Chapter 117 Chapter 117
The door has been closed again.
Xie Qingya was still kneeling on the ground, looking at Empress Dowager Zhaoyu who was sitting in the upper seat.
Before he fell in love with Xu Duanyi, he had never thought that one day he would take the initiative to kneel in front of her and talk to her.
It was he who proposed it himself.
Seeing the undisguised anger and disgust in her eyes at this moment, Xie Qingya did not feel embarrassed.
Kneeling.
Then he told others, "I was not with Prince Xiao yesterday."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was not expecting such an opening remark. Her originally angry face froze for a moment because of these words.
But before she could say anything.
I could hear Xie Qingya continue to say: "The man in black that Cao Da mentioned is me."
If I say that what I said before, it would surprise her.
Now, such a self-explosion is enough to make Empress Dowager Zhaoyu frown.
Although she didn't say anything, she looked at Xie Qingya as if she was looking at a madman.
"So you are admitting to me that you are the murderer of Quan Fangtong?" Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked at him with a mocking look.
If she hadn't known that Xiao Zhaozhao was still outside and was afraid that she would be sad after hearing what she said, she would probably have uttered even more cold words.
Xie Qingya was not bothered by her words. His expression remained calm: "The Queen Mother should know better than me who is the person in this world who wants Quan Fangtong to die immediately."
"Isn't it you?" Empress Dowager Zhaoyu said sneerly, still looking at the person.
Since he already knew about the Battle of Nagano, he naturally would not let Quan Fangtong go.
"Yes," Xie Qingya admitted, "I really want to chop him into pieces, but I want to find out the real culprit behind the Battle of Nagano."
"If it was just to get rid of Quan Fangtong, I would have killed him directly the year I learned the truth, instead of letting him live until now."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was previously blinded by anger.
I was too lazy to pay attention to what Xie Qingya said, and I didn't think about it carefully.
But she was not an ordinary woman after all, and she soon understood what Xie Qingya meant by these words.
"What do you want to say?"
She still looked at Xie Qingya with a cold face, not knowing what he wanted to say.
So what if she knew?
She didn't like Cao Da, but she didn't like them either.
It was only because he relied on Zhao Zhao that she did this. Otherwise, she would have found a way to deal with him by now!
"I confessed all this to you only to let you know that I have no hostility towards you, at least not now."
He speaks bluntly.
The look he gave Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was also frank and direct.
Before Empress Dowager Zhaoyu could say anything else with a cold smile, he continued what he had said before, saying, "I know that the Empress Dowager dislikes me and hates me. She wants to get rid of me directly so that I don't have to come to you and be an eyesore."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu looked at him and sneered: "You are quite self-aware."
Xie Qingya still looked calm and asked her: "Then let me ask your Majesty, do you really dare to punish me now?"
His calm words immediately made Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face darken.
She flew into a rage almost immediately.
Instinctively I wanted to scold him.
But unfortunately for Zhao Zhao, even when she was furious, she just kept a sullen face and even lowered her voice when scolding, not to mention banging the table or throwing things.
"Xie Qingya, do you really think I dare not punish you?!" She glared at Xie Qingya again, thinking that this man was simply too insolent.
"If the Queen Mother dared to punish me, why didn't she dare to let anyone outside hear it?" Xie Qingya directly exposed her words.
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's expression became increasingly ugly.
She frowned and looked at the handsome young man below.
Since Xie Qingya was a child, she didn't like him, but Wen Zhao always said that he was about the same age as Zhao Zhao and there were no other suitable children in the palace. Moreover, she also wanted to have a good relationship with his mother at that time, so she allowed Zhao Zhao to go to Nan'an Palace.
But deep down she didn't like Xie Qingya.
Too naughty and a headache. She never likes noisy children.
Now it seems that one can tell a person’s future from his childhood.
No matter how old this little bastard gets, he's just not likable.
It was so in the past and it is so now.
Her face was gloomy and she really wanted to have him dragged away and punished, but he was right in what he said.
He already knew Xiao Zhaozhao's feelings for him.
As long as she didn't want to really break up with Zhao Zhao because of this, she couldn't deal with him personally.
