Chapter 22: The Underworld

Chapter 22: The Underworld

In Fuhua Palace, after returning from the Imperial Garden, Zhu Yan had soothed her son Ajie to nap. She let Zhong Fumu and Qu Gu take him to the sleeping quarters, following Qu Gu's assurance that Ajie would grow up safely. She then let Qu Gu focus on caring for Ajie, no longer staying by her side.

With the child gone, the hall was silent as a grave.

Zhu Yan, alone, lounged on the consort's chair by the east window of the main hall. Looking out through the four open windows, she saw clusters of banana plants that had withered during the winter. Now, with the return of spring, they were bursting with new life.

The broad, vibrant green leaves were topped with bright red flowers, as red as blood and strikingly beautiful.

Zhu Yan was lost in thought looking at these flowers, perhaps because of today’s banquet, Consort Chu's sister entering the palace, and the bowl of lotus seed heart tea sent by the Emperor, which reminded her of an incident from over two years ago. She had specially ordered the tea to be made, using three liang of lotus seed hearts to brew a large pot.

She had it sent to Qianyuan Hall.

With a message: If he drank it all without leaving a drop and found it tasty, she would agree to allow Zhu Qi to enter the palace.

Zhu Qi was her younger sister, Zhu Erniang.

The Emperor only tasted a sip of the tea and then never touched it again, even ordering the rest to be poured out.

Later, she mocked the Emperor: "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."

For once, the Emperor didn't argue or make excuses. Since then, he never approached her for that matter again, nor did he offer any excuses.

What's done is done.

What happened cannot be undone by excuses or explanations, which only serve to make them seem even more absurd and embarrassing.

Her actions shattered Zhu Qi’s dreams of glory.

Zhu Qi must have hated her deeply for it.

And it cut off the Zhu family's path to success.

Her father in this lifetime must also have regrets, regretting sending her into the palace, a man driven by opportunism and utilitarianism, with a cold and calculating nature, always striving to climb higher, even changing his own name to "Qingyun," hoping for a day when he would ascend to great heights.

Initially, he should have sent Zhu Qi to the palace, but chose to believe a fortune-teller who said she had the grace of a mother, chasing an intangible and elusive dream... Zhu Yan now found it somewhat ridiculous.

Despite her efforts over sixteen years in two lifetimes, the father-daughter bond couldn’t outweigh the allure of immense wealth and glory.

Zhu Qi must feel even more indignant.

Zhu Qi always felt that not only did her stepmother and birth mother favor her less, but even her father was partial.

What was poison to her was honey to others.

After entering the palace, she had no desire to dwell on these past events.

Yet in this brief moment, all these memories surged up, passing through her mind like a fast-moving panorama, leaving her feeling weary. Drifting towards sleep, she half-closed her eyes.

When she heard a rustling sound near her ear, Zhu Yan turned her head in a daze and softly said, "Xiangru, I'm not speaking anymore. Let no one come in, let me be alone."

As she finished speaking, a slight weight and the glint of gold thread made Zhu Yan, with her eyes narrowed to slits, suddenly wide awake. Her gaze followed from the slender hands that had covered her with a golden fox fur blanket up to an annoying yet handsome face that was smiling charmingly.

"Your health isn’t the best. You should be covered when you rest. You can’t afford to catch a cold. Song Jingru specifically instructed that you shouldn't get chilled."

Zhu Yan immediately averted her gaze.

Why was this man, who had just acquired a new beauty, coming here?

Initially, Zhu Yan didn't guess why he was there. As she shifted backward, she regretted it, because he promptly took the opportunity to sit down in the newly vacated space.

Uncomfortable with sitting, Zhu Yan planned to get off the couch, but the Emperor anticipated her move and stopped her, "Ayan, do you really dislike sitting with me that much?"

He knew Zhu Yan wouldn’t respond.

With self-awareness, he stood up, but his smile faded. Seeing Zhu Yan's languid, sleepy appearance had lessened the distance between them, stirring a sudden joy in his heart. Yet, at this moment, it all vanished completely.

