Since publicly expressing his desire to abdicate, Yuwen Guang had been taking a less-is-more approach. He immediately waved his hand, “I wasn’t considerate enough. There’s no need for so many to serve the sick. The Empress is enough. The princes, their wives, and fourth brother can leave.”
The Great Empress Dowager was furious, throwing down her jade pillow. “I’m not dead yet, and you can’t wait for me to die? Have you ever seen a sick elder with only a granddaughter-in-law serving?”
Yuwen Guang expected her refusal and calmly replied, “Filial piety must be shown, but we must also be considerate of pregnant women. If anything happens, it would be against your blessings. Given the bad weather and locked palace gates, let my seventh sister-in-law rest in Lady Ji Hui’s quarters tonight.”
The Great Empress Dowager was outwitted by him, remembering the previously timid and submissive little boy who used to ask her about everything. She was filled with immense hatred. Such a good child, corrupted by following Yuwen Chu. She directed all her anger at Yuwen Guang’s biological mother, the former Consort Xu, now the Empress Dowager Xu.
“Consort Xu, come help me up,” she ordered.
Empress Dowager Xu, with cold hands and a forced smile, took a step forward. Yuwen Guang grabbed her sleeve, but she gently shook her head and firmly pried his hand away. She walked to the Great Empress Dowager’s side and softly asked, “Do you want to sit up, Your Highness?”
The Great Empress Dowager said nothing. As Empress Dowager Xu bent down to assist her, she spat in her face and harshly scolded, “How did you raise your son to dare to give away the great legacy left by our ancestors so casually? Even a prodigal son isn’t this generous. Who gave him that position? Did he ask me? Did he ask his father?”
Empress Dowager Xu seemed stunned and stepped back, tripping over her skirt and falling hard, hitting the back of her head and fainting on the spot.
Yuwen Guang was furious. He rushed over, cradling Empress Dowager Xu’s face, crying out, “Mother, Mother…” He then looked at the Great Empress Dowager, “How could you treat my mother like this?”
The Great Empress Dowager sneered, “You don’t want the throne anymore and still dare to call yourself Emperor? At most, you’ll be given a noble title, and the Xu family can only aspire to be Imperial Concubines. How dare she call herself Empress Dowager? Your father died early, and it’s a mother’s fault if the child is not taught well. How can I not scold her?”
Jiang Zhouzi entered at that moment, and Yuwen Guang asked him to treat Empress Dowager Xu. The Great Empress Dowager coldly commanded, “No! Come over here and tend to me first.”
Fu Zifei took a step forward to speak, but Yuwen Guang glared at her, “Fu Shi, if you say one wrong word, we are no longer husband and wife.”
Fu Zifei stood there awkwardly, softly persuading the Great Empress Dowager, “Great Empress Dowager, please don’t be angry. The Empress Dowager has always been very filial to you. If something happens to her, it won’t be good.”
The Great Empress Dowager glared at her without saying a word.
Jiang Zhouzi stepped forward to examine the Empress Dowager Xu and said bluntly, “She took quite a fall. She needs to lie still and be observed; otherwise, there might be internal bleeding in her brain.” Whether she was faking unconsciousness or death, it didn’t matter, as long as he was opposing the Great Empress Dowager, he was on his friend’s side.
Yuwen Guang didn’t even look at the Great Empress Dowager and immediately had the Empress Dowager Xu taken away. Huayang Wang, Yuwen Xin, took the opportunity to send Huayang Wangfei to Ji Hui. He also took a moment to say to Yuwen You, “Thank you.”
“It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning. I only ask that in the future, when I am on my deathbed, Seventh Brother speaks a few good words for me,” Yuwen You said bluntly, lowering his voice. “In your opinion, Seventh Brother, how much longer can she remain arrogant?”
The Great Empress Dowager’s arrogance persisted because she still had people under her command. Once those people were no longer there, could she still maintain her arrogance?
Yuwen Xin didn’t fully trust Yuwen You yet and just smiled.
Yuwen You’s gaze fell on County Prince Xiangcheng, Yuwen Nuo. Awakened by the recent commotion, Yuwen Nuo remained quiet and behaved sensibly, lying quietly in Consort Jing’s arms. He was exceptionally handsome and looked particularly endearing.
Yuwen Nuo, Yuwen Nuo. Did Emperor Zhengqian name him this just because he wanted him to be trustworthy? Yuwen You didn’t think so. He wondered whose promise this “trustworthiness” referred to. Consort Jing was young and beautiful, much more so than the mothers of the other princes. If Emperor Zhengqian hadn’t died so early, Yuwen Nuo might have had a chance to become the crown prince.
Now, with the young emperor not favored by the Great Empress Dowager, was she considering replacing him with another grandson? What would happen if this child had an accident?
Sensing Yuwen You’s gaze, Consort Jing tightened her hold on Yuwen Nuo, using her wide sleeves to shield him from Yuwen You’s view. Yuwen You smirked sarcastically. Did she think a sleeve could block the approach of death? It couldn’t.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Guang, having sent away Empress Dowager Xu, returned to the Great Empress Dowager’s bedside, filled with anger and wanting to say something harsh. But upon meeting her cold gaze, he couldn’t say anything. He could only mutter, “I’m tired. I need to rest. Take care, Grandmother.”
The Great Empress Dowager sneered, “Do you dare to be unfilial?”
“I don’t even want to be emperor anymore, and you don’t treat me like one. What else is there for me to care about?” Yuwen Guang, in a fit of reckless abandon, strode out of the hall. After the sedan chair had traveled a bit, he signaled the attendants to stop. From the window, he looked out and saw Ji Hui’s residence, a place of peace and tranquility, so different from here, like a refuge in a storm.
Jiang Youyuan understood his thoughts. “Your Majesty, with the wind and rain like this, would you like to go inside and have a cup of hot tea before continuing?”
Yuwen Guang shook his head. “No, my sister is a good person. It would harm her. Let’s go.”
It was Ji Hui again. Standing in the corridor, trying to stop Yuwen Guang, Fu Zifei saw this scene. She clenched her hand inside her sleeve, digging her nails into her palm. That ever-present Ji Hui—how could she make her die cleanly and beautifully?
Yes, she and Yuwen Guang were far apart in age, disliked each other, and hadn’t consummated their marriage. But Yuwen Guang was still her husband in name. Why did Ji Hui earn Yuwen Chu’s respect first and then Yuwen Guang’s affection? Even the Great Empress Dowager seemed to regard Ji Hui more highly. She couldn’t stand it.
That night was destined to be sleepless. After the storm raged all night, the wind and rain finally stopped at dawn. In the morning, ministers waiting outside Chongzheng Hall quietly discussed the sudden storm, believing that the rain would at least alleviate the drought.
Someone inadvertently looked up at the high Jiuzhou Terrace, then widened his eyes in horror, covering his mouth. His colleague noticed his reaction and asked softly, “What’s wrong?” The man could only point at Jiuzhou Terrace, unable to say a word.
