amaotonovel Chapter 390 Step-by-Step Planning
Chapter 390 Step-by-Step Planning
The Emperor of Northern Qi stepped into Chang Le Palace and abruptly stopped, staring intently ahead. He saw the Empress, dressed in a long blue dress, kneeling on a cushion, pruning flower branches.
Her fingertips fiddled with the delicate flower buds, and the petals trembled as they opened, adding a touch of allure to her aloof face.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he involuntarily took a step toward the Empress.
"What brings you to prune the flowers today?" The Emperor of Northern Qi sat behind the Empress, pulling her into his arms and inhaling the delicate floral fragrance from her hair. "I heard you went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation today. Why didn't you wake me?"
The late emperor betrothed the empress to him. He had no romantic feelings for her, but he treated her with the respect due to his first wife. He would visit her courtyard on the first and fifteenth of each month to solidify her position in the household.
It was probably because the Empress was in poor health, and not only was she aloof and somewhat withdrawn, that she was not warm towards him and never took the initiative to seek him out.
This was the first time the Empress had ever gone to see him.
He guessed in his heart that the Empress had left Chang Le Palace for the Hall of Mental Cultivation because of Prince Qi.
Even so, he was still in a very good mood.
Because the Empress had yielded to him, he came to Chang Le Palace after finishing his official duties.
The Empress froze for a moment, then suppressed her inner resistance and placed a neatly trimmed bouquet of flowers into the vase.
"This palace is so quiet, so I asked Green Branch to bring back some flowers to arrange." The Empress turned to look at the Emperor of Northern Qi and continued, "Eunuch Liu said that you are so busy with state affairs that you don't even have time to rest. You finally managed to get some time to sleep, so how could I wake you?"
It was rare for the Emperor of Northern Qi to hear such a gentle word from the Empress, and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Why did you come to see me?"
"I heard that you punished Chong'er and wanted to plead for him," the Empress said slowly. "I have thought about it carefully. Chong'er sent people to break into the National Temple, which was too reckless. His tendency to believe everything he hears should be tempered to prevent him from causing a major disaster in the future."
The Empress said this while following the excuse given by the Prince of Qi.
The Northern Qi emperor raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you going to plead for Chong'er?"
“To indulge a child is to kill him. I understand these principles and I know that Chong’er’s mistake can be big or small. Your Majesty’s punishment of confining him to his room to reflect on his mistakes is already an extraordinary act of mercy.”
The Empress's eyes revealed helplessness: "Your Majesty, I hope that Chong'er can reflect on his own actions and recover from his injuries before returning to share your burdens."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Northern Qi discerned the Empress's true intentions.
This was in the hope that King Qi would recover from his injuries, have his confinement lifted, and return to the court.
He knew that the Empress must have something to ask of him when she came to see him.
"I hope he can understand your good intentions."
The Northern Qi emperor carried the empress around the waist and headed towards the inner palace, keenly noticing that the incense in the palace was different from what was usually lit.
He casually asked, "Did you change your incense?"
The Empress suppressed her urge to push away the Emperor of Northern Qi, frowning as she said, "I've had a headache these past few days and haven't been sleeping well at night, so I've changed to a sleeping incense."
The Emperor of Northern Qi knew that the Empress suffered from headaches, so he did not suspect anything and put her on the bed.
The Empress, supporting herself, said, "Your Majesty..."
"I'll sleep with you," the Emperor of Northern Qi said, "but I won't touch you."
The Empress pursed her lips and slowly lay down.
The Emperor of Northern Qi removed his outer robe and lay down beside the Empress. He had thought it would be another sleepless night, but the faint, warm fragrance lulled him into sleep.
He heard the sounds of gunfire and battle cries. Through the towering flames, he saw the former crown prince, under the banner of "purging the court of corrupt officials," leading his troops into the palace and heading straight for the Golden Palace where he was.
He shouted for the Imperial Guards to protect him, but the Imperial Guards blocking his way all stepped aside to make way for the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty as he walked in with his sword drawn.
He was terrified and, facing the relentless advance of the former crown prince, retreated in fear and slumped back in his dragon throne.
The next moment, a blood-stained longsword pierced his heart.
"Don't kill me—"
The Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly opened his eyes, sat up in shock, and gasped for breath.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
A concerned voice suddenly came from beside him, startling the Northern Qi Emperor. He turned around abruptly and met the Empress's concerned eyes.
He was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had a nightmare.
The Empress stared at the Northern Qi Emperor's pale face and asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"
The Emperor of Northern Qi grunted in response, still feeling lingering fear as he recalled the dream.
He threw off the covers, got out of bed, poured himself a glass of cold water, and drank it, which made him a little more lucid.
This was the second time he had dreamt of the former dynasty's crown prince rebelling.
It gets clearer each time.
The only thing I couldn't see was the face of the former crown prince.
The Northern Qi emperor touched his chest, recalling the scene in his dream where a sharp weapon capable of cutting hair in half was pressed against his chest, and his face darkened.
He had a vague feeling that the dream was foreshadowing something.
The Northern Qi emperor was shrouded in a heavy gloom. Whenever he thought of the remnants of the previous dynasty lurking in the shadows, watching him with predatory eyes, he felt as if he had thorns in his back.
His eyes hardened, and he became determined to eliminate the remnants of the previous dynasty.
The Northern Qi emperor took out his outer robe, put it on, and strode away.
The Empress leaned quietly against the bedpost, taking in the Northern Qi Emperor's expression of fear and dread, and a slight smile played on her lips.
Every time the Northern Qi Emperor came to Chang Le Palace, he received no response or attempt to persuade her to stay. This time, she went to Yang Xin Hall to find him in person, and he knew that once he heard the news, he would definitely come to Chang Le Palace.
When she learned that the Northern Qi emperor was wary of the remnants of the previous dynasty and was so troubled by it that he could not eat or sleep, she specially prepared incense and lit it.
This incense not only has a calming effect but also hallucinogenic properties, which amplified the fear in the heart of the Northern Qi emperor, plunging him into nightmares.
Given the temperament of the Northern Qi emperor, each nightmare intensified his fear of the remnants of the previous dynasty. Over time, the mental and psychological torment would eventually destroy him.
If we give him another jolt then, he definitely won't be able to handle the blow.
The Empress called out to Green Branch, "His Majesty has been having many dreams at night. Please send the incense I prepared today to the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
Green Branch was surprised, but did not ask any further questions: "This servant will send it over first thing tomorrow morning."
The Empress nodded and ordered, "Change the bedding on the bed."
Green Branch quickly called in a palace maid to remake the bed.
The Empress, wearing an outer robe, came to the desk and wrote down the news that the Northern Qi Emperor was looking for remnants of the previous dynasty. She then instructed someone to send it to the Prince of Qi's residence the next day.
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In the Siyi Pavilion, Prince Yu sat in a round-backed chair, holding a letter written by Emperor Jing'an to Zhao Yi.
The subordinate asked, "Are you going to give this letter to the Prince of Guangling?"