The more Empress Dowager Zhaoyu thought about it, the more upset she became.
But she couldn't vent her anger, which made her look even uglier.
"I do not wish to anger the Queen Mother."
"If you are angry and uncomfortable, Duanyi will only feel worse than you."
Xie Qingya, who had the upper hand, suddenly softened his voice when speaking to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu. He did not show the look of a winner at this moment. Instead, he was more respectful and docile than usual.
"I was so brave to speak to you earlier because I wanted to tell you that you are not the only one who is afraid that our relationship will affect Duan Yi, but I am the same."
"It doesn't matter if I went to see Prince Xiao beforehand or if I took the risk to come and see you now, but I just don't want Duan Yi to be caught between us and be in a dilemma."
His words, to a certain extent, dissipated some of the anger in Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's heart.
At least when she looked at Xie Qingya, she no longer had the thought of killing him.
But she still didn't speak.
Xie Qingya didn't mind, he knew she was listening.
"You are so angry because you think she deceived you and hurt your feelings. But apart from the matter of that maid, what else did she really deceive you about?"
When I came in with Xiao Yuanxing earlier.
Aunt Dan Feng at the door suddenly whispered two words to him:
Xuefu.
He knew this name.
He secretly wanted to get closer to the study that day, but was finally arranged by her to move into Fushuiju and has never been seen since.
He had no idea whether the maid was a spy from Shoukang Palace.
But he finally knew why she came to the palace today.
Given her personality, she would never let anyone take the blame for her.
Thinking of her tearful face before, Xie Qingya couldn't help but feel sad and distressed for her.
"That maidservant hid the person secretly in order to prevent me from finding out. She did this not only because she didn't want the maidservant to continue to inquire about my situation, but also because she didn't want me to know what you did."
"If she really wanted to deceive you, she wouldn't have made it so difficult for herself."
At this moment, the anger on Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face finally disappeared a little.
She looked at Xie Qingya, was silent for a long time, and finally asked in a hoarse voice: "What do you want to say?" This book is exclusively compiled for you by the LK team. Xie Qingya knew that she had given in.
He was slightly relieved in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He still looked at her calmly and said to her: "There are some things that I have said to Prince Xiao in advance, but now I want to tell you more thoroughly." This book is exclusively compiled by the LK team for you "Your Majesty, you and your majesty, are not really at the point of no return."
"You are worried that after His Majesty gets the power, it will be bad for you and the Xiao family, but you know His Majesty's character. He has been kind since he was a child."
A sneer returned to Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's face again. Obviously, she was not moved by Xie Qingya's words.
She still had a cold face, looked at him and sneered: "People will change."
Xie Qingya did not refute, but just looked at him and said, "But you will also grow old."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was stunned at first, but when she came to her senses, she immediately became furious.
"Xie Qingya!"
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu did not control the volume of her voice. She looked at Xie Qingya angrily and said, "Don't be so presumptuous!"
Her voice caused a slight commotion outside.
But in the end, no one came over to say anything.
Xie Qingya was not afraid at all.
Although he was kneeling, he looked calm.
At this time, despite the angry glare from Empress Dowager Zhaoyu, he just lowered his eyes slightly and continued to speak calmly to others: "I have no intention of offending you."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu had a cold face and a sneer on her face.
Obviously don't believe his lies.
"Everyone will die and grow old. There has never been a drug for immortality. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the normal state of life."
"Have you ever thought about what the Xiao family would be like if you were gone one day?"
"You don't even have to wait until then. Your Majesty is growing up day by day, and the voices outside against you controlling the government are getting louder and louder."
Empress Dowager Zhaoyu's eyelids twitched when she heard this.
She put her hands on the armrest beside her to suppress her anger.
If it were someone else today, if they dared to say such words to her, I'm afraid the cup of tea in front of her would have been thrown at them.
No.
In this world, except for Xie Qingya, no one dares to say such outrageous words to her!
Even Yuan Xing, when I talked about these things with her last time, didn't dare to use her age as an excuse.
But even though Empress Dowager Zhaoyu was unhappy, she knew it in her heart.
The words may be harsh, but the truth is there.
Xie Qingya is right.
This is also what worries her most.
