Chapter 492: Blame
The emperor slowly opened his eyes, disappointment and resentment surging in them. "Are you so afraid of death?"
"You've cried countless times along the way, but every time it was for yourself."
"Have you ever cried for me?"
"Why do you want me to cry for you? Have you been poisoned? Are you dying like me? We've been walking and stopping all the way, and today is already the ninth day! Look at my face, do you know that I'm going to die tomorrow?"
Luo Linger's voice became sharp, she was emotionally agitated and manic, and her face was covered with bloodstains from being scratched. Where was the trace of her former charming charm?
"I know I've done something wrong to you, but I was forced to do it! Don't always feel like I owe you anything. As a mother, I gave birth to you and made arrangements for you before you left the palace. I've already fulfilled my duties as a mother!"
The emperor gave a wry smile, "You threw me to someone else to raise, and then you sneaked out of the palace to live your own free life. Is that your duty as a mother?"
"What can I do? Stay in the deep palace and let others tear us apart?" Luo Linger said angrily.
"Others have fathers and brothers who are officials in the court, what do I have? The late emperor always looked down on people from the underworld, and I can't bring up the Wusheng Sect! As the emperor, you must know how miserable it is for concubines without background and support to live in the harem! I'm escaping from the palace, which is good for both you and me!"
"But you handed me over to her. Do you know how she treated me?" The emperor pointed at the empress dowager who was sitting beside him with an indifferent expression.
The Queen Mother, who had been watching the situation from the sidelines, raised her eyelids. "What's going on? You can just punish her properly. Why drag me into this?"
The emperor looked at the queen mother mockingly. "In front of my father, you always pretend to be a loving mother, but behind my back, you're unwilling to say a word to me, never give me a smile, and don't even glance at me! I always stand beside my brother like a little beggar, admiring your meticulous care for him! Do you know that when I was a child, I always thought that if I could hold your hand or hug you, I would be willing to die immediately!"
"But you never see me in your eyes! I always feel that I am not as good as my brother, so I try my best to show off in front of you, just to win a glance from you! But you turn a blind eye to my efforts. No matter what I do, I am just a transparent person in front of you! Do you know how cruel this is for a child? From childhood to adulthood, I have always lived in self-doubt, thinking that I am the worst person in the world, so bad that even my own mother despises me!"
Luo Linger looked at the Queen Mother in surprise. "Why did you treat him like this? When I discovered your fake pregnancy, just when you were about to kill me to silence me, I told you that I wanted to leave the palace and that I was willing to give you the child in my belly! What did you tell me? You said you would treat him as your own son!"
The Queen Mother sighed deeply, "I did think so at first, but as he grew up, I realized that since he wasn't my own child, I really couldn't raise him properly. He always looked so timid and cowardly. I felt annoyed just by looking at him. I really couldn't treat him as my own!"
"But..." The Queen Mother glanced at the Emperor, "After all, I raised you. I didn't take your life just because you weren't my child. So I don't owe you anything!"
"Okay! You don't owe me anything!" The emperor laughed strangely, "This is all my fault!"
Luo Linger reached out and patted the emperor. "Alright, people should always look forward! Although you didn't have a mother to love you when you were a child, didn't God compensate you? You've already sat on the throne, what else is there to be dissatisfied with?"
The Queen Mother's tone was filled with unconcealed disdain. "This is what I've always wanted to tell him: A man should be content with what he has. He's been the Emperor for over twenty years, yet he's still obsessed with the little grievances he suffered as a child! I simply can't stand his hypocrisy!"
Luo Linger nodded, "Yes! No one owes anyone anything in this world. Even though I've become like this, you, the Emperor, as my son, haven't cried for me once! Do you think I've ever blamed you? In the final analysis, it's because you're not broad-minded enough!"
The emperor closed his eyes wearily. After a long while, he whispered, "Which of you two sang a nursery rhyme for me back then? Can you sing it again?"
"Children's songs?" Luo Ling'er was surprised. "What children's songs? How old are you? You still want to listen to children's songs?"
The Queen Mother snorted, "What's there to be surprised about? There's a child in his heart who will never grow up. I wouldn't be surprised even if he asked for milk."
The emperor seemed not to hear and continued to talk to himself, "I always have a dream. I dream that I am lying in a cradle, and a woman is sitting beside me, singing a gentle and beautiful nursery rhyme. Her voice is full of love. She loves me so much."
