2. Entering the capital without an imperial edict
"Your Majesty," Xiao Xizi called out in fear and trepidation, pulling Nangong Yao's thoughts back from his memories
At the beginning of Nan Gong Yao's ascension to the throne, the imperial harem was not abundant, consisting only of a few concubines who had entered the palace when he was still a prince. After the grand wedding of the emperor and empress, Huo Qingsang, relying on her powerful family background, almost monopolized the favor in the harem. As Nan Gong Yao's reign progressed, the relationship between the emperor and empress deteriorated further, leading the emperor to hold a grand selection of maidens a year ago to expand the harem.
"Brother is truly foolish!" Huo Qingsang exclaimed in anger as she crumpled the letter into a ball, leaving Su Yi beside her too frightened to even breathe.
"What? I can no longer command you?" Nangong Yao sneered, grabbing the document from the table and striking it against Xiaoxizi's forehead
Huo Qingsang pursed her lips and smiled lightly: "What it means is that since Su Wan has already married into the Western Regions, she is now a subject of the Western Regions. Given the current tense situation at the borders, she may very well be a spy. If she enters the palace, the golden whip will show no mercy"
"Not seen." Another came to advise him. Back then, he was powerless to change the situation, and thus reluctantly endured and sent away Su Wan. Today, what is wrong with him bringing back the one he loves? A few officials in the court were actually incited by Huo Yun to say that he was blinded by lust, truly audacious.
Nangong Yao raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly, opened the folded document, and a cold smile curled his tightly pressed thin lips. On the unfolded document, several large characters were prominently written in cinnabar.
However... Xiao Xizi's face turned pale; that person outside is not an ordinary individual. A simple "not seeing" is likely not enough to dismiss her
Huo Tingdong is the adopted son of General Huo Yun, who served as a guardian of the nation. Many years ago, Huo Yun fought on the northwestern battlefield for eight years, and when he returned, he brought back a seven-year-old boy, who is Huo Tingdong
What is it?" Nangong Yao pressed his lips together and raised his hand to cover the corners of his mouth
The servant is here
A figure dressed in night attire, with a black veil covering his face, nodded towards Nan Gongyao and said, "Someone has already been sent to follow up."
Little Xizi
In the spring of the thirty-seventh year of Tongde, the late emperor passed away, leading to turmoil among the three kings and chaos in the capital. Huo Yun hurriedly returned to the capital and supported the then weak Sixth Prince, Nangong Yao, as emperor. In November of the same year, Su Wan was hastily sent to the Western Regions for a marriage alliance, while Huo Qingsang married Nangong Yao.
A complex emotion flickered in Nangong Yao's eyes: "Silently pass the order down, actions can commence from the Western Regions. You will personally select someone to bring her back."
"Good for you, Huo Qingsang, come here!" Nangong Yao said angrily, "Bind the Empress for me. She has privately donned armor and intruded into the palace. Punish her to reflect on her actions in Shulan Hall for three months"
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a cold smile, Huo Yun, I do not believe that you can truly remain seated
The palace door was slightly ajar, and the man gently pushed it open. Inside the grand hall, the emperor, dressed in bright yellow, sat behind the writing desk, his brows slightly furrowed, with ink-black long hair cascading down from his shoulders. Upon seeing him, he smiled faintly and asked, "Is there any news from the empress?"
Your Majesty!" Xiao Xizi stammered as he spoke, stealing glances at the sullen-faced Nangong Yao.
Several officials indeed opposed the return of Su and Wan to the capital as he had anticipated, even going so far as to threaten him with their lives in the court. The thought of those old scholars made Nangong Yao wish he could deal with each of them one by one
He gently closed the document: "Calculating the time, it seems that Huo Tingdong is about to arrive in the capital."
Just as Nangong Yao was about to inquire further, he saw the door of the imperial study being forcefully pushed open, and Huo Qingsang burst in wearing a red armor threaded with gold.
Your Highness, this is not permissible! Court ladies cannot meet with outside officials without cause, especially since the eldest son has returned to the capital without an imperial decree and has brought so many troops with him; this is no laughing matter.
You dare!
Having gathered my thoughts, just as I was about to lift the teacup before me, I recalled the punch I received from Huo Qingsang last night, a dull pain lingering at the corner of my lips. That shrew! Cursing inwardly, I was so enraged that I smashed the teacup, startling the palace servants outside, who turned pale with fright
He took pleasure in watching her suffer, coldly mocking the newly appointed concubines with sarcasm and jealousy, which gave him a sense of slowly torturing her
Thinking of this, she could not help but sneer coldly, while removing the heavy palace attire, she signaled Su Yi to prepare a set of light everyday clothes, and then put on a set of guard uniform over it
Is there any news from the border?" He lazily took a sip of the tea on the table, his slightly narrowed eyes tinged with a hint of murderous intent. When he set down the cup, the tea overflowed, wetting the open documents on the table.
Huo Qingsang looked at the man opposite her with a cold smile, her wrist moved, breaking free from his grasp: "Does Your Majesty still remember this battle robe?" She straightened her back, exuding a heroic spirit, "Back in the day, I fought alongside my father, and the late emperor bestowed upon me a golden armor battle robe, along with a golden whip, saying that he hoped this whip could help me establish the prestige of our Great Qi by striking down the small nations that caused chaos around us."
What is it? He busied himself in gathering his thoughts, yet he could not understand why, lately, he had been feeling a persistent unease in his heart, often recalling these old matters.
