After the Substitute Male Bride Fled, the Emperor Turned Dark - Chapter 12

Fang Zhiyan was drinking merrily until someone took away the wine pot from in front of him.

He lifted his eyes to look at the owner of those hands, meeting Eunuch Li’s face, which was wrinkled with a smile. “Your Ladyship, His Majesty is concerned for your health as you have just recovered. Although this wine is fine, pray do not overindulge.”

“Thus, His Majesty has prepared warm milk for you, along with these fresh lychees from afar. Please, Your Ladyship, eat more of these.”

This scene drew the side-glances of many, including those who were envious, curious, or jealous.

Only Fang Zhiyan himself stared longingly at the confiscated wine pot. Unfortunately, in such a setting, it was inappropriate to speak up and ask for its return.

When he turned his head, he found Lady Lin looking at him with an extremely complex expression.

As if finding a kindred spirit, Fang Zhiyan whispered to her, “His Majesty is truly a killjoy. On such a grand day, what harm is there in a few more cups? He is quite lacking in romantic sentiment.”

Luo Ruo desperately wanted to cover his mouth and secretly poked him in the back. “Your Ladyship, watch your words.”

Lady Lin offered a strained smile, raising her sleeve to hide her expression behind the act of drinking. For a moment, she could not tell if Concubine Zhuang was babbling because he was drunk or if he was intentionally provoking others.

Grand Princess Taijia tapped the table again and whispered, “Imperial Brother, when did you become so considerate?”

Xiao Huan, however, looked toward the Empress Dowager.

Bai Shuang was being held in the arms of an elderly maid. The cat’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, were now open at some unknown point, and low growls continued to emanate from its throat.

The Empress Dowager clearly noticed this as well. She turned and instructed the maid to take the cat to the side hall.

At that moment, Lady Zhou, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up and said with a beaming smile, “What a well-behaved cat. Empress Dowager, may this servant-concubine hold it for a moment?”

The hall fell silent as everyone looked at the speaker.

Fang Zhiyan was surprised. While playing Leaf Cards, Lady Zhou had been quite reserved; he had not expected her to dare speak up in such a grand setting today.

The Empress Dowager did not immediately answer, but Lady Zhou did not feel she had lost face and continued, “When I was at home, I loved interacting with these spiritual pets.”

“I have long heard that the Empress Dowager’s cat is the most spiritual of all. Seeing it today, I cannot help but want to get closer. I hope the Empress Dowager will grant this wish.”

She smiled so brightly and spent every sentence praising Bai Shuang, maintaining a very humble posture.

The Empress Dowager had always been easy to get along with, so she granted the request.

With the cat as a topic, the guests could not help but continue chatting about it. Among the stories was a legendary past event that had been passed down with much mystique.

It was said that when the Empress Dowager was still the Empress, she fell gravely ill and went to Chenxiang Temple for a long period of quiet cultivation. During that time, a foreign woman won the late Emperor’s favor, rising from the rank of Jieyu to Noble Consort in a mere six months.

Due to the late Emperor’s indulgence, that Noble Consort became reckless, committing many outrageous and harmful acts, yet the late Emperor never blamed her.

When the Empress returned from her recovery, the Noble Consort dared to provoke her at her doorstep. It was this cat, Bai Shuang, who, ignoring all restraint, viciously lunged at the Noble Consort and bit her.

The Emperor was furious, but the Empress remained calm in the face of danger. She stated that Bai Shuang was usually gentle and would never rage like this without a reason.

In the end, the head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine cracked the code: the foreign woman had rubbed “Soul-Bewildering Incense” on her body, which was a filthy substance unique to foreign lands used to muddle one’s mind and cause obsession.

It was said that the Noble Consort met a horrific end.

Meanwhile, the maid had already handed Bai Shuang to Lady Zhou.

Lady Lin sat between Fang Zhiyan and Lady Zhou. As the maid passed by carrying Bai Shuang, Fang Zhiyan noticed that the cat’s eyes were red. When he had first gone to Cining Palace to pay his respects, its eyes were clearly light blue.

The moment Lady Zhou’s fingertips touched Bai Shuang’s soft fur, the cat did not remain docile as expected. Instead, its body stiffened, its nose twitched rapidly as it sniffed the air, and it suddenly broke free from Lady Zhou’s hands and leaped.

It did not pounce on Lady Lin, who was right next to her. Instead, it vaulted over Lady Lin and lunged straight toward Fang Zhiyan on the other side.

“Meow!”

