Liu Liu sat back down at the vanity, gazing at herself in the phoenix coronet. It was all a joke.
Feng Xie, since you’ve humiliated me, what reason do I have to fulfill your mocking intent? I, Liu Liu, will also let the world know that the Emperor is nothing special. You are merely inviting your own disgrace.
“Cui’er, take off the phoenix coronet.”
As soon as Liu Liu spoke, Cui’er, Qiao’er, and the head eunuch Qing An fell to their knees with a thud, begging repeatedly.
“Empress, you must not! Today is your auspicious wedding day. Even if the Emperor doesn’t come to escort you, you are still waiting at the Hall of Officials to receive the morning salutations of the assembled ministers!”
“Enough, all of you, get up. If you still consider me your mistress, then say less nonsense. If you don’t, then get out of Huaqing Palace immediately.”
As Liu Liu’s cold words fell, Cui’er and Qiao’er dared not say another word. Did they not know their young lady’s temperament?
Their young lady was a person who never went back on her word. She must be feeling unwell now, and if they provoked her further, she might truly drive them all out.
“Yes, miss,” Cui’er stood up and removed the phoenix coronet from Liu Liu’s head, then stood to the side. Liu Liu, as if nothing had happened, began to dismantle her styled hair, signaling for Cui’er to re-comb it into a simple bun.
Without any ornaments, she washed off the makeup from her face. She remained simple and elegant. She shed the vibrant red wedding gown and put on her usual silk skirt.
This series of actions was carried out methodically, as if nothing had occurred. Yet, the head eunuch Qing An, the two eunuchs of Huaqing Palace, and the young maids Cui’er and Qiao’er.
Everyone felt a pang of heartache for their mistress, knowing she was also in pain but was simply being strong.
In all the dynasties, which empress had ever been treated so shabbily? Even if she wasn’t favored, the Emperor shouldn’t have acted like this in front of the entire world. But would the Emperor not hold this against her for treating the matter this way?
The atmosphere in the grand hall of Huaqing Palace was stiff. The eunuch in charge of the imperial carriage rushed in, speaking with surprise, “Empress, it is time to board the carriage.”
The auspicious hour had arrived, and the Empress had not even changed her wedding gown or phoenix coronet. What was going on? Was she to board the carriage like this and receive the salutations of the officials?
“Very well, all of you, return with an empty carriage. You can circle the palace once; that should suffice,” Liu Liu waved her hand, instructing the eunuch who had entered.
The young eunuch stared with wide eyes, unsure how to react. Although the Emperor had not personally come to escort the Empress, the imperial carriage had arrived, and if the Empress went to the Hall of Officials, she would still receive the salutations of the assembled ministers.
“Empress, what should be done?” The young eunuch, though fearful, still braced himself to speak. Liu Liu turned and said coldly and sternly.
“Did you not hear what I said?”
“Yes, this servant will go now.” The young eunuch dared not say more. This Empress was the niece of the Empress Dowager and had the backing of the Grand Steward Jiang Cheng. He did not want to invite trouble. Everything would be decided by the Emperor.
After the young eunuch left, Liu Liu saw that the head eunuch Qing An was still kneeling and quickly asked him to rise. He was, after all, a favored attendant of her aunt. “Qing An, get up. Return to Cining Palace. Huaqing Palace requires no further assistance.”
“Yes, this servant obeys your command,” Qing An stood up and rushed out of Huaqing Palace. He had to report this matter to the Empress Dowager for her decision.
The head eunuch Qing An sprinted all the way to Cining Palace and reported the Empress’s actions to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager’s face was stern, and Princess Feng Wuyang, who was sitting beside her, was stunned. After a long while, she spoke with anger.
“My imperial brother is too abominable! Why should those two concubines receive the salutations of the officials? In the records, they are merely consorts, yet they dare to expect the salutations of the officials. It is truly laughable. My imperial brother has gone too far.”
This time, the Empress Dowager listened to Feng Wuyang’s words and, uncharacteristically, did not get angry. A hint of praise appeared on her face. Good, Liu Liu should indeed act this way. The bearing of an Empress was already evident.
See, no woman from the Liu family is to be trifled with, the Empress Dowager’s lips curled into a slight smile.
“Very well, let her have her way. I believe someone will handle it.”
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, the head eunuch Qing An naturally had nothing more to say. Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, he could not offer any help even if he wished to assist the Emperor.
Meanwhile, at the same time, the Emperor had received the news. Furious, his face a shade of dark green, he rushed to Huaqing Palace. Seeing the woman leisurely drinking tea and playing with jade ornaments, he wished he could tear her limb from limb.
“Liu Liu, you have so much nerve! To play such a trick on me on our wedding day! You should know that the people of Tianfeng are watching today, and you have made me so embarrassed.”
Liu Liu looked up and saw the man before her, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, a nine-dragon python belt cinched at his waist, his golden coronet gleaming. His handsome and charming face radiated brilliance, and his noble aura, his domineering presence above all others, was pressing down on her like a mountain. Her eyebrows twitched, and she said indifferently.
“Is it the Emperor who wants to humiliate me, or do I want to humiliate the Emperor? Is it the rule of the Tianfeng dynasty for concubines to receive the salutations of officials simultaneously with the Empress?”
“Rules are made by people?” Feng Xie felt a strange pang of guilt upon hearing the woman’s cold accusation.
He must have eaten something wrong. At this moment, it wasn’t about who was humiliating whom, but the ceremony had to be completed. Otherwise, what would become of the royal family’s reputation? He had allowed two concubines to ascend the platform and be honored by the officials precisely to humiliate this woman.
But if this woman did not appear, it would be the royal family’s reputation that would suffer. Feng Xie’s teeth itched with hatred at this thought, his gaze turning cold as he stared at the woman before him.
She was dressed in simple, elegant attire, and her wedding gown and phoenix coronet were nowhere to be seen. The auspicious hour had passed, and the time for the officials’ salutations was drawing near. He could no longer afford to bother with anything else. With a swift movement, he reached out, and Liu Liu fell into Feng Xie’s grasp.
“What do you want?” Liu Liu’s voice was somewhat cold and stiff, her expression darkening. How dare this damned man embrace her? Let him go to hell! She struggled to get down.
“To the Hall of Officials. I don’t want to carry you, I don’t want the royal family’s reputation to be too greatly tarnished,” a hint of reluctance flashed across Feng Xie’s beautiful, handsome face. However, this woman’s body was quite soft and carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Liu Liu’s expression sank. This man was too much. One moment he disliked her, the next he was embracing her.
If it weren’t for the fact that she didn’t want him to know she knew martial arts, she truly wanted to beat him until his nose was bruised and he couldn’t find his way. However, the Emperor’s martial arts were also quite formidable. It was unknown who would be stronger between the two of them.
“Feng Xie, put me down. I have legs.”
Feng Xie flickered and ignored Liu Liu’s clamor. The important thing now was to complete the ceremony; other matters could be dealt with later. He would tolerate it for now.
It was unexpected, though, that holding this woman did not cause him to gag or retch. His thoughts paused as he landed outside on the imperial carriage with nine dragons carved on top, quickly placing Liu Liu to the side. He commanded the young eunuch in front with a chilling voice.
“Go to the Hall of Officials immediately.”
Liu Liu had originally intended to make this man lose face, but now she was at his mercy. She eyed her surroundings and slowly moved to the side, intending to slip away when the Emperor wasn’t paying attention. Did she look at all like she was dressed for a wedding?
If her father saw her like this, he would surely be saddened. That’s why she didn’t want to go to the Hall of Officials. It was her own impulsiveness earlier that led her to change out of all her wedding attire.