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Listening to Consort Yi's words, Mei Shuang could only admire her in silence. Consort Yi was indeed observant, and she was right; there was only one character in the entire text that Mei Shuang did not recognize. It seemed that this statement deflated Mei Shuang like a punctured balloon. Reluctantly, with a hint of impatience, she said, "But this life is not what I want. Indeed, I cannot choose my origins, but I have the right to choose my life. I do not want to be involved in palace intrigues or political struggles; these have nothing to do with me..."
After complaining for a while, Mei Shuang suddenly realized that her grievances had no effect at all. Looking at the calm expressions of Xiao Luo and Consort Yi before her, she understood that she had merely been talking nonsense.
She had to face reality.
The reality was that her half-sister, the illegitimate daughter of the same father and now the Empress of the Great Qin Empire, Mei Ru, regarded her as a threat to Consort Yi and had never intended to let her go. Ever since that gentle sister had pulled out a dagger to stab her in Heavenly Prison, she had been living under the threat of Queen Meiru's pursuit.
Moreover, the most shocking revelation came when she previously questioned how the Eastern Kingdom people had learned of her whereabouts during her abduction; now she had an answer.
Queen Meiru and the Eastern Kingdom had indeed made contact; what was more critical was that they had reached an agreement: the Eastern Kingdom sought Queen Meiru's help to find Mei Shuang, and the Empress would provide them with clues about Mei Shuang's whereabouts. They were responsible for locating Mei Shuang and bringing her to the Eastern Kingdom, where they would execute her after using her, eliminating any future threats.
What a clever way to kill someone with a borrowed knife!
This was what Consort Yi had handed to Mei Shuang—a note written in Eastern Kingdom language.
This also explained the deeper meaning behind Xiao Luo's earlier question: "How far can you go on your own?"
Indeed, the Empress held half of the world in her hands. Even as an illegitimate daughter, she was still the daughter of the Left Chancellor and came from a noble background. The power at her disposal was immense. Under Nangong Nuo's protection, she had managed to live relatively peacefully for some time; however, as soon as she showed herself, she was immediately targeted—this was no coincidence.
In the past, wherever she went, the Eastern Kingdom people could quickly track her down. If it weren't for a powerful force guiding them from behind, how could they navigate so freely on Great Qin Empire's land?
"How did His Majesty obtain this information?"
"The internal strife in the Eastern Kingdom was quelled by the timely return of Jiu Rang Family members who turned the tide during a life-and-death battle at the last moment..."
Mei Shuang was astonished upon hearing this and felt an undeniable surge of excitement within her. "So you're saying that the Eastern Kingdom avoided an internal conflict? That's wonderful!"
"Yes, your warning made you a benefactor of Jiu Rang Family; this note is their gift to you. As for its implications, you should understand..." At this point, Xiao Luo's gaze fixed on Mei Shuang's bright face as he added, "You won your bet..."
In an instant, Mei Shuang felt a wave of moisture welling up in her eyes; ripples of emotion filled her heart.
Yes, daringly letting Kuranami Miyako go was indeed a gamble! After being under house arrest in the palace for so long and achieving such results was truly surprising! The fulfillment of her prophecy was already remarkable; unexpectedly receiving such gratitude from the Eastern Kingdom was truly beyond expectation!
Moreover, when the phrase "I won the bet" comes from the mouth of the Current Emperor, it undoubtedly has a different shocking effect.
Mei Shuang took a deep breath and respectfully knelt down, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty."
Xiao Luo lowered his gaze, staring at this woman he had previously despised but now had to regard with new eyes. It was hard to imagine that she understood Eastern Language, successfully predicted the internal strife of the Eastern Kingdom, and offended the heavenly authority to release a prisoner, all to avoid the devastation of war... It seemed he really needed to reassess this reborn woman.
"Please rise," Xiao Luo said, his gaze toward Mei Shuang softening considerably. "Now, your sister, the current Empress, is outside. Do you wish to see her?"
"......"
Tonight's events were truly a series of unexpected surprises; the Empress was outside?
Mei Shuang looked at Xiao Luo in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
Li Gonggong turned to leave and returned with Queen Meiru following him.
Wearing a phoenix crown and a bright red palace outfit, although she still exuded the aura of an Empress, Mei Shuang could immediately see that Mei Ru's face was pale, and her eyes lacked the previous grace befitting an Empress. There was an obvious lack of confidence, and the indifference and distance in her gaze were clearly visible.
Upon seeing Xiao Luo, she knelt and greeted him with a calm demeanor. However, when her gaze fell on Mei Shuang, a flash of resentment crossed her eyes, sending a chill down Mei Shuang's spine. What kind of hatred could make someone look at another person like that?
"Empress, at this point, what more is there to say?" Xiao Luo coldly regarded Mei Ru.
Mei Ru lowered her gaze and replied softly, "Your Majesty, I have no words to defend myself. However, may I ask if I could speak with Deposed Empress Mei Shuang for a moment?"
