Chapter 116: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Chapter 116: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Zhu Yan hated Zhu Erniang to death, especially knowing that Zhu Erniang wanted her dead and conspired with outsiders to harm her. She wished for her death, but when Zhu Erniang actually died, Zhu Yan suddenly found herself unable to accept it.

She locked herself in her room for the entire day.

It wasn't until evening that the Emperor forcefully broke down the door, found Zhu Yan in a corner of the room, picked her up, and placed her on the bed, saying, "Zhu Yan, she's dead. She got what she deserved."

The room brightened as the connected branch lamps were lit one by one, casting light on the Emperor's face. His handsome features were tinged with urgency and concern, creating a discordant image. Zhu Yan reached out to touch his face, as if trying to peel away this inconsistency.

"Ah Yan."

The despised Emperor called out, his throat tightening slightly. He covered Zhu Yan's hand with his own, reluctant to let her withdraw it. "You haven't eaten or drunk anything all day. First, have something to eat. I've ordered a meal to be prepared. After eating, take your medicine. The physician said your wound has scabbed over, but you still need the medicine. Tomorrow, Director Li and Physician Lin will come to examine you."

Zhu Yan, seemingly not hearing this, stared at the Emperor, naming several people. "Huang Ruyi, Huang Jixiang, Granny Wang, Lü Yu, what about them? Did they also get what they deserved?"

"Your mishap was due to their negligence. Death is too light a punishment for them," the Emperor grew irate at the mention. If they couldn't even guard one person, what use were they to him?

Zhu Yan's heart skipped a beat hearing this.

Since waking up, she had only seen the despised Emperor and Yang Xin. When she finally realized, she guessed that they had probably been punished and couldn't serve her anymore. Until the news of Zhu Erniang's death arrived, and seeing the Emperor's attitude, Zhu Yan knew before she even asked. They were likely gone.

The Emperor always advocated for severe punishment and swift justice.

"They were all devoted to me. To be fair, this incident wasn't really their fault. You shouldn't kill my people every time something happens," she said, her voice tinged with a reminder of how after the birth of her son, Ah Ji, she awoke to find everyone in the palace had been replaced.

Those who used to talk and interact with her, living, breathing people, had suddenly become mere lost souls.

The thought alone sent shivers down her spine, raising goosebumps.

Hearing Zhu Yan's words, the Emperor wanted to say that their negligence warranted their deaths, but seeing her pale complexion, he belatedly realized that Ah Yan seemed to value life highly, even that of a mere palace servant or slave.

Ultimately, he swallowed his words, not voicing them. With a sweep of his long arm, he pulled her into his embrace, gently rubbing his forehead against hers, his voice carrying a solemn weight, "Ah Yan, you're not to go out alone anymore. If you must leave, I will accompany you."

Except for his own watchful eyes, he trusted no one else.

This experience had been enough of a lesson for him.

From receiving news of Zhu Yan's disappearance to finding her, in just two and a half hours, he felt as if he had walked through hell. Recalling the ordeal still seemed like a nightmare, terrifying him with the thought of what could have happened to Zhu Yan. Even if he turned into a demon and slaughtered everyone afterward, it wouldn't bring back his Zhu Yan.

That was his greatest fear.

He couldn't bear any mishap befalling Zhu Yan. Therefore, he had to address the root of the problem to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The Emperor internally felt no regret for executing those people and didn't argue, "In my realm, rewards and punishments are always clear. If they had protected you well, I would have rewarded them with riches and honors. Similarly, if they failed in their duty and didn't keep you safe, they must pay the price."

As he spoke, he tightened his embrace around Zhu Yan, "Zhu Yan, as long as you are well, even the cats and dogs around you can receive rewards."

Was this a case of 'when one man gains Tao, even his pets ascend to heaven'?

Zhu Yan felt a strong resistance inside. She struggled and pushed the Emperor away, got off the bed, stood up, and looked at him with a cold laugh, "I can't even step outside without being kidnapped. You might as well dispose of me; it would save you the trouble and prevent implicating others."

The Emperor was both amused and angered by her words, "You do have some self-awareness." Seeing her worsened complexion, he immediately stepped forward to embrace her, smiling, "I couldn't bear that. I’d rather keep you tied to my belt, never leaving my side."

He coaxed her, "Zhu Yan, no matter what you want to do, take care of yourself first. Eat something and then take your medicine." He looked up and called out for Yang Xin to prepare the evening meal.

The dinner was light, with the only difference being an added bowl of rice.

Zhu Yan recognized at a glance that it was bamboo creek rice, a type she often ate in the palace. In this era, where millet was the staple food, rice was a secondary choice. She had developed a preference for rice, leading to a variety of rice being tributed from different regions in recent years, especially the flavorful and tender bamboo creek rice.

The Lesser Treasury allocated everything to Fuhua Palace.

"I had someone bring the rice you like from the capital. I asked the cooks to prepare it for dinner tonight, so eat more," the Emperor said as he seated Zhu Yan at the table. Aware of her reduced appetite these past few days and knowing she disliked millet porridge but preferred rice, he had specially arranged for two bags of rice to be brought from the capital.

"I'm not that picky."

"You're not picky, but you eat less of what you don't like," the Emperor chuckled, "Next time you go out, we'll take all your favorites with us. The rice available outside is not good, and those from the prefectural city are coarse and certainly not to your taste. I didn’t allow them to be served."

