Eunuch Li reported the matter about Tang Guo to Xuanyuan Mo. Xuanyuan Mo was already very dissatisfied with An Ningxiang’s previous contribution of materials and embroidery.
Now that the Imperial Concubine was so extravagant and wasteful, he was even more displeased.
He was a bit doubtful whether the Imperial Concubine was a suitable target. If she fell too quickly, it wouldn’t be a good thing.
But thinking about the Tang family’s momentum, he instantly calmed down. The more arrogant the Imperial Concubine was, the easier it would be for him to find faults with the Tang family, which was also good.
The concubine was so annoying that he wouldn’t feel any guilt about doing those things.
Besides, he couldn’t feel any pity for a woman who had been touched by another man.
“Pick some more things and send them to the Imperial Concubine.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Xuanyuan Mo paused, then continued, “Tell the Imperial Concubine that I will be visiting later.”
Tang Guo happily received the items and, hearing that Xuanyuan Mo was coming, showed a particularly joyful smile and cheerfully sent off Eunuch Li.
“Your Majesty, isn’t this a bit too arrogant?” Mei Lan expressed her concern. Although the Emperor dotes on the Empress, her spoiled young lady temper is finally showing, and it’s uncertain how many people in the harem she might offend.
Tang Guo smiled as she tried on various pieces of jewelry, not worried at all. She casually said, “Am I being arrogant? But these things were given by the emperor. Should I put them away instead of displaying them every day?”
Xuanyuan Mo stood at the doorway, stunned for a moment upon hearing these words, and did not go inside immediately.
“The emperor pampers me so openly, which shows that he is confident enough to protect me. Why should I be cautious and timid?”
“The emperor loves me so much; I must not let him down.”
“At home, my father also pampered me like this, wishing to find all the good things for me. If I put them away, my father would be angry.”
Tang Guo smiled sweetly, “Now the emperor is the same. I must display the things he gives me to show him that I like them very much.”
“Your Majesty, this is the palace.”
“Isn’t the palace the place of the emperor?”
Mei Lan: “…”
“He will protect me.”
This time she did not refer to herself and her voice was not loud, but Xuanyuan Mo, standing at the door, heard it clearly. For some reason, he felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart.
“When I first entered the palace, my father warned me to be cautious at every step. But the emperor said it was not necessary. I am now the Imperial Concubine, second only to him. I only need to listen to him. Why should I care about others’ opinions? It was the emperor who told me to live with my true nature.”
“He said that as long as he was there, no one would bully me. Even if someone did, he would protect me.”
Yes, the original owner believed that Xuanyuan Mo liked her after hearing these words, and she revealed her true self without any reservations, eventually leading to her downfall.
Standing outside, Xuanyuan Mo was momentarily stunned by her words.
Soon he remembered his purpose for coming, cleared his throat, and walked in.
“What was the Imperial Concubine talking about?”
Tang Guo’s face lit up with surprise. She put down her trinkets, completely devoid of the demeanor of an Imperial Concubine, and bounced over to him, throwing herself into his arms, even rubbing against him. Such intimate contact made Xuanyuan Mo stiffen.
He discreetly pushed her away, “Imperial Concubine, it is daytime now.”
Discover more from Lilly Translations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.