"Let's go," Liu Liu straightened her back and walked out. Cui'er signaled Cai Xia to take the scroll in her hand, while she herself, along with Qiao'er, accompanied the Empress to the imperial study.
To be honest, Cui'er also understood the seriousness of the situation. It seemed the Emperor knew their mistress had gone to Black Wind City. This time, they must not implicate the Liu family.
A gentle breeze swept through the secluded path, lightly rippling the surface of the calm lake and stirring up waves. Deep within the garden, colorful chrysanthemums bloomed, vibrant and brilliant, infusing the elegance of autumn everywhere. The bright chrysanthemums, the cool wind, the clear ripples – it was all bathed in a lucid clarity.
Liu Liu walked towards the imperial study, contemplating a strategy, but suddenly felt it was unnecessary, as one lie often requires countless others to sustain it.
Besides, Feng Xie was not a fool; how could he not discern the truth from her falsehoods? Apart from her other identity, she felt no need to conceal anything else from him.
The group walked along the path strewn with fallen petals. Palace maids and eunuchs respectfully greeted them and stepped aside. Liu Liu, clad in a pure white gown, appeared elegant and noble, her face etched with a detached serenity, creating an aura of inaccessibility.
At the entrance of the imperial study stood a line of young eunuchs, their faces filled with apprehension. Upon seeing Liu Liu appear, they all bowed.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
"Rise," Liu Liu waved her hand. Although she herself was quite nervous, her usual disposition prevented her from showing it. Thus, her expression remained largely unchanged.
Xiao Wan Zi invited Liu Liu to wait outside the door and then went inside the imperial study to report. Liu Liu nodded. Shortly thereafter, she heard a furious and violent voice erupt from within.
This was followed by the sharp sound of a tea set being thrown to the ground. Those waiting outside the study were all trembling with fear.
They furtively glanced at the Empress. She appeared calm and composed, showing no signs of panic. Her aloof demeanor was like an elegant cloud drifting across the sky, carrying a subtle, refreshing fragrance.
Liu Liu heard the man's angry roar from within the study: "Let her come in."
Without waiting for Xiao Wan Zi to emerge, she lifted the hem of her skirt and walked with poised grace onto the stone steps. What was meant to come would come, and what she had to bear, she would bear, as long as no innocent people were involved.
Inside the imperial study, the air was thick with the scent of musk, creating an atmosphere of chilling silence and radiating a palpable coldness. A shattered tea set lay on the floor, with tea leaves scattered everywhere.
Xiao Wan Zi was already squatting down, picking up the fragments and wiping away a small wet patch, before slowly backing away. Liu Liu stepped forward with neither humility nor arrogance and offered a curtsy.
"Liu Liu greets His Majesty."
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating Liu Liu's elegantly simple face. She appeared so calm, her eyes like water, filled with a cool, detached wisdom. A faint, triumphant smile played on her lips as she quietly gazed at Feng Xie on the dragon couch.
Feng Xie’s face was contorted with rage. Even with his full-blown anger, his features remained undeniably attractive, but this attractiveness was now laced with palpable murderous intent.
His eyes, as cold and frigid as an ice pool, were fixed on Liu Liu, brimming with anger, fury, and resentment. Unpredictable emotions coiled around her.
"Empress, take a good look. Do you recognize this man?"
Feng Xie's usually wild and handsome features were now etched with a sinister, cold murderous intent. His usual composure had vanished, replaced by sharp eyes, a violent demeanor, and a lethal sharpness, making him appear like a jealous man who had caught Liu Liu in the act of infidelity.
He simply didn't know it himself. His thin lips curled upwards slightly, forming a beautiful yet frigid line, his gaze fixed on Liu Liu.
If she dared to utter a single word of sophistry, he would strangle her like an ant, Feng Xie thought icily, his presence radiating a mountain-like majesty.
"I do," Liu Liu replied softly.
Her single sentence shattered Feng Xie's carefully planned punishment. He then took a deep breath.
