PNB Chapter 226 The Empress
Chapter 226 The Empress
Shen Shixi asked in surprise, "Why has the Emperor come?"
The Empress Dowager wanted Li Yuanke to return with the Empress, hoping he would stay overnight in the Empress's palace. However, he did not. He escorted the Empress to Fengyi Palace, glanced at the Third Prince, and told the Empress to rest early before leaving.
The Empress is still crying her heart out in the palace.
Li Yuanke originally intended to return to Qianyuan Palace, but when he detoured to Zhaoyang Palace, he heard the sound of drums and laughter flying over the palace walls, which could be heard from afar, and his heart began to itch.
"Why can't I come?" Li Yuanke said irritably, and sat down in Shen Shixi's seat.
Bai Ping hurriedly asked for more seats.
Shen Shixi said, "It's my turn. I'll tell you in a bit."
She drank a glass of wine, then sat down at the zither. Without a second thought, she effortlessly played "Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Bright?"
"When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in hand, I ask the heavens. I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace..."
When the emperor arrived, everyone was a little nervous, but as soon as Shen Shixi started singing, they were all captivated, and some even shed tears.
In particular, the last line, "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles," resonated with everyone.
As soon as the sound faded, Shen Shixi said, "We're playing musical chairs. When it reaches the Emperor, he'll perform for us, and then we'll be done."
Consort Jin clapped her hands and said, "Alright, alright, we'll do as Chen Yuan says."
After drinking, Consort Qiong became fearless, giving a thumbs-up and acting drunkenly, "Good!"
Li Yuanke stared at Consort Qiong, his eyebrows so prominent they could trap a fly, and the veins on his forehead throbbing. He wished he could take Consort Qiong out and beat her to death right then and there.
Consort Qiong was so startled awake from her drunken stupor.
Yuan Chongrong and Guo Chongyuan were also terrified.
Fortunately, the drums started beating. At the last moment, Shen Shixi threw the osmanthus branch into Li Yuanke's arms and shouted "Stop!" The drumming stopped.
Li Yuanke cursed, "You bastard, you're cheating!"
Shen Shixi laughed, "Sorry, we didn't have a rule against cheating before!"
"Oh, alright then, I'll play the flute, and you sing!"
"Alright, Your Majesty, what piece would you like to play?"
You'll understand when you hear it.
He reached out, and Bai Ping handed him the purple bamboo flute. He held it to his lips and began to play, the same tune Shen Shixi had played several times before, "The Lone Eagle." The melody grew richer, more melodious, and more moving.
Shen Shixi then sang along, "The wind howls through the mountains, accompanied by the rain falling all over the sky. The low-hanging dark clouds above my head imprison my wings. I will fly through the vast and boundless world, over the desolate snow-capped mountains and forests. My figure, born to fly high, has never believed in human destiny..."
The lyrics were straightforward, unlike anything they had ever heard before, yet they were tragic and expansive, inspiring and deeply moving.
Li Yuanke played the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) exceptionally well, and Shen Shixi's singing style blended seamlessly into it.
After the music ended, Li Yuanke held the purple bamboo flute and looked at her. The soft moonlight shone on her, making her look like a lone eagle draped in moonlight, ready to break through the clouds and soar into the heavens at any moment.
Li Yuanke stood up, raised his hand to stroke Shen Shixi's cheek, and said to the other four, "It's late, you should all go back!"
Shen Shixi then climbed onto Li Yuanke's back. "I don't dare to say anything now that you're here. Hmph, what a spoilsport."
Bai Ping took the purple bamboo flute, and Li Yuanke lifted her onto his back. "Little pig, what's with all the grunting? How much did you drink?"
Shen Shixi was sleepy and had drunk two more cups of wine. He lay on Bai Ping's back in a daze and didn't say anything. Bai Ping could only reply, "Master only drank two cups of wine tonight."
The main problem is that the flower branches never end up in her hands.
After soaking in the hot spring for a while, Shen Shixi woke up, swam over to Li Yuanke, hugged his waist and climbed up, climbing onto his body and kissing him along his collarbone.
Li Yuanke tilted his head back, put his arms around her waist, and lifted her up.
The two kissed.
Li Yuanke looked into her eyes, which were like rolling clouds, reflecting the water in which was the person in his arms.
When he heard her sing "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles," and when he heard her sing "I came with a heart full of passion, and I will leave as the brightest star in the night sky," it felt as if magma was churning in his heart.
He knew that she was unique in the world, and unprecedented in history.
The two were very intense tonight.
