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墨書 Inktalez
The branches of the Crabapple Blossom in the backyard swayed gently in the wind, appearing fragile and delicate. If a strong gust were to blow, these beautiful flower branches might snap.
Jiang Wei stood before the Crabapple Blossom, inhaling the faint floral fragrance. A beautiful, delicate voice flashed through his mind, stirring ripples in his heart.
His hand slowly caressed the flowers, a gentle expression on his face. How could such a woman like the Crabapple Blossom? As far as he knew, this flower was precious and difficult to care for; ordinary women would not favor such short-lived and hard-to-raise blooms.
The women in the harem of Penglai Nation either liked peach blossoms or Chrysanthemums. He couldn't tell if they genuinely liked them or were just pretending; to him, they seemed overly delicate and pretentious!
“Brother, are you here?” Jiang Wei was interrupted from his reverie by a cheerful voice.
Jiang Wei's expression soured, his fine brows slightly furrowing. “Why aren't you staying in your room?”
The woman before him wore a man's long robe, her slender figure accentuated by it. With fair skin, arched eyebrows, and cheeks tinged with a light blush, her small mouth curved into a smile.
Seemingly accustomed to his usual indifference, she maintained her smile. “I was bored in my room, so I thought I’d come see you.”
“Jiang Wei, if you like flowers, I can have Night General transplant some into your room,” said Ajin, a woman in a green long dress standing behind her. Like her, Ajin had an attractive face, with black hair cascading over her shoulders and a fine red hairpin inserted at the back of her head.
She smiled slightly, exuding charm. At first glance, she appeared fragile—definitely the type of woman men would rush to protect. However, unlike Ajin, she never adorned herself with accessories.
True to her personality, she was straightforward; she once said that wearing such things was troublesome. But why was she with Ajin?
Her voice was cool and devoid of any hesitation. “Can you really take charge of this General's residence?”
If he remembered correctly, Night Star had shown disgust upon seeing her that day; there was no way he felt pity for this woman.
Qianqian raised her delicate hand holding a handkerchief to her mouth and chuckled lightly. “You may not know this, but I am the future General's Wife of this General's residence.”
"Oh?" With a slight raise of her eyebrows, she said, "So you are the future General's Wife!"
The woman looked a bit embarrassed, but quickly wiped away her displeasure and said softly, "I am the general's cousin and also designated as the General's Wife by Old Madam. This is indisputable."
"But I heard that the Night General is about to marry Miss Mo?" He feigned realization, "Could it be that Miss Liu wants to interfere in their relationship?"
For some reason, he felt a fondness for the woman whose features resembled those of his Empress Dowager, unlike any delicate pretentiousness!
His words instantly twisted Liu Xuxin's face. "She's just a Demoness; how could she possibly take my cousin? It's simply a dream!"
The mere mention of Mo Xier ignited her hatred, her eyes turning into flames as if she wanted to burn Mo Xier alive!
Narrowing his eyes, Jiang Wei's pupils suddenly constricted, and his previously smiling face turned cold. His gaze was like a sharp knife, piercing directly at Liu Xuxin, causing both Ajin and Liu Xuxin to freeze in shock.
Liu Xuxin took two steps back in fear; that gaze was terrifying! It was colder than her cousin's, like that of a hellish demon! When she looked up again, she found Jiang Wei still standing there elegantly, as if that expression had never appeared.
"Stay in your room if there's nothing to do; don't come out and cause trouble!" The impatience in his tone made Ajin's heart ache.
Brother, why can't you look at me a little more or show me a bit more concern?
"I understand." Even though she was reluctant inside, facing her brother, she could only comply with his wishes. However, her jade-like hands clenched tightly at her sides.
"Young Master, he is still your brother; why speak to him like that? Is this how an elder brother should behave?" With her own motives in mind, Liu Xuxin couldn't help but speak up upon seeing Jiang Wei's attitude toward Ajin.
Jiang Wei shot her a cold glance without responding and turned to leave with a flick of his sleeve!
In recent days, Old Madam had been tirelessly insisting on personally making soup for Night Star every day. Although he felt uncomfortable about it, the warmth in his heart grew as his long-uncaring mother began to show concern for him.
Today, Old Madam did not come in person but instructed Rong Mama, who had followed her for many years, to deliver the soup. With a beaming smile that accentuated the wrinkles on her old face, she said, "Young Master, this is the soup that Old Madam stewed today. She said she wasn't feeling well and asked me to bring it to you."
A tightness gripped his heart, and he asked urgently, "How is Mother?"
"Old Madam is fine. She just said she has been feeling tired lately and wants to rest. She also asked me to tell you not to worry!" Rong Mama placed the wooden tray with the soup bowl on the red wooden table, her smile unwavering.
He paused, his voice tinged with concern: "Then please tell Mother to rest well and not to tire herself out because of me!"
"I will convey your message!"
In the afternoon, an unexpected guest arrived at the residence. Night Star was reading memorials in his room when a servant outside interrupted him: "Young Master, Old Madam wants you to come over!"
In the hall, besides Old Madam, there was also Old General. Sitting in the main seat was the Emperor, leisurely sipping tea and raising an eyebrow as he watched Night Star walk in slowly. He felt puzzled but did not show any hesitation in his steps.
