severe injuries. This was tantamount to digging his own grave, making all his previous achievements come to nothing.

After the spectators finished watching the excitement and maintained their families’ dignity by fulfilling righteousness, they naturally wanted to quickly withdraw successfully. Otherwise, if they stayed too long, they might inevitably be suspected of being Qi family partisans, which would be quite unfortunate.

Author’s Note: “Wait.”