Emperor Ming Yuan said, "Since Fifth Prince respects you, I will also respect Fifth Prince this once. A marriage cannot be forced, lest it become a resentful marriage in the future. I will explain this to Concubine Xian. You may go now."
Yes, and now Concubine Xian has thoroughly offended her mother-in-law as well. She is beset by enemies on all sides.
After leaving the imperial study, Yuan Qingling started brewing the forty-meter long sword in her heart. If there was no crime for killing, Yuwen Hao would have to die by her hand.
People were waiting for her as soon as she left the imperial study, saying that Concubine Xian wanted to see her.
External pressure arrived from who knows where, but it reached Concubine Xian's Qingyu Palace the fastest.
Just as she was reluctantly heading to Concubine Xian's Qingyu Palace, Eunuch Chang suddenly appeared halfway.
"Consort, the Retired Emperor summons you!"
The maid at Qingyu Palace said, "Eunuch Chang, Concubine Xian has already summoned the Consort first, just to speak a few words. Why not let her go to Qingyu Palace first before going to Qian Kun Palace?"
Eunuch Chang smiled like Maitreya Buddha, "It's fine, I'm just afraid the Retired Emperor will get angry from waiting too long."
The maid could not insist further. "Then may the Consort see the Retired Emperor first, before going to Qingyu Palace."
Eunuch Chang said, "I'm afraid it won't be that quick. The Retired Emperor has many matters to handle. Also, there is one thing that requires her to immediately leave the palace to handle."
The maid's expression changed slightly.
"These are the Retired Emperor's orders." Eunuch Chang reminded.
The maid complied, "Yes, then I will relay the message to Concubine Xian."
Yuan Qingling breathed a sigh of relief and followed Eunuch Chang.
Along the way, Yuan Qingling said, "Thank you, Eunuch Chang, for your assistance."
"It is the Retired Emperor's foresight." Eunuch Chang smiled.
Yes, that old man is so clever.
But how long could he protect her? His hands could guard her in the palace, but once outside, it would be beyond his reach.
When they arrived at Qian Kun Palace, the Retired Emperor was actually strolling in the courtyard. Although his steps were stumbling, he looked much livelier than usual.
"Greetings, Grandfather Emperor." Yuan Qingling stepped forward to pay her respects. Seeing his tottering figure, she instinctively reached out to support him.
Eunuch Chang quickly said, "There's no need to..."
The Retired Emperor glared at him, and he immediately fell silent.
He grumbled inwardly, didn't he just forbid others from helping him a moment ago?
"Let's go inside to talk." said the Retired Emperor.
Yuan Qingling nodded and helped him inside.
The old man didn't lie down either, just sat cross-legged on the luohan bed. Eunuch Chang served him tea, and he leisurely cracked his knuckles, popping sounds echoing.
"I heard you opposed Fifth Prince taking a concubine." The Retired Emperor closed his eyes and asked leisurely.
Bad news really travels fast.
"If that's what the Prince said, then I did oppose it." Yuan Qingling was inexplicably annoyed.
"Good, opposing it was the right thing to do." The Retired Emperor said lightly.
Yuan Qingling looked at him, "How so?"
"Why wouldn't it be? This way, the Chu family will take care of Jinghou first, Jinghou will take care of you, and Concubine Xian will also deal with you. It seems even the Su family's side will likely see you as a thorn in their flesh."
Gloating over her misfortune!
The Retired Emperor opened his eyes and looked at her with a smile. "Congratulations, from now on, you'll be at the center of this maelstrom."
"Things easily go wrong when taken to the extreme, Grandfather Emperor." Yuan Qingling said indignantly. Was the sarcasm really necessary?
"It wasn't me who pushed you to the crest of this storm, so why are you grumbling?"
Yuan Qingling deflated.
The Retired Emperor looked at her for a moment, then said with a laugh, "Alright, I invited you for a drink."
"I don't drink." She led a very disciplined life with healthy habits and no bad habits like drinking.
"Have a sip, to vent your frustrations. In hard times like this, it doesn't hurt to get drunk once in a while. When you're drunk, I'll have someone send you home."
Saying so, the Retired Emperor waved his hand for Eunuch Chang to bring wine.
The strongest wine Yuan Qingling had drunk in her previous life was champagne. After two glasses she was dead drunk. But with a different body now, her alcohol tolerance shouldn't be that low, since these ancient people did occasionally drink.
