Circ.u.mventing Fate - Volume 2 Chapter 359 Tea Party

Due to the presence of too many eyes, the Emperor and Lei Xing were left with little choice but to indulge the Empress dowager and accept this ambush of an event. So Lei Xing and the Emperor sat across from each other, exchanging looks as the Empress dowager quietly went about brewing a new batch of tea because their distraction had “ruined” the pot.

The musicians began playing a soft melody while a dancer moved with the warm spring wind. Honestly, it was quite a beautiful and peaceful setup that one could easily enjoy… if one was not currently sitting a few feet away from what seemed to be the devil playing house.

Lei Xing inwardly sighed and faced forward at the Emperor, who was currently busy scrutinizing the Empress dowager and her right-hand man standing behind her, who was looking anywhere but at the Emperor.

{…Guilty conscience, Eunuch Li? You must be one orchestrating all this crap (_ )…}

“This one for the Empress…” The Empress dowager said and Lei Xing’s attention flicked back to the woman to find her looking at her with another skin-crawling smile. It was not that she had a weird or naturally creepy smile, it was quite pretty honestly, but on the Empress dowager’s face, it just seemed unnatural and wrong.

Ling mama picked up the little tray and came up to Lei Xing’s side and put the teacup in front of her. Lei Xing raised her eyebrows in genuine intrigue as she saw the transparent deep blue color of the “tea”. What’s more, she then looked up to see the Empress dowager pouring regular black tea from a different pot into two cups and directing one to be served to her “son” and picking the other for herself, smiling at the Emperor.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the tea in front of him and then skeptically looked at the Empress dowager and flatly asked, “Why is Xing er’s tea different?” Beating Lei Xing to the punch.

“It has quite the interesting color…” Lei Xing added, smoothing the edge of the question with a plastered on smile, trying not to seem bothered. But she felt a bit relieved knowing that she was not the only person that had a problem with this.

The Empress dowager did not seem at all bothered with the question and casually explained, “Ah, it is made from the butterfly pea flower… It is great for expectant mothers.” She added, slightly leaning towards Lei Xing with a smile.

“I’m sorry?” Lei Xing blurted out without thinking, slightly leaning back with knit eyebrows.

The Empress dowager sighed and put her teacup down, put her hands in her lap, and looked at Lei Xing, straightfaced, “I have been informed that you have stopped taking the contraceptives…”

“Ahh…” Lei Xing said, her mind calming down. That pregnancy talk from Ah Jin the day before had really put her on edge with the topic.

The Empress dowager glanced at the Emperor, then looked up at Eunuch Li who gave her a nod of encouragement. She then took a deep breath and let it out, “I have decided to make my peace…with you.” She said, nodding in Lei Xing’s direction.

Lei Xing blinked at her, at a loss for words and unsure how to react as the Empress dowager’s declaration hung in the air.

The Empress dowager faced forward, haughtily raising her head as she said, “I realize that I have been perhaps…unfair in my dealings…with you. A lot of that is due to the fact that I have a grudge against your father – but you must understand he took an active role in the demise of my family, country, and my people. He ruined my life!” She suddenly barked, jumping in her seat and glaring at Lei Xing, who slightly jumped, seemingly ready to defend.

The Empress dowager blinked at her wide-eyed as she realized she was shouting again, which was not good. So she swiftly turned to the Emperor with raised eyebrows, “But as you said, he was simply following orders and the past has nothing to do with a child that was not yet born. I understand that and I have accepted that.” She said wide-eyed, holding her chest and fervently nodding, trying very hard to be convincing.

The Emperor just looked at her, the two locked eyes for a bit, before he cast a brief glance at Eunuch Li and tentatively said, “I see… That is good.”

“It is good.” The Empress dowager said, turning her smile back at Lei Xing, who was awkwardly holding her teacup and looking down at her ring, glad to see that the color remained neutral. Even though she was now the Empress and the Empress dowager was apparently currently groveling, she did not put it past the woman to stab them in the back. After all, it would not be the first time that the Empress smiled while attempting to stab her in the back.

“So do you accept?” The Empress dowager asked, bringing Lei Xing out of her distracted thought.

Lei Xing looked up to find the Empress dowager boring her. She blinked and cast a quick glance at the Emperor, but she could not quite read his expression. She turned back to the Empress and then said, “Um… Of course. The past is the past, the future is what matters.” Lei Xing said, pinning up a smile. She could see from her peripheral vision that the Emperor smiled at her as well and she inwardly sighed.

