Repeatedly broken branches

Shen Ruoxuan watched Yu Yanjing leave as if it were a joke, and then smiled and said to Zhou Tingxi beside her, "Your Majesty, you love to say one thing and mean another. You find everything else boring, but when you meet the Empress, well... how should I put it?"

Zhou Tingxi smiled and asked, "How is it?"

Deng Yizhi added, "That's something we lonely people can't possibly know, but you... you have a wife, how could you be like us?"

Shen Ruoxuan chimed in, "Yes, yes, Tingxi, you have a wife, how can you be like us? Why have I never seen you return to Qingying Palace? You always stay in Yizhi's Qin Pavilion. What, is there something I don't know about you two?" His eyes then became unpredictable, as if he were looking at something he had never seen before, with a hint of watching the excitement.

"Um...no, it's not what you think, we...are not husband and wife."

"what?"

"what?"

After listening to Zhou Tingxi's story, Shen Ruoxuan and Deng Yizhi looked at him with great sympathy. Fortunately, Ouyang Meixi was not one to cause trouble; she was more compliant and virtuous.

She's much better than her younger sister, Shen Shanshan.

No, it's much better.

“But Miss Ouyang is already your wife in name only. If we let her go back like this, she probably won’t be able to marry anyone else. Rather than that, it’s better to keep her by your side. Anyway, your mother likes her quite a bit.” Shen Ruoxuan thought about it seriously for a long time before saying this.

Zhou Tingxi answered directly, "No, I have no feelings for her, so how can I let her be by my side?"

Deng Yizhi nodded, then asked curiously, "You really didn't know when your aunt welcomed Miss Ouyang into the house?"

"You don't believe me? How could I have known when I was in the army? If I had known, how could I have allowed such an absurd thing to happen?"

Shen Ruoxuan said "Oh" and said slowly, "Then, what should we do? I've never been with a woman and I don't understand women's thoughts, but I often give the Emperor advice, which he appreciates. However, most of the advice is used to coax women, which is to drive women away. I think it's very difficult, extremely difficult."

Zhou Tingxi gave a wry smile. "No need. Let her be. She'll get tired of it eventually and might go back on her own. No one is willing to wait for someone who will never come to them, especially a woman."

Deng Yizhi felt a deep empathy; he too was waiting for someone with whom there was no future, someone whose whereabouts were unknown, and he was afraid that he would never see them again.

Sometimes it really feels like a dream. How things happened in the past, and how they turned out to be so out of control, is something he could neither predict nor stop.

Looking up, I see happy people not far away. It feels like they are from two different worlds, living in the same place but leading completely different lives.

Some people are desperately holding onto the most sensitive moonlight in their hearts, some are desperately searching for the pearls lost in their own world, and some are empty-headed and heartless.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Who offended you? You look like you're about to eat someone alive!"

Yu Yanjing called out to her.

Xiao Mu heard such a familiar voice right behind her, but she couldn't be happy. She had just been provoked by Shen Shanshan and Yan Man's back-and-forth in Yuhua Palace, but she had to maintain the demeanor of a queen and not get angry or utter any vulgar words. She was extremely unhappy with herself.

Yu Yanjing, it's all because of you! If it weren't for this damned Empress status, she could have retorted with foul language to anyone, why would she be sulking?

You lowered her head, not daring to look at Yu Yanjing, but still whispered the whole story.

Yu Yanjing suppressed a laugh, gently pulled Xiao Mu's soft hand into his palm, examined it carefully, and then said, "So that's what it was about. The Empress was afraid that I would really fall for that dancer?"

"If you're interested, then I have nothing to say."

Yu Yanjing gazed at the slender, jade-like hand before him, so tender it resembled a bamboo shoot, its skin as white as jade, inspiring tenderness and affection. Even his empress's hands were irresistible.

He said in a low voice, "In the past, Shen Ruoxuan brought women from all over the country to me. Which one of them wasn't stunningly beautiful, as radiant as spring blossoms? Did I even notice any of them?"

Xiao Mu glared at him angrily, paused, and said, "How do you know she's stunningly beautiful and radiant like spring flowers if you don't even care about her?"

Yu Yanjing was speechless for a moment. This girl's thoughts were really completely different from others. He was expressing that he had no interest in those women, but she was fixated on the words he was describing.

Very interesting.

"Okay, it's my fault. You can deal with me as you see fit when I'm done. I have important things to do right now, and they're all waiting for me. Can I go now?"

Does an emperor, a man of great stature, need the empress's permission even to handle official business?

Is it necessary to act so humble?

"Go."

Yu Yanjing left, but Xiao Mu still stared ahead, refusing to look away.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has left."

You reminded him from the side.

