Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"All these years have passed, yet you remain sharp and perceptive. I truly admire your insight..." Tang Wan's expression suddenly turned sorrowful. "It would be one thing if I were in the Buddha Hall for my own cultivation, but you are so cruel as to make my daughter suffer there too. How can I not hate you!..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi's phoenix eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness. "Your daughter? Is Chu Xiruo really your daughter?"
After a pause, she nodded to herself, her meaning profound. "It seems that today, you and your daughter do share some resemblance. It's just a pity that I had long forgotten about you back then; otherwise, I might have recognized her sooner... It appears this is your fate, Qingqin. It's no wonder I have never liked her; it seems to be heaven's will that she carries your blood and is destined not to receive my blessing..."
Tang Wan trembled, sorrow filling her eyes. "You are so cruel. In the past, to obstruct my love with the Former Emperor, you imprisoned me in the Buddha Hall. Now, to prevent Xi Ruo from loving the Emperor, you have imprisoned her in the Buddha Hall as well... Our happiness as mother and daughter has been ruined by your hands..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi set down her teacup, her gaze on Tang Wan gradually changing. The once gentle and calm look suddenly became turbulent with hidden currents. A mocking smile formed at the corners of her lips. "Qingqin, ask yourself honestly: if Chu Xiruo were truly fated to be with me, would I really allow her to be with Luo Er? Tell me, are you not about to commit an irreversible mistake?! How will you face the Former Emperor in the future?!"
Tang Wan's face turned pale, her gaze becoming vacant as she stared at the Empress Dowager's angry expression. Suddenly, she bowed her head and covered her face with tears. "No, it's not like that..."
"If Chu Xiruo is the Former Emperor's flesh and blood, then Luo Er and she would indeed be siblings by blood. Fortunately, they have not consummated their marriage. Qingqin, all these years, knowing their feelings for each other, you did nothing to advise them and nearly caused a disaster. Qingqin, are you truly seeking your own demise!"
At this point, Empress Dowager Mingxi's anger erupted. She threw the teacup towards Tang Wan, who was bowing her head in tears. The cup flew past her ear; although it did not hit her, the scalding tea splashed all over Tang Wan.
Tang Wan stood up in embarrassment but was frozen by the coldness in Empress Dowager Mingxi's eyes. Forgetting to brush off the green tea leaves on her clothes, she awkwardly sat back down.
"This cup of tea is meant to wake you up," Empress Dowager Mingxi said coldly. "You are inherently licentious and have brought forth a child without nurturing her properly. Although Chu Xiruo is the Former Emperor's child, she has been spoiled by you..."
"She did not kill Mei Shuang..." Tang Wan hurriedly defended herself. "That was something I fabricated..."
"Oh?" Empress Dowager Mingxi looked at her coldly. "Why would you tarnish your daughter's reputation?"
"Because..." Tang Wan lowered her gaze. "I... I cannot say..."
"You wretched thing! Even now you still argue! If it weren't for the Former Emperor's sake, I would have had you beaten to death!" Empress Dowager Mingxi trembled with anger at her former rival.
After a moment of silence, Tang Wan wiped away her tears and looked at Empress Dowager Mingxi with a hint of indifference in her eyes. "If I say this, you will only hate her more. I just want her to understand that no matter how hard she tries, she will never gain your recognition; thus, it’s better for her to abandon that thought altogether. The palace may seem resplendent but is actually like a cage; rather than competing for favor among so many women, it would be better for her to find an ordinary family where husband and wife respect each other..."
"Well said!" Empress Dowager Mingxi sneered but softened slightly in tone. "You do think clearly; after all, I sent Chu Xiruo to the Buddha Hall for quiet reflection for this very reason. She has a kind heart and a weak character; even if she enters the palace and gains Xiao Luoen's favor, it will only be fleeting. Moreover, given her gentle exterior and strong inner self, conflicts with other concubines are inevitable. Luo Er may be infatuated but ultimately he is still a man; when faced with such dilemmas he will prioritize his status above all else. Tell me, which one of them will change? I suspect they will grow distant because of this; not only will they fail to become husband and wife but will eventually become strangers... Rather than waiting for that day to come, it’s better to sever their ties from the start; short pain is better than long suffering. I have experienced palace struggles deeply; what was originally mine must be shared with countless women while all I receive in return is increasingly thin imperial favor. Throughout history, how many devoted men are there? Furthermore, at that time there were many who used Chu Xiruo to threaten Luo Er..."
As Empress Dowager Mingxi spoke, her gaze grew distant and her tone gradually slowed down as if she were recounting something she wished not to do or perhaps reflecting on her own experiences.
Tang Wan listened quietly, her gaze gradually turning to one of surprise. "You mean, you protected Xi Ruo..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi withdrew her gaze, snorting lightly. "Do you really think I would harm Xi Ruo just because I dislike her? I merely played along with the scheme. Compared to fleeting feelings of affection and the pain of longing, one's life and safety come first. Surely you think the same as I do?"
