However, before she could reprimand him, she heard her son's words.

"How many times have I told you not to refer to yourself as this lowly servant or some other variant thereof? That puts me even more off than all the rules and regulations I have to follow in this place. At least, you can act as if you listen to my words and act accordingly, can't you?" 

Zhou Sheng smiled helplessly at Su Li's words and coaxed, "Alright. Alright. This lowly one will listen to Your Majesty's words. Don't get angry on my behalf and just eat the food before it gets cold and becomes unpalatable." 

Su Li pointed to Zhou Sheng's face, "You...You...are you trying to play me? Do you think I won't get angry at you? How many times do I have to repeat myself before those words penetrate your thick skull?" 

"One more time, as always, Your Majesty. Anyways, this lowly one cannot break the protocol and have even more tongues wagging. It's better to be cautious." 

Su Li snorted at Zhou Sheng's words and the dinner continued. 

When the Empress Dowager tried to place a fish fried in mustard oil in His Majesty's place, Zhou Sheng stopped her, "My lady, His Majesty is allergic to this." 

Those words seemed to sick out the air from the easygoing atmosphere and the pavilion returned to a pin drop silence. 

However, before it could get awkward, he smiled sheepishly at the Empress Dowager and wheedled,  "If My Lady doesn't despise this one, this servant would…" 

Before he could finish his words, the old lady had already placed the fish in his bowl and gave him such a heart-stopping smile that if she had been a few decades younger and Zhou Sheng's heart hadn't already been with Princess, he would have fallen under the Empress Dowager's thrall. 

When Su Li noticed the old lady and Zhou Sheng getting along so well, she couldn't stop smiling. 

Now, someone would like to question: What was Ning Fu doing while all of this was happening?

Well, the answer would be that first he was surprised by Zhou Sheng's actions.

Secondly, he was surprised some more by the Empress Dowager's nonchalant att.i.tude towards the fact that her family line might end if her son loved another man. 

But then thinking about how the monarch had already rejected even the idea of getting married, it seemed that the mambear would be happy as long as she knew someone body could get close to that block faced the son of his. 

However, what left him flummoxed was the fact that if the emperor was so close to his friend/sub-ordinate, how close he must have been to the one he loved. 

He couldn't help but steal glances whenever he heard Zhou Sheng softly asking the other person to eat repeatedly and even though the monarch would spit and growl like a tiger, in the end, he would become putty in his brother's hand and readily do whatever the other asked.

After the meal ended, the Empress Dowager's melodious voice rang out, "Your Majesty, Aijia heard about what happened in the court today. Thought the imperial harem is not allowed to interfere in such matters, Aijia has a solution to shut these people." Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

Su Li was someone who respected the elderly and she was even more respectful to this old lady who had spent her entire life cooped up indoors, having to share her husband with so many other ladies and then having the misfortune of being separated from her child for a decade. 

Even if she wasn't her biological mother, Su Li always made a point to make sure that she didn't slight this person whether intentionally or unintentionally. 

She gave the Empress Dowager a smile and with a shake of her head, said, "What are you talking about, Mother? Your child is still young and needs to depend upon you for many issues inside and outside the harem. Tell me, what solution do you have?" 

The old lady gave an amicable smile and replied, "Isn't the Imperial Hunt in a few days? Aijia thinks that Zhou Sheng should partic.i.p.ate in it and then when he makes a considerable impression during the hunt on the court officials, Your Majesty can give him a post without anyone raising a ruckus over it?" 

At those words, Su Li recalled that there wasn't much time left for the hunt to start and also concurred that this was a good opportunity to make use of and give Zhou Sheng considerable powers through the proper channels so she readily agreed. 

Afterwards, the Empress Dowager left with her posse and Su Li, Ning Fu and Zhou Sheng were the only ones left. 

All of them could discern in their hearts that they should talk about the happenings in the Imperial City of late but no one knew where to start from because Su Li didn't want to talk about it, Zhou Sheng was blaming himself and Ning Fu wouldn't utter a word recklessly in front of the monarch. 

When the strained silence had continued for some time and the atmosphere was becoming heavy, Su Li slouched in on herself and with a morose expression began, "Zhen has spent so long away from home and Zhen had hoped and prayed that when Zhen came back, he would be welcomed with open arms and smiling faces." 

The other two could hear the repressed emotions in that voice and couldn't help but want to soothe the monarch.

However, decorum stayed their hand and they quietly listened.

"Zhen didn't want to be the monarch in the first place. Sadly, it was father emperor's last wish and Zhen cannot bear to break the departed soul's heart." 

Su Li stood up from her seat and thought about everything with a faraway look in her eyes - the present, the past. 

She turned her back towards Zhou Sheng and Ning Fu and continued, "Zhen isn't even naive enough to think that n.o.body will eye Zhen and Zhen's position for their own benefit. Since they are so restless for this year of power, Zhen wants to simply hand it to them with both of Zhen's hands." 

She clenched her hand into a tight fist and crescents formed inside the skin of her palm. 

When both of the males tried to interrupt her, she shook her head as if trying to shake off the maudlin thoughts and went on, "The problem is, even if Zhen offers the world to them, they still wouldn't care about the world and their subjects. They would rather enjoy all the benefits that came along with the t.i.tle and won't do the work that will be expected of them."