"Let's go back too." Xiao Mu sighed softly, feeling sad again for some reason.

Xiao Shao hasn't been to the palace for a long time. I wonder how she's doing, whether she and Ruan Cifeng are happy, or perhaps she's as happy as she is.

……

In the dim candlelight, a woman sat on the high seat. Her gaze fell on the kneeling girl, her eyes filled with contempt and arrogance. She had always been like this, looking down on everyone. Except for the boy she admired, she would not take anyone seriously.

The girl with emerald green eyes standing to the side spoke softly, "Princess, You did a good job. You should let her get up."

Bai Jiaoyu's lips curled up slightly. "Get up."

Hearing the sound, the kneeling girl slowly raised her head, revealing a face so beautiful that one couldn't help but look at it twice. Her enigmatic eyes shone brightly. She respectfully kowtowed to the woman sitting on the platform and said, "This lowly servant dares not."

Bai Jiaoyu laughed out loud, "See, that's just how she is. She doesn't need to be treated like a human being, so she only deserves to be my dog."

Yan Man looked at You in surprise. You had been tamed by Bai Jiaoyu and had no human temperament in front of her. You let her be beaten and scolded, and dared not do anything. Even her breathing was subject to Bai Jiaoyu's orders.

Although she grew up with Bai Jiaoyu, there were many things she didn't know.

"She is just a lowly daughter of a fallen kingdom. It is a great blessing for her to become empress. My maternal grandfather and uncle never treated her as one of their own. If it weren't for her status, I could crush her like an ant. If it weren't for her status, why would I need to play such tricks?"

Yan Man agreed, "Yes, the princess is right."

Cold sweat had already seeped onto You Bai's fair face. She didn't even dare to look up at the girl on the platform. For some reason, the more radiant she appeared to outsiders, the more despicable she seemed in front of Bai Jiaoyu.

Isn't that how she always is? Despicable.

If it weren't for being despicable, why would someone become a spy? Why would they deceive someone else's feelings?

She deserves it.

"Go back. I get annoyed just looking at you. You have such a lifeless and lowly aura. It's disgusting." Bai Jiaoyu glanced at You with disgust, then put her hand to her forehead and pretended to have a headache.

"Yes."

You didn't get up; she knelt down and shuffled away on her knees.

The night wind was so cold, but she was already soaked in sweat, all of it cold sweat, and she was scared.

A cold wind howled, and You couldn't help but shiver. The near-bone-chilling cold made her bite her lower lip. It was normal for it to be especially cold as autumn approached.

"Miss You!"

It was Wei Hao's voice. I can't... I can't let him see me in this disheveled state.

"Don't come here."

You's voice stopped Wei Hao in his tracks, because her voice trembled slightly and sounded extremely fragile.

"What happened?" Wei Hao stood there, looking at You Qing's slender figure. A cold wind blew, and even the hem of her skirt fluttered, making her look especially pitiful.

You said, "No."

Wei Hao clearly didn't believe her and remained silent, waiting for You to speak for herself. If she didn't speak, there was nothing he could do; he couldn't force her to say it.

Why don't you want to see me? Did I do something recently that upset you?

"No."

"Are you angry because I haven't visited you in a long time?"

"No." You was almost in tears. If Wei Hao didn't leave soon, she was afraid she would break down and start crying.

"You're tired of me?"

"Yes."

You paused for a moment, then realized how vicious her casually uttered words could be, and how much pain they would cause Wei Hao.

Perhaps they should have ended the relationship. What is this? She's a spy, a spy who will be despised by everyone.

Wei Hao's future is bright, so why drag him along? I'm already stuck in a mess, why should I get entangled with the innocent Wei Hao?

"Miss You, I told you I would marry you, have you forgotten?"

You raised her eyes, hoping the tears in her eyes would flow back, but a few drops still spilled out of the corners of her eyes and slid straight down. She lowered her voice so that Wei Hao wouldn't hear the emotions in her tone.

"Yes, I forgot, so what?"

Wei Hao stared in astonishment at her petite figure as she walked away, and murmured, "Are you... thinking of someone else?"

Because only when you love someone else will you abandon your former lover, right?

"Yes, so let's not meet again. It's not good for anyone."

If the truth comes out one day, Wei Hao will definitely be implicated because of their relationship. This is inevitable. She can't let that happen, so she has no choice but to painfully isolate Wei Hao.

She was prepared to die.

One wrong step leads to another; her fate was sealed from the very beginning. No matter what, dragging innocent people into this mess is a grave mistake!

Wei Hao, I'm sorry, please forgive me, forgive my heartlessness, forgive my indifference, forgive me for being an utterly wicked person.

