Beloved Empress

Thinking Too Much

In the imperial study, Jun Qian Che is busy reading a memorial. A very beautiful woman is standing next to him; she is none other than Yang Shi Han.

"Biaoge, I heard you haven't gone to the empress' palace for a couple of days now. Did you two fight?" Yang Shi Han curiously asks while grinding him ink.

Jun Qian Che icily speaks without even raising his head, "That is betweenzhenand the empress. No need for you to interfere."

"Chenqienaturally does not dare to interfere in things between Your Majesty and Her Ladyship. But, aren't you curious about what the empress has been up to these past few days, Your Majesty?" Yang Shi Han secretly gauge his reaction.

Jun Qian Che carelessly asks, "What is the empress up to?"

"Biaoge, you may not know this, but the empress has been inquiring about the viewing tower incident. What is she trying to say? She was clearly caught red-handed and is now pretending to be ignorant about it. It is almost like she wants to remind everyone of what she had done! She knows that you did not manage to catch her lover. With Duke Zhen backing her, she thinks that she can prance around the palace looking all haughty. She is being too shameless!"

"What are you trying to say?" Jun Qian Che impatiently asks.

"Your Majesty, whatchenqieis trying to say is the empress gave you a green hat and is actually busy announcing that to the entire palace. Why is she still here? Why haven't you deposed her yet? Even if Duke Zhen objects to it, what the empress did was more than enough to deserve that."

"Zhenhaszhen'sown discretion in this matter, there is no need for you to point everything out," Jun Qian Che sounds very unhappy.

"Biaoge, don't tell me that you have fallen in love with Mo Qi Qi? Don't forget who her father is! Mo Clan is very close to the 7thwang and the grand empress dowager. They will turn against you, sooner or later. Yesterday, the 7thwang entered the palace. He said he wanted to greet the grand empress dowager, but the grand empress dowager ended up inviting the empress as well. They chatted for a long time, who knows what they did in Yong Shou Palace."

"That is enough! If there is nothing else, you can leave," Jun Qian Che impatiently shoos her away.

"Biaoge—"

"Go!" He angrily says.

Yang Shi Han purse her lips and angrily leaves.

Mo Qi Qi is holding a bowl of soup as she stands in front of the imperial study. She decided to start her investigation from Jun Qian Che.

When Yang Shi Han angrily walks out of the imperial study, she bumps into Mo Qi Qi. She approaches her, looking at the bowl she is holding before haughtily asking, "What are you carrying?"

Mo Qi Qi purposely makes herself look dignified and elegant, "Bengongpersonally made His Majesty soup."

Yang Shi Han scoffs, "You personally made it? Who are you trying to fool? Perhaps you put poison inside!"

"Yang Guifei, please take a good look on who you are talking to. Althoughbengongsaid that we do not have to be too courteous with each other since we are sisters, that does not means that you are allowed to be downright disrespectful. Do this again andbengongwill handle this according to the palace rules," Mo Qi Qi use her position to scare Yang Shi Han off.

"You—-" Although Yang Shi Han is angry, she needs to take Mo Qi Qi's identity into consideration. No matter what she says, Mo Qi Qi is still the empress.

Mo Qi Qi is really happy seeing Yang Shi Han looking deflated. She lifts her chin and arrogantly walks into the study.

Yang Shi Han angrily stomps her feet before leaving in a huff.

Mo Qi Qi elegantly walks over to Jun Qian Che and place the bowl on the table, "Greeting Your Majesty."

Jun Qian Che looks at the bowl, "What is this?" He is very surprised that she is taking the initiative to look for him. Although she does this a lot in the past, she has stopped doing this after the fall from the viewing tower.

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"Hehe, Your Majesty.Chenqiepersonally made you soup.Chenqiehears that you have been really busy lately and is worried that you wouldn't eat right. Hopefully, this soup can help recharge your body," Mo Qi Qi tries her best to sound virtuous.

"You made this yourself?" Jun Qian Che looks like he has a hard time believing that. When did she learn all these?

"Of course!Chenqielearned to cook because of Your Majesty! Go on and taste it!" she spoons it up and offers to feed him.

Jun Qian Che hesitates for a moment before drinking it.

"How does it taste like? Do you like it?" Mo Qi Qi asks.

Jun Qian Che stares at her icily, "Whatever it is, just say it! No need to run around in a circle."

Huh! The smile on Mo Qi Qi's face turns rigid. Can he not be so straight-forward? How embarrassing.

