94 Maudlin (2/2)

He couldn't help but steal glances whenever he heard Zhou Sheng softly asking the other person to eat repeatedly and even though the monarch would spit and growl like a tiger, in the end, he would become putty in his brother's hand and readily do whatever the other asked.

After the meal ended, the Empress Dowager's melodious voice rang out, ”Your Majesty, Aijia heard about what happened in the court today. Thought the imperial harem is not allowed to interfere in such matters, Aijia has a solution to shut these people.” Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click visiting.

Su Li was someone who respected the elderly and she was even more respectful to this old lady who had spent her entire life cooped up indoors, having to share her husband with so many other ladies and then having the misfortune of being separated from her child for a decade.

Even if she wasn't her biological mother, Su Li always made a point to make sure that she didn't slight this person whether intentionally or unintentionally.

She gave the Empress Dowager a smile and with a shake of her head, said, ”What are you talking about, Mother? Your child is still young and needs to depend upon you for many issues inside and outside the harem. Tell me, what solution do you have?”

The old lady gave an amicable smile and replied, ”Isn't the Imperial Hunt in a few days? Aijia thinks that Zhou Sheng should participate in it and then when he makes a considerable impression during the hunt on the court officials, Your Majesty can give him a post without anyone raising a ruckus over it?”

At those words, Su Li recalled that there wasn't much time left for the hunt to start and also concurred that this was a good opportunity to make use of and give Zhou Sheng considerable powers through the proper channels so she readily agreed.

Afterwards, the Empress Dowager left with her posse and Su Li, Ning Fu and Zhou Sheng were the only ones left.

All of them could discern in their hearts that they should talk about the happenings in the Imperial City of late but no one knew where to start from because Su Li didn't want to talk about it, Zhou Sheng was blaming himself and Ning Fu wouldn't utter a word recklessly in front of the monarch.

When the strained silence had continued for some time and the atmosphere was becoming heavy, Su Li slouched in on herself and with a morose expression began, ”Zhen has spent so long away from home and Zhen had hoped and prayed that when Zhen came back, he would be welcomed with open arms and smiling faces.”

The other two could hear the repressed emotions in that voice and couldn't help but want to soothe the monarch.

However, decorum stayed their hand and they quietly listened.

”Zhen didn't want to be the monarch in the first place. Sadly, it was father emperor's last wish and Zhen cannot bear to break the departed soul's heart.”

Su Li stood up from her seat and thought about everything with a faraway look in her eyes - the present, the past.

She turned her back towards Zhou Sheng and Ning Fu and continued, ”Zhen isn't even naive enough to think that nobody will eye Zhen and Zhen's position for their own benefit. Since they are so restless for this year of power, Zhen wants to simply hand it to them with both of Zhen's hands.”

She clenched her hand into a tight fist and crescents formed inside the skin of her palm.

When both of the males tried to interrupt her, she shook her head as if trying to shake off the maudlin thoughts and went on, ”The problem is, even if Zhen offers the world to them, they still wouldn't care about the world and their subjects. They would rather enjoy all the benefits that came along with the title and won't do the work that will be expected of them.”