tallest building

"What's wrong with Your Highness today? Are you feeling unwell? Should we call a royal physician to take a look?" Chunying asked Yu Lu quietly.

"Go and serve dinner first!" Yu Lu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll ask again later."

When the imperial decree for dinner arrived, the Empress suddenly asked, "Will Your Majesty still be having dinner at Mingjing Palace tonight?"

"Uh...this servant doesn't know either. I'll have someone ask later," Yu Lu said.

"No need." The Empress picked up her chopsticks. "Just go and tell the Emperor that I have something to say to him."

"Yes, Your Highness will serve her dinner and then I will go," Yu Lu replied.

The Empress found the meal tasteless and bland. She knew it was made by Zhang Ma, and she usually found Zhang Ma's cooking very delicious, but now it tasted strange.

She knew it was her imagination; even if they wanted to poison her, they wouldn't do it so obviously.

By the time the Emperor arrived at the Empress's palace, it was already completely dark.

"How are you feeling today? Has your headache returned?" the Emperor asked the Empress as soon as he entered, his expression no different from usual.

Despite the Empress's careful observation, she had to admit that the Emperor truly did not show his emotions.

of course there are exceptions.

That was Shen Fu.

The Emperor's expressions were always exceptionally vivid when he was in her presence. He would laugh heartily, or he would furrow his brows tightly.

This is what makes the Empress most uncomfortable. Before Shen Fu, she thought that the Emperor also had feelings for her and liked her.

She felt that the Emperor and she treated each other with the utmost respect, which was the model of a perfect couple.

But she later realized that being truly in love wasn't like that.

"Perhaps it's because of the cold weather, I feel a bit chilly," the Empress smiled. "There was a mutton soup at dinner, which I found very comforting."

"It's September now, we should add charcoal braziers to the house, and we should indeed eat some mutton to nourish ourselves," the Emperor said, sitting down.

"Has Your Majesty had dinner yet?" the Empress asked with a smile. "Did you stay with Consort Wen again?"

"I haven't gone to her place yet," the Emperor said calmly. "Isn't she serving the Empress?"

"I thought she must be tired from serving His Majesty these days, so I didn't ask her to come here," the Empress said. "Then His Majesty will still go there to sleep tonight, won't he?"

“It’s the same here,” the Emperor said. “It’s just that you’re always a light sleeper, and I’m afraid of disturbing you.”

The Empress smiled and said nothing more.

"What business do you have with me?" the Emperor asked her.

"Your Majesty, Princess Zhuolahan pleaded with me for a long time today, asking if she could take the fourth young master of the Gong family with her when she returns to the grasslands next year, so he could stay for a while." The Empress began to probe.

The Emperor frowned upon hearing this: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? If Gong Chang'an leaves, who will be Ying Shan's study companion?"

“That’s what I thought too, but Jolahan’s pleas were so pitiful,” the Queen said. “I couldn’t bear to refuse her outright.”

"Children are always like this. After she returns to the grasslands, she will probably calm down gradually," the Emperor said.

"Alas! It seems that Zhuolahan is very fond of Gong Chang'an. It's a pity that their statuses are not compatible," the Empress sighed.

"They're all still young! Right now, they're just playing together and can't bear to be apart. When they grow up, marriage will be a different story," the Emperor said. "Zhuolahan is quite willful, but Gong Chang'an should know his limits."

"Yes! This child is so good. I often think how wonderful it would be if His Majesty could have such a son." The Empress sighed. "If Tan'er were still alive, he would be even older than her." "Your Majesty, don't think about such sad things. It's just the season. People's moods tend to be a bit low in autumn. The more this happens, the more you need to restrain yourself." The Emperor advised. "How about this? I'll stay with you tonight, so you won't overthink things."

The Queen choked up, as if something had shattered and could never be put back together, yet she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she gazed at the scattered fragments on the ground.

"Consort Wen, His Majesty has sent word that he is staying at the Empress's palace tonight, and that you should also rest early!" Qi Yu came to Wen Mingqian's palace to deliver the message.

"I understand, Eunuch Qi." Wen Mingqian said with a slight smile, "It's getting cold. I have some freshly brewed red ginseng tea here. Please have a cup before you go back."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. This servant is a lowly person, I'm used to it, I don't feel cold at all," Qi Yu hurriedly said.

"Eunuch Qi, please don't stand on ceremony." Zhao Changming walked over with a cup of red ginseng tea, his face full of smiles. "It's just a cup of tea, it won't take much effort."

"Then thank you very much, Consort Wen." Qi Yu smiled and accepted the tea. "This tea is brewed very well, with an amber-like luster."

"Eunuch Zhao, please see Eunuch Qi out properly." After Qi Yu finished his tea, Wen Ming asked Zhao Changming to see him out.

"My lord, is His Majesty not coming over here today?" Xiaoyue asked. "Would you like to rest?"

"I'll go check on Chang'an first," Wen Mingqian said. "I'll come back after I've settled him in to sleep."

The wind picked up at night, and then it started to rain.

The queen lay there motionless, her eyes wide open in the darkness.

The Emperor was fast asleep, his breathing deep and even.

The Empress couldn't remember how long it had been since the Emperor had stayed overnight in her palace. He was always busy with state affairs and said he was afraid of disturbing her.

Of course, the Emperor usually stayed in his own palace and didn't stay overnight in any of the concubines' palaces. So the Empress didn't feel uncomfortable before, after all, they were already an old married couple.

The sound of raindrops tapping on the steps outside was like a small hammer, constantly striking the Queen's heart.

She used to love listening to the sound of rain; the monotonous rustling always made her sleepy.

So she really likes rainy days and looks forward to them.

But the rain now only made her feel irritable and helpless. She felt that the sound of the rain was like tears, crying out about her past.

The past of a devoted woman.

She turned her face to the side, trying to rest her head on the emperor's shoulder.

When she was young, she liked to snuggle like this, as if a small boat was moored at the dock.

But as soon as she approached, the emperor turned over and mumbled something in his sleep.

The queen missed her target and gave a silent, bitter smile in the darkness.

In the end, she was just deluding herself.

What should I do?
She kept asking herself, what should I do?
She didn't know how long she had been thinking, but in her hazy state, she seemed to catch a whiff of the fragrance of cold plum blossoms.

She would never forget that scent, the fragrance emanating from Shen Fu, until her death.

"Your Majesty, your death is near. My son will avenge me, and I will make your Dong family pay for their crimes in blood!" Shen Fu, covered in blood and with a ferocious expression, stretched out her hands towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" the Empress cried out, sitting up abruptly. (End of Chapter)