Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 39 Sympathies

Xiao Shao said that Zhou Tingxi told her that Xia Yunzhi was the mastermind behind the drunken incident outside the palace, leading the two masters in making a scene. She should go to Yin Fu'an to admit her mistake and apologize, otherwise people will gossip that she doesn't respect the current emperor and will be accused of instigating her masters.

She certainly didn't take Yin Fu'an seriously, nor did she ever think of him as the emperor. Although Yin Fu'an had been quite good to her when she was young, now that he had orchestrated all of this and was firmly seated on the throne, he was enjoying unparalleled glory. Did he really need her to apologize?

He's the one who should apologize. Who caused his country to fall and his family to be destroyed? They grew up together, and she called that scoundrel "brother-in-law" for so long. Now that I think about it, he really doesn't deserve it.

However, Xiao Shao felt that Zhou Tingxi was right. Yin Fu'an was suspicious and loved to guess what others were thinking. If Madam did not go, Yin Fu'an would definitely arbitrarily pin a crime on her and send her away.

It took Xiao Shao a lot of coaxing and pleading to finally convince Xiao Mu to go to the palace to apologize.

Sitting in the carriage, Xiao Mu's thoughts had already flown to Yu Yanjing. She really wanted to know if that day was a dream. Although it was blurry, she had memorized the address Yu Yanjing had mentioned. If it was a dream, how could he even remember the address?

"What are you thinking about? We're almost there. Have you figured out how to apologize to the Emperor?" Zhou Tingxi turned his gaze to Xiao Mu, who was lost in thought, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Xiao Mu glanced at him and said dismissively, "I just said sorry. Anyway, I don't think I did anything wrong. If Xiao Shao hadn't kept nagging me, it would have been so annoying. I wouldn't have apologized to that scoundrel!"

Zhou Tingxi covered her mouth and said warily, "Watch your mouth. You probably don't know that slandering the emperor will get your mouth sewn shut, do you?"

Xiao Mu pulled his hand away. "Sewing my mouth shut? Ha! Who does he think he is? I'll curse him in my heart if he sewn my mouth shut!"

Zhou Tingxi was amused and looked at Xiao Mu helplessly, saying, "I really hope you can talk big like that later."

"Just try it."

When they arrived at Yin Fu'an's imperial bedchamber, there was no one else there except him. Zhou Tingxi and Xiao Mu were also there, so it was just the three of them.

Yin Fu'an was very polite and pointed to the empty seats next to them, inviting the two of them to sit down.

Xiao Mu didn't stand on ceremony at all. She lifted her skirt and sat down at the table, enjoying the sliced ​​pears on the table. The pears were sweet and juicy, very fresh, and delicious.

After a long silence, three palace maids brought in three cups of tea, which were then placed on the tables of Yin Fu'an, Zhou Tingxi, and Xiao Mu, respectively.

Yin Fu'an said, "This is your favorite Deer Garden Tea. Try brewing it and see if it tastes the same as before."

Xiao Mu lifted the tea lid, and a fragrant aroma of tea wafted into her nose along with the steam. She took a sip and found that it tasted exactly like the tea brewed by Granny Lü in the palace when she was a child. Back then, Yin Fu'an and Zhou Tingxi loved to come to Yu Yin Palace to play. They said that only the tea from Yu Yin Palace was the best, with a sweet aftertaste.

"It tastes very similar to what Granny Lü cooked."

Xiao Mu was stunned. She didn't grow up here, so how would she know about Granny Lü? Recently, some memories that weren't her own kept popping into her mind. She even knew almost everything about Xia Yunzhi's childhood. She really wanted to ask the system, but the system would never come back.

Yin Fu'an raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile hidden in his eyes. "This is something I sent someone to learn from Granny Lü's hometown. It's the same tea-brewing method as Granny Lü, so the taste is the same too." He said calmly.

Xiao Mu pursed her lips. "Why bother?" Since he had already done those irreversible things, why did he have to do these things? It was just a bowl of tea. Did he think a bowl of tea could change anything? He would be better off comforting Consort Xian or moving the late emperor to the imperial mausoleum. Wouldn't those be better than a bowl of tea?

Yin Fu'an smiled wryly, "Once people find that something has changed, they will try every means to find the taste of the past. Tea also tastes better in the past."

Zhou Tingxi raised the corners of his lips. "The Emperor still loves you." After saying that, he turned to look at Xiao Mu. His eyes flickered. He probably wanted Xiao Mu to apologize to Yin Fu'an.

What do you mean by "painful"? If you felt pain for me, you would have wiped out all my family members.

Xiao Mu smiled awkwardly, "Who told him to be my brother-in-law?" She emphasized the word "brother-in-law".

