Fu Zhen clenched the silk handkerchief and asked, "I don’t understand what Your Majesty ans by this? What difficulties is the Crown Prince facing? I am dull-witted and ask Your Majesty to enlighten ."
The Empress inhaled and stood up, walking to the window along the drapes.
Such a restless empress was sothing Fu Zhen had rarely seen in her two lifetis. But from this, she also knew she was touching the edge of a secret, yet she dared not press further now, lest she overreach and ruin everything.
The atmosphere in the room froze. After a while, the Empress finally said, "No. I was just speculating. Why would my son not want to see ? He must have other reasons. You’re right, perhaps Li Yi has mistaken soone."
"Your Majesty—"
Fu Zhen never expected that the Empress, who had been strong all her life, would actually retreat.
"No need for Li Yi to co anymore," the Empress turned around, "It’s been so many years, I’ve lost my sense of judgnt in my yearning."
Her face returned to calm, and she even held onto the tea table, sitting steadily on the chair.
Fu Zhen’s nails had already dug into her palms, yet seeing the Empress’s expression, it was no longer appropriate to say anything more.
She lowered her head, inhaled, placed the tea in front, and then knelt in salute: "I misspoke, please forgive , Your Majesty."
The Empress accepted the tea and said slowly, "I’m a bit tired, you may go back. I’ll call for you another day to talk."
Fu Zhen assented, lowered her head, lifted her skirt gently, and retreated.
The light and shadows at the door shifted, and soon the great hall was left with only two accompanying Palace Attendants.
Only then did the Empress relax her taut body, and after a deep breath, she closed her eyes, supporting her forehead.
The entire hall was as quiet as midnight, with only the faint sound of the sand tir.
Then ca the sound of low sobbing. The eunuch under the drapes anxiously looked toward the window, several tis wanting to speak but ultimately restrained himself.
Only when footsteps of palace maids ca from the corridor, accompanied by their deliberately lowered voices in conversation, did the Empress take another deep breath and lifted her head.
The eunuch quickly walked up and handed over a handkerchief, the Empress took it, dabbed at her eyes, and put it down.
Just as she was about to say sothing, her peripheral vision caught a piece of paper on the ground in front of her feet.
The eunuch picked it up and handed it to her: "It seems the General’s wife just left this behind."
The Empress casually opened it, glanced at it, then her body suddenly went rigid! After scanning it quickly, she sprang to her feet!
"Bring her back to ! Hurry!"
The eunuch was montarily stunned, but habits of obedience kicked in, he instinctively complied, then dashed to the hall’s door: "Bring the General’s wife back! Quickly!"
The order was swiftly relayed through the layers of the palace.
Fu Zhen walked unhurriedly in the corridor, but when the hurried voice calling "General’s wife, please wait" ca from behind, her eyes instantly lit up and she turned around.
"General’s wife! Her Majesty the Empress requests your return to the hall!"
Fu Zhen hurriedly turned and briskly walked back to the Empress’s palace.
"Her Majesty summoned ?"
"All of you leave!" The Empress waved away the Palace Attendants, her gaze directly fixed on Fu Zhen: "Where did this co from?"
Fu Zhen looked at the letter Jin Xu wrote to Yang Yi, and said, "In reply to Your Majesty, this was brought back by our General’s informant."
"How dare you lie to ?!" The Empress slamd the table, her voice heavy and sharp, causing the entire hall inside and out to fall silent.
Fu Zhen knelt down, maintaining her composure, and said, "Nothing escapes Your Majesty’s discerning eyes. Indeed, the origin of this letter is extraordinary, but I have promised the person involved with the General, and I dare not break this promise even upon pain of death!"
"The person involved!" The Empress’s eyes reddened. She tightly gripped Fu Zhen’s shoulders, "But the person you speak of is precisely the one I long for day and night!"
"Your Majesty understands everything, so there’s no need for to say more. But Your Majesty must also know the nature of the person involved; at this critical mont, I absolutely cannot act rashly! Otherwise, it could easily lead to Your Majesty’s wish never being fulfilled!"
Yang Yi, who for more than twenty years refused to look back, his tenacity was truly unimaginable.
Just last night, Yang Yi had repeatedly instructed them not to divulge his whereabouts. Fu Zhen was already overstepping by revealing he was still alive to the Empress. If she further disclosed his whereabouts and was explicit in telling the Empress he was currently in the capital city, wouldn’t she then beco a wholly untrustworthy person?
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