Annoyance rapidly spread across his face, visible in his eyes and brows.

"Ayan, even the greatest anger should have subsided in over two years. Besides, you didn’t want it, so I didn’t let your sister enter the palace. Seeing the new Lady Chu enter today, you had no reaction. Tell me, what exactly are you still upset about..."

"I've been visiting the Tianlu Pavilion recently." Tianlu Pavilion is the royal library.

"I know that... Ayan, you’re talking to me." His voice suddenly changed, moving from the brink of exasperation to the height of elation, as if all his joy and excitement were infused in his tone, in an extreme state of exhilaration, "You’re finally willing to talk to me."

The Emperor sat down on the couch, his eyes sparkling with brilliant joy, his hands gripping Zhu Yan's shoulders tightly, like iron bands.

Zhu Yan seemed indifferent to the pain, lowering her eyes and speaking in an unhurried tone, "I've been reading the history of our dynasty."

"You like the history of our dynasty? I'll have the scholars from the Lan Tai Pavilion copy them and send them to your palace," the Emperor immediately said, feeling extremely happy. Ayan was willing to speak to him, and he was ready to grant her any request, "What else do you want? You can tell me anything."

As long as she asked.

From now on, he no longer had to talk to himself in front of Ayan. She was willing to speak with him, probably wouldn't be angry with him anymore, and wouldn't dwell on the trivial matters of the past.

Ayan had a strong sense of jealousy.

He could just be more restrained in front of her.

Zhu Yan really couldn't stand his current joy.

Even though she knew that his happiness now would turn into anger later, she looked up through the window at the tallest cluster of banana plants and slowly said, "During Emperor Taizong's reign, the Prince of Lujiang was enfeoffed at the age of seven. His mother, Concubine Chui of Taizong's court, was appointed as the Queen Mother of Lujiang in advance and accompanied her son to the fief."

"Emperor Yingzong's youngest son, the Prince of Liaoyang, was enfeoffed at four. His mother was made Queen Mother in advance and left the palace."

The Emperor chuckled, shaking his head, "Don't worry, I won’t let Ajie go to his fiefdom so young. He is our child, and the fief I give him will be in a prosperous and fertile area, not some remote and impoverished place."

Seeing that the Emperor hadn’t grasped her point, Zhu Yan stated bluntly, "I wish to request the territory of Xiangdong for Ajie." Xiangdong was her hometown in her previous life, still a remote area in the Dayu dynasty. "There are precedents to follow. I hope Ajie can be enfeoffed early, and I wish to accompany him to the fief as the Queen Mother of the fiefdom."

"Impossible."

The Emperor’s face fell drastically, barely able to believe that Zhu Yan would make such a request. Angrily, he said, "Didn’t you read the whole story? Both cases had reasons. During Emperor Taizong's reign, Concubine Chui was of noble birth, the granddaughter of Princess Pingyuan, Taizong’s aunt. As for Yingzong’s son, it was because Yingzong’s Empress was extremely jealous and cruel, and Yingzong made arrangements to protect his youngest son and favorite concubine from potential harm after his death."

"I'm perfectly well now. Why would you go to a fiefdom?" As he finished speaking, the Emperor realized Zhu Yan's true intentions, growing even angrier. His face flushed with rising blood pressure, "Are you thinking of leaving the palace?"

There was a certainty in his question, his eyes red with rage as he glared at Zhu Yan, "Ayan, let me tell you, don't even think about it. Not in this lifetime. You’d better put that idea out of your mind."

Not speaking for two years, and now she had angered him to death with her words.

He felt he couldn't stay there any longer.

Otherwise, who knows what heartbreaking words she might hear.

He turned and walked away.

But just as he reached the doorway, a thought struck him, causing him to turn back. His peach blossom eyes narrowed into arcs, glaring at Zhuyan with a vulture-like, sinister gaze, "Ah Yan, remember this well, you better wish for my long life. If you hope for my early death, before I die, I will surely order you to follow me in death."

"After all, even in the underworld, I would wish for your company."

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Today's update will be corrected for typos tomorrow, and while I'm at it, a request for favorites~~