" What do you mean what I'm talking about!" Yanhui retorted.
"Empress are you maybe mistaken about something?" He asked seething .
Yanhui continued: " I know you don't like being a puppet emperor but it's not my fault" Yanhui was now beyond angry at his guts.
" Look if this is about last night, it's not what you think okay, yes the wine was drugged but nothing happened between us" He explained standing up defeated.
" If nothing really happened, how did I end up in my undergarments?"
" You removed your clothes yourself "
" Ha?" She seemed to remember something like that happening.
" Look, I had no idea the wedding wine was drugged and I thought you would know" He gave her an accusing look that spoke volumes. That was when Yanhui finally understood; her clan did it, most likely her aunt the empress dowager.
Yanhui sat down dejectedly on her canopy bed, realizing she had wronged the puppet emperor. The emperor glared at her for awhile then sat besides her on the bed, his hands covering his face in exasperation:
" Hui hui can I call you that?, I won't scope to that level even though you might call me a puppet emperor, besides I had to marry you right?"
Yanhui looked down in guilt and shame. He was right; why would he want to forcefully consummate a marriage that was forced upon him, he might even hate her extremely!. She turned to him to apologize :
" Look I'm sorry for the accusations but you'll also assume the worst if you were in my shoes"
" Your shoes?"
"I mean in my place" she explained
"Oh"
" Besides I don't care about your power struggles and want no part of it"
" What do you mean?"
" I mean we could be a team and learn to trust each other, I'll help you out when I care and you leave me alone, deal?" She initiated.
" I don't know what you're talking about or what you mean let's just go to bed" He said lying down to sleep and Yanhui had no choice but to scoot over to give him space.
Just like that the discussion ended abruptly. As Yanhui laid down to sleep in the innermost corner, she couldn't sleep. The more she thought about it the more she grew confused; the emperor was too kind and friendly for some one who should hate her deeply, based on her knowledge of emperors especially one being controlled and he feign ignorance when she asked for cooperation, she couldn't read him and she hated it. She shrugged it off as overthinking and wrapped herself more tightly and finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning when Yanhui woke, the emperor had already left. Yanhui got up insisted on a bath, did her hair and makeup and left to the front hall to receive the greetings of the other consorts; they were already seated when she arrived ; the consort of virtue; Shu fei given name Jīn Yú - "Goldfish" her father the minister of revenue and the other 3 concubines; concubine Táo Huā - "Peach Blossom" her father the minister of personnel, Yuè Liàng - "Moon" her father the minister of Rites and concubine Kā Fēi - "Coffee" her father the minister of war. Yanhui didn't know whether to laugh or cry at these names when she first heard them, their parents really wished for luck!. Yanhui stood at the door when she heard them talking:
" That Yan clan woman has held the emperor's affection for 2 days now, are we going to do nothing about it?" Concubine Yue Liang taunted.
" The emperor is just fascinated with a new toy, he'll soon get tired" concubine Tao Hua refuted.
" Exactly we all know the emperor loves sister Yu the most" concubine Yue Liang flattered consort Shu.
Shu Fei bath in jewelry smirked as she toyed with a gold bangle " we should all be respectful, she the empress after all"
" Empress! if not for the Yan family she's not qualified!" Yue Liang mocked.
Yanhui shook her head at their mockery, they might seem like friends now but plotted against each other but openly and secretly, she wanted no part of it. Her handmaids on the other hand were angry:
" How dare they mock the empress, their mouths should be slapped "
" No need, they're right, the emperor has stayed with me for two days just to give face to the Yan family but someone should be a scapegoat to teach others a lesson" Yanhui walked in, shoulders straight in pride and arrogance after all, it also took luck to come from an important family.