Beloved Empress-Chapter 72

Everyone bows to greet him, "Greeting, Your Majesty."

Jun Qian Che sits on the main seat. He waves them off, "All of you may get up. What is going on, what are the empress and General Mo doing here in Gui Ning Palace?"

Now that Jun Qian Che is here, Yang Shi Han changes approach and sheds tears pitifully, "Your Majesty, the empress and General Mo are bullying chenqie."

Mo Qi Qi is utterly dumbfounded when she hears that, "What a pity you are not an actress, Yang Shi Han! You were the one who was making things hard for us, now you are saying that we are the one bullying you?"

"Just listen to her, Your Majesty. Chenqie is just a weak woman, how can chenqie bully both the empress and General Mo? You must give chenqie justice, Your Majesty," Yang Shi Han's pitiful look sure can move the hardest heart.

Mo Qi Qi is having a hard time reining in her emotions. She points at Yang Shi Han accusingly, "Yang Shi Han, don't think that I wouldn't dare to punish you just because you are Jun Qian Che's beloved consort! I will teach you a lesson today, so that you'd only speak the truth from now on!"

She rushes towards Yang Shi Han, only to be stopped by her brother. "Cease your anger, Your Ladyship."

"Do not stop me, Ge. Yang Guifei is too despicable!"

Jun Qian Che icily opens his mouth, "That is enough, empress. Do you not see zhen in here?"

Mo Qi Qi momentarily calms down as she earnestly addresses Jun Qian Che, "Please cease your anger, Your Majesty. Chenqie simply lost control after hearing Yang Guifei's lies."

"The empress hates it when people lie as well?" Jun Qian Che calmly asks, though one can somehow sense the slight accusation underneath his voice.

Mo Qi Qi does not think too much of it and quickly says, "Of course! Who likes it when they are being lied to? Your Majesty, chenqie knows that you favors Yang Guifei, but please investigate this matter properly. Yang Guifei was the one who started it, yet she went around accusing everyone else."

Jun Qian Che turns to Yang Shi Han, "What is going on?"

Yang Shi Han tells him everything from the beginning till the end.

After hearing Yang Shi Han's explanation, Jun Qian Che turns to Mo Cheng Xuan, "Is Yang Guifei telling the truth, Official Mo?"

Mo Cheng Xuan respectfully replies him, "Her Ladyship was telling the truth. Please punish this official, Your Majesty."

Mo Qi Qi immediately helps Mo Cheng Xuan up, "Your Majesty, chenqie does not believe what my brother said. The fact that he rejected Yang Guifei's soup signifies his loyalty to you. If he had drank it, he would be branded as a preposterous official. Even Yang Guifei's name would be dragged through the mud along with his. One is a consort and the other is an official, just how inappropriate would it be if he drank the soup she made in the middle of the back palace. As for my brother rushing into Yang Guifei's private chamber, it was not his even his fault. Yang Guifei screamed for her life over a little cockroach, did the cockroach threatened to take her life? It is one's natural instinct to assume that Yang Guifei's life is in danger the moment she screamed for her life, my brother is a military general, it is his instinct to protect the weak. Besides, Yang Guifei wasn't completely bare, then. What is the problem?"

"You—- Did you hear the empress, Your Majesty? Is she implying that she wants her brother to see chenqie completely naked?" Yang Shi Han looks at Jun Qian Che in grievance.

"Your Ladyship, that was not what the empress means," Mo Cheng Xuan tries to back his sister.

Mo Qi Qi is unruffled, "Hmph, even if you were completely naked, my brother still wouldn't be willing to look at you! My brother is so perfect, there are so many girls wanting to be with him. As for you? Hmph. You are not worthy of him! Who do you think you are, a young maiden?" The one man that suits you is Jun Qian Che, that trash.

"You— You—-"' Yang Shi Han is so angry that she does not know what to say.

Jun Qian Che unhappily reprimands her, "Mind your bearing, empress. Do not speak nonsense."

"Chenqie was not speaking nonsense, Your Majesty! You are too biased towards Yang Guifei! You scolded me for wearing a dancing dress, saying that it was too revealing, but look at what Yang Guifei is wearing! The material is so thin! You can clearly see her shoulders, the opening of the collar is too big as well, pretty much the top part of her chest is being flaunted. Maybe, she was trying to seduce my brother, but my brother's mental strength was too strong, so she could only resort to this method. There are so many beautiful women near my brother, why would he look at her?"

"You- You- You—" Yang Shi Han is so angry that her face turns red.

Jun Qian Che glares at Mo Qi Qi.

Mo Qi Qi clicks her tongue.

Yang Shi Han turns to Jun Qian Che coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you must give chenqie justice! The empress is mocking chenqie in that manner! General Mo acts upright in front of others, but the truth is he tried to molest chenqie earlier on!"

Mo Cheng Xuan is shocked, "You must not slander this General, Your Ladyship! When did this General tried to molest you?"

"You did! Had Qing Er not rushed in as fast as she could, who knows what you would have done to bengong!" Yang Shi Han sends Qing Er a look.

Qing Er backs her mistress up, "Answering Your Majesty, this servant heard Guifei Niang Niang screaming for help and had rushed in. This servant saw General Mo inside Her Ladyship's chamber, standing very close to her. It was clear that his intention was not good."