"Hehe, Your Majesty,chenqiedoes not really have any hidden intention for doing this.Chenqieonly wants to look after you." How on earth should she open that topic? Will she end up pissing him off?

"You already seezhen, you can leave now," Jun Qian Che heartlessly chase her away.

Mo Qi Qi looks a little shaken, but she manage to maintain her smile, "Hehe, actuallychenqiehas something to ask you.Chenqiehas committed a wrong.Chenqiehas hidden something from you," Mo Qi Qi bows her head, looking all guilty and pitiful.

When he hears that, Jun Qian Che's heart races up. Don't tell him that she wants a showdown. Don't tell him that she wants to say that the man she likes is not him, but rather the 7thwang. If she really made that choice, he will really kill her.

He calm himself down before saying, "Speak."

Mo Qi Qi anxiously tugs on her own dress before lowly saying, "Your Majesty, afterchenqie'sfall from the viewing tower,chenqieends up forgetting a lot of things. It is what physicians would call— amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Jun Qian Che looks at her, confused.

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"It means forgetting everything that happened before the fall. Didn't you askedchenqiewhochenqiewas? You said thatchenqiehas changed.Chenqiedidn't tell you the truth then. The truth is,chenqiehas lost my memories.Chenqiehas completely forgotten my past,chenqiedon't even know martial arts now.Chenqiehesitated to tell you this becausechenqiewas afraid that you would be upset.Chenqiethought that with Ban Xiang bychenqie'sside,chenqiecan ask her anythingchenqiedoesn't know and that no one will suspect anything. Since the gods arranged this forchenqie,chenqiethought that it must be becausechenqiehad no memories worth cherishing in the past. Starting a new life wasn't such a bad idea. But who would have known that even Ban Xiang has things she doesn't know.Chenqieasked her about happened before thechenqie'sfall and she said nothing happened. However, everytime Your Majesty brought up the viewing tower's fall, you would get upset and kept asking who that person was. Something must have happened back then. After contemplating for a long time,chenqiedecided to fess up. What was it that happened in the viewing tower? And who was the person you were talking about?"

Jun Qian Che looks at her incredulously, "Are you telling the truth?"

Mo Qi Qi nods, "Chenqiethink you have long suspected this as well.Chenqieno longer remembers anything. Can you tellchenqiewhat happened in the viewing tower?"

Jun Qian Che quickly compose himself, "Actually, Ban Xiang was telling the truth. Nothing happened. It's just that one of the maids from your palace stolezhen'smost beloved painting. The guards chased after her and she fleed to the viewing tower. You andzhenwent after her there and just as zhen was about to take care of her, a masked man came and took her away. We still didn't know who that man was. Since that maid was from your palace,zhenthought that you knew who that man was but didn't want to tellzhen, that was whyzhenwas so angry," Jun Qian Che smoothly constructed a lie.

Mo Qi Qi laughs, "So it was like that!Chenqiethoughtchenqiecommitted a crime or something. Don't worry, Your Majesty!Chenqiewill try my best to regain my memories! We will definitely catch that guy!"

"Since you have forgotten the past, no need to dwell on it," he unexpectedly says. If she really forgot that man, he can pretend that the incident never happened. Just like what she said, they can have a new beginning together. If she lost her memories, she also lost all those years worth of memories with the 7thwang. That way, she will no longer love the 7thwang.

"You don't mind me losing my memories, Your Majesty?" Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che, pretending to be worried.

"You arezhen'sempress. No matter what you forget or what you become, you are stillzhen'sempress. Since you already forgot everything in the past,zhenwill help you create new memories for the future," Jun Qian Che earnestly says.

Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Since you are busy,chenqieshall not disturb you any longer." She curtsies before him before leaving.

Jun Qian Che looks at her retreating back, hoping that she is not lying to him. If she lost her memories, he is willing to stand beside her, making new memories with her. He just hope that she will no longer harbour other men in her heart.

Mo Qi Qi walks out of the imperial study before staring at the blue sky, looking very disappointed. Jun Qian Che has not been honest with her. He would not be so angry if it was a mere theft. What exactly did the previous owner did before her untimely death? The more people try to conceal it from her, the more anxious she becomes.

In the blink of an eye, a couple of days passed and Mo Qi Qi still hasn't found her answer.

Ban Xiang tries to persuade her, "Your Ladyship, what happened that day was exactly like what His Majesty said. Why would the emperor lie at you? Stop thinking too much. Why don't you keep the grand empress dowager company in Yong Shou Palace?"

Serene: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.

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