After the morning court session, Nangong Yao's mood remained poor, as if a stone were pressing down on his heart. He clearly wanted to move it away, yet he always felt powerless.
When Huo Qingsang received the message sent by the General's Mansion, Huo Tingdong had already privately brought an army of 30,000 troops back to the capital without authorization, and was stationed in Cangcheng, which is 300 miles outside the capital.
Little Xizi, who was standing by, nearly knocked himself unconscious against a beam in shock upon hearing this. To dare strike the Emperor is a crime equivalent to rebellion
In that year, Nangong Yao felt both absurd and ridiculous, as he actually favored one beautiful woman after another to vex her, creating a chaotic and polluted atmosphere in the harem
A shadow swiftly passed through the corridor, quickly disappearing into the pitch-black night.
When Xiao Xizi entered, she cast a lowly glance at the master's face, unable to help but shrink her shoulders, secretly thinking that the Empress is also a fierce person. Over the past few years, the Emperor and Empress have been at odds, and now it has escalated to the point where they have even come to blows.
The lantern cast her shadow long and slender, while Huo Qingsang paced back and forth anxiously. Finally, she let out a long sigh: "Su Yi, I must see my brother once." As she spoke, she reached up to tug at the golden hairpin atop her head.
Nangong Yao's body trembled: "What do you mean?"
Nangong Yao suddenly slammed the inkstone and said: "Not seen."
How could Huo Qingsang be unaware of these matters? However, at this moment, if elder brother truly were to take any action, it would indeed mean pushing the Huo family under the emperor's guillotine
After the hour of the lanterns, the vast palace was shrouded in darkness, as if a giant beast lay in wait in the areas where the eternal lamps could not reach, ever ready to devour those unfortunate enough to lose their way.
The person lurking in the darkness shook their numb neck with satisfaction and quickly turned to rush towards the Qianqing Palace
At that time, Huo Qingsang was only three years old. Huo's mother passed away due to complications during childbirth when Huo Qingsang was born, and Huo Qingsang was raised in her grandmother's home from a young age
Huo Qingsang furrowed her brows, neither servile nor overbearing, as if she were gazing into his eyes, into his very soul, provoking an inexplicable surge of anger within him, leading him to raise his hand and strike her face with force.
He still remembers how furious Huo Qingsang was at that time, yet helplessly arranged for one beautiful and charming woman after another to serve in the bedchamber. She is the Empress; since she has become this woman who embodies the dignity of the world, her husband is no longer hers alone.
"What do I have to be afraid of?" Huo Qingsang scoffed, his gaze fixed on the swollen corner of his lips. "If the Emperor dares to strike, what is there to fear?"
Within half a day, the news that the Empress, clad in battle armor, had intruded into the Imperial Study and was subsequently confined in Shulan Palace for self-reflection spread throughout the palace like wildfire
In fact, at the moment the slap fell, Nangong Yao regretted it. Although he had quarreled and argued with her over the years, he had never resorted to violence. Today, he had merely lost his reason in a fit of anger
He gazed helplessly at the hand he had not yet put down, then looked up at Huo Qingsang, who was tilting her head. "Qing..." The word "Sang" ultimately remained unspoken, for she had already turned around, leaving only a trace of a desolate silhouette.
Thinking of this, I also recall that poor child, and my heart cannot help but ache with a pang of pain
This time, Huo Yun has indeed learned to be clever; he does not step forward himself but instead incites a few critical officials to oppose him. In the past, when he was weak, he had to rely on the Huo family to ascend the throne smoothly, but today, he will not allow the Huo family to grow powerful under any circumstances.
Snap
The crisp sound of applause echoed in the grand hall, as Huo Qingsang turned her head, revealing her fair neck, on which a faint pink scar was prominently visible to Nangong Yao.
Huo Tingdong returned to the capital without authorization
The night watch guards have just passed, and the next shift will arrive in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense
Huo Yun has been away from the capital for a long time due to his campaigns in the north and south, and the siblings have essentially relied on each other for companionship. It was not until Huo Qingsang turned thirteen that the two siblings accompanied their father on his expedition.
Lord Li of the Shangshu Province has been waiting outside the hall for several hours
Xiao Xizi's face turned pale as he took out a folded document from his bosom: "This is the confidential report that arrived from the border yesterday"
With the light behind him, the golden armor seemed to be coated with a thin halo. Nangong Yao stared in a daze, and when he came to his senses, he kicked open the door and rushed over, grabbing Huo Qingsang's hand: "Huo Qingsang, haven't you caused enough trouble last night? What are you doing here today?" His gaze fell on the golden whip at her waist, and his anger surged even higher, "Who allowed you to enter the imperial study wearing armor?"
Huo Qingsang only learned of the existence of an older brother after being brought back to the General's residence at the age of five. However, Huo Yun has never spoken of Huo Tingdong's biological mother, and the public can only speculate that Huo Yun had an illegitimate child during his time in the Northwest
Because she no longer cares
The Empress requests an audience
In the spring of the following year, Huo Tingdong left the capital to guard the frontier, parting ways for six years
The person nodded slightly, did not bow, and turned to leave quietly, just as they had come.
Xiao Xizi stumbled after being struck: "I do not dare, it is truly, it is truly..."
By the end of that year, after the tragic drowning of his two-and-a-half-year-old son with Huo Qingsang, the inner palace finally fell into complete tranquility. The once domineering Huo Qingsang seemed to have suddenly transformed into a different person. From that point on, she resided in Shulan Palace and rarely interfered in the affairs of the inner palace. He, too, no longer had the inclination to provoke her with childish methods.