King's Regrets
Eps 32's
The next day, Empress Yan was accompanied by Xiao Wei and the palace chef walked towards the palace hall. Everyone was waiting for him, including Emperor Shun.
Carefully Xiao Wei helped empress Yan walk up the stairs towards the palace hall.
Outside empress Yan saw the servants and bodyguards already standing up and staring at Empress Yan who was walking past them.
"Your Majesty the queen has arrived!" Speak the head of the bodyguard with a loud voice.
Everyone in the hall stared at the door, they saw a woman dressed in the great clothes of an empress.
With a slow but determined step, Empress Yan walked towards emperor Shun who was on her throne.
Empress Yan looked at emperor Shun expressionlessly, as if she had already been reluctant to provide space restrictions for him and emperor Shun.
Emperor Shun looked at Empress Yan's gaze at him. His heart trembled and there was a sense of being pinched.
"What do I really feel, why is it so uncomfortable to see Empress Yan looking at me with a look like that stranger?"
While Empress Yan continued to walk past all the officials, concubines, other members of the royal family and the palace servants who were inside the hall.
Concubine Ning's eyes looked at Empress Yan with great happiness, as she would soon not see Empress Yan within the palace.
Empress Yan walked up the stairs until she reached the emperor Shun. Under his feet was a small pillow that would be used by Empress Yan to kneel.
Empress Yan turned around and looked at everyone within the palace hall. She also saw concubine Ning's hidden smile as she looked towards him.
"Smile while you can still be Ning's concubine, because in a few months I'll be smiling with satisfaction."
The chief eunuch walked in front of everyone in the hall, and the chief eunuch stood before Emperor Shun and Empress Yan who stood on the throne.
"Greetings to the emperor's majesty, greetings to the empress. May your majesty live a long and prosperous life." Said the head eunuch while saluting.
"Greetings to his highness the emperor and his majesty the empress. May your majesty live a long and prosperous life." Say all the ministers and people inside the hall while saluting, including concubine Ning.
This was the second time that Empress Yan stood beside emperor Shun and earned such respect, after the first time empress Yan was appointed royal consort. Because all this time who had always been beside Emperor Shun was concubine Ning, so concubine Ning who always got it.
Empress Yan was silent, she looked at everyone who had bowed their bodies to her.
"So it feels like this is being respected?" Empress Yan's.
Emperor Shun was stunned to hear the muttering of Empress Yan, for some reason there was a sense of guilt on him, because she never wanted to have Empress Yan come with her to get greetings from the palace officials every morning and evening.
After everyone stood up, empress Yan turned around and faced Emperor Shun.
Xiao Wei who was standing not far from Empress Yan walked over, she helped Empress Yan kneel on the pillow under the feet of Empress Yan.
Everyone watched as Empress Yan kneeled before Emperor Shun.
The butler who was always beside the emperor Shun approached while carrying a tray covered with red cloth to put the crown, jewelry and also hairpins that the queen wore.
Emperor Shun looked at Empress Yan kneeling before him.
Empress Yan closed her eyes as Emperor Shun's hand stretched out to remove the crown placed on the head of Empress Yan.
Emperor Shun's hand trembled as he lifted the crown, and Emperor Shun placed it on a tray carried by the butler.
After removing the crown, emperor Shun released a circular necklace on Empress Yan's neck.
The emperor recalled, the necklace was the one he had worn on Empress Yan once, and now with his own hands, he removed the necklace.
Empress Yan deliberately wore all the jewelry she wore when she first entered the palace, that was because all the jewelry she was wearing today was the one that Emperor Shun had worn directly to her when they were married.
Emperor Shun's heart really felt uneasy, his chest was extremely tight as he removed the jewelry attached to the body of Empress Yan.
Until he saw the light blue jade bracelet on Empress Yan's wrist.
Empress Yan was silent, she also purposely wore a jade bracelet that the Queen mother gave her today. Because she knew all the jewelry she was wearing today would be taken off and put back inside the palace.
Emperor Shun raised Empress Yan's hand and slowly pulled the jade bracelet from Empress Yan's.
The eldest daughter saw that, her hands clenched firmly as emperor Shun removed the jade glass from Empress Yan's wrist.
"That's a jade bracelet that the Queen mother gave."
The eldest daughter still remembered when Empress Yan said, If emperor Shun is angry and does not allow empress Yan to wear the jade bracelet. So Empress Yan no longer wore it.
And today, that jade bracelet that Empress Yan returned to the royal family in a way that made her feel very guilty and sad.
"Mother, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you."
After removing the jade bracelet, emperor Shun saw tears streaming from the two eyes of Empress Yan who was still closed.
"Why does my heart ache to see those tears, shouldn't I be so happy that he's finally gone from this palace?"
Emperor Shun retreated a few steps away from Empress Yan.
The crown and all the jewels that Empress Yan had taken off. Xiao Wei walked up to Empress Yan and helped her up.
Emperor Shun stared at the face of Empress Yan who looked so small, even that face was no bigger than his palm.
"Your highness, you must take off the noble robe of the empress." Said the butler to the silent emperor Shun.
Emperor Shun was a little surprised, he then approached Empress Yan and carefully removed the thin robe that Empress Yan was wearing.
The scent of Empress Yan filled the sense of smell of emperor Shun, as her body was very close to that of empress Yan. It was Emperor Shun's closest distance to Empress Yan after they married a few years ago.
Emperor Shun inhaled the scent of Empress Yan's body slowly, as if he did not want to lose that extremely gentle scent.
Meanwhile, empress Yan was silent as emperor Shun removed his thin robe. He felt that it had been too long and wanted to end it all immediately.
The robe emperor Shun placed on the tray, he then looked at Empress Yan who was looking at him coldly.
"Greetings to the emperor, may his majesty live long." Said Empress Yan while bowing her body to emperor Shun.
Emperor Shun was petrified as empress Yan greeted her, empress Yan's tone speaking to her like a stranger who didn't know each other.
"Why do I feel that I and Empress Yan are so far away?"
Empress Yan stood up again, she then turned around and looked at everyone below her.
"Thank you for your kindness all this time to me." Said empress Yan while bowing her body again.
Everyone was stunned to see Empress Yan bowing her body to them. Although she was no longer the royal consort of the Qin state, but to the people who were there, empress Yan was still the empress of their Qin state.
Empress Yan went down the stairs at the aid of Xiao Wei, she did not turn her head in the slightest to look at emperor Shun. Until finally he reached the front door of the palace hall.
"Hopefully the empress is always happy and always healthy out there." Said concubine Nuan while bowing her body.
Seeing concubine Nuan say that, the little king advanced a few steps forward.
"May your highness the empress live a long and happy life."
The little king bowed his body to give his final salute to Empress Yan.
Empress Yan only smiled, yet she did not turn around. For him if he turned around, it was like he did not want to leave that royal palace.
Ministers, the little king, the eldest daughter and concubine Zhu bowed their bodies, giving their final salute ushering in the departure of Empress Yan from the royal palace.
Emperor Shun did not expect that Empress Yan was so respected by everyone, even her eldest brother bowed his body.
Consort Ning who was alone did not bow felt very upset, because everyone was so respectful towards empress Yan who was now no longer a Qin state empress.