Ruan Xilu was startled, but when she took a closer look, she saw that the emperor had a broad nose and a powerful jaw. Though he had long been lost in wine and women, he still bore the dignified, imposing air of a ruler. His expression was calm, as if the clamor outside had not affected him at all.
That scene from moments ago had seemed like a fleeting illusion.
Just then, the emperor asked woodenly, "Imperial Consort, there's chaos outside. Are you afraid?"
Ruan Xilu's heart pounded, and the jade ornaments in her hair swayed faintly. Daring not to think too much, she forced a smile. "With Your Majesty by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Then are you happy?" The emperor lowered his head and stared straight at her.
The Imperial Consort didn't understand what he meant and felt a chill of fear in her heart. Still smiling, she continued, "Your Majesty... why would you ask that?"
The emperor said, "You've always said this palace is like a cage, that you couldn't wait to leave—even if you became a commoner afterward, even if you lived only from dawn to dusk, at least you'd have been free for a while. Then this life wouldn't have been lived in vain."
"Now that there's chaos outside, this is the perfect time for you to leave."
Ruan Xilu was terrified. She'd said things like that only to distinguish herself from the other consorts during their palace intrigues. How could she have meant them?
The emperor might not have been a wise ruler, but he wasn't especially tyrannical, either.
Since his ascension to the throne, the realm had seen no major upheaval. Why was there a coup now—and why did the emperor seem to have no intention of resisting?
Could it be