Chapter 6
Chapter 6
I looked calmly into Imperial Father’s eyes.
His gaze shifted back and forth between Zhao Mo’er and me.
After a long silence, he said coolly, “The Second Princess has shown disrespect to her elder sister. She is to be confined for three months, and her stipend shall be docked for half a year.”
“Imperial Father…” Zhao Mo’er let out a mournful cry, but one look from him forced her to swallow the rest of her lament.
She left in tears, truly heartbroken this time. Her stumbling figure as she walked away was a pitiful sight to behold.
Imperial Father withdrew his gaze. The look of affection in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, ruthless expression that held a hint of mockery.
“Yunwei, Imperial Father is very happy that you have come to the capital, but in all things, one must know when to stop. Even Imperial Father gets tired.”
Was he blaming me for being troublesome?
Or did he wish for me to suffer in silence and not bring these matters before him?
I suppressed the piercing pain in my heart and said softly, “Yes, your daughter knows her mistake. But Imperial Father, I only have you now.”
Tears fell, drop by drop, onto the ground.
Imperial Father let out a long sigh and stepped forward to help me up.
I took the opportunity to throw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Imperial Father, when you said earlier that you would marry me off to just anyone, my heart broke. You and Empress Mother only had me because you loved each other; can I not also marry someone I love?”
“Yunwei, Imperial Father was wrong. I promise you, I will never marry you off lightly.”
That day, I emerged completely victorious.
I had received rewards, dismissed the Grand Tutor, and secured a promise.
When I returned to my palace and was finally alone, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
How ironic.
It was truly too ironic.
I had deliberately framed the relationship between Imperial Father and Empress Mother as one of mutual love.
Clearly, Imperial Father did not feel that way, yet he happened to love it when others spoke of him in such a light.
Did he actually love my Empress Mother, or did he simply love the image of himself as a devoted, sentimental man?
It was truly worth pondering.
During this period, I held a great deal of influence in the palace.
Noble Consort Sun didn’t dare to cause trouble for me, so she took out her anger on the other concubines.
One day, while I was walking in the Imperial Garden, I happened upon her punishing Noble Lady Li.
Originally, her punishment was nearing its end.
But upon seeing me, she perked up again.
She claimed that Noble Lady Li was disrespectful to her superiors and acted with wild arrogance, yet her eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on me.
“Some people are nothing more than crude nobodies from the countryside. Once they gain a bit of imperial favor, they hold their heads so high they forget their own weight. It’s only when they fall from the heavens and shatter into pieces that they realize they are just a common weed-not even worth as much as a dog.”
She ordered Noble Lady Li to kneel for an hour to reflect on her actions, then gave a mocking smile and swept away with a flick of her sleeves.
Noble Consort Sun had the capital to be arrogant.
She hailed from a prominent, established clan.
When Imperial Father first raised his army, he took her in to gain the support of the scholar-official class.
During those chaotic times, there were many uprisings. The Sun Clan cast a wide net, forming marriage alliances with many military commanders.
At the time, they didn’t think highly of Imperial Father, so they sent him an unfavored daughter of a concubine. In the beginning, Noble Consort Sun was quite well-behaved in her efforts to capture Imperial Father’s heart.
But who could have known that Imperial Father would eventually conquer the world? Noble Consort Sun suddenly found herself vindicated, becoming the Sun Clan’s greatest pride.
When people have been successful for too long, they tend to forget their own humble beginnings.
But that’s alright; she would be reminded soon enough.
I smiled faintly and turned to leave.
Not long after, the poems written by Miss Sun at the poetry gathering began to circulate.
Miss Sun’s reputation for talent quickly spread throughout the capital.
Noble Consort Sun was delighted and ordered someone to bring Miss Sun into the palace.
“Some people go through all the trouble of hosting a poetry gathering, only for their reputation for being domineering to become known to all. Meanwhile, others possess true talent and learning; given the chance, they will soar to the heights.”
Noble Consort Sun spoke with a smile as she trimmed flower branches. Under her scissors, a peerless Yao Huang peony revealed an exquisite form.
Miss Sun flattered her, saying, “Your Highness is absolutely right. I heard that when you were still at home, a Taoist priest prophesied that you were born with a phoenix’s destiny. Sure enough, only you are fit to accompany the true dragon; everyone else is a faded flower of yesterday, not even worth mentioning. If only I could be as fulfilled as you, Your Highness.”