RWNEFE -Chapter 3 Entering the Palace!

This matter concerned the dignity of the imperial family. The guards reported it to their superiors, who then reported it further up the chain.

By the time Shen Lanxi reached the Empress Dowager’s sleeping quarters, the head eunuch had just received the news.

“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!”

Emperor Zhou Chengqian had already slept poorly the night before. Hearing bad news so early in the morning instantly enraged him. He grabbed a teacup and smashed it hard onto the ground.

“Outrageous!”

The chief eunuch Wang Bao was so frightened that he immediately knelt down, trembling in silence.

“This servant deserves death! This servant will slap this crow’s mouth rotten at once!” Wang Bao said as he slapped his own face repeatedly.

After more than a dozen slaps, Zhou Chengqian gradually calmed down. Pressing hard at his throbbing temples, he asked, “So early in the morning—what bad thing has happened?”

Wang Bao hurriedly replied, “Shen Lanxi of the Shen family has entered the palace, saying that the Prince of Zhen’nan did not step into the bridal chamber last night and instead spent the entire night at a concubine’s place, and—and…”

Zhou Chengqian’s voice carried anger. “And what?”

Wang Bao lowered his head until it was nearly touching the floor and said with trembling courage, “And he called for water three times…”

“Nonsense!” Zhou Chengqian swept the entire tea tray onto the ground.

With a loud clatter, Wang Bao shrank into a ball.

“She went to the Empress Dowager?”

Wang Bao replied softly in a shaking voice, “She said she was going to lodge a complaint with the Empress Dowager… and with Your Majesty…”

Zhou Chengqian had already been awake all night because of the Shen family’s case. Now, hearing that his son had committed such an outrageous act, his fury flared uncontrollably!

No matter what happened to the Shen family, or whether Shen Lanxi would be implicated, his son—an imperial prince and a general guarding one side of the realm—absolutely could not commit such a disgraceful act of favoring a concubine and humiliating his lawful wife!

“Wang Bao, you personally take men to the Prince of Zhen’nan’s residence to investigate. If this is true, bring Zhou Ruyuan to me at once. As for that concubine—grant her death!”

Wang Bao immediately accepted the order. “This servant will go at once!”

The Great Zhou Dynasty revered filial piety, and Zhou Chengqian himself set an example in promoting it. The Empress Dowager was already advanced in age and had recently been confined to her sickbed. If Shen Lanxi were to disturb her, even dying ten thousand times would not be enough to atone!

Zhou Chengqian immediately rushed toward the Empress Dowager’s sleeping quarters with his entourage.

“Empress Dowager, I can’t bear to leave you. I won’t get married—I want to stay with you forever!” Shen Lanxi knelt by the kind old woman’s couch, crying uncontrollably.

The Empress Dowager’s health had been poor lately; she slept more often than she was awake. Shen Lanxi had arrived just in time—she happened to catch her awake.

“Xixi, my good child, what’s wrong?” the Empress Dowager asked gently, stroking Shen Lanxi’s hair with a look of deep affection.

Shen Lanxi clutched the Empress Dowager’s hand and cried even harder.

When she had been close to death in her previous life, she had heard the palace funeral bells. She vaguely remembered someone mentioning that half a year had passed between her first and second bouts of vomiting blood. That meant the Empress Dowager’s lifespan had at most half a year left.

This might very well be her last time seeing the Empress Dowager. How could she not be heartbroken?

By the time Zhou Chengqian arrived at the Empress Dowager’s chambers, she had already comforted Shen Lanxi.

“You little rascal—if you’d set your sights on this luminous pearl of mine, you should’ve said so earlier. If you had, I’d have given it to you long ago to add to your dowry.”

Shen Lanxi quietly held the box, her face full of a young girl’s shy sweetness.

“Empress Dowager, how could you say something like that~”

“Imperial Uncle has arrived~”

She quickly got up from the couch and bowed to the emperor.

