The Scholar's Wife in the Emperor's Court 36

The next morning at court, as expected, Wang Zhongming—who had always stood silently among the officials and never once joined a political debate—suddenly stepped forward. With a bow, he declared, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report."

Though the twelve tassels of his crown shadowed Xiao Mingting's expression, his voice remained detached. "Speak."

Wang Zhongming took a deep breath before continuing. "Recently, while observing the celestial phenomena, I noticed a treasury star flanking the Polaris, its light gentle and auspicious—a sign of great fortune. After careful calculations with my colleagues in the Imperial Observatory, it corresponds to a woman of noble destiny blessed by heaven. If Your Majesty could find this woman and make her empress, her birth date and time would align with the fate of the nation, honoring heaven above and securing the state below."

As soon as he finished, the court fell silent.

The officials exchanged bewildered glances, convinced the Grand Astrologer had finally lost his mind from staring at the stars all day.

They remembered that when the emperor first ascended the throne, he had dealt harshly with anyone who tried to interfere in his harem affairs, punishing a group of them with thunderous severity. Now Wang dared to raise the matter again, even using celestial omens to propose a noble empress—how was this any different from courting death?

But to everyone's surprise, the emperor showed no anger. He only said calmly, "Continue, Minister Wang."

So, in the quiet court, Wang Zhongming elaborated meticulously on the stars, the noble destiny, the fate of the nation, and the harmony of yin and yang, arguing with great reason. Finally, he bowed deeply. "I await Your Majesty's wise decision."

The officials remained silent, chiefly because of the emperor's unexpected reaction.

Xiao Mingting had not interrupted him; in fact, he had listened attentively throughout. Though his expression was hard to read, one could sense his satisfaction.

The officials thought, "Ah, so this is the emperor's intention."

Soon an elderly minister stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, what the Grand Astrologer says is truly heaven's will! I humbly request that Your Majesty appoint the empress as soon as possible to secure the nation and comfort the people."

Even Grand Commandant Zheng, who had kept a low profile since the late emperor's death, voiced his approval.

With that precedent, the other officials followed suit.

After all, the emperor's harem had been empty for years, and if he wished to establish an empress, it was hardly a crime against heaven. It required only some flattering words, and they all had the tact for that.

Only Grand Tutor Yuan, standing at the front, remained silent, lowering his head to hide his complex expression.

The day before, his eldest daughter Yuan Wangshu had inquired through a trusted palace attendant—though that attendant was actually a spy planted by the Yuan family, not for espionage but to keep them informed of any unusual palace activities. On ordinary days, if nothing major was happening at court, Grand Tutor Yuan rarely paid attention. But since Yuan Wangshu had asked, the servants naturally reported to him.

When Grand Tutor Yuan heard the news, he pondered briefly and harbored a premonition of trouble. Now, seeing the Grand Astrologer's performance, he guessed who the emperor intended as his empress.

Clearly, the emperor, who had seized the throne by killing his brothers, cared little for reputation. But now he was going to great lengths to pave the way for the empress, which showed how much he valued her.

After all, a ruler taking his subject's wife was against the principles of a benevolent ruler, and the woman would be branded a temptress who confused the monarch. But using the Imperial Observatory's prophecy, though a pretense, was a blunt way to silence gossip.

Moreover, his daughter Yuan Wangshu was friends with the future empress, and his son Yuan Fuju was on good terms with the Shen family—so it would benefit the Yuan household.

Though he inwardly muttered "how improper," Grand Tutor Yuan still stepped forward after a moment's delay, bowed, and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! I hope you find this woman soon, comply with heaven's will, and establish her as empress."

Once the emperor was determined to pave the way and create public opinion for the future empress—according to the principle that "if the superior likes something, the inferiors will follow suit"—various auspicious omens began to appear both inside and outside the palace.

For instance, in the Imperial Garden, a pond full of blooming twin lotus flowers; in the countryside, a sight of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix; and even one day, the sun and moon shining simultaneously in the sky...

These signs all seemed to indicate that the phoenix's destiny was already determined and would bring prosperity to the nation.

Soon, an official from the Censorate, tasked with investigating the woman with the noble destiny, submitted a report: "Your Majesty, following the birth date calculated by the Imperial Observatory, I have found the only matching woman. She is the sworn sister of Shen Yunxiu, the newly appointed top scholar and Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. Her name is Xie Chenyao."

At this news, the court fell into profound silence.

After all, some time had passed, and the officials who had climbed to high positions were all shrewd. They had long privately discovered who the emperor truly desired as empress, especially since he hadn't really tried to hide it.

After a moment, some officials feigned sudden realization, and the swiftest even offered congratulations immediately.

Everyone seemed to forget that Xie Chenyao was already married to Shen Yunxiu, and they tacitly accepted the fiction of their being sworn siblings.

Xiao Mingting raised his eyes, sweeping over the officials below, and a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.

With that, everything would naturally fall into place.

---

So, two months later, when Shen Yunxiu returned, travel-worn, from the southern disaster relief mission, Xiao Mingting's "immersive empress establishment" was already a done deal.

After all, Shen Yunxiu was only a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue, and because she had to hide her identity, though she was friendly with others, her true close friends were only Yuan Fuju and Xiao Mingting.

But Yuan Fuju was as unaware as she was, and Xiao Mingting was the very man who had taken her wife.

Thus, when Shen Yunxiu returned to her residence, she didn't see Chen Yao come out to greet her.

"Dou Kou, where is my wife?" she asked, looking around with a puzzled tone.

"My lord, you've returned." Dou Kou hurriedly came from the inner courtyard, taking the bundle from Shen Yunxiu's hands.

