Chapter 62
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 between zhen and the empress. No need for you to interfere."
"Chenqie naturally 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, what chenqie is 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."
"Zhen has zhen's own 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 7th wang and the grand empress dowager. They will turn against you, sooner or later. Yesterday, the 7th wang 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, "Bengong personally 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. Although bengong said 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 and bengong will 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.
"Hehe, Your Majesty. Chenqie personally made you soup. Chenqie hears 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! Chenqie learned 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, chenqie does not really have any hidden intention for doing this. Chenqie only wants to look after you." How on earth should she open that topic? Will she end up pissing him off?
"You already see zhen, 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, actually chenqie has something to ask you. Chenqie has committed a wrong. Chenqie has 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 7th wang. 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, after chenqie's fall from the viewing tower, chenqie ends up forgetting a lot of things. It is what physicians would call— amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Jun Qian Che looks at her, confused.
"It means forgetting everything that happened before the fall. Didn't you asked chenqie who chenqie was? You said that chenqie has changed. Chenqie didn't tell you the truth then. The truth is, chenqie has lost my memories. Chenqie has completely forgotten my past, chenqie don't even know martial arts now. Chenqie hesitated to tell you this because chenqie was afraid that you would be upset. Chenqie thought that with Ban Xiang by chenqie's side, chenqie can ask her anything chenqie doesn't know and that no one will suspect anything. Since the gods arranged this for chenqie, chenqie thought that it must be because chenqie had 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. Chenqie asked her about happened before the chenqie's fall 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, chenqie decided 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, "Chenqie think you have long suspected this as well. Chenqie no longer remembers anything. Can you tell chenqie what 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 stole zhen's most beloved painting. The guards chased after her and she fleed to the viewing tower. You and zhen went 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, zhen thought that you knew who that man was but didn't want to tell zhen, that was why zhen was so angry," Jun Qian Che smoothly constructed a lie.
Mo Qi Qi laughs, "So it was like that! Chenqie thought chenqie committed a crime or something. Don't worry, Your Majesty! Chenqie will 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 7th wang. That way, she will no longer love the 7th wang.
"You don't mind me losing my memories, Your Majesty?" Mo Qi Qi looks at Jun Qian Che, pretending to be worried.
"You are zhen's empress. No matter what you forget or what you become, you are still zhen's empress. Since you already forgot everything in the past, zhen will 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, chenqie shall 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.