Although the Empress's face was serious, she was actually very pleased. She slowly accepted the teacup that Xuan Yuan Yue respectfully offered, took a sip of tea, and asked in a low voice, "What does Yue'er want to know?"
Xuanyuan Yue took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and asked with each word firm and clear, "Mother, Yue'er wants to know, how exactly did Father Emperor ascend the throne? What is the truth behind it? Why are there so many rumors in the palace that the position should have belonged to Uncle Qin? Who is the true Son of Heaven of Western Qin?"
"Crack..."
Upon hearing this, the teacup that the Empress had already extended most of its length from the table beside her suddenly slid down and shattered into several pieces on the floor, making a very crisp sound.
The remaining tea in the teacup splashed everywhere, staining the hem of her very expensive embroidered gold phoenix robe.
She raised her eyes, her brows furrowed, and stared blankly into Xuan Yuan Yue's eyes for a long while before finally snapping out of her daze and asking in surprise, "Where did Yue'er hear these words?"
"Does it matter?" Seeing her mother's shocked reaction to her words, Xuan Yuan Yue seemed to have some idea of the answer in her heart, and couldn't help but ask with a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
"You must never say such things again. If your father hears this, not only will those who spread these rumors be executed along with their entire families, but you may also be implicated... Do you understand?" The Empress looked at Xuan Yuan Yue's extremely serious expression, stood up abruptly, shook Xuan Yuan Yue's arm vigorously, and instructed him.
Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuan Yue still spoke righteously and said, "'Rumors'? Does Mother really intend to use such a casual two words to shut down Yue'er's sincere feelings tonight?"
Seeing that the Empress was clearly flustered and seemed eager to cover up the truth with a few hasty words, Xuan Yuan Yue suddenly snorted and continued, "'A straight body casts no crooked shadow,' let alone the ruler of a country. If Father Emperor himself acts with integrity and is truly righteous, and has no remorse towards Uncle Qin and the entire Western Qin Kingdom, why would he be afraid of these baseless rumors? Unless... Father Emperor really did bully the weak and oppress the strong, usurp the throne, and seize everything that rightfully belonged to Uncle Qin."
"Yue'er, shut up!" The Empress, trembling with fear, seemed unwilling to listen to her any longer and hurriedly scolded her to stop.
However, Xuan Yuan Yue stared blankly into the Empress's eyes, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. Her heart felt as if something was blocking it, making it hard to breathe. She clenched her fist tightly against her chest and said, "Actually, when I first heard the officials in court gossiping that my grandfather's chosen successor was Qin Huangshu, and that Qin Huangshu was the true Son of Heaven of Western Qin, I felt the same way as Mother, even more agitated and angry. I wanted nothing more than to immediately rip off the head of that arrogant minister. But reason compelled me, telling me I couldn't do that."
"Why?" the Empress asked, her face filled with sadness and confusion.
Xuanyuan Yue looked at the Empress seriously, then turned her head to the side and said quietly, "Because, Yue'er has discovered that Yue'er can easily kill a treacherous minister who spreads rumors, but Yue'er cannot kill them all, nor can she silence the gossip of the world."
After a brief pause, Xuan Yuan Yue exhaled a breath of stale air, turned around and asked, "Your Majesty, as the mother of a nation, I dare to ask, in all these years, has Your Majesty ever taken the time to look upon the land of my Western Qin Kingdom? And has Your Majesty ever listened to the suffering in the hearts of my Western Qin people?"
As she spoke, Xuan Yuan Yue reached out and helped the Empress up, allowing her to sit back on the soft couch. She then sat down beside her and said softly, "Since my grandfather passed away, a large-scale natural disaster has occurred every three years on this land of our Western Qin Kingdom. In addition, there are constant wars and man-made calamities. People say that if it weren't for the existence of Uncle Qin, no one could prevent not only natural disasters but also man-made calamities. Mother, the Western Qin Kingdom is becoming increasingly worrying."
Despite her young age, Xuan Yuan Yue, though a girl, possessed the bearing and responsibility of royalty, a quality no one could deny. Seeing the Empress's troubled expression and refusal to reveal anything, she continued with heartache, "Leaving aside the devastating wars that have swept across the land over the years, leaving the people and resources exhausted, the treasury of Western Qin has never had a moment's respite after each major disaster. And Father, instead of doing everything in his power to help the people through these difficult times, he continues to impose exorbitant taxes, ignoring the suffering of his subjects, while squandering most of his wealth on the pursuit of eternal bliss. As the ruler of a nation, shouldn't one be 'worried about the world's troubles before enjoying its pleasures'? How heartbroken must the people of Western Qin be to endlessly exploit their wealth like this!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress finally sighed heavily amidst her deep contemplation, seemingly moved by what she had said.
