Chapter Forty-Six
At the hour of Zi, the Qinghe Palace ceased its theatrical performances. The Emperor led the ceremony by offering three cups of wine to Heaven and Earth, praying for favorable weather, national prosperity, and the people's well-being throughout the new year. Qi Xiao followed with his own offerings, wishing Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress eternal jade-like longevity and boundless blessings. Then all the officials raised their cups together, wishing the Great Xiang nation continued prosperity for ten thousand years.
Qi Xiao stood closest to the Emperor. Observing the Emperor's benevolent smiling face, he offered a faint smile in return. Setting aside everything else, Qi Xiao truly admired the Emperor's ability to maintain appearances. If someone had cuckolded him, Qi Xiao acknowledged he could never pretend to know nothing, could never be so composed and indifferent.
Of course, it wasn't that Qi Xiao lacked the skill. He turned his gaze toward Empress Feng with a subtle mocking smile—if he had to compare himself to her, he was far superior.
Although Empress Feng had washed her face and reapplied her elaborate makeup, smiling politely and composedly, the fear and anxiety in her eyes was impossible to hide. Qi Xiao glanced around with peripheral vision but didn't spot Qi Hua—he must still be dead drunk below.
A cold smile crossed Qi Xiao's heart. Empress Feng had panicked earlier and hadn't called a physician to examine Qi Hua. By now... he glanced at the water clock—the hour had already passed, the drug's effects had worn off. It wasn't just that she couldn't find a doctor now—even an autopsy examiner would find nothing.
Qi Xiao accepted the wine cup from a palace attendant, first presenting it to the Emperor, then to Empress Feng. Gazing at the exhaustion impossible to conceal in Empress Feng's eyes, cold laughter stirred in his heart. Didn't she want to teach Bailong a lesson? Was she satisfied with his response?
After the offerings to Heaven and Earth, the year was officially over. The Emperor selected a lively theatrical piece, and after the performance and fireworks, the gathering dispersed. Empress Feng forced herself to arrange accommodations for the princess consorts, noble ladies, and princesses. Although Princess Dunsu despised Empress Feng, for the sake of royal dignity, she helped manage a few things, handling matters Empress Feng couldn't attend to.
At the third quarter of the hour of Zi, when all necessary arrangements had been made, the Emperor's personal eunuch Fu Hailu approached Empress Feng with several young eunuchs, bowing respectfully. "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress. His Majesty said Your Majesty has worked hard today and should return to your chambers early."
Empress Feng's face went pale. She didn't believe the Emperor truly worried about her exhaustion—sending Fu Hailu now could only mean he already knew about Qi Hua and that palace maid. Empress Feng had held onto a侥幸, but now all hope was extinguished. Gritting her teeth, she followed Fu Hailu away.
In the bedchamber of the Chengqian Palace, the Emperor coldly regarded Empress Feng and said in a low voice, "Hua'er fell drunk early tonight... I trust his rest in the side chamber was satisfactory?"
Empress Feng managed a smile. "When one is that drunk, what satisfaction could there be? He simply slept..."
"Did he only sleep?" The Emperor coldly laughed. He had endured this for hours, his lungs nearly bursting with rage. Seeing Empress Feng still refusing to tell the truth, he snatched a tea cup and hurled it at her, shouting furiously, "Your son committed this outrage, and you still try to cover for him?!"
The scalding tea splashed at Empress Feng's feet, soaking her robes with tea leaves and water. Empress Feng, shocked and frightened, dropped to her knees with a thud and wept, "Your Majesty... Hua'er is truly innocent! That贱婢 enticed and seduced him! She knew he was drunk and disoriented, went to him of her own accord to display her wiles. How could a drunk man distinguish one person from another? He probably mistook her for a servant in his own quarters. This... this really wasn't Hua'er's fault!"
The Emperor coldly laughed. "Is Your Majesty suggesting that girl risked execution to seduce Qi Hua? Ha... the greatest joke in the world! She clearly knew that after the New Year, I was going to elevate her status! Rather than become my imperial consort, she had to scheme to seduce a prince..."
The Emperor was not old, but he was approaching forty. With youth fading and feeling increasingly powerless these years, he harbored a secret fear. The thought that the girl might have嫌弃 him for being old and therefore pursued the prince ignited a raging fury within him. He laughed bitterly, "Fine... Empress speaks well. Now I can't even control a single palace maid..."
"Your Majesty must not say such things..." Empress Feng's heart raced with panic, sobs escaping uncontrollably. The situation had come to this, and she knew she could no longer conceal it. Knowing the Emperor's temper, he would demand the full truth. Her mind was in chaos, terrified that she might accidentally reveal her previous scheme to harm Bailong through those two girls. The Emperor was too astute—one wrong word and he would deduce everything. She continuously wiped her tears, fearing that more words would only bring more mistakes, daring only to speak meaningless reassurances. "It was this臣妾 who was deceived by that贱婢, who failed to see through her seductive nature. Your Majesty... please don't overthink..."
The Emperor,极度愤怒, laughed instead. "Overthinking? Was your son's shameful act also my imagination?! Does everyone think I'm so old I've become blind and deaf? Now he steals my woman—next, will he try to seize the throne?!"
