Ten Months On

Chapter 16: Mother

A/N: Thank you kabkwmx for the vote!

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At the Imperial Palace.

"You foolish son!"

Another porcelain cup shattered on the stone cold icy floor
Hot tea spilt, burning the nearest maid that had knelt down in terror.

Ninth Prince, Sun Rui kept quiet as he let his Imperial Mother vent her anger. He stared out as if whatever that was happening had nothing to do with him.

"To divorce such a Wang Fei, you can only be a fool!" Empress Xiao shouted.

The guards by the door grimaced as they heard another priceless white porcelain teacup shattered ground.

The maids who were terrified did not dare to clean up the shattered tea cups around Ninth Prince fearing that he would kick another maid in anger. The previous maid that had tried to clear the broken pieces of pottery had to be carried one with blood pooling from her mouth.

Sun Rui still stared impassively at his mother. Did he hear what the empress had said or was he feigning ignorance?

Empress Xiao panted as she tried to calm herself down while breathing heavily. The reigning Empress ever since Emperor Ruo ascended the throne, Empress Xiao managed to keep her beauty well. She looked just like the younger concubines that still streamed into the inner palace despite how many times the Emperor had professed his undying love to the Empress.

Empress Xiao was a unique beauty. With cat-like eyes, thin lips and silky black hair, with a lithe tall body, she evoked the image of a majestic crane in flight. An archaic beauty rarely found. It was said that the Emperor was kept around her little finger, but with his ever growing harem, one had to wonder at the truth of these rumours. However, the Empress had remained in her position despite not having any strong paternal and maternal family background. Regardless of the truth, everyone in Da Li knew that the Emperor regularly visits his Empress at night till now.

Hua-mama, the empress' wet nurse since young patted Empress Xiao's back in circular motions and gestured to her accompanying maid to pass her a cup of Chrysanthemum tea, which she served to the empress.

Empress Xiao drank a sip of the fragrant floral tea, the warmth comforting her roiling stomach and felt better. She raised her head majestically at her disappointing firstborn.

"To think that my son was so foolish to fall in love with a slut," she snorted.

"Mother. Su Li is not a slut." Sun Rui finally replied, seemingly with no expression but his clenched fists at his sides spoke louder of the anger he felt.

Empress Xiao sneered.

"If she isn't a slut, then a fox demon? A vixen? Which words would better suit her? For you to be so foolish as to throw a pearl in front of you and mistake a swine's eye for treasure!! What have I done to deserve such a foolish son??"

Sun Rui could not help but bristle in anger feeling great injustice at his Mother's words.

"Mother! If you had listened to this Son from the start and given him what he wanted, we would not be in this predicament! You knew Son wanted Su Li. You knew I loved her!" his tone accusing and dismissive.

Yes, his Imperial Mother had seen him pining for Su Li for so long.

Such a beauty, who would not covet? He knew Minister Sun was also planning Su Li's marriage and this made him feel anger and a sense of urgency to make her his officially.

Empress Xiao only laughed mockingly.

"Yes, you want her. But love? Hah! What do you know about love?" Empress Xiao sneered again at her stupid son.

"That vixen really has her ways. To make you, a person who can only think with his pants, to think he is in love. Why do you think I stuffed so many concubines and tongfangs in your harem?? Like your Father, your lust for women is the same. Your concubines may be beautiful and alluring, satisfying you in bed. But your Wang Fei cannot do the same. If you want to be the Emperor, you need a capable Wang Fei."

For her son to think that the lust he felt was love, hah!

"Do you think I was not aware of your trysts with that fox demon in the Sun residence? I knew that Su Li would most likely make her move towards you. But to think that a young lady not of age would seduce her sister's fiancee so openly in her home and give away her virginity, this Miss Sun has really opened this Empress' eyes."

"Mother!" Sun Rui roared.

Empress Xiao could not help but laugh.

Really... So. Naive.

"If you want to take that fox demon as your wife, go ahead. A daughter of a concubine as your official wife, who wouldn't laugh at you?"

This foolish son. He did not recognise the treasure Su Chen was to him.

Su Chen was not just her beloved playmate's child. She bore so much resemblance to her temperament. It was unfortunate that her good friend succumbed too easily to the schemes of that malicious concubine. Had she not pressured that Concubine Mu in secret, Su Chen might not had lived so peacefully in that den of wolves.

Hah. But she truly overestimated her son. She had thought that he would have known better.

To think that he actually planned and dared to divorce that child. Did he not realised the things Su Chen had done for him? At that thought, Empress Xiao felt a migraine. 

"I wash my hands off your affair. I have done all I could to warn you and your life is yours to live."

"Mother," Sun Rui bitterly said as he clenched his fist in resentment. Why must his Imperial Mother be so biased to Su Chen? Just because of her mother?? Su Li was as good, if not infinitely better than Su Chen. That Su Chen was short, mousy, timid and average. To say Su Li was inferior... Who is the blind one, Mother?

Mother just needed to see Su Li once to understand.

"I hope you will at least be respectful to my new Wang Fei."

Empress Xiao did not bother looking at her son. She lounged on the chaise lazily and waved him away.

Sun Rui frowned and flicked his sleeves in anger before stomping off.

Really a foolish son. He did not realise that that Su Li was playing him for a fool.

Empress Xiao could not be bothered with him.

In any case, she still had another promising son.