Dong Gong Mei

Zhao Xiwei had no idea about the conspiracy in the deep palace. Her memory was incomplete, and she only knew that she was once Li Xuanye's woman, and that she was involved in a case that would have resulted in the execution of nine generations of her clan. Now she was brought back to the palace by him.

Facing the food on the table, she had no appetite at all. She picked up a piece of rose cake, ate half a bite, and didn't want to eat anymore.

Su Yu held a bowl of chicken soup and advised, "Madam, please eat something."

She scooped a spoonful with a spoon and brought it to Zhao Xiwei's lips, coaxing her softly, "This is the black chicken ginseng soup that His Majesty specially ordered the imperial kitchen to make. It uses wild ginseng tributed from Xiliang, which is the most nourishing."

Zhao Xiwei tilted his head slightly, avoiding her hand, and asked, "Where is your Majesty? What exactly does he want to do to me?"

He captured her that night and locked her up in this side hall. He did not interrogate her coldly as she had guessed, nor did they rekindle their old relationship as the rumors had said - he just locked her up here, ignored her, and kept her well fed and well-drinked.

Zhao Xiwei looked up outside. The sun was shining brightly and the imperial guards on duty had just changed shifts. Counting the days, it was already the fifth day.

Su Yu said respectfully: "My lady, I don't know."

"So how is my Uncle Liu?" Zhao Xiwei tried to find out more.

"This slave doesn't know."

Zhao Xiwei was feeling upset, but couldn't get angry at a maid, so she stood up and walked out.

Su Yu held the chicken soup and quickly followed him to the corridor, saying, "My wife is injured, you should take good care of her--"

Zhao Xiwei couldn't stand it any longer, turned around and glared coldly: "Either back off or shut up!"

Su Yu's face flashed with surprise, but it was fleeting. She lowered her eyebrows and said, "This is for my lady's good."

"So you're watching me all day long?"

Su Yu quickly knelt down straight and said, "I was wrong."

The Purple Palace is the center of the entire imperial palace and the highest point of all palaces. Standing on the corridor of the side palace, you can have a panoramic view of all the palaces and the magnificent atmosphere of the royal family.

The new emperor did not like colorful flowers, so after he ascended the throne, he ordered all the potted plants around the palace to be removed.

Without the gorgeous decorations, it looks even more simple and solemn.

Zhao Xiwei stood in the corridor and looked into the distance. The wide square was like an endless cage, trapping all her hopes.

She had just found a few clues when she was intercepted by His Majesty the Emperor.

Now, not only has she lost contact with the Zhao family, she can't even find out whether Liu Jishan is dead or alive.

At this moment, she hated her memory very much. Why could she suddenly forget everything? She had no impression of anyone or anything in the palace, which was very disadvantageous.

"I know I was wrong, I deserve to die." Su Yu was still apologizing, looking like she was kneeling for a long time and couldn't get up.

"You really deserve to die." Zhao Xi narrowed her eyes slightly, "His Majesty ordered you to serve me, and this is how you serve me? You don't let me talk properly, and you don't let me walk around?" She raised the corners of her lips, "Or do you think I've committed a crime, so you can't do anything to you?"

Su Yu raised her head, with fear and worry in her eyes: "Madam, if you are unhappy, you can come to me with your anger, but if His Majesty comes, you must not be angry with His Majesty..." She lowered her eyes, hesitated for a long time, and then whispered, "Your Majesty...is not in a good mood..." She raised her eyes again, very earnestly, "Madam, listen to my advice, and go back to the palace quickly."

Zhao Xiwei ignored her and walked along the corridor. When she reached the corner, she suddenly saw a red figure striding towards her from the square in the distance.

Zhao Xi raised his eyebrows slightly.

She had lost a part of her memory and could not recognize many people in the palace, but she was absolutely familiar with the figure in front of her - Gu Yuci.

Whenever this woman confronted her, she would either mock her or make things difficult for her. Today, she suddenly came straight to this side hall. How could she know that she was not coming for her?
Zhao Xiwei was about to avoid it and just as she lifted the hem of her skirt, someone pulled her sleeve.

"Madam..." Zhao Xi raised his eyes slightly and suddenly saw someone walking towards him from the left.