Li Yuanke seems quite different from before.
It was both fast and ruthless.
They almost couldn't handle it.
She couldn't help but press herself against him.
Li Yuanke wouldn't let her move.
Shen Shixi kicked him in anger, but Li Yuanke grabbed her ankle, moved up her calf, and held her knee. His eyes seemed to be burning with fire, as if he wanted to burn them both to ashes.
Finally, Shen Shixi collapsed into his arms, angrily saying, "My stomach hurts!"
Li Yuanke panicked and rubbed her lower abdomen. "How much does it hurt? I'll have the imperial physician come!"
Shen Shixi glared at him, "Aren't you ashamed? When I told you to be gentle, why did you insist on being rougher? Did I offend you? Are you avenging your empress?"
"Shut up, you dare mess with me again?" Li Yuanke said fiercely. "At times like that, I can stop, but you're usually... even fiercer than me, aren't you? What's wrong with you today?"
He was stunned, then overjoyed. "Could it be... Xi'er, you're not pregnant, are you?"
"Pregnant my foot! If I were pregnant, I'd have a miscarriage by now." She rubbed her stomach and kicked him. "I'm going to sleep, I'm sleepy!"
She yawned.
Li Yuanke carried her to the bed, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.
The Empress is still awake. How can she sleep? According to ancestral rules, the Emperor and Empress should be together on the first and fifteenth of the month. Today is the fifteenth of August. The Empress Dowager has already spoken, and the Emperor hasn't even entered the Fengyi Palace.
"Where did the Emperor go? Did he return to Qian Yuan Palace?"
"His Majesty was originally going back to Qian Yuan Palace, but when he got to the entrance of Zhao Yang Palace, he said it was very lively inside, so he went in. Consort Jin, Consort Qiong, Consort Yuan, and Consort Guo were all in Zhao Yang Palace, playing some kind of game of musical chairs," said Granny Qu. "His Majesty must have just wanted some fun."
Listening to the zither, she said, "She's not even willing to accompany the Empress Dowager to watch a play, but instead she's playing musical chairs. Isn't she afraid that people will spread rumors that she's unfilial?"
The Empress cursed, "If she were well-mannered, would she have smashed a teacup in front of the Empress Dowager at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet today? She's clearly ill-mannered. She claims to come from a family of scholars and officials, but I don't know what the Emperor saw in her!"
"What a vixen! The Emperor wasn't like this before; he's been bewitched by her to the point of disregarding all propriety. Today, she said those things, and the Emperor didn't utter a single word. Who knows, he might be thinking the same thing."
Tingqin said, "Your Majesty, these words should be spread so that people outside can hear them. Is there anyone in the world who speaks to the mistress like this? This is still the palace, yet there is no manners whatsoever."
Granny Qu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please don't! If word gets out, the Empress will lose face. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager is still here, and she's willing to speak up for the Empress. Let's just let today's matter rest. It's late, Your Majesty should go to sleep early and take good care of your health. It's important to conceive a prince in the future."
There are countless men in the world who favor their concubines, and it's normal that even emperors, being human, are not immune to this.
Listening to the zither, she said, "Even the Emperor isn't coming, how can the Empress be pregnant?"
Granny Qu retorted angrily, "If the Emperor doesn't come today, does he not come every month? A quarrel between husband and wife is no big deal. You're just a little maid who doesn't understand these things, so don't say such unpleasant things and upset the Empress!"
The Empress said, "Tingqin, you may leave. The old nanny can stay."
She felt really uneasy.
"I don't know what the Emperor was thinking. He was willing to let me give birth to a legitimate son, yet he created an Imperial Noble Consort and elevated her to the highest rank. If I had known she was like this, why was I so polite to her when she first entered the palace?"
Granny Qu didn't know what to say. That's how it is in the harem. Once you fall in love, you become blind to many things.
When Lady Shen first entered the palace, her initial rank was not even as high as that of Consort Jin. The Emperor's move was quite perplexing.
"Regardless of the past, Your Majesty is now the Empress. Having the rightful title, you are superior to her. As long as you remain Empress, the hearts of the people will be with you!"
The Empress felt much better. "Yes, I am the Empress. As long as I am here, she will always be a concubine, and even the Imperial Noble Consort will be a concubine! But what will the Emperor think of her words today? What will the people in the harem think? Who will respect me in the future?"
"Granny, please help me think of a way. How can I let her get away with this? Please have someone tell Mother, and ask her to help me think of a solution."
Granny Qu had no choice but to nod reluctantly.