“Send him out. Tomorrow, have all the portraits removed,” Feng Xie waved his hand expressionlessly. Ri Ying nodded, “Yes, Master.” He bowed to help Zhan Yun up and escort him downstairs, ordering his subordinates to take the Alliance Leader back to rest. He then returned upstairs.
“Master, should we return to the capital now?” Ri Ying and Yue Ying asked respectfully. They had followed their Master for ten years and could sometimes discern his thoughts.
However, such times were rare, occurring only when their Master was so enraged that he lost his composure, as he was now.
“I must return to the capital immediately to see if that woman is truly in the capital. If she is not, then we’ll see how I deal with her and the Liu family.”
Feng Xie exhaled, but the knot in his heart remained. He should have been happy, having finally found leverage against this woman, a reason to divorce her. Yet, instead of joy, he felt a deep sense of unwillingness, a reluctance.
Yes, reluctance. He found himself unable to bear the thought of expelling that woman from the palace. When did such thoughts begin to form? Feng Xie became confused, his dark eyes cold and piercing.
“Understood,” the two replied, cupping their fists.
Several days later, Liu Liu finally returned to the capital in the evening. She first returned to Yun Xiao Lu, instructing Zhi Gu to go back to Heifeng City. Zhi Gu accepted the order, ate some food, and left the capital, returning to Heifeng City that night.
The moonlight was bright, and the tall phoenix trees lining the streets seemed washed clean, appearing exceptionally clear. Dewdrops glistened, clinging to the faint green grass sprouting from the cracks between the stones.
In the dark night, a white, elegant silhouette flashed by, appearing and disappearing in the thin mist. It moved swiftly along the green, moss-covered path beside the outer palace wall, then, with a flicker of movement, entered the heavily fortified palace.
Inside the palace, before the gate of Hua Qing Palace, the scene was ablaze with lights. A large contingent of guards, holding torches high, surrounded Hua Qing Palace. At their forefront were the Emperor’s personal guards, Ri Ying and Yue Ying, their gazes chilling as they faced two young eunuchs blocking the entrance to Hua Qing Palace.
“The Emperor wishes to see the Empress!”
“The Empress is asleep. She is not feeling well today. Please, Lord Ri Ying, report to His Majesty and ask if the Empress can visit him tomorrow morning?” Xiao An Zi’s heart pounded in his chest, his legs trembling slightly. He had never expected the Emperor to suddenly wish to see the Empress.
But the Empress was not in the palace at all, so what was to be done?
The palace maids and eunuchs of Hua Qing Palace all lowered their heads in fear, their gazes fixed on the ground. None dared to meet the eyes of Lord Ri Ying or Lord Yue Ying, terrified that a single misstep might lead them to reveal that the Empress was not in the palace.
Ri Ying’s face was stern as he commanded in a deep voice, “Bold servant, His Majesty wishes to see someone. Even if she is gravely ill, she must be seen. Go at once and inform the Empress, and tell her to accompany me to the Imperial Study.”
As soon as Ri Ying finished speaking, his sword was pressed against Xiao An Zi’s neck. Xiao An Zi shivered, the icy touch sharp against his skin, making his legs go weak and his body feel as if it had lost all strength.
His mind was filled with a single, relentless question: What to do? What to do now?
A wisp of dark cloud covered the moon in the sky. The night was dark and chilling. In the torchlight, the two young eunuchs and several palace maids trembled. Was tonight their destined end?
More importantly, if the Empress did not return soon, things would escalate into a major crisis. Several people lowered their heads, their faces mournful, their bodies drenched in cold sweat.
Xiao An Zi, pressured by the situation, could only stammer, “Alright, this servant will go and invite the Empress?”
Just then, a cold, enchanting voice, like celestial music, descended, “How dare Ri Ying, relying on being the Master’s servant, come to Hua Qing Palace to bully people?”
As the voice faded, a figure emerged from the palace gate. The moon broke through the clouds, its light illuminating the palace gate and casting a glow on a delicate, beautiful figure. Who else could it be but the Empress, her face stern as she glared at Ri Ying and Yue Ying.
