The night was thick, palace lanterns flickered, and the cool moonlight filtered through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows of the trees on the ground. Xuanyuan Che's face was as gloomy as water as he walked through the night with Eunuch Li, heading straight for the Cining Palace.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is not feeling well and has gone to bed. Look..." At the gate of the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager's personal attendant, Nanny Qian, came forward cautiously with a smile on her face.
Xuanyuan Che did not stop walking, his dragon robe swaying slightly in the night breeze. He said in a cold voice, "I have something important to report to my mother. Please let Madam pass on the message. I will be waiting in the side hall."
When Nanny Qian saw this, her heart tightened. She knew that she could not escape today, so she had to agree and turned around and hurried into the bedroom.
Inside the bedroom, candlelight dimmed, curtains hung low. The Empress Dowager leaned against the headboard. Her already furrowed brow deepened as she heard Nanny Qian's report. She slowly sat up and allowed the maid to put her outer garment on.
"Change your clothes." The Queen Mother's voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
Soon, the empress dowager tidied her appearance and slowly walked to the side hall. Inside the side hall, Xuanyuan Che stood with his hands behind his back, his back to the hall door. His figure was elongated in the candlelight, appearing particularly lonely.
"My prince has come to visit me so late at night. I wonder what's the important matter?" The empress dowager spoke in a calm tone, but there was a hint of inquiry on her face.
Xuanyuan Che slowly turned around, his deep eyes fixed on the Queen Mother, and he said word by word, "All of you step back."
The palace attendants filed out in a hushed silence, leaving only the mother and son in the large side hall. The flickering candlelight illuminated their differing expressions.
"Mother," Xuanyuan Che's voice was low and suppressed, with a hint of unbelievable pain, "I have always respected you, but why did you collude with the Prime Minister's Mansion and do such evil things?"
He suddenly raised his voice, his tone full of questioning and disappointment, his fists clenched, his knuckles white, showing his inner anger and pain.
The Queen Mother's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. Her once dignified demeanor faltered a bit, and a flash of panic flashed through her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She took a deep breath and asked,
"My prince, what do you mean by this? When did I ever collude with the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
Her voice was still calm, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a slight tremor.
Xuanyuan Che sneered, his laughter particularly harsh in the silent side hall. He pulled a secret letter from his sleeve and threw it fiercely in front of the empress dowager. The envelope scraped across the table, making a piercing sound, like a sharp blade piercing the silence of the night.
"Mother, please read it yourself!" His tone was cold, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with a bone-chilling chill.
The Empress Dowager slowly leaned over, picking up the secret letter with trembling hands. Unfolding it, the familiar handwriting stung her eyes like sharp needles. It was a secret letter from the Prime Minister's residence, detailing her crimes of colluding with the Prime Minister's office, framing loyal officials, and even secretly manipulating the government. Each line was like a hammer, hammering down on her heart, making her already pale face even darker.
The candlelight in the hall flickered, crackling, illuminating the terror and anxiety on the empress dowager's face. She clutched the letter tightly, her fingertips turning pale as she nearly crumpled the thin paper. A chill rose from the soles of her feet, instantly spreading throughout her body, making her feel like she was falling into an icy cave.
"This... this is impossible!" The Queen Mother's voice was hoarse, with a hint of despair in her defense, "Someone must have framed me! My son, you must believe in me. I would never do such a thing!"
Xuanyuan Che looked at the Queen Mother, his eyes filled with even greater disappointment and pain. He slowly approached her, looking down at her from above, his voice low and cold, "Mother, at this point, you still want to quibble? I have irrefutable evidence. Your collusion with the Prime Minister's Office is crystal clear!"
He paused, his tone carrying a trace of sadness that was difficult to conceal: "I always thought that my mother was the person I trusted the most, but you have let me down so much! Do you know how much effort I have put in over the years to maintain the stability of the court and ensure the people's livelihood? Yet, behind my back, you have done these things that harm the country for your own selfish desires! How can I face my subjects and my ancestors?"
Empress Dowager Su Wan'er knew that she could no longer hide the truth. She sneered and gently stroked the brocade handkerchief embroidered with gold thread with her delicate hands. The handkerchief was smooth and cold, just like her heart at the moment.
"Why? Don't you understand?"
She raised her eyes to look at Xuanyuan Che, her eyes full of sarcasm and pleasure, her gaze as sharp as a knife, as if she wanted to torture Xuanyuan Che to death.
"I hate your father, I hate this palace, I hate all of you!"
The Queen Mother suddenly raised her voice, which was so sharp and piercing that it echoed in the empty hall and made the window frames buzz.
"Does the Queen Mother really hate me so much?"
Xuanyuan Che took a step forward, and the hem of his black robe brushed the ground, making a slight rustling sound, breaking the silence in the hall.
He approached the Queen Mother, trying to catch a trace of tenderness from her face, even if it was just a disguise.
"You think I want to give birth to you?"
The Queen Mother suddenly became excited and slammed the table, causing the teacup to break with a crisp sound and splashing tea everywhere.
"That day I was about to end your life, but your father happened to see me!"
She was breathing rapidly, her chest heaving violently, as if she was recalling the unbearable past.
"From then on, I was placed under house arrest by him, living under surveillance every day!"
She clenched the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white, and her eyes burned with madness.
"I've waited all these years just to let you and your son experience this kind of pain!"
She stood up, her face grim and her once well-maintained face now twisted and deformed, like a demon crawling out of hell.
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