Chapter 103 I treat you as my mother, but what do you treat me as?

"Jiang Peihuan...you are truly a bewitching enchantress," Marquis Le'an whispered to the Empress Dowager, his hands roaming over her body. "In all the world, only I can satisfy you..."

The Empress Dowager let out a soft moan, "Quickly...quickly take me..."

On the bench behind the screen, two figures gradually became entangled.

A voice that made one blush with embarrassment rang out from inside the hall.

...

Two hours later.

Jiang Peihuan was completely exhausted and collapsed into the arms of Marquis Le'an.

Marquis Le'an pinched her chin, "Peihuan, I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Um...me too..." Jiang Peihuan's eyes were glazed over, her face flushed, "Every time you make me feel like I'm in heaven, like...being a god..."

Marquis Le'an laughed and said, "When I said it sounded like a dream, I didn't just mean that I was having fun with you."

What is that?

"Over the years, I, Lao An, have actually risen from an unknown nobody under the Prime Minister to become the Marquis of Le'an in the current Xuan Kingdom, and I also possess the most powerful and beautiful woman in the Xuan Kingdom."

Recalling the past, Marquis Lao An of Le'an couldn't help but feel his heart surge with emotion.

Back then, the current Prime Minister Situ Wei was just a wealthy merchant who traded between various countries. He took a fancy to Jiang Peihuan, a courtesan, and made her his concubine.

Later, Situ Wei met the Crown Prince of Xuan Kingdom, who was then a hostage in the Desolate Kingdom, and made a far-sighted decision to bring Jiang Peihuan and the Crown Prince of Xuan Kingdom together.

Soon after, the couple had a son, who became the current ruler of Xuan Kingdom, Xiao Qidi.

Years later, Situ Wei did everything he could to rescue the then Crown Prince of Xuan Kingdom and bring him back to Xuan Kingdom, and then devoted himself to assisting him.

When the king succeeded to the throne, Situ Wei was appointed as the prime minister of Xuan Kingdom.

Many years later, the former king passed away.

Situ Wei then brought back Jiang Peihuan and Xiao Qidi, who were still being held hostage in the desolate country.

When Xiao Qidi ascended the throne, Jiang Peihuan became the Empress Dowager.

Xiao Qidi was young and weak, and the power in the court was in the hands of Situ Wei, who was more like a king than an emperor.

Situ Wei's power had reached its peak, and he was busy with court affairs all day long. In order to protect himself in the future, he was unwilling to continue his private relationship with Jiang Peihuan.

However, Jiang Peihuan was at an age when her energy needs were very high, and she couldn't bear to be alone in her room, so she kept pestering Situ Wei.

Situ Wei selected Lao An, who was tall and handsome, and especially gifted in that area, from among his retainers. He disguised Lao An as a eunuch and sent him to the palace to serve Jiang Peihuan.

Thus, thanks to his extraordinary advantages, Lao An quickly won Jiang Peihuan's favor.

The two also worked together to seize a portion of the court power from Situ Wei, and Lao An was then enfeoffed as the Marquis of Le'an by Jiang Peihuan.

From then on, the Prime Minister no longer held absolute power in the Xuan Kingdom's court; the Empress Dowager and Marquis Le'an's faction were able to rival the Prime Minister's influence.

“Not only do you have me, but I also gave you two sons…” Jiang Peihuan’s sweet voice pulled Lao An back from his thoughts.

Lao An gently stroked Jiang Peihuan's delicate, fair shoulder, a smile playing on his lips. "You've suffered these past years. Ever since you became pregnant with my first child, to avoid being noticed, we had to find a reason to move away from the royal city and live in this remote Shuncheng. Although a palace has been built in this city, the conditions are far inferior to those in the royal palace. Five years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Jiang Peihuan pressed her cheek against Lao An's strong chest and whispered, "As long as I can be with you, I don't feel wronged."

Lao An exhaled a breath of hot air, "Soon, you'll be able to return to the capital soon. According to my estimate, Liu Chang and the others should return to report to me in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peihuan's shoulders trembled, her eyes lowered slightly, and her fingers involuntarily tensed, her nails digging into the skin of Lao An's chest.

“Qidi…” Jiang Peihuan gritted her teeth, “Does he really have to die?”

Lao An's eyes darkened. "If he doesn't die, how will the son you bore for me get the throne? You know that, so why are you hesitating now?"

Jiang Peihuan remained silent for a long time before saying with some difficulty, "Qidi is, after all, a piece of my flesh."

Lao An's eyes darkened further, and he raised his voice, shouting, "Could it be that you're trying to stop me again? Last time I sent Qi Zhan and the others to follow Xiao Qidi and wait for an opportunity to strike, you repeatedly advised me to show mercy. Now I'm starting to suspect that the disappearance of Qi Zhan and the others might be something you did in secret! Don't you understand that we have no way out! If Xiao Qidi doesn't die, once he finds out about us, we'll be the ones who die!"

