Chapter 11
Edward Quan ·
They were to keep Du Cheng away and never let him appear before me.
Later, Caiwei brought news.
After the wedding, Liu Wanning discovered that the Du household really was an empty shell.
She flew into a rage.
For the baby's sake, the family endured everything.
Even so, she threw the whole residence into turmoil.
Every day, Old Madam Du reproached her son for failing to win me back.
His official career was going badly too. He spent his days frustrated and miserable.
In a single month, he grew so haggard that none of his former handsome, scholarly grace remained.
I listened to it as idle gossip, nothing more.
I had accepted Xiao Yunlan's proposal.
I was very busy myself.
6
Three months later, the emperor and empress were married.
Until then, Xiao Yunlan had protected me carefully. Only on the wedding day did he formally announce to the realm that I was his empress.
Some ministers fiercely objected.
“Su Qingyue has been married before! How can she become empress?”
Others submitted remonstrances.
“The mother of our nation cannot have a blemished face. She would disgrace not merely herself, but all of Tianyu!”
Xiao Yunlan did not waver.
His voice was cold.
“Anyone who shows the empress disrespect again…”
“Will have all nine branches of their family exterminated.”
The wedding proceeded smoothly.
He issued another decree.
The emperor's marriage was a cause for the whole realm to rejoice. The palace would hold celebratory feasts for three consecutive days.
On the second day, I appeared at the banquet in magnificent robes.
There was no mask to hide my face.
My beauty stood revealed before everyone.
Every pair of eyes widened.
Even Du Cheng sprang from his seat in shock.
“Minister Du!”
Xiao Yunlan's commanding voice rang out.
Du Cheng came to himself, breaking into a cold sweat under the weight of imperial authority.
Still, he mustered the courage to speak.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty!”
“Your servant was merely astonished by Her… Her Majesty's appearance…”
“Ah, the empress's face.”
Xiao Yunlan sounded almost casual.
“It was never an illness. My mother-in-law placed a chastity mark on her face to protect her.”
“Now that she has married me, naturally her face has returned to its original appearance.”
The words sent a shock through the hall. Whispers broke out everywhere.
“If the mark on Her Majesty's face really was a chastity mark, then before…”
“Shh! Do you want to die, gossiping about the empress?”
“Quite right!”
“Then doesn't that mean Lord Du…”
“I thought he had genuinely cared for…”
Everyone wanted to talk.
My present status kept them from speaking freely. They could hardly bear swallowing the words.
At last, every gaze turned toward Du Cheng.
He felt as though someone had slapped him hard across the face, then stripped away every last pretense in public and left him exposed to their ridicule.
He could bear no more.
He trembled all over, sinking into an abyss of despair and regret.
He looked close to madness.
“Impossible…”
“How can this be…”
“Impossible…”
“Guards,” Xiao Yunlan said indifferently.
“Minister Du is unwell.”
“Escort him out of the palace.”
Du Cheng was dragged out like a walking corpse.
Though he left the palace, he would never escape what had happened in that hall.
6
Six months later, Caiwei came to report.
“Your Majesty, something dreadful happened at the Du residence today.”
“What happened?”
“They're holding the full-month celebration for their eldest legitimate grandson.”
“Just as they were performing the ceremonial blessing bath, Liu Wanning's lover appeared.”
“He declared that she was his woman and the baby was his child.”
“The Du family tried to seize him.”
“But he'd come prepared, with plenty of men to help him.”