Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C131

The morning sunlight seemed to gild Emperor Qianwu, rendering him dazzling and mesmerizing to behold.

It only served to deepen the cast of his gaze, highlighting his majestic dignity, making him seem almost otherworldly.

Wushuang remained still, leaving Little Quanzi to approach.

"…Madam said she wished to see the palace where Your Majesty conducts affairs of state, so this humble servant brought Madam here to take a look."

Emperor Qianwu's eyes flickered. "Bring her over."

And then he left.

Before long, Wushuang appeared in Zichen Hall.

Unlike Rouyi Hall, the interior of Zichen Hall was as grand and imposing as its exterior, solemn and dignified. The golden brick floor gleamed brightly, with a hint of slipperiness.

Led by Little Quanzi, Wushuang traversed a long corridor, arriving at a side hall.

Reaching this point, Little Quanzi could no longer accompany her. Wushuang entered with her eyes lowered.

The hall was utterly silent. She raised her eyes slightly and saw a desk directly in front of her. Seated on the dragon throne behind the desk was Emperor Qianwu.

She felt a sudden, inexplicable tension. Though it should have been a familiar face, it exuded a sense of unfamiliarity, so much so that instead of simply curtsying, she embarrassingly knelt.

"This subject greets Your Majesty."

For a long while, no one spoke from the seat of honor, nor was she bidden to rise. She could only kneel there, prostrate. She felt a gaze upon her back, the skin on the back of her neck prickling with a faint, stinging sensation.

"Rise."

The familiar voice held a hint of metallic resonance. While fearful, Wushuang also felt a sense of relief. Indeed, Emperor Qianwu was Emperor Qianwu; he was himself.

"You came…"

Wushuang quickly lowered her head and said, "I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness. This concubine was merely curious for a moment and inadvertently wandered nearby, with no intention of disturbing Your Majesty."

The person behind the desk looked taken aback, then his face darkened.

She was still saying, "This concubine will take her leave now."

Having said that, she left.

Left?

Fusheng, who was beside him, was also bewildered by Wushuang's series of actions. He stole a glance at His Majesty's expression, and his face was frighteningly dark.

What on earth is Madam doing?

"Send someone to ensure she doesn't leave the palace today."

Fusheng was taken aback, and hurriedly acknowledged the order before going to carry it out.

It had to be said, Emperor Qianwu had truly grasped Wushuang's temperament.

She really was planning to leave the palace.

Fortunately, the person Fusheng sent was quick. When Wushuang proposed leaving the palace, she received the reply, 'His Majesty wishes Madam to remain in the palace for the day.'

Because the other party spoke ambiguously, Wushuang had no way of knowing whether the order had been issued earlier or just now. At this moment, she was in no mood to think about it; her mind was filled with the idea of a dual-soul disorder, two people in one body.

If Wushuang was initially shocked and surprised, after a period of contemplation and a probing test, she was no longer so flustered.

Two souls it is then. She would just treat them as two separate people. Emperor Qianwu was Emperor Qianwu, and Ji Yang was Ji Yang. Having met him today, Emperor Qianwu was indeed dignified and extraordinary, while Ji Yang would never possess such majesty.

It wasn't that Ji Yang was inferior to Emperor Qianwu; it was probably that the two had already gone through a series of adjustments, and Wushuang felt that she now had some understanding of Ji Yang's personality.

He was somewhat capricious, liked to punish her, and often threw inexplicable tantrums, but he was actually quite good to her, at least he didn't make her afraid.

But Emperor Qianwu was different. When Wushuang looked at him just now, she felt that he was like a god in the heavens, who would never descend to the mortal realm and have any interaction with her.

To Emperor Qianwu, she was perhaps just a stranger.

Wushuang once again felt that she was right not to enter the palace. If she had entered the palace, what would she be? A concubine of Emperor Qianwu, or of Ji Yang? It would be an inextricable mess.

Having understood these things, Wushuang felt much more relaxed, and the confusion and panic that Song You had brought her were swept away.

