Beloved Empress

Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che with her clear and innocent eyes, "Why? Is it a big deal?" Everyone likes collecting. Some people like collecting jades, others antique vases and paintings. Perhaps, that Marquis of Ning Nan’s hobby is collecting the dragon robe! Big deal! In the modern world, those filming crew also made dragon robes to be worn by movie stars! She herself likes to collect jade and accessories. In the past, whenever she went to work and got to touch those ancient female clothing, she would wonder about who wore them and how they looked like. How those people’s lives might be and who they loved. The more she wondered, the more interested she became.

For an archeologist coming from the modern time, she simply considered these things as hobbies. There is nothing more to it than that.

When Jun Qian Che sees the innocence in her eyes, he feels as though she has become even more unreadable. She looks at simple things in a complicated manner, and in reverse, view convoluted things in a startlingly simple way.

"Keeping a dragon robe is as good as rebelling. His entire family will be killed if convicted," reminds Jun Qian Che.

Mo Qi Qi’s slow brain finally catches up to reality. She is currently in the ancient time; what does the dragon robe represent? The dragon robe is something that only the Emperor can wear. If someone else is in possession of the dragon robe, it will indeed be regarded as treason. This Marquis of Ning Nan ought to know what the dragon robe implies, having been born in the ancient time. Seems like he really has the intention to rebel.

"Who would have thought that the Marquis would be so presumptuous? No wonder you are in such a bad mood! He deserves to die!" Mo Qi Qi exaggerates her reaction. To tell the truth, she has no idea who this Marquis of Ning Nan is, and what he has to do with anything. She only said all that to play along with Jun Qian Che.

Her words attract Jun Qian Che’s attention, "Do you truly think that the Marquis of Ning Nan deserves to die?"

She nods, "Of course! Treason is not a small crime. It will harm both the kingdom and the common people. This kind of people will only hurt the kingdom. You must not be soft-hearted, he deserves to be punished severely. There is no need to be upset over this kind of people, Your Majesty. If they needed to be killed, just kill them."

Jun Qian Che narrows his eyes before getting up and leaving.

Mo QI Qi stares at his retreating back while scratching her head curiously. "What is going on? Did I say anything wrong? I clearly said what he wanted to hear. Don’t tell me there is actually more behind what is really going on?" she mutters to herself.

She shakes her head, completely uninterested to think about the matter.

She gets up and stretches her waist, "I think I ate too much breakfast. I should walk around in the courtyard a little." She heads towards the door.

By the time she reaches the doorway, Ban Xiang rushes in, "Your Ladyship—-"

"What are you so hasty about, Ban Xiang? Is someone chasing you, trying to kill you?" teases Mo Qi Qi.

Ban Xiang approaches her and whispers to her ears, "Your Ladyship, the 7^th King wishes to see you. This servant did not dare to inform you earlier and could only wait until the Emperor left."

"The 7^th Imperial Uncle? Where is he?" asks the curious Mo Qi Qi.

Not long later, Ban Xiang leads a eunuch in. He cups his fists in front of her, "Your Ladyship—-" Then, he raises his head.

Mo Qi Qi laughs, "Yue Hen, you are all dressed up again. Whenever I see you dressed as a eunuch, I could always imagine a group of maidens crying in front of me. They adore you so much, they would never be able to accept it if you ends up becoming a eunuch. Hahaha—-"

Jun Yue Hen does not know whether he should laugh or cry, "You are poking fun of me again, Your Ladyship. I hastily entered the palace this time because I’m worried about you."

Mo Qi Qi slowly twirls in front of him, "I am fine. What is there to worry about?"

Ban Xiang slowly heads to the door to stand guard, lest someone tries to eavesdrop.

Mo Qi Qi, on the other hand, beckons Jun Yue Hen over, "Come and sit, Yue Hen. Let’s chat."

After they sit down, Jun Yue Hen expresses his concern, "Qi Qi, did the Emperor scold you after sending you back, yesterday?"

She shakes her head, "No, he didn’t. Didn’t I tell you that he permitted me to leave the palace yesterday? I didn’t sneak out. What is there for him to scold me over? However, something really scary happened yesterday."

Jun Yue Hen feels as though his heart has been pinched when he hears that, "What happened?"

She begins recounting yesterday’s ordeal to him.

Yue Hen ends up sweating cold sweat on their behalf after hearing her story, "Someone actually dared to attempt to assassinate the Emperor in the imperial city? The assassins are too preposterous and bold. This is all my fault. I should have followed you two last night."

Mo Qi Qi immediately shakes her head, "No. Lucky you weren’t with us. You don’t know martial arts, it’d be even more precarious had you been with us. Lucky Jun Qian Che practiced diligently. He helped us out of that sticky situation yesterday."

Jun Yue Hen hesitated for a moment, "Don’t you think something is off with the assassins last night, Qi Qi? The Emperor left the palace in secret last night, how did they find out? Could it be that it’s the same case as the last expedition? Could it be that the real target was you, and hurting the Emperor was just a coincidence?"

Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Yue Hen and eyes him carefully. What does he mean by that? Why did he say that to begin with?

Jun Yue Hen seems embarrassed at being stared at, "What’s wrong, Qi Qi? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mo Qi Qi laughs awkwardly, "You mean that the assassins were sent by Jun Qian Che? Although he got hurt, it was accidentally done; or perhaps they purposely injured him to make me trust him more. Is that what you mean?" Isn’t that what Jun Yue Hen basically implied?

He nods, "It is possible. After all, the assassins were targeting you. Perhaps, there was a reason behind why the Emperor took the blow for you."

Mo Qi Qi is a little skeptical, "But what on earth would he get from acting all heroic in front of me? His injury was pretty serious. And why would he try to gain my trust? I don’t think I am that important in his eyes."

Jun Yue Hen shakes his head, "Don’t underestimate yourself. You are from Mo Clan and is the pearl within Duke Zhen’s palm. One word of support from Duke Zhen would help His Majesty greatly at court. If he won your trust, you would speak for him in front of your father. His Majesty’s dealings at court would become much easier. Besides, the court has been a mess lately, all because of the Marquis of Ning Nan. His Majesty has had a hard time trying to make a ruling, so he would definitely need your help and support. Duke Zhen adamantly wants the Marquis to be killed. His Majesty, on the other hand, wants the Marquis to be brought to the capital to be tried. His Majesty must have been worried that your dad would interfere, so he would like to placate Duke Zhen through you. If you tell your father that His Majesty saved your life, he would definitely be grateful to the Emperor. When the time comes, he will agree with whatever His Majesty said. This will help the Emperor so much, as he did not really want to kill the Marquis of Ning Nan."

Mo Qi Qi finally puts two and two together, "No wonder he brought up about the Marquis of Ning Nan, just now! He told me the Marquis hid a dragon robe and that it’s a crime that can get his entire family killed. He even asked me if my dad said anything it to me. He asked me if the Marquis should be killed and when I said yes, he got so upset and left. I was wondering why! Turns out he did not want the Marquis killed and when I said something that was the completely opposite of what he wanted to hear, he got angry!"

Jun Yue Hen nods, "Correct. Based on laws, the Emperor shouldn’t have brought up politics in front of you, to begin with. The fact that he brought it up means that he wanted your backing, and when he didn’t get it, he got furious. He must have thought it pointless to have blocked the sword for you, now."

Mo Qi Qi is indignant, "Hmph! Who would have thought Jun Qian Che would play intrigues so well! How despicable! I almost got deceived by him! But still, hiding a dragon robe is a big crime. Why wouldn’t Jun Qian Che kill the Marquis of Ning Nan?"

"This—-" Jun Yue Hen hesitates for a moment.

Mo Qi Qi is even more curious now, "What is it? Is there something going on behind this as well?"

"Qi Qi, promise me you won’t be angry once I tell you," says Jun Yue Hen, to be safe.

She laughs, "It is not like I know this Marquis of Ning Nan! What is it? Just tell me!"

Jun Yue Hen slowly begins the story, "The Marquis of Ning Nan has a daughter, around the same age as the Emperor. When the Marquis of Ning Nan still lived in the capital and the Emperor was only the Crown Prince, they were pretty close. The daughter would follow the Marquis of Ning Nan to the Crown Prince’s Palace whenever there was a chance. It is said that he used to like her, then. He had wanted to make her his Crown Prince’s Consort, and later, his Empress. But in the end, in order inherit the throne smoothly, he married you instead. The Marquis’ daughter was fierce and stubborn, how could she bear being under another woman? And so, she impulsively married a scholar. The Crown Prince was heartbroken then, but there was nothing he could do. He felt as though he had wronged the Marquis and his daughter, as though he owed them. Perhaps, this is why the Marquis of Ning Nan planned to revolt to begin with. After all, he promised to marry his daughter and to make her the Empress, but then went around breaking that promise. His daughter’s reputation was ruined and he became a laughing stock; who wouldn’t be angry? That’s probably why the Emperor is being lenient towards them. Because of the guilt inside his heart. However, your dad is a very righteous person. He would never let the Emperor’s personal feelings affect his judgement. That’s why the Emperor needs to use you."

Mo Qi Qi is beyond furious, "Jun Qian Che is the trashiest trash of them all! He actually ruined two women’s happiness just so he could secure his throne! This kind of person will never experience true love until the day he dies! He habitually uses women to get what he wants! I despise that kind of men the most! Hmph, I will never help him! He made a wrong move this time! Could it be that he still fancies the Marquis’ daughter and intends to use this chance to have her for himself?" She never thought Jun Qian Che would stoop so low.

"Qi Qi, you promised me you wouldn’t get angry. Remember that you are carrying a child," reminds Yue Hen warmly.

She looks at her stomach, "I will never get angry over that man. I hope my child will not follow his example."

"The thing has passed. The Marquis’ daughter is married. She will never try to wrestle the Empress’ position from you. Although the Emperor might still be hopeful, the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager will never let him, out of consideration for the imperial clan."

