The Empress Dowager was stunned, her expression growing even uglier: “Hasn’t the Prime Minister been attending the Emperor’s studies at Zichen Hall these past days? How could you not know what the Emperor has done?”
Hua Chun was truly innocent. She had merely slept and woken up to find the world turned upside down—no one had given her any recap, so how was she supposed to know?
“This child fell ill last night, and the Prime Minister was busy tending to me all night, only falling asleep this morning. Naturally he wouldn’t know what happened.” Yuwen Jie spoke up, his tone stiff: “If Mother wishes to blame someone, blame this child. Spare the innocent people around me.”
“Innocent?” The Empress Dowager slammed the armrest hard, her phoenix eyes blazing with fury: “I agreed to let the Prime Minister enter the palace to attend your studies precisely so he could properly assist the Emperor. Now the Emperor disregards propriety, opening Fenghe Palace, favoring male companions—can Hua Jinghua really be called innocent!”
One could tell the Empress Dowager was truly furious. Normally she was so gentle toward Hua Jinghua, but now she addressed him by name directly and even sought to charge him with wrongdoing. Hua Chun shrank her head slightly—this imperial family really was cold-blooded. Whatever happened, no matter how well they’d treated you before, you’d be punished just the same afterward.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was… favoring a male companion?
Once she registered the meaning of those words, Hua Chun sucked in a breath of cold air and looked up at the Emperor in disbelief.
No way. Hadn’t Yuwen Jie always hated men who loved men? He’d always sworn she was effeminate—so how had he suddenly turned around and started favoring a male companion himself?
Such a shame, really. Hua Chun’s expression turned mournful. Why did all the good-looking men like men? Though love was free and had nothing to do with gender, if Yuwen Jie swung that way, would He Chang’an have to follow him? If these two ended up living carefree lives together in the mortal world, what would become of her? Should she swing that way too, or just watch from close range?
Countless thoughts rushed through her mind in an instant, and her eyes filled with conflict and distress.
The moment Yuwen Jie caught that look, his anger flared—he wanted nothing more than to drag the man over and beat him soundly.
Whose fault was it that things had turned out this way? And now he dared look at him with such an expression! Where did he get the nerve?
And besides, who had even said he’d favored a male companion? He’d merely looked, zoned out for a while, and was planning to send the man out of the palace—he never expected the Empress Dowager would summon him and, without asking any questions, scold him thoroughly. Wasn’t the Emperor allowed to feel wronged too?
He’d simply acted on a whim; he’d never said he truly intended to open Fenghe Palace. When would this palace ever stop believing every rumor it heard?
Pausing, the Emperor took a deep breath and looked at the Empress Dowager: “Setting everything else aside, Eunuch Qin shouldn’t have received the caning. He was only following my orders, and not reporting to Mother beforehand was also my requirement.”
The Empress Dowager pressed her lips together: “As a close attendant, doing such a thing—whether or not it was the Emperor’s order—deserves punishment. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
The Emperor’s anger flared slightly, and seeing that another mother-son shouting match was about to erupt, Hua Chun hastily cupped her hands and spoke: “Empress Dowager, please hear this humble servant out.”
The two paused, turning in unison to look at the person kneeling below.
“Those around the Emperor naturally serve the Emperor loyally, obey the Emperor’s commands, and do what the Emperor wishes done. The Empress Dowager feels Eunuch Qin failed to stop the Emperor’s improper conduct and instead aided the wrongdoing, and so should be punished. However, this servant believes Eunuch Qin surely tried earnestly to dissuade the Emperor first, and only followed the order once persuasion failed. If that’s the case, punishing Eunuch Qin further would surely chill the hearts of everyone in the palace—being loyal to the Emperor yet punished by the Empress Dowager would also easily make people think the Emperor and Empress Dowager are at odds, and more exaggerated rumors would spread.”
“This servant doesn’t know exactly what happened, but Empress Dowager might also calm herself and listen to the Emperor’s own account. Hearsay always diverges from the truth, and since the Emperor is your own flesh and blood, Empress Dowager should trust him all the more.”
The Empress Dowager frowned, looked at Hua Jinghua for a moment, and her expression softened somewhat.
Hua Chun quickly continued: “The Emperor has always cherished the consorts of the harem and shown them great favor. As for the Emperor suddenly favoring a male companion, this servant doesn’t believe it. Didn’t he just recently name a Noble Consort? There must be some hidden reason behind this.”
Having vented her anger and dealt her blow, upon hearing the Prime Minister’s words the Empress Dowager gradually calmed down, and taking the opening, she looked at the Emperor: “Then why doesn’t the Emperor properly explain to me why Fenghe Palace was opened?”
“This child recently felt his appearance was unsatisfactory, and nothing pleased his eye.” Yuwen Jie said with closed eyes: “I heard there are many exceptionally handsome men in the capital, so on a whim, I had Eunuch Qin bring some good-looking ones into the palace to compare, to see how my own appearance measures up against men among the common people.”
“The harem is restricted ground where men of other surnames may not wander freely, so I opened Fenghe Palace and invited them in to sit for a while. I never expected it would be spread into this.”
Hua Jinghua had given him ample time to fabricate this excuse, and the lie came out flawlessly. After Yuwen Jie finished, he even opened his eyes to look at the Empress Dowager, saying with some dissatisfaction: “It’s one thing for the consorts to guess wildly, but I never expected Mother would also believe rumors and wrong someone.”
The Empress Dowager was speechless, looking from the Emperor to Prime Minister Hua and back, feeling something was off—hadn’t the mood been completely different a moment ago? How had it suddenly turned into her being the one wronging someone?
“So that’s how it was.” Hua Chun smiled: “No wonder the Emperor has been carrying a small mirror around lately—I thought it was strange.”
“…Really?” The Empress Dowager eyed the Emperor with great suspicion.
The reason, while plausible, still seemed rather forced.
Yuwen Jie said with a dark face: “I’ve already had the people in Fenghe Palace sent away. If Mother insists on believing I have such a taste, then this child has nothing more to say. Mother should have Prince Xi come accompany you at Huiming Hall more often, so this child won’t keep making you angry.”
With that, he stood up and walked out.
The Empress Dowager was stunned. Lowering her head to reflect, she realized she had indeed acted improperly. But that Fenghe Palace was originally the palace for male companions—if he suddenly brought people in there, it was only natural to invite misunderstanding.
Now that Eunuch Qin had been caned and the argument had been had, the Empress Dowager began to regret it. Looking at Hua Jinghua below, she said quietly: “Can the Prime Minister help me say a few kind words on my behalf?”
Hua Chun nodded: “This servant will certainly do her best.”
“Ah.” The Empress Dowager sighed, rubbing her temples: “If it weren’t for the harem having no heir all this time, I wouldn’t be so anxious.”
Hua Chun lowered her head and said nothing. After the Empress Dowager finished rambling on, she took her leave from Huiming Hall to catch up with the Emperor’s procession.
Eunuch Qin had received over a dozen strikes of the cane and had to be carried back. The Emperor personally went to the room where he was resting and handed him medicine for his wounds.
“This old servant is fine.” Sweating all over his face, Eunuch Qin still managed a smile: “Once this old servant’s body recovers, I can go back to serving the Emperor.”
Yuwen Jie felt deeply guilty inside, and in that instant he fully understood what he should and shouldn’t do.
One misstep, and it was always those closest to him who paid the price.