Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Consort Zhao’s Pals Get Abused

“Who would dare to trick Zhen?!” Xianzong sputtered.

“Heheh,” Yu Xiaoxiao just chuckled.

Can I keep on living like this?! Xianzong wanted to stomp his feet and lash out, or at least tell his bastard daughter to get lost.

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “What did Zhao Beicheng do?”

Xianzong’s temper dissipated in the face of his depression. That’s right, Zhao Beicheng’s tricked me before. How can I get my daughter to forget this dark history of mine?

Yu Xiaxiao placed a few leftover roasted chestnuts from her pocket into Gu Xinglang’s hands. “Eat. If it’s not enough, I’ll buy more for you outside.”

Gu Xinglang looked at Xianzong’s long and sallow face. He wasn’t vicious enough to want to anger his royal father-in-law to death, so he didn’t eat the chestnuts.

Unresigned, Xianzong declared to Yu Xiaoxiao, “Consort Zhao is a good woman. Linglong, who taught you things like ‘wicked consort?’”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “Her surname is Zhao.”

Xianzong said, “Zhao Beicheng is Zhao Beicheng while Consort Zhao is Consort Zhao.”

“They were born from the same father,” Yu Xiaxoxiao went on. “What’s the difference? Could a cur of a father give birth to anything remotely human?”

Although the curtains had been drawn in the carriage, Gu Xinglang still turned to look out the windows. He might be happy listening to his wife curse out Zhao Qiuming, but to save face for his royal father-in-law, he pretended that he didn’t hear a thing.

Xianzong pointed at Yu Xiaoxiao, his eyes knitted so fiercely that he almost looked like he had a unibrow. Loudly he rebuked, “Who taught you such coarse language? Why have you turned into this?!”

“Heheh,” Yu Xiaoxiao chuckled. If I hadn’t crossed over, the cruel female emperor would be starving with Little Seventh out in the wastes somewhere by now. And this fatuous ruler still wonders why I’ve changed like this? How am I supposed to get on with him?

“Bastard!” Xianzong was thoroughly incensed. “Zhen forbids you from ‘heheh-ing’ any longer!”

“Heheh,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied. So what if she did? What could this incomptent ruler do against her?

Xianzong was completely furious. People lost their sense of reason when angered, so now Xianzong dearly wanted to beat his daughter up.

“Your Majesty!” Gu Xinglang cried urgently when he saw Xianzong preparing to rise from his seat.

Yu Xiaoxiao sat unmoving as she looked askance at her old man. Third Young Master Gu’s words were loud enough, but already too late. Xianzong’s head rammed straight into the ceiling of the carriage, sending stars before his vision as Yu Xiaoxiao’s figure turned into two in front of his eyes.

Gu Xinglang personally witnessed a bump forming on the emperor’s head and quickly asked in an urgent tone, “Your Majesty, are–are you alright?”

A bump on the head was no big deal with Yu Xiaoxiao, who asked, “Feeling dizzy, huh? You were perfectly fine, so why did you stand up?”

“Unfilial daughter!” Xianzong cursed Yu Xiaoxiao.

Being unfilial wasn’t a big deal to Yu Xiaoxiao, but it was serious business for Gu Xinglang. He quickly started to explain. “Your Majesty, the princess isn’t–”

“Don’t talk,” Xianzong told him. “Right now, she’s your wife. Zhen can’t discipline her anymore.”

Gu Xinglang fell silent as he understood. Xianzong meant to say that these were sold goods and he wouldn’t accept any returns. Yu Xiaoxiao opened her mouth to speak, but Xianzong snapped, “Just try and ‘heh’ one more time to Zhen!”

Yu Xiaoxiao truly wanted Xianzong to experience the vicissitudes of life in this world, but their carriage soon lurched to another stop.

“You Majesty!” various voices of crying girls came from outside. Xianzong descended the carriage in a huff while Yu Xiaoxiao was stopped by Gu Xinglang’s hand in the middle of getting out.

“Xiaoxiao, you have to be careful of Consort Zhao,” he told her in a low voice.

Yu Xiaoxiao patted Gu Xinglang’s hand and said, “It’s fine, that wicked consort can’t hurt me.” Worse comes to worst, I’ll strike her with lightning again.

Gu Xinglang watched her get off. No matter how reluctant he felt now, he could only be patient and wait in the carriage. Outside were a bunch of court ladies and eunuchs from Morning Skies Palace. Jadeite led the pack as they kneeled in front of Xianzong with bitter sobs.

Yu Xiaoxiao got off and surveyed the scene. “Consort Zhao’s dead?” she wondered.

Xianzong felt his heart shiver. “Consort Zhao’s gone?”

Jadeite’s crying hesitated. Eldest princess definitely prefers my master dead. Now His Majesty does, too?

“Start digging a pit,” Yu Xiaoxiao told Xianzong matter-of-factly. “Imperial father, if you can’t bear to see her body, I’ll bury her for you?”

A single tear rolled down Xianzong’s cheek. My beloved consort died in the time it took for me to eat out?

Yu Xiaoxiao felt even more scorn for the fatuous ruler after seeing his tears. Aren’t men and husbands never supposed to shed tears or bleed? This one can even cry by just standing around. How do you explain that?

“Where’s the imperial physician?” Xianzong asked in a hoarse voice. “What illness took Consort Zhao’s life?”

The various imperial physicians all exchanged looks. They made to speak, then stopped.

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “You guys don’t know how she died?”

“Did someone sabotage Consort Zhao?” Xianzong exclaimed in alarm.

Jadeite stammered, “Your Majesty, esteemed consort is only sick. S-she d-didn’t die.”

Yu Xiaoxiao was immediately disappointed for feeling happy too soon. Xianzong was just preparing to avenge Consort Zhao when Jadeite’s words extinguished his resolve and turned his neck red. Yu Xiaoxiao stared at Consort Zhao’s little pal and said, “If Consort Zhao’s not dead, then why are you crying so much?”

“Drag this despicable servant away for Zhen!” Xianzong vented, finally finding an outlet for his temper. Looking at Jadeite coldly, he said, “You can’t even speak properly. Why should Zhen keep a wretch like you around!?”

Jadeite was staggered. She was only kneeling in front of Morning Skies Palace to report on the situation, yet now it was a matter of life and death? Two guards stepped forward and prepared to haul her away.

“Your Majesty, have mercy!” Jadeite cried out in misery as more tears poured down her face.

Jing Zhong quietly spoke up. “Your Majesty, are you going to execute that despicable servant?”

Xianzong gave a snort and continued towards Morning Skies Palace.

“She’s one of Consort Zhao’s little pals, ah,” Yu Xiaoxiao remarked as she followed him. “Imperial father, you’re really going to kill her?”

Xianzong naturally knew that this was Consort Zhao’s most handy aide. Reminding himself to be wise and brilliant, Xianzong exhaled and added, “Take her to be beaten, then teach her how to talk.”

“Yes,” Jing Zhong demurred. “This servant accepts the decree.”

Under his watch, the two guards gagged Jadeite and dragged away Morning Skies Palace’s top-ranking court lady. Everyone felt that Jadeite had been wronged, but none of them dared to ask for her leniency in front of Xianzong’s temper.

The stench of blood greeted Xianzong’s nostrils as soon as he entered Consort Zhao’s bedroom. His body swayed by the doorway as he fought back a wave of dizziness, then strode quickly to Consort Zhao’s bedside.