She deliberately emphasized the title "Deposed Empress Mei Shuang."
Hearing that she would be alone with Mei Ru, Mei Shuang immediately objected. Being so close made it easy for Mei Ru to harm her without any effort.
Mei Ru smiled sadly. "Your Majesty need not worry; we are sisters after all. I will not do anything to Deposed Empress Mei Shuang..."
Upon hearing this, Mei Shuang thought that even now she was still referring to them as sisters; it was more nonsense than anything else. She could only seek help from Xiao Luo. "Your Majesty, could you... not go too far?"
Xiao Luo was momentarily stunned. On her small face, her clear eyes were filled with a pleading expression that made it hard to refuse. He actually let out a low "mm" and then walked out.
Although the sound was low, to Mei Shuang's ears, it was like a reassurance. However, to Queen Meiru, it shattered her heart.
When had she ever received such favor that made the emperor obedient?
A chilling sense of despair spread through her heart, and her throat felt incredibly sour. She finally took a deep breath, approached the table, and sat down by herself.
"Sister, you should sit too," she gently invited.
Mei Shuang shook her head. "I'm not tired."
As she spoke, she had already stepped back a few paces, almost pressing against the door while remaining on guard, staring intently at Mei Ru, thinking that as long as there was any movement from her, she would be the first to escape.
Mei Shuang's wariness of Mei Ru did not go unnoticed. A smirk appeared at the corner of Mei Ru's mouth. "Sister has always been bold and daring; now you've turned into a timid turtle."
Stay calm! Don't get angry!
"Don't provoke me, sister. Even if I'm foolish, I know that what comes out of your mouth is none of my business. If I don't want to hear it, I can just treat it as air..." Mei Shuang retorted without holding back.
Indeed, she could not tolerate a vicious woman who would harm her own sister, but for the sake of elegance, she replaced "shut up" with "air."
"Alright then, sister has indeed become quite sharp-tongued," Mei Ru smiled faintly before her smile slowly faded into sarcasm. "Sister can speak for herself. I've called you sister for over ten years, but honestly ask yourself, what have you done that deserves to be called sister..."
Although Mei Shuang was speechless at this point, she could not deny it. Her previous reputation had been poor; this was a well-known fact. It seemed that the current Mei Ru hated her to the core and was thus so merciless.
She suddenly felt curious about what kind of past the Mei Shuang she replaced had. Was it truly to the point where everyone loathed her?
Seeing Mei Shuang silent and only watching her with vigilant black eyes as if facing a great enemy amused Mei Ru. She stood up gracefully and walked to the window, reopening the long window and gazing into the dark night outside for a moment before softly saying, "When my mother was alive, she always told me to endure you and give way to you. I never understood why father loved mother so much but never looked at me properly. Father never liked your mother but instead doted on you greatly. This question I had never received an answer to from mother before."
The night was as cool as water; in the mountain breeze came Mei Ru's faint words, filled with a sense of loss that left even Mei Shuang wide-eyed in surprise.
She learned from everyone that Chancellor Mei treated her exceptionally well, yet she was unaware of the underlying issues that accompanied it.
"Do you know why?" Mei Ru did not turn around; she simply looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and asked softly.
"Uh, no..." Mei Shuang shook her head.
"Yes, your mother died early, so she naturally wouldn't tell you the reason," Mei Ru said gently, suddenly changing the subject. "The Emperor promised me that after I prayed for the Empress Dowager, I could return to the Minister's Residence to visit my family. So, after lunch, I went back to Chancellor Mei's Residence and saw my mother."
"Oh, then... what did your mother say?" Mei Shuang asked, unknowingly becoming interested in this story.
Mei Ru stiffened for a moment as she recalled the visit. A pang of heartache struck her, and after taking a deep breath, she continued, "You should know that the Emperor has been at war for many years, his reputation precedes him; his mind is not something an ordinary person can fathom. Today, when he allowed me to return to the Minister's Residence for a visit, I knew my time was limited. So I asked my mother the question that has troubled me until now... I was afraid that if I didn't ask clearly, I would never have the chance to know..."
At this point, not only was Mei Shuang stunned against the door, but even Xiao Luo standing outside was shocked. This woman truly possessed extraordinary insight.
"Thank you to the Emperor for allowing us mother and daughter to see each other one last time," Mei Ru's voice was faint, clearly meant for those outside to hear.
Then she sighed deeply. "I always thought Chancellor Mei was unfair; even though there are distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate daughters, the way he treats us shouldn't be worlds apart! Now I realize it's precisely because I'm not Chancellor Mei's biological daughter that he treats me so coldly. The only reasons he keeps me at the Minister's Residence are out of respect for my mother and fear of losing face if it got out."
Upon hearing this, Mei Shuang finally understood why she referred to him as "Chancellor Mei" instead of "father," and stammered, "Then... then... whose daughter are you?"
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