Lei Xing happily returned his kiss, her scolding was honestly more out of shock than anything. She could not believe that he had actually done this, it was...everything right now and she wanted to do something. The impulse, or competitive streak to also give her own grand gesture,?was so strong that she broke the kiss and smilingly went, "Ah, there's something else I need to correct you on..."

The Emperor raised an amused eyebrow and smilingly asked, "And that is?" Happy to be corrected by her.

Lei Xing lowered her head and cleared her throat as her face reddened and fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating.

{...I mean...It doesn't get much grander than this, does it?... He deserves it, clearly - I still can't believe he did this! Crazy person >_

The Emperor snorted and pulled at one of her crimson ears, "What is it?" She was being so fidgety, it was adorable but really not like her.

Lei Xing slapped his hand away and covered her ears with her hands as she sent him a glare and then her gaze softened.

{...He's really cute too~ (>//?//

Lei Xing dropped her hands and took a deep breath, looked at him steadily, and opened to speak but then an eunuch suddenly scurried into the hall and halted her speech and her words went back down her throat.

The Emperor knit his brows, irritated with the interruption. The eunuch quickly stopped at the bottom of steps, bowed, and held out a folded piece of paper - a letter and informed, "Your majesty, an urgent message from General An..."

The Emperor frowned and promptly waved for the eunuch up to bring the letter up. The Emperor opened the letter and his frown deepened as he quickly scanned its contents. He closed it and let out a breath, he turned to the eunuch and then ordered, "Leave..."

The eunuch promptly bowed and raced out the door. Lei Xing knit her brows and then asked, "Did something happen?"

The Emperor sighed and said, "Just a little trouble at the border... What did you want to say?" He asked turning to her with a little smile, that was somewhat forced. The carefree happy mood was gone.

Lei Xing blinked at him and then smiled back, "It's nothing... What's happening at the border?" She asked with concern.

{...I can wait...No rush. It's not like we have to go about the baby-making process right this moment - Not that I was thinking about that, just saying...no rush (??ω??)...}

The Emperor looked at the letter and informed, "The Zou eldest Prince, Prince Houyi is apparently at the border wanting to welcome his brother home...he's trouble." He finished with a sigh.

{...This could be troublesome...}

***

Meanwhile, in the Empress dowager's palace.

The Empress dowager finally opened her eyes and just laid there staring at the canopy for a long while in utter disbelief. She had a dreamless sleep, a peaceful sleep. It had been so long that she was actually awe-stricken by the notion of peaceful sleep.

It had truly been too long.

"Your majesty, you're awake!" Ling mama suddenly exclaimed interrupting the Empress dowager's quiet time. She had walked over from her spot in the corner to do the regular hourly check-ups on the Empress dowager to ensure she was not hurting herself again. When she came over to see the Empress dowager's eyes wide open, she almost jumped out of her skin in shock.

The Empress dowager immediately frowned at her and Ling mama immediately froze in fear, but the Empress dowager simply let out a breath and went, "Why are you being so noisy in the morning?"

Ling mama blinked at her and then bowed, "I apologize, Your majesty... It's because I've been so worried about your health... How are you feeling? Should I send for a physician?"

"I am fine..." The Empress dowager swiftly responded, irritated with all those annoying useless old men that call themselves physiciancs. She simply stretched out a hand for Ling mama to help her sit up and Ling mama quickly went over to help her. After sitting up, the Empress dowager frowned and went, "What is the time? I'm not yet late for the ceremony, am I?"

{...I'd rather not go....But then that heartless ungrateful son would make it an issue. He b-...}

"Ceremony?" Ling mama went knitting her brows, "What ceremony, Your majesty?"

"The stupid coronation of that ungrateful child!" The Empress dowager irritatedly said, annoyed to even say the words.

Ling mama frowned and tentatively asked, "Your majesty...The ceremony was yesterday -"

"Yesterday?" The Empress dowager repeated blinking up at Ling mama, who nodded in confirmation as she asked, "Your majesty....you don't remember?"

The Empress dowager frowned in thought as she rubbed her temple, trying to recall. She remembered going to the ceremony and even the Emperor and Lei Xing drinking the wine but then everything after that was a blank.

"Your majesty...should I send for an Imperial physician?" Ling mama tentatively asked as she skeptically observed the Empress dowager.