Then he looked at Luo Linger, "You sang it, right? You once loved me, right?"
Luo Linger's eyes flashed with confusion, and her expression was perfunctory. "That's for sure! Who doesn't love their own children?"
"Then sing for me again today!"
Luo Linger was stunned. "That happened so many years ago. How could I still remember how to sing a nursery rhyme?"
The expectation on the emperor's face disappeared, and he murmured, "So you forgot, the song that I remembered for decades, such a beautiful song, you actually forgot it all. I am the only one who truly remembers it. No one will care, no one will empathize with me, and I will always be the only one left here."
The Queen Mother could no longer endure it. "Enough! Here we go again! You always try your best to make those around you feel guilty, but I won't fall for it!"
Luo Linger kept scratching herself, "Emperor, can you please say something else? I feel like countless ants are crawling all over my body. Instead of wasting time on digging up old grudges, why don't you think about how to save me?"
At this moment, someone outside the window shouted, "Xianchuan County is just ahead, and Heihe City is almost here!"
Luo Linger grabbed the emperor's hand and said, "Son, you must save me! If I can't get the antidote, I will die tomorrow!"
The Queen Mother snorted, "I'm afraid you won't be able to obtain the antidote! Mystic Tiger Master passed through Nanyong Pass unimpeded, which means Black River City has long been informed and is fully aware of our situation. The Emperor is now a piece of meat on the chopping block, he can barely save himself, and you still hope he can save you?"
Luo Linger was terrified. "Emperor, you are all I have now! You can't ignore my life or death! Luo Chen'er is the Regent's wife. Go and beg the Regent. There will always be hope!"
The Queen Mother couldn't help but sneer, "Let the Emperor ask the Regent for help? There is only hatred between the Regent and the Emperor now!"
"Hatred?" The emperor looked puzzled. "Isn't the Queen Mother exaggerating? There are only some misunderstandings between me and my uncle. As long as I tell the truth of what happened and clear up the misunderstanding, my uncle will naturally forgive me."
"The truth of that year?" The Queen Mother stared at the Emperor, suddenly understanding. "So, this is your real reason for sending me to Heihe Village? Even now, you're still trying to shift the blame onto me? To pin the blame on me for what happened back then?"
"How can this be considered framing someone?" The emperor's eyes were cold. "You, Queen Mother, gave me the poison, and you instigated the poisoning. I was just a clueless child back then, and you used me!"
"Your Majesty is right!" Luo Linger said defiantly, "The Wusheng Sect was naturally invited by the Empress Dowager. I can testify to that."
The Queen Mother's gaze darted back and forth between the two men's faces, and she suddenly curled her lips. "You two have teamed up to deal with me. Let me remind you, the Regent is no fool. If you sincerely admit your mistakes, you might still have a chance of survival. Don't try to make things worse!"
The emperor sneered and said no more.
About an hour later, cheers suddenly erupted from outside the carriage, "We've arrived at Black River City!"
The emperor looked gloomy.
The Queen Mother said coldly, "Emperor, the next moment will be your trial. After all, I was the one who raised you. I hope you are safe!"
The emperor suddenly drew aside the curtain and shouted, "Is this where my uncle lives? Where is he? Stop the car! I want to see him!"
After saying that, he jumped off the carriage and fell head over heels.
The horses neighed, and the mounted soldiers reined in their horses, frowning at the emperor beneath their hooves. "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
The emperor's eyes were filled with anxiety. He rushed forward regardless of anything, his figure was hurried and embarrassed. "Uncle, it's been twenty-one years. I'm too late!"
"Uncle! I have been thinking about you for twenty-one years. During these twenty-one years, I have not had a single peaceful day!"
"Uncle, since you are still alive, why don't you return to the capital? Without you, my life as emperor would be so boring!"
The emperor collapsed in front of the city gate, crying and sobbing, every word he said was heartbreaking.
"Is this... possible?"
General Luo was stunned.
If the emperor had not told him in person that he would lead the army in person, he would have been so moved that his eyes would have filled with tears.
The emperor's hypocrisy is truly eye-opening!
The old ministers were not surprised and got off the carriages one after another, walked past the emperor and went straight to the city gate.
