Chapter 339: The Crown Prince Departs for War

…

It had already come to the point where the dagger was revealed; Zhao Yu could not fail to see that this time, the Empress Dowager was not settling her affairs but plotting against him.

Zhao Yu no longer had any need to pretend to be a filial son to the Empress Dowager.

Zhao Yu sat back down at the table where the delicacies had gone untouched, picked up his chopsticks, and asked the Empress Dowager: “There’s no poison in the food, is there?”

The Empress Dowager knew Zhao Yu was angry.

That was normal.

If an emperor, after being schemed against, showed no anger at all, he would be too cowardly—even if the one who betrayed him was his benefactor.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said: “Only the wine has it.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yu picked up his chopsticks and ate, ignoring the Empress Dowager entirely.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager sat across from Zhao Yu and spoke frankly: “My body is truly failing. I fear your youth and impetuosity, and with Cai Jing and others clamoring that the Yuanyou faction are all traitors, urging you to eradicate them for the sake of Great Song, I could not rest easy. So I sought someone to watch over you, to remind you at critical moments. The Empress follows you blindly and cannot control you—so I must entrust your elder sister-in-law to act in my stead.”

The Empress Dowager was practically saying outright: though Meng Xiang was the former empress, neither Zhao Xu nor Meng Xiang had ever shown Zhao Yu any real favor, so neither owed him any debt of gratitude; if she did not use such tactics, Zhao Yu would never listen to Meng Xiang’s words.

The Empress Dowager also made clear that she did this entirely for Great Song, with no selfish motive.

At the same time, the Empress Dowager was making this explicit, hoping that in future major affairs of Great Song, Zhao Yu would listen to Meng Xiang’s counsel—after all, Meng Xiang was no longer merely the former empress, but also Zhao Yu’s woman, and would never harm him.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager was not only explaining to Zhao Yu, but also to Meng Xiang, clarifying to both of them why she had acted this way.

A dying woman, and moreover, the greatest benefactor who had placed him on the throne; crucially, he himself had suffered no real loss; furthermore, he had never intended to follow Cai Jing’s advice and abolish the old faction entirely in favor of the new. So though Zhao Yu was angry, how could he truly rage at this dying benefactor?

Thus, after eating a few bites, Zhao Yu said: “I have matters elsewhere. If you have instructions, tell the Empress to relay them to me.”

The Empress Dowager, with her keen insight, could not fail to understand: Zhao Yu had accepted her arrangement.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said: “Your Majesty, attend to your duties. I will see to everything here.”

Zhao Yu glanced at Meng Xiang, who still dared not look up at him, and left.

Zhao Yu never knew how the Empress Dowager had persuaded Meng Xiang, but after the Empress Dowager’s death, Meng Xiang became Zhao Yu’s secret lover.

By the way, the last thing the Empress Dowager did before her death was send someone to bring Meng Xiang’s niece, Meng Shunrong, into the palace, making her one of Zhao Yu’s imperial consorts.

In the years that followed, Zhao Yu continued to clandestinely meet with Meng Xiang; over more than a decade, Meng Xiang bore him two sons and one daughter.

Using Liu Qingjing’s method, Zhao Yu also adopted both sons into Meng Xiang’s name, letting her raise them herself; the daughter was raised by Zheng Xiansu.

Because of this daughter as a bridge, and because both were raised under the Empress Dowager’s influence, Meng Xiang and Zheng Xiansu maintained an excellent relationship; together, they successfully “removed” Liu Qingjing, silencing her once and for all.

Now, Meng Shunrong and Meng Shunrong had come to Zhao Yu—he knew full well it was because Liu Qingjing had visited him.

——For years, this had always been the pattern: if Liu Qingjing did not come to Zhao Yu, even if Meng Xiang longed for him, she would never come; of course, if Zhao Yu sought her out, that was different—but whenever Liu Qingjing came to Zhao Yu, she would always summon him to her, as if Liu Qingjing had given her a justification for her betrayal.

