Qin Zhengya had just turned eighteen this year, while he was nearly thirty, approaching middle age.
Which woman wouldn’t prefer a young, beautiful man?
He held a high position and used the power in his hands to help her advance in her official career step by step. Only then could he receive an occasional word of care from her.
If he didn’t summon her actively, Qiu Shuzhi would never have any connection with him.
But Qin Zhengya was different. It seemed he didn’t need to do anything; just looking with those teary eyes made her take care of him attentively.
“This grieving one… has grown old and ugly.” He laughed self-mockingly.
“That’s not true. The Empress Dowager’s beauty is unparalleled in the capital. Although you’re older than the Emperor Consort, you have much more charm than these immature young men. This is something he can never compare to.”
“Really?” His voice was low, with a hint of insecurity.
“Of course it’s true.” Yu Ye said seriously, “If this servant may say something offensive, among the newly entered beauties in the palace, the most outstanding in appearance is none other than Imperial Consort Lan Xuezhao. Even the most beautiful consort in the harem can’t compare to a ten-thousandth of your charm and beauty.”
“You are a phoenix soaring in the nine heavens. How can those common beauties be mentioned in the same breath as you?”
“Empress Dowager, please don’t belittle yourself. If you consider yourself old and ugly, how can this servant’s old face dare to show itself in public?”
Yu Ye knew that Qin Qing had become insecure and doubtful of himself because of Qiu Shuzhi.
He couldn’t help but resent Qiu Shuzhi. The Emperor Consort was the Empress Dowager’s cousin’s son, and also the Empress Dowager’s son-in-law.
She already had the Empress Dowager, yet she was still unsatisfied and got involved with the Emperor Consort. What kind of behavior was this?
Qin Qing let out a light laugh at Yu Ye’s words.
He unfolded the small portrait he kept by his pillow, tracing Qiu Shuzhi’s brush strokes with his finger, bit by bit.
In the painting, he sat in the mist, his ink-black hair hanging low, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. The complex light intertwined in his eyes, beautifully perfect.
Qin Qing lowered his eyes slightly. The rich fragrance of roses still lingered on his fingertips.
He carefully put away the painting. “Is Her Majesty still angry?”
“All the porcelain in Qianqing Palace has been smashed. The maids who went in had their heads broken by the porcelain, and some maids had their faces cut by the fragments and ran out covered in blood. The maids are worried about their own appearances and don’t dare to go in anymore.”
“Their faces were disfigured?” He asked, his eyes tilting upwards.
“Yes, Her Majesty seems to be truly furious this time. I’ve never seen her so angry before.”
“What about the Emperor Consort?”
Yu Ye pursed his lips: “The Emperor Consort? Probably still crying in Kunning Palace.”
Qin Qing slowly raised his eyelids: “As the Emperor Consort, he should be comforting the Emperor, not hiding in Kunning Palace crying. What kind of behavior is that? Send him to Qianqing Palace.”
Yu Ye was speechless.
The Empress Dowager must be aware of Her Majesty’s aversion to the Emperor Consort. She was currently in a fit of anger. The Emperor Consort going to comfort her would not only be ineffective but would also add fuel to the fire.
In her extreme anger, who knows what Yue Shen might do. If the Emperor Consort went, what if he ended up disfigured like those maids?
No, that’s not right!
Yu Ye shuddered in fear.
This was exactly what Qin Qing had in mind. He wanted to use Yue Shen’s hand to destroy the Emperor Consort’s appearance, to ruin a man’s most precious asset.
He retreated in horror. A jealous man was indeed terrifying. The usually deeply scheming Empress Dowager would resort to such insidious tricks out of jealousy.
“What? Uncle wants me to go comfort Her Majesty?” Qin Zhengya’s eyes were as red and swollen as a little rabbit’s, his face covered in tears. His delicate appearance was pitiful to behold, yet it didn’t gain even a bit of Yue Shen’s favor.
It was strange. Yue Shen was in the prime of her youth and should have been favoring the consorts in the harem. But apart from Qin Zhengya, she hadn’t touched any of them.
Did Yue Shen really dislike him? If she disliked him, why did she favor only him among all the others?
Yu Ye couldn’t figure it out for a moment.
But he only hoped that Qin Zhengya could weigh things carefully and keep his distance from Qiu Shuzhi, not harboring any inappropriate thoughts towards her.
“Yu Ye Gongzi… could you please tell uncle that I don’t want to go…” Qin Zhengya said with tears in his eyes, his fingers clutching the palace ribbon of the maid behind him, trembling.
Being an Emperor Consort like this was truly one of a kind.
