CHAPTER 185: CHAPTER 185 LISTEN

Without giving the Emperor a chance to persuade him to stay, the Right Minister hurriedly took his leave.

As he exited the Imperial Study, Su Jin and Xingxing happened to walk in.

Su Jin stepped aside to let the Right Minister pass first.

Coincidentally, the Right Minister had the same thought and also stepped aside to let Su Jin go ahead.

You let me, I let you.

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

Of course, the awkwardness was only felt by the Right Minister.

He had thought she would be quite uncivilized, but unexpectedly, she gave way to him.

Steadying his nerves, the Right Minister lifted his foot to leave.

After he left, Su Jin then entered the Imperial Study.

The Emperor sat in front of the chessboard, rubbing his temples.

Eunuch Fu looked at Su Jin, and a big thought walked by: Never does anyone show up without a reason.

Su Jin approached and greeted the Emperor.

The Emperor nodded.

Before he could speak, a little eunuch ran in and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress is here."

The Emperor’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Eunuch Fu sighed inwardly.

The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is truly formidable.

First, she scared away the Right Minister.

Then, she startled the Empress into coming.

The last time the Emperor rewarded Eldest Young Madam with two Imperial Chefs, the Empress later advised the Emperor, feeling that he was too partial to the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

However, because the Imperial Chefs had already been taken out of the palace by Eldest Young Madam, the Emperor couldn’t go back on his word and take them back, as it would be embarrassing.

The matter of the Imperial Chefs was thus left unresolved.

Now that the Empress is here, it’s clear she’s keeping an eye on the Emperor.

To prevent the Eldest Young Madam from seeking more rewards, with the Emperor conceding to her wishes again.

The Emperor said blandly, "Let the Empress come in."

The Empress walked in, her steps steady and her demeanor graceful and noble.

The palace maid following her was holding a tray in her hands.

The Empress smiled and said, "The Emperor has been laboring over the memorials, so I personally made some swallow’s nest porridge. Please have some, Your Majesty."

"Put it down, I’ll have it later."

The palace maid set down the swallow’s nest porridge.

Su Jinfu bowed to the Empress, and the Empress smiled, "The Eldest Young Madam from Duke Zhen’s Mansion is in the palace again."

The word "again" was pronounced with particular emphasis.

"The last time you came to the palace, it was to request Imperial Chefs. I wonder what you intend to ask the Emperor for this time?" the Empress said with a sly tone.

The words were really grating.

Su Jin replied indifferently, "I am here to borrow something from the Emperor."

Borrow?

It’s just another way of asking the Emperor for something!

"What to borrow?" The Empress probed further.

Su Jin looked at the Emperor and said, "I came to the palace intending to borrow the icehouse from the Emperor for a few months."

Eunuch Fu was astonished.

It was actually to borrow the icehouse.

Isn’t she running an ice shop with Prince NanAn and his group?

Plus, their business was booming to the point of making Duke Chong’s shop about to shut down.

It’s said that they sold quite a few ice blocks; why would they need to borrow an icehouse?

Shouldn’t there be an icehouse before there is ice?

The more he thought, the more puzzled Eunuch Fu became.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one puzzled; the Emperor and the Empress were as well.

The Empress asked, "What do you want an icehouse for?"

Su Jin, "..."

It’s called an icehouse; what else could she want it for?

"Rest assured, Empress, I promise I won’t use the icehouse to store coal," Su Jin said earnestly.

"..."

The Empress’s face turned slightly blue.

Eunuch Fu almost choked from holding in his laughter.

The Emperor coughed lightly, about to speak when the Empress interjected, "Your Majesty, there is no precedent for the court to lend out an icehouse. With the nature of the Qingyun Mountain bandits, I fear it might be a case of borrowing without returning."

Speaking ill of Qingyun Mountain is a taboo for Xingxing.

Standing beside Su Jin, she intervened, "Our Qingyun Mountain always keeps our word. If we say it’s borrowed, we won’t fail to return it. Besides, the icehouse is so big, we couldn’t carry it away even if we stole it."

