At this moment, only Zhao Zheng and Noble Consort Li remained in the sleeping quarters of Youning Palace.
Noble Consort Li’s beauty was in no way inferior to Empress Qian’s; there was an exotic allure to her features that made her even more stunning and delicate. It was a pity that such a ravishing woman was already a wife and a mother. Although Zhao Zheng felt a twinge of regret, he decided to exercise his imperial authority to avoid giving himself away.
The Emperor of Dazhen was notorious in the inner palace for being a lecher. If he didn't make a scene in Youning Palace, he would certainly invite suspicion.
"My beloved consort, why do you not look happy to see me?"
Noble Consort Li shook her head hurriedly. "Your Majesty, I am overjoyed that you have come, but there is so much gossip in the palace that I truly have no face to see you."
Zhao Zheng looked at Noble Consort Li tenderly, his hand gently caressing her incomparably delicate cheek. "You have suffered, my love. It was I who neglected you before."
Hearing these words from Zhao Zheng, the grievances in Noble Consort Li’s heart became unbearable, and tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.
"Your Majesty..."
Zhao Zheng gently pulled her into an embrace and comforted her. "Don't cry. With me here, I shall be your rock from now on!"
When he had first entered Youning Palace, Zhao Zheng had already decided how to act like a true emperor. Since the Emperor of Dazhen had previously doted solely on Consort De, he would do the exact opposite—neglect her, making her and the Empress suspicious of one another, leaving them unable to fathom his intentions, and thereby causing them to fall into disarray.
For Zhao Zheng, Noble Consort Li was a stepping stone he could use to establish his position and gain a firm foothold in the imperial palace. Based on the information he had gathered, many of the eunuchs and palace maids had been bought off by powerful figures at court. Only Youning Palace remained a quiet sanctuary where he could finally get a good night's sleep.
"Your Majesty, I feel as if all of this is a dream."
Zhao Zheng wiped the tears from her face and said softly, "It was I who listened to slanders and wronged you in the past. From this day forward, I will make it up to you."
Tears already streaming down her face, Noble Consort Li looked at Zhao Zheng’s handsome profile, sobbing uncontrollably. "Your Majesty... I am so afraid that I will wake up and everything will be as it was before."
Zhao Zheng gripped her hand tightly and smiled. "My dear, it is getting late. Let us rest. I will stay here with you; I am not going anywhere."
The silk curtains of the bed were drawn, and the candles in the chamber were extinguished. In the quiet of Youning Palace, the sounds of intimacy continued through the night.
...
After a night of passion, Noble Consort Li’s face was flushed and radiant, as if bathed in the spring breeze. She had experienced pleasure like never before. It seemed the Emperor had become even more formidable than he used to be. She never imagined that after such a serious illness, he would become even more vigorous.
Zhao Zheng did not wake up until the sun was high in the sky; he didn't care about the morning court at all. According to Cao Zhengchun’s briefing, the Emperor of Dazhen was not a diligent monarch; he usually sent Wei Zhongxiang to represent him and go through the motions at the morning court, while he spent his days and nights in the inner palace, drowning in indulgence. This life of a decadent ruler was more comfortable than he had imagined.
However, after waking up at noon that day, Zhao Zheng decided to do something earth-shattering.
Seeing him awake, Noble Consort Li, dressed in her undergarments, prepared to help him dress.
"My love, you are my woman; such trivial matters should be left to the servants."
Noble Consort Li’s face flushed red, and a happy smile appeared on her lips. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. But in my palace, there are no other servants to use besides Qingniao, who has been with me for many years."
Speaking of her sorrowful situation, she bit her lip, her face filled with grief. Ever since the Emperor had heard the rumors that she was of foreign descent, he had never come to Youning Palace again. The once-bustling palace had nearly become a desolate cold palace. Once the servants left, they were not only short-handed, but even their basic supplies of food and clothing were no longer provided. They could only eat the leftovers of others, and for clothing, they could only choose the inferior fabrics left behind by everyone else.
She and her maid were bullied by everyone in the palace. From the consorts down to the lowest maids and eunuchs, anyone could trample on them; they lived lives worse than pigs or dogs. Noble Consort Li had once thought of taking her own life to end it all, but her family still served at court, and their fates were intertwined. If she lost her status in the palace, her family would find it even harder to survive at court. For the past two years, she had endured the insults and swallowed her bitterness.
Zhao Zheng’s brow furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "You are my beloved consort. Who gave them the right to disregard the hierarchy like this?"
Noble Consort Li lowered her head and sighed, "Your Majesty, I have grown used to it. Just let me serve you as you dress."
Zhao Zheng hardened his expression and shouted toward the door of the chamber, "Someone come here!"
Noble Consort Li wanted to say more but held back as her personal maid, Qingniao, entered with a meal. Qingniao brought over the leftovers from the Imperial Kitchen and immediately knelt on the floor.
"Let this servant help Your Majesty dress."
Zhao Zheng looked at the cold leftovers on the table, a chilling intensity in his eyes. "Do you eat these things every day?"
Qingniao kept her head low, full of grievance. "Ever since the mistress lost favor, the people at the Imperial Kitchen have only provided leftovers. They don't even send ordinary snacks to the palace."
Noble Consort Li had served him so well last night; it was time for him to vent his anger on her behalf. It was time to replace those eunuchs and palace maids in the inner palace! Otherwise, how could he, as the Emperor, ever sleep soundly?
"Wei Zhongxiang, get in here!"
Both Qingniao and Noble Consort Li were shocked by Zhao Zheng’s sudden change in demeanor. Outside the chamber, Wei Zhongxiang heard the summons and felt as if he were facing a catastrophe. He stepped into the room with extreme caution and prostrated himself on the ground, not even daring to breathe loudly.
"This old servant is here."
The Emperor of Dazhen had never exerted such intense pressure on Wei Zhongxiang before. This was an innate imperial aura that inspired awe and struck terror into the heart.
"I ask you: who arranged for the Noble Consort to eat such meager food? Who cut off her provisions for food and clothing? And who left her without a single servant to attend to her? These matters fall under the Inner Court; how have you been doing your job?"
Wei Zhongxiang shuddered, not daring to lift his head. "It is this old servant who has failed the Noble Consort! This servant deserves to die! I beg for Your Majesty’s punishment!"
Wei Zhongxiang dared not offer any excuses; he could only lie on the ground and plead guilty. At this moment, any explanation would seem pale and weak; it was better to let the Emperor vent his anger by scolding him. Besides, the reason Noble Consort Li had been treated this way was because the Emperor had tacitly approved of it. Otherwise, not one of the palace maids or eunuchs would have dared to bully a noble consort!
But as the supreme Son of Heaven, how could he admit in front of others that it had all been his own doing? Otherwise, where would his imperial dignity be? As the Emperor’s personal eunuch, Wei Zhongxiang understood this well and naturally took the blame for him.
"Wei Zhongxiang, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself! I want you to round up every eunuch and palace maid in the inner palace who has bullied the Noble Consort, interrogate them strictly, and mete out their sentences!"
Hearing Zhao Zheng’s order, Wei Zhongxiang was stunned. In this inner palace, besides himself, the Emperor's personal eunuch, which servant had not bullied the Noble Consort? The Emperor, in his desire to vent his anger for the Noble Consort, was planning a massacre.
When the Son of Heaven is enraged, a million corpses will fall!