A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1133 - 1033: A Mind in Turmoil

The summer heat was unbearable, the sun blazing down as if determined to scorch the world.

The entire harem, the Imperial Garden, and even Duanning Palace felt the oppressive heat.

Besides the incessant chirping of cicadas, a heavy silence prevailed.

Even Da Bai and Xiao Bai, usually active in the back garden, had retreated to the shade, too lethargic to emerge.

Snow Ball lay under a tree by the back garden pool, panting heavily to cope with the sweltering temperature.

The air outside was thick and suffocating.

Inside, however, a refreshing coolness permeated the atmosphere.

This was thanks to the intricately carved ice sculptures strategically placed in every corner.

Young palace maids and eunuchs diligently fanned the rooms with cloths dampened in ice water, circulating the cool air.

Yue Er, after a prolonged period of playing with the goldfish, started to feel drowsy.

Yet, the little girl clung to the edge, resisting the urge to sleep.

Xia Ruqing chuckled at her daughter’s antics.

"Do you wish to sleep with the goldfish? They don’t seem to rest at all!"

Yue Er sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Why?"

"Aren’t they tired of swimming constantly?"

"I want to let them out so they can sleep properly, and have a good rest!"

Zhao Junyao, holding his daughter, felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

"If you take them out of the water, they will perish!"

Yue Er innocently looked at the goldfish in her childish voice.

"Why would they die? I’m not trying to harm them!"

"Because they cannot survive outside of water!"

Xia Ruqing gently explained, stroking her daughter’s hair.

Yue Er narrowed her eyes, uncertain if she fully grasped the concept, but she nodded nonetheless.

"I understand. It’s like Father Emperor and Mother Empress cannot be separated from me, right?"

Xia Ruqing quickly affirmed, nodding vigorously.

"Yes, yes, yes, now you should go to sleep!"

The heat made one feel drowsy; sleeping more was a way to alleviate exhaustion without undue hardship.

Yue Er finally succumbed to her sleepiness, waving goodbye to the goldfish.

"Alright!"

"Goldfish Daddy, Goldfish Mommy, Little Goldfish, I am going to sleep now, you all keep going!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl yawned widely and drifted off to sleep.

...

After settling Yue Er, Xia Ruqing herself felt a wave of sleepiness.

Taking a nap in the mid-afternoon seemed only appropriate given the weather.

She got up, lay down on her bed, rolled over, and closed her eyes, ready to sleep.

Zhao Junyao also lay down beside her.

However, his mind was a whirlwind of worries, making sleep impossible.

He incessantly pondered, his thoughts spiraling until he began to murmur aloud.

"What should I do?"

Finding his muttering disruptive, Xia Ruqing turned over, her voice thick with sleep.

"What needs to be done?"

Unable to contain his anxiety any longer, Zhao Junyao recounted the day's court affairs in detail.

By the time he finished, Xia Ruqing was on the verge of falling asleep.

"Qingqing, what do you think I should do?"

Upon hearing her name, Xia Ruqing's eyes fluttered open again. But when asked for advice, she found herself clueless.

She had already forgotten most of what he had said, or perhaps, she hadn't truly been listening.

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should rest a bit and contemplate further!"

Zhao Junyao appeared utterly helpless.

"I cannot sleep!"

"Then..."

Xia Ruqing was equally perplexed and felt a touch of speechlessness.

"Isn’t this matter merely concerning Hai Feng? Is it necessary to be so distressed?"

"I believe..."

"The Fifth Prince and Hai Feng are husband and wife, a family unit! They even have a child, forming a family of three."

"You cannot directly act against Hai Feng, but perhaps the Fifth Prince... that might be feasible!"

If all else failed, perhaps the heir to the Prince’s position could be dealt with, right?

It might seem somewhat undignified for the Emperor to target a child.

However, the intricate nature of royal family dynamics in ancient times was well-known.

Concepts like implicating extended families or sons bearing their fathers' debts were commonplace occurrences.

Considering these precedents, it wasn't as dishonorable as it might initially seem.

Naturally.

If the Fifth Prince harbored no intentions of rebellion, shouldn't he be capable of managing his own family's affairs?!

Her statement was somewhat vague.

In truth, even she wasn't entirely sure of the meaning behind her own words.

The image of those few little goldfish kept resurfacing in her mind, leaving her quite disoriented.

Yet, Zhao Junyao, on the contrary, heard her words with clarity and understood their implication, his mind suddenly illuminated.