Especially in the past two years, her health has been getting worse and worse, and she has become increasingly unable to handle many things. I am really afraid that one day she will pass away and the Xiao family will return to its previous situation.
Even if she no longer likes her family members, her last name is still Xiao.
She also has to consider the future of the Xiao family.
Naturally, she didn't want the Xiao family to be defeated in her hands.
Therefore, even if she was angry, she did not interrupt Xie Qingya. She just continued to stare at Xie Qingya with a cold face.
"The human heart is indeed hard to predict." Xie Qingya spoke again.
He had a deep understanding of these words.
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, may not trust Your Majesty, nor may she trust me, but you can completely trust Duanyi, the child you have raised since childhood."
“只要她在一日，微臣就不會讓陛下處置了蕭家。”
“何況陛下如今正是用人的時候，蕭世子這些年頗有建樹，與其對立，不如共同進步。”
昭裕太後沒說話，但臉上的怒意，早在謝清崖的談話下，一點點消失不見了。
她看着人沉默不言。
只是這次，卻并非譏嘲審視，而是沉思。
這些話，她之前就聽元星說過，但本人說起，感受自是不一樣的。
“你能做他的主？”
不知過去多久，昭裕太後終于開口了。
謝清崖并未直接應下她的話，而是說：“這世上，沒有人能做天子的主，但微臣相信，陛下與微臣的想法是一樣的，您對他而言，始終是仰敬的長輩。”
昭裕太後面露譏嘲。
便是再仰敬，那也是從前的事了。
他便是真的可以不顧王太嫔的死，但這麽多年的打壓，他難道會一點恨意都沒有嗎？
昭裕太後從不相信。
只是她也清楚，謝清崖如今所言，于他們而言，是最好的方法了。
指尖輕叩扶手。
她看着謝清崖，并沒有立刻給答複。
而是與人說：“你先退下吧。”
謝清崖對于這一番回答，也沒有感到意外，他早知這事不容易。
但也知道。
她并非一點動心都沒有。
她要是真不動心，就不會是這個态度了。
“是。”
他又與人拜了一禮，這才起身離開。
昭裕太後依舊沉着臉，目送他開門出去。
幾乎是門一開，她就看到昭昭一臉擔心地過來了。
雖然知曉她對謝清崖的情意，但看着這一幕，昭裕太後心裏還是有些酸酸的，她未等兩人說什麽，便立刻沉聲發話道：“元星，帶你表妹進來！”
這就是不讓他們說話了。
徐端宜嘴裏那一聲慰問還未脫出口，就聽到這麽一句。
身邊也跟着傳來表哥的聲音：“昭昭，先進去，別惹姑姑生氣。”
徐端宜自然知曉此時此刻，孰輕孰重。
她沒再說話，只依依不舍地看着謝清崖。
反倒是謝清崖的臉上，挂着一抹寬慰安撫的笑：“進去吧，沒事，你先陪太後住幾天，過幾天，我再來接你回家。”
他說完，又輕輕捏了下徐端宜的手。
徐端宜看着他，鼻腔一酸。
