Chapter 51: White Lotus

Wan Tang, what is this? Has your image in the Trash Dragon's eyes collapsed?

I really can't understand; Wan Tang has always endured humiliation and borne burdens—why can she suddenly no longer endure?

Damn, I think the plot has led me off track; right now I really hope the supporting lady becomes a bit more clear‑headed.

Something's off—could it be that Wan Tang has truly developed feelings for the Trash Dragon?

The barrage is filled with sighs.

Wan Tang's expression, however, remains unusually calm and composed.

All those little white flowers in the courtyard—does the Emperor really never tire of them?

What Wan Tang must become is the one unique person in Chu Yunzheng's heart, not merely the prettiest among all the White Lotus.

Xiao Mingshu is merely using her to make Lady of Grace Qi bear a child; once the child exists, she becomes a discard.

Xu Luoyan watches hungrily; should she fall from power, she will swarm in like hyenas.

Wan Tang does not accept that destiny preordained by the plot; she wants to seize fate in her own hands.

A smile tugs at Wan Tang's lips, but frost gathers in her eyes.

She slightly lifts her chin, looks straight at Chu Yunzheng, her voice cold as shattered jade: "Emperor, it is Xu Meiren who does not understand rank and humility; I, the concubine, merely taught her proper conduct."

Chu Yunzheng furrows his brows, his gaze sweeping between her and the cowering Xu Qinghuan in his arms, his tone growing cold: "Qinghuan is pure; why must you be so overbearing?"

A hint of disappointment flashes in his eyes: "Your background is not high either; how have you become so harsh now?"

Seizing the chance, Xu Qinghuan clutches the sleeves of the dragon robe, tears streaming down: "The Imperial harem is so terrifying… I don't want to stay here any longer…"

She trembles, curling into Chu Yunzheng's arm like a frightened fledgling.

Such a pitiful appearance truly can spark a man's protective instinct best; I must say, Wang Jingyi taught it well.

Xiao Mingshu steps forward at the right moment, her phoenix hairpin gently swaying: "Emperor, calm your anger; perhaps there is some misunderstanding. Sister Wan Pin has always been obedient, never like this."

Having said that, Xiao Mingshu glances at Wan Tang from the corner of her eye, full of inquiry and doubt.

Wan Tang, however, does not accept this goodwill, still maintaining that stubborn attitude.

Chu Yunzheng, seeing this, grows even more angry: "I let you learn tolerance and magnanimity from the Empress; is this how you learned it?"

A pin could be heard falling in the garden.

Wan Tang sits up straight, she watches the smug glance Xu Qinghuan steals from Chu Yunzheng's arm, then suddenly lets out a light laugh: "I, the concubine, am foolish and cannot learn from Xu Meiren… so pitiful."

The atmosphere grows even more tense.

Everyone's hearts hang in suspense; the gazes toward Wan Tang are all as if looking at a corpse.

What kind of person is the Emperor?

Even when Xu Luoyan was at the height of favor, her attitude toward the Emperor was flattering and coaxing; to be so arrogant toward the Emperor is simply courting one's own ruin.

At this moment, everyone in their hearts has only one thought: Wan Tang is doomed.

Wang Jingyi watches all this from the side, her eyes full of satisfaction; everything unfolding is even better than she hoped.

She steps forward gracefully, her deep‑purple decree robe exuding authority: "It is because I, the lady, was negligent in discipline, that I disturbed the Emperor and the Empress's refined mood."

She bows respectfully, yet her words are sharp: "Qinghuan was raised at the border since childhood, unaware of palace etiquette; it was I, the lady, who rashly brought her before the Emperor."

"Alas!" Wang Jingyi sighs deeply, feigning guilt: "I, the lady, will take Qinghuan away now; once the Emperor and Empress have discussed, we shall speak again…"

Chu Yunzheng's eyes darken suddenly: "Wan Tang! Whom I favor—must I still report it to you?"

Lady of Grace Qi covers her mouth with a fan, her eyes full of scorn.

Consort Shun quietly retreats while holding the little princess.

All the concubines in the garden, some startled, some fearful, are all waiting for a good show.

The Empress sighs and shakes her head: "Wan Pin, you have always been the most sensible; why are you so muddled today?"

Xu Luoyan suddenly scoffs, even while dressed in Answering attire, still holding her head high: "Some people think that toppling me will let them rest easy?"

Her red lips part: "Look, the fox's tail can't be hidden any longer, can it?"

Chu Yunzheng's gaze, like an eagle's, locks onto Wan Tang, swirling with doubt, disappointment, and a barely perceptible pang of regret.