"Yes!"

"Qingqing, you are absolutely right!"

If he was unable to act against a woman, he could certainly take action against his own brother!

Zhao Junyao closed his eyes, beginning to meticulously formulate his plan.

Meanwhile, beside him, Xia Ruqing had already peacefully fallen asleep.

...

The following day at the imperial court.

Before the civil and military officials could commence their usual arguments in the main hall.

Zhao Junyao took the initiative, breaking the silence.

"How has my Fifth Brother been lately?"

The Fifth Prince’s heart leaped, and he quickly stepped forward to respond.

"Replying to Your Majesty, this humble brother has been well recently, just as usual."

Yet, deep within his heart, a question lingered:

His own standing was precarious, and he had recently requested leave, remaining at home.

Why would his Imperial Brother specifically summon him to court? Was there an impending event?

Zhao Junyao cleared his throat softly a couple of times.

"It's not truly a matter of great consequence."

"A rebellion has erupted in the Northwest, causing immense suffering to the populace, and there's no one to offer solace from the rear!"

"Since Fifth Brother has ample free time in the Capital City, why not lead your Madam to the Northwest to assist with the disaster relief?"

Upon hearing these words.

The officials assembled below were utterly stunned.

The Fifth Prince was even more bewildered.

“Disaster relief is a simple task, but what is the meaning behind bringing the Madam?”

“Could it be…”

His expression slowly shifted to one of awkwardness.

To be precise, his entire being, his very status, was steeped in awkwardness.

His father-in-law had practically marched an army of eighty thousand to his doorstep, issuing threats of conflict.

Regardless of whether he chose to intervene or remain uninvolved, he was destined to become a public spectacle.

Consequently, his desire to venture out diminished entirely.

He had even covertly dispatched a message to Empress Dowager Zhen, voicing his earnest desire to annul his marriage.

If an annulment was unfeasible, then at the very least, to acquire a secondary wife!

He simply could not stomach the idea of having wed the daughter of an adversarial state as his primary spouse.

Beyond the sensitivity of his own position, he would face endless ridicule!

Empress Dowager Zhen was also experiencing considerable distress.

In recent days, she had made frequent visits to Duanning Palace.

Her objective was to implore Xia Ruqing to intercede with the Emperor, seeking a method for the Fifth Prince to successfully dissolve his marriage.

While the Fifth Prince might not have enjoyed the same level of doting as the Emperor's favored Sixth Son, he was, nonetheless, her son, and she could not remain indifferent to such a significant predicament.

Moreover.

Should this situation be exploited by individuals harboring malicious intentions, it could potentially cast a shadow upon the Sixth Son.

Such an outcome Empress Dowager Zhen would absolutely not permit.

Xia Ruqing also found herself in a rather vexing situation.

How could a legitimate daughter of the imperial family, a royal consort, be so easily divorced?

Even the Emperor himself would struggle to fabricate a justifiable reason for such an action, let alone someone of her standing.

Therefore, irrespective of Empress Dowager Zhen’s pleas.

Xia Ruqing responded with non-committal evasions, akin to playing Tai Chi.

After a few visits, witnessing that even the Empress was disinclined to offer assistance, Empress Dowager Zhen finally relented, ceasing her visits.

Xia Ruqing could finally exhale a breath of relief.

...

Returning to the present matter.

The civil and military officials were taken aback by the Emperor's decree but found themselves unable to muster any objections.

The Fifth Prince shared their predicament.

No matter how profound his bitterness or how strong his reluctance, he was compelled to accept the imperial edict and offer his gratitude.

Much like how he could no longer escape the reality of being married to Hai Feng, despite his every resistance and regret!

Consumed by frustration, irritation, sorrow, and internal turmoil.

The Fifth Prince had completely lost track of how he had even exited Taihe Hall.

As he journeyed back to his estate in the carriage.

The clamor of street vendors, the hushed conversations of citizens along the roadside, the boisterous laughter emanating from the storyteller at the tea house.

All of it seemed to taunt him mercilessly.

Having married a princess consort, the daughter of an enemy nation, and even fathering a child—it was an unparalleled humiliation.

The Fifth Prince clenched his fists with all his might, his face ashen.

He arrived back at his residence like a man already dead.

A servant boy cautiously approached him.

"Master, your… your complexion appears dreadfully unwell?"

"Shall I summon the Imperial Physician?"