Zhu Yan looked at the Emperor with mixed feelings.

When things are good, they are truly good.

But the hatred can be so intense that it makes one grit their teeth. Even if she wanted to be a calamity, she only wished to afflict the Emperor himself.

"A beauty smiles from horseback, but who knows the lychees came from afar."

Extravagance comes at the cost of the people's labor.

After thinking it over, Zhu Yan still spoke up, "Don't do such things in the future. If you do it again, I won't eat it."

"Alright, as long as you eat more, I'll remember your words and won't do it next time," the Emperor always indulged Zhu Yan in these small matters.

After dinner, he personally brought her medicine and watched her drink it.

"Send someone to bury Erniang, and release her husband Ling Yue and son Ah Xiang," Zhu Yan thought all day. With death, debts are cleared. Once a person is gone, they can't be brought back. She just didn't want to implicate the living, fearing the Emperor's penchant for collective punishment.

So, when she learned from Xu Jie the next day that the incident had affected tens of thousands and killed over a thousand people, she was left speechless with anger and deeply frightened.

Seeing Zhu Yan's reaction and the Emperor's ashen face, Xu Jie immediately realized the trouble caused by Shang Quan.

Likely, Linghu You couldn't escape responsibility either.

He had no evidence.

Xu Jie had overheard Shang Quan and Linghu You complaining that Zhu Yan, despising her enemies, would be pleased to hear firsthand about the fate of those who harmed her. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to present himself before Zhu Yan to claim credit.

"If you can't claim it, I can."

Xu Jie immediately felt proud. Outside the palace, unlike the deep confines of the inner court, the Emperor doted on Zhu Yan. When reporting to the Emperor, Zhu Yan was never asked to leave, although she often chose to excuse herself.

Also, Zhu Yan's sister, Zhu Erniang, had just died in his prison. Despite any animosity between the sisters, Xu Jie was somewhat worried about Zhu Yan's view of him and was eager to curry favor, especially considering Zhu Yan's favor with the Emperor and likely shared temperament.

Moreover, the Emperor had hinted that Xu Jie's handling of the situation was commendable and would lead to his further utilization.

The Consort was deeply favored by the Emperor.

At this critical juncture, he was more eager to gain Zhu Yan's favor.

Various reasons prompted Xu Jie to mention before Zhu Yan how the Emperor turned half the city upside down for her, dealing with many people. As he spoke, he imagined how the Emperor would praise him. This wasn't just about earning merit for himself but also on behalf of the Emperor to Zhu Yan. Surely, she would be pleased to hear of the Emperor's regard, killing three birds with one stone.

Little did he know, he soon realized the Emperor's displeasure, and as Zhu Yan began to question him, the situation spiraled out of control.

In the end, he received the Emperor's furious command, "Get out, get out of my sight."

Xu Jie nearly tumbled out of the courtyard, disheveled, not daring to seek out Shang Quan and Linghu You, instead turning to Protector Su Yiquan for help.

Su Yiquan, having served beside the Emperor for eleven years, understood him well. He had occasionally heard the Emperor's complaints about Zhu Yan's jealousy and had some insight into her character. Hearing what Xu Jie had done, he found it hard to comment, advising, "Commander Xu, your capability is commendable. Just focus on executing the Emperor's orders, and he will not treat you unfairly."

Xu Jie's current position was as a Border Pacification Commissioner, and Su Yiquan addressed him by his official title.

Hearing Su Yiquan's words, Xu Jie pleaded, "Could you speak to the Emperor on my behalf? I truly intended to flatter Zhu Yan and please her, not to anger her."

The key issue now was not angering Zhu Yan, but having infuriated the Emperor.

Xu Jie then wondered, "What is the Consort's temperament like?"

"The Consort's temperament is entirely different from the Emperor's," Su Yiquan interrupted Xu Jie, recalling his previous misstep of misdirected flattery which had displeased the Emperor. He advised solemnly, "The Emperor appreciates those who are competent. You really don't need to flatter anyone."

He might as well have said directly that Xu Jie was unsuited for flattery.

Xu Jie felt utterly dejected, cursing Shang Quan's ancestors in his heart.

Indeed, until three days later when the imperial procession started its journey back to the capital, the Emperor had not seen Xu Jie again. Xu Jie had hoped to use his performance in handling the case as an opportunity to be transferred to the capital for a high-ranking position, but it all went in vain.

On the other hand, Shang Quan breathed a sigh of relief.

In the capital, having one Qiu Yuyang was enough. Although Qiu Yuyang also advocated for strict laws, he was upright and just, unlike Xu Jie, who was sycophantic and opportunistic.

The imperial procession returned to the capital.

Considering Zhu Yan's injuries, the Emperor chose not to ride on horseback. Instead, they traveled by carriage. Ever since Zhu Yan learned of the Emperor's harsh treatment of many involved, she hadn't spoken a word to him.

The Emperor's mood grew more irritable each day.

On the return journey, he summoned Shang Quan and Linghu You, the two main culprits, to his carriage and scolded them fiercely. In the end, he specifically warned, "I allow you to play your little games behind the scenes, but do not involve the Consort. If there's a next time, you can all leave."

He realized that bringing Xu Jie to the capital was a bit hasty.

Author's note:

Today's update, kisses~~