Yin Fu'an lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, his gaze unfathomable, and no one could tell what he was thinking. He suddenly spoke, "I am not here today to interrogate you. Go and play with Xin Ning and the others. I have something to discuss with Ting Xi."

Xiao Mu stood up, gave a casual bow, and walked out of the hall.

I feel so refreshed.

Passing by the lake, I caught a glimpse of a slender, solitary figure, dressed in what appeared to be the attire of an empress. It was Chen Lanhe.

Xiao Mu didn't pay attention. Turning her gaze, she saw that Chen Lanhe had already climbed onto the railing by the bridge, and one of her jade-like feet was already hanging outside the railing as if she was about to jump down.

Chen Lanhe closed her eyes, ready to jump, but Xiao Mu, quick-witted and agile, rushed over, grabbed her waist, and pulled her down from the railing.

Chen Lanhe's eyes were vacant, yet they were captivating. She said numbly, "Why won't you let me go like this?"

Xiao Mu pointed to her stomach and said, "You have a child, don't you think about her?"

Chen Lanhe looked down at her still flat stomach and said with a sense of loss, "I don't want this either, but I'm suffering every day... I don't want to be trapped in the palace, and I don't want to lie with people I hate, do you understand, Xiaozhi!"

Xiao Mu had heard people say that Chen Lanhe was in love with Deng Yizhi and that she was extremely unwilling to marry Yin Fu'an. Yin Fu'an couldn't possibly not know this, so why did he force himself to marry the woman who loved his good friend?

Xiao Mu held her cold hand, gazed into her eyes, and patiently said, "But you're already here, aren't you? You're already a mother, and Deng Yizhi has her own daughter. You're not from the same world anymore. Do you think being depressed all the time is good for yourself or for this child?"

Chen Lanhe was stunned. How did she know about Deng Yizhi? She had never mentioned it to anyone. Of course, she knew what was going on outside. Everyone said that she looked at Deng Yizhi with burning eyes and tender affection. Who couldn't see that?

But this child is Yin Fu'an's. Yin Fu'an killed her sister, and she lives in self-blame every day. She has a child with the enemy who killed her sister!

Chen Lanhe said painfully, "My sister was the best person in the world to me. She entered the palace when I was ten years old. Before I was ten, she loved me like a mother, teaching me to read, write, and embroider. She combed my hair and told me never to force myself to do things I didn't like. We grew up without a mother, and the aunts in the family treated us indifferently. My sister took care of me, but he killed her. How can I accept this?" After saying this, she held back her tears and looked at Xiao Mu with slightly red eyes. Her eyes were full of sorrow. Xiao Mu felt the same way. She had also lost her father not long ago, and her feelings were exactly the same as Xiao Mu's.

She didn't even know how to comfort Chen Lanhe. She sighed and said, "I'm just like you. Zhou Tingxi and Yin Fu'an plotted to seize power, but I still have to be his wife and live under the same roof. I've never stopped hating him, but I eat, drink, and play at his house. I eat when I'm hungry and sleep when I'm tired. Occasionally, I'll curse him and give him a good scolding. I want to get back what I've suffered."

Chen Lanhe's expression softened slightly. She placed her hand on Xiao Mu's tightly clenched hand and smiled through her tears, "Yin Fu'an is the emperor, I dare not scold him."

Xiao Mu scoffed, "What are you afraid of? You can curse with me in private. Now that there's no one around, we can curse! I'll start! That beast Zhou Tingxi, he'll definitely get forcibly kissed by the old lady when he goes out!"

Chen Lanhe covered her mouth and shook her head, saying, "I dare not."

Xiao Mu urged, "Hurry up, hurry up, it's okay, there's no one around now."

"Yin Fu'an, you... idiot! You... bad thing!"

Xiao Mu complained, "You're being too restrained. Can't you swear?"

Chen Lanhe shook her head and said timidly, "My father and sister said that women should not use vulgar language, but I think this is already very vulgar."

Xiao Mu sighed helplessly and turned her head to say, "You learn from me! Zhou Tingxi, you beast! You're worse than a pig or a dog! You eat dog shit! You're a despicable person!"

Chen Lanhe looked slightly embarrassed and said weakly, "No, I can't, I can't say it."

Xiao Mu glanced at her, smiled, and said, "You...you take a deep breath, and then...scold!"

"Yin Fu'an, you beast, worse than a pig or a dog! You eat dog shit!"

"How are you feeling?" Xiao Mu's eyes shone with anticipation.

"I feel refreshed, and my chest doesn't feel so tight anymore..." Chen Lanhe smiled slightly, "Thank you, Xiaozhi."

As the two turned to return to the palace, they looked closely and saw Zhou Tingxi and Yin Fu'an standing not far away, their faces dark, staring intently at them.

