Chapter 380: There’s No Helping It, I Have the Capital to Be Arrogant

Chapter 380: There's No Helping It, I Have the Capital to Be Arrogant

Seeing Tang Shuyi pay her respects, Li Jingyi quickly approached, "There is no need for such formalities."

Tang Shuyi looked at him with a smile, "One must not abandon propriety."

Even in modern times, not to mention the stern rituals of the past, she would respectfully attend to higher-ranking officials, so paying respects to Li Jingyi posed no burden on Tang Shuyi's conscience.

The two entered the Imperial Study together, and Tang Shuyi recounted the incidents between the Wu family and the Empress, then said, "Since Her Majesty wishes to see me, I shall pay her a visit."

Li Jingyi nodded, "I will have someone accompany you."

Tang Shuyi understood his concern and nodded with a smile, "Alright."

"I have had a draft of your official robe made. Since you are here today, take a look, and if it's not to your satisfaction, we can have it altered," Li Jingyi said with a smile.

Recognizing his kind gesture, Tang Shuyi naturally did not refuse and smiled in agreement. Li Jingyi summoned the palace tailor to present the draft of the robe to Tang Shuyi.

It must be said that the palace tailors are indeed of a different caliber; the style of the official robe, while similar in cut to the traditional male version, had been refined in detail, making it all the more exquisite.

"Very well," Tang Shuyi said with a smile after inspecting the garment.

Seeing her pleased, Li Jingyi’s smile grew wider. After the tailor had left, Tang Shuyi said to him, “I am willing to take the position of Imperial Preceptor, but I won't attend morning court. It's not that I fear those old fogies; it's just that I am lazy and do not wish to adhere to the strict schedule. However, I will not shirk the responsibilities that come with the role.”

Li Jingyi nodded in understanding; he had been prepared for this. Not just her, even Xiao Huai had hinted at retiring early. Although he disagreed, there was nothing he could do about it.

After conversing a bit more, Tang Shuyi rose to visit the Empress’s chambers. Ye Deben, the Grand Eunuch at Li Jingyi's side, followed her. Along the way, Ye Deben cautiously mentioned to Tang Shuyi, “His Majesty has been up late reviewing documents every night. He can’t go on like this; it's too much for his health. I’ve spoken, but to no avail. Perhaps you could mention it to him?”

Tang Shuyi hummed in response but said nothing more. She understood Li Jingyi's predicament; having just ascended the throne, even with ministers to assist, the amount he had to learn and face was immense. It was an inevitable process no one else could undertake for him.

Soon, they arrived at the Empress’s chambers. As Tang Shuyi alighted from her palanquin, she was met by the Empress’s head maid waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing her, the maid bowed and said, “Greetings to the Duchess, Her Majesty has been waiting for you for a while.”

Tang Shuyi strode inside without offering any explanations. The head maid was inwardly displeased but maintained a smile. Upon entering, Tang Shuyi saw the Empress in her resplendent yellow palace attire, still emanating an air of superiority.

Tang Shuyi did not bow either, taking a seat on a chair to the side, she asked, “What did you want to see me for?”

The Empress clenched her teeth, nearly blurting out the word ‘audacious’, but swallowed it at the last moment. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I have not seen you for a few days and have missed you. I wanted you to come over for a chat.”

At that moment, a palace maid brought over tea, placing it beside her. Tang Shuyi glanced indifferently at the steaming cup and said, “Get straight to the point.”

The Empress’s forced smile vanished instantly, feeling snubbed by Tang Shuyi’s directness. Clenching her finger on a protective nail cover, she said, “I’ve heard there's been a misunderstanding between my family, the Wu clan, and your Ducal Residence. I thought we could clear it up. After all, we don’t have any deep-seated enmity, do we?”

Tang Shuyi laughed at her words, “Sure, let’s make everything clear. Then tell me, why are you spreading rumors about my son?”

The Empress was taken aback by her forthrightness and her face showed embarrassment, “That... was the indiscretion of the younger members of my family. I have already reprimanded them.”

Tang Shuyi looked at her with a mocking smile, “Whether it was the young members of your family or someone else’s scheme, you know best.”

The Empress’s expression darkened, “Then perhaps you should also ask your second son to stop causing trouble.”

Tang Shuyi looked at her as if watching a joke, “That’s asking too much. If you play the first move, don’t blame others for playing the fifteenth. Besides, my son has been wronged, he deserves an outlet for his grievances.”

“Duchess,” the Empress said, unable to contain her irritation, “are you insisting on opposing me?”

Tang Shuyi replied, “What if I am? After all, it was you who opposed us first, wasn’t it?”

“Can we not just let this go?” the Empress asked.

Tang Shuyi scoffed, “My son’s anger has not yet subsided.”

Standing up, the Empress approached Tang Shuyi and, looking down at her, said, “One should not be too arrogant.”

Tang Shuyi looked up at her, undaunted, and said with a defiant pride, "I can't help it—I have the capital to be arrogant."

The Empress gnashed her teeth in fury, making a grinding noise. Tang Shuyi rose to her feet and said, "One must have the proper demeanor when seeking favors. Moreover, before you speak or act, it would be wise to consider whether you are in a position to say or do such things."

As she spoke, she turned and walked towards the door. Pausing at the threshold, she looked back and teased, "The news that will break from the Wu household tomorrow is even more exhilarating. Can you guess what it might be?"

Tang Shuyi laughed softly, striding outwards. She had to admit, speaking one’s mind so freely was indeed very satisfying.

Having left the Empress’s chambers, Tang Shuyi said to the chief eunuch, Ye Deben, "I shall not take my leave from His Majesty personally; please convey my farewell to him."

Ye Deben hastily agreed, but still escorted Tang Shuyi to the palace gate before returning to the Imperial Study. There, he recounted the entire exchange between Tang Shuyi and the Empress to Emperor Li Jingyi.

After listening, Emperor Li Jingyi commanded, "Issue the decree—have her leave the palace tomorrow."

"As you wish."

With a single acknowledgment, Ye Deben departed, and Emperor Li Jingyi returned to his reading. He now understood that even as Emperor, one does not always have the freedom to act on impulse. Had he still been Prince Kang, he would have executed the Empress solely for her attempt to marry the Third Prince to Yu Zhu. He only regretted coming to this realization too late.

Now as Emperor, he could not simply order the death of a deposed Empress without just cause. But he knew it was only a matter of time.

Elsewhere, Tang Shuyi returned to her estate, her mood unswayed by the day’s events. She summoned Xiao Yuzhu and spoke of how diligently Li Jingyi was working, suggesting that Xiao Yuzhu write him a letter to advocate for a balance between work and rest. Xiao Yuzhu’s words would carry more weight than those of her teacher.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuzhu promptly went to compose the letter. Tang Shuyi watched her retreating figure with a smile. It seemed Li Jingyi was still the same man as before, only future-focused. She hoped her judgment was not misplaced.