Chapter 135.

Hearing of the Empress Dowager's sudden summons, Xue Shu couldn't help but be slightly surprised. What business could the Empress Dowager possibly have with him?

The palace maid delivering the message, however, wore an expression of icy detachment. Clearly, prying any further information out of her would be futile. With no intention of wasting his time, Xue Shu finished delegating his current tasks and made his way toward Renshou Palace.

It was midday when he arrived, and the Empress Dowager was resting in Lezhi Pavilion.

Xue Shu was led to the outer chamber by the palace maid but wasn’t invited inside. Instead, the maid offered a polite yet distant smile and said, “Overseer Xue, please wait here while I announce your arrival.”

Moments later, she reappeared, her face tinged with faint apology. “The Empress Dowager has not yet awakened from her nap. I must trouble you to wait a little longer.”

With that, she disappeared again behind the screen, leaving Xue Shu alone in the hall. The other attendants had also been dismissed, leaving the space eerily silent save for his presence.

The maid's excuse was an obvious pretext. It was clear the Empress Dowager was dissatisfied with him and intended to teach him a lesson by making him wait.

But why?

What had provoked her displeasure?

Standing calmly in the hall with his hands tucked into his sleeves, Xue Shu meticulously eliminated all possibilities until only one conclusion remained: the Empress Dowager had caught wind of his relationship with the Emperor.

Since Emperor Yin Chengyu’s ascension and move to the Yangxin Palace, Xue Shu had become a frequent guest, even spending the night on occasion. Though the palace servants were careful to keep their mouths shut, the Empress Dowager’s network was not easily deceived. She likely had her suspicions, and this sudden summons was undoubtedly connected to them.

As his gaze swept across the outer chamber, it landed on a wide, intricately painted folding screen not far away. The screen, while large enough to divide the inner and outer chambers, was thin enough to allow shadows to faintly bleed through under the daylight.

Understanding dawned on Xue Shu. His lips curved into the faintest of smiles before he lowered his gaze, assuming an obedient posture and waiting for the inevitable summons.

Behind the screen, Empress Dowager Yu was indeed observing him closely.

She had long been familiar with Xue Shu’s name. A trusted confidant of the Emperor, he had not only saved the Emperor’s life on multiple occasions but also played a decisive role in quelling the recent palace upheavals.

This was a man of value—capable, loyal to the Emperor, and undeniably favored by him. Within the imperial court, Xue Shu’s authority was vast, overseeing the Eastern and Western Bureaus as well as the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Save for the Ceremonial Directorate under Zheng Duobao, the inner court was effectively under his control.

Were it not for his status as a eunuch, he would undoubtedly be counted among the empire’s most powerful ministers.

Such an influential figure demanded both caution and cooperation. Yet no matter how she looked at it, the Emperor’s closeness with him was wholly inappropriate, blurring boundaries that should never be crossed.

Even she, an outsider to palace intrigue, understood the risks.

With a sigh, the Empress Dowager decided to put an end to her silent test. “Xue Shu, you may enter,” she called out.

Hearing her voice, Xue Shu moved gracefully around the screen and entered the inner chamber.

He kept his eyes lowered, his demeanor deferential and composed. “This servant humbly awaits Your Majesty’s instruction.”

The Empress Dowager reclined on a Luohan couch and gestured him closer. “Step forward. Let me have a look at you.”

Obediently, Xue Shu stepped closer and raised his head.

The Empress Dowager’s sharp gaze swept over him, taking in his form. Clad in a rich crimson robe adorned with golden embroidery and wearing a six-pearl official cap, Xue Shu cut a striking figure. His tall, lean frame radiated strength rather than frailty, and he lacked the effeminate air commonly associated with eunuchs.

His features were undeniably handsome, but his fierce, piercing eyes exuded an almost palpable intensity—a man not easily subdued.

Unlike the delicate, servile eunuchs who relied on their looks to curry favor, Xue Shu stood apart.

From the moment he entered Lezhi Pavilion, his every move had been calm, measured, and assured. His composure revealed a resolute nature that even she, with her years of experience, couldn’t easily unravel.

A person like this could never be the sort of short-sighted individual who seduces their master merely to climb the social ladder.

But this only left Empress Dowager Yu even more perplexed. If it wasn’t Xue Shu’s deliberate intention to entice, then the only plausible explanation was that the Emperor himself was smitten.

——— TN: ROFL!

Her gaze swept over Xue Shu, up and down, scrutinizing him sharply. Xue Shu was, after all, a good half a head taller than the Emperor. Was it truly possible the Emperor fancied someone like this?

The more Empress Dowager Yu pondered, the more her head throbbed, her thoughts tangling into an unsolvable knot, a chaotic mess that resisted clarity.

Yet, this was a matter of her son’s bedroom. As a mother, she couldn’t very well probe too directly, no matter how much the situation grated on her nerves. Frustrated, she dismissed Xue Shu with a wave, letting her irritation simmer unspoken.

Had Xue Shu been scheming to seduce the Emperor, she might have had grounds to punish him. But since it was the Emperor’s own liking at play, any chastisement of Xue Shu would ultimately be meaningless.

From the moment Xue Shu was summoned to Lezhi Pavilion to the moment he was sent away in puzzling haste, barely two moments had passed.

Surprisingly, Empress Dowager Yu didn’t display the rage Xue Shu had anticipated.

This was a far better outcome than he had dared to hope for. The tension in his body eased slightly, and his steps grew lighter as he exited.

Had the Empress Dowager confronted him today, he wouldn’t have known how to handle it. After all, Empress Dowager Yu was unlike anyone else—he could stand and endure a verbal lashing, but if her temper truly flared, he’d likely be left to swallow the bitter consequences himself.