Wuping Hou, Wang Changyang, Zhao Xingjian and others came out with the villagers to greet them.
The villagers beat drums and gongs and lined up to welcome them.
"Welcome Black Armor Tiger Master!"
"Welcome, everyone!"
"Thank you everyone! After waiting for so long, our family has finally moved here. It's really not easy!" The old ministers cried with excitement.
Zhao Xingjian is responsible for receiving veteran officials and their families.
"Everyone has worked hard on this journey. An inn has been prepared in the city. Come in and rest!"
The ladies asked directly, "Master Zhao, I heard that you can divorce your husband now?"
Zhao Xingjian was stunned, "Yes!"
"Is there really someone who divorces her husband?"
Before Zhao Xingjian could speak, the women of Heihe City took over.
"Yes! Of course! The married girl in our Black River City is the first to divorce her husband!"
"I heard that in just a few days, there were hundreds of divorce cases! Those men who were usually so arrogant are now as obedient as grandchildren!"
"Really?" The ladies clapped their hands. "Great! Just hearing that makes me feel better! We made the right choice to come to Black River City!"
"Master, let us take the ladies into the city!"
The village women brought their families into the city. A large group of women walked and chattered, making it very lively.
The old officials smiled bitterly and said, "The world has changed. We will never dare to offend these tigresses again!"
"We old guys should just keep our heads down and behave like human beings from now on! We can't be divorced by someone with just a piece of paper at our age!"
This sentence made all the men present laugh.
The villagers helped unload the luggage, led the horses to the stables, and took the servants from each mansion to carry the luggage into the city.
Wu Pinghou introduced the tent to Master Xuanjiahu, "This is where you can stay temporarily. It has everything. Come in and take a look!"
"This place looks really new. They say Black River City has all sorts of unique things. It seems to be true!"
The Black Armor Tiger Masters rushed into the tent happily.
In the bustling atmosphere, the emperor was alone, half-kneeling on the ground, with no one paying any attention to him.
Luo Linger stumbled over and ran over, "Luo Chener, I brought the emperor to you! Hurry and give me the antidote!"
Luo Qiuyue stood on the city wall and laughed, "The emperor was escorted here by the Black Armor Tiger Division, what does it have to do with you?"
"This is the Imperial Aunt, right?" The Emperor's face was covered with two well-placed tears. "I'm sure the Imperial Aunt has suffered a lot over the years, accompanying the Imperial Uncle on his travels! I'm so sorry for you!"
"Emperor, don't call me so affectionately. We are not familiar with each other!" Luo Qiuyue said loudly, "Twenty-one years ago, I witnessed your cruel methods with my own eyes, so please don't use these empty words, and don't call me Imperial Uncle or Imperial Aunt. We don't have such a hypocritical nephew!"
The emperor was not angry, his face full of sincerity, "Aunt, can you please let the uncle come out to see me? I want to explain the misunderstanding to him face to face! I am truly innocent!"
"Misunderstanding? Innocent?" Luo Qiuyue sneered, "You personally brought the poison and watched him drink it! If it weren't for me, he would have been poisoned to death by you! Now you say you are innocent! Is there anyone as hypocritical as you?"
"Aunt, I didn't mean it back then. I was used!" the emperor cried.
"Whenever I think of this, I wish I could kill myself back then! I was only twelve years old then, naive, and was used by the Queen Mother as a weapon against the Emperor's uncle! In fact, it wasn't me who really wanted to kill the Emperor's uncle! It was the Queen Mother!"
"Nonsense!" The Queen Mother lifted the carriage curtain. "I became the Queen Mother because the Regent helped you ascend the throne. I'm so grateful to him, how could I kill him?"
"That's true." The old ministers nodded. "The Queen Mother is quite loyal to the Xiao family and has no reason to kill the Regent."
"Yes!" the emperor exclaimed. "What do you know? The Queen Mother was in love with the Emperor's uncle, but her love later turned to hatred, so she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible!"
"What?" Everyone present was shocked.
The Empress Dowager cried out, "Emperor, please stop lying! I have always been devoted to the late Emperor and have never had other feelings for him! Are you still human by blaming me to escape your guilt?"
"I didn't wrong you. I have the evidence from that time!"
The emperor took out a stack of papers and said, "These were all written by the Empress Dowager. You can appreciate them!"
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