This woman was so audacious as to not hide anything. Well done, Empress. She truly lived up to being his Empress. He chuckled, a profound and eerie sound, laced with world-ending madness, his eyes turning bloodshot.
"Bold Liu sect woman, to leave the palace privately. What crime should you be punished with?" The Emperor suddenly slammed the imperial desk, startling Zhan Yun and Zhao Jiu. Their faces changed drastically, and they quickly bowed, pleading for the Empress.
"Your Majesty, please hear the Empress's explanation."
The moment the two spoke, Feng Xie’s deep gaze swept coldly towards them. His chilling voice suddenly rang out, "Come, seize these two abominations and lock them in prison."
As the Emperor's words fell, Ri Ying and Yue Ying, leading a large contingent of guards, rushed in and surrounded Zhan Yun and Zhao Mei. The two men were quickly taken away.
Only Liu Liu and the Emperor remained in the imperial study. The surroundings were silent, broken only by the sound of their breathing – his deep and heavy, hers shallow and rapid, overlapping each other.
Then, he suddenly moved, pressing himself close to her, locking her in his fierce embrace, and said coldly.
"Speak, my Empress, why did you leave the palace and go to Black Wind City?"
His magnetic voice was like aged Hua Diao wine, intoxicating, yet laced with a deadly aura.
At this moment, she was not so foolish as to miss the brutal implication in his words. She tilted her head to look at him, only able to see his prominent chin, his Adam's apple bobbing, his anger radiating around him.
She couldn't help but smile, her laugh like clear mountain spring water, pure and refreshing, penetrating the heart. He lowered his head, a fleeting depth in his eyes.
Liu Liu leaned against his chest, smelling the dragon saliva incense on him. To be honest, she detested the scent; it was too overpowering. She preferred everything to be simple and light. Feeling uncomfortable, she furrowed her brow and spoke coldly.
"Has Your Majesty forgotten that although Liu Liu is the Empress, she is as good as non-existent? I believe Your Majesty has been waiting for an opportunity to depose me, have you not? Liu Liu has merely done what Your Majesty should have done, finding a way out for Your Majesty, isn't that so?" Liu Liu spoke boldly, the smile on her lips deepening. Since death was inevitable, she might as well speak her true thoughts, so that even in death, she would have peace.
Depose her. Feng Xie tightened his grip on her arm. Initially, he had indeed wanted to depose her, but now he was certain he could not. Furthermore, he wanted to favor her, but she had always refused, hadn't she?
If he had once thought of deposing her, he no longer did. If she had been content to accept his affection, he would have bestowed Weiyang Palace upon her, letting her enjoy his favor for life. Perhaps later, he might fall in love with another woman.
But the position of Empress would forever belong to her. Clearly, however, she disdained all the favor he wished to bestow, which was why she had been so eager to find a way out for herself, a reason for him to depose her.
The thought of her intentions made Feng Xie's gaze unfathomably deep and enigmatic.
"You wish to leave the imperial palace? You actually wish to leave the imperial palace."
His tone held not just anger, but also an inexplicable hatred. He wanted to keep her, yet she was not content and still thought of leaving. The mere thought of her potential departure.
If she left now, perhaps he would never see this woman again. A corner of his heart collapsed, and an unfamiliar emotion coursed through him.
Up until now, whatever he desired, he had always obtained. But now, he wanted her to stay, to bestow his affection upon her, yet she did not want it, constantly thinking of leaving.
Feng Xie's narrow eyebrows framed a pair of soul-capturing eyes. His dark pupils were like unfathomable lake water, deep and mysterious, with waves of dark glints sweeping across them.
He reached out with a large hand, grasping her small, delicate chin, and caressed it gently, sending a shiver of revulsion down her spine. It was a completely unfamiliar touch, a gesture she did not recognize, so she resisted, tilting her head back, attempting to break free from his grasp.
But his other hand shot out swiftly, pulling her entire body into his embrace, and his lips descended rapidly.