Seeing that there was nothing to do, she asked Linglong to bring her needlework basket.

Indeed, as she frequented Rouyi Hall, the items she kept there gradually increased. Things like needlework and storybooks to pass the time—she had a set here, for her to use when bored.

He arrived close to noon.

Wushuang saw that he was still wearing his court attire, but his expression was familiar to her. She was about to step down from the couch to offer her greetings when he gently held her back.

"Your Majesty."

Emperor Qianwu sat down on the other side, and a chamberlain served tea.

He picked up the teacup, skimmed the froth, took a sip, and said casually, "You went to Zichen Hall today?"

How could he know?

Wushuang grumbled inwardly, her mind recalling Song You's warning.

"In this world, no more than three people should know about this matter, because those who knew were dealt with by the late Emperor and His Majesty. Madam must not reveal anything upon hearing this."

Since she couldn't let him know that she knew, what should she say?

Wushuang pondered for a moment and said, "This concubine was merely curious and accidentally wandered nearby. I didn't expect to encounter Your Majesty. I hope this concubine didn't disturb Your Majesty?"

Emperor Qianwu's gaze became meaningful.

What kind of person was he? From Wushuang's hesitation just now, and the two different things she had said before and now, he could roughly guess what she was thinking.

'He' intended to reveal the truth, but he had not made any attempt to stop it. On the contrary, he had fueled the flames, wanting to see her true intentions.

Who knew that she would save him the trouble? Could it be that her way of distinguishing them was that he would come to Rouyi Hall, while the other personality would not?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Mei Wushuang didn't know how he knew she had been to Zichen Hall. Perhaps that person had told him, or perhaps he had been there at the time?

It was too chaotic. Mei Wushuang couldn't figure it out at all and could only choose the safest and most conservative approach.

She hurriedly snuggled up to him, nestled into his arms, and said softly, "Your Majesty, are you angry with this concubine?"

He lowered his eyes to look at her. Her eyes were slightly red, and her expression was somewhat uneasy.

She was timid, like a snail. If you touched her antennae, she would retreat back into her shell. He had nurtured her for so long, and she had only revealed a little of her true nature.

In fact, it didn't surprise him that she would use this kind of self-deceiving thought to deceive herself. If she didn't think this way, how else would she think? She didn't understand, and wouldn't understand for a while. He was still too hasty.

He sighed, and the anger that had been hidden in his heart inexplicably dissipated.

He pulled her close, embraced her, and stroked her back.

"Why would this Emperor be angry with you? Have the meal prepared."

And so, this matter passed.

Wushuang was unaware of these undercurrents, and the two men shared a tacit understanding. Although they both knew what the other was thinking, due to Wushuang's accidental intervention, that layer of window paper was ultimately not pierced.

The imperial concubines in the harem, however, became increasingly anxious. How long had it been since His Majesty last stepped into the harem?

Although it had been like this before, there was a saying: 'People do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality.' If everyone was neglected, then everyone was neglected. But now, when the entire palace was neglected, except for one place that was flooded, wouldn't that be conspicuous, glaring, and heartbreaking?

Only the Empress was very happy. No matter who sowed discord in her ears, she turned a deaf ear and would occasionally call Wushuang over to say some kind words.

It was no wonder she was happy. Although the palace was currently experiencing a drought where some were about to die of thirst and others were flooded to death, the flooded area would definitely grow seedlings, depending on when.

Moreover, Consort Hui had always opposed her in the past. The last time Wushuang was injured, His Majesty seemingly did nothing on the surface, but after a while, Consort Hui was inexplicably reprimanded by His Majesty twice. Now, Consort Hui was much more obedient.

The Empress did not think that Consort Hui had the brains to do such a thing, but it was clear that His Majesty was deliberately suppressing Consort Hui.

Why suppress Consort Hui?

Naturally, to elevate her, the Empress's, position.

Only when her position as Empress was elevated could she suppress the various concubines in the palace, each with their own thoughts, and protect her good cousin who was Lady Fengtian.

