Chapter 236: The Emperor’s Breaking Point
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Slash them! Slash them all!”
The Emperor wanted them all executed.
But if this matter was pursued further, the royal family would be utterly disgraced. More importantly—
It was his own dignity that could not be salvaged!
If only Consort Hui had been a man, he wouldn’t have felt this humiliated!
“Consort Shu, Noble Lady Qin, Lady Lin, and Concubine Jiang—banish them all to the Cold Palace! No one is allowed to visit them!”
“If even a single rumor leaks outside, I will execute Consort Hui!”
Concubine Jiang, Lady Lin, and Consort Shu immediately dropped to their knees, kowtowing in gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you for your mercy!”
“Thank you, Princess Sunshine…” If not for Zhao Yang, they would have been dead for sure.
“As for Consort Hui—she will be sent to a monastery for lifelong repentance. She is never to leave the temple, confined until her death!”
“Take her away!”
The Emperor suppressed his murderous intent. If he executed too many concubines at once, it would only stir up speculation. Once the situation cooled down, he would have all the time he needed to deal with Consort Hui.
The hall fell silent.
Eunuch Wang kept his head low, not daring to breathe too loudly, wishing he could just disappear. Would His Majesty kill him to silence him?
The Emperor’s face remained icy, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“Return to the Imperial Study,” he commanded in a low voice.
Upon arrival, he dismissed his attendant. “Wang Yuanlu, leave me.”
“Order the Imperial Kitchen to send some food… and some wine.” His tone was heavy, his expression vacant.
Eunuch Wang wanted to offer words of comfort, but the blow was too great—he didn’t even know where to begin.
Only Lu Chao Chao was thick-skinned enough to follow him inside.
Before leaving, Eunuch Wang whispered, “Princess, please try to console His Majesty. Help him see reason.”
Lu Chao Chao nodded solemnly.
The Emperor pulled out a collection of portraits he had cherished for years.
“These were my birthday gifts from her, year after year.” He had treasured them, never imagining…
“This is the figurine she carved herself… It was the first time I ever received such a simple yet heartfelt gift. I have always kept it close…” He had received countless extravagant presents over the years, but only this little wooden carving had truly warmed his heart.
Lu Chao Chao tiptoed closer for a better look.
“Concubine Jiang had one…”
“Noble Lady Qin had one…”
“Consort Shu had one…”
“Lady Lin had one…”
“All of theirs are bigger and more exquisite than yours.”
“Theirs even come in matching pairs.”
“Emperor Daddy, yours… looks like a leftover scrap she carved in passing.” Lu Chao Chao’s innocent words stabbed the Emperor in the heart like a dagger.
She only realized her mistake after speaking—Eunuch Wang had asked her to console him!
Frantically, she tried to fix it.
“What I meant was, she didn’t even like Emperor Daddy, yet she still made you a figurine… She must have cared about you… right?” As she spoke, she saw the Emperor’s eyes turn red.
“Uh… maybe she was just humoring you… Maybe she had a bit of sincerity?” Lu Chao Chao panicked. How had she ended up making His Majesty cry?
The Emperor’s chest tightened. The wooden carving, once a source of comfort, now burned in his hands.
The rough texture had been smoothed over years of handling—but it still wasn’t as detailed as Noble Lady Qin’s.
Setting the carving aside, he picked up a nearby portrait.
“Two years ago, for my birthday, she said she wanted to paint a family portrait for me.”
“She spent half a month working on it, even making herself sick…” He gazed at the painting, done in the Imperial Garden, featuring many concubines…
“She made Emperor Daddy the ugliest,” Lu Chao Chao remarked seriously.
“The concubines all look beautiful. Empress Mommy looks the best…”
The Emperor’s eyes fell upon the Empress in the painting. Suddenly—
He remembered how Consort Hui had repeatedly tried to get close to the Empress, earning the Empress’s scorn and rejection.
His expression darkened.
“She even had thoughts about the Empress?!” he gritted his teeth.
Lu Chao Chao blinked. “Last time at dinner, she secretly hooked her leg around Empress Mommy’s…”
The Emperor nearly had a heart attack.
“She even tried to hold Empress Mommy’s hand…”
The Emperor clutched his chest. “Bodhisattva help me, ancestors bless me—I almost let her succeed!”
The Empress had rejected her repeatedly, barred her from entering the palace, and yet he—he had pushed her toward the Empress himself!
His voice trembled, his eyes red. He had broken down completely.
“Chao Chao, in my entire life, I never had a choice. The only choice I ever made… was her.”
“I fought the court, defied the late Emperor, challenged the world to bring her into the palace.”
“How could she betray me like this?” The Emperor poured himself a drink, numb with pain.
“But she took care of your concubines for you. Isn’t that good?” Lu Chao Chao sat cross-legged, sneaking a bite of a meatball while he wasn’t looking.
“You kept so many pretty aunties all to yourself…” she said between bites, eyes on his wine cup.
“A ruler must ensure the continuity of his bloodline. The harem is necessary to balance court politics…” he said, cheeks flushed from drink.
Lu Chao Chao frowned.
“Then… you deserved it.”
“You’re weak if you have to rely on women for power! True strength doesn’t depend on these flashy tricks!”
The Emperor froze, then let out a bitter laugh. “I am not as clear-minded as you, Chao Chao…”
She shot him a glance.
He hugged the wine jug, drowning his sorrows. “Consort Shu bore me the Fifth Prince, and Consort Hui bore me the Eldest Prince… If I imprison their mothers, it will strain my bond with my sons.”
“Think of something happy,” Lu Chao Chao tried to fulfill Eunuch Wang’s request.
“At this point, what is there to be happy about?” The Emperor’s voice was full of despair.
“Well, you don’t need to maintain father-son relations with the Eldest Prince anymore. He isn’t actually your son.”
“Feeling better now?” Lu Chao Chao looked at him expectantly.
She met his gaze, and tears streamed down his face.
The last time he cried was when the late Emperor passed away.
This time, Lu Chao Chao had made him cry.
“Why aren’t you happy? Why aren’t you smiling?”
“You, you, you—don’t cry!” Lu Chao Chao frantically pulled out a handkerchief, her tiny face filled with panic.
Forgive me, Eunuch Wang! I made the Emperor break down! I made the Emperor cry!
“Consort Hui’s child died young. She only adopted him…” Lu Chao Chao fidgeted, not knowing what to do.
The Emperor hugged her, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Chao Chao… Chao Chao, thank you. Having you is truly my greatest fortune…” His old tears ran freely.
Lu Chao Chao scratched her head in confusion.
“You don’t have to thank me?”
“I can tell you more secrets. Want to hear?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I know so many secrets! So, so many!”
“Do you want to hear about the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager?”
“Want a good laugh?” Lu Chao Chao grinned mischievously.
The Emperor shuddered.
By noon, she had come to the palace in low spirits, looking for entertainment.
By afternoon, he had been utterly humiliated.
“No! I don’t want to hear anything!” He threw her out.
“The late Emperor is resting in peace—let him be!” Emperor Xuan Ping sobered up in an instant.
Bang.
The door shut behind her.
He feared that if he listened any longer, the late Emperor’s reputation would be ruined!
Lu Chao Chao pouted. “I was just trying to cheer you up…”
Eunuch Wang approached eagerly. “Princess Sunshine, did you console His Majesty?”
Lu Chao Chao nodded. “I did.”
“I knew it! His Majesty favors you most. He always listens to you. How is he now?”
Lu Chao Chao blinked. “He broke down.”
“He wants to die.”