Chapter 776: What Happened to the Imperial Concubine’s Word Being Her Bond?

The Empress Dowager stared blankly at her son. He was a complete stranger.

Her son’s disposition was the complete opposite of the late Emperor’s. He was the Emperor, ruler of all, yet he was willing to have only one woman.

When she had first entered the palace and stood by the late Emperor’s side, she too had dreamed. ‘With my beauty, why can’t I monopolize his favor?’

But the late Emperor was not her son. He was a womanizer, his affections fickle, and the beauties in the Imperial Palace were beyond count.

There are countless men in this world. Even her own father, who was merely an Assistant Governor at the time, still had concubines.

And yet, her son was willing to forsake all the beauties in the world to exclusively dote on one Imperial Concubine.

“You’re still young. When you’re older…”

“It won’t change, not even in the future.” Feng Yi stared intently at the Empress Dowager. “I will not allow myself to become a man like the late Emperor, nor will I allow the woman I love to be heartbroken by my fickleness. Because I love, I can let go of the rest.”

At this moment, the Empress Dowager couldn’t say a single word. She was wrong. She had been wrong from the very beginning.

Yes, her son was right.

From the very start, she had never understood her own son, treating him as if he were just like any other man.

She knew she wasn’t a proper mother and feared her son’s disgust. That was why she had desperately tried to win over and support her family, wanting to secure some backing for herself.

But now she knew.

She was wrong.

The Emperor had said he only had one heart, and he had already given it to the Imperial Concubine.

So, in his eyes, she, his own birth mother, was nothing.

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor. “In your heart, you still resent me, don’t you?”

Feng Yi said, “I could say I don’t, but you wouldn’t believe me. I feel neither resentment nor affection for you. You feel no motherly love for me, your son, and I only feel gratitude for the gift of life you gave me.”

“When we return to the Capital City, I will have people escort you back to the traveling palace to recuperate. From now on, you will live out your years in honor at the traveling palace. This will be for the best, for both you and me.”

With that, Feng Yi turned and left.

The Empress Dowager sat there, her face wooden. This time, she didn’t fly into a screaming rage. She knew this was already the best possible outcome.

Nanny Yao stood outside the hall, respectfully seeing the Emperor off. She had heard the entire exchange between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.

She actually felt a bit of relief. It was better for the Empress Dowager to return to the traveling palace. Otherwise, back in the Imperial Palace, who knew how Lady Zhao would manage to bewitch her again.

Nanny Yao had tried to persuade the Empress Dowager, but to no avail.

She also wanted to live out her days in peace. Returning to the traveling palace was the best result.

The Emperor had been right about one thing: the Empress Dowager had only ever cared about herself.

It was true for her son, the Emperor, and it was true for her niece, An Pin.

If things didn’t stop here, she feared the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would have a complete falling out. When that happened, it would truly all be over.

At this thought, Nanny Yao’s mind turned to the Imperial Concubine.

When she first saw the Imperial Concubine all those years ago, she had only felt that her beauty was too sharp, that she was arrogant in her speech and actions, and that she showed no fear even when facing the Empress Dowager.

She had thought, ‘With a personality like that, she’s just relying on her good looks. In a few years, when the Emperor tires of her, how good could her end possibly be?’

Such examples were all too common in the harem.

Arrogant and domineering people never get the last laugh.

But the Imperial Concubine had met this Emperor.

What the Emperor wanted was precisely the Imperial Concubine’s arrogant, domineering spirit that sought to monopolize his favor. What he wanted was her devotion.

The Emperor, who possessed everything, lacked only one thing: genuine affection.

And as it happened, the Imperial Concubine offered him her genuine heart. So no matter how difficult her temperament, in the Emperor’s eyes, she was perfect.

Even the Imperial Concubine’s imperiousness was seen as a sign of deep affection in the Emperor’s eyes.

Nanny Yao smiled softly. ‘It’s for the best. The Emperor has suffered for so many years. To find someone like her is a blessing.’

