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Empress Dowager Mingxi lowered her gaze to the jade bowl in her hand, observing the green tea within. The leaves unfurled gracefully, a vibrant green like jade. Yet, after being in the palace for so long, this highest-ranking consort did not even know her own preferences. It was no wonder she could not fathom the Emperor's intentions.
She then handed the tea bowl to Aunt Yu, who understood immediately upon seeing the Empress Dowager's expression and couldn't help but glance sideways.
When Empress Dowager Mingxi spoke, her tone carried an almost imperceptible stiffness. "Consort Chen, it's a hot day; there's no need to kneel. I wish to take a walk, you may return."
Consort Chen, who had been waiting for praise from the Empress Dowager, stiffened at her words. Not only did the Empress Dowager not offer any compliments for the Snow-Top Green Tea she had painstakingly brewed, but she also did not invite her to accompany her on the walk. This clearly indicated that she did not want Consort Chen around to serve her.
Feeling heartbroken yet unable to show it on her face, Consort Chen harbored resentment towards a certain maid who had ingratiated herself with that seductive woman. Damn it! Wasn't it that Lin woman who had previously served this kind of tea to the Empress Dowager?
After Consort Chen left in a huff, Aunt Yu asked, "Does the Empress Dowager no longer enjoy this kind of tea?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi replied dismissively, "I just feel like something is missing from this tea..."
Aunt Yu chuckled lightly. "Actually, Consort Chen's green tea does look refreshing; it's just that today, your mood is different."
Empress Dowager Mingxi paused slightly. "Is that so? Sigh... I haven't seen him for some time due to matters concerning Chu Xiruo. He hasn't come to pay his respects lately; he must be holding a grudge against me..."
Aunt Yu comforted her, "The Emperor is busy with state affairs; he must have been preoccupied these days. I heard he hasn't been in the palace lately..."
"Not in the palace? Where has he gone?" Empress Dowager Mingxi asked in surprise. "Is he looking for Chu Xiruo or Shuang'er?"
As Aunt Yu supported Empress Dowager Mingxi, she pondered briefly before responding, "Empress Dowager, allow me to speak out of turn. The Emperor knows his own affairs best. Whether he is seeking Xi Ruo or Miss Mei Shuang, what matters most is that he still holds them in his thoughts."
After a moment of contemplation, Empress Dowager Mingxi nodded in agreement, finding wisdom in Aunt Yu's words.
"Actually, I think that His Majesty, being such a proud person, must believe that love between a man and a woman should be mutual. Didn't he say that he wouldn't force anyone? That means His Majesty has feelings; he's just waiting for the other party to agree."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Mingxi suddenly had an epiphany. "Indeed, that makes sense. Please continue."
Aunt Yu smiled slightly. "If this person is Xi Ruo, then His Majesty would have visited her long ago, so why hasn't there been any news? Therefore, I guess this person must be Miss Mei Shuang... The current Miss Mei Shuang is not the same as before; she probably lacks confidence in His Majesty and is hesitant to respond. Otherwise, why would she tell His Majesty about Chu Xiruo's whereabouts? On the surface, it seems like she's trying to facilitate His Majesty and Chu Xiruo, but perhaps she's also testing His Majesty... What the Empress Dowager needs to do now is to work on Miss Mei Shuang..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi's furrowed brow relaxed immediately as she sighed, "They say that outsiders see things more clearly. Jade, after hearing your words, I feel that this Shuang'er is quite clever indeed. Hehe..."
Meanwhile, Mei Shuang hurried down the mountain upon hearing Little Nun's words, asking her what was going on. Little Nun only smiled and remained silent, leaving Mei Shuang puzzled.
It wasn't until they reached the temple gate that a big magpie chirped happily as it flew to the treetops. Little Nun then smiled and said, "Look, this is a good omen."
Mei Shuang glanced at Little Nun's small, delicate smile and couldn't help but chuckle. "Hehe, we both saw it at the same time; it's a shared joy..."
Little Nun playfully pushed open the courtyard door and said, "Please go ahead."
As Mei Shuang entered, she saw the Abbot standing in the courtyard, seemingly waiting specifically for her return.
Upon seeing Mei Shuang, the Abbot greeted her warmly. "You're back? Come in; someone wants to see you..."
Mei Shuang wondered if it was the princess who had left without saying goodbye last time and had now come to see her after reconsidering.
At the door, the Abbot said, "You can go in..."
Upon entering, Mei Shuang saw Yi standing with her back to the entrance, tall and graceful, dressed in a Brocade Robe and Black Boots.
Mei Shuang was momentarily stunned, then inwardly lamented, "Oh no, I am completely unprepared for this."
Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could step over the threshold, a deep voice came from inside, "Where are you going?"
These three words acted like a spell, instantly freezing one of Mei Shuang's feet in place.
As her body stiffened, her mind went blank and slightly dazed. Damn it, just a moment ago she had lifted her head in joy; now she was clearly startled upon entering!
