We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 608: I Wonder If Your Majesty Might Grant This Request?

Lingxin Palace.

Xiao Guo and the other maids all stood off to the side, watching their own Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had not slept at all through the entire night.

Xiao Guo and the other maids, too, felt as though caught in some strange, dreamlike haze.

Everything had seemed perfectly fine, just the night before yet, unexpectedly, on the way to Ning Xue Palace, the Empress Dowager had been "intercepted" by that Lord Yue, and in the end, "escorted" back into the palace.

Afterward, soldiers had stood guard outside the doors, preventing the Empress Dowager from leaving.

Fortunately, once the third watch had passed, His Majesty allowed the maids to move freely again, as though deliberately intending for the Empress Dowager to learn of what had happened.

Xiao Guo and the others, following the Empress Dowager's own instructions, went out to gather information, and in the end learned that the Chancellor had, remarkably, died during the banquet itself, and that members of the Yan faction throughout the court were now being systematically purged.

Xiao Guo had already served within the palace for seven or eight years now.

What it meant for His Majesty to have killed Chancellor Yan needed no further explanation and upon learning this, the Empress Dowager had simply sat, as she still did now, in the courtyard, without speaking a single word.

The maids of the palace dared not disturb the Empress Dowager.

"You may all withdraw. There's no need to keep watch here."

Xiao Mo's voice drifted faintly from beyond the gates of Lingxin Palace.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The four soldiers guarding the entrance of Lingxin Palace all cupped their hands in salute, then withdrew.

Xiao Mo, accompanied by Sili, walked slowly into Lingxin Palace.

"This servant pays respects to Your Majesty."

Seeing Xiao Mo arrive, the maids all bowed.

They lowered their heads, feeling toward the emperor before them not merely respect, but a certain fear as well.

Xiao Mo paid these maids no mind, instead walking forward, bowing respectfully to Empress Dowager Yan, “Your child pays respects to Mother!"

Empress Dowager Yan turned her head, looking at this adopted child of hers.

For some reason.

Though this adopted child of hers looked exactly the same as he always had yet, after a single night, this child seemed to have suddenly grown up, as though he had become an entirely different person.

In truth, the Empress Dowager understood that His Majesty was still the same emperor he had always been.

It was only that, before, His Majesty had always been swallowing his anger in silence, when in reality he had never once, in all this time, given up on restoring the imperial house.

"There's no need for such formality, Your Majesty." Empress Dowager Yan rose, helping Xiao Mo to his feet.

At first, upon hearing news of her own brother's death, the Empress Dowager had felt shock, grief, and confusion but after a full night had passed, the Empress Dowager's heart had settled into calm.

She felt that, from the moment her brother began doing those things, this outcome had perhaps already been set in motion.

"Is there something Your Majesty wishes to tell me?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"There are indeed some matters I must report to Mother."

Xiao Mo appeared, as always, dutifully filial.

"Last night, Yan Shan'ao attended the banquet, and after Mother left, he unexpectedly harbored treacherous intentions toward me. Fortunately, my own cultivation of the Dao gave me some means to resist, and moreover, Right Divine Might Army Commander Zeng Qiang had dispatched several Foundation Building realm death-sworn retainers to the palace to protect me. In the end, Yan Shan'ao was subdued and executed."

As he spoke, Xiao Mo let out a sigh.

"In ordinary times, I always held Foster Father in great respect. That he would do such a thing fills me with deep sorrow, and thinking of how Foster Father was Mother's own younger brother, I found myself, for a time, unsure how to even speak to Mother of this."

"In the end, having settled every matter, I felt I still needed to come and inform Mother, and I hope Mother will not blame your child for this."

"Your Majesty is my son, and the emperor of all Great Zhou. How could I possibly blame Your Majesty? What right would I even have to blame Your Majesty?" Empress Dowager Yan shook her head. "And besides, all of this happened because Shan'ao harbored treasonous intentions of his own. He betrayed the previous emperor's trust, and betrayed Your Majesty's trust as well. Today's events were not some accident, but a result long since destined to come."

With these words, the Empress Dowager lowered her head, bowing, “Regardless of everything else, Shan'ao remained my own younger brother. It was my own failure to discipline him properly that led to today's events. I ask Your Majesty to hold me accountable."

"Mother, these words are mistaken. What connection could Mother possibly have to today's events? All of this was Yan Shan'ao's own doing, brought upon himself. And besides, when has a child ever held a parent accountable? If I truly were to hold Mother accountable, how would the world view me? What would become of the dignity of the Great Zhou imperial house?"

Xiao Mo helped Empress Dowager Yan to her feet.

"From this day forward, Mother should continue as always, chatting and sharing tea with Ruxue and the others within the harem. I'll have Ruxue and the others come keep you company shortly."

"My thanks to Your Majesty."

Empress Dowager Yan smiled faintly.

"But regardless, I remain unable to fully escape responsibility in this matter. Going forward, harem affairs should be jointly managed by Ruxue and Siyao."

"Should the two of them have any disagreements they cannot resolve, I, as their mother-in-law, will step in to mediate."

"Beyond this, there is one more thing I wish to say, though I'm not sure whether it's appropriate to raise with Your Majesty."

Xiao Mo nodded, “Please, Mother, speak freely."

"Though both Ruxue and Siyao are excellent women, both capable of managing the harem in perfect order, regardless, the harem cannot remain without a mistress indefinitely. I ask that Your Majesty give careful consideration to the matter of appointing an empress."

Empress Dowager Yan spoke from the heart.

If the harem was not properly managed, it would drain an emperor's energy and attention considerably. She had come to understand this well enough during the previous emperor's reign.

"Your child understands, and will give it careful consideration. Is there anything else Mother wishes to say?" Xiao Mo continued asking.

"There is, in fact, one more matter, though this is a personal request of my own. Your Majesty may simply hear me out, and if it proves too difficult, then never mind it. I won't press the matter." The Empress Dowager said, after some thought.

"If it is within my power, I will certainly agree." Xiao Mo promised.

In truth, Xiao Mo's visit today served two purposes: first, to tell his mother that she should no longer think of stirring up trouble, and should simply remain peaceful and content, and that he would not do anything to her and besides, if he truly were to do something to this mother of his, legally recognized though she was, never mind how the world would view it, the Yan clan's affairs would become far more difficult to manage as well.

After all, no small number of the Yan clan served as officials at court.

And this mother of his held considerable standing within the Yan clan, which still included no small number of military officers holding real power. With Empress Dowager Yan's cooperation, his subsequent handling of matters would become considerably easier.

Given the Empress Dowager's current cooperative attitude, Xiao Mo felt considerably more at ease, and was not unwilling to grant her some harmless requests.

"Then I shall thank Your Majesty in advance."

The Empress Dowager bowed once more, speaking slowly.

"Going forward, I wish to recite Buddhist sutras, to pray for blessings upon Your Majesty and all of Great Zhou, praying that Heaven might grant our Great Zhou favorable weather and a bountiful harvest."

"And recently, I have heard that there is a great master of Buddhist teachings currently within the capital, who personally prayed for blessings upon Your Majesty on the very day of your wedding."

"If possible, I would like to invite her into the palace, to seek her instruction on Buddhist teachings. I wonder if Your Majesty might grant this request?"