Chapter 255 Offending Tianyan

It has been several days since she left the palace.
Although the emperor allowed Wan Ning to return to the Li Mansion, both she and Yan Er knew that they couldn't completely ignore the rules of the palace and returned to the palace that very day.
Once in the palace, Wanning locked herself in the side hall of Yunyan Pavilion. Only Yan'er and Lian'er occasionally came in, but Zhou Cairen, who had to prepare to welcome the emperor, even if she saw how unhappy Wanning was, couldn't come over to comfort her.
Unconsciously, it was time for dinner. Yanner knew that Wanning must have no appetite because of her bad mood, so she specially made several dishes that Wanning loved to eat. The food was already on the table, but Wanning was still quietly in the inner room. If it wasn't for her troubled mind, this wouldn't be the usual her, acting so high and mighty even when having a meal, making people feel the need to invite her.
"Miss, it's time to eat. These past few days, you haven't been eating properly. If this continues, your body won't be able to hold up."
Wanning cast a melancholic look at Yanner, "Yan sister, I have no appetite."
"Miss, no matter how many unhappy things you have, you still have to live, you still have to eat, especially for a man. Have a meal, today's dishes were all made by this humble servant personally, all the ones you love. Even if you are angry, you still have to eat until you're full to have energy. It's not like you, Miss, to get angry and not eat. Your current state only proves that you care too much about the young master."
Yaner's provocative method worked. Wan Ning no longer likes it when others say she cares about things, and she is also kind-hearted, not wanting to disappoint others. Finally, she moved her delicate body to the dining table, and sure enough, all the dishes were her favorite.
She sat down and shoveled a few bites of rice into her mouth, trying to force herself to eat the whole bowl. Watching Wan Ning eat, Yan Er felt a pang of guilt, unsure if she had done the right thing or not.
Wanning sat in front of the table for a while before lazily saying, "I'm full, Yan'er, you can leave."
After dinner, it was not completely dark yet.
Checking the time, if nothing unexpected happens, the emperor will come to Yunyan Pavilion tonight. Wanning sat on the couch and couldn't help but look into the courtyard, but she didn't see the emperor coming. Instead, her eyes were met with two maids diligently watering the flowers. The flowers were blooming beautifully, and from afar, they looked very enchanting.
She thought, why not go out and pick a few branches to put in a vase? The house would have a fresh feeling, and with the fragrant scent, maybe her mood would improve.
As she approached the flower bed, even the most beautiful flowers seemed to have a few withering ones. Her mood also deteriorated accordingly. The flowers in front of her could captivate her. Occasionally, she plucked a few petals and spread them out on her palm, stroking them, and became even more engrossed.
"What are you doing? You look so focused," a familiar voice sounded.
Wanning turned around and realized that it was the Emperor. She calmed down and calmly said, "Greetings to Your Majesty."
The emperor stared at her for a while and could sense that she didn't seem as cheerful as before, knowing that she had a rough couple of days. "Flower, one can only admire from a distance, not touch. Have you not noticed how beautiful these flowers are from afar?"
"Your Majesty, you are wise. This servant also noticed that when looking out from the room, it appears beautiful, without any signs of decay. But when we get closer to observe, all its flaws become exposed. Therefore, the servant's initial idea of picking a few branches to put in a vase was a mistake. It is similar to the way men and women interact – if there is no possession from the beginning, only distant admiration, she will always remain a beautiful existence. Once possessed, she becomes defiled, and in the eyes of men, she progressively becomes full of flaws."
The emperor's face lit up with a faint smile: "Wannin, is it necessary for you? To have such deep emotions just by seeing a few flowers! You said that these flowers' flaws are exposed, but what flaws are there?"
"I believe that time has caused once beautiful flowers to wither, turning their strengths into weaknesses. Perhaps I misspoke. The decline of flowers is a natural occurrence, not a flaw in their nature. In fact, everyone loves flowers that bloom and are vibrant. What's wrong with flowers that gradually decline? That's why I have a special sympathy for these withering flowers before me. They have also been deeply loved and now find themselves in a pitiful state deserving of even more compassion."
The emperor seemed to have taken a liking to the most vibrant and beautiful blossom among all the flowers at first sight. He reached out and turned the flower towards himself, saying, "But it must be said that the exquisite beauty of a flower surpasses its withering state. The desire for beauty is inherent in all human beings. Just as you said, even a withered flower has had moments of beauty and has been loved. This world treats all flowers fairly."
"Yeah, maybe this is what men are like, always liking a woman at her most lovely, possessing her when she's at her best. So in this world, we only see the newcomer's smile, not the old one's tears. Your Majesty, your power is overwhelming, with just one command, no one dares to disobey. You say the moon is square, and no one dares to say it's round. You say all the flowers in the world should be loved equally, and so it shall be."
"What are you saying?" said the emperor, as he turned around to leave. "Standing outside in the yard looking at flowers at this late hour."