Wei Hao waited quietly for her explanation, but there was none. You stood still, only giving people an inscrutable back view. He wanted to ask her why in person, but his mind was blank, and his limbs were extremely heavy and he couldn't move them.

I felt as if my heart had been pierced by a sharp sword; it ached and felt cold, as if all my passion and longing had vanished in an instant.

So, no matter what, he could only be alone.

"Okay. It's gone."

After the people behind her had been gone for a long time, You finally dared to turn around. Looking at the empty space in front of her, she could no longer control her grief. She slowly squatted down and let out a suppressed sob.

That person must be in great pain, just like her, unable to live and unable to die.

……

The next day, Shuangru, a second-class palace maid from Zining Palace, came to serve Xiaomu with her washing up. Her ability to handle affairs was second only to You. If You was too busy to get away, Shuangru would take care of the affairs of Zining Palace.

"Why are you here today? Where is You?"

Shuangru replied, "Your Majesty, Sister You caught a cold last night and is not fit to serve Your Majesty. Today, I will serve her instead."

Xiao Mu frowned. "Is it serious? Have you called someone to come and see? How could someone catch a cold like that? You's usually very healthy."

Shuangru smiled and said, "This servant does not know, but minor illnesses and pains are common for people, so Your Highness need not worry."

Even so, You has always served me meticulously, and now that she is ill, it would be inappropriate for me not to visit her. As a master, it is only right to care for those below.

After Xiao Mu finished her breakfast, she asked Shuang Ru to go to the storeroom to pick out some nourishing foods to take with her to You's courtyard.

You was a person close to the Empress, and Xiao Mu valued her highly, so she was different from other palace maids. She had her own independent courtyard, which was located south of Zi Ning Palace.

However, You locked the door tightly and said to Xiao Mu outside the door, "Your Majesty, please don't come in. I have caught a cold and I'm afraid I might pass it on to you. I'm sorry that Your Majesty is so worried and came to see me."

"Then you should rest well and not rush to work. Take a few more days to rest. Shuangru is here, so there's no rush. Are you feeling unwell right now? Have you taken any medicine?"

You's eyes suddenly reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks. No one had ever treated her like this, so caring and considerate. And that person was her master, the high and noble Empress.

In her eyes, she was never a lowly palace maid... but rather, her friend.

She was filled with regret and hated herself, but it was too late.

When the time comes for the fruit to ripen, she will break this woman's heart. She has done it. What else can she do? She has already hurt her. How can she accept her kindness with a clear conscience?

"Yes, Your Majesty, you should go now. I cannot see you off."

Xiao Mu immediately said, "Don't see me off. Get some rest and take a few more days off. Don't rush."

The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away. You Cai slowly got out of bed and opened the door. There was a box of precious medicinal herbs that she had never seen before, which was probably something that the Empress herself kept in the storeroom. How could she give such a lowly person like her? You carefully picked up the wooden tray containing the herbs, but your heart was bleeding.

"My dear, tell me, why doesn't the general like me? Is it because I'm ugly or because I have a bad temper?"

Jiao'er advised, "Miss, why don't we go back to the manor? Living here as a dependent, constantly having to watch other people's faces, is so nerve-wracking! It's better to go back to the manor..."

Ouyang Meixi smiled coldly, "Back to the manor?" She sighed softly, "You've forgotten, my parents said I'm destined to be a principal wife. If I go back like this, whose principal wife can I be? In other words, who would want me? A woman who's already been married once..."

Jiao'er said sadly, "But the lady and the general have not consummated their marriage; she is still a virgin!"

Ouyang Meixi looked at her with a bitter smile, her expression dazed. "Does anyone believe this? Do you believe it? Do you believe that a married woman is still a virgin? In this world, I'm probably the first one."

"Madam, please don't think too much..." Jiao'er knew that all her words of comfort were futile; Ouyang Meixi was already used to her words of consolation, and they were no longer of any use.

Ouyang Meixi wiped away her tears and smiled at her. "I don't want to think about anything anymore. I just want to stay with him. Although I know he still can't let go of the Empress in his heart, so what? In name, I am his wife. Everyone thinks I married the right person. I want them to envy me. Don't you think so, Jiao'er?"

Jiao'er nodded repeatedly, sighing that her wife had finally come to her senses, but this was also a way of deceiving herself.

Rather than facing reality, sometimes deceiving oneself is a kind of relief. For Ouyang Meixi, she was bound to follow her husband after marriage. She could not be sent back, because she would lose all face. It was better to live more clearly. Even if her husband never gave her a kind look, as long as she made her mother-in-law happy and her mother-in-law stood by her, wasn't that enough?

Fortunately, Xue was easy to appease.