Xu Qinghuan in his arms reveals a victorious smile.

Wan Tang is done for; how did she get into a contest with this woman?

Actually this time the Emperor truly wronged her; originally it was just a stopgap measure, after all she is the beauty presented by the Xu Family and also sent back from the front line.

The Trash Dragon never actually fell for that woman; he only liked those eyes. With all this commotion, the Trash Dragon's guilt toward Wan Tang during this period has completely vanished.

Wang Jingyi's words are indeed shrewd, instantly making Wan Tang touch the Emperor's bottom line.

Chu Yunzheng is suspicious; how could he possibly tolerate anyone deceiving him, even attempting to control her?

Unfortunately, despite Wang Jingyi's countless calculations, she missed a spot. This sentence can become a sharp arrow that pierces Wan Tang, and also pierces others.

Moreover, the Emperor's slight guilt in his heart naturally must be brought to its fullest effect.

When everyone is waiting to watch the good show, Wan Tang suddenly sneers: "Madam truly knows how to speak; matters of the harem are still decided by the Empress."

"Lady of Grace Xu Answering is only a proxy for the Phoenix Seal; now the Empress's health is no longer a serious problem, why can you still disregard the Empress in everything?"

Bai Wei, upon hearing this, pales instantly, turning her head toward Xiao Mingshu, her eyes full of anxiety.

Who would have thought that even now, the Xu Family still doesn't regard Xiao Mingshu highly.

Xiao Mingshu's fingertips curl slightly, yet her face still bears a dignified, benevolent demeanor; she steps forward slowly, her voice gentle as water:

"Emperor, you truly have misunderstood Sister Wan Pin."

She sighs lightly, her brows and eyes holding just the right amount of pity: "I, the concubine, think that Sister Wan Pin is certainly not a jealous person."

She pauses, her gaze sweeping over Chu Yunzheng's stern profile, continuing: "If she truly is narrow‑minded, then what she has done for the Emperor during this period amounts to what?"

It's still the Empress who hits the point! These words spoken by the Empress are more lethal than Wan Tang's roar.

How strange, the Empress's purpose in using Wan Tang is merely to make Lady of Grace Qi pregnant; logically she should be watching the tiger fight, not participating in it.

Are you all stupid, didn't you see Tangtang employ a borrowing‑a‑knife tactic?

Wan Tang sneered inwardly, "Indeed, it's better than hoarsely shouting how much I love you."

Better to have it spoken from another's mouth, to declare one's own contributions.

That way Chu Yunzheng would feel even more guilt, for the matter everyone noticed, he had overlooked, even harming Wan Tang.

Chu Yunzheng's anger stalled slightly, his gaze falling on Wan Tang's pale face.

Xiao Mingshu seized the chance and whispered, "Emperor, could you take a look at Concubine Wan's face?"

"She has been truly haggard lately. As a woman, I understand; each night, she suffers greatly."

Xiao Mingshu's hand gently rested over Chu Yunzheng's.

Her tone was full of tenderness: "Emperor, Concubine Wan just lost her child; the pain of yearning to be a mother yet being unable to is something I, Subject, can understand."

"Otherwise, I could not have been ill for several years."

"Concubine Wan… has done well enough."

Indeed!

A mother who has just lost her child, yet must let her beloved man be with another, she is already very magnanimous.

Chu Yunzheng will not forget, every night, when Lady Qi and he tangled in the clouds, the mournful, dripping sounds of the zither in the courtyard.

That was not pastime, but Wan Tang's silent cries!

But when has he ever truly felt Wan Tang's feelings?

Moreover, he even dotes on the murderer who killed his own child.

Chu Yunzheng was silent for a moment, then finally raised his hand; the cold underside of his finger brushed the faint bruise under Wan Tang's eye, his voice low: "Did you not sleep well last night?"

Wan Tang's eyelashes trembled slightly, forcing out a smile; her voice quivered heavily: "At least… Emperor, you have been sleeping soundly lately."

She smiles, yet tears swirl in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.

After asserting strength, the time for softness comes, and she must show weakness.

Chu Yunzheng's fingertips halted.

He watched her reddened eye sockets, her tightly bitten lower lip, and the vermilion mole between her brows that shone dazzlingly in the sunlight.

He suddenly recalled how she had quietly brought him a cup of hot tea when he was reviewing memorials late into the night.

She had once comforted him, speaking heart‑to‑heart when he was troubled by border wars.