As he left Lezhi Pavilion, he paused momentarily, hesitating, but ultimately decided not to seek out Yin Chengyu.

*

Three days had already passed before Yin Chengyu learned of the Empress Dowager’s secret meeting with Xue Shu.

The truth only came to light when Empress Dowager Yu unexpectedly fell gravely ill. Yin Chengyu, hearing the news, rushed to visit her. It was from the attendant maids that he pieced together the story: after meeting with Xue Shu, the Empress Dowager had become deeply troubled. Burdened by excessive worry, her mind gave way to overthinking, allowing illness to take root.

Her anxieties were twofold: on one hand, she feared that the overly intimate relationship between Yin Chengyu and Xue Shu might provoke public censure and sow seeds of future disaster. On the other, as a mother, she felt reluctant to meddle in her eldest son's personal affairs, especially after seeing how he had remained devoid of companionship for years while shouldering the weight of the empire.

Now that someone had finally captured his heart, why should she, his mother, interfere?

This endless spiral of conflicting thoughts robbed her of sleep, leaving her physically and mentally drained.

When Yin Chengyu learned this, guilt crept in.

His initial intent in subtly revealing his affections for Xue Shu through Zheng Duobao had been to prepare the Empress Dowager mentally, paving the way for future decisions. He hadn’t anticipated that she, upon discovering the truth, would so thoroughly concern herself with his well-being—at the cost of her own health.

Sitting beside her bed, Yin Chengyu tucked the silk quilt more snugly around his ailing mother. In a rare show of vulnerability, he admitted, “I should have explained everything to you earlier.”

He glanced around the room, dismissing everyone but Xue Shu with a wave of his hand. Fixing his gaze on the Empress Dowager, he said firmly, “Mother, if you have questions, ask them now.”

The Empress Dowager’s eyes flicked between Yin Chengyu and Xue Shu. Finally, she sighed. “If you truly care for him, I won’t stand in your way. But remember, you are the emperor. Your responsibilities to the empire outweigh your personal desires.”

Her voice turned cautious, her advice laden with the wisdom of a mother and a sovereign: “If word of this spreads, it will invite reproach. However, should you ensure a thriving imperial lineage, these criticisms will diminish into insignificance.”

The continuation of the dynasty was paramount. A flourishing harem and abundant heirs were not merely personal choices—they were imperial duties. An emperor blessed with offspring could indulge his preferences without scrutiny.

The Empress Dowager had clearly deliberated over this matter at length. Every word she spoke came from a place of love and profound understanding, carefully calculated to shield her son from potential pitfalls.

For Xue Shu, however, her reasoning was a double-edged sword. He remained in the shadows, his face a blank canvas concealing turbulent emotions. Beneath his sleeve, his hand clenched into a fist, trembling with suppressed indignation and helplessness.

Only by mustering every ounce of composure could he restrain the raging storm within, standing silently as he awaited an answer he dared not hope for.

Yin Chengyu’s peripheral vision caught the tension in Xue Shu’s frame. Turning back to his mother, he gently clasped her hand and spoke with earnest conviction. “Mother, your concerns are valid. But every action I take is the result of careful thought. Since my youth, I have witnessed the undercurrents of the imperial harem—the schemes and struggles for favor. As Empress, you endured humiliation, overshadowed by Noble Consort Wen, while my brothers tore each other apart for the throne. It was then I resolved that if I ever ascended to the throne, I would forgo a harem and marry only one Empress.”

Seeing the Empress Dowager about to interject, he tightened his grip, his tone firm yet tender. “But those were plans of the past.”

He turned his head toward Xue Shu, his voice softening. “What you may not understand, Mother, is what Xue Shu and I have endured together.” His choice of words shifted, abandoning the formalities of an emperor for the familiarity of a son. “He has risked his life for me countless times, standing by me with unwavering loyalty. No one else in this world has ever given me such devotion. I simply cannot bring myself to betray such a pure heart.”

The sincerity of his words struck a chord. The Empress Dowager, though deeply familiar with her son, was surprised by this candid outpouring. Yin Chengyu had always been a picture of composure and restraint—an ideal heir, an impeccable emperor. But perfection often felt distant, untouchable. This was the first time she glimpsed the vulnerable man behind the crown.

Xue Shu's demeanor toward him was no fleeting whim but a calculated and intentional act, born from the foundation of their shared alliance and unwavering mutual support.

She faltered. “But the throne… It must have an heir.”

“There’s Yue’er,” Yin Chengyu replied evenly.

Her breath caught. The possibility had never occurred to her. “Yue’er is so young. How could he bear such a burden? And if… if he doesn’t prove capable…”

“There is plenty of time.” Yin Chengyu’s hand covered hers, his tone steady and reassuring. “I had no intention of raising this matter so soon. But I’ve already arranged for Grandfather to oversee Yue’er’s education. When he matures and earns the ministers’ trust, it will not be too late to announce my plans.”

His words revealed a foresight and determination that left no room for doubt. He had long considered this path, and every step was meticulously planned.

The Empress Dowager, overwhelmed, could only stare at him, her mind in turmoil.

“In the meantime,” Yin Chengyu continued, his voice gentle yet insistent, “should any ministers approach you with concerns, I ask that you shield me, just as I’ve always shielded you.”

Her son, her pride, and her protector now sought her support. How could she refuse him?

Empress Dowager Yu found herself unable to resist.

This child, who had once shielded her with unwavering loyalty, had been her guardian and protector. Now, the thought of aligning with outsiders to wound his heart was unthinkable. It was beneath her to betray the one who had stood steadfast by her side, no matter the circumstances.

At last, she exhaled a deep sigh, her hand rising to touch his cheek. “Very well,” she murmured. “Mother understands.”

———TN: Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager Yu's love is a force of nature. A mother this… forward? That's a rare advantage.