Situ Zixian smiled as he approached, then politely bowed formally to Chu Yulan (Xiao Wenqiang). "Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress. Earlier, Zixian was captivated by your heroic display of sword dancing and overstepped my bounds."
Xiao Wenqiang gave a self-deprecating smile, "It's nothing. Anyway, these days, no one really regards me as the Empress anymore."
"Your Majesty, please do not say such things. Your title as Empress was personally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. As long as the title remains, who would dare to disregard you?" Situ Zixian knew well that some servants now disrespected Empress Chu Yulan, but he had to show her outward respect.
"Zixian, you don't need to comfort me. I am well aware of my situation," Xiao Wenqiang said with a carefree smile. Then, she became somewhat despondent. "In any case, I never particularly cared about the position of Empress. What I cared about most was a place in the Emperor's heart."
"Your Majesty is naturally first in the Emperor's heart. Who in this entire Da Ding Dynasty, from top to bottom, does not know this?" Situ Zixian continued to comfort her. "Your Majesty has accompanied His Majesty on numerous imperial campaigns, achieving countless merits for our dynasty. The court officials and the common people all see this."
"Is that so? Others may not know the inner workings, but how could Zixian not? The merits achieved are not as important as whether the Emperor has you in his heart now. I can understand it all, but in the quiet solitude of the night, it's hard to avoid a sense of desolation, like a hunted rabbit being set aside." Xiao Wenqiang didn't elaborate. They were both intelligent people, and a hint was enough.
Situ Zixian was indeed touched by these words. The Chu family had helped the Emperor so much, yet now faced the fate of being executed. This Empress, who had fought in numerous campaigns, though still bearing the title of Empress, had long lost the substance of it. Even the lowliest servants in the palace dared to disrespect her.
Even though it was said she sought out the cold palace herself, if her brother had not allowed it, she would not have been so neglected and humiliated by the servants. Yes, the events of yesterday had already reached Situ Zixian through his informants, which was why he had specifically come to check on the situation today.
Situ Zixian disagreed with Situ Chuanqiong's handling of the Chu family's affairs. He knew his brother feared the Chu family's immense power overshadowing the throne, but as long as Empress Chu Yulan stood by him, and given Chu Qian's known doting on his daughter, his brother had no reason to fear Chu Qian rebelling.
Moreover, this foolish woman, Chu Yulan, had loved Situ Chuanqiong so dearly, as he had witnessed over the years. If it hadn't been for Chu Yulan's affection for Situ Chuanqiong, her brave participation in battles alongside him, and their shared reputation, his brother's call for the throne wouldn't have been so strong after the Crown Prince's death.
Coupled with the support of General Zhenguo Chu Qian's family, his brother's eventual ascent to the throne would not have been so smooth. And this woman, Chu Yulan, had never asked for much. She had not interfered with his brother marrying other women or bestowing titles upon numerous consorts, and had diligently managed the inner palace. Wasn't that perfectly fine?
It was only later, when his brother met Leng Yuanxiang, that things began to go awry, for reasons he couldn't fathom.
Thinking of Leng Yuanxiang, Situ Zixian wondered what sort of spell she had cast on the Emperor to have him so infatuated. He still remembered the day his brother summoned him to a secret chamber and said,
"Zixian, I've met a woman I truly love. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, and I want to dismiss my entire harem for her!" Situ Chuanqiong's eyes were filled with excitement.
"Brother, how is that possible! Dismissing the harem is not just your personal affair. Do you not know how many ties connect the entire court to the imperial harem?" Situ Zixian strongly disagreed.
To him, women were for amusement during leisure, rotating through them. If one's maternal clan had power and could be of assistance, that was even better. If not, it didn't matter; having more choices prevented boredom. Interacting with different women every day, wasn't that good? The idea of being with only one person for a lifetime was simply absurd.
"I know it's not that simple. The first hurdle is the Empress," Situ Chuanqiong said, his tone calming down as he produced a pre-prepared list. "So, Zixian, I need your help. First, help me gather the weaknesses of these individuals."
Situ Zixian glanced at the list. Most of them were the maternal clans of the imperial consorts. With influence in court and in the harem, their family members would more or less be arrogant and overbearing; finding such weaknesses wouldn't be difficult.
However, for General Chu Qian's family, it was truly hard to find any fault. He relayed his thoughts to his brother.
Unexpectedly, Situ Chuanqiong replied, "If there are no weaknesses, then create them. However, Zixian, you must remember not to give them an opportunity to resist. We must crush them all at once!"
Situ Zixian still remembered his shock that day. He understood his brother's intent. "Then... what about Imperial Sister-in-law?"
"Chu Yulan must be kept for now. After all, she has been through thick and thin with me. If everything is dealt with at once, it would be difficult to silence the gossip of the world!" Situ Chuanqiong sighed. "It's just a pity for my Little Xiang'er that she must wait a little longer for me."
"Zixian? Zixian?" A woman's voice interrupted his thoughts. Situ Zixian snapped back to reality, "Imperial Sister-in-law, you were saying?"
"It's like this, I wanted to trouble Zixian, could you possibly bring me a red tassel spear?" Xiao Wenqiang looked at the man before her, wondering what he was spacing out about.
"What use does Imperial Sister-in-law have for this?" Situ Zixian's thoughts drifted to a wild possibility: could she be planning to assassinate the Emperor?
"Lately, I've been feeling unwell. It's been rather lonely here in the palace. So, I wanted to pick up my old martial arts skills again. It's also a way to pass the time!" Xiao Wenqiang feigned sadness, lowering her head. "If it's inconvenient for Zixian, then pretend I never said anything."
Situ Zixian recalled that Chu Yulan's skill with her red tassel spear was indeed masterful. She had once ridden into battle, clad in armor. Her red tassel spear had slain countless enemies; truly, she was a heroine unmatched by men.
Looking at her now, confined to this remote cold palace, with her maternal family, the Chu family, all executed, she indeed appeared somewhat pitiable. "Alright! I will find a good one and bring it to Imperial Sister-in-law next time I enter the palace."
"Thank you, Zixian. These days, the people I can speak to in this palace are fewer and fewer. Fortunately, Zixian still respects me." Xiao Wenqiang's eyes were a little red.
Situ Zixian needed to see the Emperor this time, so he took his leave and departed.
Returning to the sleeping quarters in the cold palace, Xiao Wenqiang sat down for some tea while waiting for breakfast.
Soon, Chu Li entered with two food boxes.
Yesterday's commotion had not been in vain. The imperial kitchen dared not slight the Empress today, and the food was abundant according to regulations. For breakfast alone, there were five varieties, all exquisite in color, aroma, and taste.