Chapter 492 – Never meet again (1)
The miscarriage was something that had happened several days ago. By the time he rushed over, a deathly pale-faced Pengyue was already sitting up in bed and praying for the lost baby by reciting the Heart Sutra.
Why hadn’t anyone report this matter to him earlier? Zhao Li was very angry. He asked the inner palace attendants and the eunuchs, but they all remained silent.
Pengyue’s personal servant girl was kneeling on the ground. Crying, she answered, “This servant has been coming to Zichen Hall every day for the past half month, but the guards outside stopped this servant from entering each time. They said that the emperor isn’t willing to see anyone from the empress’s palace.”
How could he be unwilling to see anyone from Pengyue’s palace? Hadn’t he been waiting and longing to see her during the past period? But, no one had come. Who exactly was lying?
“It’s all in the past.” Pengyue miserably smiled. “Anyways, no one cares about that child. If its gone, it’s gone.”
Zhao Li angrily said, “No one cares? This emperor cares! Aren’t you very powerful? Don’t you have your long whip? Why weren’t you able to keep your child safe from harm?”
Pengyue raised her head to look at him and scoffed, “Your Majesty, you’re the grand emperor. Didn’t you fail at keeping your child safe too?”
She was the only one in the palace that dared to speak back to him in such a way. In front of so many palace servants, Zhao Li couldn’t lower his pride. Even though he wanted to say comforting words, the words couldn’t escape through his lips. He could only show a cold expression and order the palace servants to take care of her, then he left while preserving an emperor’s dignity.
—
Kangyuan brought over a painting painted by Marquis Moyu. It was a painting of domestic bliss. The woman in the painting was clearly Nie Sangyu. And the child was Marquis Moyu’s heir.
Ning Yuxuan was living happier than him. Looking at the painting, Zhao Li actually felt slightly envious. However, in order to stabilize Marquis Moyu, this important chess piece, he snatched his heir away and brought him into the palace.
That child was truly very clever. Seeing him, the child didn’t make a fuss, but his eyes were full of loss.
“I want to see my dad,” said the child.
Zhao Li looked him for a long time before ordering the servants to bring the child over to Pengyue’s place.
“You’ll stay by the empress’s side in the future. Keep her company.”
The child’s eyes were full of unwillingness. And, when he was taken out of the main hall, he even started to cry. Zhao Li though his heart must be somewhat twisted. He actually enjoyed hearing that child cry.
—
As Zhao Zhe approached the capital and covetously eyed the throne, it was Kangyuan that stayed by his side to keep him company. And yet, he couldn’t help turning back to look.
After the construction for Wangyue Building was done, Pengyue never came out. She no longer pushed his wheelchair for him or stood behind him to protect him. He didn’t need anyone to protect him anymore. He was the most powerful emperor, but he felt loneliness approaching him from all sides. He felt lonelier now than when he was a child.
—
There was a heavy rainstorm today. He shouted for the palace servants to withdraw and arduously pushed his wheelchair towards Wangyue Building by himself.
Kangyuan was following him from a close distance. He expended a great deal of effort to push his wheels on his wheelchair. He didn’t know why, but he really wanted to see Pengyue today. He wanted to leave his arrogance and what not as the emperor to the side. If he was once again isolated and with no one to help him, would she hold up her whip and stay by his side to protect him?
“It’s raining so heavily. Why did you come over here?” She came out to get him. Her expression was full of worry. She used her sleeves to block the rain for him. Pushing his wheelchair, she brought him inside of Wangyue Building.
Zhao Li childishly laughed. He looked at her. She hadn’t come to see him, but look, didn’t she still care about him a lot?
He enjoyed her warm embrace, then sat there as she dried his hair for him and changed his clothes. As he watched her bustling about with a furrowed brow, the emptiness in heart was filled up.
“Pengyue, do you still blame this emperor?” He asked.
She paused. She straightened up and lightly snorted. “What’s there to blame you for. It’s my fault for being careless.”
He took the initiative of taking one step towards her, and their bygone enmity was dispelled. Zhao Li thought; sure enough, he liked her gentle side.
—
But then, an accident happened. She found out about what happened between him and Kangyuan in Zichen Hall.
Pengyue had been with him for so long and had become docile a long time ago. He hadn’t expected that she would use her whip to directly drive Kangyuan out of the palace.
Zhao Li was very surprised, but he couldn’t help loudly laughing. Seeing Pengyue’s glowering look, he laughed so hard that he couldn’t sit up straight.
“Do you find this funny?” She wasn’t smiling. Her body was slightly trembling as she stood in front of him. “Do you find it funny that I look so awful because I’m competing with her over a man?”
Zhao Li froze in surprise for a moment. Soon after, he furrowed his brow and said, “Pengyue, you’re the empress.”
No one would be able to win over her.
“Yeah, I’m the empress.” Pengyue tossed the whip away and sneered. “But, there’s probably a noble consort below the empress, right?”
He was stunned. He had thought about this idea before, but he didn’t know how she had seen through him.
Pengyue turned around and left.
One of his personal attendants said, “Her Majesty is too arrogant and willful. Your Majesty, you shouldn’t indulge her like this.”
Yes, that was right. He really indulged her too much. Zhao Li sighed. The idea that the inner palace could remain empty of consorts was only a myth. How could his harem remain empty? Even if he didn’t do it to balance his lifestyle, he had to do it to stabilize the imperial court.
It was only because he was thinking of Pengyue’s great kindness to him in the past, that’s why he frequently went over to see her and keep her company. But, since Marquis Yong’an wanted Kangyuan to enter the palace, he acquiesced. An empress should be understanding when the emperor took a consort.
It was only later that he realized he was wrong. But, by then, there was no one to forgive him or give him another chance to fix this mistake.