Before the Empress dowager could respond, the doors opened and Song mama came running in and then exclaimed, "Thank heavens, you're awake your majesty...Leave us." She dismissively said to Ling mama as she quickly walked over to the Empress dowager.

Ling mama knit her brows, annoyed at being ordered around by another maid but she disgruntedly bowed to the Empress dowager and then left the room. Song mama promptly bowed to the Empress dowager and asked, "Your majesty, how are you feeling?"

"What happened?" The Empress dowager asked with a frown as she looked over Song mama's rattled state. Her memory loss could be dealt with later, she could tell there was something very wrong from Song mama's expression.

Song mama knit her brows and then hesitantly went, "The Emperor...The Emperor announced that he is going to clear out the harem -"

"Going to what?!" The Empress dowager exclaimed with a disbelieving frown.

Song mama gulped and slightly moved backward worried about the Empress dowager's outburst, "According to what I heard...he wants only the Empress, so he is sending the others away...to live outside the palace."

The Empress dowager scoffed and rolled her eyes, "What do I care what he does with those fools? If he wants, he can kill all of them for all I ca - Wait! What about that Zhao brat?!" the Empress dowager suddenly asked, her frown returning.

"She..." Song mama hesitated again, "...She will be...leaving too..." She warily informed. As soon as she heard the news, she knew the Empress dowager would be angry about this and raced here to inform her.

"NO! What is the meaning of this nonsense? Why does he keep getting in my way?!"?The Empress dowager barked, swiftly rising to her feet, "Tell that stupid son of mine to come here right now!"

Song mama knit her brows and then quietly said, "Your majesty, he has already given the order, and...the Emperor might not come -

"Then I'll go to him! Ready my clothes!" The Empress dowager barked, turning her glare on Song mama, who shrunk back and then tentatively reminded, "Your majesty, the doors...are still - How about I send for Eunuch Li instead?" Song mama said, attempting to calm the Empress dowager down.

The Empress dowager stopped and then took a deep breath and sat back down on her bed, "Forget it. Just kill her now...There is no way I am letting that Zhao brat leave this palace alive."

Song mama blinked and then hesitantly, "Your majesty, if she just dies just like...it will suspicious an-"

"Why should I care?!" The Empress dowager barked in anger, her good mood was now completely ruined by this nonsense. She did not understand why this son of hers always seemed to be against her.

{...What was the point of giving birth to him if he was to be nothing but a hindrance to me?!...}

Song mama furrowed her brows and timidly said, "Your majesty, I know you're upset...but if the Emperor finds out...the monk..."

The Empress dowager froze, remembering that she still needed the Emperor to handle Monk Du's issue. He had already threatened to stop his search and all her visits if just because she did not want to attend this coronation ceremony. What's more, if he discovered she actually killed that useless girl.

{...Is that brat worth losing my sanity?...}

Even if she slept peacefully last night, she knew it was only temporary, she still needed to find the Voice and that Monk Du was the way. After a long while of the Empress dowager just sitting there, Song mama finally called, "Your majesty?"

The Empress dowager let out a breath, "Fine. Forget it for now... Get out. I'm going to sleep." She ordered, lying on the bed and turning her back to Song mama.

{... A time will come when I will end all of them...Every single last one who had ever stepped on me will bow and then die...And that stupid monk who has reduced me to a pleading fool better be sure to make himself useful or I shall give him the worst death!...}

Those were plans for later, for now, the Empress dowager closed her eyes and hoped another dreamless peaceful slumber, hoping it would get rid of the bad taste that her son always seemed to bring to her mouth. She scoffed, "Only the Empress...We'll see how long that'll last..."

Song mama knew those words were not meant for her, she silently let out a sigh of relief and promptly bowed and left. She had thought of not informing the Empress dowager of this new development, knowing it would only aggravate her. But then the Empress dowager was bound to eventually find out and Song mama did not want the Empress dowager finding out from someone else, namely Ling mama who obviously did not like her and would love to drag her down before the Empress dowager's eyes.

Song mama sighed, she did not want to give anyone ammunition to drive a wedge between her and the Empress dowager. Their relationship was already currently strained and she definitely did not want to bring the Empress dowager's wrath upon herself again.