"Are you planning to just stand there?" The voice behind her finally snapped Mei Shuang back to reality. She lowered her gaze; one foot inside and one foot outside made for an awkward stance.
Feeling helpless and embarrassed, she turned around, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. She bent slightly to greet him, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Xiao Luo stepped forward just in time to catch Mei Shuang, whose legs had nearly given way beneath her.
With him so close, a powerful masculine presence mixed with the unique scent of Ambergris quickly brought Mei Shuang back to her senses. Feeling as if she had been burned, she hurriedly pulled away from Xiao Luo's hand and stepped aside while striving to appear calm and composed; she had to remain composed.
Xiao Luo was not angry; he gazed intently at the woman before him.
She wore the simplest of garments without any jewelry. Her long hair fell freely over her shoulders. On her porcelain-like face were delicate willow brows, striking black-and-white eyes, a small upturned nose, and rose-like lips...
It has been over a year since she went to Qishan, and he had not seen her since.
Looking at her now, she seemed to have changed little; the only difference was that she appeared somewhat thinner, her chin seeming sharper. Her black-and-white eyes looked at him with a newfound caution, unlike the casualness of the past.
Even so, she still had an air of vulnerability about her, just as she had when she looked at him from within the Heavenly Prison.
In that moment, Xiao Luo felt a fleeting daze as memories flooded back—her suffering in the Heavenly Prison and Cold Palace, coupled with her narrow escape from Qishan. Initially intending to confront her harshly, he found himself softened by her gaze. He took a deep breath and coldly snorted, "Do you know your crime?"
Mei Shuang was speechless but internally scoffed.
Damn it!
Seeing Mei Shuang standing a short distance away with her head lowered and silent, he could tell there was no hint of remorse in her demeanor. It was clear to him that she was defiant.
Did she really think that her little act of pretending to drown while actually trying to escape would fool everyone, including him?
He had anticipated her thoughts long ago; she would undoubtedly return seeking freedom in exchange for leaving the palace. Thus, he had already drafted the imperial decree for her title, waiting for her return to announce it. He intended to act first and report later to avoid being unable to refuse her conditions when she presented them. Sure enough, he had hit the nail on the head—she had even devised a scheme of pretending to drown to reject his decree.
The implication was clear: Did she think she could escape death?
Just thinking about this made him see red.
Damn it! Did she really think he was a fool? Every move she made during this past year had been under his watch. He refrained from interfering, hoping she would find her way back or remember him when faced with despair.
She never expected that when she heard from Yun Kong that she was broke and about to starve, she still wouldn't seek help, which made him quite angry.
Goodness, looking at the current situation, she would rather live with a group of Nuns than face herself.
Now that he had come to her, she still wore this unwilling expression, clearly indicating that she hadn't reflected on her actions at all, let alone take the initiative to admit her mistakes.
Stealing a glance at the Sovereign's dark eyes, Mei Shuang knew that this man was angry. After all, he was the emperor, holding power over the world; if he hadn't seen through her tricks, why would he come to question her right away?
Alright, I know you already know everything.
She steeled herself and said softly, "Your Majesty, how did you find out about this place?"
But inside, she was pondering whether Chu Xiruo had informed the emperor. It was very possible.
She reluctantly thought that she had revealed her whereabouts to Xiao Luo, leading to a situation where "meeting is not as good as reminiscing," so perhaps out of revenge against her, Chu Xiruo had now disclosed her location to Xiao Luo to punish her.
She sighed; oh, this woman really is petty.
Thinking about it made her feel quite disheartened.
Suddenly, Mei Shuang thought: could it be that the emperor was actually here searching for Chu Xiruo and happened to run into her? This was entirely possible. Although Chu Xiruo had said so much, how could childhood feelings just dissipate?
As Mei Shuang's mind wandered, she remained oblivious to the murderous gaze of the Sovereign fixed upon her.
"Damn it! Listen, you ask a question without answering!"
Xiao Luo's gaze was dark and chilling.
When Mei Shuang accidentally met that gaze, an inexplicable chill ran down her spine.
Wow! That look is indeed freezing!
In an instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop below zero. Mei Shuang boldly defended herself, saying, "Your Majesty, what crime have I committed?"
If it were someone else, such words would truly be suicidal. Even Li Gonggong outside couldn't help but click his tongue in disbelief.
Abbot looked on with surprise and concern, thinking to himself how could this child speak like that? She really didn't know her place. For a moment, he wished he could go in and remind Mei Shuang, whose brain seemed to be overheating at that moment, to watch her words. He anxiously prayed that she wouldn't say anything more reckless; offending the Emperor could lead to serious consequences.
Inside, the Emperor remained silent. Li Gonggong, being close to the Emperor, knew that if His Majesty was silent, it was a bad omen.
He couldn't help but feel distressed; this was bad news. The Emperor was likely very angry.
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