Coming Kingly Son-in-Law: Don't Provoke the First Daughter - Chapter 153

Chapter 153 You Are My Empress

The Empress looked at Shen Zhongbai coldly. She did not say a word, but Shen Zhongbai continued, “Qiang, you can’t do things that I don’t like and can’t tolerate just because I like you and spoil you. You have never been so ignorant. Also, you don’t have the right to be willful.”

She came into the imperial palace to be Empress to protect Shen Qianshan. Shen Zhongbai never thought that there were women in the world who did not like being Empress.

Gu Qiang accepted it so reluctantly. It seemed that sitting in this position would be dangerous, and no matter what, she didn’t want to be promoted to this position.

Compared to her, Shen Qiangwei and Gu Zhihua both desired to snatch that position, which was quite a funny sight.

Some people did not want it, yet some people tried their best to snatch it.

The Empress turned her head and looked at Shen Zhongbai coldly. She did not want to say anything. Facing this man, she felt that all the hatred could rush up in an instant, making her anxious. At this point, she felt as if she was standing on the edge of the cliff, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

“Go out. Leave me alone!” The Empress’s voice was very cold. She controlled the trembling of her entire body and did not even shed tears. It was as if she did not hear Shen Zhongbai’s threatening words of comfort.

Shen Zhongbai first looked at her, then without a word, he slowly got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.

She sat on the bed in silence for a long time. Then, she turned around and began to search frantically in this magnificent room.

Without much effort, she found the book that she used to exchange messages with Gu Qiang under the pillow.

She opened the book, but before she could write anything, she saw a few lines of words quickly appear on the book: “The Emperor died, and Shen Zhongbai will be the new Emperor. I had already engaged with Shen Qianshan, but Shen Zhongbai annulled our engagement. My elder brother is fine, and my memory has not recovered yet. I feel confused about my future. Please advise.”

It was just a few words, but it made the Empress’ heart move. The days over there were very difficult, but it was also chaos here.

She was silent for a long time before slowly writing, “Do not marry Shen Zhongbai. Do not let Shen Zhongbai grab hold of Shen Qianshan and threaten you.”

There was no reply from the other side, and her mood calmed down.

In the afternoon, she finally walked out of the room. She turned around and saw that it was Weiyang Palace.

She stood in front of the door, tears falling like rain. She walked around and everything returned to the beginning. She felt a faint stomachache. She knew that there was a living life inside, but she did not know who this child belonged to.

Someone came up from the side. The Empress turned her head and was surprised to find Gusu Liang and Ling.

It had been a long time since she had seen someone she knew. The Empress wiped away her tears. Before she could speak, she heard the eunuch’s sharp voice as he announced, “The Noble Consort had arrived.”

Not far away by the river, The pregnant Shen Qiangwei seemed to be feeding fish and admiring flowers by the river. In fact, the Empress knew that she was here to see her.

The Empress had never been unfamiliar with this kind of method. She vaguely remembered the dark and unbearable past when she was fighting with this woman in the imperial palace. Now that she saw her again, it was like opening up the long-sealed memories in her heart. That kind of memory made her feel uncomfortable.

No matter how long it had been, seeing this horrible bitch who had made her lose her child and her family, she was so furious that the anger in her heart would burn away the last of her reason.

Shen Qiangwei turned her head and smiled as she touched her round belly. She walked to the Empress and asked, “Your Majesty, I heard that you are not feeling well. Is it true? I came early to see you and pay my respects.”

The Empress looked down at Shen Qiangwei, who was wearing yellow clothes which looked very similar to the style of the Empress. She literally wore her ambitions.

Seeing that the Empress did not say anything, Shen Qiangwei narrowed her eyes, and her expression instantly became cold. She seemed to be unable to keep her respectful appearance.

Shen Qiangwei took two steps forward and pointed at her belly. “Although Emperor is spoiling you now, do you think he will always pamper you? Everyone knows who the father of the child in your belly is. His Majesty values the child in your belly because he likes you. Take a guess, which one will the Emperor love in the end? Your baby or mine?”

This woman looked somewhat similar to the Empress. Now, her domineering appearance gave people a feeling of seeing a proud villain who had achieved success. The Empress was still donning the same expression as before. It seemed that she did not take Shen Qiangwei’s words seriously. But if the child in her belly was not Shen Zhongbai’s, there was only one possibility. Was the child in her belly Shen Qianshan’s?

While she was in a daze, a smile appeared on Shen Qiangwei’s face again, as if she was very proud of having Shen Zhongbai’s child in her belly.

The Empress was irritated, so she snapped impatiently, “When did I say that this child needs Shen Zhongbai’s love? What can his favor do? Don’t think that all the women in the world need his adoration just because you need it.”

