“Silly girl, you are far too naive. In this world, no man can resist the supreme power and the immense temptation of possessing the entire world. I cannot, nor can the King of Qin!”
With tears welling in her eyes, Yi Shangyun looked at the old king's serious and dignified face as he spoke. The old king pressed her down to sit, but she still insisted, "Perhaps Your Majesty is right, but Yun'er has always believed in His Highness. His Highness is definitely not that kind of person."
"No?" The old king disdainfully turned his gaze to Yi Shangyun's face and questioned.
Yi Shangyun had unwavering faith in her beloved. She said firmly, “Your Highness, while he may appear cold and ruthless on the surface, he is actually incredibly kind and compassionate at heart. There was a time when Yun'er's life in Western Qin was fraught with hardship and uncertainty. Every time in danger, His Highness arrived in time to help Yun'er through the crisis. He works tirelessly day and night, always concerned for the suffering of the people, and is therefore deeply loved by the people of Western Qin. How could such a compassionate and righteous person, with such a heart for the world, possibly be the murderer of the Empress Dowager!”
She spoke as she sadly recalled the past. Even though he was no longer alive, how could she allow others to slander the person she loved so dearly?
Seeing that the past between Yi Shangyun and the King of Qin was indeed extraordinary, the King of Dongning looked at the woman in front of him, who was full of sorrow, and suddenly felt that she was just like himself when he lost his queen.
He then sighed silently to himself, saying meaningfully, "There are some things I don't know how to explain to you now. However, since the Empress Dowager's journey to Western Qin ended in disaster, I have sent many trusted confidants to Western Qin to investigate. The results all confirm that the Empress Dowager's death was indeed due to the Prince of Qin. Therefore, like you, my Empress Dowager is also the love of my life. I understand your feelings, and you should also understand my anger. We are the same!"
Yi Shangyun knew what the old king was talking about, but she resisted and refused to accept the fact. She shook her head, lowered her head, and cried out, "Yun'er doesn't understand, Yun'er doesn't know, Yun'er only knows that this is impossible, this is absolutely impossible! The emperor must have made a mistake somewhere, it can't be His Highness Prince Qin, it can't be him!"
No matter how resolute she was, when she suddenly looked up and met the old king's gaze, which, though only bearing a slight, kind smile, revealed a deep skepticism about her convictions, emanating from his innate majesty and a profound depth that seemed etched into his very bones.
Although she had never met the Empress Dowager, who was very likely her true birth mother, she felt inexplicably that the Empress Dowager and the man she still deeply loved, even though they were now separated by death, were so similar. They were both people who cared for the world and were deeply respected by all.
She could not accept that the person she loved so deeply would become her mortal enemy, the murderer of her mother.
But looking at this lonely old man in front of me, I don't know why, but my defenses started to crumble little by little from his words and eyes, and even my voice became softer and softer.
During this time, she had spent every day with the King of Dongning. Although she still had no evidence to prove her identity, for some reason, a strange feeling had quietly arisen between them, accompanied by a strong sense of trust. She knew that the King of Dongning was always cautious in his words and actions, and he would not say such a thing casually.
After hesitating for a long time, Yi Shangyun silently raised her head and, with an almost pleading look in her eyes, suppressed her great grief and said, "But, but no matter what, Your Highness Prince Qin, he is now dead. Even so, Your Majesty, can't you forgive him?"
"Forgive him?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Dongning slowly withdrew his hand from her shoulder, turned to the side, and said hatefully, "Hmph... As I just said, the hatred between me and that brat is something that can never be erased, even for all eternity. Regardless of whether he truly died in the Battle of Beilie or was just a coward, even if he is truly dead and turned to ashes, one day I will personally lead an expedition to crush Xiqin. Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will make sure he cannot rest in peace even in death."
"emperor……"
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun cried out urgently. She had no idea that the old king's hatred for losing his empress was so deep. She seemed to want to say something more, but he raised a hand and sternly and resolutely stopped her, saying, "Stop talking. My mind is made up. There is no need to persuade me anymore!"
After saying this, the old king put his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, and said no more.
Yi Shangyun silently pursed her lips as she looked at his seemingly lonely back, then slowly got up, turned around, and walked out of Qingxin Palace in a dejected manner.
