"Thus, Zhen, Emperor Xianliang, will personally bestow the marriage you've truly wanted, Lady Xi Yue."

Empress Dowager Aixi and Lady Xi Yue were expecting Emperor Xianliang to bestow the marriage between himself and Xi Yue, but the next sentence came like thunder crashing down on a clear sky.

"Lady Xi Yue from Xi Family, I bestow a marriage between you and Fu Shipeng, Young Master from Marquis Fu Family. He has a good record, he is also a good scholar. You should be a perfect mistress to manage his Fu house," Huang Shu said.

With this, Bai Yunyu only affirmed with a slight nod. Bai Yunyu knew about Fu Shipeng and his ability. So after Huang Shu suggested Fu Shipeng, he thought it would be good to match Xi Yue. They were both from honorable family and was almost equal.

With the Xi family dominating the government and the Fu family dominating the economy and trade.

However, it was Huang Shu who had malicious intentions. He still couldn't accept how his mother and Xi Yue slandered and humiliated Yunyu in the banquet, so he set up a plan to punish Xi Yue and slowly whittle down Empress Dowager Aixi's power.

This was his first step because only he had the memory of Fu Shipeng in the previous timeline.

True, he was a good scholar and a good official from an honorable family. But he was secretly promiscuous and had an affair with many women until he caught a sexually transmitted disease. He was caught when there were increasing reports of so many ger men and women caught the disease from him, including his wife in the previous timeline. In the end, he was punished by the ministry and got castrated.

As much as Huang Shu wanted to be a good-natured holy mother like his wife, Bai Yunyu. He was still malicious at heart. If he couldn't lay his hand on Xi Yue and punish her for intentionally humiliating Yunyu in front of all nobles and officials.

Then he would do an underhanded method.

As long as Yunyu didn't know how malicious he could be. Because he knew that Yunyu was truly a kindhearted man, too good for this palace filled with treachery.

Empress Dowager was the first one to react after that announcement, "Emperor! What are you doing?! Lady Xi Yue is a good woman for you! Why would you bestow him a marriage with another man?!"

"Because I don't see any urgent importance to marry Lady Xi Yue into my harem. I have a wife that I am happy with, Mother Empress," Huang Shu replied.

"But that deformed thing is just a merchant son! He has no backing!"

"Then I would be his one and only backing. I will be the only one he needs," Huang Shu proclaimed bravely in front of his mother, officials, and guards around them.

They were awed with their Emperor's loyalty, but Empress Dowager was fuming in rage.

"That deformed thing has bewitched you! How could you defend him and confront me like this! Do you have any filial piety for me?! I'm your mother!"

"Mother, don't you see that I've been filial to you all my life? I studied because you told me. I moved to study in the military because of you. I became the Emperor because you said you want to raise up in rank from an Imperial Noble Consort to an Empress, or at least Empress Dowager."

"I've done everything I can for you, and you still won't allow me to at least choose someone that I love?" Huang Shu said.

Empress Dowager zipped her mouth, not because she understood what Huang Shu just said, but because she felt humiliated by her own son.

In front of guards and officials, her son reprimanded her. She glared at Yunyu, that green tea bitch who acted like a white lotus to get her son's love.

"Don't you feel pity for Lady Xi Yue? Look at her. She has been expecting you, wishing that you'd marry her!"

Everyone shifted their attention towards Lady Xi Yue, whose eyes were already pooled with tears. The moment Huang Shu's eyes darted at her, she wept pitifully.

"Y—Your Majesty, I've fallen in love with you the moment I met you for the first time. I don't care even if you make me your concubine, as long as I can stay close by your side."

Huang Shu smiled at Xi Yue. He grabbed Yunyu's hand tightly, as if not wanting to let go.

"Lady Xi Yue, you're an honorable lady with many men who wants you. I've promised someone that I will not marry anyone other than him. I would stay loyal only to him. Save your tears, Lady Xi Yue, because it will not change my decision."

Huang Shu shifted his gaze at his wife, Bai Yunyu, staring at him with his hot gaze and gently kissing his hands. In front of everyone, their majestic Emperor Xianliang kissed the hand of a Ger man. Signifying how important Yunyu was in his life.

The bed was only fit for two people, and it was only for Huang Shu and Bai Yunyu.

Empress Dowager Aixi got up from her seat, she was raging because of this humiliation, but she couldn't say anything. The more she tried to separate these two in public, the more they would stay strong.

And based on the reaction of officials and guards, they seemed to have been awed by their Emperor's loyalty and strength to fight against the evil mother.

And Empress Dowager didn't want to be portrayed as the evil one. She was just giving the best for her son!

'Hmph! Bai Yunyu, you deformed thing, you may earn my sons' love, but you will never become an Empress, I swear by the heaven!' Empress Dowager Aixi left the imperial hall, and she called Xi Yue.

"Xi Yue, come with me."

"Y—Yes, E'nie."

**

Lady Xi Yue and Empress Dowager Aixi returned to the Palace of White Swan. Empress Dowager slammed the table in frustration, "That bitch has bewitched my son, heaven's sake, he doesn't think straight anymore!"

"How could he humiliate me in front of officials and guards? He never disobeyed all my words before he met that deformed bitch Bai Yunyu!"

Xi Yue looked down and then added fuel to the fire, "E'nie, I don't want to get married to someone else other than Huang Shu! I've entered his life way before he met Bai Yunyu!"

"I know, Xi Yue. I also don't want that deformed bitch to be the Empress after me!"

"E'nie, can you imagine Huang Shu having children from Bai Yunyu? From that deformed thing!" Xi Yue said.

Empress Dowager sat on the seat. Her expression was solemn, especially after Xi Yue told her about Huang Shu's child with Bai Yunyu. Just imagining about it already made Empress Dowager almost puked out of disgust.

She was planning about a thing, but she needed to prepare something for it, "You're right, Xi Yue. I will not allow my son to have a child with that deformed bitch. Don't worry, I will think of something. I will make sure that you will be the one who bears my son's child."

"Thank you, E'nie. You see that my love for Huang Shu is pure. Unlike that Bai Yunyu, who is greedy and conceited."