Su Tiyue frowned and quickly walked towards the main hall on the first floor.

...

Upon entering the room, Su Tiyue looked up and saw Meng Xueji with a haggard face.

She was sitting on a chaise lounge by the window, dressed in pure white, yet her curvaceous and slender figure was still undeniable.

Her fair and smooth face, even without makeup, was much prettier than that of an ordinary woman.

Yumeyuki's beauty is innate, charming, and captivating.

A style completely different from Su Tiyue's.

Seeing her stand up from the chaise longue, Su Tiyue took the initiative to step forward, smiled and said softly, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Meng Xueji nodded slightly, her voice a little hoarse. She said, "Now that we are both widows of the late emperor, there's no need to stand on ceremony. I'm a bit older than you, so how about I call you 'younger sister'?"

Su Tiyue's eyes were gentle as she replied, "Sister is right." After speaking, she turned around and instructed Liu Wan to bring up tea.

"I heard that you have been waiting for me here for a long time. May I ask what brings you here?" Su Tiyue waved her hand, dismissing Liu Wan.

At that time, only the two of them remained in the room.

Meng Xueji sat gracefully on the chaise longue, gently wiping the slightly reddened corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief in her hand. "I'm looking for my sister because there's something I'd like her to help me with..."

She paused, somewhat embarrassed, "I know I'm not exactly close to my sister, and it's rude of me to ask so abruptly. But I have no other choice, I have absolutely no other options."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and fell in strings like pearls from a broken string.

Su Tiyue frowned and whispered, "I wonder if there's anything I can do to help you, sister?"

Although Meng Xueji and Su Tiyue were not exactly familiar with each other, at least... she had never made things difficult for Su Tiyue since Su Tiyue entered the palace.

She was not as arrogant and domineering as Consort Wan, nor was she unforgiving when she was in the right.

Therefore, Su Tiyue wanted to help her, if she could.

Meng Xueji asked, "Sister, you should know about what happened between me and Master Xiao, right?"

Su Tiyue nodded.

Meng Xueji added, "I also know about what happened between you and Master Xiao. Unlike me... I was just a pawn in Master Xiao's hands."

"It's urgent, sister... I'll be frank." She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her eyes brimming with clear tears. "I know you have a close relationship with Minister Xiao. Sister, could you please put in a good word for me? Let me leave the palace to see my daughter..."

"Last night, you went to Yelan Pavilion to find him, was it also about this matter?" Su Tiyue asked, frowning.

"Yes. My daughter is sick. She's only four years old. I heard she's very ill and spends most of her time in a drowsy state. When she's awake, she keeps looking for her mother."

Mentioning this, Meng Xueji felt heartbroken and sobbed, "I went to see Master Xiao last night, but he didn't agree to let me leave the palace... Waaah!"

Hearing her soft sobs, Su Tiyue was overwhelmed with emotion and felt saddened as well. "But Master Xiao told me last night that your matter has been resolved... Does he really just want to let it go like this?"

Meng Xueji: "Master Xiao only gave me one choice: to become a concubine for Zhang Meng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, after leaving the palace. But I... I hesitated."

"To be a concubine?" Su Tiyue opened her mouth, her eyes full of surprise.

No matter what, Meng Xueji was still a Noble Consort. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty, Su Tiyue can leave the palace, and Meng Xueji can naturally choose to leave as well.

If she leaves the palace, she can reunite with her two children.

However, her weakness lies precisely in Xiao Heye's hands. Even if the emperor lets her leave the palace, Meng Xueji will not be able to obediently become Xiao Heye's pawn.

I fear that the lives of her two lovely children are in danger.

Meng Xueji burst into tears: "I have a husband, but he died tragically at the hands of the late emperor. Now I have finally made it to the position of Dowager Consort, but I never expected... that Chief Minister Xiao would still not let me go. Sister, why don't you help me? Could you go and plead with Chief Minister Xiao on my behalf? I will consider becoming Zhang Meng's concubine, but could you please let me see my daughter?"

Su Tiyue hesitated, "But, but I..." She swallowed hard, frowning as she spoke.

“Sister, I can’t help you with this… I have an agreement with Master Xiao, and I have no right to interfere with what he wants to do, nor can I stop him. Besides, even if I asked, he wouldn’t listen to me.”

Xiao Heye had said that Su Tiyue was not allowed to interfere with who he killed or what he did.

Forced into a corner, Meng Xueji stood up and was about to kneel when Su Tiyue quickly stood up and held her arm, preventing her from kneeling.

"Little sister, I know you're having a hard time. Please help me this once. It's just a matter of saying the word... Consider it as you repaying a favor to me, okay?"

"Human favor? What do you mean by that, sister?" Su Tiyue asked suspiciously.

The two had no prior interaction and had met only a handful of times, but Meng Xueji suddenly asked for this favor, leaving Su Tiyue somewhat bewildered.

Meng Xueji sighed and said softly, "Sister, do you still remember that on your first day in the palace, you were supposed to serve the emperor? But that day... it was Master Xiao who instructed me to keep the late emperor in Jingren Palace by any means necessary. Sister... although that wasn't my intention, I still did you a favor, didn't I?"

Upon hearing this, Su Tiyue was even more bewildered.

She only remembered that on her wedding day at the Hall of Longevity, she waited for a long time but did not see the late emperor.

It was Xiao Heye who pushed open the door and entered, saying that the late emperor had stayed overnight in Jingren Palace while drunk.

Then, Xiao Heye led her out of the Hall of Longevity...

All the explanations and statements made at the time seemed reasonable, and Su Tiyue never imagined that Xiao Heye had planned all of this long ago.

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