"That’s not certain. Who knows, the Emperor might change her surname and takes her into the harem," Mo Qi Qi mutters to herself.

"Are you jealous, Qi Qi?" inquires Jun Yue Hen.

She laughs, "Me? Jealous? You are too funny, Yue Hen. Why would I get jealous over Jun Qian Che? He can have any girl he wants! What does that has anything to do with me? He is an utter trash, I feel like vomiting whenever I see him! Why would I get jealous?"

"Qi Qi, seeing you all safe and sound makes me really relieved. You should be careful here, do not be too careless," reminds Jun Yue Hen.

She nods, "Don’t worry. Jun Qian Che will not pull anything while I am in here. If anything happens to me whilst I am in the palace, my father would not spare him!" From the looks of it, she would have to go out less in the future. She needs to see if the foreign king will be able to construct the toilet in the way she wanted. If he could, she can try and see if it will help her return to her own time. If it doesn’t work, then, she would have to reconsider whether or not she should remain in the palace.

Once he is assured that Mo Qi Qi is fine, Jun Yue Hen does not linger.

After he left, her heart is in a turmoil. She begins recounting the events last night. She feels like Yue Hen’s guess is not right.

Although she does not know martial arts, she could tell that those assassins really intended to kill Jun Qian Che. Them suddenly targeting her was only to distract him.

When the sword was directed towards her, Jun Qian Che actually disregarded everything else and immediately rushed to her rescue. He only avoided fatal injury because he managed to move his body so that the sword did not hit any critical body parts. Had he not done so, the assassins would have succeeded in killing him. She does not feel that the attack was staged.

As for the matter regarding the Marquis of Ning Nan, he actually did not say anything to her. He only began telling her about the hidden dragon robe because she insisted on asking him. Even after everything, he did not ask her to tell her father anything. Perhaps Yue Hen thinks too much?

Or could it be that Jun Qian Che acted too well and managed to deceive her eyes?

Mo Qi Qi laments her fate while supporting her cheek with her hand: Men from the imperial household are so hard to understand. She really cannot understand their intrigue; be it Jun Qian Che or Jun Yue Hen. She cannot see through either of them.

Why is it that whenever something happened, Jun Yue Hen would always warn her to be cautious of Jun Qian Che? If Jun Qian Che really cannot be trusted, then, is Jun Yue Hen really that trustworthy? It is true that Mo Clan’s power can threaten Jun Qian Che, but as of now, they have no falling out.

She only trusts Jun Yue Hen because he grew up with the previous owner and was in love with her. He also put himself in danger to save her, so she ends up trusting him. However, a person’s heart is hard to read and sometimes, eyes can deceive.

She feels like Jun Qian Che is not as bad as Jun Yue Hen makes him out to be. In fact, she has gotten to know him better lately and feels like he is not really that trashy after all.

Wuwu, if only she possesses a pair of eyes that can see a person’s heart! That way, she would never have to worry about truly knowing a person’s personality.

"That’s enough! Let’s go to the Imperial Garden for a walk!" she gets up and walks out of her chamber.

It is true that enemies encounter each other on a narrow bridge.

Mo Qi Qi bumps into Yang Shi Han at the Imperial Garden. They look at each other, their eyes flashing in hatred and disdain as they walk towards each other.

By the time they stand face-to-face, Yang Shi Han remembers what she said to Mo Cheng Xuan; that she would not fight Mo Qi Qi as long as she does not provoke her. Out of courtesy for Mo Cheng Xuan, Yang Shi Han decides to give Mo Qi Qi face. She curtsies, "This consort greets the Empress."

Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Get up, Yang Guifei. It is rare for you to remember the rules of conduct."

Yang Shi Han smiles back, "Chenqie has always remembered the rules of conduct. Your Ladyship is with child and your pregnancy is not yet 3 months old, you should rest more."

Mo Qi Qi smiles amiably, "Bengong’s health has always been good, so it’s natural for the child to be strong as well. No need to worry, Yang Guifei, bengong will not let anyone harm the child."

Yang Shi Han gives her a dazzling smile, "I hope you will give birth to the child smoothly. When the time comes, the mother can benefit from the child and obtain His Majesty’s affection."

Mo Qi Qi covers her smile with her hand, "For a mother, affection or not is no longer important. The most important thing is the child will give the mother support. With that support, everything else are but fleeting matters. What about you, Meimei? You have entered the palace and obtained His Majesty’s love, why aren’t you with child yet? Could it be that you are sick somewhere? If you do, you must get it treated immediately, lest the Empress Dowager gets worried." To be honest, it’s only natural that they are having trouble conceiving! That’s what you get for marrying a close relative!

"Thank you for worrying, Empress. Chenqie’s health is just fine. It’s just that chenqie is still young and does not wish to have children yet. When the time comes, chenqie will naturally conceive!" replies Yang Shi Han confidently.

Mo Qi Qi nods, "Hope you are right."

"Chenqie still needs to greet the Empress Dowager. Chenqie should leave first."

Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Goodbye."

Yang Shi Han leaves haughtily.

Mo Qi Qi smiles while shaking her head.

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