Chapter 226 - Pouters CLub (2/2)
The Emperor allowed the Lei family's daughter to return home for her sister's coming of age ceremony. Naturally, he knew the Emperor could not refuse his own daughter visiting her ”sick” mother. Even favoritism had to be within reasonable boundaries or it would reflect badly on the Emperor and bring about questions on his state of mind.
{...What is the point of raising that girl if she is to be so useless?! She seems to have forgotten why she's here...}
Prime minister Zhao walked with conviction as he brooded over his daughter's disappointing performance. As he stepped outside, he saw the Empress dowager storming over still dressed in her outdoor outfit. Prime minister Zhao immediately plastered a smile on his face and stepped forward and bowed, ”Your maje-” His words broke off as the Empress dowager stormed passed him, completely ignoring his presence.
Prime minister Zhao frowned at her back, but then scoffed and straightened up and walked off, feeling more irritated. He knew the Empress dowager did not like him, but she had always at least shown him some basic level of respect because of his position. But now she perceived him as nothing and it was probably all because of this new development. Prime minister Zhao's frown became a scowl.
{...Hmph! Look at the embarrassment that stupid girl has brought me. What a failure!...}
The Empress dowager had not even noticed Prime minister Zhao standing there. Her mind was completely focused on talking sense into the Emperor, who had let himself be blinded and roped in by a stupid ploy by a little girl. She ignored the servants who bowed to her and threw the doors open herself before the servants could get a chance to open the doors or even announce her presence.
”What is the meaning of this?!” She barked as she stormed towards the front, glaring at the Emperor.
The Emperor closed his eyes and let out a breath and then wearily looked at his mother. Another irritation had arrived, much earlier than anticipated. Eunuch Li turned to the servants who had run in behind the Empress dowager and said, ”Leave.” The servants promptly withdrew.
Eunuch Li then glanced at the Emperor and the Emperor lightly nodded in his direction. Then Eunuch Li turned to Song mama who was still standing behind the Empress dowager and motioned to the doors. Song mama nodded and then the two of them left the room to wait behind the closed doors, leaving the Empress dowager and the Emperor alone to talk.
”Did you not hear me or have you suddenly gone deaf?” The Empress dowager said through gritted teeth when the Emperor did not respond.
The Emperor sighed and looked back down at the doc.u.ment and offhandedly said, ”I take it the search for the monk did not yield any results.”
They had already been informed of the Empress dowager's hasty return. It was also one of the reasons he sent so many palace guards with Lei Xing. While he did not want to think that his mother would be stupid enough to try attacking her publicly, he could not forget the scene of her straddling and strangling Lei Xing. Therefore extra precautions were necessary.
The Empress dowager ignored his comment and coldly said, ”I asked you a question... Why have you named her Empress?”
”I wanted it.” The Emperor flatly responded.
”You wa-!” The Empress dowager stopped and took a deep breath to calm her rising anger. She eyed the Emperor, who seemed to be ignoring her presence and then she fisted her hands in anger. Then she coldly asked through gritted teeth, ”Is she pregnant?”
If Lei Xing was pregnant then she could endure the suffering of Lei Xing lording over her for a few months. She could endure a few moments and consider them Lei Xing's reward for producing an heir for her.
{...That is the only situation that this is acceptable. If not that, then how could he be so foolish?! With a child, I cou-...}
”No.” The Emperor simply responded as he scrutinized the Empress dowager. Whatever thoughts of compromise the Empress dowager was begrudgingly trying to persuade herself to make were immediately shattered.
”Retract the order, I do not approve.” The Empress dowager said as she took deep breaths to calm her anger, ”How could you be so foolish as to do this over a few fruitless nights?! She has done nothing noteworthy to warrant this, nothing to earn the position, she does not deserve this! Retract the order this instant! You have let yourself be tricked by that fox-li-!”
”And have you?” The Emperor calmly cut in and the Empress dowager stopped and frowned, ”What?”
The Emperor leaned back in his throne chair and scrutinized the Empress Dowager with a frown, ”Have you earned your position?”