"I didn't! If I had done that, I...why would I have agreed to let you send someone to assassinate me again?" Jiang Peihuan suddenly sat up. "Don't you believe me?"

Lao An stared intently into her eyes for a moment, his expression softening. "Pei Yao, it's not that I don't believe you, but like you said, Xiao Qidi is still a piece of your flesh and blood, and I'm somewhat worried that you might not be able to make up your mind..."

Jiang Peihuan looked aggrieved. "I've lived here for five years, and most of the time you haven't had time to see me, but I still don't feel a little wronged. But now... I really do feel wronged."

Lao An smiled and hugged her. "Okay, okay, I misspoke. I apologize."

Jiang Peihuan lowered her head and began to sob softly.

"Don't be sad," Lao An comforted softly. "You had no feelings for the late king. It was all because Situ Wei used you as a sacrifice for his own future. So you shouldn't have too much attachment to Xiao Qidi. Only our child is the crystallization of our love."

“In the future, when our sons rule the world, you will still be the Empress Dowager, and our whole family will sit at the highest point of power in the Great Xuan Dynasty, no longer needing to care about others. How wonderful it would be for our family!”

Hearing these words, Jiang Peihuan finally stopped sobbing.

She looked up, her eyes filled with tears, "Lao An, you mustn't treat me like Situ Wei did in the future."

“How could that be?” Lao An lowered his head and kissed the tears from the corners of her eyes. “I’m different from him. He only used you as a tool to climb to the top of power, but I truly love you.”

Jiang Peihuan said softly, "I have a request."

Lao An's expression changed slightly, but he still maintained his gentle voice, "Tell me, as long as it's not excessive, I can agree to it."

“According to your assassination plan, Qi Di…I’m afraid he’s already…” Tears welled up in Jiang Peihuan’s eyes as she choked out, “You instructed Liu Chang to bring back Qi Di’s head. I…I hope that after our great undertaking succeeds, we can find Qi Di’s body and give him a proper burial…”

Lao An secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He sneered inwardly, so this was the condition.

“Very well, in the future I will definitely make sure that Xiao Qidi’s head and body are reunited and buried in the Great Xuan royal family’s mausoleum.”

After saying that, he reached his hand between Jiang Peihuan's legs.

Jiang Peihuan snorted softly, "No... I'm a little sore from doing that for so long. I'm going to take a shower."

"I'll shower with you," Lao An said, and started to pick her up.

“No,” Jiang Peihuan refused. “If we bathe together, you’ll have to come again. Wait until I’m done bathing before you go. You can spend some time with your sons; they miss you terribly. After I bathe and change, we’ll have plenty of time tonight…”

Lao An reluctantly released his grip. "Alright, alright, as you command, Your Majesty."

Immediately, Jiang Peihuan summoned a maid to help her take a bath.

After getting dressed, Lao An lingered on the lingering fragrance in his hands before swaggering out of the back door of the main hall to the backyard.

At this very moment—

Xiao Qidi and Li Yao have arrived in Shuncheng.

The past few days of relentless travel had left the two looking like destitute commoners, and even their horse had lost weight.

The two followed a group of ordinary people into the city gate. Li Yao strained to open his bloodshot eyes and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it's getting dark. Now that we're in the city, why don't we find an inn to rest?"

Xiao Qidi gazed in the direction of the Shuncheng Palace, his eyes dark and gloomy, his face filled with coldness. "I can't wait to see the Empress Dowager."

Li Yao secretly pinched his thigh to refresh himself, "Then... this humble general will accompany you."

"No need, find a place to rest." After saying that, Xiao Qidi flicked the reins and galloped towards the palace.

Under the blood-red setting sun, dust swirled along the main avenue of the city.

As the last rays of sunlight were about to fade, Xiao Qidi arrived at the gate of Shuncheng Palace.

"Who goes there!" the gatekeeper shouted sternly.

Xiao Qidi dismounted and strode forward, his imposing aura instantly startling the guards.

The Empress Dowager lived here for five years, during which time Xiao Qidi also came to visit her.

The guards naturally recognized his face.

It had been so long since I'd seen him; his face was weathered and his beard was unkempt, so I didn't recognize him at first glance.

As they approached, the guards hurriedly knelt down and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Qidi, with a cold face, was about to walk through the gate.

The head guard quickly ordered, "Go and inform the Empress Dowager immediately!"

The guards were all panicked.

Because Marquis Le'an came today and hasn't left yet.

Meanwhile, everyone in the Shun Palace who served and protected the Empress Dowager already knew about her private relationship with the Marquis of Le'an.

Maybe those two are getting intimate right now.