“How dare you call His Majesty by his name? Gu Qiang, you are really too bold now. Let me advise you, while His Majesty still likes you, do more good things. Who else can you rely on when His Majesty no longer protects you?” Shen Qiangwei began to feel fear when she looked at the Empress’ appearance, but she refused to admit defeat.

The Empress was indifferent as Shen Qiangwei had always been like this. However, if her baby’s father was Shen Qianshan as she said, she had to protect it well.

She turned and left, not giving Shen Qiangwei a chance to speak at all. Shen Qiangwei was exasperated, but she couldn’t catch up and argue with the Empress.

Thus, she stopped there and glared at the Empress as she walked away.

The maid beside her walked up and whispered, “Your Grace, Consort Hua made a mess of your courtyard, especially the laurel tree that His Majesty gave you. She asked her maid to directly pull it out.”

Shen Qiangwei could not believe what she heard. She turned around stiffly, glared at the maid with bloodshot eyes, and asked, gritting her teeth, “What did you say? That bitch pulled out my laurel tree?!”

The maid wanted to say something more, but Shen Qiangwei had already rushed to her courtyard, regardless of her bulging belly.

Shen Qiangwei’s courtyard was Qiangwei Palace, which was on the opposite side of the river in front of Weiyang Palace. Shen Zhongbai named the palace personally when he entered the palace.

Although Shen Zhongbai was deeply in love with Gu Qiang, he still took a fancy on Shen Qiangwei. Otherwise, why would he decorate Qiangwei Palace so exquisitely and luxuriously? He even personally planted the laurel tree at the door of the palace.

That day was still vivid in Shen Qiangwei’s mind. The sun was shining brightly. Shen Zhongbai wiped the sweat on his forehead, turned his head, and said in a gentle tone, “When I see this laurel tree, it’s like seeing you.”

The sunlight shone on his face, coating his well-defined face with a layer of gold. He was so handsome as if he walked right out of a painting, intoxicating Shen Qiangwei.

Now, when Shen Qiangwei rushed into the courtyard, she saw the tree tilting to the side. Its huge roots were exposed under the blazing sun. Gu Zhihua sat on the fallen tree trunk and turned to look at her triumphantly.

A maid held an umbrella to shelter her from the sun. It was an extravagant sight.

Shen Qiangwei was so angry that she lost her breath and was about to fall backward.

The palace maid quickly supported Shen Qiangwei and pointed at all the mess on the ground. “Consort Hua, do you know that His Majesty personally planted this tree? Do you know what the consequences would be if His Majesty knew that you ruined his thing?”

It was as if Gu Zhihua was waiting for these. She got up from the tree trunk, wiped her hands with her clothes, and said, “My elder sister does not like the tree, saying that it smells awful. She is the head of the imperial harem. Can’t she even decide the life and death of some lousy trees?”

Shen Qiangwei had already come to her senses. The palace maid helped her sit down. She took a sip of tea before she could catch her breath and said to Gu Zhihua, “Sister Zhihua, Her Majesty is also my elder sister. If she doesn’t like it, she will naturally come to take care of it herself. Why did you do it on her behalf?”

In other words, who did you think you were?

Gu Zhihua stood there and took a deep breath. Anyway, she did this today. What could she do? Would Shen Zhongbai kill her for doing this?

Because Shen Zhongbai did not like Gu Zhihua, her life in the imperial palace was unexpectedly very relaxed. Only, sometimes, she missed the time in the Third Prince’s mansion. At that time, although Shen Zhongbai also did not like her, at least they could always see each other.

Now that they moved to this huge complex of buildings, Shen Zhongbai forgot her. He gave her the position of an imperial concubine, but he never came to see her.

Everything in this huge imperial palace and behind the high walls was gorgeous and extravagant, but in Gu Zhihua’s view, this place was frighteningly silent.

She knew that she would be forgotten by Shen Zhongbai sooner or later, but she did not expect this day to come so early.

She trembled in fear as long as she thought that she would spend the next few decades like this.

Putting aside her arrogance, she was only a woman who hoped that her husband would value her more.

Because of Shen Zhongbai’s indifference, she had never been afraid as she boldly ran amok in the palace. It was because she knew that Shen Zhongbai had already hated her to the point that he would not reprimand her even if she did something wrong.

“Elder sister does not care about these things, but as her younger sister, I can’t just see her being upset. It’s better to clean these disgusting things up early!” Gu Zhihua was very unyielding.

After being in the imperial palace for so many years, Shen Qiangwei knew Gu Zhihua’s style. She did not take her seriously because Shen Zhongbai ignored her. She could turn a blind eye on Gu Zhihua even if she bullied her.

This was like Gu Zhihua’s lonely party. This kind of one-person show that no one watched could only be left unsettled in the end.