Seeing this, Xuan Yuan Yue pressed on, continuing, "So many years have passed, can't Mother really see that Father has always been suspicious of Uncle Qin, suppressing and pressuring him step by step? With external and internal troubles, what hope is there for the future of Western Qin? Yet, in times of crisis, the people of Western Qin only have the heart of King Qin, the God of War of Western Qin, who fought against a hundred men to protect their homeland on the battlefield against the invaders' repeated provocations, and only the King Qin who personally led them through great disasters."
After a brief pause, calming her turbulent emotions, Xuan Yuan Yue looked into the Empress's eyes again and said, "Mother, if this continues, the expenditures will exceed the income, creating a vicious cycle. If this continues, the people will eventually be displaced and lose faith in the court. At that time, the Western Qin Kingdom will truly be on the verge of collapse!"
At this moment, the Empress, who had been quietly clenching her fists without anyone noticing, said with a hint of helplessness, "The inner palace must not interfere in politics. Yue'er must know that."
"Does the saying 'the empress must not interfere in politics' really make the millions of people of Western Qin forgive the Empress Dowager, who is the mother of the nation, for her duty?"
"I..." Upon hearing this, the Empress seemed speechless, yet still wore a troubled expression.
At this moment, Xuan Yuan Yue's tone gradually softened. "To be honest, sometimes I really wish I could always remain an innocent child who knows nothing, simply being the apple of Father and Mother's eye. That way, there would be no conflict of interest. Actually, I don't want to see Father, who is gradually growing old, saddened. However, I also feel that deceiving myself like this is too selfish. It's unfair to Uncle Qin, and it's unfair to the people of Western Qin. They deserve a better ruler to guide them and to live a better life. Uncle Qin should have no constraints and have the greatest right to do this, shouldn't he?"
Since the events in the south of the city, Xuan Yuan Yue had many feelings and was very excited at this moment. However, the Empress remained tight-lipped and seemed unwilling to reveal a single word.
Helpless, she could only silently offer her blessings: "No matter what, I firmly believe that one day, Uncle Qin will regain everything he has lost. Mother, after I leave Western Qin, there is no telling when I will return. I hope you will take good care of yourself."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Xuan Yuan Yue's words, the Empress suddenly spoke up, "It's the Empress Dowager..."
"Is it the Empress Dowager? Does Mother mean... that the person the Emperor Grandfather chose as his heir was really... Uncle Qin?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue stared blankly at the Empress's face.
As the Empress reminisced, she slowly said to him, "Back then, your mother had just entered the palace and married your father. I heard that the last surviving member of the Western Qin royal family's guardian met with misfortune on the way to the palace, falling off a cliff and dying. Subsequently, natural disasters and man-made calamities broke out everywhere in Western Qin, and the people suffered greatly. It was because of this that your grandfather realized that he had truly made a terrible mistake and should not have ignored the advice of his ministers, which led to the loss of the guardian of the Western Qin Kingdom."
"So, the guardian of the Western Qin emperor, as rumored by the world, really exists. What happened next?" Xuan Yuan Yue asked in surprise.
The Empress continued, "From then on, your grandfather was constantly depressed, knowing that his time was coming to an end. He secretly designated the Prince of Qin as his heir. But at that time, the Prince of Qin was not even ten years old. How could he bear such a heavy responsibility? The Empress Dowager then instigated the high-ranking officials, saying that the Empress Dowager wanted to use her young son to rule from behind the curtain. This persuaded your grandfather's attendants to obtain and have someone alter your grandfather's handwritten imperial edict. At the same time, under the pretext of praying for your grandfather's well-being, she sent the Prince of Qin and his mother away from the palace to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Taking advantage of this opportunity, when your grandfather was on his deathbed, she ordered the imperial physician to add... to his medicine. This sent your grandfather to his death, and your father then ascended the throne."
"What?! Grandmother... she actually poisoned Grandfather with her own hands! How dare she do such a heinous thing? Doesn't she fear being struck by lightning?" Xuan Yuan Yue was so angry and terrified that she seemed unwilling to continue speaking.
"In this world, there is nothing the Empress Dowager wouldn't dare to do. Her desire for power has almost reached a state of madness. Although Mother is her own niece, she is also extremely afraid of her. If anyone stands in her way, she will not let it go. Yue'er... promise Mother, never provoke her. She is absolutely ruthless." The Empress gently stroked Xuan Yuan Yue's hand and admonished her.
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