Chapter 181 – The Concubine’s Counterattack: The Most Favored Empress – The One Who Holds the Pieces (11)
When Bai Tang woke up, the room was already lit with candlelight.
Through the gap in the window shutters, he could see the twinkling stars scattered across the night sky.
“Matron~” Bai Tang called out to the head matron. “How long have I been asleep?”
His voice was a little hoarse from not drinking water for too long.
He had fainted during the morning greeting. When he first woke up, it was still before lunchtime. Now, upon waking again, the sky was already filled with stars.
He had actually slept that long.
“The Royal Consort slept the whole afternoon. His Majesty went to the Palace of Benevolent Longevity to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Before he left, he instructed us to notify him at once when you woke up.”
Bai Tang nodded.
“It’s only right to greet Mother Empress.”
Bai Tang was genuinely fond of the Empress Dowager, who, despite her insistence on medicine, had a temper like a child and treated him very kindly.
Just as Bai Tang was getting dressed and preparing to have a meal served, Luo Dai unexpectedly arrived at Qiankun Palace—along with the Empress Dowager.
“His Majesty arrives! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives!”
The shrill voice of the young eunuch grated on Bai Tang’s nerves, still sensitive from the mental shock earlier. He frowned slightly.
“This son greets Mother Empress.”
Before Bai Tang could kneel, the Empress Dowager quickly helped him up.
“Tang Tang, you’re not feeling well. No need for these formalities.” She guided him gently to a seat.
“Well? Are you feeling better now?”
“Replying to Mother Empress, I took a nap and now I feel much more refreshed~”
Bai Tang gave her a sweet smile, his eyes crinkling like crescents—it was a lovely sight.
The more the Empress Dowager looked at her daughter-in-law, the more she liked him.
Such a good boy, and he’s wasted on Luo Dai, who only knows how to attend court day after day.
“I heard that even the imperial physicians couldn’t figure out why Tang Tang fainted so suddenly. Is that true?”
She directed the question to Luo Dai.
“Yes,” Luo Dai replied. “The physicians could only suggest it was due to exhaustion.”
At this, the Empress Dowager suddenly slapped the table, making Bai Tang jump in fright.
“M-Mother Empress…”
“Ah, did I scare you, Tang Tang?” the Empress Dowager said. “In my opinion, Tang Tang already suffered enough when he was kept in the Cold Palace. After becoming the Royal Consort, he still has to live in the palace, forced to face those who once wronged him every single day. The person who caused his suffering is now ranked just beneath Tang Tang as the foremost among the Four Consorts. What a glorious title—how could it not be suffocating? And if he’s feeling suffocated, how could he possibly feel at ease? Why not come with me to the royal villa for a few days to relax and clear your mind? That should help.”
The Empress Dowager had entirely forgotten that Ma Aoshan had once been her favorite. But no matter how much she liked her before, after having Tang Tang around every day—sharing morning greetings, staying close—their bond naturally grew stronger.
Besides, she had recently heard that Ma Aoshan was secretly communicating with court officials. Her ambition was not just to undermine Luo Dai’s rule—she wanted to become empress herself.
A woman like that must not be allowed to remain.
“Mother Empress, I think the palace is fine…”
“Fine? What’s fine about it? The air is thick with resentment. It’s enough to make my dear Tang Tang fall ill!”
The Empress Dowager glared at Luo Dai. “Well? Aren’t you going to say something now?”
Luo Dai finally spoke, calmly and smoothly siding with the Empress Dowager: “I think what Mother says makes sense. It’s summer, and the lotuses at the royal villa are in full bloom. Tang Tang can go with Mother Empress for a few days to unwind and clear his thoughts.”
“A Dai~” Bai Tang looked confused. “Is the royal villa really that amazing? Can it cure illnesses? Why do you both want me to go there?”
“Tang Tang,” Luo Dai sat beside him, gently caressing his cheek, “That villa is a royal site blessed by the heavens. The Astronomical Bureau calculated its perfect feng shui. There’s a hot spring there—many members of the Luo clan over the generations have gone to stay there for a few days. After soaking in the spring, their spirits lifted, serious illnesses turned minor, and minor illnesses disappeared entirely. You don’t want me to worry about you, right? So—do you want to drink bitter medicine, or enjoy a soak in the hot spring, hmm?”