When he was exhausted, she had gently massaged his sun with her soft hands…

And now, standing here, publicly rebuked by him, she refuses to let even a single tear fall.

"Tangtang…"

His voice was slightly hoarse, as if laden with a thousand words, yet it finally turned into a sigh.

The garden fell silent, everyone held their breath, and only Xu Qinghuan's low sobbing could be heard.

Chu Yunzheng's gaze lingered on Wan Tang's reddened eyes for a moment, the anger in his eyes gradually giving way to another emotion.

He suddenly raised his hand, the cold underside of his finger lightly brushing the moisture at her eye corner, his voice low: "Come with me back."

Wan Tang was startled, not yet reacting, when her wrist was seized by him.

Chu Yunzheng no longer looked at anyone, took Wan Tang's hand and turned to leave, leaving a garden of stunned Imperial Concubines.

Xu Qinghuan's sobbing abruptly stopped; she stared blankly at the emperor's departing silhouette, her fingertips clenched tightly into her palm.

Wang Jingyi's complexion changed suddenly; just as she was about to speak, the Empress silenced her with a glance.

Xiao Mingshu's lips still held a dignified smile, but the chill in her eyes nearly overflowed: "I am one who does not interfere, but Emperor, you are not swayed by anyone."

"Unless, you wish to die."

Wang Jingyi dared not speak again, stepping back to the side.

Xu Luoyang was even more filled with hatred.

Xu Luoyan sneered, staring at Wan Tang's back, hatingly saying, "Just pretending to be pitiful!"

Within the Lotus Breeze Imperial Palace, Incense curled in the air, and sheer curtains hung lightly.

Chu Yunzheng released Wan Tang's hand, turned and stared at her, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

"Why are you crying?" his voice slightly hoarse, his fingertip lifting her chin, "I have not punished you yet, yet you claim grievance first?"

Wan Tang's eyelashes fluttered lightly, tears hanging but not falling, her voice soft yet stubborn: "Subject did not cry."

Chu Yunzheng let out a low laugh, his thumb rubbing her lip, the pressure neither light nor heavy, yet enough to make her shiver slightly.

"Stubborn mouth."

His voice was low, tinged with a hint of mockery, yet also with a hint of indulgence.

Indeed, the Emperor can never be at fault. Therefore, Wan Tang must become that naive, love‑mad little woman.

She is not perfect; the tactics and tricks she employs are riddled with flaws, allowing Chu Yunzheng to see through them at a glance.

She is harmless!

Wan Tang lifted her gaze, watery light shimmering in her eyes, yet stubbornly refusing to shed tears, her voice trembling: "Subject just does not understand… why I am so angry!"

She clenched her sleeves, her fingertips nearly digging into her palm, yet she still said word for word: "When I see you entwined with Lady Qi, Subject understands that the Emperor's grace is vast, naturally to be shared equally."

"But why… in the scorching summer, that moonlight feels so cold it makes one shiver?"

"Even more puzzling, why when I see Xu Qinghuan favored, Subject feels as if going mad…"

She finally choked, tears spilling, striking Chu Yunzheng's back of the hand, scorching his fingertips into a slight curl.

"Subject… jealous to the point of madness!"

Chu Yunzheng, however, smiled.

It was not a sneer, not mockery, but a genuinely delighted laugh. The chill in his eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by a near‑satiated glow.

He suddenly leaned down, his thin lips almost touching her earlobe, warm breath brushing her sensitive skin: "It is because of love."

"You love me."

His voice was deep and resolute, bearing undeniable authority, yet it carried a hint of rare tenderness.

Wan Tang froze, tears hanging on her lashes, and for a moment she even forgot they would fall.

Chu Yunzheng raised his hand, the palm of his fingers gently wiping away her tear marks, a deeper smile curving his lips: "I like the way you get jealous."

"I like the thorns on you."

He suddenly lifted her sideways in his arms, strode toward the inner hall, his voice hoarse: "Tonight, I won't go anywhere; I'll stay with you."

Wan Tang obediently leaned in his embrace, cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, yet a barely perceptible cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Love?

The love of an emperor is nothing but a fleeting illusion, how ethereal and insubstantial.

Yet she does not expose it; instead she gently closes her eyes, softly saying: "Subject… thank you, Emperor, for your mercy."

At night, Li Ping'er tiptoed in carrying soup medicine and Ophiopogon, seeing the Emperor had already rested, she lowered her voice: "Xie Taiyi says, after drinking this bowl of medicine, the Empress's health will have no more serious problems."

She paused, her voice even softer, yet each word clear: "Now she can bear life."