Liu Sanzhi felt an inexplicable heart-pounding dread upon seeing Cui Zheng and the others.
Had this been in the palace, they would never have reached this inner chamber. But this was the temporary imperial residence, where each consort had her own separate courtyard, with only one secondary gate for announcements. The main hall served as a reception area, connected to side chambers by just a few steps.
At that moment, an ambiguous, relieved, and heightened moan echoed from within the room. Except for the palace maids and eunuchs, everyone present was married and experienced—they understood all too well what it signified. The expressions on the faces of Cui Zheng and the other two officials shifted through a spectrum of colors.
As cultivated men who adhered to Confucian teachings and practiced self-restraint and propriety, such daytime licentiousness was a violation of ritual norms. Moreover, with the disaster raging in Dengzhou, they were overwhelmed and exhausting themselves to address the crisis. Yet, at such a critical time, their Emperor was indulging in such absurd behavior!
"Eunuch Liu, please inform His Majesty—urgent news from Dengzhou!" As the Grand Secretary, Cui Zheng stepped forward with a stern expression, his tone forceful.
The Empress Dowager tightened her grip on her cane, suppressing her fury.
Liu Sanzhi dared not delay. Steeling himself, he knocked on the door but received no response. Under the intense scrutiny of all present, he mustered his courage and pushed the door open. As soon as he stepped inside, a porcelain pillow came flying at his head. Though he could have dodged it, given the circumstances, he had no choice but to take the blow. A dull pain spread across his forehead, and blood trickled down, accompanied by the Emperor’s furious roar: "Get out—!"
This outburst darkened the faces of Cui Zheng and the others. The Empress Dowager struck her cane forcefully against the ground. "Outrageous! I will summon him myself!"
"Empress Dowager..." Shen Xihe quickly grasped her arm.
At this moment, the Youning Emperor was beyond reason—a beast consumed by desire, unrecognizable. She could not let the Empress Dowager enter, lest she suffer the same fate as Liu Sanzhi.
The incense had been blended by her own hands, and no one understood its potency better than she did.
In truth, the incense alone had no aphrodisiac effect. It was only when combined with antler blood, stimulating its fervor, that even a deity would struggle to resist.
"Empress Dowager, His Majesty is not one to indulge in base desires. There must be some underlying reason. Let us wait a while." Shen Xihe guided the Empress Dowager toward the main hall, then turned to Cui Zheng and the others. "If the matter is truly urgent, Duke Cui, perhaps you could consult with the Crown Prince and the Six Ministries first. In emergencies, expediency takes precedence. His Majesty has always cared deeply for the people. Any action beneficial to the state and its citizens will surely not incur his displeasure."
Liu Sanzhi, head bowed and blood staining his face, lifted his eyes slightly to glance at Shen Xihe but remained silent.
"We have already deliberated and await only His Majesty’s decree," Cui Zheng replied coldly.
They always discussed matters in advance to avoid being caught unprepared before the Emperor and charged with negligence. Now, they could only wait for His Majesty’s final decision to proceed immediately.
Even the Crown Prince could not issue orders over the Emperor’s authority; otherwise, when accountability was sought later, no one would escape blame.
"We, your subjects, shall also await His Majesty here!" declared Tao Zhuanxian, the Grand Secretary, his voice firm as he stood rigidly by the entrance to the main hall like a pillar.
Wei Song, the Palace Attendant, glanced at Cui Zheng and Tao Zhuanxian, then chose to remain silent.Everyone's expression was rather grim, except for Shen Xihe, who remained composed. Her face was calm, showing neither hidden delight nor anxiety and urgency. Liu Sanzhi couldn't help but scrutinize Shen Xihe, feeling that this Crown Princess was unfathomable, exuding a confidence that suggested she had everything under control.
If today's incident had nothing to do with Shen Xihe, Liu Sanzhi would never believe it. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Shen Xihe happened to be strolling in the garden with the Empress Dowager when they encountered the unconscious Shu Fei, who had been attacked, and then brought her back to her bedchamber?
