Chapter 202 Making a Big Mistake
A thin stream of wine flowed down from the pot, creating waves in the jade cup until it overflowed.
"My dear, it's full." Emperor Yongde leaned against the table, supported his head with his elbows, and reminded Mei Dai in a drunken tone.
Mei Dai was startled and put the wine pot back on the table. She held up the jade cup with both hands and handed it to Emperor Yongde.
Emperor Yongde took the wine but didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he looked at her with a squinting eye and said, "My beloved, you haven't smiled since your father passed away. I know you're sad, but I won't ask for anything more. But it's been a month since New Year's Eve..."
Mei Dai couldn't help shedding tears and said, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive me. I just want to return to Xiliang to mourn for my father."
"I told you not to," Emperor Yongde brought the cup to his lips and drank it all in one gulp. "How can I live without my beloved concubine?"
Mei Dai wiped her tears with her sleeves and picked up the chopsticks to serve food to Emperor Yongde: "Your Majesty, this dish was just made by the imperial chef."
"I can't eat anymore. I'll have two more cups, and then my beloved concubine will take me to bed."
Mei Dai advised, "Your Majesty, you have already drunk a lot of wine. Drinking more might harm the dragon's body."
"No problem, pour me some wine."
Unlike her sadness, Emperor Yongde had been smiling all day since Concubine De's death, and had become much more generous. Sometimes she did something inappropriate, but Emperor Yongde didn't take it seriously.
He claimed to have drunk two cups, but in reality, Emperor Yongde drank seven or eight more before staggering to bed. He collapsed into a soft heap, and Mei Dai and the maid Qiao'er worked together to help him onto the bed.
After getting into bed, Mei Dai lowered the curtains at the head of the bed, and snoring sounds were heard from inside the curtains.
Mei Dai said to Qiao Er, "Go out. I will serve His Majesty."
She had no intention of going to bed with him. Anyway, Emperor Yongde was sleeping like a dead person and would not know what she was doing.
Coming to the window, Mei Dai stared blankly in the direction of Xiliang.
Years ago, Zhang Song, a general under her brother's command, secretly came to the capital to see her and burst into tears as soon as he saw her.
"Empress Xianfei, the prince was killed by Xiao Zhuo. He could have wiped out the Western Rong, but he retreated midway, luring the prince to attack them. Then he pretended to rescue him, but by then the prince was already dying... That villain's methods were so despicable, he set a trap for the prince."
This one-sided story wouldn't have affected a woman as intelligent as Mei Dai. Far away in the capital, she had no idea what was happening in Xiliang. However, Mei Dai also believed that Xiao Zhuo had intentions of taking over Xiliang, and that belief remained unchanged.
"...He even coerced the prince to give him the entire Xiliang before his death. The most hateful thing is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He actually refused to listen to me and insisted that Xiao Zhuo had good intentions." Zhang Song continued to cry.
Mei Dai said sadly, "Brother has no left hand. I guess it was because of Xiao Zhuo's coercion."
"Your Majesty is indeed sensible. I have traveled day and night to the capital in the hope that Your Majesty can save Xiliang." Zhang Song sank his head to the ground, tears streaming down his face. "The Mei family's foundation must not fall into the hands of a villain like Xiao Zhuo."
"I will find a way." Mei Dai agreed.
Live as Xiliang, die as Xiliang.
But that was easier said than done. Xiao Zhuo was the son of Emperor Yongde, and to touch him would be to oppose the Great Yan Dynasty. She didn't know how to preserve Xiliang.
Although his brother Meipu also had tens of thousands of troops under his command, he obeyed Xiao Zhuo's command. Perhaps Xiao Zhuo did not want to blatantly annex Xiliang, so he pretended to help Xiliang fight against Jingzhou and earn reputation.
After the New Year, Xiao Zhuo led his army to confront the Jingzhou army. The two sides fought several battles, but the Jingzhou army was unable to win a single victory. However, due to its strong military strength, it was able to maintain its front line between Yongwei and Leshan.
