Chapter 63
Qi Junyou's heart skipped a beat. Why was Qi Junmu reacting like this? Why was he being so direct?
Outwardly, however, he maintained his indignant expression and said, "Your Majesty, as this subject just said, I already have too many beauties in my household. There is simply no room for another. I beg Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to withdraw their gracious offer."
"If that is truly how you feel, then I think you should say so to the Empress Dowager yourself. You've also said this is a domestic matter. I govern the realm and attend to a thousand affairs a day—how could I possibly have time to meddle in another man's household?" Qi Junmu gave a faint smile. "Second Brother is not a rash man. Why this sudden visit to lodge a complaint? Is it to see whether I am willing to fall out with the Empress Dowager over your trivial affair? Or perhaps you heard some rumours in the palace, thought there was tension between me and the Empress Dowager, and decided to come test the waters?"
Qi Junyou hadn't expected Qi Junmu to speak so bluntly. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
Just as he was about to deny everything, Qi Junmu rose to his feet and said in a languid tone: "Never mind. Since Second Brother rarely asks anything of me, I shall go with you."
Once again, this reaction caught him off guard. Qi Junyou stared at the unpredictable emperor, his wariness spiking.
Qi Junmu glanced at him with a hint of boredom: "What now? You came begging me to act. If I don't agree, you're unhappy. If I do agree, you're still unhappy. You can't just do whatever you please just because you're my Second Brother, can you?"
In that instant, Qi Junyou finally understood where Qi Junzhuo's insufferable temperament came from—birds of a feather truly did flock together.
Qi Junmu no longer looked at Qi Junyou.
Since this matter had arisen, it needed to be resolved.
Qi Junyou had come today partly out of resentment and partly to test the waters.
If Qi Junmu had agreed immediately and gone to the Empress Dowager to plead his case, then in the eyes of outsiders, the rift between the emperor and the Empress Dowager would be even worse than they imagined—and such a fractured relationship could naturally be exploited.
If Qi Junmu had shown no reaction at all, that would mean that no matter how much the Empress Dowager stirred up trouble, the emperor would still have to show her some deference—and an emperor so attached to family ties could also be exploited.
Instead, Qi Junmu chose to call out Qi Junyou's true intentions directly. Watching others squirm in embarrassment always gave him a quiet satisfaction.
The Empress Dowager and Consort Dowager Xian had always been rivals—ever since they were both consorts, all the way to the present.
The Empress Dowager had become Empress Dowager, and Consort Dowager Xian was naturally resentful.
As for Qi Junyou, he had temporarily cleared himself of suspicion—but Qi Junmu could never treat him the way he treated Qi Junzhuo. If it were Qi Junzhuo being pressured by the Empress Dowager today, Qi Junmu would have rushed over immediately, even if it meant a falling-out.
Facing Qi Junyou, who stood before him with an air of grievance, the emperor's thoughts were instead focused on how to gain the upper hand in this situation—neither allowing the Empress Dowager to believe she could do as she pleased by virtue of her status, nor giving Consort Dowager Xian and her faction the satisfaction of watching from the sidelines.
If they wanted to use him in their petty squabbles, they would have to pay the proper price.
With that thought, Qi Junmu smiled at Qi Junyou—a smile that was remarkably warm and amiable.
Qi Junyou felt his scalp tingle under that gaze and suddenly regretted coming to the emperor over a moment of pent-up frustration.
But the emperor truly was different now. Recalling his own loss of composure the moment the emperor had spoken, Qi Junyou's head began to ache.
He had a feeling that this trip to see the Empress Dowager would not unfold the way he hoped. More likely than not, both he and Consort Dowager Xian would end up with mud on their faces.
Qi Junmu's words and actions these days were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
When Qi Junmu arrived at Renshou Palace with the sullen-faced Qi Junyou, on the surface, Consort Dowager Xian appeared silent, helpless, and yielding, while the Empress Dowager looked pleased and triumphant.
Hearing that the Emperor had brought Prince Ping along, the Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow. Her first thought was that he had come to side with Prince Ping. The very notion irked her greatly, though she let none of it show on her face. In her mind, no matter how strained her relationship with Qi Junmu became, she would never let outsiders witness their discord.
After greeting the Empress Dowager, Qi Junmu sat down with a smile and even gestured for Qi Junyou to sit near him. This only confirmed the Empress Dowager's suspicions. She felt deeply unsettled, as if pricked by needles all over.
Qi Junyou silently took his seat below the Emperor, much to Consort Dowager Xian's surprise. She quickly recovered and smiled at the Empress Dowager. "His Majesty and Prince Ping are truly brothers bound by deep affection."
Consort Dowager Xian had not known that Qi Junyou had gone to see the Emperor, but that did not stop her from using this remark to needle the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager, stung by this subtle jab, nearly lost her composure. She seethed inwardly—if the Emperor could show such regard for Prince Ping, the very brother who had once vied with him for the throne, why was he so cold toward his own mother?
Qi Junmu gave a noncommittal "mm" and said nothing more.
With him silent, the Empress Dowager too disheartened to speak, and no one else daring to break the stillness, everyone simply sat in muted quiet.
No one knew how long passed—perhaps the time it takes to burn an incense stick, perhaps the time for a cup of tea—before Qi Junmu finally moved.
A look of obvious confusion crossed his face. He glanced from Consort Dowager Xian to Qi Junyou, then slowly raised an eyebrow and said flatly, "Second Brother, why so quiet?"
Qi Junyou looked up at the Emperor. His bearing was proud and aloof, his expression blank. "This subject does not know what to say. What does Your Majesty wish for me to say?"
Even so, his heart was taut with tension. The Emperor's demeanor clearly signaled a trap—and caution was the safest course.
Qi Junmu's look of confusion deepened. "Second Brother, just now in Qianhua Hall, you asked me to come here to the Empress Dowager to seek justice for you. You said you were unwilling to accept her gracious offer. Yet now you have nothing to say? If you truly have nothing, then I will have no choice but to deem you guilty of deceiving the sovereign."
At these words, the Empress Dowager's chest suddenly eased.
The Emperor's manner showed no sign whatsoever of defending Qi Junyou or Consort Dowager Xian. She sat up straight, frowned at Qi Junyou, and said sharply, "What does Prince Ping mean by this? Do you find my presence here today an inconvenience?"
Qi Junyou nearly laughed in frustration at the mother-and-son duo playing off each other so smoothly.
He should have known—even as Emperor, Qi Junmu was still the same puppet tightly held in the Empress Dowager's grip. Had he known, he would never have set foot in Qianhua Hall today. He should have simply accepted the Empress Dowager's "kindness" and let them control the narrative afterward.
With the initiative in their hands, they would not have to endure this pair's humiliation.
Consort Dowager Xian had not expected Qi Junyou to speak to the Emperor this way. She furrowed her brow briefly, then rose and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Ping did not mean it that way. He was surely so moved by the Empress Dowager's favor that he misspoke."
She gave a calm smile and continued, "As Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager know, Prince Ping has no greater pleasure than fine beauties. Miss Ruyan, who attends the Empress Dowager, is unrivaled in Renshou Palace—her bearing, her manners, her character are all impeccable. Should she one day enter Prince Ping's mansion and call me 'Mother Consort,' I would be truly pleased."
With that, she cast a glance at Prince Ping—a quiet glance, but heavy with meaning.
Qi Junyou shrank his neck slightly under her gaze. Seeing that Consort Dowager Xian had already lowered herself so much before the Empress Dowager, he thought it best to simply accept the arrangement, lest she face further reprimand.
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