Chapter 17: Sophistry is like a resurrection of the dead
Emperor Shengde didn't want Qi Xin to escape his control, but he also didn't want her to know too much, thus losing the most authentic reaction of the character in the play, so he pretended to be majestic and said:
"Although I am a father, I am also the Son of Heaven. No one can force me. Ah Xin is no longer a child. When asking questions, you should also be careful about the timing and appropriateness. I will tell you everything I can say."
Qi Xin no longer concealed his feelings and simply laid it out:
"Your Majesty is still like this—hypocritical. During the previous marriage, did Your Majesty know the origins of the silk painting, yet you still played along, using me as bait to uncover the secrets of the Moon Kingdom? During the state funeral, red lines appeared in my pupils, yet Your Majesty never suspected anything and quickly escorted me away to prevent the ministers from learning. Did Your Majesty know what I had endured in the Moon Kingdom, what was inside me? Now that we've come to this, Your Majesty, could you please tell me if you've been secretly connected to Duke Jingguo, conspiring on important matters? With all this, one by one, if I were to believe Your Majesty is truly so gullible and cowardly, it's impossible."
Emperor Shengde nodded slightly and replied as expected, "I was right in judging you! Ah Xin is truly the reincarnation of Di Gong. Every word he says is a pearl of wisdom."
Qi Xin: "Since your Majesty has acknowledged all of them, then please tell me clearly, is Chen Yu dead or alive?"
Emperor Shengde asked in return, "What do you think, Axin?"
Qi Xin raised his eyebrows and said confidently, "Father has mobilized so many troops, he must be setting up a stage that is even more grand than the one for the marriage."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Emperor Shengde seemed to be interested and passed on the message, signaling her to continue.
Qi Xin laughed dryly twice and said:
"Since you learned from Chen Yu that I had been poisoned by the blood pill and had become a Superior Zero Blood, you realized that if someone in the court truly had connections with the Moon Nation, then I, your son, would be a ready-made target. And if you don't hide Chen Yu now, not only will he become an even more conspicuous target than me, but you might also lose the manpower to strike a fatal blow against the Moon Nation's spies."
Emperor Shengde smiled and said, "Axin's behavior makes it seem like we have no one left in Dasheng."
Qi Xin continued:
"The Imperial City Army is certainly formidable, but besides defending the western territories, they also need to protect the Imperial City. The Shadow City Guard, while exceptional at assassination, lacks the combat prowess of a legitimate army. Only the Yasuo Army, as Moon Kingdom spies will mistake them for being far away in Ningbei, with their every move being closely monitored by the Moon Kingdom. Their commander, first tarnished with a bad reputation and then unjustly killed, will inevitably become a hostile force to the Dasheng court. Even if they can't use you, they'll still be a sword hanging over your head, keeping you on edge."
Emperor Shengde nodded knowingly: "Axin knows a lot."
"All of this was done during the state funeral ceremony to confirm whether Marshal Shen was truly dead. The small golden lock on his body was also your work, right? So if someone wanted to examine the body, you would know that this person was probably working as a spy for the Moon Kingdom. This small golden lock can also confirm Marshal Shen's death, so that the other party can relax their vigilance. Does your father agree with what I said?"
Qi Xin finished her words, but concealed the true strength of the National Defense Army she had witnessed with her own eyes. She couldn't gamble with her father's fleeting love for talent against the eternal greed of emperors. The cause of the old Duke's death was still unresolved, and everything remained under discussion.
Emperor Shengde squinted his eyes at her, as if trying to uncover a clue. He asked, "How did Ah Xin know this? Did you avoid exposing me at the state funeral because it coincided with ours? I truly never imagined you cared so much about Qi Ze."
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. I don't care about anyone. All I want from the beginning to the end is the truth." Qi Xin smiled calmly, then took the initiative and said, "My thoughts and actions are in line with your wishes. They all come from my heart. Can I be considered the role you want to achieve?"
"Axin, I didn't mean to..." Emperor Shengde's eyes were filled with tears, causing all the wrinkles on his face to twitch for a moment.
Qi Xin really didn't have the grace to appreciate the crocodile's tears, so he simply asked the final question:
"Alright, Your Majesty, I have something else that has been on my mind for a long time. I hope Your Majesty can help me solve it."
Emperor Shengde extended his hand and said, "Axin, please feel free to speak."
Qi Xin: "During the marriage, the Emperor abandoned me. Now that I'm back at court, he's abandoned me again. Has your Majesty ever considered what would happen to me if the blood pill fusion fails? If the Yue Kingdom spies really show up during this drama, and I'm really abducted, what would I do then?"
Emperor Shengde pressed his forehead with the bottom of his palm and said, "Qi Ze - I will protect you..."
Qi Xin curled his lips and asked sullenly, "But what if he doesn't have time to protect her, or if he can't protect her even if he tries his best?"
Emperor Shengde said nothing more and just stared at her silently.
Qi Xin also looked back at him, thinking she could find a trace of kindness in his eyes. However, she paused for a long moment, not finding even a trace of kindness in those blazing eyes. She lowered her head in awe, curled the corners of her lips in self-mockery, and pondered:
"I am injured and cannot see you off. Father, please return."
Emperor Shengde shook his head lightly, his tone slightly hesitant:
"Go back to your mother tomorrow. There are many skilled doctors in the palace who can treat you well."
Qi Xin: "I, your son, thank you, Father."
Qi Xin had been in Kunhe Palace for some time, but she had been unusually silent, seemingly uninterested in anything. Empress Yuan was about to speak, but her indifferent expression forced her back, until the day she recovered from her injuries and left the palace. Empress Yuan usually wore simple and elegant ornaments, except for grand ceremonies and sacrifices, but recently she had dressed completely, even wearing the red jadeite drop-bead earrings bestowed upon her by the emperor at the coronation ceremony. She summoned Xing'er, and after a long pause, she spoke cautiously:
"My Ah Xin has grown up, has his own mind, and is slowly understanding everything. I also..."
