Feng Lie was furious upon hearing Nangong Yue’s words. With a flash, he landed beside Nangong Yue, grabbing the lapel of his robe. He growled in a low voice, "Nangong Yue, what nonsense are you spouting? Why would the Emperor imprison the Empress?"
"Prince Yan, calm yourself."
Nangong Yue's slender eyebrows twitched. He scoffed inwardly, thinking, *A brute. If you keep arguing with His Majesty, you will only cause the Empress more harm.*
*After all, His Majesty is the ruler of the land, holding absolute power. Do you really think that because we get along well, you can do as you please?*
"I cannot calm down. If His Majesty truly finds Empress Liu unbearable, then he should grant her to me as a concubine."
As soon as Feng Lie finished speaking, he was stunned. Moreover, when he thought about doing this, it wasn't as unbearable as he had imagined; instead, a hint of joy surfaced.
Even if Liu'er lacked beauty, she should not have been treated this way. The thought of her being confined in Huaqing Palace made his heart ache. He would rather marry her and bring her back to his own residence than have her stay in the desolate Huaqing Palace, which felt like a cold palace. This was a matter for a lifetime.
When Feng Lie finished speaking, everyone else was shocked by his words. That was the Empress, for goodness sake! Of all the women he could want, he wanted the Empress?
Feng Xie, who was about to utter a word of agreement, hesitated at the last moment. Was it because he didn't want that woman to have an easy time, or because he was unhappy that she hadn't been tormented enough? Regardless, he did not want to grant that woman to his imperial brother right now.
"Feng Lie, do you know what you are saying? She is the Empress, *my* Empress."
"Empress? Do you consider her an Empress? If you did, why would you lock her up in Huaqing Palace? If you truly cared for her, why would your imperial brother want to take her back to his mansion?" Feng Lie retorted in exasperation.
His usually devilish face was etched with an uncharacteristic seriousness. Nangong Yue quickly reached out and pulled away his hand that was gripping him, scoffing.
"Prince Yan, are you sure you haven't gone mad?"
"You aren't mad, so why should I be?" Feng Lie roared at Nangong Yue as soon as he heard him speak again.
Jin Shaoyuan watched the three men before him and couldn't help but sigh. To be honest, although he also admired the Empress, he wasn't yet caught in the entanglement, so he viewed it from an outsider's perspective.
These three men all seemed to be entangled with the Empress, whether it was with emotions of hatred, sympathy, or unbearable pity.
In any case, they were all drawn to the Empress, and each of them was unaware of it. This was truly amusing, and a smile played on Jin Shaoyuan's lips.
"Alright, there's nothing more. Your subject takes his leave."
"Take your leave?" Nangong Yue and Feng Lie both felt like fighting Jin Shaoyuan upon hearing his words. Not only was he not helping to plead their case, but he was also leaving.
Emperor Feng Xie, however, was quite pleased. He nodded and waved his hand, "You may go."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Jin Shaoyuan departed, leaving Feng Lie and Nangong Yue staring fixedly at the Emperor. A gust of wind blew, filling Yunxiang Garden with the fragrance of lotus flowers, and the white silk curtains fluttered.
Outside the pavilion, the azure, vast sky met the lotus-filled lake with its lush green leaves. The sky and water merged, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. The three men in the pavilion were like the most elegant figures in a painting, but their complexions were somewhat grim.
"Feng Lie, I do not wish to hear this topic again. No matter how ugly Empress Liu is, she is still my Empress. She is not an ordinary woman. If you desire a concubine, I can bestow one upon you, but no dynasty has ever granted away its Empress."
Feng Xie's face was gloomy, and a chilling aura filled the pavilion. The mere thought that Feng Lie dared to wish to take that ugly woman, Liu Liu, away ignited an inexplicable rage within him. Perhaps it was because he hadn't tormented her enough yet.
"You?" Feng Lie had more to say, but Nangong Yue quickly reached out and pulled him away, saying as he dragged him along, "Your Majesty, your subjects take their leave."
"Mm," Feng Xie nodded. After they left, he took a moment to compose himself. He truly couldn't understand why his imperial brother would want that woman as a concubine when he had summoned the most prestigious young ladies from Tianfeng.
Could those beautiful women, like blooming flowers, not compare to Liu Liu? She was ugly, ill-tempered, and lacked upbringing. She knew nothing of the arts expected of women, such as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Then why would he want such a woman?
The thought of it filled him with an inexplicable vexation. With a flash, he led Ri Ying and Yue Ying towards Huaqing Palace. He intended to confront that ugly woman and see if she had bewitched his imperial brother. The three of them quickly arrived before the gates of Huaqing Palace.
Inside Huaqing Palace, the young maids Qiao'er and Mingyue were massaging Liu Liu's legs, while Cui'er offered her tea, and Caixia fanned her. Liu Liu looked at the maids, thinking they were all quite good, and said comfortably,
"You can rest for a while too."
"We're not tired," the four young maids replied in unison. Mingyue looked up at Caixia, "Sister Caixia, tell us more about what happened at the banquet. It's true that Consort Shu had ill intentions. Did our lady suffer any losses?"
"How could our lady suffer losses?" Caixia shook her head in objection upon hearing Mingyue's words. Just as she was about to recount the Empress's glorious deeds, the eunuch Xiao Anzi's exclamation sounded from outside the palace gates: "His Majesty has arrived."
Liu Liu was startled. The four young maids beside her quickly scurried down and knelt to welcome the Emperor. Liu Liu also straightened her long skirt and descended from the couch.
Emperor Feng Xie had already entered. His chiseled, handsome features were tinged with ferocity, and his eyes held unfathomable anger. Liu Liu bowed without emotion. This man had always disliked her, so this was nothing strange.
"Liu Liu greets His Majesty."
She never used the term "concubine" because, in Feng Xie's heart, she was not the Empress he desired. Similarly, Feng Xie was not the ideal husband in her heart.
Feng Xie did not tell her to rise. He walked past her and moved towards the throne. Liu Liu, being an unrestrained person, did not wait for Feng Xie to speak. She stood up straight and stood to the side.
"Empress Liu, do you know your crime?" Feng Xie's voice was icy and biting. He looked at the woman standing below. No matter the time or place, she was always so indifferent and calm, as if nothing could faze her. Seeing her acting as if nothing had happened ignited his temper.
Liu Liu looked utterly bewildered. He had come and immediately accused her; how could she know what offense she had committed? Even the four young maids behind Liu Liu looked confused. Feng Xie glanced at them and waved, ordering the four maids to leave first.
"You may all withdraw."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the four replied in unison, casting worried glances at Liu Liu before slowly retreating. Liu Liu waited for the four maids to leave before speaking unhurriedly,
"Liu Liu does not know what crime she has committed."
"What crime have you committed? At the birthday banquet today, you dared to be presumptuous. If I didn't want to leak royal affairs, I would have punished you long ago," Feng Xie curled his lips, a hint of coldness surfacing.
"If you want to accuse me, how can you lack a reason? If Your Majesty truly punished me, wouldn't it invite more ridicule from the world? Do not forget that Your Majesty carries more heavy responsibilities now, not my attitude. In the twenty years of Tianfeng, the country is not a country, and the ruler is not a ruler. Yet His Majesty thinks of punishing an innocent, weak woman."
"You are a weak woman?" Feng Xie narrowed his eyes dangerously. He truly couldn't see any weakness in her. If there were even a little, he might have already granted her to Prince Yan. But for some reason, he couldn't find a single trace of weakness in her.