466: Li Xuan's resentment

Li Fu's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly, his face instantly turning pale, and fine cold sweat seeped from his temples.

He had been guarding the palace gate last night, personally watching Situ Jun enter Changle Palace. It wasn't until dawn, when the sky turned a fish-belly white, that he saw Situ Jun emerge from Noble Consort Xia's bedchamber with unhurried steps, his robes still damp with morning dew, his expression as calm as if he had merely gone for a cup of tea.

But how could matters in the palace be so simple?

Changle Palace was Xia Wei's residence. Situ Jun, an external official and the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, who commanded heavy troops, entering a consort's bedchamber late at night and staying for an entire night—if this were to get out, it would likely be even more shocking than the appointment of a New Empress, enough to make the entire Tianqi Imperial Family a laughingstock of the world.

Li Fu swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

He cautiously glanced up at Li Xuan's face, seeing his eyes dark and clouded with gloom. He quickly lowered his head again, his voice hushed to a near whisper:

"Replying... replying to Your Majesty, last night City Lord Situ... went to Changle Palace. Just now... he just left."

"Boom—"

These words were like a thunderbolt, striking Li Xuan's heart and shattering his last sliver of hope.

He clenched his fists abruptly, his knuckles turning white, bones protruding from the force, emitting a faint creaking sound, as if they would shatter in the next second.

An indescribable rage, mixed with humiliation, resentment, and a hint of an unidentifiable bitterness, instantly surged from the bottom of his heart, rushing to his head, burning his entire body until his blood boiled.

Changle Palace, that was Xia Wei's bedchamber.

It was the place he had been planning just the day before, where its mistress would wear a Phoenix crown and robes, ruling over the world as empress. It was the residence of the woman he had cherished for years, holding her close to his heart.

But overnight, things had changed drastically.

Another man had moved into that palace.

A man he couldn't afford to offend, a man he didn't even dare to be angry at.

Resentment, like a cold viper, instantly coiled around his heart, tightening its grip, hurting him to the point of suffocation.

He resented Situ Jun's arrogance and domineering nature, resented him for relying on his powerful strength, treating the Tianqi Imperial Family as nothing, treating him, the Emperor, as a Puppet, even daring to covet his woman, even daring to stay overnight in his bedchamber!

He was the Son of Heaven of Tianqi! He was the Supreme ruler!

He was the master of this vast land!

Yet now, he couldn't even protect his own woman, and had to watch as another man stayed overnight in his consort's bedchamber.

This was simply a monumental disgrace!

It was like stripping him of his Dragon robes, trampling his dignity underfoot, and grinding it repeatedly!

"Good... good Situ Jun!"

Li Xuan's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, laced with deep hatred, every word as if dipped in ice:

"I respected him as the pillar of the Northern Frontier, respected his profound Cultivation, respected his ability to protect the stability of Tianqi's borders, but he... he dared to humiliate me like this! Humiliate my Tianqi Imperial Family! He actually... actually openly stayed overnight in a consort's bedchamber!"

He abruptly raised his hand and swept the teacup on the table to the ground.

"Clang—"

The white porcelain teacup shattered into pieces, and the scalding ginseng tea splattered everywhere, steam rising, yet it couldn't warm his ice-cold limbs nor thaw his ice seal heart.

Li Fu, startled, fell to his knees with a "thud," kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead hitting the cold golden bricks with a dull thud:

"Your Majesty, calm your anger! Please calm your anger! This matter... this matter must absolutely not be publicized!"

"Publicize?"

Li Xuan sneered, his laughter filled with endless sorrow and self-mockery, like a sharp blade cutting at one's eardrums:

"What do I have to publicize? My face, which has long been trampled? My crumbling imperial throne?"

How could he not want to lash out?

How could he not want to issue an imperial decree to arrest Situ Jun, convict him of trespassing into the inner palace and defiling the imperial harem? To dismember him to vent the hatred in his heart?

But he couldn't.

He had personally witnessed Situ Jun's strength.

Yesterday in the Imperial Study, that person merely released a trace of his formidable aura, and it almost suffocated him, making all the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall as silent as cicadas in winter, unable to even move a finger.

