Chapter 260 - Imploring Notions (1/2)

The next day.

After receiving constant reports all day about the Empress dowager refusing treatment and food, the Emperor finally gave in under Eunuch Li's pleading gaze and went over to see her that evening.

He arrived in her room to find the Empress dowager still lying on her bed with the same bloodstained clothes from the night before, looking pale and miserable. The Emperor felt bad seeing her like this, but then she opened her mouth and spitefully spat out, ”You ungrateful son!”

And with that statement, the Emperor's feelings of pity flew out the door, ”If that's all you have to say, then I'm leaving.” He said turning to leave.

”Stop!” The Empress dowager went as she pushed herself off the bed and ended up crumbling to the ground. The Emperor stopped, turned back to her, and then let out a breath, and then went over, picked her up and sat her down on the bed.

”Is it such a great crime to have had you?” The Empress dowager said in the same spiteful tone as she grabbed onto his arms so he did not leave as she glared at him.

The Emperor sighed and looked at her, ”I don't hate you...I never have. Y-”

”Then why are you doing this to me?!” The Empress dowager barked, throwing his arms and shoving him.

The Emperor sighed and was about to turn to leave again, trying to reason with her did not seem to be possible so why waste his energy? But he stopped and turned back to her, ”You being here is me sparing you from making a fool of yourself and showing the world your weakness....” He said using the same logic and words she had always drilled into his head as a child.

The Empress dowager silently glared daggers at him and did not say anything. Even she could not deny that she was a wreck at the moment. The Emperor let out a breath and then made his way out of the room.

”I need that monk.” The Empress dowager shouted before he could reach the doors. The Emperor stopped and turned back to her.

The Empress dowager was no longer glaring at him, she was not even looking his way. She frowned off to the side and irritatedly said, ”Chen You and that maid, Chun - something knows where he is...I need him.” She bit out.

”What for?” The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

”Just make yourself useful and find him!” The Empress dowager fiercely barked as she turned her glare back on him.

The Emperor quietly scrutinized his mother for a bit and then sighed. It was best to meet her halfway so she could remain somewhat reasonable. He did not want her death on his hands so he said, ”I can...As long as you restrain yourself...” He finished and then left the room.

For this request, he would most likely need to demand Zou kingdom send Chun Hua back. The main problem here is that he already said that he would let Zou kingdom handle deal out the punishment. And he knew Prince Rui already sent out the message to Zou. Going back on his word now was not ideal, it will make him appear fickle. This will give those against him a point to use to attack him.

What's more, the Zou people could perceive his backtracking as an insult and could refuse and refusal will mean war, which he wanted to avoid. He was not afraid of war but he wanted to avoid it. So the real question here was whether or not he was willing to go to war to satisfy his mother's whims...and the answer to that was no.

For now, he would have to amp up the search in the country in hopes of finding the runaway enemies before they left his borders. At the same time, he would get a unit to resume the search for this Monk Du and that Taohua temple the Empress dowager seemed to be obsessed with.

***

A few days later.

”...If you don't have anything else to say then I'll leave. I am very busy you know.” Princess Nalan said, haughtily folding her arms across her chest.

Prince Rui let out a breath in irritation. Princess Nalan had barely been talking to him since that incident with Prince Yi.

Prince Yi also had not shown his face here, which was good because Prince Rui did not have the patience to deal with him at the moment. Corresponding with his father has already been draining him.

Prince Rui was not sure what was going on with his father, but he was being unreasonably stubborn right now. As expected, Prince Houyi denied every knowledge of what the Chun siblings were doing here and even offered to capture them himself. Bao Zhun's father also claimed that Bao Zhun was young and immature and so was easily led astray by the Chun siblings.