Chapter 254: You, One of a Kind

Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter; the Xiao Family and the Empress Dowager had almost ten years of preparation, and it was undone so effortlessly by Wan Tang.

If the Emperor's first sight had been Xiao Yurou, no kidding, Wan Tang would have had no chance at all.

But think about it, the Imperial harem already has a massive collection of figurines of the various consorts; would adding another one still be impressive?

The point is, these aren't just that simple; they are deliberate imitations, each enacting their own contrived love stories.

At first glance it's dazzling, but whoever, blah blah, keeps whispering in your ear about how you lost your white moonlight—who wouldn't be irritated?

The Empress Dowager and the Xiao Family must be furious to death! Hahaha.

Wan Tang listened to the Barrage and gave a cold smile.

What she wanted was exactly this effect.

It was to make the Emperor understand that these people have ulterior motives.

Wan Tang stared at the banquet, maintaining her composure, and continued according to the original plan.

In Yangxin Hall, the candlelight was dim and yellow.

Chu Yunzheng, alone, carefully lifted a rosewood box.

He opened the lid; inside lay a plain silver pear‑flower hairpin, its petals thin and elegant, though its luster was slightly dulled by age.

His fingertips brushed the cold petals lightly, and his eyes swirled with an unfathomable, dense grief and reminiscence.

"Emperor," the inner attendant Xiao Dongzi entered quietly, bowing, "the Empress Dowager has already kept Xiao Gu Niang in the Imperial Palace."

Before the words finished, Chu Yunzheng slammed the wooden box shut with a muffled thud.

He suddenly turned, the sorrow in his eyes instantly replaced by raging fury, and he kicked hard at Xiao Dongzi's thigh.

He roared harshly, "Get out! All of you, get out!"

Xiao Dongzi scrambled away, retreating.

Chu Yunzheng, his pent‑up hostility still raging, waved his hand and swept the memorials and tea cups off the imperial desk onto the floor; the sound of shattered porcelain and fluttering papers rang sharply in the silent hall.

At that moment, the hall doors were gently pushed open; Wan Tang entered carrying the Calming Soup, and upon seeing the wreckage and the Emperor's furious back, she let out a startled gasp, nearly dropping the tray in her hands.

Hearing the gasp, Chu Yunzheng's violent motion abruptly halted.

He whirled around, seeing Wan Tang standing at the doorway, her complexion slightly pale and eyes showing a hint of fright; the anger on his face instantly gave way to panic.

"Tangtang!" he rushed forward a few steps, ignoring the shards on the floor, anxiously gripping her wrist and scanning up and down, "Why are you here? Are you okay? Were you hurt by any of the fragments?"

His tone was hurried, still tinged with lingering anger, but more so with genuine worry and remorse, as if fearing his earlier outburst had frightened her.

Wan Tang lightly patted the Emperor's hand, indicating she was unharmed.

She scanned the wreckage without further inquiry, then softly said, "Emperor, calm your anger; you have seriously injured your dragon body."

She signaled the Guanren behind her to place the Calming Soup on the only intact small table, then calmly reported:

"I have come to report to the Emperor that the palace banquet has concluded successfully."

"The silver obtained from auctioning the implements, together with additional donations from several merchants, totals 287,000 taels; it has been fully recorded and handed to the Ministry of Revenue for procurement."

"Including the funds previously raised by the court, the money for the Northern Border soldiers' winter coats, grain, and medicinal herbs is now sufficient, and the supplies can be dispatched to the frontier in the coming days."

Hearing this, Chu Yunzheng snapped his head up, the raging fury and gloom in his eyes instantly replaced by incredulous delight and emotion.

He clasped Wan Tang's hands tightly, his voice hoarse with excitement, "Tangtang, you actually handled this so comprehensively?"

He gazed at the composed, bright face before him, then recalled the concubines at the banquet who had been vying for brilliance, merely imitating the departed in hopes of gaining favor.

Feeling a flood of emotion, he couldn't help pulling Wan Tang into his arms, his low voice filled with gratitude and reliance:

"All the women in the palace are racking their brains over how to vie for favor, how to imitate..."

"Only you, Tangtang, only you truly eased my worries and solved the most vexing problem I face now!"

He paused, his tone tinged with a cold clarity, "The Xiao Family intends to exploit the Treasury's emptiness and the lack of military supplies to manipulate me, treating me as a joke..."

"Only you saw through my predicament, using such a clever method that preserved my dignity, silenced the endless gossip, and also resolved the urgent crisis at the Northern Border!"

He gently lifted Wan Tang's cheek, his gaze deep, filled with unabashed admiration, "Tangtang, your wisdom and your magnanimity far surpass any beard or eyebrows."

"Having you is my fortune."

Wan Tang nestled in Chu Yunzheng's arms, her voice soft as water, "In this deep palace I have no support; the only reliance I have is the Emperor's pity and trust."

"As long as the Emperor is well and content, I am satisfied."

Her words were like a warm current, gently soothing Chu Yunzheng's heart, still taut from anger.

He drew his arms in, holding the person in his embrace tighter, his chin lightly resting on her crown of hair, feeling the rare peace and warmth after the storm.

The candles in the hall crackled, reflecting the embracing silhouettes, a moment of tranquil serenity.

After a moment, Wan Tang casually whispered, "Emperor, about Xiao Gu Niang."

"The Empress Dowager has already arranged for her to stay; I wonder how the Emperor intends to settle her?"