Yu Ye’s expression remained unchanged. If this demeanor was facing a woman, she might have softened her heart long ago, but Yu Ye was a man.
“Emperor Consort, what nonsense are you saying? You are the Emperor Consort. Taking care of Her Majesty is your duty.”
“But…” Qin Zhengya tightly clutched the maid’s clothes, his fingertips turning white with fear.
“There are no buts. Emperor Consort, this is the Empress Dowager’s order. Do you want to defy it?” Yu Ye said firmly.
Qin Zhengya lowered his head, his beautiful clear eyes brimming with tears: “No… This servant will go now.”
“Young Master!” The personal servant Cai Er frantically grabbed Qin Zhengya’s hand.
“It’s alright.” Qin Zhengya wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and forced a smile: “I’ll be back soon.”
On the way to Qianqing Palace, Qin Zhengya was terrified. He had never felt this path so difficult before. As they got closer and closer to Qianqing Palace, the sound of things being smashed became louder and louder.
The palace servants gathered outside automatically made way for him. Qin Zhengya bit his lip and stiffly opened the door.
Broken porcelain and torn silk were scattered all over the floor, making it a mess with nowhere to step.
Yue Shen sat dejectedly on the ground with her back to him, her long hair disheveled, her crown carelessly thrown on the ground as if someone had viciously stepped on it, mockingly highlighting her incompetence.
“Your Majesty-” Qin Zhengya trembled as he approached her.
Yue Shen turned around coldly, her eyes as fierce as a hungry wolf, viciously gripping his neck: “What are you doing here? Have you come to laugh at me too?”
Qin Zhengya struggled to speak: “This servant just… wanted to show concern for Your Majesty-”
“Concern? Would someone from your Qin family be so kind-hearted?” Her voice was filled with sarcastic laughter.
“Oh, what’s the matter with Your Majesty?” The crisp sound of silver bells came from afar, and Lan Xuezhao arrived leisurely in silver attire.
“What are you doing here?” Yue Shen made no effort to hide the disgust in her eyes for these men.
“I heard Your Majesty encountered danger outside the palace. This servant was worried about Your Majesty and came to check on you. Why is the hall in such a mess? Where are those servants? They’re truly blind!” Lan Xuezhao’s body emitted a faint fragrance, indescribable yet pleasant.
“You go back. I don’t need outsiders to serve me,” she said coldly.
Lan Xuezhao smiled slightly, his bewitching eyes tilting upwards like light smoke: “Once in the palace, this servant is Your Majesty’s man.”
“Brother, how can you be so careless? There are fragments all over the ground. Be careful not to hurt yourself.” Lan Xuezhao helped Qin Zhengya up from the ground: “Your Majesty, this younger brother will serve you here. You should return to Kunning Palace first.”
Qin Zhengya had been forced to come in the first place. Being able to escape from Yue Shen, this woman with a penchant for abuse, was exactly what he wanted. He left without looking back, not even wondering why Lan Xuezhao, who was supposed to be an enemy, would speak up for him.
He had just returned to the palace, and the evening meal hadn’t even been served when news came from Qianqing Palace.
Imperial Consort had served in the bedchamber.
He sat rigidly at the table, motionless. Ling Sha, the servant sent by Qin Qing to serve him, thought he was depressed because Imperial Consort had served in the bedchamber and shared the imperial favor. So she advised, “Emperor Consort need not worry. Imperial Consort serving in the bedchamber is just a stroke of luck. As long as we seize the opportunity, we can still regain the Emperor’s favor.”
Qin Zhengya pursed his lips, stirring the chicken soup in his bowl: “I understand.”
He appeared depressed, but in his heart, he felt fortunate that he didn’t have to serve that vicious and brutal woman.
Having survived the ordeal, he touched the bruises still lingering on his wrist. Even now, a light touch sent a sharp pain through him. All the grievances of the past few days overflowed, and tears fell into his bowl.
People say that Her Majesty dislikes and despises him, but how could Qin Zhengya not feel the same?
He was disgusted by Yue Shen, afraid of Yue Shen, and terrified of Yue Shen. She had shattered all his expectations for marriage. Every night, he would wake up from nightmares, his pillow soaked through.
His wife-master shouldn’t be like this.
This wasn’t how it was described in the story books. His wife-master should be a gentle and polite woman, renowned throughout the capital for her talent and beauty. She wouldn’t hit him or torture him. If he cried, she would comfort him in a soft voice, cherishing him as if he were a treasure in her palm, just like… He suddenly felt warm, and Qiu Shuzhi’s image floated into his mind.