Chapter 124: The Confessions of a traitorous official (1/2)

The Empress's palace

The mood in the Empress palace was mellow, it was even more mellow than usual. The Emperor had the Empress detained in her palace for a month and a half. He had ordered the Empress to stay indoors and pray for the nation after the Crown Prince's marriage.

Empress Lu wasn't surprised by the order when it came in. She had been expecting something like this since she arranged the Crown Prince's marriage. Emperor Zhong wasn't pleased with her intrusion in his plans and he always punished her whenever he was in this type of mood.

This time was no exception, he placed her on grounded her in her palace. The news came as a surprise to everyone except the few in the know since the Empress never made any mistakes. Empress Lu had gotten used to his temper tantrum, she didn't take this little punishment to heart. Instead, she took it as a vacation since it saved her from having to deal with his ever-expanding Haram.

She enjoyed the freedom it gave her. As usual, on the first day of September, she held a memorial ceremony for her elder brother the Late Duke Wu. It had been a long-standing tradition since he died over a decade ago. She was very close to her elder brother, he was like a father to her. He has taken care of her after her parents died.

She dressed in white, she didn't put on any hair accessories and she packed her hair on a simple burn. Her elder brother liked to sky gaze and enjoyed watching birds as they flew around the sky. She was very good in embroidery and even after her marriage, always embroidered a flying magpie flying over a flower garden on the handkerchief she gave him.

Every year on the anniversary of his death, she always embroidered a set of handkerchiefs with the same signature design. She burned the handkerchief for him every year to remember him and the sacrifices he made for her. She owed her brother a lot that one life may not be able to repay him all her debt.

Empress Lu looked up from the embroidery screen when she heard the maids outside chorus greetings to the Emperor. She glanced at her elderly maid Xuanyi, who stood by her side and sighed. She couldn't deal with this husband of hers today, she pieced the needle into a small ball of yellow thread, dropped it beside the screen and muttered ”of all the days he could visit me, it had to be on the anniversary of my brother's death. Shameless!”

Xuanyi walked forward, stretched out her hand and supported Empress Lu up from her seat. As she did, she whispered ”this servant heard that the Emperor had been in a good mood, this visit might not be so bad”

”We will see how it goes” Empress Lu replied as she walked into the living room.

Emperor Zhong stood by the top seat backing the entrance from the bedroom, he turned around when he heard footsteps from behind him. The slight smile on his face disappeared when he caught sight of her white clothes. His expression darkened as gave her a thoroughly look down.

”Why are you dressed like this? Just what game are you playing Lu Meirong! Are trying to annoy me, why are you dressed in mourning clothes? Don't tell me that you are so desperate for my death that you now choose to wear mourning clothes?”

Empress Lu and her maid fell on their knees immediately, ”no you Majesty, today is the anniversary of my brother's death. I dressed this way to burn some incense_”

”Your brother? You have a lot of nerve hosting a memorial for the father of a criminal of the crown”

Empress Lu looked up in shock, ”A criminal of the crown?”

Emperor Zhong nodded like he suddenly remembered something, ”that right you have been under house arrest for some time. You must not be aware of what is ongoing in court”. He walked closer to her and held up her chin, ” Your ”loyal' Lu family was arrested for treason”.

”What” she fell back, she would have fallen further, if Xuanyi hand”t held her back. She shook her head and muttered ”why? It's not true... This cannot be happening!”

Emperor Zhong laughed, ”why would I low about something as serious as this? There is clear evidence pointing to them, Your Lu family is over and you have your precious A'Zhu to blame for this. Don't worry about your position, I have no intention of changing how things are in the haram. I will protect you because of the years we spent together. You don't have to thank me”.

Empress Lu watched the smile on his face get wider, he was enjoying seeing her this way. He had away wanted to destroy her family and finally, he can. How did they get this way, how did she miss this sinister side of his during those years he visited her brother as a young Prince.

Tears rolled down her face but she made no sound, she just sat there watching him smile down at her. She couldn't hold it in any longer and whispered, ”Why?”

He tilted his face to the side, ”why what? What is your question, tell me? I am in a good mood right now, I will answer any of your questions”