If Shen Xihe and the Empress Dowager hadn't arrived just in time, even if Cui Zheng and the others had urgent matters, they could have been stopped by the eunuchs he had left outside the door. It was only because the eunuchs he left behind had accompanied Shen Xihe and the Empress Dowager inside that Cui Zheng and the others were able to charge straight in. Otherwise, things wouldn't have escalated to this point?
Thinking of this, and then recalling the imperial physician who had just been sent in earlier—since Shu Fei was here, then who was the person frolicking with His Majesty? If it was just one of Shu Fei's palace maids, that would be one thing, but if it was...
Liu Sanzhi didn't dare to think further.
The imperial physician summoned to examine Shu Fei emerged at that moment: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, reporting to the Crown Princess, Lady Shu Fei was knocked unconscious by an assailant. Fortunately, she sustained no serious injuries and will awaken shortly."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt somewhat relieved: "You may withdraw."
The imperial physician acted as if granted a pardon, wishing he could slip away immediately. Just as he reached the doorway, another group of people hurried in. It was none other than An Jingnan, the Protector-General of Anbei. An Jingnan's expression was cold and stern. After paying his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Crown Princess, he got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, my daughter is missing. I beg Your Majesty and the Crown Princess to help search for her."
The Empress Dowager's gaze darkened: "An Niangzi is missing?"
"Yes. My daughter's health has only just begun to improve, and she seldom leaves her courtyard. Today, she inexplicably vanished. The guards inside and outside the courtyard did not see anything." As he spoke, An Jingnan glanced at Shen Xihe a few times, intentionally or not.
"Protector-General An, there is no need to panic. I will send people to search for her immediately," Shen Xihe said unhurriedly.
As all the ladies in the traveling palace were under Shen Xihe's management, she naturally had to actively search for the missing An Zhengyi. She immediately instructed Zhenzhu to relay the order to the Golden Guard commander on duty to search for An Niangzi.
Finally, she added, "If Protector-General An is truly worried, I can have the Crown Prince issue an order to involve the Dali Temple in the search as well?"
An Jingnan was unaware of what had happened. He knew Shen Xihe and the Empress Dowager were here but hadn't expected Cui Zheng and the others to be present as well, which implied that His Majesty should also be here. Yet, there was no sign of His Majesty.
He suspected that his daughter had been abducted by Shen Xihe, but her composure made him feel inexplicably uneasy: "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am overly anxious. With the Golden Guard responsible for the safety of the traveling palace, there should be no cause for concern. There is no need to make such a big fuss."
Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a bit disappointed. An Jingnan still had some sense left. If things had been stirred up even more, it would have been even more entertaining...
Although the Dali Temple wasn't involved, the Golden Guard was still dispatched. After all, An Zhengyi had gone missing under their protection, and if held accountable, they couldn't escape the charge of negligence.
However, even after the Golden Guard searched every possible location, they could not find An Zhengyi. When the commander came to report, Liu Sanzhi broke out in a cold sweat. He was now absolutely certain who the person was in Shu Fei's bedchamber, frolicking with His Majesty."How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear?" Shen Xihe was slightly taken aback upon hearing the reply, then turned to ask Shu Fei's chief palace maid, "Are all the palace maids in Shu Fei's quarters accounted for?"
The maid trembled with fear. As someone entrusted with managing Shu Fei's palace affairs, she was no fool and had already guessed part of the truth, yet she had no choice but to answer truthfully: "All accounted for."
"Oh..." Shen Xihe drew out the syllable meaningfully, then smiled ambiguously at An Jingnan. "I know where An Niangzi is."
"Where?" An Jingnan's sense of foreboding grew heavier.
Curling her crimson lips into a breathtakingly radiant smile, Shen Xihe declared: "On the Dragon bed."
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