If the emperor were to barge in and see something he shouldn't, the consequences would be severe.

At the very least, we should buy some time for the Empress Dowager and the Marquis of Le'an to prepare a response.

"No one is allowed to move!" Xiao Qidi ordered in a deep voice.

The head guard's eyes widened in panic, and he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty... you came without prior notice, and the Empress Dowager is certainly not prepared to receive you. It would be impolite to be so hasty. Please—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Qidi's gaze fell on him like a knife. "Say one more word, and you'll die."

The head guard was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

The other guards hurriedly knelt down, heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

Xiao Qidi didn't stop walking. He learned from the palace maids he encountered along the way that the Empress Dowager was in the main hall, so he stopped all announcements and rushed directly towards the main hall.

A group of eunuchs, servants, and maids were guarding outside the main hall.

Upon seeing Xiao Qidi suddenly appear, they were all so frightened that their souls almost flew out of their bodies.

Xiao Qidi ordered them all to kneel on the ground and not make a sound. Then he stopped in front of the threshold and stared intently at the tightly closed door.

Night had fallen.

Through the crack in the door, one could see that the main hall was lit by candlelight.

I didn't hear any noise.

Xiao Qidi raised his hands, preparing to push the door open and enter, but his hands froze in mid-air for a moment before slowly lowering them.

Five years ago, the Empress Dowager said she was feeling unwell and wanted to find a quieter place to recuperate.

Xiao Qidi then complied with her wishes and let her choose a place herself.

So she moved to Shuncheng after that, and Xiao Qidi even ordered the palace there to be expanded.

Although Xiao Qidi had many grievances against the Empress Dowager, she was, after all, his birth mother.

Thinking of the kindness of giving birth to him and the time they depended on each other in their childhood, he also wanted to try his best to fulfill his filial duty.

Even though he had noticed many problems with the Empress Dowager over the years, and discovered that she was secretly vying for power in the court and was resorting to all sorts of underhanded tactics against him.

He still endured it again and again...

He even kept telling himself that those were just speculations he made based on certain circumstances, and that there was no actual evidence.

However, he saw everything from the historical materials Ning Jinli gave him.

He then learned that the Empress Dowager had not only actually had an affair with the Marquis of Le'an, but had also... had even given birth to two children!

I'm not feeling well and want to find a quieter place...

All of these were just excuses she used to give birth to the child in order to avoid being seen by others!

She even wanted her child with Marquis Le'an to become the king of Xuan Kingdom!

Throughout his journey back from the border, Xiao Qidi suppressed his emotions.

Right now, he's standing right in front of this door.

He had no idea what he would see once he went inside.

On his way there, he had thought about cutting through the mess quickly and decisively, showing no mercy, and rushing in to kill to his heart's content.

But now, he felt as if his legs weighed ten thousand pounds, and as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

"Empress Dowager..." Xiao Qidi's broad shoulders trembled slightly, his eyes were bloodshot, and his back teeth were clenched so hard that blood was seeping out. "I treat you as my mother, but what... what do you take me for?"

"Tell me, should I go in, or... continue pretending I know nothing?"

"Mother...you really know how to give your son difficult problems..."

Xiao Qidi closed his eyes and clenched his hands.

Unconsciously, his fingertips dug into his palm, and blood slowly trickled from between his fingers.

"Your Majesty..." A young maid kneeling beside her mustered her courage and whispered, "You...would you like to rest first? Your hand is bleeding...I'll go and fetch a doctor to take a look at it..."

It's good that she didn't say anything.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Qidi suddenly opened his eyes and slammed his fist into the door.

Bang!

He smashed the heavy door open with a single punch, scattering the latch across the floor.

"Ah!" A gasp rang out from inside the hall. "Who is it?!"

Xiao Qidi took a deep breath and strode across the threshold. "It's me, your son Xiao Qidi, I've come to see you!"

"Qidi?!" Jiang Peihuan suddenly stood up from the bench and pushed over the screen in front of her.

When she saw her son standing alive before her, she was so shocked that tears streamed down her face, and she rushed towards Xiao Qidi.

"Qi Di...is it really you?"

She couldn't believe he was still alive.

But at this moment, she was also grateful that he was still alive...

Two conflicting emotions tore at her heart.

When she saw Xiao Qidi's weathered face, how much thinner he had become, how darker and rougher his skin was, how bloodshot his eyes were, and how he looked like a displaced refugee, her heart ached uncontrollably.

“Qidi…you…you…” Jiang Peihuan choked out, reaching out her hands to touch her son’s face.

Xiao Qidi took a large step back, his gaze sweeping over her entire body, and said coldly, "Your Majesty is in high spirits. It's already night, yet you're still dressed up so meticulously, your makeup is exceptionally beautiful. Are you perhaps about to meet a guest, or perhaps there's something joyous happening later?"