Mo Qi Qi snaps angrily, "Stop slandering innocent people, Yang Shi Han! If my brother had tried to molest you, why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I was trying to protect my reputation, earlier. I didn't want others to talk about me behind my back. But now, I have made up my mind. I don't care what people want to say, I will tell it like it is! I must not let him harm other people in the future," Yang Shi Han puts on an aggrieved look.

Mo Cheng Xuan sneers coldly, "Who would have thought that you are this kind of person, Yang Guifei."

"How dare you speak like that towards bengong, Mo Cheng Xuan? To be hearing that from the mouth of the offender…." Yang Shi Han reprimands him before sending a provocative look towards Mo Qi Qi.

Mo Qi Qi clenches her fists angrily, "Yang Guifei speaks without any basis. Relying on your personal maid as the witness is too far-fetched. Please do not listen to only one side, Your Majesty!"

Yang Shi Han quickly grabs Jun Qian Che's arm and coquettishly says, "Your Majesty, chenqie is telling the truth."

Jun Qian Che inconspicuously takes his arm away from her before looking at her coldly, "Zhen can differentiate between the truth and whatnot. This matter is done here, the empress and General Mo can leave."

Yang Shi Han looks at him in dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty, General Mo was preposterous towards chenqie, are you really letting him go?"

Mo Qi Qi gives Yang Shi Han a big eyeroll before curtsying in front of Jun Qian Che, "Your Majesty is wise and fair. Chenqie would like to retreat first. Ge, let's go."

Mo Cheng Xuan cups his fists respectfully, "This general shall retreat first."

Once Mo Qi Qi and Mo Cheng Xuan leaves, Yang Shi Han unhappily turns towards Jun Qian Che, "Why did you let them go, Your Majesty?"

Jun Qian Che looks at her icily, "What else is there to do; kill Mo Cheng Xuan?"

"Chenqie wasn't asking you to kill him. Just punish him a little, to lighten Mo Clan's power. Haven't you always wanted to root out Mo Clan?" Yang Shi Han mumbles under her breath.

"Of course zhen wants to root out Mo Clan, but not using these petty methods. Your petty little trick is useless when it comes to zhen'sbigger plan. It doesn't do you any help, either. If you want a man's heart, you shouldn't make him remember you in a way that makes him loathe you. Do not use this kind of methods again. You will only lower yourself. You will only make Mo Cheng Xuan hate you even more."

Yang Shi Han nods, "Yes, I understand."

Mo Qi Qi and Mo Cheng Xuan make their way back to Feng Yang Palace.

She is still furious with what has happened, "Yang Shi Han is too despicable. She actually used this kind of method to harm you. How hateful!"

Mo Cheng Xuan simply smiles.

Mo Qi Qi looks at him curiously, "What are you smiling at, ge? You almost got harmed to death by Yang Shi Han!"

"It was not that serious. I am smiling because I am happy for you. You have changed, Qi Qi. You have become a lot calmer, you are no longer impulsive as you used to be. You have learned to rein in your anger. I have been worried about you ever since you entered the palace. I was afraid that you would be too impulsive to control your temper and offends everyone you see, especially the emperor. Now that I know that is not the case, I am relieved."

Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi laughs, "Ge, I shouldn't have let you worry over me like that, in the past. That was not right on my part. Don't worry, I will protect myself well, from now on. You don't have to worry about me, anymore. Ge, are you really not angry over what had happened today?"

Mo Cheng Xuan smiles elegantly, "Not really. Yang Guifei is not really evil, she was just pampered while growing, she is used to having things her way. She wants to be on top of everyone else. Now that you are the empress and she has to settle with being below you, it does not sit well with her. She wants to figure out ways to anger you. If you are angry, that means that you have taken her bait." Honestly, Yang Shi Han's personality is like the past Qi Qi. Seeing her reminds him of the younger version of his sister.

"Hmph, Yang Shi Han is too deceitful. Ge, you are the Great General Mo, it is impossible for you not to see what she was playing at, why did you deliberately play along? You seem to be purposely yielding to her," Mo Qi Qi turns to him curiously.

Mo Cheng Xuan simply smiles, "Mo Clan and Yang Clan have always been at odds with each other. It is natural for her to be hostile towards me. Although I knew she was going for something, I knew it was merely womanly wiles, I didn't want to make things worse for the two clans." The truth is, she always seem so familiar to him. But he cannot remember how. When he heard her calling for help, he disregarded logic and rushed in to save her. He was genuinely worried about her safety; in fact, that incident was the first blunder that he has ever committed.

Mo Qi Qi shakes her head while smiling, "Ge, this is the first time I am seeing such a generous man. She did so much to you and you still speak about her so indifferently. Still, you are right. It is a waste to even invest anger towards someone like Yang Shi Han."

"Not angry anymore?" Mo Cheng Xuan looks at his sister.

Mo Qi Qi smiles happily, "With such a generous brother next to me, how can I be angry? It will make me look petty! Ge, you are too perfect. Whoever ends up marrying you will be the luckiest woman in the world. Do you have someone that you like, ge?"

Mo Cheng Xuan smiles, "No need to worry about your brother's marriage."

"Ge, I don't care what sort of woman you bring back home as long as she is not like Yang Shi Han. Too despicable," Mo Qi Qi harrumphs angrily.

Mo Cheng Xuan smiles at her.