She was wearing a green silk skirt, a pink shawl, carrying a food box, and walking gracefully. Although she was not as graceful as Gu Yuci, she still looked pitiful in my eyes.

Zhao Xiwei understood immediately - Li Xuanye had been on the throne for some time, but the harem was empty. The two women who were most likely to serve him, Gu Yuci and He Manzhi, were neither high nor low, and were not given any positions.

Could it be that he is here to invite favor?

Thinking of that Emperor, Zhao Xiwei couldn't help but feel a chill on his back.

Such a cold-blooded person...

After the morning court session, the emperor did not return to his bedroom, but went straight to Tai'an Palace to pay his respects to the retired emperor.

Tai'an Palace was quiet and dry, and it was close to the Imperial Medical Bureau. The boiled medicines were brought in like water, but there was no improvement at all. His condition was getting worse and worse. He was less awake and more drowsy all day.

The concubines who were attending to the emperor had red eyes and unstoppable sadness on their faces. In the past, they thought that no matter how difficult life in the deep palace was, they just endured it without knowing why. But now they have to wake up and face the reality: if the emperor is really gone, where should they go?
They have none of the following: offspring, youth, wealth...

The more they thought about it, the sadder they felt. They lowered their heads, and even when tears rolled out, they gritted their teeth and dared not make a sound, letting them fall silently on the carpet.

Li Xuanye was the calmest one among them. Except for shedding tears that day, he completely calmed down after receiving the edict of abdication.

The newly enthroned young emperor would visit the unconscious emperor on time every day. He would personally taste every soup, food and medicine. If the emperor was conscious, he would chat with him for a while, and usually he would talk while the emperor listened. If the emperor was asleep, the young emperor would hold his hand and watch over him quietly.

The eunuch Cao De was so distressed watching this that he mustered up the courage to try to persuade the emperor a few times. The emperor did not blame him for being too talkative nor did he have a stern face as usual. Instead, he nodded gently.

Cao De thought that it was rare in the world for the royal family's father and son to be able to do what the retired emperor and the new emperor did.

He bent his waist and secretly wiped the corners of his eyes. Suddenly, he heard the retired emperor wake up and call "My son" in a weak voice.

The entire hall was suddenly filled with a tense atmosphere. Everyone's hearts were in their throats. The concubines' shoulders and backs shook uncontrollably, and they let out mournful sobs from their stomachs.

"Your son is here." The new emperor's voice sounded, calm and steady, like a magic needle thrown into the surging waves, instantly smoothing out the fluctuating emotions in the hall.

He held the retired emperor's dry hand, and Princess Lingxi beside him sobbed and cried. He took Lingxi's hand again and pulled her to the bedside.

The Emperor stretched out his hand tremblingly, and hurriedly coaxed his most beloved daughter: "Don't cry, don't cry... don't cry..."

Lingxi tried to hold back, and was about to burst into tears, but Li Xuanye covered her mouth in time.

Lingxi bit his hand and swallowed back all the crying.

Li Xuanye spoke to the emperor in a calm tone as usual.

The retired emperor coughed for a long time before he managed to utter a few clear words: "...the heavenly book...the spell...the Zhao family..." He coughed violently again, his voice becoming more and more labored. He tightly grasped the new emperor's hand, almost risking his life, and spoke intermittently, "...kill...without...pardon..."

Li Xuanye seemed to be hurt by the bite, and his hand in Lingxi's mouth stiffened for a moment.

“My son, my son…” The emperor gasped and struggled to shout a few more times. He suddenly opened his eyes. His cloudy, bloodshot eyeballs looked like dry black holes. He grabbed Li Xuanye’s hand and asked, “Did you hear that?”

"My son heard it."

Everyone in the hall, including the imperial physician, imperial concubines, princesses, eunuchs, and palace maids, all heard the new emperor's response, which was calm, composed, and powerful.

Outside the palace gate, several old officials breathed a sigh of relief, only Gu Yong knelt on the ground as usual, his eyes lowered, and what caught his eyes was the new emperor's robe with mountains, rivers, sun and moon patterns. With the refracted sunlight outside, a hint of black sadness was finally reflected in his pupils. (End of this chapter)