"You’re quite right." Tianmiao laughed. Just as Concubine Rong thought Tianmiao had finally listened and felt relieved, Tianmiao added nonchalantly, "The Emperor’s favor? I don’t need it."
Concubine Rong froze, staring blankly at the smiling Tianmiao. Her eyes were full of calm. She truly didn’t care.
Why?
At that moment, Concubine Rong couldn’t understand no matter what.
Many years later, she understood, but everything had changed...
Since the day the Emperor left with Concubine Xian and Concubine Mei, he hadn’t visited the Empress again. The Empress seemed not to mind, continuing to spend her days "seeking pleasure" with low-ranking concubines, reveling every night.
Soon, the Empress’s birthday arrived. She didn’t hold a grand celebration, just shared a meal with the concubines. Concubine Xian and Concubine Mei also came and presented their gifts, which the Empress accepted without exception. She treated them equally. However, the Emperor did not appear that day.
Concubine Xian and Concubine Mei were secretly delighted, thinking the Emperor was clearly displeased with the Empress.
What they didn’t know was that the Emperor sent many gifts to the Empress that night. He just didn’t show up, still angry at the Empress’s attitude that day.
However, this situation didn’t last long before the Emperor, with great excitement, went to see the Empress. This was because the epidemic in Le City had been brought under control, and the infected citizens received effective treatment. With the populace at ease and the people’s hearts settled, the Emperor joyously went to share this news with the Empress.
When he reached the Palace where the Empress resided, he heard the sound of a pipa from outside, playing a tune he had never heard before. The music was intense and stirring, and he stood there quietly, listening. He felt the drums of battle, the shouts of soldiers, the clash of arms, and finally, an overwhelming sense of being trapped on all sides in a flood of a thousand troops, a tragic and desperate feeling.
The Emperor was lost in thought for a long time.
After a long while, the Emperor finally moved. He slowly walked through the grand doors and saw the Empress sitting at the top, smiling at him.
"Emperor, would you like to listen to the music together?" Tianmiao asked with a smile.
The Emperor slowly walked forward, sat beside Tianmiao, and couldn’t help but ask, "What was the name of that tune just now?"
"Ambush on All Sides."
"Did the Empress compose this piece?" the Emperor asked in surprise.
"Of course not," Tianmiao shook her head. "By the way, does the Emperor have good news?"
"Indeed! The person the Empress recommended has truly exceeded expectations; the epidemic has been brought under control. He really can treat the epidemic," the Emperor said excitedly, remembering his reason for finding the Emress. "But your cousin is truly a humble man, saying he merely combined the prescriptions you provided with those he saw in his childhood to find a solution."
"He has always been so modest," Tianmiao smiled.
"I wanted to ask you how to reward your cousin appropriately," the Emperor said happily. "Promote him to Deputy Hospital Director and reward him with a thousand taels of gold. How about that?"
"Whatever the Emperor decides is best. Although my cousin will surely decline, I believe the Emperor will have his determination, as cousin did what other imperial physicians couldn’t," Tianmiao naturally had no objections.
"That’s good. But Empress, will this tune also be played at my birthday celebration?" the Emperor blinked, deliberating as he spoke, "The piece is good, but it doesn’t seem quite fitting."
"Certainly not," Tianmiao denied; a piece like Ambush on All Sides could not be performed at a birthday celebration. "It will be another piece."