Chapter 336

Chapter 336 The palace maid beside Xie Run fanned her gently as she asked softly, "Why did Consort Li punish you?" Fang Yuan'er lowered her eyes. "Just a small matter." "Oh?" Xie Run voiced her doubt, then said, "Then it seems you truly provoked her first, and made her angry?" Fang Yuan'er suddenly lifted her gaze to look at Xie Run, her eyes dark and deep, as if she had countless words to say, but in the end, they all dissolved into silence. Before leaving, Xie Run suddenly asked, "Were you deliberately testing her?" The composure on Fang Yuan'er's face faltered in an instant, and her gaze at Xie Run carried a hint of panic. "You..." But Xie Run didn't listen to what followed. She turned and left. Afterward, Xie Run sent someone to inquire about the matter. She learned that Consort Li's punishment of Fang Yuan'er had caused no stir—like a stone dropped into water, it hadn't raised a single ripple. Xie Run was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that Fang Yuan'er had also grown suspicious of Consort Li? She wasn't a foolish person, so why did she insist on provoking Consort Li time and again? Now that she had been punished several times, Xie Run couldn't fathom what was going through Fang Yuan'er's mind. The Empress in Fengyi Palace showed no reaction whatsoever, handling things exactly as she always had. That night, the Emperor unexpectedly returned to the inner court and flipped the tablet of Consort Hua Xiu. Xie Run had already gone to bed early with her son. With successive reports of victory coming from the front lines, Consort Wen in the harem could no longer sit still. Flustered, she went to seek an audience with the Empress. The Empress refused her three times, but in the end, still allowed her into Fengyi Palace. Upon seeing the Empress, the worry that Consort Wen had been suppressing suddenly surfaced on her face: "Sister, how can you still sit so calmly?" The Empress gave her a faint glance. "Why shouldn't I sit calmly?" Consort Wen said, "The Yu Dynasty's attack on the Xia Dynasty—victory is certainly gratifying, but Xia is our motherland. When our motherland is humiliated, sister, are you not alarmed?" "I share your resentment toward Imperial Father and the Crown Prince, but if Xia truly falls, how could we have a place to call our own?" "Recently, I've vaguely heard quite a few voices in the court urging the Emperor to depose you, saying how can the Empress of Yu be a daughter of Xia... Sister... I'm truly afraid." "We are now like a lone boat on the sea, with no one to rely on, no one to lean on... Whether Xia wins or Yu wins, it brings me no benefit at all." The Empress said calmly, "Do you still remember who you are?" Consort Wen was taken aback. The Empress's gaze was cold. "Ben Gong is the Empress of Yu, and you are a consort of Yu." "All of this has been unchangeable since the moment we set foot on Yu territory." "Remember your identity, and you will no longer feel flustered." Consort Wen looked at the Empress in bewilderment. "Does sister mean... we must completely abandon our motherland?" The Empress's narrow, elongated eyes betrayed not a trace of emotion. "What, did your motherland ever show you even a shred of pity?" Those words struck Consort Wen's heart like a knife. Consort Wen had no choice but to face the truth. Her motherland had treated her as a pawn from the very beginning, and had abandoned her without hesitation. Her sister, single-mindedly focused on securing her position as Empress of Yu, cared not at all whether Xia lived or died. But she had only just come from Xia. She still harbored lingering attachment to her motherland, held no deep feelings for Yu, and lacked the rock-solid position the Empress enjoyed. She was like a withered leaf in the midst of wind and rain, not knowing where she would be blown. Consort Wen wanted to make one last struggle: "Sister, are you not worried about Mother Consort and your imperial brother, who remain far away in Yu?" Only then did a flicker of emotion seem to stir in the Empress's eyes, but it returned to calm in an instant. The Empress said, "What I owed her, I already repaid in full back when I came to Yu for the peace marriage." Those words signified that the Empress held not a trace of lingering attachment to Yu. Consort Wen could only return in disappointment, sitting in her own chamber and agonizing through half the night, before finally falling into a restless sleep. After seeing Consort Wen off, the Empress sent someone to summon Xie Run to Fengyi Palace. Xie Run was somewhat surprised when she suddenly received the summons. Ever since her "serious injury," the Empress had excused her from performing formal greetings. She also forbade anyone from the Six Palaces from visiting to inquire after her health. Given the Empress's nature, she would never seek out Xie Run without good reason. Xie Run went to Fengyi Palace with doubts in her heart. As soon as she entered, she saw Tinghe attending to the Empress as she took her medicine. Xie Run grew even more puzzled. The Empress—though she appeared petite in stature and gentle in temperament—was in truth a very strong-willed person. During the early stages of her last pregnancy, her body had been beset by all sorts of discomfort, yet she had endured it all without letting a single word slip. Even when she could no longer hold on in the later stages, she still insisted on putting up a strong front before others. After her miscarriage, rumors that her constitution had been severely depleted never ceased, yet the Empress never once revealed the slightest sign of weakness before outsiders. And now, she was actually drinking her medicine in front of Xie Run. Xie Run was filled with confusion, but could only suppress it in her heart as she slowly performed the formal greeting: "This concubine pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress." "Has Your Majesty been well these days?" The Empress finished her medicine and slowly ate a candied date to suppress the bitterness in her mouth. After a moment, she said slowly, "Not very well." Xie Run: "...Your Majesty must still take care of your health. No matter how great the matter, nothing is more important than your own body." Xie Run was actually worried that the Empress might be fretting over the war between the two nations, causing her already fragile health to deteriorate further. In ancient times, it was not uncommon for people to fall ill from melancholy. The Empress said, "I know my own body well." "The reason I called you here today is that I have recently felt my strength waning, unable to manage the Six Palaces. I wished to ask you—would you be willing to assist me in overseeing the Six Palaces?" Xie Run was momentarily at a loss for words. The Empress, aware of Xie Run's concerns, said in a calm voice, "This is my own decision. If you are willing, I will go and plead with the Emperor." Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "Consort Wen is Your Majesty's own sister. If Your Majesty is unwell, why not instruct Consort Wen to assist you in managing the Six Palaces?" The Empress answered directly, "Cirui lacks authority and is not decisive enough in her actions. She cannot command the respect of the concubines of the Six Palaces." Upon careful consideration, if someone were to assist the Empress in managing the Six Palaces, it truly could only be Xie Run. After all, she held the highest rank, enjoyed the Emperor's favor, and had a son—she was capable of keeping the concubines of the Six Palaces in check. The Empress said, "I know you do not care for the trivial affairs of the Six Palaces. Had I not been at my limit, I would not have burdened you with this." "You managed the Prince's residence quite well in the past, and I trust both your ability and your character." Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "I would merely be assisting Your Majesty. If I can share some of Your Majesty's burdens, I am willing to give it a try." The Empress nodded. "These days, the Emperor has been busy with matters of the court and rarely visits the harem. I have not seen the Fifth Prince in a long while. Has he been well lately?" A faint smile graced Xie Run's face. "He is well. He has grown a bit taller. Tomorrow, I shall bring him to pay respects to Your Majesty." "You are still recovering from your injuries; there is no need to rush the visit." The Empress's tone softened considerably. "The Emperor often says you raise your child well. Focus on him, and there is no need to come pay respects frequently. Young children need plenty of rest to grow properly." "I thank Your Majesty on behalf of the Fifth Prince for your concern." The two continued chatting about matters of the harem. When Xie Run noticed the Empress's face showing signs of fatigue, she took the initiative to take her leave.