Chapter 339: The Crown Prince Departs

…

It had already come to the point where the dagger was revealed; how could Zhao Yu not see through it? This time, Empress Dowager Xiang wasn't bidding farewell—she was plotting against him.

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

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

Empress Dowager Xiang knew Zhao Yu was angry.

That was normal.

If an emperor, after being schemed against, didn't show any temper, he'd be too cowardly—even if the one who betrayed him was his benefactor.

Empress Dowager Xiang smiled and said: "Only the wine has it."

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

Seeing this, Empress Dowager Xiang sat across from Zhao Yu and spoke frankly: "My body is truly failing. I fear your youth and impulsiveness, and with Cai Jing and others clamoring that the Yuan You faction are all traitors, urging you to eradicate them for the sake of the Great Song, I couldn't 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; thus, I can only entrust your elder sister-in-law to act on my behalf."

Empress Dowager Xiang was practically saying outright that although Meng Xiang was the former dynasty's Empress, neither Zhao Xu nor Meng Xiang had ever shown Zhao Yu any kindness, so neither owed him any favor—had she not used such tactics, Zhao Yu would never have listened to Meng Xiang's words.

Empress Dowager Xiang also made clear that she did this entirely for the Great Song, with no selfish motives.

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

Moreover, Empress Dowager Xiang 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, and besides, he had never intended to follow Cai Jing's faction and abolish the old party entirely in favor of the new one—so although Zhao Yu was angry, how could he truly rage at this dying benefactor?

So, after eating a few bites, Zhao Yu said: "I have matters elsewhere. If you have instructions, have your elder sister-in-law relay them to me."

Empress Dowager Xiang, with her cultivation, could hardly fail to understand—Zhao Yu had accepted her arrangement.

Empress Dowager Xiang smiled and said: "Your Majesty, go about your duties. Everything here is in my hands."

Zhao Yu glanced at Meng Xiang, who still dared not raise her eyes to him, then left.

Zhao Yu never knew how Empress Dowager Xiang had persuaded Meng Xiang, but after Empress Dowager Xiang died, Meng Xiang became Zhao Yu's secret concubine.

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

In the years that followed, Zhao Yu continued to secretly 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 Empress Dowager Xiang's care, Meng Xiang and Zheng Xiansu maintained an excellent relationship; together, they successfully "removed" Liu Qingjing, silencing her completely despite her once formidable scheming.

Now, Meng Xiuyi 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: whenever Liu Qingjing didn't 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.

Although Zhao Yu felt Meng Xiang's behavior carried the hypocrisy of "wanting to be a whore and yet keep a virtuous reputation," since she insisted on it, he had no power over her—after all, she was his elder sister-in-law.

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

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

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

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

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

With no other option, Zhao Yu had a secret chamber built beneath the residence of Meng Xiuyi and Meng Shunrong, for his clandestine meetings with Meng Xiang.

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

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

Inside the chamber, only a single glass lantern burned, its dim yellow light spilling through the carved shade, falling precisely upon Meng Xiang seated on a canopy bed. She wore a plain, 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 flawlessly, pinned with 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 irises deep ink-black, and even when she didn't smile, her gaze carried a distant, alluring beauty—like a snow lotus blooming perfectly atop a mountain peak, one felt compelled to revere it, yet couldn't help but wish to draw near.

Her skin was the fine, delicate texture of one long shielded from harsh light, glowing softly under the lantern's glow, showing not a trace of age. She sat quietly on a cushioned mat, her wide Daoist sleeves falling to reveal a sliver of her pale wrist, holding a scripture as she read.

Anyone unaware of her true nature would have thought her a celestial being untouched by mortal desires—only Zhao Yu knew how wanton she could be in bed.

By the way, Zhao Yu most loved seeing Meng Xiang in Daoist robes—just as Li Zhi adored Wu Zetian in Buddhist robes—so Meng Xiang often wore Daoist robes to meet Zhao Yu, and he would then remove them himself…

Zhao Yu walked over and sat beside Meng Xiang, then, without ceremony, pulled her onto his lap, smiling as he asked: "Missed me?"

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

Zhao Yu thought to himself: 'You've already planted spies beside her—every move she makes is under your surveillance. What trouble could she possibly stir up?'

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

His hands, however, had already grown unsteady.

In no time, 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…

Over half an hour later, Zhao Yu held Meng Xiang, whose blush had not yet fully faded, and asked her: "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, with outstanding grades—he was expected to become a Shangshe student next year.