Oath.

Authority.

New.

Although the words were simple, under the power of her influence over them, Hongyue was able to use them to enforce a binding contract onto the aide similar to the one she forced on ChunHua. It was just that she never got the chance to give an order. Now it was the perfect move. If there were unseen dangers in the territory of others, she'll just take sections of the territory for herself and hide her men within.

The aide slowly staggered to his knees. He opened his eyes, which showed a dull reflection. He placed his hand over the right of his chest and stiffly bowed toward the eldest miss. His voice came out monotony and numb, but for that reason, it was pleasing to hear.

"Your servant awaits."

*****

In a golden chamber room, the emperor could be seen with his back to the door. His hands were idly resting against his lower back, and his eyes were admiring the wall before him with a focused stare. As if he was captivated by the scene, he gently put out his arm to give the wall a light touch. On the wall, a dragon could be seen before him. The body was carved out of stone, and it was fierce yet slim as it crawled its way to the heavens. However, there were holes where the eyes should have been. Nevertheless, the emperor seemed to hold exceptional affection for it. He rubbed the hollowed eye holes and smiled.

It was a tranquil scene.

However, the quietness of the room was suddenly shattered into pieces as a loud shout came soaring in from outside the room, "Why would my husband not want to see me?! Go report back to him the Empress herself is here."

Outside the room, the Empress could be seen held back by two guards. She tried to push past the men only to be held back even more. Although angered, she could only give them a harsh glare as she dared not cause a more significant scene lest she looked petty.

The emperor looked up, his fingers froze in place, and his smile turned into a deep frown. The happy glance vanished within his eyes. The peaceful air was no longer present, and he seemed to hold a hint of irritation in his heart. Waving his hand, he beckoned at another servant without looking at the door.

"Let her in."

With his established order, the guards released her and stepped back into their places. With her head held high, the Empress advanced into the room. Her eyes were narrowed as she took another step closer to the man before her. Her hand slightly shook, but she didn't allow her anxiety to show on her face. Why was he so hard to truly grasp?

That morning, her entire courtyard was suddenly surrounded by guards along with a decree saying that she wasn't to take a step past the door. With an unsettled heart, she could only stay within the courtyard. However, feeling unsure and unwilling, she charged her way into the palace. Wanting a clear answer from his mouth, she took this risk.

"Your majesty, this empress greets you a good evening," She acknowledged. Her voice was firm, but her eyes were not. Instead, they seemed to hold a trace of fear.

The Emperor merely gave her an inadequate glance. Looking at her pale hands, he s.h.i.+fted his eyes away, "Speak. Coming in with such a rushed manner, it's unlike you, my love."

My love? It was like he was mocking her. Blinking her eyes, she steadied her voice, "Why have you placed your guards around my palace? What did this wife do so wrong? I don't understand."

He turned back and examined her face as his next words rolled off his tongue softly, "You don't understand?"

Lies.

Even if she didn't understand, it did not mean she was stupid.

As the Empress, how could she not know someone else was scheming against her?

Even if she wasn't the one who directly harmed Hongyue, she was still pulled into someone's scheme. That meant the other party was bold enough to hurt Hongyue only because of the Empress's petty actions. The Emperor sighed. To be the Empress yet to be played like this — either way, she needed to be punished.

"Did I not tell you to leave that eldest miss alone?"

The Empress's face turned ugly as she spoke, "I did not touch her."

"Then tell me, only your men were in the garden before the fire. Who else was there? Who else can I blame?"

The Empress was surprised. He knew about her men?

"None of my men returned. I only placed them to spy on her. It was for your best interest. I wanted to make sure she wasn't danger to you."

"Then tell me, why was she still harmed in the end?"

The Empress wasn't able to produce another answer. She wasn't an idiot, she knew she was set up. However, she could not admit that to the Emperor. It was the same as telling him she didn't have control over her position as an empress.

Left with defeat, the Empress quietly accepted the punishment and left the room. Her eyes were raging in anger, but she seemed to have gotten the answer she came for.