Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 419: I Bestow Upon You Unrivaled Wealth and Honor

Chapter 419: Chapter 419: I Bestow Upon You Unrivaled Wealth and Honor

Consort Jing did not feel that Mei Yuzong had changed.

From the first glance she saw him in the palace, she noticed he was as gentle and composed as before, not at all like the mad Emperor.

The Emperor had already ruined his health with excesses of wine and women, the former Noble Lady Hui, later Consort Qin, both of whom had driven the Emperor to physical ruin. Now, drinking all sorts of tonics could not suppress the old man’s scent that clung to him.

The Emperor was no longer young; a serious illness had aged him by more than ten years. Without his Dragon Robe and the wealth and power it represented, the Emperor would appear much older than his contemporaries.

When Consort Jing followed the Emperor, she and Mei Yuzong had been together for nearly a year. But at that time, she was only fifteen, and had just turned seventeen when she gave birth to the Third Prince.

Now, the Third Prince was in his early twenties, and she, after so many years in the palace, was actually not even forty yet.

Mei Yuzong was only three years her senior, having just entered his forties not long ago.

Compared to the Emperor who looked to be in his sixties, Mei Yuzong was lean, tall and straight, scholarly, with a distinctive clarity to his face that was unique to Jiangnan, like a mountain emptied after rain, tranquil and serene, carrying a certain quality that, in Consort Jing’s eyes, was very special.

From the moment Mei Yuzong picked up the cherished handkerchief with utmost care, Consort Jing’s thoughts sparked like water droplets in hot oil, boiling over with agitation.

Perhaps, she thought Mei Yuzong hadn’t changed because he was not sycophantic or vulgar, clear and refreshing, matching the image she had of Mei Yuzong in her mind.

"Yu Lang, I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you properly."

The hints Consort Jing dropped were already crystal clear.

By asking Mei Yuzong to stay in the Capital City, she made her implication sufficiently clear.

She was waiting for Mei Yuzong’s response.

Yu Lang would surely not refuse, because he still held feelings for her, not minding that she had left without saying goodbye, and he had always carefully kept the handkerchief she had given him.

Unexpectedly, Mei Yuzong said, "Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness. This humble one has taken it to heart, but many years have already passed since those matters, there is no debt to repay. Seeing Your Majesty well, this humble one is content."

"Yu Lang!" Consort Jing grew anxious, thinking she hadn’t made herself clear, she lowered her voice and said:

"Wait for me, at most two years, no, just one year, and I will be able to leave the palace at will!"

She could, like the Empress Dowager now, use the excuse of going to worship the Buddha to leave the palace and spend the rest of her life with Mei Yuzong.

They had money, they could go wherever they wanted, there was no longer the need to budget tightly like in the old days.

Consort Jing was already dreaming of the future, with supreme power within sight, the pursuit of her lifetime. But suddenly, she remembered the days in Yangzhou when Mei Yuzong took care of her.

She was just a woman starved of love, and she realized what she needed more was the kind of care she received back then.

"Consort Jing, this humble one does not understand."

Mei Yuzong showed little reaction, he just said calmly, "It was Your Majesty who left of her own accord back then, and since we were never married, it hardly seems a betrayal. If Your Majesty already made her choice back then, why regret it now?"

"Regret? No, I do not regret leaving you. Yu Lang, do you see? Even someone like me can receive the kneelings of countless people. In the future, my status will be even higher. I can have anything I desire. If we had not separated, maybe I would have been worn down by your parents to the point of being inhuman. Even if we had children, they surely wouldn’t compare to my Third Prince, the paragon among men."

"Yu Lang, my words may not be pleasant, but isn’t this the truth? What I regret is not finding you sooner, Yu Lang. That way, your life would have been so much easier, and we could have..."

"Your Majesty, please be cautious with your words."

Mei Yuzong stood up from his chair: "I will pretend I did not hear what Your Majesty has just said. Such words are a capital offense, and this humble one does not wish to bring trouble to the troupe."

Consort Jing quickly said, "Yu Lang, don’t be angry, fine, I won’t talk about it then."

She could understand that Mei Yuzong was but a commoner, how bold could he be?

There was no rush, as long as she knew Mei Yuzong’s thoughts, that was enough.

Consort Jing no longer discussed these matters, instead, she turned her head and started talking about Yangzhou.

Before she had encountered Mei Yuzong, during her poorest times, she had even eaten tree bark, but years of luxury had long made her forget that hardship. She talked about a wild grass cake from Yangzhou, saying that in her many years in Capital City, she had never tasted it again.

"If Your Majesty does not disdain, this humble one will return and make use of the palace kitchen to prepare it for Your Majesty."

As soon as Consort Jing heard this, her smile deepened.

She was actually testing him.

In the past, Mei Yuzong was willing to do anything for her.

Now, she merely mentioned wanting to taste that flavor from Yangzhou once more, and Mei Yuzong offered to make it for her himself, which showed, this man had not changed, she had always been in his heart.

The two did not talk for too long, to avoid raising the suspicions of the palace maids and eunuchs, among whom were the Emperor’s people.

As expected, come evening, the Emperor inquired about her conversation with Troupe leader Mei.

Consort Jing deflected it with tears, claiming it was homesickness for her native place.

The Emperor could not help but recall his trip to Yangzhou back then.

He had just ascended the throne, and to avoid suspicion, the Empress Dowager went outside the palace to pay respects to Buddha, scarcely seen a few times within a year.

The less he could have, the more he wanted.

Not long after his arrival in Yangzhou, he had unexpectedly seen Honglian picking wild vegetables with a basket in the outskirts.

Just a casual glance from his sedan and he stopped short, that instant, he thought she was the Empress Dowager.

Only a closer look revealed the differences between her and the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager would never rudely roll up her sleeves, nor would she recognize roadside weeds, and certainly would not get mud all over her hands when pulling up wild vegetables with their roots.

He was the Emperor, all the subjects under the heavens belonged to him.

Out of respect for the Empress Dowager, he suppressed the emotions within him.

But before such a village girl, he did not need to restrain himself.

He ordered his men to bring Honglian to the carriage and then forced himself upon her.

The more fiercely Honglian struggled, the more he felt the person beneath him was the Empress Dowager; he liked Honglian’s unyielding nature.

Honglian even said she would report this to the authorities, little did she know, he was the highest authority under heaven.

But the Emperor would not have the patience for a village girl, he directly revealed his identity, giving Honglian a choice.

Later on, it was Honglian who bid farewell to her family and came to him of her own accord.

The Emperor naively thought that after he had taken Honglian, she could only be his woman, and that she later fell for him helplessly. But what he did not know was that Honglian was already another’s wife, her severe struggle was what caused the bleeding, and her choice to follow him was purely out of greed for wealth and honor.

Never taking a village girl seriously, the Emperor naturally did not dispatch anyone to investigate, and so he did not know that to come by his side, Honglian had caused the death of two people, nor would he know that the troupe leader performing in the palace now was Honglian’s old flame.

The Emperor had grown old, looking back on the past, he rarely expressed regret, "Back then, my treatment of you was somewhat excessive, but from now on, only boundless riches and honor await you and your daughter."