Carry, not, away....

Eunuch Fu struggled to keep from laughing.

He felt that if he held it in any longer, he might need to see the Imperial Physician in a bit.

"Presumptuous!" The Empress’s face turned icy as frost.

"Do you have a right to interrupt when I am speaking with the Emperor?!" The Empress’s lips trembled with anger.

Xingxing shrank behind Su Jin.

Su Jin shielded Xingxing and said, "The Empress misunderstood our Qingyun Mountain, and this maid was anxious to explain, which led her to disregard palace rules. Please continue your conversation with the Emperor, and once you’re done, I’ll ask the Emperor for the icehouse."

She didn’t just say it but actually took a few steps back.

To demonstrate that she wouldn’t disturb the Empress and the Emperor’s conversation.

Eunuch Fu lifted his hand to rub his jaw.

Really, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is something else.

The Empress hurriedly delivered the swallow’s nest to keep an eye on her solicitations for rewards or borrowing items from the Emperor.

The Eldest Young Madam knew the Empress’s intention, yet allowed herself to be caught by the Empress scolding the maid for speaking out of turn, so she straightforwardly didn’t borrow anything for now.

Let the Empress have her heart-to-heart with the Emperor, and when she’s gone, she’ll bring it up again.

Retreat as an advance, leaving the Empress furious with nothing to say.

It would be a test of the Empress’s face whether she could endure staying till the end, but certainly, they were bound to wait until she left.

The Empress, breathing heavily with anger, stared intently at Su Jin.

Su Jin said quietly, "Am I affecting the conversation between the Empress and the Emperor? If so, I will wait outside."

She bowed and took her leave.

Xingxing followed closely behind.

The Emperor, "..."

Eunuch Fu, "..."

Truly, it’s the first time they’ve seen someone so well-behaved that they can infuriate people to death.

The Empress almost exploded with anger.

Before Su Jin got far, the Empress looked at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, just look at them! They even dare to disregard me!"

Eunuch Fu remained silent.

The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion didn’t even regard the Empress Dowager, let alone the Empress.

This matter doesn’t even require the Empress to complain; the Emperor is already well-aware of it.

"They are already being quite obedient. You told them to refrain from speaking, and they did," the Emperor said, holding his forehead.

"..."

Yet doing so is more infuriating.

Brazenly showing contempt for the Empress to the extreme.

But delving into it, there isn’t any wrongdoing.

The Empress gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and looked at the Emperor with not a trace of a smile on her face, saying, "Your Majesty, there’s a saying about giving an inch and taking a mile, of nurturing treachery through appeasement."

"Qingyun Mountain was originally a ragtag band, and only because they saved you were they recruited and ennobled. They should have been strictly managed, yet you continue to indulge them time and again."

"Your indulgence has led them to act audaciously, committing all manner of evil deeds—all of which the officials see. Are you not afraid that all the people of Daqi will become bandits?!"

Su Jin paused in her steps.

Xingxing looked at her, "Miss?"

"It’s getting hard to hold back," Su Jin said.

"Huh? Miss, you have to hold on," Xingxing said.

After speaking, Xingxing turned back to call out to Eunuch Fu, "Eunuch Fu, where’s the restroom? My mistress has a stomachache."

Su Jin, "...!!!"

Why does she want to seek death so much?

Her hard-to-hold-back moment was from wanting to retort to the Empress.

Not because she couldn’t hold back from having a stomachache, as Xingxing thought.

What happened to their tacit understanding?

And to shout it so loudly about her image!

Su Jin turned and tapped Xingxing on the head, then stepped forward, curtseyed to the Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, since the Empress has so many concerns, I won’t borrow the icehouse from you anymore."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow.

So readily compliant?

Just as he thought this—

Su Jin’s voice came floating over, "Your Majesty, may I impeach a courtier and recommend a talented individual?"