"Yes, Your Majesty, you have arrived. I must not be neglectful. However, Your Majesty, please go and accompany Lady Zhou first. She has been preparing to welcome Your Majesty and you must not disappoint her."
The Emperor did indeed go to the main hall first and accompanied the concubine to dinner. After about half an hour, he finally came to the side hall, probably wanting to talk to Wan Ning. There was an empty flower vase placed prominently on the table. Wan Ning stood foolishly in the courtyard for a long time, but in the end, she did not gather a few branches to come back and put them in the vase.
Wanning, who was practicing calligraphy, respectfully said after finishing the last stroke, "Your Majesty, you have arrived."
He sat down on the couch by himself and said, "The vases are all prepared, but it's just a few flowers, why don't we pick them?"
Wanning slowly walked up to the emperor and replied, "Your majesty, don't break it. Is a flower that is put back in a vase really a sign of being loved by someone? It's better to leave it there, admire it from afar, and quietly let it wither away in the end. These pitiful flowers do not need to endure the cruelty of being deeply loved and then abandoned."
He casually asked but triggered Wan Ning's emotions. He tried to divert her attention and said something cheerful: "Wan Ning, I went to your father's grave today and paid my respects to him. It was the right thing to do."
This is a great grace, and Wannin immediately knelt down: "Thank you for the heavenly grace."
"Get up, I also hope that your father can be at ease."
At this moment, Wannin remembered her father and missed him even more. She couldn't control the excitement in her heart and tears streamed down uncontrollably. The Emperor personally wiped away the teardrops on her face.
"This servant is feeling dispirited."
"No matter. It is natural to miss loved ones. However, you seem to be in a particularly melancholic mood tonight."
"Your Majesty, your wisdom allows you to see through this servant's thoughts. I had once possessed everything, but did not wish to lose it, yet I still lost."
"As long as you are willing, you will immediately possess the glory that surpasses all other women. I know what you are worried about, and I will fulfill a man's responsibility to the best of my ability. You have lost your parents, so you should be taken care of more."
Wanning didn't want to refuse the emperor outright, so she knelt down again. She couldn't find the mental energy to consider what the emperor had said. Her emotions were already extremely low, and at this moment, thoughts of her father flooded her mind. How she wished her father could come back to life, how much she wanted to see him again.
"This humble servant dares to ask Your Majesty, why does Left Officer Hong hate my father so much and want to kill him?"
The Emperor explained the real reason why Left Officer Hong hated Li Zhenghang - he had killed Left's most promising son, Left Rui, in order to facilitate a coup. Wan Ning finally understood the whole story - it turned out that her father had lost his life because of his loyalty to the Emperor.
“I admit, your father is indeed great. He did not report this matter to me afterwards and carried the burden on his own. As for Zuo Linghong's character, I understand it. If we pay a little attention, it probably won't cause trouble.”
"Then why does the emperor still use such deceitful and cunning people?"
"Why?" the emperor glared at her and said, "What does a little maid like you understand? When the water is too clear, there are no fish. Governing a country is much more complex, and all kinds of people are needed."
Wannan smiled bitterly: "That's why my father was wrongfully killed."
She even harbored some resentment towards the emperor before her.
"Your Majesty, I believe that in a clean and peaceful world, such a tragedy would never happen to my father. Despite his high position and power, he couldn't protect himself. In the court, personal grudges and grievances run rampant. When you ordered my father's banishment to Sichuan, you gave Zhang Linghong an opportunity for revenge. In a clean and peaceful world, there would be no unjust cases. After my father's death, the court remains filled with corruption, and no one questions his death. Take for example the highly regarded Guo Junming, whom you have always relied on. He not only wields his power to manipulate officials, tarnishing my father's reputation and confiscating the Li family's wealth, but he also knew that Zhang Linghong harmed my father, yet he still recommended him to you. You even promoted Zhang Linghong. Is this truly a clean and peaceful world?"
“婉宁，你长这么大，当真不懂人走茶凉的道理？”
皇帝的话还没有说完，婉宁就接过话茬：“在他们看来，就算给你父亲平了反又有什么用呢？自古以来，冤案数不胜数，哪有一桩桩一件件都得到澄清的？皇上，您是想说这些吗？在您的治下，没有人敢站出来呼唤正义，皇上您就一点责任都没有吗？您连一个正直之人都庇护不了，还有何颜面面对天下苍生？”
"Stop talking!" The emperor's heart flamed with anger, and his tone was filled with the dignity of a ruler. But he knew that Wannin spoke disrespectfully solely because she missed her father too much. He stood up, intending to leave.
Wanning successfully angered the emperor again, and she didn't even know where she got the courage to say these words.
After taking a few steps, the emperor suddenly turned around and approached her: "Li Wanning, if you utter another word about the government affairs, I won't be able to save you!"
Wanning, who had disregarded her life and death, was still awed by the majesty of the emperor.
The emperor, with an angry face, left the side hall without even looking back.