Chapter 140 Dream Talk
After Mei Dai helped the drunken Emperor Yongde to sleep, she lowered the curtains, put on an outer robe, walked to the second-floor window, and looked at the bright moon in the night sky.
Moonlight shone on the exquisite railings of Yusheng Tower, vaguely resembling the shimmer of flowing water. The cold air carried the distant clatter of armored armor as the Imperial Guards patrolled.
Emperor Yongde moved to Changchun Palace for a banquet today. He was drunk unconscious in her company. She no longer had to observe his words and expressions and could be herself in this short period of time.
Since entering the palace, she has positioned herself very accurately. She did not enter the palace to please Emperor Yongde, and all her flattery was just a show, all for the ultimate goal of saving the Xiliang foundation.
Emperor Yongde was not stupid, he knew all this, but he could not resist her beauty.
Even a hero cannot resist the temptation of a beautiful woman, let alone Emperor Yongde.
She still remembers what her grandfather said to her when he was seriously ill two years ago.
"Granddaughter, it's my fault that you shouldered such a heavy responsibility," the old King of Xiliang forced his cloudy eyes open as he looked at her. "I have a son who failed to live up to his expectations, and a grandson who once filled me with hope. In the end, the fate of our Mei family rests on you alone."
She was only sixteen years old at the time, but she already understood a lot.
Some people are born to enjoy comfort, others to shoulder heavy responsibilities. Although she was one of the latter, she had no complaints. It was all destined.
Her grandfather began to cultivate her royal etiquette when she was very young. At that time, her brother Mep, like father like son, acted recklessly all day long and had no hope, just like his father.
Perhaps at that time, my grandfather had already made preparations and started to think about the future of the Mei family.
As a daughter, she could neither accuse her father of incompetence nor save her brother from his worsening illness. All she could do was obey her grandfather's orders and enter the palace to serve a man she disliked, a man old enough to be her father.
That's not all. She also has to show her love and respect for this man and not show any indifference towards him.
One day is easy, a month is fine... but people will eventually reveal their true selves.
She gripped the railing with both hands, feeling the coldness in her palms.
For some reason, her brother hadn't sent a messenger to deliver any news. The only news she knew was that her father, Mei Cheng, was first besieged in Leshan City by the Western Rong army, but was later rescued by the Western Rong army. She didn't know if it was Xiao Zhuo who helped.
It's good news to know that my father is safe.
No matter how incompetent Mei Cheng was, he was still her father. Just like her brother, no matter what Mei Pu became, she would not despise him at all. Without them, she would not know the meaning of her life.
She lives for the Mei family and to preserve the Mei family's foundation.
The voice from behind suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and Emperor Yongde seemed to have woken up.
Mei Dai calmed down for a moment and turned around. Her face had returned to her usual expression, charming and dignified, quiet and seductive.
Even a fleeting glance could cause her to lose the favor of Emperor Yongde. She constantly warned herself not to make any mistakes.
Inside the curtain, Emperor Yongde did not call her, but another person's name.
"Zhuo'er... hehe... my son."
It turned out that Emperor Yongde was talking in his sleep.
This was the first time that Emperor Yongde had talked in his sleep since she had slept with him. Could it be that he was drunk?
The Zhuo'er he mentioned could only be Xiao Zhuo. However, Emperor Yongde had deposed him and was hunting him down, yet he seemed so familiar in his dream.
Why is he so conflicted?
Mei Dai felt suspicious and moved gently towards the dragon bed, taking a cup of fragrant tea from the table beside her. If Emperor Yongde suddenly woke up, she could use the excuse of pouring tea for him to sober up.
"Zhuo'er... after a hundred years from now, this vast land... will all be yours." Emperor Yongde mumbled in his sleep.
Mei Dai suddenly realized that Emperor Yongde must have dreamed about the past.
At that time, he should still have been very fond of Xiao Zhuo.
When she entered the palace two years ago, Xiao Zhuo was already fighting against foreign invaders in Beidi. Empress Pei was still alive at that time, and she was the only person in the entire harem she feared.
