Chapter 355 - Submissive Foe

The Empress dowager froze mid-sip as she saw the Emperor enter her reception hall and a frown slowly crept on her face. She silently watched as the Emperor stopped at the bottom of the steps and sent a cold glance towards Eunuch Li who was standing next to her chair before settling his cold eyes on her, holding his hands behind his back and icily going, "What is the meaning of this?"

The Empress dowager off-handedly blew on her tea and took a sip as she leisurely said, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? I'm not the one who stormed into your hall without even so much as a greeting for your mother..."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes at the Empress dowager, "A mother who thinks nothing of her son cannot cry disrespect."

The Empress dowager slammed her cup on the table, "You un-" 

"Your majesty, your mother simply wanted to have a meal with the Empress to rekindle their good relationship." Eunuch Li quickly cut in with a smile before the Empress dowager could ruin things for herself. 

The Emperor scoffed and looked at Eunuch Li with a raised eyebrow, "Good relationship? Since when did you care for fostering relationsh.i.p.s?" He asked, turning back to the Empress dowager with knit eyebrows. 

The Empress dowager quickly re-adjusted, remembering her plan, antagonizing the Emperor was not part of the plan. Trying to get on her son's good side was the whole reason she even wanted to bother with Lei Xing.

The Empress dowager lightly touched her cheek with the back of her hand and "embarrassingly" said, "I have been quite unwell in recent times..." She paused and frowned before reverting her expression back to a forlorn one, "... My behavior may have at times been..." She took a deep breath, "...difficult, but you must know that I have always had you at the back of my mind, always." She said looking even more forlorn.

The Emperor flexed his fists in discomfort as he glanced from her to Eunuch Li, who smiled and clarified, "The Empress dowager wanted to set things right with you and the Empress before leaving. She even prepared gifts." He said, motioning to the Emperor's right. 

The Emperor followed Eunuch Li's direction and glanced at the decorated boxes arranged on the table with knit eyebrows.

"They are all herbs to aid with conception." When the Emperor turned his skeptical eyes to her, her wry smile wavered but she held it and explained, "You know how long it took me to have you... and it is "heartwarming" to see how much you two love each other, but no matter how deep your love runs, it cannot be without a child." She took a deep breath to reign in her anger as she added, "Your father had other children so no one cared whether or not I conceived, frankly, they all hoped I wouldn't." She bit out, slamming her fist on the arm of her chair with a frown, closing her eyes as she shook with contained fury. 

The Empress dowager took another deep breath and opened her eyes and calmly said, "They will not be so patient with you given your recent actions. In a few months, they will start clamoring, and if you persist, in another few months, her name will be dragged through the mud, and eventually, you will either be forced to take others to save her face and then bitterness will consume her and your "heartwarming" relationship will crumble. I lived this life so I know, I am only thinking of you..." She finished with a "warm" smile that made the Emperor's skin crawl. 

The Emperor lowered his eyes with knit eyebrows, not quite sure how to feel. This was very uncomfortable. He had stormed here wanting to give the Empress dowager an earful but then he was met with this amiable facade and it honestly threw him off balance. It made it hard for him to lash out at her being so...so reasonable. 

"Your concern is unnecessary. We are both young and healthy, Xing er' will conceive in due time... What is it that you truly want?" The Emperor asked, narrowing his eyes at her. The only person who smiled at him without wanting anything was Lei Xing, the rest, and most especially the Empress dowager did not. There was always a catch to any kindness he received and his mother, most especially, had never looked at him with kindness. He could honestly not even recall her ever smiling at him. 

The Empress dowager frowned, annoyed at the accusatory tone in his voice, "My concern is unnecessary? Is it wrong for me to want to look after my son? Is it wrong to want to see my daughter-in-law to offer her some words of advice?!" She barked, clenching her fists. She did not understand why they were treating her so coldly when she was trying so hard to be nice to them? She had planned it all out and now they were ruining everything!

"Your majesty -" 

"Be quiet!" The Empress dowager ordered, glaring at Eunuch Li before turning her angry eyes back on the Emperor, "I am you mother and by extension her mother. Not only has she never come here to pay her respects as custom demands, but now that I send for her she goes to cry to you that I have wronged her with no cause -"

"She did no such thing!" The Emperor said with irritation, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He knew his mother being amiable was too good to be true, "Xing er' is unwell today and I happen to have been there when your maid delivered the message. As for the daily greetings, you were the one who told the Imperial wives to stop "bothering your mornings" months ago. You cannot bl-"

"Still! The Empress is not the same as an ordinary Imperial wife, she should know better! I am not even asking for daily greetings, I don't need that. Also, I haven't even complained about you two not coming to pay your respects the day after the coronation ceremony yet. It's because you're like this that she dares to -"

"Is that it then?" The Emperor asked with a slight smirk, "Alright, after Xing er' recovers, we will come to formally pay our respects... Anything else?" 