Once he stood in the hall, he cupped his hands and bowed slightly, his tone respectful without a hint of fear due to the Emperor's presence. "I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"
Li Ye, dressed in blue attire and seated on the Crimson Chair, looked distant. A flicker of something unusual passed through his cold eyes before he smiled and said, "I have told you before that when there are no outsiders present, you may call me Brother!"
"Yes, Brother!" He was not one to be overly formal; seeing Li Ye say this, he decided to follow suit.
"I have come today to discuss something with you!" Li Ye slowly set down his teacup, the fragrance of tea lingering in his mouth. His voice carried a tone of negotiation but also an undeniable authority.
Night Star looked puzzled, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. "If Brother has something to discuss, you could have sent someone to summon me to the palace. Why come personally?"
With a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes, Li Ye replied, "I had nothing else to do and thought I would visit the General's residence. Since I happened to have something to discuss with you, I didn't send for you!"
Nothing else to do? Night Star thought coldly.
At this moment, it was indeed a time of turmoil. Would the pressure from his uncle and father allow him to relax? Moreover, he knew that the Emperor had promised to find Mo Xi'er for him, yet there was no progress, and he found himself in the mood to drink tea at the General's residence.
Putting aside his swirling thoughts, Night Star said lightly, "I wonder what the Emperor wishes to discuss."
This time, he addressed the Emperor rather than his elder brother. From his words, it was clear that even though they were connected by blood, a ruler was a ruler and a subject was a subject; one could not compare that to familial bonds.
Li Ye understood this principle well. He did not refute Night Star's words but replied calmly, "I have discussed with Old General and the Chancellor and decided to change the Nation Name to Night. However, since the court originally belonged to the Li Family, changing the Nation Name recklessly would cause unnecessary trouble, so we need your assistance!"
Although he himself was reluctant to change the Nation Name, Mo Xi'er was in their hands. For her safety, he could only comply with their wishes.
Now, with a small nation eyeing them covetously and most of the court being people from the Li Family, changing the Nation Name would likely not be easily accepted by those individuals.
Thinking of this, he glanced at the man standing before him. He exuded an air of authority; years of military life had honed his commanding presence. He had achieved numerous military accomplishments and safeguarded the prosperity of the Heavenly Universe Kingdom.
As long as Night Star took action, those individuals would dare not speak out even if they were unwilling.
With slightly furrowed brows, Night Star felt a chill rise within him and spoke without the previous flattery. "Why must you insist on changing this Nation Name? Since things have gone awry already, why not just leave it as it is? If we change the Nation Name and unrest occurs, what then?"
"This is where you, as General, come into play!" A weathered voice echoed with a hint of malice.
Old General, who had been silent in his seat until now, interjected appropriately.
Upon hearing Old General speak, Old Madam merely raised her phoenix-like brows slightly before closing them again tightly. She fiddled with the prayer beads in her hand and remained silent throughout.
Night Star's voice revealed his helplessness. "Father, what exactly are you trying to achieve with this? Your Majesty, do you not wish for the people to live in peace and prosperity?
Have you considered that such actions will cause discontent among the old subordinates of the Li Family? What if they rebel? Will Empress Dowager agree? Will she allow you to act recklessly?" His voice was sharp with questioning, each word pronounced clearly from his lips.
He was a general, and the words "protect the home and defend the country" had long been deeply rooted in his heart since childhood. All he wished for was peace for the people, prosperity for the nation, and filial piety between parents and children. Yet, all of this seemed like a luxury to him.
Suddenly, he recalled how his mother had personally made soup for him these past few days. He initially thought it was a sign of her conscience awakening, but was it really because that man sitting in the main seat had requested something from him?
He found it laughable. Why was it that despite being born of the same mother, their treatment was so vastly different? If only they could share even a tiny bit of that meager love with him, he would be a happy child.
"Bang!" A rough hand slammed down hard on the wooden table, causing the tea in the cup to spill over onto the red wooden surface, resembling a pool of blood.
An aged voice mixed with anger spoke without a hint of emotion, "Where do all these concerns come from? You are a child of the Night Family. The Li Family treats us old Night Family this way; I am merely taking back what is rightfully mine. Why are you speaking up for outsiders?"
With his head lowered, Night Star's voice was no longer as stiff as before, but his tone still carried an imposing authority without anger. "We are all one family under heaven; I have no reason to favor anyone. If the emperor needs me, I will not hesitate to go through fire and water for him. However, I do not agree to change the Nation Name!"
"You will agree whether you want to or not," came a cold voice from the main seat, sharp eyes cutting across his hardened face. "Unless you wish for Mo Xi'er to die? Moreover, the Empress Dowager can no longer stop any of this; she has no right to speak."
Night Star's body shook violently as he recalled the missing Mo Xi'er, feeling a wave of desolation wash over him. It seemed that Mo Xi'er was indeed in their hands; if he did not agree, she would undoubtedly die.
But if he agreed, they might not even release Mo Xi'er.
What about the Empress Dowager? What did his earlier words mean? Could it be that the Empress Dowager had been captured? How bold they were to dare lay hands on her; did they not fear that the Li Family would rise up and depose him from his position as emperor?
For a moment, silence filled the hall as all three individuals fell quiet, each lost in their thoughts while Night Star continuously pondered countermeasures in his mind.
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