How could such a figure be offended by Tianqi?

If he were truly enraged, let alone himself as Emperor, perhaps the entire Tianqi Imperial Palace would be reduced to scorched earth, and the vast land would be plunged into misery.

Yesterday in the Imperial Study, Situ Jun's words, "This Xia Wei, I'm taking her," still echoed in his ears, carrying an undeniable pressure that suffocated him, leaving him without the courage to refuse.

Anger, moreover, burned like a wildfire in his chest, making his internal organs ache.

Situ Jun was humiliating him!

Naked humiliation!

Staying overnight in Changle Palace last night, who was it for?

It was for him to see! For all the court officials to see! For the people of the world to see!

To tell everyone that his, Li Xuan's, woman, his, Li Xuan's, imperial harem, Situ Jun could enter and stay as he pleased!

He, the Emperor, had completely lost face!

The dignity of the Imperial Family was utterly trampled!

Li Xuan's chest heaved violently, his fingertips, due to the force, dug deep into his palm, seeping blood.

Yet he was completely unaware, as if he felt no pain, only the surging hatred and humiliation churning in his heart.

Li Fu knelt on the ground, his head bowed even lower, not daring to lift his eyelids, trembling all over.

He knew the Emperor was suffering, knew the Emperor harbored hatred.

But what could be done?

Situ Jun's strength was unfathomable, like a deep abyss or a towering peak, absolutely not something Tianqi could contend with.

Half a year ago, the Xuntian Iron Guards Commander of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty's Qintian Division had made a grand show of going to the Northern Frontier to investigate Situ Jun.

But in less than three days, he scurried back to the royal capital, hastily concluded the 'sealing' matter, never mentioned anything about the Northern Frontier, and swiftly fled Tianqi the very next day.

How could such a figure be offended by Tianqi?

If he were angered, not only would His Majesty's throne be lost, but perhaps the entire Tianqi would be plunged into misery, and the imperial rule would change hands.

Li Xuan closed his eyes, his eyelids trembling, concealing the ferocity, humiliation, and a fleeting despair in his gaze.

After a long while, he slowly unclenched his fists. The stinging pain in his palm brought a degree of clarity to his chaotic mind.

What good was resentment? What good was anger?

Useless.

Completely useless.

Situ Jun was not someone he could provoke.

All he could do was endure.

Endure this grievance, endure this humiliation, endure this piercing, bone-deep pain.

Moreover, he had already agreed yesterday for Xia Wei to go to the Northern Frontier; she no longer belonged to him as a concubine. Whatever Situ Jun wanted to do with Xia Wei, he could not and would not interfere.

Still, there was ultimately hatred in his heart.

He hated Situ Jun's arrogance and domineering nature, hated his recklessness, hated him for trampling his dignity underfoot and crushing it to pieces.

Even more, he hated his own cowardice and incompetence, hated his helplessness, hated that he held the title of Emperor but couldn't even protect his own woman, couldn't even protect his own dignity!

From the moment Situ Jun demanded her, Xia Wei was destined to no longer be his woman.

Rather than letting her stay in the palace and become a fuse between himself and Situ Jun, a root cause for Tianqi's demise, it was better to let her go with Situ Jun.

At least, Situ Jun had promised him he would protect Tianqi, would allow him to successfully enthrone Liu Airu as Empress, and would ensure the grand enthronement ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

At least, he could still preserve his imperial throne, preserve Tianqi's land, and preserve the continuation of the Li Bloodline.

Thinking this, the malevolence in his heart seemed to dissipate somewhat, replaced by a deep-seated sense of powerlessness.

He even felt a trace of absurd relief.

It was better that Xia Wei left.

A woman coveted by Situ Jun, if she remained in the imperial harem, would be a calamity, not a blessing.

If Situ Jun were to go back on his word someday, or if someone were to use this matter to stir up trouble, the one who would suffer would only be him, the Li family, and the entire Tianqi.

Now that Xia Wei had gone with Situ Jun, out of sight, out of mind.

It could also be considered severing a source of disaster.