“R-Really? That amazing?”
Bai Tang, ever a little gullible, was quickly convinced by Luo Dai’s obviously exaggerated story. “Then… I’ll go stay for a few days. Just a few days, okay~”
He held up his fingers to indicate “just a little bit.”
The medicine was far too bitter—going with Mother Empress to see the lotuses sounded much better, even if it meant not seeing A Dai for a few days.
“Just a few days,” Luo Dai said gently. “The royal villa isn’t far from the palace. If I’m free, I’ll come visit you and Mother Empress.”
“Alright~”
Luo Dai had never once broken a promise to him. Bai Tang trusted him completely.
Well… except that weird dream from earlier—but that was clearly Xiao A’s fault.
“Then I want to bring Qiu’er too,” Bai Tang said, pointing at the husky under the table, who was struggling to lick the jade pendant hanging around its neck.
“Alright, bring the little dog too,” Luo Dai said, glancing at the chubby dog who still had no idea what was happening.
For Tang Tang’s safety, he thought, I’ll let you have him for a few days.
“Good.” The Empress Dowager clasped her hands. “Then it’s settled. I haven’t been to the villa in years. We’ll depart tomorrow. I wonder, with no one visiting in so long, have the servants properly tended to the lotus pond…”
After the Empress Dowager left, the husky was also taken away by the palace attendants.
The now-quiet Qiankun Palace fell into silence. Bai Tang sat with his head lowered, lost in thought.
Luo Dai removed his outer robe and stepped forward to embrace the silent boy.
“Tang Tang, why aren’t you saying anything?”
His deep, soothing voice was close to Bai Tang’s ear. The warmth of his breath made Bai Tang’s ears tingle, but he still refused to lift his head.
Luo Dai held Bai Tang’s cool hands.
“It was you~” Bai Tang’s soft, childlike voice was full of accusation.
“Why did you send me away? You promised you wouldn’t lie to me. Tell me the truth.”
Only silence answered him.
Bai Tang waited a long time, then, with a trembling voice on the verge of tears, said, “You said you wouldn’t leave me behind again… Then why won’t you let me stay in the palace?”
“Sigh~” Luo Dai let out a long breath and gently turned the boy to face him.
“My Tang Tang is just too smart. I really can’t hide anything from you.”
He gave Bai Tang’s nose a playful pinch.
“The former court is getting more and more aggressive. Ma Aoshan is likely about to make her move. You and Mother Empress are the people I care about the most. Go hide in the royal villa for a while. Trust me—this will all be over soon.”
Hearing that, Bai Tang immediately realized that Luo Dai intended to face the looming chaos alone. He couldn’t accept it.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he cried out, “You can send Mother Empress to the villa, but I’m not going. I want to stay with you.”
Bai Tang clung tightly to Luo Dai, refusing to let go. After learning the truth, he was determined not to leave the palace no matter what was said.
“Sigh~” Luo Dai sighed softly, saying nothing. Only his kisses conveyed what he felt—his heart, his love.
Tang Tang, do you think I really want you to leave me…?
Inside the palace, red bedcovers rippled with passion; outside, the cicadas sang through the night.
Bai Tang had been thoroughly exhausted. When it came time to depart for the royal villa, he still couldn’t get out of bed. In the end, Luo Dai personally carried him onto the carriage.
As the caravan of carriages rumbled toward the villa, the news spread through the palace like wildfire—Bai Tang, gravely ill, had been sent away to the royal villa to recuperate.
Ganquan Palace.
Ma Aoshan gripped the fresh flowers she’d just placed in a vase, sneering coldly.
“You think going to the villa means you’ll escape? Just wait, I’ll deal with you later.”
Ma Aoshan was prideful. Every time Bai Tang made her lose face or become the target of mockery, she remembered it all clearly.
But right now, Bai Tang wasn’t the priority—the emperor was.
Luo Dai, oh Luo Dai. I gave you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it. So don’t come begging later.
Even after sending Bai Tang away, Luo Dai felt no relief. Though the people accompanying Bai Tang and the Empress Dowager were his most trusted, with hidden guards also in place, the real threat loomed large—Ma Aoshan had been in contact with the late emperor’s younger brother, Prince Zhuang, who had once been banished to guard the imperial tomb for rebellion.