Then, looking down uneasily, she explained, "After you left, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree summoning my lady to the palace to accompany her. Later, Miss Yuan visited, but she only said my lady was well and not to worry." Frowning with concern, she continued, "But now over two months have passed, and my lady hasn't returned from the palace."

Shen Yunxiu fell into thought. Unable to figure out the situation, she simply nodded. "I understand."

She had planned to rest briefly at home, then go to the palace to report. Originally, the Censor-in-Chief Ji Liangxu should have been the one to report to the emperor, as he was the appointed imperial envoy, and Shen Yunxiu was just accompanying him. But Ji Liangxu had long noticed the emperor's appreciation for the new top scholar, so he yielded the honor to Shen Yunxiu.

After a quick wash and change, Shen Yunxiu soon boarded a carriage and headed to the palace.

Following the long corridor, she was led by a eunuch to the door of the Imperial Study.

"Minister Shen, His Majesty is inside the Imperial Study."

Seeing the eunuch bow and push open the door, Shen Yunxiu nodded politely. "Thank you, eunuch."

Then she stepped inside.

But the next moment, her steps froze as if nailed to the ground, and she stood there stunned.

Behind the imperial desk, the tall man was leaning over a young woman, his left arm around her waist and his right hand covering hers, seemingly guiding her in calligraphy.

Even though the young woman kept her head down, Shen Yunxiu immediately recognized her as Xie Chenyao.

She paused and then said hesitantly, "...Yao Yao?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Chen Yao's brush paused, and she instinctively looked up.

When her eyes met Shen Yunxiu's, the calm in them shattered, replaced by an expression of shock identical to Shen Yunxiu's.

"Hus... husband..."

The young woman's pupils contracted, and the wolf-hair brush she held slipped from her grip, falling with a soft thud onto the white rice paper, leaving a large dark blot.

"Xilan has returned," Xiao Mingting said calmly, his palm still firmly on the young woman's waist.

He had clearly known Shen Yunxiu would come to report, and he had even dismissed all the palace attendants from the Imperial Study beforehand, so now only the three of them were in the room.

But hearing Chen Yao instinctively call Shen Yunxiu "husband," he narrowed his eyes, displeasure rising, and said, "Yao Yao, what did you call him?"

"Your Majesty, Yao Yao... you... you two..."

Shen Yunxiu was caught off guard. She had initially thought that, as an external official, she couldn't casually meet the Empress Dowager, and planned to ask the emperor to convey her request after her report, so that Chen Yao could return home with her.

But now she saw Chen Yao in the Imperial Study, so intimate with Xiao Mingting...

"I... I..." Chen Yao stammered, her cheeks burning as if scorched by Shen Yunxiu's shocked gaze. She was flustered, and her eyes quickly reddened.

Xiao Mingting, seeing her panic and embarrassment, felt a pang of sympathy.

He gently turned the young woman in his arms, keeping her waist encircled, pulling her to his chest in a gesture full of possessiveness.

Seeing Chen Yao so fragile, Shen Yunxiu frowned and couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, did you force Yao Yao?"

The room fell silent for a moment after her words.

Shen Yunxiu knew her words were disrespectful and bordered on treason. But Chen Yao had always been timid and weak, even feeling uneasy around strangers—she could never have taken the initiative to curry favor with the emperor.

Shen Yunxiu could only conclude that the young woman was being coerced.

Xiao Mingting's face darkened instantly.

He was already displeased that Xie Chenyao had instinctively called him "husband," and now Shen Yunxiu dared to accuse him of coercion, which infuriated him.

But since he was the one at fault, Xiao Mingting restrained his temper and didn't lash out.

He merely responded in a deep but relatively calm tone, "The empress and I are naturally in love. Since Xilan here never consummated the marriage, why cling to it? I will welcome Yao Yao as my empress, and you will be her sworn brother, the future brother-in-law of the state."

If Chen Yao truly loved Xiao Mingting, and since Shen Yunxiu's marriage with her was a sham, Shen Yunxiu wouldn't object.

But the problem was...

Her handsome features tensed slightly, her gaze fixed on the young woman, and she asked softly, "Yao Yao, look at me. Are you truly willing to be with the emperor?"

Chen Yao instinctively wanted to turn around again, but Xiao Mingting held her firmly in his arms, leaving her no room to move.

Moreover, she felt a sense of guilt and didn't dare face Shen Yunxiu, so she could only keep her face pressed against the man's chest.

But after a long silence, she gave a very slight yet firm nod.

The young woman kept her eyes downcast and whispered, as faint as a mosquito, "...Yes."

Xiao Mingting paused, then smiled, his dark eyes softening instantly.

Shen Yunxiu frowned deeply, about to speak, when the door of the Imperial Study was suddenly flung open, followed by hurried footsteps.

"Xilan! Your Majesty!"

It was Yuan Fuju's breathless voice.

Shen Yunxiu immediately looked toward the sound, while Xiao Mingting gently patted the young woman's back to soothe her.

Yuan Fuju had just returned home when he heard his sister speak of the emperor and Xie Chenyao, and he was stunned. He felt shock, but also a secret delight, yet more than anything, worry and heartache for his friend.

Especially when he realized that Shen Yunxiu would soon go to the palace to report. If, in a moment of impulse, he clashed with the emperor...

Yuan Fuju dared not dwell on it. He rushed to the stable, mounted a horse, and hurried toward the palace.

Sure enough, he found the two in the Imperial Study, facing off in a tense standoff, with Xiao Mingting holding Xie Chenyao in his arms.

Yuan Fuju's scalp prickled.

He took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was worried about Xilan, so I barged in. I beg Your Majesty's pardon."