“You may rise. Why did you come so early and disturb the Empress Dowager’s rest? Let’s see how I punish you,” he said with a teasing tone.

Shen Lanxi glanced at the elderly woman, whose face was full of fatigue as she forced herself to smile and joke with her.

“Empress Dowager, I just suddenly missed you and wanted you to see whether my wedding dress looks good. Now that you’ve said it looks nice, I’ll head back. I’ll come see you again next time.”

The Empress Dowager smiled and waved her hand.

“Go on, go on. Chunlan, bring Xixi some walnut cakes. This child loves the walnut cakes from my palace the most.”

Chunlan curtsied. “Yes, this servant will fetch them at once.”

After leaving the sleeping hall, Shen Lanxi stood to one side and waited for Zhou Chengqian to come out.

In less than half a quarter-hour, he did.

Gone was the gentle expression he’d worn inside. With a cold face and imposing authority, Zhou Chengqian looked at Shen Lanxi.

“Do you know that the Empress Dowager’s health has been unwell recently?”

Shen Lanxi immediately knelt, fearful and respectful.

“Imperial Uncle, I just felt wronged!” As she spoke, tears fell drop by drop.

Watching Shen Lanxi’s body shake with sobs, Zhou Chengqian let out a deep sigh.

“Come with me to the side hall.”

Once Zhou Chengqian had walked four or five meters ahead, she immediately wiped away her tears, hugged the box, and followed him.

—

Wang Bao returned in a hurry, his face bruised and battered.

“Your Majesty…”

Zhou Chengqian glanced behind him. “Where is the Third Prince?”

Wang Bao lowered his head. “This servant is incompetent and failed to bring the Third Prince back.”

Sensing something was wrong, Zhou Chengqian immediately asked, “What happened to your face?”

Wang Bao raised his sleeve to half-cover his face and replied truthfully, “This servant went to the Prince of Zhen’nan’s residence to inquire, and it is indeed true. The Prince of Zhen’nan was willing to enter the palace with this servant, but upon hearing that the concubine would be sentenced to death, he… he beat this servant into this state.”

Zhou Chengqian flew into a rage, slamming his palm onto the desk.

“He’s utterly lawless! Does he intend to rebel against me?”

Rebellion was a crime that warranted the extermination of nine generations. For an imperial prince to be accused of rebellion would mean his life was over!

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

Everyone in the room dropped to their knees in fright, Shen Lanxi included.

Who would have thought that the war god praised by all would dare to challenge imperial authority for the sake of a woman?

How love-blinded could he be?

“Imperial Uncle, the prince treats me—and you—this way for the sake of a woman of unknown origin. I won’t marry him anymore. I want a divorce!”

Zhou Chengqian had been about to summon the Imperial Guards to seize Zhou Ruyuan when he suddenly heard Shen Lanxi’s words. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone filled with hesitation and scrutiny.

“You want a divorce?”

Shen Lanxi knelt respectfully. “Imperial Uncle, I know you want to say this is nonsense. I am not being nonsensical. On the wedding night, the prince never once entered the bridal chamber—everyone in the residence saw it. He didn’t even bother to hide it, spending the night in that woman’s room and even calling for… I’m too embarrassed to say it. Everyone in the residence knows he dislikes me and has no regard for me. If I remain in the prince’s residence, I will surely become the laughingstock of the world. I would rather spend my life in the palace, serving the Empress Dowager.”

Zhou Chengqian looked at Shen Lanxi with scrutiny and suspicion. The Prince of Zhen’nan’s residence was at least half an hour’s walk from the imperial city. A weak woman like her could not possibly have walked here.

There was a curfew in the capital at night—riding horses was forbidden. If she had come by carriage, it would have been arrogant defiance of the law. And after entering the palace, she loudly spread imperial family secrets, disregarding royal dignity. Such a person could hardly be allowed to remain in the palace.

“I ask you—how did you get to the imperial city?” The men sent to confiscate the Shen residence had just left when Shen Lanxi entered the palace. The timing was far too coincidental.