Many ministers from the previous dynasty were former students or followers of Prince Zhuang. Everyone thought they were loyal to the throne, but loyal to which throne? If the emperor were replaced by Prince Zhuang, it would still be “loyalty.”
Luo Dai furrowed his brow, holding an imperial memorial he couldn’t bring himself to read.
Suddenly, a pair of hands reached from behind and gently massaged his temples.
But the headache refused to ease.
“Tang Tang, your massage skills have really declined…” Luo Dai said with a smile—until he looked up and saw who it was. His smile vanished immediately.
“It’s you? Did I permit you to enter? Who said you could barge into the imperial study?”
Ma Aoshan didn’t kneel or beg like she once would have. Instead, with graceful fingers, she took the memorial from Luo Dai’s hands, read it, and let out a soft laugh.
“Is this what’s troubling Your Majesty? I happen to have a clever solution. Would Your Majesty be willing to hear a word from me?”
Her flirtatious gaze shimmered as she leaned her body weight gently against Luo Dai.
Luo Dai seemed bewitched, lifting Ma Aoshan’s chin with a smirk.
“What brilliant insight does my beloved consort have?”
“Naturally…” Ma Aoshan leaned in close to Luo Dai’s ear and whispered, “I would be more than happy to help relieve Your Majesty’s worries.”
Out of Luo Dai’s sight, a smug smile crept across Ma Aoshan’s face.
Soon, the imperial study echoed with the urgent gasps of a woman.
Luo Dai stood in the center of the room, watching Ma Aoshan indulge herself on the imperial desk with complete disregard for him. A wave of nausea suddenly rose within him.
He turned and strode out of the study. Xiao Fangzi quickly followed, hesitating as he said, “Your Majesty, inside… Consort Ma, she…”
Luo Dai’s eyes turned cold as ice, devoid of all emotion.
“Just a clown who doesn’t know her place.”
To think she tried to seduce him using the most basic charm techniques of the Gulan Tribe—laughable. Who gave her such delusions of grandeur?
What a pity. Luo Dai’s own mother was of Gulan descent. She had passed away when he was ten, but not before teaching him everything he needed to know. What Ma Aoshan had just begun to dabble in, he had long since mastered. In front of him, she was truly out of her depth.
“Issue a decree,” Luo Dai said coldly. “With the Empress absent from the palace, all inner court affairs will be handled by Noble Consort Ma. Once that woman sobers up, deliver the Phoenix Seal to her.”
Just as he turned to leave, he paused.
“Do not let a single word of palace news reach the royal villa. If anyone leaks anything—bring me their head.”
Knowing Tang Tang’s personality, even if it was just a staged performance, he’d storm back to the palace in a fury if he found out.
The imperial edict spread quickly through the inner palace—far more shocking than the news of Bai Tang’s departure.
The other consorts were stunned.
What is going on? Is Ma Aoshan really making a comeback? How is that possible?
They had mocked her plenty before—how could they possibly survive under her rule now?
One by one, their faces darkened as they each retreated to their own quarters, deep in thought.
When Ma Aoshan woke up, she found herself lying completely naked on the desk in the imperial study. The pain across her body and the bloodstains on the white paper all bore witness to the intensity of what had just occurred.
But… where was Luo Dai?
She lifted her head and looked around—the emperor was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, an old matron entered the study with a group of palace maids. They served Ma Aoshan with the utmost respect, their voices filled with both flattery and fear as they informed her of Luo Dai’s latest decree.
Ma Aoshan was overjoyed. Looking at the palace staff bowing their heads low before her, she felt as if she had returned to the days when she was favored by the Empress Dowager and envied by all.
Smugly, she spread out her arms and allowed the maids to assist her, wrapping her up and escorting her to be bathed.
Her good days, she believed, were just beginning.
Little did she know, while she fancied herself the one in control, the true player of the game had already laid out every step of her path.
Author’s Note:
Double purity! Double purity! Double purity!
Tang Tang belongs to the male lead, and the male lead belongs to Tang Tang.
Ma Aoshan is just deluding herself. It has nothing to do with the male lead.
I’ve realized I’m really not that good at writing palace intrigue. Coming up with schemes is making me lose hair. I had a fever a few days ago and only just recovered yesterday. Let me whine to you all for a bit~ Ying ying ying~