Though Zhao Yu felt Meng Xiang’s behavior carried the hypocrisy of “wanting to be a whore and yet keep a reputation,” she insisted on it, and Zhao Yu could do nothing—after all, she was his elder sister-in-law.

As yesterday, Zhao Yu set out for the residence of Meng Shunrong and Meng Shunrong.

This time, however, it was not Meng Xiang who crept through the secret passage to find Zhao Yu, but after spending a night with the sisters and expending half his strength and energy, Zhao Yu descended the secret passage to meet Meng Xiang.

Meng Xiang was modest and held to her dignity; she refused to share Zhao Yu with anyone else, even if that person was her own niece.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu proposed he would go through the secret passage to visit Meng Xiang in Qingshou Palace.

Meng Xiang refused, saying it was too dangerous, and forbade Zhao Yu from leaving his personal guards’ protection. She had solemnly warned him never to depart from their safeguard, claiming his safety was tied to the stability of Great Song and so on…

There was no choice; Zhao Yu had a secret chamber built beneath the residence of Meng Shunrong and Meng Shunrong, for his clandestine meetings with Meng Xiang.

Entering the chamber through the entrance beneath Meng Shunrong and Meng Shunrong’s bed, Zhao Yu saw Meng Xiang dressed in Daoist robes.

Though Meng Xiang was now thirty-nine, years of nourishment from Zhao Yu and her diligent practice of Daoist cultivation had left her looking no older than a woman in her twenties.

The chamber held but a single glass lantern, its dim golden glow spilling through the carved shade, falling precisely upon Meng Xiang seated on a canopied bed. She wore a pale moon-white silk Daoist robe, with faint silver cloud patterns embroidered along the collar and sleeves, rising and falling gently with her breath, as if mountain mist clung to her sleeves.

Her hair was coiffed with perfect precision, fastened by a white jade hairpin; a few loose strands framed her temples, enhancing the porcelain whiteness of her face. She was naturally dignified, and when her brows lifted slightly, a touch of icy aloofness emerged; her eyes were slightly elongated, her pupils deep ink-black, and even without smiling, they carried a distant, alluring beauty—like a snow lotus blooming perfectly atop a mountain peak, one felt one ought to revere her, yet could not help but wish to draw near.

Her skin was the fine, delicate texture of one who never saw harsh light, glowing softly under the lantern, showing not a trace of age. She sat quietly upon a cushioned mat, the wide sleeves of her robe falling to reveal a slender, pale wrist, holding a scripture as she read.

Anyone unaware of her true nature would see this scene and believe her an immortal untouched by mortal desires; only Zhao Yu knew how wanton she could be in bed.

To add: Zhao Yu most loved the sight of Meng Xiang in Daoist robes—just as Li Zhi had loved Wu Zetian in Buddhist robes—so Meng Xiang often wore Daoist robes to meet Zhao Yu, and Zhao Yu would personally help her remove them…

Zhao Yu walked over and sat beside Meng Xiang, then, without ceremony, pulled her onto his lap, smiling as he asked: “Did you miss me?”

Meng Xiang denied outright: “Empress Liu is a poison. I promised the Empress Dowager I would watch over her, and not let her stir up trouble and harm Great Song.”

Zhao Yu thought to himself: ‘You’ve already planted spies beside her—every move she makes is under your surveillance. How could she possibly stir up any wind or wave?’

Zhao Yu murmured to Meng Xiang: “Alright, I understand…”

His hands, however, had already grown unfaithful.

In moments, the once dignified and icy Meng Xiang, seemingly untouchable, began breathing heavily.

Zhao Yu set Meng Xiang down, letting her slide down his legs to kneel…

Half an hour later, Zhao Yu held Meng Xiang, her cheeks still flushed, and asked: “Do you want to keep Ji’er by your side, or let him go out and test himself?”

Zhao Ji was Meng Xiang’s first son with Zhao Yu; he had already been granted his own household and now studied at the Imperial Academy, excelling greatly—he was expected to become a Shangshe student next year.