After the Empress understood Emperor Qianwu's meaning, she was saddened for a while, but her cleverness lay in knowing what was best for her. Could feeling uncomfortable in her heart compare to having the advantage in the situation? If she could gain many benefits by simply suppressing jealousy and resentment, these meaningless emotions, she didn't mind doing so.

Besides, it was still uncertain who would emerge victorious.

As long as she had patience, as long as she had patience...

***

On this day, the Empress summoned Wushuang to speak.

Before they could exchange two sentences, an imperial physician walked in from outside the door.

Seeing this, Wushuang immediately stood up, intending to use this as an excuse to leave, but who knew that she would be stopped by the Empress.

"Director Lian came to take this Majesty's pulse for a routine check-up. Third Sister, don't leave. Let Director Lian take your pulse as well, while he's here."

Mei Wushuang glanced at the Empress warily.

Seeing this, the Empress gave a bitter smile and said, "Director Lian is the Director of the Imperial Hospital. Does Third Sister think this Majesty could manipulate him to do something? This Majesty is merely concerned about your health. You often come and go from the palace, where there are many hidden dangers. It's always good to have the imperial physician take your pulse regularly."

For the Empress to say such words was quite frank. If she refused again, it would be seen as her lacking discernment. After all, Wushuang knew that the Empress had 'blocked' many knives for her.

What Wushuang couldn't easily say was that, in reality, someone took her pulse every so often—His Majesty's personal imperial physician.

At that moment, Director Lian was being led in.

First, he took the Empress's pulse. After taking it, he spoke of the Empress's sleep, qi deficiency, and blood-related issues. It was probably the same old story. He didn't prescribe anything, only telling her to continue with the same prescription.

Afterward, the Empress took the opportunity to have Director Lian take a routine pulse reading for Wushuang as well.

For some reason, after glancing at Wushuang, Director Lian's expression became much more solemn. He asked a palace maid for a handkerchief to cleanse his hands before placing it over Wushuang's wrist and beginning to take her pulse.

It was his first time taking her pulse, and unfamiliar with her pulse condition, it was inevitable that it would take a little longer.

Wushuang remained composed, but the Empress revealed a look of anxiety, saying, "Director Lian, is there something wrong with my sister's health?"

Director Lian withdrew his hand and respectfully removed the handkerchief from her wrist, saying, "Madam's health is not seriously affected, it's just that her kidney qi is slightly insufficient..."

Pausing at this point, he added, "She should still pay attention to matters of the bedchamber and not overindulge. However, Madam seems to be taking some qi-boosting medicine, so she should continue to take it. There are no other problems."

Wushuang's face flushed red in an instant.

The Empress was stunned for a moment, but then breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that there's nothing wrong. Just now, when I saw Director Lian taking your pulse for so long, I thought something was amiss."

Director Lian explained that it was his first time taking her pulse, so it inevitably took a little longer, and then he withdrew.

"It puts my mind at ease that you are healthy. I'm just afraid that something might happen to you, and His Majesty would blame me," the Empress said with a hidden meaning.

Wushuang returned a restrained smile. After exchanging a few more bland pleasantries, Wushuang left.

After Wushuang left, Director Lian was led back in.

He hadn't left yet, evidently the Empress still had something to say to him.

"Director Lian, tell this Majesty the truth, is there truly nothing wrong with my younger sister's health?"

Director Lian paused for a moment, then said, "This subject guarantees with his position as Director, that Lady Fengtian's health is very robust. Although her kidney qi is somewhat insufficient, it has no major impact."

"Then why is she not yet pregnant?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Empress realized she had misspoke, and quickly added, "This Majesty is also concerned about His Majesty's heirs. Director Lian should be able to understand."

Director Lian quickly said, "Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous! In this subject's opinion, with Lady Fengtian's health, conceiving a royal heir is only a matter of time. Your Majesty need not worry."

"Then I am relieved. Hupo, see Director Lian out."