The Empress dowager glared at him and then she stood up and walked down to him as Eunuch Li followed while sending the Emperor signals for him to calm down. The Emperor inwardly scoffed and looked away as the Empress dowager stopped right in front of him and frowned up at him. The Emperor let out a breath and unfeelingly looked down at her, waiting for her to get to the point. 

"Have you forgotten who stayed back and saw to the destruction of your country while that demon returned here to ensure his sc.u.m-like existence did not meet retribution?" The Empress dowager bitterly asked through gritted teeth.

The Emperor knit his brows and flatly responded, "That was in the past. He was simply a soldier following orders and he has greatly contributed to your current survival and OUR current success. Moreover, it has nothing to do with his daughter that had not even been born yet..." 

The Empress dowager scoffed and then suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter, making the Emperor feel even more uncomfortable. He never liked when his mother laughed, although this whole nonsense of helping Lei Xing conceive was truly laughable. 

But even if he went and married a girl formerly from Xia country, his mother would still not be pleased. She would never be pleased with his happiness, it was as simple as that. She innately hated him and his existence. It had been like that from the day he was born and would probably always be like this. Perhaps the same could be said for Lei Xing. Although the Empress dowager did not seem to dislike Lei Yong as much as she does Lei Xing. 

When the Empress dowager just continued with her crazy laughing, the Emperor let out an irritated breath and said, "If that is all, I will be leaving. You have a long journey ahead so you should get plenty of res-"

"I'm more rested than ever." The Empress dowager quickly said, snapping out of it with a frown, "Since your Empress is "indisposed", you should stay for the meal in her stead. I can pass along my advice through you."

"Write a letter, I'm busy." The Emperor offhandedly responded, turning to leave but the Empress dowager grabbed his arm, "Are you scared of me too?" She asked, glaring up at him. 

The Emperor wearily looked at her for a bit, seeing how pitiful she looked, he sighed and said, "Of course not, but as I am sure you have heard, the palace is very chaotic right now. Th-"

"Ah, yes! I did hear about that. You have finally done well." The Empress dowager praised with a smile, this was another weird skin-crawling experience for the Emperor. He could not remember her ever praising him before.

The Empress dowager released the Emperor's arm and continued on with a victorious smile, "He deserves to be drawn and quartered or perhaps death by a thousand cuts, that will be most befitting." She finished with a nod. Prince Yi also resembled a certain demon, which was why his existence irritated her all the more. Now finally, even though she could not watch the demon's own execution, she could live out his deserved end through his son. She was most pleased, "I shall oversee his execution, when is it?"

"That will be unlikely, I haven't decided on his punishment yet -"

"Then decide." The Empress dowager said with a frown, she had just praised him but now he was being foolish again, "How hard is it? Treason deserves death and death it should be -"

"It is my decision to make." The Emperor countered with a frown. 

The Empress dowager glared at him again. This stupid son of hers, she had just praised him but now here he goes being foolish again, "Yo-"

"Your majesty, don't forget about the meal..." Eunuch Li who had been silent for most of the exchange quietly advised, reminding the Empress dowager ot to get side-tracked again. The Empress dowager glanced at him and she got the message and begrudgingly said, "I will leave it up to you then... and trust your judgment..." She lowered her head and let out an irritated breath, before raising her head and adding, "... Much like I have come to accept your choice of a wife..."

The Emperor raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her, blinking at her in both confusion and suspicion. The Empress dowager mustered up a smile and pat his arm, sending goosebumps up his arm again, "Since you're busy today, you should go... We can share a meal next time. Of course, with your Empress in company... after she gets better." She added, her smile becoming more strained

The Emperor looked from her to Eunuch Li, who simply smiled and nodded to him. The Emperor knit his brows, awkwardly nodded, and then turned and fled this uncomfortable scene. 

The Empress dowager's smile fell as soon as the Emperor was out of the hall. She let out an irritated breath and asked, "How was that?"

Eunuch Li smiled and said, "Not too badly..."

"Do you think he will be persuaded by that?" The Empress dowager asked, frowning at Eunuch Li.

Eunuch Li sighed and honestly admitted, "No... But the Emperor has always had a soft spot for you. The three days we have left should be enough to get him thinking and then..." He paused when the Empress dowager glared at him. Eunuch Li weakly smiled and added, "Don't worry, the Empress is also quite soft-hearted. I've seen them together, she won't get in your way. She is not one to hold grudges and appealing to her is the same as appealing to the Emperor..."

The Empress dowager's frown deepened as she glanced at the gift boxes on the side and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. It was killing her that she had to appeal to that scheming witch.

{... A letter... It's nothing, it's all a matter of time...I will not be robbed of my position again!...