Xi Xizhi blushed and hid in An Honghan's arms. Hearing his direct question to the Empress Dowager, her little head slowly peeked out. Standing opposite her was the Empress Dowager, old but still beautiful.
The Empress Dowager's expression was uncertain. After a long while, she finally spoke: "Your Majesty, you are my own flesh and blood, born after ten months of my pregnancy. Are you really going to make a scene with me over a sable?"
The Empress Dowager adopted an air of authority, dismissing all the palace maids and eunuchs from the main hall of Fengxiang Palace, leaving only An Honghan and the Empress Dowager in the bedroom, along with a small sable.
It is said that a mother and son are of one heart, and Xi Xizhi thought that An Honghan would back down and stop arguing with the Empress Dowager.
Unexpectedly, An Honghan sneered with a mocking tone, "So you still know that I am your own flesh and blood?" He gently stroked the sable's fur with his fingers, seemingly casual, yet with undercurrents of turmoil. "Five years ago, I remember that cup of poisoned wine very clearly."
What poisoned wine...?
Xi Xizhi's mind was filled with doubts... but seeing the hatred in An Honghan's eyes, she knew that the poisoned wine was related to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager took a step back in fright, staring at An Honghan in utter shock. Her voice trembled with disbelief, "You... how could you know?"
Fearful and guilty, the Empress Dowager clutched her silk handkerchief tightly, as if she wanted to tear it. Her face flushed and paled in turns, and her eyes were bloodshot from staring so wide.
An Honghan's footsteps were very heavy. He slowly took a step towards the Empress Dowager. "If I didn't know, I would have been poisoned by you with a cup of wine long ago. Mother, you have always favored the Seventh Prince since he was a child. How many heinous things have you done behind the scenes, just so that the Seventh Prince could gain the Emperor's favor? Whenever there was something good, you would think of the Seventh Prince; whenever there was something delicious, you would give it all to the Seventh Prince... In the end, you even poisoned your own other son to reduce one of his rivals for the throne."
"How dare you, someone as ruthless as you, speak of family ties in front of me?" With narrowed eyes, An Honghan looked down upon all living beings like a god. "You are ruthless, but I will be even more ruthless! You favor the Seventh Prince, so I will make him suffer the most painful death. Not only will he be disgraced, but he will also be torn apart by chariots."
The Empress Dowager's eyes widened in horror as she looked at An Honghan. "You framed Hao'er! He's your own brother, how could you treat him like that?"
The struggle for the throne back then was extremely fierce. Each prince engaged in open and covert battles, employing all sorts of ruthless tactics. Even when someone died, the true culprit could never be found. The late emperor never paid any attention to the fratricide among the brothers; whoever survived to the end would become the next emperor of Fengze Kingdom.
In this political battle, what matters most is ruthlessness.
"I have never treated him as my younger brother." A person who is reckless and cowardly has no right to be his younger brother.
In his eyes, there are no brothers, only enemies...
And all of this was taught to him by the woman on the other side.
"An Honghan...you're so ruthless! So ruthless!" The Empress Dowager's nerves were stretched to the limit. She laughed and cried at the same time, tears streaming down her face. "I eliminated so many obstacles for Hao'er, but in the end, it all benefited you, you ungrateful wretch. Since you knew about that poisoned wine, why didn't you get rid of me back then?"
Upon hearing the words "ungrateful wretch," Xi Xizhi angrily brandished her claws at the Empress Dowager. If An Honghan was an ungrateful wretch, then what was she, his mother? Even tigers don't eat their cubs, yet she could extend her cruel claws towards her own child.
Even angrier than when the Empress Dowager tormented it, Xi Xizhi ignored An Honghan holding it down and threw its small body straight at the Empress Dowager.
This sudden turn of events caught both of them off guard.
Just as the little ferret was about to crash into the Empress Dowager, a large hand caught it steadily and pulled it back into its arms. "Are you trying to throw an egg against a rock? If you crash into her like that, who will be in more pain, you or her?"
Although An Honghan's words were angry and harsh, his genuine concern was undeniable. If he were to crash into it like that, even if the Empress Dowager wasn't injured, he himself might be bedridden for months.
It truly felt sorry for An Honghan, wondering how he had endured so much hardship and trials in his childhood before finally ascending to the throne revered by thousands.
Seeing the little ferret's adorable, pouty face, An Honghan's cold heart gradually softened. He gently rubbed the little ferret's fur-covered forehead, then looked at the Empress Dowager again and said, "I didn't get rid of you back then because you were insignificant to me. Your presence or absence was irrelevant. Your mistake was touching my things!"
He lifted the little sable, brushed aside its dense fur, revealing its tender, bluish-purple flesh—a shocking sight.
"I don't care why you bullied it, I'll settle this score tonight!" An Honghan slowly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers twice.
Two soft voices echoed in the hall.
Within moments, two dark figures darted in through the open window.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Two men dressed in black brocade robes knelt on one knee.
On their right arms, they wore gold medals engraved with eagles.
"Shadow Guard..." The Empress Dowager stared at the gold medal in disbelief, then turned to An Honghan, shaking her head repeatedly, saying, "No, impossible... How could the late Emperor have passed the Shadow Guard to you?"
During the period following the late emperor's death, he remained bedridden for a long time. Others may not know why, but surely the Empress Dowager knew the inside story? Back then, An Honghan colluded with the imperial physicians to add a slow-acting poison to the late emperor's medicine, causing him to gradually approach death.
The royal family harbors many secrets, one of which is the secret training of ninety-nine shadow guards. These shadow guards are the elite of the elite, each possessing exceptional martial arts skills. While they may not be invincible, they are at least capable of taking on a hundred opponents.
An Honghan stroked the little sable's fur, raised an eyebrow, and said coldly, "What's impossible? There are many ways to get a secret out of someone. Similarly, there are countless ways to torture someone. Empress Dowager, tell me, how should I torture you to avenge the little sable?"
An Honghan uttered these words casually, without any emotional fluctuation.
The little sable blinked. Had it learned too much tonight? In the royal family, the fewer secrets you knew, the longer you lived. An Honghan's words tonight made Xi Xizhi re-evaluate the palace.
The palace itself is not frightening; what is frightening is the unpredictable human heart. Everyone here harbors various motives, lives in struggle, and ultimately loses themselves.
The Empress Dowager trembled and stepped back. Her son was her own, and knowing An Honghan as she did, she was well aware of his methods. Anyone who fell into his hands was better off dead; the worst fate was to live a life worse than death, hanging on by a thread.
"You... what do you want to do to me! No matter what, I am your birth mother. Aren't you afraid of being condemned by the world?" The Empress Dowager was still somewhat clever and did not lose her composure even at this point.
"An eye for an eye. However... I will repay that debt tenfold." An Honghan said expressionlessly, his tone cold, as if the other party were a complete stranger.
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