{… How could I say anything but “of course”?… I don’t know what you’re up to but… okay… I’m still on to you though _)…}

“Very well said. You have always had a way with words~” The Empress dowager said with a laugh, “Let’s drink the tea before it gets cold. I know it’s not wine, but I think a toast is still in order.” She picked up her cup and raised it and motioned to Lei Xing and the Emperor to do the same.

Lei Xing looked at the Emperor and they both tentatively raised their cups and the Empress dowager proclaimed, “To our family and new beginnings… new life as well – a grandchild will only be a matter of time, won’t it~?” She asked, facing Lei Xing again.

“E-en.” Lei Xing awkwardly responded, quickly facing away and sipping her tea, her ears were now bright red.

{… What exactly is this rampant fascination with my babies all of a sudden? Stop talking about it! Don’t you all have better things to think about?! ( >< )…}

“Do you like it?” The Empress dowager asked and Lei Xing awkwardly turned to her and weakly smiled, “Yes, i-it is quite… pleasant.”

The Empress dowager smugly smiled, “Naturally~… This is my own blend, personally grown flowers too! You can’t find them anywhere else in the country.”

“I see… You are quite gifted.” Lei Xing awkwardly responded again.

The Empress dowager’s expression suddenly fell, and Lei Xing was put on edge again, slightly panicked that she had said something wrong again. It was not that she really cared or that she was actually scared, it was just that she could not help being on edge around this woman.

But to Lei Xing’s relief, the Empress dowager simply looked down with what looked to be a pout and fingered her teacup as she mumbled, “… Not as gifted as the one I learned from… I still had much to learn.”

Both Le Xing and the Emperor were taken aback that the Empress dowager could actually compliment someone else, but neither cared enough to further the discussion.

After that, the Empress dowager seemed to have fallen into a daze and did not say anything more. She blankly stared at her cup until the meal came and even then, she did not notice when the dishes were placed in front of her and it was only after Song mama practically shouted next to her ear that she snapped out of it.

It seemed this happened quite a bit. Even after that, she picked up her chopsticks and simply stared at the food, lost again. Although they were creeped out by the strange atmosphere, Lei Xing and the Emperor slowly ate in silence, both wanting to get this over with and leave in peace.

“I cannot return to Xia…” The Empress dowager quietly said and the Emperor and Lei Xing froze, while Eunuch Li frowned at her and started, “Your m-”

“Enough!” The Empress dowager irritatedly said, raising a hand to silence him and then looking up at the Emperor with a resolute expression. It was not part of their plan but this sort of meandering and catering was too irritating for her. If she wanted something, she would get it.

The Emperor slightly smiled, put down his chopsticks, and faced the Empress dowager, and calmly asked, “Is that it then?” The mystery has finally been unveiled.

“I cannot return to a place -” She paused, frowning, apparently having difficulty with the words, “I cannot live in that lost place filled with things that will haunt me. Sending me there is the same as killing me.” She bit out.

The Emperor frowned but before he could say anything, the Empress dowager continued, “You asked me to forgive and I have done so.” She said, dismissively waving a hand in Lei Xing’s direction, “But you cannot ask me to forget. Just as you cannot forsake those who have made you, I cannot. My family, your family was massacred there! How could I “happily” live there? Could you?!” She finished, slamming her fist on the table.

At this point, Lei Xing wanted not to be here anymore while Eunuch Li inwardly sighed in understanding. He was not aware this was what she thought of returning to Xia. He had only thought that she had no trust in the Emperor to follow through with their plans and so did not want to relinquish her position here. But now that he thought about it, it made sense for her to feel this way.

He remembered passing through Xia during his war travels with the Emperor, then he had felt melancholic but at the same time, he had felt at peace, at home. It seemed that both he and the Emperor had been narrow-sighted, absorbed in the lore of the homeland. How could they forget that it was the place of a massacre of all she loved?

The Emperor sighed and then said, “I have been short-sighted… but as I said before, the choice remains yours. There are various palaces across the empire, pick one and it shall be prepared for your arrival. This was a nice lunch, we’ll be leaving now…” The Emperor said, starting to rise to his feet, slanting his gaze to Lei Xing, signaling for her to do the same.

Lei Xing did not need to be told to get up, she had been itching to leave since they got here and so she quickly got up. But before they could give their departure bows, the Empress dowager said, “You would forsake your only family! Why? Is it because of this girl?! I already made peace with you, what else do you want?!” The Empress dowager barked, glaring at Lei Xing.

{…Oy, oy, oy, please leave me out of this! I told him you could stay – didn’t mean it, but I told him _ )…}

Lei Xing inwardly groaned and lowered her head, frowning off to the side, highly irritated and at a loss for words. She could understand that the woman wanted to deflect responsibility for her poor relationship with her son and could understand she was an easy target but…seriously?

