Phoenix Reigns Over The Nine Heavens - Chapter 58

“That’s good.” The Empress Dowager smiled with relief. “You are the legitimate princess. No one can make you suffer.”

Although she lived a secluded life, it didn’t mean she knew nothing about the outside world. Just like today, she had no interest in attending Consort Wu’s birthday banquet, but when she heard that Yun Zishu wanted to see her, she brought her people over, and no one could stop her.

In the past, she had never been wary of the Emperor, believing that he would treat the Empress well. But it was not until the Empress met with a sudden misfortune that she realized how treacherous people’s hearts could be and to what lengths people would go for the sake of power and the throne.

By the time she understood, it was already too late.

The sudden death of the empress had left her depressed for a long time. The empress dowager had thought that the emperor would feel some guilt or shame—or at least, to maintain the image of his deep affection for the empress, he would protect their own daughter.

However, she still underestimated the depths of a person’s selfishness and cruelty.

Snapping back from her memories, the Empress Dowager suppressed the emotions in her heart and smiled gently. “Zishu, do you like listening to opera?”

Yun Zishu seemed to understand what she meant and slowly shook her head. “I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I. It’s all drawn-out and monotonous, utterly uninteresting.” The Empress Dowager glanced at the stage and said faintly, “Accompany me for a walk to the Imperial Garden.”

Yun Zishu nodded. “Very well.”

The emperor’s face darkened, and he opened his mouth to stop them. “Mother—”

“The celebration of the imperial concubine’s birthday is very lively.” The Empress Dowager stood up, ignoring the emperor’s obstruction. “The emperor should stay here to accompany the imperial concubine.”

The emperor’s face was very ugly. He didn’t want the Empress Dowager and Yun Zishu to be alone in private, but he couldn’t stop it. Everything that happened tonight was not under his control.

In front of everyone, he had no plausible reason to interfere with the Empress Dowager speaking to her granddaughter. After all, Yun Zishu was just a princess, not a criminal.

And neither was the Empress Dowager.

If he forced the issue, it would only make the officials of the court suspicious.

And so, right in front of the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine, the Empress Dowager calmly rose and descended the wooden steps of the royal platform, walking with Yun Zishu deep into the imperial garden.

His Majesty the Emperor watched the retreating figures of the Empress Dowager and Yun Zishu, making an almost imperceptible gesture. A shadowy figure in the darkness quietly led a few others to follow them at a distance.

“The atmosphere is very good tonight.” The Empress Dowager walked along the bluestone path, her voice revealing a bit of loneliness. “It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced such liveliness.”

Yun Zishu naturally knew the reason, but she still said calmly. “There have been many banquets in the palace over the years, but Your Majesty has never appeared.”

“Because there was no need to attend.” The Empress Dowager spoke faintly. “Ever since your mother passed away, I felt that everything has lost its meaning. Fortunately, there is still you, but…”

But what?

Yun Zishu didn’t ask; instead, she said, “My mother’s death must have hidden circumstances. I want to find out the truth.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression shifted slightly. “Why?”

Zishu countered with a question of her own. “Does the Empress Dowager know why the Emperor insisted on marrying me to the Xiao family?”

“He wants to use you to win over the Xiao family.”

“Why must I be the one to win over the Xiao family?” Yun Zishu asked calmly, “Isn’t Yun Zirou more suitable?”

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment. Marrying Yun Zishu to the Xiao family also meant that she, the Empress Dowager, would be constrained by this alliance. But could she tell Zishu about these things?

Yun Zishu asked, “When Father Emperor betrothed me to Xiao Yunheng, did the Empress Dowager agree or object?”

“Of course I opposed it. There’s not much benefit to marrying into a family of military generals.” The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of coldness. “When the emperor needs to use military power, he will do his best to win them over. The generals who hold military power are popular, but when the emperor grows wary of them, which of the generals who hold military power does not end up miserably? What’s more, if there is a war, they will face death at any time on the battlefield. There are many examples of all the men in a family dying on the battlefield since ancient times. Military families are not easy to be a part of?”

