Chapter 26 - Plot (1/2)

Lei Yong frowned, ”I'm being serious...”

”I'm also being serious.” The emperor put on a straight face and asked, ”Did she say so?”

”Well, no...” Lei Yong said glancing to the side.

The emperor raised an eyebrow, ”So it's your assumption then?”

”Actions speak louder than words...” Lei Yong said looking back at the emperor with conviction.

The emperor scrutinized Lei Yong for a bit.

...True, but they can often have different motivations...

”How so?”

Lei Yong hesitated for a bit and then sighed, ”She...she has always been such a proud person, carefree and indifferent with everything...I've never seen her beg or plead with anyone for anything, not even as a child ... I have also never seen her cry like that, she barely even shed tears as a baby...for her to desperately plead like her life depended on it to be allowed to enter this competition, if not love, what other reasons could there be?” Lei Yong said, seriously looking at the emperor.

The emperor knit his eyebrows and looked back at him. The two stayed like that for a while.

The silence in the room was broken when the doors opened, Eunuch Li entered the room and stopped beside Lei Yong and bowed to the emperor, the two of them cast him a glance and then he said, ”Your majesty, the empress dowager has requested your presence in her palace.”

”En.” The emperor stood up and came down the steps and stopped beside Lei Yong and cast him a side glance, but he didn't know what to say and eventually just walked off with Eunuch Li following behind him. Lei Yong sighed as he turned and watched their departing backs.

...I hope I didn't make a mistake...

When the emperor reached the empress dowager's palace, he noticed the servants outside and realized that she was not alone and frowned as he entered. The eunuch at the door announced his arrival and everyone in the room got up and bowed, except the empress dowager. He walked up and stopped in front of the steps and bowed in greeting to his mother, ”Mother, you sent for me.”

The empress dowager smiled, ”Oh, Kai'er you've come. Come up and take a seat first.” The emperor walked up the platform and sat on the seat to her left, glanced around the room and then looked back at his mother, the empress dowager's smile brightened, ”Ah, I've been having them study on the life of an Imperial wife, they need to be aware of the rules.”

”You can all continue reading.” The empress dowager said to the girls, who all bowed and sat back down to try to continue reading. The tone in the room had definitely changed with the emperor's arrival, they were no longer able to fully concentrate on the books.

A maid came up and served tea to the emperor, he looked at his mother and asked, ”Mother, what did you send for me for?”

The empress dowager's smile froze, ”Must there be a reason for me to send for you?” she paused and then said, ”You've been working so hard, it's good to take a break once in a while.” She said smiling and picking up her cup and sipping her tea. The emperor did not say anything and picked up his teacup and sipped.

Lei Xing was feeling odd, she felt like she was being watched and she lightly glanced around, she covertly glanced up and her eyes met the emperor's eyes, she knit her brows in shock and quickly looked back down.

...What the hell are you glaring at me for?!... Stop it!!...

Lei Xing frowned with her head down, she didn't look up again but she could still feel that scrutinizing glare.

The empress dowager looked at her son and followed his line of sight, saw Lei Xing and frowned. Then she smiled and said, ”Kai'er, I called you over to accompany me for lunch along with your wives, that way you can become familiar with yourselves.”

On hearing the word, 'lunch', Lei Xing's frown deepened.

...Lunch? I'm not eating anything here without it being tested!...but it's not like I can pull out silver pins and start checking in front of all of them...forget being tagged crazy, I'd be tagged dead for my insolence...but what to do...I can't risk it...Stupid - No, I mean, great ring, please come back soon, Master Lou you must fix it! T_T)...

Lei Xing thought for a while and then her eyes brightened. She put on worn-out expression and waved for Xiao Ruo to come forward, and used Xiao Ruo's arm to support herself and stood up. She bowed to the front and said, ”Your majesty, I'm sorry but it seems I have overestimated myself again and am not fully recovered, I don't want to ruin the mood, so I request to leave.”

The empress dowager looked at Lei Xing, there was an awkward silence and after a while, she finally said, ”Oh, in that case, you should go rest.”

Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief, then bowed again, thanked the empress dowager and left.