"Crash!"
The bowl in Consort De's hand fell to the ground, shattering into several pieces. The third prince's thigh was scalded by the still-hot bird's nest soup, causing him to burst into tears.
"Don't cry, don't cry... Xuan'er, don't cry... Cui Yin, quickly bring some clean clothes."
She held the third prince, fearfully stroking his cheek. The terror in her eyes had not yet dissipated. "Thank the Bodhisattva for protecting us. It's fortunate we discovered this early. If we had allowed that vicious Lady Su to continue living in Yanqing Palace, who knows what harm she might have done to my Xuan'er. Thank heavens... thank the Bodhisattva..."
Cui Yin hurriedly had someone fetch burn ointment. Luckily, the third prince had only suffered minor redness from the scalding. With some comforting, he soon stopped crying.
He pouted, "Mother, Concubine Zhen has a new puppy in her palace named Guolai. Can I have one too? Guolai is so cute."
"I'm afraid not," Consort De said, pinching his little nose. "You've seen how Concubine Zhen's puppies always end up killed by bad people. If your puppy died, wouldn't you be very sad?"
The third prince furrowed his brow in thought. If Guolai were his pet and Su Consort killed it, he would indeed be very upset.
He sighed, "Alright. But on my days off, can I go with the Eldest Princess and Second Princess to Zhen Consort's Palace to play with Guolai for half an hour?"
"If they're going, of course you can go too."
Children's emotions come quickly and go even faster. Having received his mother's permission, he was so delighted he started jumping up and down.
In Kunning Palace—
Seated before the Dowager Empress were Consort Shu and the now-recovered Consort Rong, while Empress Zhu knelt on the ground.
A massive, phoenix-shaped incense burner stood behind a screen, wisps of blue smoke curling from its beak as it burned agarwood incense. The entire great hall of Kunning Palace was suffused with a solemn, composed fragrance.
Empress Zhu had turned pale, her already frail body—worn down by overwork—swaying unsteadily.
"Smack!"
A folder of documents struck Empress Zhu's forehead, causing spots to dance before her eyes.
"Empress," the Dowager Empress began, "I entrusted you with the imperial seal to manage the inner palace on behalf of the Emperor. My intention was for you to ease his burdens, to prevent the women of the harem from hindering him. But look at this... For the sake of a mere animal, the Emperor has been swayed by Consort Zhen's whispers, using such ruthless methods against a defenseless imperial consort. Isn't this a slap in your face as Empress? How can you still tolerate her?"
As Empress Zhu pondered how to respond, she heard the Dowager Empress continue in a somewhat threatening tone: "I hear your health has been poor since before the new year. If you feel overwhelmed managing palace affairs, I can have Consort Shu and Consort Rong help share your burdens. Your most important task now is to quickly restore your health and bear the Emperor an heir as soon as possible. Otherwise, if this continues and the Mother of the Nation fails in her duty to produce offspring, do you think your position as Empress will remain secure?"
Her fingers dug deeply into her palms, as an unhealthy flush colored Empress Zhu's cheeks.
Had she truly never given birth before?
In her first year of marriage to the then-Crown Prince, now Emperor Xuanwu, she had borne his first child. Two years later, she gave birth to a second son. But her fortune was poor, and she couldn't keep either of them.
The eldest prince had been found drowned in a lake just after turning ten, while the second prince succumbed to smallpox at age nine while staying outside the palace.
The Zhu family had used all their connections to investigate, but the conclusion was always that it had been an accidental drowning.
Since then, her heart had struggled to warm again. Whenever she heard talk of bearing children, she felt a deep resistance.
But as the Empress, having no princes by her side was ultimately untenable.
The Dowager Empress didn't know of her plans to use a surrogate. If she found out, she would likely urge Emperor Xuanwu to depose her immediately.
"The Empress has managed Our harem very well. There's no need for Mother to concern herself," came the Emperor's voice.
Fen Yun followed behind Emperor Xuanwu, his steps subtly approaching Empress Zhu. Together with Wang Dequan, they helped the Empress to her feet.
Emperor Xuanwu didn't even bother with superficial courtesy anymore, taking Empress Zhu's hand and preparing to leave.
"Bang!"
"You stop right there!"
The table resounded from a mighty blow as the Dowager Empress, supported by Consort Shu, rose to block Emperor Xuanwu's path. "So the Emperor's power has grown so great that he no longer shows respect to his own mother? Do you want all under heaven to point at you and call you unfilial?"
"No one would dare criticize Me," Emperor Xuanwu replied firmly, meeting the formidable Dowager Empress's gaze. "I have reigned for twelve years since ascending the throne at sixteen. I know how to use people well, selecting the virtuous and capable, keeping My word and cultivating harmony. I have ensured that the strong have purpose and the young are nurtured. The realm is at peace—who would dare say I have ruled poorly?"
Who would dare criticize?
Emperor Xuanwu's face all but spelled it out: No one would dare, except you, Dowager Empress, who abuses your position to throw your weight around the harem, borrowing the tiger's might to sow chaos.
The Dowager Empress was so enraged she nearly toppled backward, her chest heaving violently as her voice quavered, "I... everything I've done was to secure your position on the throne. Must you fixate on this one point? What's wrong with the Shen family becoming stronger? Would your uncle harm you? Would I harm you?"
Emperor Xuanwu's gaze remained cold and impassive in the face of her anger and agitation. His tone was as calm as ever: "Mother, do not forget that this empire bears the surname Shen, not Wu. I am a son of the Shen family, not your spineless pawn to manipulate the court."
What nonsense about doing it for his own good?
She had only supported his ascension to the throne because he was her biological son and therefore easier to control.
Disguising her ambition as maternal love, finding high-sounding reasons to continue harming her own son with a clear conscience—it was utterly absurd.
As soon as they exited the main doors of Kunning Palace, Emperor Xuanwu released Empress Zhu's hand and turned to instruct her: "In the future, if Cining Palace summons you again, send your palace staff to decline. If I hadn't arrived in time today, you would have been in for some real trouble."
There was still a hint of concern in his tone.
After all, they had been husband and wife since youth, and there was still affection between them. No matter how fiercely they quarreled in private, when it came time to present a united front, the Emperor never left Empress Zhu to face things alone.
More often than not, it was Emperor Xuanwu who rescued Empress Zhu from dire straits.
How could she not harbor inappropriate hopes and feelings for her husband in light of this?
"I understand," Empress Zhu nodded, her gaze soft. "How is Consort Zhen doing?"
The Xuanwu Emperor shook his head: "The Imperial Physician said she has cold energy in her body. After recuperating for most of the year, she's almost fully recovered. This recent bleeding is actually a good sign. After taking a few more doses of medicine, it shouldn't affect her ability to bear children."
When Lady Su was expelled from the palace, she rushed at Consort Zhen like a madwoman. If the Xuanwu Emperor hadn't reacted quickly, she would have injured her.
However, Consort Zhen seemed to have been frightened by the incident, and a lot of blood flowed from her lower body. The emperor thought she might have been unknowingly pregnant and quickly summoned the Imperial Physician.
Fortunately, it was just a false alarm, not the miscarriage everyone had feared.