***

「Baihua Pavilion.」

An Shutong had been sitting there for half the day, still unable to process what had happened.

She had considered a thousand possibilities, but never once did she imagine that her recent ordeal was because of her aunt.

The person who attacked her was the son of a traveling palace steward whom her aunt had once executed.

It was a strange coincidence. After the steward’s son’s father died and his mother remarried, he had no way to survive, so he had himself castrated and became a eunuch. Later, he was sent to serve at this Yongping Palace.

He had held onto this grudge all along, but in Yongping, he had no chance of entering the Imperial Palace. He feared he would never be able to get his revenge in this lifetime.

Who would have known that the Emperor would choose this place for the summer retreat this year? The man had no opportunity to target the Empress Dowager, so he set his sights on her instead.

He thought that since she was the Empress Dowager’s biological niece, her death would surely grieve the Empress Dowager.

Just as he had been devastated when the Empress Dowager killed his father.

An Shutong covered her face, crying and laughing at the same time. ‘How could the Empress Dowager possibly be sad?’

‘I was just a scapegoat.’

Even after she was rescued, the Empress Dowager, purely out of spite for the Imperial Concubine, wouldn’t let her get involved.

‘What am I in the Empress Dowager’s eyes?’

An Shutong forcefully wiped the tears from her eyes. She would consider this ordeal her repayment of the Empress Dowager’s favor. From now on, she owed her nothing.

From now on, she wanted to live for herself.

She had always thought Zhao Ling’e was behind the attack. She never expected this to be the outcome.

***

An Shutong was ill again.

Song Yunzhao looked at Consort Shu, who was frowning deeply. She listened to her ramble on, complaining, “It’s an ailment of the heart. If her heartache isn’t cured, this illness of hers will never get better. I’m out of ideas. You can’t reason with someone who’s determined to die. Just let her be.”

Song Yunzhao looked at her. “You actually went to persuade her?”

Consort Shu’s expression stiffened, and she looked away uncomfortably. “Well, she just looked so pitiful, didn’t she?”

“I know you’re a kind person, Sister Shu. You did the right thing. If I weren’t on bad terms with the Empress Dowager, I would have gone to say a few words to her myself.”

Consort Shu’s expression softened a little. “So, what do you think we should do?”

“It’s probably still because of Mu Qing. After all, Mu Qing is dead. An Pin, despite being a deep schemer and quite capable, did have some affection for Mu Qing and Yingxue, who were always with her.”

Consort Shu felt a pang of empathy. “That’s true. If it were my Yunshang and Hong Xiu, I would be devastated too.”

“I’ve already spoken to the Emperor about horse racing. He has agreed to designate a pasture for us to go and have some fun.”

“Really?” Consort Shu’s face lit up.

“Mhm. Have one of your people go tell An Pin to pull herself together. If she can perform well this time, when we return to the Capital City, I’ll give her a chance to bestow a favor upon Mu Qing’s family.”

Consort Shu: …

‘To make someone work like a horse and still sound so righteously confident about it… she really had to hand it to her.’

“Fine, I’ll have someone pass the message to her,” Consort Shu agreed readily. ‘It’s not like I’m the one slaving away.’ “I heard the Emperor is going to inspect the borders in a few days. Doesn’t that mean we’ll have the traveling palace to ourselves?”

Yun Zhao heard the restless excitement in Consort Shu’s voice. She smiled and looked at her. “What do you have in mind?”

Consort Shu’s eyes lit up. “Let’s sneak out of the palace in disguise!”

Yun Zhao: …

‘You’ve got some nerve!’

Seeing the look on Yun Zhao’s face, Consort Shu immediately added, “You wouldn’t be scared, would you?”

‘So much for the all-powerful Imperial Concubine!’

Meeting Consort Shu’s challenging gaze, Yun Zhao looked at her and said, “If you win first place in the horse race, I’ll agree to it.”

Consort Shu’s face fell!

‘You’re ruthless!’