Empress Feng was terrified. "Your Majesty! Hua'er is your blood son! Don't you know his character? To him, Your Majesty is the heavens! How would he dare?"
The Emperor coldly laughed. "Dare not? I think he dares quite easily now!"
Empress Feng wailed, "If Your Majesty speaks thus, then this臣妾 can only die to atone to our ancestors! I failed to raise the prince with proper virtue, and now the misunderstanding has gone this far..."
The Emperor noticed Empress Feng's words becoming increasingly nonsensical. With no patience to listen further, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and carefully reviewed the entire incident from beginning to end. After a long moment, he said coldly, "Empress... stop crying."
Empress Feng's weeping abruptly ceased. She sniffled and said softly, "Yes..."
Disgust filled the Emperor's eyes. He shook his head and said quietly, "I'm going to ask you questions, and you will answer each one. Empress... setting aside what came before, I do not wish to hear another single lie."
Hesitation showed on Empress Feng's face, but she nodded. The Emperor asked in a deep voice, "That girl—did she truly come from the Feng household?"
Empress Feng quickly nodded. The Emperor continued, "And... she was truly meant to be presented to me?"
At these words, Empress Feng felt as if she had fallen into an ice pit. Despite the cold weather, her body broke out in a cold sweat. Just now, she had been so worried about how the Emperor would deal with her and Qi Hua that she hadn't considered—she had already dragged her own family into this!
Seeing the strange change in Empress Feng's expression, the Emperor's suspicions only deepened. He said coldly, "Is she or isn't she? What is there to hesitate about?!"
Empress Feng's tears streamed down. She cried out, "Your Majesty... would you suspect my own family? Would my father and brother be insane enough to tamper with someone they themselves had presented?"
The Emperor actually didn't fully believe this either. It was hard to say about Empress Feng, but Old Master Feng and National Uncle Feng were not without intelligence—they wouldn't stoop to such foolishness. However, he had always been suspicious and cautious, wanting to verify everything. The Emperor frowned and waved his hand dismissively. "I merely asked casually. No need to be so defensive. Very well, one final question..."
The Emperor fixed Empress Feng with an intense stare. "That girl—is she someone your family knows completely? Someone trustworthy?"
Empress Feng froze. If she answered truthfully, certainly she was. What she had told her father and brother was that she needed two girls who were guileless, good-looking, and from families with no connections—people without status. The Feng family wouldn't harm her; the ones they selected would naturally be completely known to them, people about whom there was not a shadow of doubt. But... since the Emperor asked this way, he was clearly suspecting that someone might be deliberately trying to drive a wedge between father and son. If she could take this opportunity to push the blame onto someone else...
The Empress said quietly, "Reporting to Your Majesty... this臣妾 would not dare speak carelessly. Although those two girls entered the palace from the Feng household, if they were actually spies who had concealed themselves within the Feng household for years, harboring malicious intent, then even my family would have no way of knowing..."
The Emperor looked at Empress Feng with distrust. He understood exactly what she was thinking—trying to shift the blame elsewhere. But the Emperor didn't believe the Feng family would be so foolish as to casually bring two random people into the palace. Did they not fear something going wrong and having to take the blame for others?
The Emperor did not know about Empress Feng's previous scheme to harm Bailong, so several things didn't add up for him. Today's incident seemed simple on the surface, yet it was peculiar at every turn. But if he had to specify what exactly was wrong, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Had Qi Hua truly lost control due to alcohol? Or was it truly as the Empress claimed—that the girl had admired the young prince and took a wrong step?
Neither explanation held water.
Having stayed up the entire night and now going through this ordeal, the Emperor was mentally and physically exhausted. He closed his eyes and said quietly, "This matter—I will get to the bottom of it eventually. Empress..."
Empress Feng's heart lurched. The Emperor rubbed his brow and said softly, "There have been too many troubles this year. You should rest... Palace affairs can be handled by Imperial Consort Xue, Consort Shu, and Consort Xian. You need not worry..."
Empress Feng's face went ashen. Never had she imagined the Emperor would strip her of authority over the Six Palaces.
"As for Qi Hua..." The Emperor took a deep breath. "After today, he goes nowhere except to the Haixin Academy! He is to stay老老实实 in his own palace, and when I have thoroughly investigated the matter, I will make my decision. And one more thing..."
The Emperor stared intently at Empress Feng, each word distinct: "Keep these people's mouths shut... Anyone who knows about today's incident, by whatever means necessary, make them close their mouths forever. If this matter gets out, Empress... even if I wish to preserve my father-son affection, I will have no choice but to deal with Qi Hua."
Empress Feng shuddered at these words and quickly nodded. "Yes, yes... Your Majesty may rest assured."
The Emperor leaned against the dragon chair as if drained of strength. He waved his hand and said quietly, "Escort the Empress back to her palace..."
The Emperor had exhausted every effort to suppress this matter. It was to protect Qi Hua, but more importantly, to preserve his own dignity. On New Year's Eve, his prospective consort had been violated by his own son. The Emperor could not bear to lose face in this way.
Alas, despite his efforts, things turned out contrary to his wishes. The following day, news of Second Prince Qi Hua's night of passion with an imperial concubine in Qinghe Palace spread like wildfire throughout the entire capital.