The Gilded Cage - Chapter 125

Not Scrupulous – He Was Now More and More Reckless. (2)

In the Hall of Hundred Blessings, Empress Dowager Qi had just returned to her bedchamber after saluting the Buddha in the Buddha Hall.

After the maid purified her hands, she served the prepared vegetarian food and then retreated to the side to tell what she had just heard.

“…Many palace people have seen the Emperor bring a married lady into the Ganlu Hall.”

Empress Dowager Qi startled, “Lady?”

“Yes,” the maid replied in a low voice, “I don’t know exactly who it is, but just by looking at the dress, it should be a lady of a public vassal’s family.”

“Ridiculous!” The Empress Dowager Qi couldn’t help but frown and put the jade chopsticks in her hand down hard, and her face, which was already a bit loose, was drooping, “Does he think he can be so reckless! The previous girls were at least passable, but now even married women are getting their hands on him!”

Even if she was not willing to care about the Emperor playing with women, now she couldn’t stand it anymore. The Emperor’s son was openly entangled with a married woman. It was really a shameful thing.

“You go to the Ganlu Hall and ask him to come to the Hall of Hundred Blessings.” She hastily drank a mouthful of rice soup, and then sat with her eyes closed, plucking the Buddhist beads in her hand.

The servant girl bowed her head in response and hurriedly went towards the Ganlu Hall.

……

Outside the Ganlu Hall, Liu Kang was leading people to guard when they saw the maid of the Hall of the Hundred Blessings come over to stop. “I do not know if the Empress Dowager has a message to pass? The Emperor is inconvenienced at the moment. You might as well tell me. I will convey the message for you in a moment.”

The maid looked at the closed door of the hall, pursed her lips without saying a word, and when the chamberlains were not paying attention, she suddenly rushed forward two steps, directly to a place only two or three feet from the door of the hall.

The ambiguous movement and the gasping sounds of men and women in the hall came faintly, causing even her to blush.

“Maiden!” The chambermaids were not expecting her to be so swift as a single woman, so they came after her and blocked her, “Don’t go any further! These are the Emperor’s chambers. Do not trespass!”

The people in the room seemed to hear the movement but did not stop until the woman cried lowly and begged, and only after another short, high, delicate cry, it suddenly quieted down.

“Liu Kang, what’s going on outside?” The Emperor’s voice was hoarse, and his tone carried a clear tension and displeasure at being disturbed.

“Your Majesty, it’s a maid from the Hall of Hundred Blessings.” Liu Kang was asked and was suddenly sweating, and he was busy running to the door to reply.

The maid could not help but frown. Somehow, she only felt that the voice of the woman in the hall seemed somewhat familiar, but could not recall exactly where she had heard it before.

However, she had no time to think about it now. In an instant she left the already unclear voice behind and took the opportunity to shout, “The Empress Dowager has something to say to His Majesty. Please go to the Hall of Hundred Blessings immediately!

The people in the hall acted as if they did not hear, and gradually the sounds of ambiguous movement came again, but the woman seemed to have covered her mouth, voice muffled and faint.

The people outside looked at each other in confusion until the careless words, “I am busy and too indisposed to go to the Hall of Hundred Blessings. What is the message? Please ask the Empress Dowager to have someone pass it to me.”

“Your Majesty has decreed it. After you.” Having been so instructed, Liu Kang did not have a soft hand, directly and forcefully ushering the maid away.

The maid did not expect such a response, and her face, which was originally red, turned white and left immediately to tell Empress Dowager Qi the whole story.

The Empress Dowager Qi waited for such a long time, but not only did she not successfully invite the person, but she was also spurned, so she could not help but feel angry.

“He has become more and more reckless now! I was negligent. I didn’t expect him to be such a disrespectful son of a concubine.” She took several deep breaths before holding back her overwhelming emotions and said in a cold voice, “Tomorrow morning, have someone deliver a message to the minister.”

……

In Ganlu Hall, a long time passed before the two gradually calmed down and hugged each other in a sweat-stained manner.