Empress Pei was not only graceful and elegant, a model for the whole nation. She also seemed to possess a discerning eye, able to discern the thoughts of each concubine. Feeling guilty, she did everything she could to avoid meeting Empress Pei. When she couldn't avoid her, she preferred to let the other concubines take the spotlight, rather than compete for it. Among the other concubines in the harem, she practically became invisible.
She knew then that with the perceptive Empress Pei by her side, it would be difficult for her to deceive Emperor Yongde. Forbearance was paramount.
Later, the situation suddenly changed. Emperor Yongde, who had invited Xiao Zhuo back with the promise of marriage, suddenly launched an uprising, deposed Xiao Zhuo, and exiled him thousands of miles away. It was said that someone had exposed Xiao Zhuo's conspiracy to murder Emperor Yongde through witchcraft.
To Mei Dai at that time, this was simply impossible.
Xiao Zhuo has been the crown prince for many years. He is the next emperor. There is no need for him to murder his father and fight for a position that has already belonged to him.
Next, Emperor Yongde ordered the execution of the queen on the grounds that the mother and son were in collusion.
Mei Dai had no time to pay attention to the inside story of these events. She finally got the chance to rise to the top. The person she was afraid of was gone.
"Bitch! You're so good at pretending."
Emperor Yongde suddenly shouted in hatred.
Mei Dai was startled, thinking that Emperor Yongde was talking about her. She was about to kneel down and apologize in panic, but she noticed that Emperor Yongde still had his eyes closed. Only then did she realize that he was still talking in his sleep.
She didn't have time to think about the meaning of Emperor Yongde's words. She knew that if this continued, Emperor Yongde would definitely wake up. She couldn't wait passively any longer.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Mei Dai sat down beside the bed, placed her hand on Emperor Yongde's forehead and called softly.
Emperor Yongde's forehead was covered with sweat, and this dream seemed to make him very excited.
Emperor Yongde suddenly opened his eyes and looked around nervously. When he saw that the woman beside him was Mei Dai, he breathed a sigh of relief and placed his hand on the back of Mei Dai's hand and said:
"My dear, my head hurts."
Mei Dai took a handkerchief from the side and wiped the sweat off his face, saying softly, "Your Majesty drank a bit too much, so it's natural that you have a headache after waking up."
"Did I...talk in my sleep just now?" Emperor Yongde closed his eyes and asked casually.
Mei Dai's heart tightened.
She didn't know whether she should tell Emperor Yongde the truth.
If Emperor Yongde remembered what he said in his dream after waking up, she couldn't make it up. But if she told Emperor Yongde what he said in his dream, what if these things were things she shouldn't know?
After a few mental struggles, Mei Dai finally made a decision. If she hesitated any longer, Emperor Yongde would notice her abnormality.
"I was accompanying Your Majesty. When I heard Your Majesty say he was thirsty several times, I immediately stood up to pour tea for Your Majesty." She handed over the fragrant tea she had already held in her hand. "Your Majesty has just woken up. Please enjoy."
"Oh, my beloved concubine really understands my heart." Emperor Yongde glanced at the teacup in her hand, took it and drank it all.
Seeing that Emperor Yongde hadn't seen through her lies, Mei Dai breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the matter had been concealed. She put the teacup back, climbed onto the bed, tucked the curtains in, and lay down beside Emperor Yongde. Just as she was about to say a few words to Emperor Yongde, she found that he had fallen asleep again.
Mei Dai observed him carefully and saw that his breathing was even, not like he was pretending to sleep, so she felt relieved. After all, Emperor Yongde had drunk so much alcohol that he couldn't sober up quickly.
But who was he referring to as the "bitch"? Was he talking about her?
If it was about her, it would be very serious. She thought she had won the favor of Emperor Yongde, but she didn't know the true intentions of Emperor Yongde. This would probably push the Mei family into an abyss.
This matter may seem small, but it cannot be easily let go.
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