It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Pei Chi'an fell into deep thought. Although marrying Pei Qingzhi to the Luo family seemed to be the best choice, after all, the Luo family was wealthy and the only son would inherit it. Everything in the future would eventually belong to the Pei family. After weighing the pros and cons, he leaned on Concubine Pei's shoulder and said softly, "Then, thank you very much, aunt."

Concubine Pei turned around and hugged his neck again: "Stay here tonight and let's talk."

Pei Chi'an did not refuse, and took her in his arms as they walked behind the layers of gauze curtains.

The next morning, Concubine Pei personally prepared Emperor Xuan's favorite almond juice and delivered it to his study.

After the trip to You Garden, Emperor Xuan sent Su Wanyu away and hurried back to the palace, eagerly reviewing the imperial examination roster.

As the carriage was on the way back to the palace, Su Wanyu specifically mentioned her cousin from the Luo family, hoping that he would pay more attention to her. There was a certain expectation and uneasiness in her tone, which seemed to indicate that this game of power had just begun.

As expected, when the morning light broke through the dawn, Emperor Xuan returned to the palace in the dim light and walked into the dusty study. Rows of lists recorded on bamboo slips and silk were waiting on the desk, waiting for the emperor's scrutiny.

He gently turned the scrolls that carried the fate of countless scholars, but among the densely packed names, he was surprised to find that Luo Wenxuan's brilliant contribution had disappeared, as if quietly swallowed by the night.

As doubts grew in his heart, Emperor Xuan decided to visit Lord Lu privately.

The night was falling and the stars were twinkling. He walked in the moonlight, his figure quickly passing through the long and dark palace corridors.

When they arrived at Yan's house, the lights were on and the two discussed the matter in a secret room.

Lord Lu frowned slightly, then as if he suddenly realized something, he took out a sealed scroll from a locked cabinet. It was Luo Wenxuan's deliberately hidden test paper.

Lord Lu secretly rejoiced that due to an inexplicable premonition, he had kept a trick up his sleeve, and this copy became a turning point at the critical moment.

That night, the stars and the lanterns competed for brilliance. Emperor Xuan urgently summoned Lord Lu to the palace and ordered him to personally review the talent that had been temporarily forgotten by time.

Under the flickering candlelight, Lord Lu's eyes became more determined, and his writing was fair and selfless. Finally, Luo Wenxuan's name jumped onto the paper with the fragrance of ink, filling the regret of the omission.

Just as this revised history was about to be recorded in the annals of history, a familiar sound of footsteps rang out in the silent palace, and Concubine Pei walked in the night. Her smile was as gentle as a spring breeze, as gentle as ever, but with a hint of subtle depth.

She once said that the highest level of acting is to make it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and this is precisely her innate talent. Compared with Pei Qingzhi, who was at the center of the rumor, she is more at ease.

"Your Majesty, you have worked hard. Please enjoy this bowl of lotus seed soup that I personally made."

The Toffee spoke softly, and the soup in the bowl rippled slightly with her movements, like the shimmering surface of a lake under the moonlight.

Emperor Xuan quickly closed the roster, took the bowl of warmth, scooped a spoonful into his mouth, and it was warm and sweet.

"Tiffany, you can let Xiao Jiang do these little things in the future. You don't need to do it yourself."

His voice was gentle but contained a hint of unmistakable concern.

The concubine's smile was full of persistence: "Your Majesty's favorite is still the taste of my cooking. I am always worried about others making it."

In the past, this sentence always made his heart ripple with warmth, but now, whenever he recalled the mysterious death of his mother and everything that might be connected with it, that warmth was replaced by a biting cold wind, which made him shudder.

Concubine Pei did not directly mention Pei Qingzhi's troubles, but went around in circles to express her concern and greetings. Finally, the topic gently fell on: "Your Majesty, your cousin Luo Wenxuan is outstanding in appearance and has both talent and learning. Have you considered finding a good match for him?"

Hearing this, Emperor Xuan paused slightly while holding the spoon, and a cold light flashed in the depths of his eyes: "What arrangements does the Concubine intend to make for him?"

The concubine's smile was still as gentle as before: "Except Qingzhi, who else can be more suitable?"

As soon as the words fell, the air seemed to freeze suddenly, and Emperor Xuan's face became colder, like solid ice in winter.

Just when the concubine thought that he would happily agree, he suddenly stood up and the bowl full of lotus seed soup in his hand was thrown heavily to the ground.

The crisp sound of cracking broke the silence, porcelain pieces flew everywhere, and the pure white soup splashed on the toffee's lapels and eyes. The instantaneous coolness penetrated the skin and reached the bottom of the heart.

The concubine was stunned, and her smile froze on her face, as if time had stopped at that moment: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, why are you doing this?"

Emperor Xuan looked down at her, the indifference in his eyes was enough to freeze all the tenderness: "Concubine Dowager, how dare you think that a woman as scheming as Pei Qingzhi can be worthy of the person that my lost sister loves?!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

The concubine was so shocked that she was at a loss for words. She was speechless for a long time. The lotus seed soup that seeped into her eye sockets felt like burning fire, and the pain was unbearable. She looked at the emperor in front of her, full of astonishment and disbelief.

Since the death of the previous emperor and Song Yuling's passing, Concubine Pei has been by his side as the Concubine, and has witnessed with her own eyes the growth of that babbling child into the powerful emperor of today.

As the years passed, he always treated her with courtesy, never showed any disrespect, and never even said a harsh word to her.

But now, he actually threw the bowl in front of her and shouted harsh accusations, which made Concubine Pei's heart surge with anger and unwillingness, but she still forced a smile on the surface and knelt humbly to beg for mercy: "I hope your majesty will forgive me. I really didn't know... If I had heard about Princess Pingle's feelings for the young master of the Luo family, I would never dare to offend you."

"You don't know? How could you be completely unaware of Luo Wenxuan's great achievements in controlling the flood in Chengzhou? Even though he hasn't officially entered the court as an official, he is already someone that ordinary people can covet!"

Emperor Xuan was furious and said sternly, "Queen Dowager, although I have always respected you, this is not a reason for you to do whatever you want. You and I both know Pei Qingzhi's character very well."

"Don't even mention Luo Wenxuan. Even if he's just an insignificant seventh-rank official, I won't allow such a marriage. You, the Pei family, should handle your own private affairs!"

His voice was as cold as ice. "If you dare to plot against me again, don't blame me for being heartless."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand without hesitation, and a teacup on the table cut through the air and hit Concubine Pei hard.

She did not dodge, and the edge of the cup hit her forehead hard. Blood flowed down the wound. The pain was like a sharp needle piercing her heart, and the anger was like a river pouring back, but she could only swallow it down forcefully.

Since when did Emperor Xuan become so merciless in his words to her?

Not to mention the sudden violence?

Despite feeling extremely aggrieved, the concubine still maintained her respect for the superior and the inferior. She knelt on the ground. Although her face was filled with pain, her eyes only showed obedience: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Emperor Xuan glanced at her coldly: "Also, you don't have to prepare lotus seed soup for me anymore in the future."

Concubine Pei looked up in astonishment: "Your Majesty?"