Upon mentioning Xiao Yurou, Chu Yunzheng's relaxed brow furrowed again, his tone clearly irritated, "The Xiao Family... the Empress Dowager... hum!"

He paused, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes, "But she..."

Wan Tang felt a chill; does the white pear hold such weight in the Emperor's heart?

Having come this far, the Emperor still cares so much.

Clearly, Chu Yunzheng despises being manipulated.

Wan Tang lifted her eyelids, her gaze pure, carrying just the right blend of naiveté and consideration, "Sisters, I suppose you also, seeing the Emperor often missing the departed and feeling nostalgic, think to imitate a bit, hoping to draw a smile from the Emperor and soothe his holy heart."

"But perhaps they do not understand that some bonds are unique, impossible to imitate or replace."

"Such deliberate actions only cheapen that genuine feeling, tarnishing Sister White Pear's image in the Emperor's heart."

Her words seemed to excuse those concubines, yet every sentence struck exactly where Chu Yunzheng cared most.

Sure enough, the Emperor's complexion darkened instantly, the suppressed fury flaring again, stronger than before: "Defile... indeed!"

"What did they treat the pear as?"

"A tool for vying for favor? Absolutely detestable!"

Wan Tang saw him flare with anger, quickly soothed him in a gentle voice, her palm lightly stroking his back to smooth his Qi: "Emperor, calm your anger, lest you ruin your health."

"Since the Empress Dowager likes it and insists on arranging it, then let it be as the Empress Dowager wishes."

"Emperor, you handle countless state affairs daily; why trouble yourself over such trivial matters?"

"If you don't intervene, don't care, it will be tranquil instead."

Chu Yunzheng took a deep breath, feeling that Wan Tang's words were indeed true.

He waved his hand in annoyance: "Fine, as you say, I'm too lazy to interfere; let them go on their trouble!"

He pulled Wan Tang back into his arms, as if only by her side could he evade those unpleasant calculations and imitations, finding a moment of true peace.

Chu Yunzheng lowered his head, gazing at the person in his embrace.

In the candlelight, Wan Tang's profile was soft, her eyes bright as stars; that composure and wisdom merged wondrously with her current gentle snuggling.

His fingertips brushed her cheek lightly: "Tangtang, only today did I realize how dazzling you are, unlike anyone in this palace."

"I… how could I have never truly seen you before?"

His gaze burned hot, filled with newly discovered delight and uncontrollable emotion, as he slowly lowered his head and kissed her lips.

The red silk canopy was warm, its folds turned crimson.

Tonight, he was unlike his usual routine; it felt more like exploring a newly discovered treasure, with reverence and a surge of passionate tide.

Wan Tang closed her eyes, bearing this belated, admiration‑born ardor, while her heart remained clear as water.

When everything settled, Chu Yunzheng fell into a deep sleep, his arm still possessively encircling her.

Wan Tang opened her eyes in the darkness, looking at the blurred embroidered pattern on the canopy's top, a faint smile touching her lips.

She understood that from this night onward, in Chu Yunzheng's heart, she Wan Tang would be simply Wan Tang.

The Virtuous Consort who had to rely on imitating Bai Li to gain pity was now completely dead.

She had carved out, in his mind, a territory belonging solely to her, with that sliver of white moonlight, no longer tangled at all.

The next morning, dawn barely filtered through.

Wan Tang sat before her dressing table; Chu Yunzheng, instead of hurrying to court, picked up a brush and personally drew her eyebrows.

His movements were slightly clumsy, yet extremely focused.

He studied Wan Tang's reflection in the mirror, his tone bearing unprecedented warmth and certainty: "I used to feel that Tangtang held an indescribable familiarity; now I understand that familiarity was merely a mist."

"Tangtang is Tangtang, a unique treasure of this world, unmatched by anyone."

Hearing this, Wan Tang's lips curved into a gentle arc, savoring this rare tenderness.

After a moment, she pretended nonchalance and laughed softly: "Strangely enough, it seems that overnight the palace sisters have all started imitating… that late lady's mannerisms?"

Chu Yunzheng's hand that was shaping eyebrows paused slightly, his complexion darkening imperceptibly.

Wan Tang seemed oblivious, continuing in a lightly teasing tone: "Actually, they're quite foolish."

"If it's merely following a trend, how could it truly catch the Emperor's eye?"

"It's just a tiger drawn that ends up looking like a dog."

She shook her head, as if finding those Imperial Concubines' behavior laughably absurd.

Her words sounded like casual banter, yet Chu Yunzheng's eyes suddenly deepened.

He showed no expression, only gave a faint "hm" and brushed the topic aside, though his heart roiled like stormy seas.

Wan Tang's light words masked a deeper thought: those imitations—Li Ping'er's dance, Liu Guiren's qin, even Xiao Yurou's precise entrance yesterday…

Where is that merely following a trend?

They clearly stepped on every point in his memory concerning Bai Li that he cherished most.

Without someone pointing the way, it would be impossible!

After another brief moment of warmth, Wan Tang rose to take her leave, to attend to palace affairs.

As that graceful figure vanished beyond the hall doors, the last trace of gentleness on Chu Yunzheng's face disappeared instantly.

He called in a deep voice: "Xiao Dongzi."

"I am here."

"Go, summon Xiao Luzi, and have him come to see me at once."

His voice was low, yet carried an undeniable chill.

He wanted to see where the source truly lay…