"You deformed thing! Leave my Palace!"

Bai Yunyu was astonished as he didn't expect that Empress Dowager would spit on him. Meilan was the first one to glare at Empress Dowager. She felt humiliated just as her Master got humiliated by this old woman.

But none of them said anything, Empress Dowager scoffed mockingly, and she laughed at Yunyu, who couldn't say anything and just lowered his head in response to such humiliation, "What will you do now? Hit me? You know my noble status, right?"

"I would never do that, Your Majesty," Yunyu replied humbly.

[Though, I might as well rip your mouth in exchange.]

Empress Dowager Aixi chuckled and ate a grape before spitting the seeds at Bai Yunyu's head. She did this out of spite, of course. She wanted to make sure this deformed man knew his place and wouldn't dare to try and rule the imperial harem.

After Empress Dowager Aixi had her time ridiculing Yunyu, she told him, "Remember, just because you're the first one to marry my son, you will NOT be his Empress. There is no way I will let a deformed thing, neither of a man or a woman, rule side by side with him. My son has much more worth than staying with you. He is the Emperor of this big empire!"

Bai Yunyu, who was obedient the whole time, finally raised his head the moment Empress Dowager Aixi said that. The reason why he agreed to marry Huang Shu was due to his promise that he would never bring any concubine!

If this mother in law of his suddenly told him that he would never be the only one for his husband, then Bai Yunyu had to defend his right!

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I have to defend my right here," Yunyu said stubbornly. He stared at Empress Dowager without fear in his eyes. In fact, he never feared this old woman. He just didn't want to create trouble.

Empress Dowager was a bit surprised by the sudden stubbornness from Yunyu, "Right? What right are you talking about? You're just a merchant son!"

"It's about a promise that your son has made before to me. He said that he will not take any concubine other than me as his only spouse, and my child will be his only heir," Yunyu said courageously. Which shocked everyone, even the guards and maids who were present.

Empress Dowager was livid when she heard that Huang Shu, her son, had made such a ridiculous promise to a deformed man. She pointed at Yunyu with her nail guard, "You! You must've influenced him to follow what you want, right? What a poisonous man! You're a poisonous deformed thing! How could my son have only you? He is the Emperor, he needs to share his love for many women! And I would never accept an heir from a thing like you! You cursed thing!"

Bai Yunyu gritted his teeth. He didn't want to deal with this woman any longer, "Then you should ask your son why would he marry me if he can't fulfil his promise in the first place! I will stand with what he promised me!"

He didn't want to incite even bigger trouble after this, so Yunyu just turned his back and stormed off the Palace of White Swan, leaving the Empress Dowager cursing him over and over.

Meilan followed her master as they left the Palace. She offered the handkerchief for his Master that she kept in case of emergency. It seemed this was an emergency since Master Bai's face was stained with that disgusting spit.

Bai Yunyu took the handkerchief and wiped his face before tossing it on the side.

Meilan was afraid that she might annoy her master, so she waited until they were far from the Empress Dowager's Palace and then she asked, "Master Bai, is that really allowed?"

Bai Yunyu halted his step once Meilan asked, "Allowed? You mean, raising my head after that old woman spit at me, cursed me, and humiliate me in front of the servants and guards? Of course, it's still not allowed."

"But—" honestly, Meilan also supported her Master's decision. But she was afraid that it would only make things worse.

"Meilan, I know that it wasn't the best move. But sometimes, when your right has been forcefully taken, you will have to fight for it. I will not let her take away the promise that Huang Shu gave to me once," Bai Yunyu said decisively.

[Larva: Yes! Master Bai is the most courageous! Master Bai is the best!]

Larva was so satisfied when Yunyu stood up for his right and danced around Yunyu liked a cheerleader.

[It's not really a good thing, Larva. I don't know what will happen next, and the only thing that I can do is wishing that Huang Shu keeps his promise…]

[I really hope that he will keep his promise…]

Bai Yunyu returned to his Palace of Serene Harmony. He was thinking about telling this problem to Huang Shu. But then, he realized that Huang Shu was still too busy with his duty and ministry reports. Besides, sooner or later, that old woman would tell Huang Shu, or maybe slander him for being unfilial to his mother in law.

[If he dares to find a concubine, then I will confront him! I am a warrior in my root. I will not lose to that repugnant old woman!]

**

Empress Dowager was fuming out of rage, watched by the servants and the guards around her Palace as she kept calling her son in law, the Emperor's wife, as a 'deformed thing, not even a man nor a woman.'

She called her trusted eunuch and yelled at him to vent her anger at Bai Yunyu, "How could that thing talk to me like that? He has no manner and has no shame!"

"Y—Yes, Your Majesty Empress Dowager…" the eunuch nodded obediently, knowing that it could save his job and his life.

"Hmph! I really don't understand why my son, the Emperor, is thinking to stay with that deformed thing. I've offered him many beautiful women, especially those with good, noble background and white jade beauty. I even suggested that he take a wife from Xi Family since Old Xi is our current prime minister. But he decided to marry that thing, who is also a merchant's son?! My son has been bewitched!"

Empress Dowager Aixi came from a noble family and had kept her tradition to maintain power. Although his son actually winning against his Imperial brothers to take the dragon throne was surprising, but even without the dragon throne, Empress Dowager would ensure that her son got the best of the world.

Now everything was perfect except one thing like a nail that stuck out of this perfect life. That deformed man called Bai Yunyu had bewitched her son into his ridiculous interest of monopolizing Emperor's love.

"Go and send a letter to Xi house, tell Xi Yue to come and meet me. I want my son to understand that Xi Yue is the perfect girl for the throne. She is prime minister's granddaughter, beautiful, well-educated and well mannered, unlike that thing!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."