Tang Wan lowered her eyes, the anger she had shown earlier now replaced by a dazed expression.
"But what about you? You actually thought of harming Shuang'er for Chu Xiruo. Aren't you afraid of retribution?" Empress Dowager Mingxi's tone grew stern again. "Though Shuang'er has made many mistakes in the past, she never intended to harm anyone. Her heart is pure; all her previous actions were merely instigated by her half-sister. The true culprit is her half-sister Mei Ru. Chu Xiruo is intelligent; could she really not see through this?"
Mentioning Mei Shuang, Tang Wan's previously guilty expression suddenly turned agitated. "Yes, as soon as Mei Shuang is mentioned, you defend her! Right or wrong, you always believe she is right. Have you never considered whether your favoritism towards Mei Shuang is too obvious or excessive? God knows if you're hiding something!"
"Hiding something?" Empress Dowager Mingxi's tone was calm, but her hand holding the prayer beads trembled slightly.
This small movement did not escape Tang Wan's eyes, further confirming her suspicions. She let out a cold laugh. "You are wise all your life but foolish at times. There’s a saying: 'If you want others not to know, you must not do it yourself.' You clearly know that the Former Emperor has grown distant from Princess Bilian due to his mother, the Empress Dowager, and yet you still associate with Princess Bilian behind his back. If it weren't for Princess Bilian doing something for you or hiding something for you, why would you go to such lengths to ensure her daughter enters the palace as a consort?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi's eyes widened in shock; she could no longer control herself and threw the prayer beads at Tang Wan. The heavy sandalwood beads struck Tang Wan on the forehead.
Caught off guard, Tang Wan fell to the ground, the loud noise startling Aunt Yu, who was waiting outside.
"Empress Dowager?" Aunt Yu called out worriedly but did not dare to enter.
"You wretched girl!" Empress Dowager Mingxi's eyes glinted with cold fury. "I have kept you alive until today; truly I must be blind! How dare you pry into my private affairs!"
Tang Wan covered her forehead and slowly got up from the ground, pulling out a letter and a small hairpin from her robe and placing them on the table.
Upon seeing the small hairpin, Empress Dowager Mingxi's pupils suddenly constricted.
"You may not know this, but I once saved Princess Bilian when she was in hiding. At that time, she had just given birth and was weak and unconscious outside; she regarded me as her savior. Even after you imprisoned me in Cheng En Temple, she never distanced herself from me because of you; instead, she treated me like a confidante... When Mei Shuang happened to arrive here, she wanted to acknowledge Mei Shuang but hesitated due to her emotions and left this letter and hairpin behind. However, I was curious and secretly kept this letter. Although it doesn't explicitly state anything, I know that you and she must have some unspeakable secret..."
It seemed this wretched girl truly did not know the truth; Empress Dowager Mingxi finally felt relieved.
She took a slight breath and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position before saying lightly, "You don’t need to use this to threaten me... Now that we’ve met today, our grievances should come to an end... I initially planned to spare Chu Xiruo’s life, but now it seems that even though she is the Former Emperor’s flesh and blood, I cannot allow her to live. Once you're dead, I must eliminate all traces of you. Moreover, Luo Er has already moved on; he no longer cares for her..."
Tang Wan had long anticipated this outcome; she let out a cold laugh. "You're making your decision a bit too early..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi listened lazily, a dying person muttering nonsensical words merely to bolster their own courage.
"You really think Xi Ruo likes your Luo Er? The one she truly likes is Nangong Nuo!" Tang Wan scoffed. "You are overthinking it!"
Empress Dowager Mingxi turned her gaze towards Tang Wan. "You’re insane! Talking nonsense! Zhao Prince used to like Mei Shuang! I know this; when did he ever have any connection with Chu Xiruo?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Wan suddenly burst into laughter, her laughter piercing. "Do you really think it's amusing that your two sons are competing for the same woman?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi's hand trembled. "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Tang Wan stepped closer, approaching Empress Dowager Mingxi's couch, leaning in to whisper, "The surface relationship of uncle and nephew is actually that of brothers born of the same mother. What do you think that means?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi felt as if struck by lightning, staring at Tang Wan's gleeful face, speechless.
As she gazed, Empress Dowager Mingxi's expression changed. Tang Wan felt a thrill of joy in her heart and lowered her voice further. "I have another secret to tell you. Your son, Nangong Nuo, is the one who usually calls you 'Sister.' He actually has a twin brother. Right now, he has taken Mei Shuang hostage and is heading to Qishan to seek a Creature. If he finds it, your precious son Xiao Luo might not be able to secure his position as emperor so easily! Hmm, guess who will win between the brothers? Uh, are you shocked? ... Hahaha..."
The saying goes, "Strike the snake at its weakest point." Seeing Empress Dowager Mingxi's pale and incredulous expression for the first time filled Tang Wan with delight. "And guess what? Do you think Mei Shuang will die?"
Comment 0 Comment Count