Chapter 227 - Honest Mistake

The Empress dowager was taken aback by the Emperor's question. She blinked at him in confusion and then went, "What nonsense! How dare you compare me to tha - ?"

"The question should be how dare you question my choice." The Emperor cut her off, "Other than giving birth to me, what have you done? And even that is canceled out by the fact that if it were left to you, I wouldn't even be alive today. Therefore, you have done nothing to deserve your position but yet, here you are, giving out orders. So you are not one to be talking about what someone deserves." 

The Empress dowager glared at him but he just looked down at her with unwavering disappointment. Then she broke out in a fit of loud, almost hysterical laughter, shocking the Emperor into raising his eyebrows. 

"You're just like your father, aren't you? I don't deserve it...but she does. What has she done? Ah, I know...Her mere existence makes it so she deserves it, doesn't it? And mine apparently doesn't, despite the fact that you would not exist without me! How ridiculous!" The Empress dowager said through her laughter.

The Emperor frowned, he did not like her laughter. It made his ears ring and irritation soar, bringing to the forefront of his mind his worst memories of her.

The Empress dowager then suddenly stopped laughing and glared at the Emperor and barked, "It's unfair! But what else could I have expected from you? Loyalty? Reason? Abandon me once, it was me who was a fool. Twice, I am still the fool. A third time...and you will be the fool!" She then narrowed her eyes at the Emperor and quietly said through gritted teeth, "Nothing should have been expected of a mistake. A mistake that shouldn't exist is what you are. My foolish mistake...A useless one." 

The Emperor's frown deepened, regardless of whether he cared for her or not, those words were very unpleasant to hear. He would never admit but they stung. The Empress dowager smirked, seeing his unhappy expression and asked, "That hurt? Good, because that is what you deserve." She finished and then snickered, pleased with her accomplishment. 

The Emperor sighed, he was quickly realizing that his mother was truly a lost cause and he was fed up with dealing with her. He stood up and walked down towards her. The Empress dowager immediately stopped laughing and frowned as she looked condescendingly as he approached her. 

The Emperor stopped in front of her and mirrored her condescending expression and coldly said, "I am done thinking. Choose one of the secondary palaces."

The Empress dowager's eyes went wide and then she bit out, "I am not going anywhere."

The Emperor looked beyond her and coldly retorted, "Choose or I will choose for you and I am warning you again...Do not push me. Leave." When the Empress dowager just stood there glaring at him, the Emperor then looked down at her with raised eyebrows and asked, "Would you rather be dragged out?"

The Empress dowager glared at him a bit longer, "You're a disappointment!" She bit out and turned with a "Hmph" and stormed out.

The Emperor stood there frowning at her back as he thought she was right. Lei Xing's presence always brought him comfort and peace, while the Empress dowager's seemed to bring nothing but disappointment, anger, and irritation...but it was not always like that. There was a time when he had thought pleasing her was everything until she proved how futile his efforts were.   

"Your majesty." Eunuch Li called when the Emperor just stood there staring at the doors in a daze. 

The Emperor turned to him and then said, "Warn the servants in Xing er's palace again."

Eunuch Li nodded, " Rest assured, there is nothing to worry about, the servants there are all our people and they have nothing but praise for the Noble consort. A betrayal is unlikely."  

Of course, they did. Lei Xing often gave them things for no reason and she was also not all demanding. She was an easy mistress. The Emperor knit his brows, "Still, make sure they understand that if anything happens to her, none of them will be able to live either."

The Emperor then turned around to go back to his throne chair but then stopped and quietly said in a cold voice, "Send an order to Xia province to prepare the Xia palace with haste. I am sure she will be more comfortable in her childhood home. Also, place the Empress dowager under surveillance, I want a report on all her actions." He finished and walked back to his throne chair, completely ignoring the troubled expression Eunuch Li sent him. 

Meanwhile, the Empress dowager stormed back to her palace and went into her room and started breaking everything in there as she screamed her head off in anger. The other servants cowered outside the room, while Song mama stayed glued to a corner in the room, she did not even have the courage to voice out any words of caution. 

After she was done with her smashing session, she took a deep breath. Then she turned around and went to her "tea" making room and started fiddling around with bottles. Sniffing their contents and dumping this and that in a bowl as she talked to herself, "I am not going anywhere. Useless! Foolish! Ungrateful? Of course, he is. He is truly his father's son, useless! How could anything good come from him? ... How dare he compare me with that brat? What does he take me for? I am NOT going anywhere! I would rather die than leave!..."

Song mama stood by the door and worriedly looked at the Empress dowager, concerned but too scared to go closer.

****

As time went by, Lei Xing was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. She tried her best not to look forward, but whenever she accidentally did, she met Prince Yi's eyes. And even when she did not look, she could still feel his eyes on her.

It was irritating and considering what she had already been through today, she found it exhausting. 

Lei Xing inwardly sighed, she wanted to go home. And by home, she meant returning to the palace. She never thought that she would miss the place, but when faced with such an uncomfortable situation, she would much rather be lazing around her palace spending time with the Emperor. 

After about two hours, she was fed up. Lei Xing got up and said her farewell, one of the perks in being in a high position was that she did not even need to give an excuse. They all bowed to her in farewell and she made a beeline for the exit missing her bed...and a tiny bit of her might have been missing a certain someone too.

Xiao Ting insisted on escorting Lei Xing and Tung Mei quietly followed along as well. It seems she was also done with the party. While she did not need to publicly give an explanation, once they had left the garden, clueless Xiao Ting asked, "Jiejie, why are you leaving so soon?" with a pout. 

Lei Xing sighed and said, "I'm not feeling well...I'll come to see you some other day when it's less crowded." Lei Xing added to pacify Xiao Ting and it worked. Xiao Ting smiled and turned her attention to Tung Mei, "Ying jie, are you leaving again?"

Tung Mei nodded, "En, I'm not feeling well..."

"Then...Why not just go rest in your room? You don't have to go..." Xiao Ting said pouting again, Tung Mei had mostly been staying with them the last few months, she barely returned to her relatives and even had her own room. She just came back and now she was leaving again. It did not feel right.

Tung Mei also pouted but before she could say anything, a voice called, "Xing er'" from behind them and she froze.

Lei Xing turned back to see Lei Yong coming up to them and responded, "Yes?" Lei Xing went as Lei Yong stopped in front of her. Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at Tung Mei and she immediately lowered her head with a frown.

"Let me borrow her for a bit." Lei Yong said as he grabbed Tung Mei's arm and dragged her off, without waiting for a response. Tung Mei's frown deepened but she allowed herself to be dragged off. 

Lei Xing finally understood the cause of Tung Mei's poor mood, it was Lei Yong.

Lei Xing sighed and was debating whether to wait for her or not. She glanced at the bracelet and let out another sigh. Before she could make up her mind, she saw An Hao's head peek from the corner of the walkway.

Lei Xing knit her brows.

{...What the hell is this kid doing now?...*sigh* Today has been such a weird day -_-)'...}