Li Zhaoting was stunned for a moment, seeing her look at him with half guilt and half mischief. His heart relaxed, but he still put on a stern face and said, “What do you think?”

“How about I let you hit me a few times?” Suzhen walked over, blinking her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Li Zhaoting’s anger had long since dissipated. He let out a low hum and couldn’t help but laugh. How long had it been since the two of them interacted like this? That slap was actually worth it.

This thought flashed through his mind, and his heart immediately sank. What was wrong with him…

“If you’re not angry, could you let my brother come along?” Suzhen asked again with a grin.

Li Zhaoting lightly tapped her head, “I knew it, you must have a favor to ask.”

“Alright.” He nodded. Actually, he didn’t want Wuqing to come along—this was a good opportunity for them to be alone together. But it was rare for her to soften, and he had no way to refuse. Moreover, he planned to promote Wuqing in the future, to consolidate power for both himself and her, so he agreed.

Suzhen bowed formally, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s gracious favor.”

Li Zhaoting’s heart stirred. He reached out to embrace her and whispered in her ear, “You can’t do this again next time.”

Suzhen hummed in response, thinking to herself: there will be a next time? Aloud, she only said, “Lian Yu just died, and I always feel… I hope you understand.”

Li Zhaoting recalled Si Lanfeng’s words—how she had personally dug up Lian Yu’s corpse, inconsolably grief-stricken. His heart filled with angry pain, but they still had time. Lian Yu was dead and could never compete with him again. One day, her heart would completely return to him… This thought filled him with brooding anger, but he still softly hummed in acknowledgment.

Remembering the matter of changing routes, he was about to speak when he heard her say somewhat awkwardly, “I have something else to tell you.”

“What?” Since she had resolved the matter of Lian Yu, her mood seemed quite good. Infected by her spirits, he couldn’t help but ask first, “Speak, I’ll handle it for you.”

She broke free from his arms. Li Zhaoting was startled and frowned slightly, “What’s wrong?”

“I killed that Ji’er girl.” She looked at him as she spoke.

“Then,” she shrugged, “I had someone chop off her fingers and sent them separately to your two beloved wives—the Empress and Noble Consort Wei. They both schemed against me.”

“You can scold me or punish me if you want.”

As she spoke, she touched the残finger on her own hand.

She spoke matter-of-factly, and Li Zhaoting felt not the slightest displeasure. He actually thought this suited her style—much more straightforward than the open schemes and conspiracies between women. But her finger… seeing it made his heart clench with pain. That finger was severed for Lian Yu!

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived,” came a voice from outside. He frowned, and Suzhen laughed, “Oh no, she’s definitely here to complain. It wouldn’t be good for your darling to see me here. I’ll go inside and hide.”

As she spoke, she ran to the front of the room in a few steps and pushed the door open to go inside.

Li Zhaoting wanted to tell her there was no need for such behavior, but didn’t have time.

“Summon her,” he said in a slightly deep voice to those outside.

Shortly after, Liang Song brought A Luo and Mei’er inside. The two paid their respects to Li Zhaoting, who said indifferently, “Is there something you need from me?”

A Luo saw his still distant attitude and her heart sank. But remembering that he hadn’t spent the night in anyone’s palace that day, she didn’t quarrel with him. Instead, she took a step back and said, “I personally made some soup. Please try it.”

She took the food basket from Mei’er’s hands and pushed the door to enter the hall. Li Zhaoting, remembering that Suzhen was inside, frowned slightly and followed her in.

Mei’er wanted to help, but A Luo didn’t let her, personally ladling and serving the soup. Li Zhaoting remained composed, circled the room once, then took the bowl she handed him, took a sip, and said, “I’ve tasted the soup. If you have nothing else, you may return. I’ve just finished court and still have many state affairs to handle.”

Seeing him set down the soup bowl after just one sip, A Luo could no longer contain herself and immediately reddened her eyes.

“I did punish her, but you know me—I wouldn’t truly harm her without cause. When she came to compete when I was with Lian Yu, and now when I’m with you, she still interferes. Wasn’t it appropriate for me to assign her some rough work in the laundry?”

In her indignation, she still spoke carefully, not revealing anything she shouldn’t.

Is that really all? Li Zhaoting thought with cold amusement, but didn’t argue with her. He only wanted her to leave quickly, so he stepped forward to pat her shoulder, “Let bygones be bygones. In the future, I hope you’ll get along well with her. She wasn’t competing with you. Even during Lian Yu’s time, it was Lian Yu’s fault. Alright, don’t cry. I’ll come see you later.”

“You’re a learned and reasonable person, and you should know that state affairs cannot be neglected. Go on.”

A Luo saw how he defended Suzhen in his words and felt extreme hatred, but he was being much more gentle and pleasant with her than before. Thinking that he responded to softness rather than hardness, and that now wasn’t the time for confrontation—gradually making him feel sorry for her again would be the better strategy—she slowly leaned into his embrace.

Suddenly, he trembled slightly. Thinking he was also moved, her heart felt somewhat more comfortable. Li Zhaoting looked at the bed curtains ahead, his brow twitching, but didn’t reach out to support her.