In the long run, the Jingzhou Army will probably still be defeated. It is only a matter of time.
After defeating the Jingzhou army, Xiao Zhuo would undoubtedly occupy Xiliang. However, she was helpless here and could only sigh as Emperor Yongde slept.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly woke up from her thoughts.
Although the harsh winter had passed, spring was still chilly. She stood there for who knows how long, until even her hands were frozen blue.
She put her hands to her mouth and blew on them, then turned around.
Emperor Yongde on the bed let out a low cry, as if he had dreamed of a sad scene. Then he began to mutter to himself.
Mei Dai hesitated for a moment, tiptoed to the bedside, and listened carefully.
"Zi Tong, I was too reckless...I shouldn't have forced you to death."
Mei Dai's heart trembled. It turned out that Emperor Yongde regretted forcing Empress Pei to death. He also knew that he was too reckless. But the dead cannot be resurrected, so what's the point of regretting now?
Emperor Yongde had always been reckless, and Mei Dai knew him very well. Otherwise, she would not have taken advantage of Emperor Yongde's recklessness to kill Prince Jing.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Yongde spoke again, "You were able to hide it from me for so long, so why can't I... If only I were like you, wouldn't our family be very happy?"
Hearing this, Mei Dai became more careful.
Emperor Yongde said that Empress Pei had been hiding something from him for a long time. What did she hide?
She had a vague feeling that this matter was extremely serious. It was not only related to Empress Pei, but it was definitely related to Xiao Zhuo's exile.
But after waiting for a while, Emperor Yongde stopped talking.
Mei Dai saw that Emperor Yongde was fast asleep and knew that he might not be talking in his sleep anymore. So she came up with an idea. She lifted the curtain and gently poked Emperor Yongde's thigh with her finger.
If Emperor Yongde woke up, she would decline and go to bed with His Majesty, and it would be fine if they just bumped into each other accidentally.
Sure enough, as soon as she touched Emperor Yongde, he started talking again.
"Zhuo'er, you are already eight years old. Why are you still clinging to your father's legs? You must set an example for the people of the world and cannot always act like a child..."
There was no anger in his words, only affection.
"Although... although you..." Emperor Yongde's tone turned heavy.
Mei Dai held her breath and stared closely at Emperor Yongde's moving lips.
"Although you are not my son," Emperor Yongde murmured, "Although you are not my biological son..."
Mei Dai's heart almost stopped.
Dreams don't lie. Xiao Zhuo isn't Emperor Yongde's son, so he's not qualified to be the crown prince. If that's the case, just let my brother know. He's very concerned about a person's reputation. If he knew Xiao Zhuo's true identity, he wouldn't be so blindly obedient to him anymore. Xiao Zhuo has always considered himself the crown prince. Even if he knew this news himself, he wouldn't be able to stay in Xiliang anymore.
After much deliberation, Mei Dai decided to inform her brother Mei Pu first. Important matters must be told to one's family first.
She hurried out of the bedroom and into the outer room, where she spread out a piece of paper and wrote an urgent letter. She had intended to ask Qiao'er to deliver the letter to Zhang Song, who would take it back to Xiliang. But, thinking of the seriousness of the matter, she didn't trust anyone else to do it. She took the letter herself and went downstairs to call Zhang Song.
Zhang Song had no qualifications to enter the harem at all. She had to leave the harem and pass through three doors before she could see Zhang Song.
In her panic, she made a big mistake for the first time.
She forgot that Emperor Yongde would wake up.
Emperor Yongde became increasingly agitated as he spoke on the bed: "Zhuo'er... why aren't you my biological son... wuwu."
He suddenly turned over and sat up, reaching out to wipe his tears, but he covered his mouth vigilantly and called out loudly: "My beloved, my beloved?"
He woke up crying, and he still remembered the words in his dream clearly.
Such an important secret was actually revealed in my sleep.
Where is the virtuous concubine?
The room was silent. This was the first time that Mei Dai was not by his side when he was awake.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com