Yun Zishu frowned. “Is this the reason for Your Majesty’s opposition?”

“Yes.” The Empress Dowager nodded slowly, her tone full of helplessness. “However, your father earnestly persuaded you to marry down, and you were willing to listen to him. You also favored Xiao Yunheng, so I was reluctant to interfere too much; otherwise, I was afraid you would resent me.”

“I don’t like Xiao Yunheng. The only reason I married him was because it was Father’s decree.” Yun Zishu’s tone was detached. “But after I married him, Xiao Yunheng treated me poorly. He favored his concubine, Li Xue, and Madam Xiao often abused me.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression changed suddenly. “Lady Xiao mistreated you?”

Yun Zishu nodded. “I couldn’t bear to stay in the Xiao family for even one more day. It just so happened that Li Xue pretended to be pregnant that time, and she gained the full attention and care of Madam Xiao and Xiao Yunheng. In the end, she even used the opportunity of her period to deliberately let the maid push her into the river, framing me and saying that I caused her miscarriage. Madam Xiao and Xiao Yunheng convicted me without investigating the truth. I could endure it no longer, so I asked Leng Shuang to invite the imperial physician in the palace to diagnose Li Xue’s pulse. In the end, it was confirmed that Li Xue was never pregnant, thus clearing my name.”

A layer of frost seemed to settle over Empress Dowager’s face. “The Xiao family has truly reached the end of their rope.”

“So I won’t go back to the Xiao family, not even in my death.” Yun Zishu’s voice was very cold. “If father insists on forcing me to return, I will have no choice but to take my own life in front of him. Anyway, going back to the Xiao family is a dead end for me sooner or later.”

The Empress Dowager paused slightly and said solemnly, “If you are determined not to return, then you don’t have to go back. I will stand by you. Let me see who dares to force you.”

Yun Zishu took a deep breath and said, “Empress Dowager.”

“Hmm? You can speak frankly; there’s no need to hold back.”

Yun Zishu’s expression was downcast. “After my mother passed away, I became a princess who was dispensable. Not to mention the favored concubine and her daughter; even the daughters of those ministers outside often didn’t take me seriously. Cold ridicule and arbitrary belittling were commonplace. They thought that I was being ungrateful—that I had the audacity to reject a seemingly perfect husband like Xiao Yunheng and even dared to commit such a shocking act as divorcing my husband.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression turned stormy. “They are really audacious.”

Yun Zishu remained silent. A fallen phoenix is not as good as a chicken. The Empress Dowager should know this better than anyone else.

“Although the status of a legitimate princess is inherently noble, the noble ladies of the aristocratic families have become accustomed to ignoring you as a princess over the years. Even if your father, the emperor, has conferred upon you the title of a legitimate princess of the state, as long as his attitude toward you is what it is, no one will take you, the legitimate princess, seriously.” The Empress Dowager’s voice became even colder. “To let everyone know of your existence and remember your status, I must do something to let them all understand how much weight you as a legitimate princess carry. This old woman will be your backer. In the future, if anyone provokes you again, just deal with them according to the palace rules.”

Yun Zishu lowered her eyes. “Father will not agree.”

“He has no choice but to agree,” the Empress Dowager said with a cold snort. “If he dares to object, I will make sure he loses the throne.”

Yun Zishu was startled. “It’s not that serious…”

“Alright, you don’t need to worry about this matter.” The Empress Dowager gently touched her face, her eyes filled with nostalgia. “You look so much like your mother—exactly like her. Seeing you like this is like seeing her when she first entered the palace.”

Yun Zishu turned her head to look behind her, originally just to check if anyone was following her. To her surprise, she found Si Cang standing there.

The commander of the Dark Shadow Pavilion, clad in a black robe embroidered with dark patterns, stood with his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist. His figure was tall and imposing, reminiscent of a phantom that moved like a shadow in broad daylight. Without saying a word, he had stopped several eunuchs who wanted to follow them to monitor them, leaving them too afraid to approach.

Yun Zishu’s eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly withdrew her gaze. Her voice was faint: “Grandmother, there’s a question I want to ask you.”