When she smelled the osmanthus aged wine brought by Eunuch Chang, she inhaled deeply. The aroma wasn't too strong or alcoholic.
"I cannot drink, and Old Chang doesn't like drinking either, so it's difficult for me to even smell the wine." The Retired Emperor seemed to be in good spirits.
Eunuch Chang poured him a cup to the side. Yuan Qingling pressed down on it and warned, "You can only smell it."
"Smelling it is fine too." The Retired Emperor took a deep breath, letting the wine aroma slowly seep in through his nose, savoring the taste of drinking wine, and felt a little tipsy.
"Come, you drink. I'll smell!" He clinked cups with Yuan Qingling.
He brought the cup to his mouth, "Does this wine taste different? How come the aroma isn't as mellow as before? These useless servants must not have stored it properly. I'll try a taste to check if it has gone bad. If so, I'll have them all brought out and caned."
After saying so, he took a small sip, clicked his tongue, and said, "Can't really taste it."
As he raised his hand to drink more, Eunuch Chang grabbed hold of it. "Retired Emperor, can you change your trick? You're stealing wine again."
The Retired Emperor was furious with shame. "Do I need to steal wine to drink it? Can any of you stop me if I want to drink?"
"This servant is wrong. Please put it down and continue smelling it." Eunuch Chang said.
The Retired Emperor cursed and grumbled as he put it down. Looking at Yuan Qingling, he said, "You should drink."
Yuan Qingling took a sip. She felt fine. It was sweet with a slight alcoholic flavor, like fruit wine. The alcohol content shouldn't be too high.
After a stick of incense.
Eunuch Chang worriedly asked, "Retired Emperor, what should we do?"
The Retired Emperor was also shocked. "How would I know? It was the wine you brought."
"But you ordered it." Eunuch Chang looked at him in bewilderment.
"Who let her drink so much?" The Retired Emperor was angry. He had only wanted her half drunk so he could pry some information from her. But unexpectedly, she actually got drunk.
"Much? It was just osmanthus aged wine. An average person can handle half a catty without issues right? She only drank one cup!" That one cup was less than half a tael.
The Retired Emperor grimaced, covering his ears. "Make her shut up, it's deafening."
Eunuch Chang looked at Yuan Qingling jumping on the table with her hands on her hips, spewing out a torrent of words. He didn't know what she was saying, but she looked very agitated.
Not only was she cursing, but also smashing things. If not for having closed the palace doors, who knows how many people would have squeezed in to watch.
"What is she saying anyway? It doesn't sound like Northern Tang language."
"Bird language!" pronounced the Retired Emperor.
"Alright, make her some sobering soup, then hurry and send her out." Eunuch Chang rushed to open the door, ordering the astonished palace maids outside to prepare sobering soup. The maids left in shock, wondering what had happened inside. It sounded like there was a shrew cursing up a storm. Who dared to curse like that in Qian Kun Palace? Where did the shrew come from?
When the sobering soup was brought in, Yuan Qingling was cursing herself hoarse while sitting on the table, panting breathlessly.
"Come, drink more!" Eunuch Chang steeled himself and went over. How could her alcohol tolerance be this bad? It's so frustrating.
Yuan Qingling took it with one hand, splashing the sobering soup all over. But she gallantly said, "Drink, drink... why is this wine so hot?"
"Warmed wine is more potent." Eunuch Chang said.
Yuan Qingling downed it in one go, then felt her stomach churning. She slowly climbed down and walked up to the Retired Emperor, smiling at him. "Old geezer, I wanna puke."
"Get lost!" The Retired Emperor yelled in fright.
"Consort, you must not be rude!" Eunuch Chang quickly shouted. How dare she call the Retired Emperor an old geezer!
Yuan Qingling hazily turned her head, grabbing Eunuch Chang with a deepening smile. "Eunuch Chang, I want to... ugh..."
Eunuch Chang looked to the heavens in distress. His new silk robe gifted by the Retired Emperor!
Supervisor Gu was urgently summoned to Qian Kun Palace and tasked with an important mission.
Supervisor Gu had a tense expression as he directed a green sedan chair out of Qian Kun Palace. The sedan bearers' steps were very quick, almost jogging away. Once outside the palace, they switched to a carriage with Supervisor Gu driving it himself. A palace maid who had accompanied the person from Qian Kun Palace was frightened stiff inside.
If the Emperor found out the Consort was having a drunken frenzy in Qian Kun Palace, they would all likely be punished.