After Yi Shangyun left, the King of Dongning silently opened his eyes, turned around, and stared blankly at her departing figure for a long, long time, as if he had something he wanted to say but couldn't. His face was long and lingering. Finally, he only said one sentence, "Ruoxi, why is her character so similar to yours? Is she really...?"
That night.
In the stillness of the night, in another part of this magnificent and vast palace, in the empress's luxurious and warm bedchamber, a solitary lamp flickered in the wind.
"well……"
Lying on the couch, she tossed and turned several times, unable to fall asleep for a long time. Finally, after letting out a long sigh, she slowly got up, lifted the red gauze curtain, and got off the couch fully clothed.
"It's only the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), why isn't Your Majesty sleeping in your bed yet?"
Hearing the commotion inside the hall, the old nanny on night watch, holding a lamp, hurriedly walked in and lit several bright candles in the hall. She asked with concern and puzzlement, unaware that the Empress had not yet closed her eyes for even a moment.
Afterwards, she sat down in front of the dressing table and stared at her face in the mirror, which was clearly no longer young, for a long time. She said with a melancholy expression, "Beauty fades and love wanes. This is indeed the same tragedy for all women in the world!"
Upon hearing this, the old nanny was taken aback. She then turned and approached the direction where the Empress was sitting to serve her. While putting a thick phoenix-patterned cloak on her, she asked in confusion, "Why does Your Majesty suddenly say such things? Your Majesty is the head of the harem and the mother of the nation. Your status is unparalleled. How can you be compared to those common beauties in the world?"
After gazing at her reflection in the mirror for a while, she let out a cold laugh and said, "I am indeed the Empress of this great Dongning Kingdom, and the head of the harem in this vast palace. Yet, in the end, I am nothing more than an ordinary woman, yearning for my husband's warmth and affection. But now, before my husband, I am less worthy than those servile faces who fawn over me all day long. Now, she doesn't even want to look at me. Tell me, isn't this my tragedy?"
While massaging her temples to calm her down, the old nanny seemed to understand the meaning behind her words. After a moment's thought, she offered words of comfort: "Is Your Majesty still troubled by that brat who was just a child?"
Seeing her silence, and thinking that she must have guessed correctly, the old nanny continued, "In my opinion, Your Majesty doesn't need to care about that girl at all! Judging from Your Majesty's test just now, and His Majesty's reaction, it seems that he doesn't have the same feelings for that girl as the Empress thinks. Moreover, that girl has been serving closely in Qingxin Palace for some time now. If His Majesty had any other feelings for her, he would have already bestowed a title upon her. Since there's been no news of anything happening, it's clear that His Majesty has simply gained a servant to do as he pleases. So why should Your Majesty worry unnecessarily?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes to rest, and said, "Hmm, I can see that too. But even so, that girl is still someone of unknown origin, and I always feel uneasy about her, especially her appearance. She looks exactly like that vile woman. I have to be careful of her!"
The old nanny seemed to agree with what the Empress said, nodding as she continued massaging her while asking, "Should we continue sending this nourishing soup to Qingxin Palace?"
Without a second thought, the Empress Dowager suddenly opened her eyes and blurted out, "Send it, of course we must send it! That position, I absolutely cannot allow any mishap."
"Yes!" The old nanny hesitated for a moment, but still agreed.
She then added a reminder: "By the way, when delivering medicine in the future, try to avoid that girl. I find her to be too meticulous and thoughtful; be careful not to cause any unnecessary trouble!"
The old nanny could tell that she was no ordinary maid, but rather clever and quick-witted. She thought to herself and said with concern, "That girl, keeping her around will only cause trouble in the end!"
She then took a deep breath and said slowly, "No rush. Soon, I will remove all these obstacles. In this world, whatever I want, absolutely no one can stop me."
In the side hall, a dim candlelight illuminated the space.
Yi Shangyun, her long, black hair loosely draped, sat alone at a table in the hall, looking worried. She rested her chin on her hand and muttered to herself, "The daughter of a pharmacist from the Western Qin Kingdom… the legitimate princess of the Eastern Ning royal family, a lost gem… Who am I? What is all this about? Why do I always feel a strange sense of closeness when I'm with the Emperor? Is this some kind of preordained blood relation?"
Clearly, she was still completely baffled, because she had always known that her memories were inexplicably chaotic.
Suddenly, an idea arose spontaneously...
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