“Your subordinate greets the Empress,” Ri Ying and Yue Ying said respectfully, a hint of surprise in their hearts.
Seeing the fear on the faces of Xiao An Zi and Xiao Nian Zi just moments ago, they had assumed the Empress was not in the palace. To find that the Empress was indeed in the palace, they felt a sense of relief.
They did not wish for this imperial couple to fall out. Moreover, the Emperor actually cared for the Empress quite a bit, though he himself had not realized it. In time, he would surely understand.
The people of Hua Qing Palace also breathed a collective sigh of relief. They hadn’t expected the Empress to return at the last moment. Everyone, after extreme tension, felt their bodies weaken, lacking the strength to even lift their feet. They could only look up at the Empress blankly.
Having not seen the Empress for many days, she remained as aloof and serene as before. Her gaze towards Ri Ying and Yue Ying grew increasingly sharp and cold.
“Let’s go. Did the Emperor not wish to see me?”
Liu Liu led the way out, Cui’er following closely behind her. She had already cried once, and thankfully, her swollen eyes in the dark night were not very noticeable. She, too, was worried.
If the Empress had not returned, not only would the people of Hua Qing Palace be utterly ruined, but the Liu family would also suffer disaster. Fortunately, the Empress had returned at the eleventh hour.
A procession of people left Hua Qing Palace in grand fashion. Before the gate of Hua Qing Palace, Xiao An Zi, Xiao Nian Zi, along with Ming Yue and Cai Xia, clutched each other and wept. They felt as though they had just returned from the gates of hell, their bodies drenched in sweat that now clung to them.
The group supported each other as they walked back into Hua Qing Palace.
Liu Liu, accompanied by Cui’er, arrived at the door of the Imperial Study. She saw Xiao Wan Zi standing guard outside the study with great caution. The glazed tiles reflected on the jade plaque, casting a dazzling light. Upon seeing the Empress, Xiao Wan Zi quickly bowed and respectfully greeted her, “Your subordinate greets the Empress.”
Liu Liu’s silken, cloud-like sleeves brushed past as her gentle voice resonated, faintly saying, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Empress,” Xiao Wan Zi stepped aside and stood at attention. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor, upon his return, had summoned the Empress so urgently in the middle of the night, and with such anger.
The Emperor had left the palace, and how had the Empress managed to displease him while within the palace? Xiao Wan Zi was puzzled beyond measure and had already invited the Empress into the Imperial Study.
On the imperial couch in the Imperial Study, Emperor Feng Xie leaned back lazily. His handsome features were etched with the fury of an approaching storm, his phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously into slits, radiating a dark, flashing light.
If that woman was truly not in the palace, then he would not be held responsible for what happened next. Just as he was thinking this, Xiao Wan Zi entered from outside and knelt, reporting respectfully, “The Empress has arrived.”
After speaking, he stepped aside. Liu Liu stood beneath the palace lantern and curtsied gracefully towards Feng Xie.
“May I know why Your Majesty summoned Liu’er so late at night?”
Feng Xie’s beautiful eyes flickered with a dim, glassy light. This woman was indeed in the palace. Could it be that the woman Zhan Yun saw was not her? Could there truly be another woman in the world with a birthmark on her face that resembled hers? Feng Xie’s lips curled into a cold, charming smile, laced with a hint of chill.
Having heard Zhan Yun’s words, Feng Xie had been eager to see if the birthmark on this woman’s face truly resembled a lotus. He gazed intently. In the light, Liu Liu’s brows were as delicate as willow leaves, her eyes twinkled like stars, her skin was fair, and her lips seemed painted.
The blood-red birthmark on half of her face truly resembled a blooming lotus. Dressed in a white gown that trailed softly on the ground, exuding a faint scent of flowers and grass, she stood perfectly still, sacred and elegant.
“I wish to inquire if the Empress’s previous illness has improved?” Feng Xie’s voice softened slightly, his deep eyes glinting with a hidden light, akin to a wolf’s eyes on the prairie, filled with the interest of spotting prey.