A sharp screech pierced the clamor of the hall. Bai Shuang’s fur stood on end, its claws were bared, and the corners of its eyes were flushed red. With an air of pure ferocity, it lunged directly for Fang Zhiyan’s shoulder.

Fang Zhiyan’s drunkenness vanished instantly. Stiff with terror, he instinctively shrank back, knocking over the fruits and snacks on the table in the process.

“Your Ladyship!”

Luo Ruo cried out in shock. Her body reacted first as she leaned in to shield him, but she was still a step too slow.

Just as Bai Shuang’s sharp claws were about to rake across Fang Zhiyan’s neck, a black-clad figure suddenly stepped forward. A wide sleeve swept out forcefully, heartlessly batting Bai Shuang away.

With a thud, Bai Shuang was knocked to the ground. However, it still refused to give up. It crouched on the floor, arching its back and hissing, while staring fixedly at Fang Zhiyan with eyes full of violence. It was completely devoid of its usual gentleness.

The hall fell into a deathly silence where even the sound of breathing was audible.

Everyone was stunned. They had just been discussing how gentle and spiritual Bai Shuang was, so they wondered why it had suddenly become so ferocious toward Concubine Zhuang, who was currently enjoying the height of imperial favor.

The last time Bai Shuang had acted this way was because of the late Emperor’s Noble Consort.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

The Empress Dowager’s face darkened immediately, and her voice was tinged with anger. “What is wrong with you all? Can you not even look after a single cat?”

The maid hurried forward to pick up Bai Shuang, only to be frightened back by its fierce baring of teeth.

Lady Zhou stood frozen, and her bright smile stiffened. She quickly stepped forward and knelt in the center of the hall. “Empress Dowager, please forgive me. I do not know why I provoked it into a frenzy, alarming Lady Concubine Zhuang.”

As she spoke, she looked toward Fang Zhiyan with concern. “Lady Concubine Zhuang, are you alright?”

Fang Zhiyan gripped his sleeves, his back already covered in a thin layer of cold sweat. Just as he was about to speak, his wrist was suddenly pressed down gently.

Xiao Huan had remained standing by his side after fending off Bai Shuang. The warmth from the Emperor’s palm seeped through the fabric of his clothes, carrying a reassuring strength.

He looked down at Fang Zhiyan, his tone unreadable, as if this were a minor matter. “Why the panic?”

The Empress Dowager also looked over. “Concubine Zhuang, are you injured?”

“Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. This servant-concubine is unharmed.”

Consort Shu, who had been silent, exchanged a brief look with Xiao Huan and spoke with a smile. “Alright, since no one is hurt, everyone return to your seats. Those serving in Jingyang Palace, do not forget to brew a soul-soothing tonic for your master when you return.”

The crowd thought this small farce was about to end.

However, Fang Zhiyan instinctively felt it was not that simple. He had a gut feeling that the faint sense of oddity he had felt since leaving his room this morning was about to find its answer.

Sure enough, Lady Zhou kowtowed again. Her voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear. “Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, all things have spirits, and cats and dogs are the most perceptive among them. They have a keen sense of smell and are extremely sensitive to certain harmful drugs and incenses.”

“There must be a reason why it lunged at Concubine Zhuang for no reason today. I implore Your Majesty to call the Imperial Physicians to investigate. Concubine Zhuang and I call each other sisters; I truly cannot bear to see her harm her own body out of ignorance.”

Fang Zhiyan was so angry he almost laughed.

They were just talking about how miserable the late Emperor’s Noble Consort ended up, and in the blink of an eye, it was his turn.

Lady Zhou was practically saying outright that he had used something he should not have. Combined with the recent rumors of the Emperor’s exclusive favor, it was hard for anyone not to be suspicious. It was a truly poisonous scheme.

Judging by the reactions of the people in the hall, they had also quickly realized what the highlight of this play was.

Xiao Huan leaned back in his dragon chair, eyes cast down, and his thoughts remained unknown.

Grand Princess Taijia’s face was icy, no longer possessing the gentleness she showed when joking with her brother earlier. She swept a cold gaze over Lady Zhou, feeling that although her brother was the Emperor, he still had to consider the bigger picture by allowing such brainless, stupid things into the harem.

She felt Lady Zhou had absolutely no sense of occasion, using schemes at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet for her own selfish ends. No wonder her brother was becoming increasingly cold; if it were her, she would not give these people a kind face either.

The Empress Dowager appeared calm and showed no signs of anger. Instead, she granted Lady Zhou’s request. “Then, summon the Imperial Physicians.”

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