{…But do you think I could be the reason?! I had nothing to do with her being at Chen You’s house or that monk running away! I also had nothing to do with her mind falling apart – Okay…um, if Doctor Lou was involved…then I might but – I didn’t ask her to send for him, I tried my best to dissuade her – In fact, that reminds me, you physically tried to kill me and he did nothing, absolutely NOTHING to you!… Yes, I am still angry about that (_ )…}

“It has nothing to do with anyone. It is for peace of mind, for you and I.” The Emperor calmly said, staring down the Empress dowager, who obviously was not phased.

“I am the only true family you have…” The Empress dowager bit out, her body shaking with barely contained rage.

“As I am sure you will agree, distance is a necessity for fondness in our family… My mind will not be changed.” The Emperor said, sending Eunuch Li a warning glance before turning and storming off. Lei Xing quickly bowed her head and turned to follow, but then the Empress dowager spoke up, “Don’t think you’re safe… He will forsake you too.”

Lei Xing stopped and turned, not quite sure the woman was talking to her. She locked eyes with the Empress dowager and the woman menacingly warned, “He is a traitor by nature…”

Lei Xing snorted.

{…Since when did you and I become friends to be offering me such “candid” advice? (_ )…}

“Rest assured, I’m not the kind of person to betray those I claim to care for and neither is he, so there is no cause for worry -”

The Empress dowager scoffed and scowled, “Are you trying to say that I betrayed him first?”

“Not trying. I am simply thanking you for your concern…” She said with a bow, flashed a mocking smile, and turned and left.

{…Crazy woman -_-)’…}

The Empress dowager scowled at her back, clenching her fists, and then she suddenly lunged forward, forgetting the table was in front of her, she crashed into it and flopped to the ground with a loud crash.

“Your majesty!” Both Eunuch Li and Song mama exclaimed, rushing to her side. Lei Xing also turned around at the commotion and saw as the Empress dowager shoved Song mama and Eunuch Li aside and raced towards her with rage-filled eyes. Lei Xing was stunned and stumbled back a few steps and in the same second, Bi Lu and Bi Lo both instinctively jumped in front of her having sensed the rage with hands on their swords, confused and hesitating.

But luckily Eunuch Li’s senses kicked in and he rushed to grab the Empress dowager just before she could lunge herself off of the pavilion like a mad person, locking his arms around her pulling her back as she flailed wildly, “GET OFF ME! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME?! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU AND WHEN I’M DONE, I’LL KILL HIM! I’LL KILL ALL OF YOU! WHY?! HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ME?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS YOU?! YOU RUIN EVERYTHING! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME?! GET OUT! GET OUT! LET ME GO!”

“Your majesty, please stop!” Eunuch Li shouted back and then took an elbow to the face and his grip momentarily loosened. Free, she continued forward but Eunuch Li grabbed her again and this time, she fully turned her assault on him, clawing at his neck and head, trying and failing to twist his neck as he continuously moved his head, trying to free himself.

Song mama ran to help him restrain the Empress dowager taking hits in the process, while Ling mama shuddered in the corner of the pavilion, in tears terrified. Everyone outside the pavilion stood transfixed at a loss, until Lei Xing finally gasped for breath, not at all aware that she had been holding her breath.

She looked to the pavilion and her brain finally registered what was happening and she shakily, but quickly said, “Go, g-go, go help him.” Bi Lo and Bi Lu snapped out of it as well, glanced at Lei Xing before quickly rushing into the pavilion, trying to grab the Empress dowager’s flailing arms that were keen on ripping Eunuch Li’s head to shreds.

“Just knock her out!” Lei Xing ordered. Bi Lo raised the hilt of his sword again and brought it swinging down but then, the Empress dowager moved her head, and instead, it hit Eunuch Li square in the face. Eunuch Li groaned and his head flew back and slumped to the ground, giving the Empress dowager her freedom again.

But luckily again, Before she could take a step, Bi Lu locked his arms around her, locking her arms in as well, “Now!” Bi Lu shouted to his brother as the Empress dowager wildly flailed to get free again, his hold gradually weakening.

Bi Lo raised his sword again, aiming but then a teapot swiftly came crashing down to her head first, and then the Empress dowager went limp.

Ling mama let out a shaky laugh and looked up and froze, immediately going pale as her eyes fixed on something past Lei Xing. She dropped the teapot and instantly fell to her knees, kowtowing to the ground, “Please don’t kill me! T-t-the Empress said to do it!”

Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion and then turned back to see the Emperor standing by the corner of the building, frozen in shock staring at the “possible” murder scene in the pavilion. Lei Xing blinked at him a few times and then awkwardly said, “It was self-defense…?”