Qi Xin was used to her roundabout ways, so he said bluntly, "Mother, please speak frankly."
"Come, Xing'er," Empress Yuan beckoned her to her side, then turned to look at Qi Xin and said earnestly:
"Ah Xin has always been a child who hates evil and is bold and resolute. Now that the spies have not been eliminated, Ah Xin will not stay out of it. Perhaps Ah Xin already knows that Duke Jingguo is still alive and wants to reunite with him. However, even if Chen Yu is extremely capable, he is still Your Majesty's spy and there will always be times when he cannot be properly cared for. Ah Xin's martial arts skills have been abolished, and you are in such a dangerous situation. It would be better to let Xing'er accompany you in the future. Her martial arts skills are not weak, and she can save your life if necessary."
Before Qi Xin could open his mouth, Xing'er fell at Empress Yuan's feet, sobbing and crying:
"Your Highness, even though the palace is full of dangers, the people inside are also as fierce as wolves and tigers! You have done a favor to the Duke, and he will naturally take good care of His Highness, but you have no one else except this servant, Your Highness! What will you do in the future, Your Highness?"
Qi Xin stood aside, quietly watching this scene of deep affection between master and servant, feeling his heart grow increasingly desolate:
It turns out her comings and goings were destined to a life of solitude. Even Xing'er, her mother, had her unwavering support, while she had foolishly assumed she'd earned Chen Yu's honesty in Ningbei, and then, a few days ago, she had begged her father for a glimmer of true affection. But fate had played such a trick on her. Everyone coveted her identity, but no one cared about her feelings.
She glanced at Xing'er lying on the ground and bowed politely:
"Xing'er's words are not without reason. Mother, please think twice."
Empress Yuan helped Xing'er up, stroked the back of her hand again and again, and patiently explained:
"Even if there are intrigues here, they are all palace disputes, not worthy of public display. This is the way my life will be. But Xing'er, you are still young, so there is no need to waste time with an old man like me. Ah Xin is also a good child. He has struggled on his own for so many years and has made considerable progress. From now on, you two will be able to take care of each other, and I can rest assured."
Xing Er: "My Lady——"
Empress Yuan: "Alright, there's no need to discuss this matter any further. Let her be."
Seeing that there was no turning back, Xing Er bowed once more and said goodbye.
"This servant—this servant obeys the Majesty's name and is willing to serve you like a dog. I hope that the Majesty will not be depressed in the future and must take good care of herself."
Returning to the Princess's residence, Qi Xin discovered that the Emperor's orders had indeed been fulfilled. Even the door lintel had been completely renovated. During this time, countless skilled craftsmen had been hired to renovate the pavilions and waterside terraces into their current, breathtakingly beautiful state, with willows draped over painted bridges, peach paths bathed in mist, vines shrouded in shadows, and winding paths leading to secluded retreats.
She turned around and faced this group of unfamiliar servants. She felt extremely bored, so she simply changed into light plain clothes and left the house.
"Your Highness, Your Highness," Xing'er chased after him to the porch in small steps. "Where are you going, Your Highness? Do you require me to accompany you?"
"No need." Qi Xin paused, then said gently, "Xing'er, I know you've been loyal to my mother for many years. It's inevitable that you'll feel uncomfortable adapting to the sudden change of master. However, if you want to be mine, you must be loyal to me, inside and out. Otherwise, I'd rather have nothing than someone else."
Upon hearing this, Xing'er quickly leaned down and prostrated herself before Qi Xin's skirt: "Your Highness, this servant——"
Qi Xin said without even turning his head, "Stop it! This kind of empty formality is completely useless! I'll give you time to adjust yourself. In two days, you can return me a brand new Xing'er. Can you do that?"
Xing Er bowed and said, "This servant will definitely live up to your highness's expectations."
Qi Xin did not respond, but slowly walked out of the Princess's Mansion and strolled around the streets.
Compared to the street markets she'd visited in the farmer's courtyard earlier, the variety of goods in Shengdu was similar, just more impressive. Actually, she had no desire to wander around, but wanted to try her luck at the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, or just visit the place where Shen Yu had spent his childhood, which would also be great.
She hinted to herself that her father had deceived and exploited her, and that her mother and Chen Yu were also accomplices. Even if there were some good memories in the past, they were all gone, and she would never forgive any of them. Since they were destined not to be parallel lines, they would stick to the rules of cooperation.
The alley paved with cobblestones is winding and twists and turns, but at the end it leads to an open space, and the Jingguo Mansion is right in front of you.
Qi Xin wondered how he had never noticed before that the once-prosperous Duke Jingguo Mansion was only two streets away from his own Princess's Mansion. Perhaps it was because the Duke Jingguo Mansion had always existed, and his own branch residence had only been there for a short time. Then, before he had even spent a single day in the mansion, he went out to marry into a foreign army, so it was a coincidence that he had never seen it.
The tightly closed copper-studded doors of the Duke Jingguo Mansion had faded from their gleaming golden-red hue to a mottled gray where the paint had peeled. The corners of the plaque inscribed with official script by the late emperor were now covered in spiderwebs. The bronze animal door knocker, etched by years of wind and frost, faded to a fading state, languishing beneath the deserted corridor.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
ps——
Chen Yu: Why do I always appear in other people's memories, thoughts, words, and stories...
Tan Xiyuan Muxia: What else? Do you think our little Jiuxi will pay attention to you?
Xiaojiu: The author said it well, the author said it is helpful, I support what the author said~
Chen Yu: [Poor]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