Seeing the two seemed to have reconciled, Mei’er seized the opportunity and said with a choked voice, “Your Majesty, our mistress doesn’t want to avoid getting along with that person. These past two days, thinking it over, knowing Your Majesty has lingering feelings for her, she was willing to swallow her grievances and make peace with her. But who knew she would send our mistress this thing!”

She presented a brocade box she had been clutching tightly to Li Zhaoting.

“Enough, stop talking!” A Luo scolded in a low voice.

Li Zhaoting didn’t take her “gesture.” Having heard Suzhen mention it before, he knew what was inside and immediately said, “Is it a severed finger?”

Mei’er was stunned, “Your Majesty knows?”

In Li Zhaoting’s arms, A Luo was also startled. Li Zhaoting smoothly released A Luo and pointed at the brocade box, “Noble Consort Wei also received such a box. She reported it to me.”

“So Noble Consort Wei also received one. Please, Your Majesty must seek justice for our mistress. Concubine Shu is truly going too far. You didn’t see how frightened our mistress was today, her face pale and heart palpitating…”

“How do you know it was Concubine Shu’s doing?” Li Zhaoting quickly interrupted her.

Mei’er paused, and A Luo smiled bitterly, “One can guess. This is a woman’s finger. Wasn’t that Ji’er girl captured by you? She must have been taken by her later, right? This thing was taken from Ji’er’s body. Otherwise, who else would send such a thing to your concubine? Your Majesty absolutely cannot do such a thing.”

But Li Zhaoting smiled, “The Empress seems to have misunderstood. This Ji’er is still in my custody. How could there be talk of her being taken by anyone?”

“I did use torture on her, but there was no finger severing. If the Empress doesn’t believe it and isn’t afraid of blood and gore, I can have Lanfeng take you to the prison to see for yourself.”

For a moment, A Luo couldn’t tell whether this was Li Zhaoting covering for Suzhen or if things were truly as he said. If it was the former, the thought made her shudder—he was actually indulging her to such an extent?!

But if it was the latter, if it wasn’t that person, then who could it be?

At this moment, Li Zhaoting said again, “Since this matter frightened you, I will certainly send someone to investigate thoroughly. Let’s see who has the audacity of a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall. If I find out who it is, they will be severely punished.”

A Luo didn’t know how to respond for a moment. In her hesitation, Li Zhaoting walked to the doorway and ordered, “Lanfeng, come in.”

Si Lanfeng immediately came over, “What are Your Majesty’s orders?”

Li Zhaoting briefly explained the matter of the brocade box. Si Lanfeng, reading the situation, immediately understood and replied, “This subordinate understands and will handle it immediately.”

Li Zhaoting nodded and said to Liang Song outside the door, “Escort the Empress back to her palace. Have the imperial physician go there as well to examine her and prescribe medicine to calm her nerves and settle her qi. Understand?”

“Yes, this slave will certainly serve well,” the old eunuch respectfully agreed and went to support A Luo.

Seeing Li Zhaoting walk to the desk and sit down, looking as if he was about to get busy, A Luo frowned slightly and had no choice but to leave first with Mei’er.

Walking to the doorway, she couldn’t help but look back, only to see Li Zhaoting get up and slowly close the room door. Though his actions were courteous and proper, she felt inexplicably blocked and uncomfortable in her heart, as if there was a chasm between them, separating them.

Inside the hall, Li Zhaoting walked to the bed curtains and smiled, “Come out.”

Suzhen poked her head out from within the wide curtains, “I’ve dirtied your bed.”

“You did it on purpose.” Seeing her gloating expression, Li Zhaoting was both annoyed and amused, reaching out to flick her forehead.

Suzhen thought to herself that she hadn’t done it intentionally. She remembered once hiding behind Lian Yu’s bed curtains like this. If there hadn’t been nowhere else to hide here, and since she was about to leave the palace and wanted to teach A Luo a lesson but really didn’t want to face her again to avoid complications, she wouldn’t have hidden here either.

Seeing her suddenly fall silent, Li Zhaoting didn’t know what she was thinking. Assuming she minded his earlier interaction with A Luo, he lifted her down and said, “You can’t be ungrateful. I helped you just now and didn’t do anything to A Luo.”

Suzhen actually laughed, “Even if you had taken her to bed right then and there, it would have been proper. She’s your empress. I would have just watched it as live palace entertainment.”

Hearing this, Li Zhaoting didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. Looking at her, he gritted his teeth slightly. After a moment, a slight smile appeared at the corner of his lips, “I don’t want to sleep with her. If I’m going to sleep with anyone, it would be you. I still remember what I want to collect from you on the sixteenth.”

His eyes emanated dangerous energy. Though he was smiling, it wasn’t entirely a joke.

Suzhen’s original meaning was that he didn’t need to treat A Luo any particular way for her sake, but with him saying this, and remembering his attitude toward A Luo just now, she didn’t dare say more. This kind of Li Zhaoting made her feel somewhat… afraid.

[Author’s note about health issues and update schedule]