Xiao Mu thought to herself, "Oh no, I've been caught red-handed. What should I do?" But what was she afraid of? She was cursing Zhou Tingxi, not Yin Fu'an. What was she afraid of? Ah, what about Chen Lanhe?

Chen Lanhe was extremely panicked, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at Yin Fu'an. He was about to come closer, one step, two steps... uh, they were only an arm's length apart... Huff... deep breath...

"What are you doing?" Yin Fu'an asked deliberately. "I think I just heard someone cursing me. Was it you?" His eyes glanced at Chen Lanhe, but there was a hint of doting in his eyes, and his voice was very gentle.

Chen Lanhe turned her head away, looked down at the ground, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I do not know." She clearly heard everything, so why ask?

Zhou Tingxi pulled Xiao Mu aside, his brows furrowed, and he smiled helplessly. "It's one thing that you've corrupted Consort Song and Consort Liang, but you also want to corrupt the Empress?" He reached out to flick Xiao Mu's nose, but she nimbly dodged it.

Xiao Mu raised an eyebrow, showing disdain. "Who told him to be a scoundrel like you? Besides, I was cursing you, not him, so what does it have to do with me?"

“But she is the Empress after all. The Emperor’s expression was not good just now. You mustn’t test his limits again…” Zhou Tingxi said with some worry.

Xiao Mu didn't care. "So what? What kind of bottom line does he have? I don't even want to talk about him anymore. Look at him, even though people dislike him so much, he still hugged them."

Xiao Mu looked at Chen Lanhe, who was pale and uncomfortable in Yin Fu'an's arms, with sympathy. She was much worse off than herself. She hated Yin Fu'an so much, but she still had to serve him in bed. It was disgusting. But which woman in the palace wasn't like that?

Chen Lanhe breathed a sigh of relief. Yin Fu'an hadn't gotten angry; instead, he was being so gentle with her. This saved her from having to reluctantly coax him if he did get angry.

Zhou Tingxi glanced at her, signaling her to stop talking, and then simply said, "Let's go back first. The Emperor is probably going to spend time with the Empress."

"Why should I listen to you? I'm going to see Xin Ning and the others. If you want to go back, go back yourself." Xiao Mu's tone was stiff, devoid of any emotion, and her gaze was as calm as water.

Yin Fu'an and Chen Lanhe had disappeared, leaving only Zhou Tingxi and Chen Lanhe standing there dumbfounded.

Zhou Tingxi's eyes and brows were icy cold, as was his heart. He had thought that after Ye Wanwan's matter was over, she would be the same as before, but he did not expect that she would become more and more indifferent every day. He did not know how to get her to talk to him properly, even if her tone was flat and not sarcastic.

Xiao Mu ignored him and slowly walked towards Song Xin Ning's palace.

"With this ending like this, I don't know when I'll be able to leave again." Song Xinning was a little distressed. She really couldn't hold on any longer. She had only been in the palace for a few months, but it felt like ten years had passed. Every day felt like a year. She couldn't eat her food and couldn't sleep all night.

Liang Yuxue smiled sweetly and said coquettishly, "You're just used to being free outside. Now you can't be confined anymore."

"What are you talking about? Can't we have one more?"

When Song Xinning saw her arrive, she was overjoyed and rushed to the door to greet her, patting her skirt as she said, "What do you think? We're so bored without you. Let's go find Consort Xian!"

Liang Yuxue looked troubled and said evasively, "It seems that Consort Xian has been preoccupied lately. She always stays in the Buddhist hall or stays in her room copying Buddhist scriptures. When we go to see her, she always claims to be sick. Do you think she will still receive us now?"

Song Xinning was somewhat stunned. How could she have forgotten all this, and still kept bothering others? The Consort Xian probably found herself annoying! So embarrassing!

Xiao Mu said worriedly, "My sister really wants a child. Only a child can distract her now. But that scoundrel Yin Fu'an only has the Empress in his heart. How could she get pregnant so easily?" Actually, having a child for one's father's killer requires a very strong mentality, right?

Last time, Ruan Cifeng told her that he knew a little about pharmacology and that maybe he could come up with a way to help Xia Yunxu get pregnant quickly.

Actually, she didn't believe in such folk remedies, but where there's a will, there's a way. How would you know if it would work if you didn't try?

But now she doesn't know where to find him. She hasn't seen him for three months since that meeting, and finding him is easier said than done.

It was difficult for her to go out, and even more difficult to shake off Zhou Tingxi's people who were following her. She felt that someone as meticulous as Zhou Tingxi would definitely send people to follow her. Only when Zhou Tingxi was completely unprepared for her could she come and go freely. Perhaps she could do the opposite and try to please Zhou Tingxi?

Disgusting. The thought of having to please him makes me feel disgusted.