但到底也沒說什麽，只與人點了點頭，便被表哥先帶着進去了。
“映雪，你送王爺出去。”丹楓等兩位主子進去後，便與身側的映雪發話道。
映雪自是忙答應了一聲。
謝清崖又回頭看了徐端宜一眼，這才收斂了臉上的笑，擡腳出去。
說要徐端宜進來。
但真的看到她，昭裕太後這會卻又不知道能說什麽。
好像說什麽都不對。
重了，怕傷她的心，輕了，她自己心裏又不舒服，看着人沉默半天，最後還是讓丹楓把人先帶下去歇息了。
可她這樣的反應，反而令徐端宜更為緊張了。
她不由擡頭，紅着眼眶看着人，嗫嚅喊道：“姨母……”
昭裕太後聽着這一聲，心裏也跟着一酸，但還是板着臉，扭過頭，沒在這個時候理人。
“殿下，您先下去歇息。”丹楓小聲與人說道。
徐端宜又看了昭裕太後一眼，見她始終未朝她這看過來，知道姨母這次是真的生她的氣，也是真的傷心了。
她眼裏滾起眼淚。
卻也沒在這個時候喊人，只壓抑着情緒，又朝昭裕太後那邊欠身一禮，這才由丹楓扶着先下去了。
昭裕太後幾乎是見她一動身，就立刻看了過來。
透過背影，都能感覺出她的難過和失落。
有好幾個瞬間，昭裕太後都準備把人喊住了，但最終還是沉默地看着她走了出去。
心裏到底還有些氣。
直到人出去，昭裕太後這才沉默地收回視線，正想朝元星看去，就先聽到“咕咚”一聲。
“你倒是機靈，知道我要訓你，是吧？”昭裕太後看着跪下的蕭元星，冷嘲熱諷。
蕭元星低頭愧道：“侄兒不該瞞着姑姑。”
昭裕太後這會比起剛才，情緒已然好了許多。
此時也不耐看人一直跪着，便撇開臉，先沉聲說道：“你先起來。”
蕭元星猶豫片刻，還是奉命先起來了。
“坐。”
昭裕太後再度開口。
“是。”
蕭元星這次沒猶豫，答應着就坐到了一旁。
幾乎是才落座，他就聽到姑姑的詢問：“謝清崖是什麽時候找你的？”
蕭元星先前在外面，離得遠，并未聽到裏面的對話。
但此時聽着姑姑這番詢問，蕭元星便知，謝清崖應是已經與姑姑說了當日找他的打算了。
沒猶豫，也沒隐瞞。
蕭元星把當日與謝清崖見面的事，事無巨細地都跟昭裕太後說了。
“怪不得你那次突然來山莊。”昭裕太後看着他，說了這麽一句。
蕭元星其實不知道，姑姑到底是何想法。
光從姑姑的臉，也看不出什麽。
但此時此景，蕭元星遲疑片刻，到底還是先站了起來。
他在昭裕太後的注視下，先拱手與人一禮。
“姑姑。”
“便是謝清崖當日沒找我，我也是準備找個時間和您聊下的。”
昭裕太後皺眉看着他，倒是也沒有打斷他的話。
只等着他繼續往下說。
蕭元星低聲道：“便是不說陛下，只說昭昭……您難道希望昭昭一直在您和謝清崖之間，左右為難嗎？”
這是昭裕太後今天第二次，聽到這樣的話了。
她臉色依舊難看。
還未等她說什麽，便又聽到一句：“姑姑可知，當日玉田鬧出瘟疫，昭昭其實是自願去陪着謝清崖的。”
“什麽？”
昭裕太後一愣。
聞言，她一時竟沒能反應過來。
好一會，她才找回自己的聲音：“她不是……”
“侄兒騙了您。”蕭元星繼續保持着躬身的姿勢，低聲與她說道，“當日侄兒在玉田的時候，就知道此事了。”
“這事是侄兒沒做好，但當時那樣的情況，便是我強行把她帶回來，也是沒用的。”
“她竟為了一個男人，連命都不要了……”若先前知曉昭昭欺瞞她，昭裕太後是生氣難過，那此時，得知此事，她卻是直接痛心壓過了憤怒。
一時間。
昭裕太後就連眼睛也再度紅了，可見是真的被這個消息傷心到了。
“但姑姑可知，那是昭昭第一次對謝清崖表露愛意，若沒有那件事，她恐怕會把這份感情藏在心裏一輩子，誰也不說。”
眼淚在昭裕太後的眼中打轉。
昭裕太後的眼睛，卻再度看向蕭元星，眉心也跟着緊緊皺了起來：“你這話是什麽意思？”
蕭元星擡頭看着她說：“昭昭那時是準備好赴死的。”
眼見姑姑瞳孔微震。
蕭元星的心裏也不好受。
時隔多日，但想到當時昭昭的模樣和決斷，蕭元星這心裏，其實還是很難過。
他重新垂頭，啞着聲音與人說道：“昭昭很聰明，即便我們誰也沒有跟她透露什麽，但她心裏知道，謝清崖要真是陛下的人，您和曹達都不會放過他。”
“她不知道該怎麽辦，所以才會一直左右為難，無法安心。”
“我不知道她是怎麽想的，我只知道，她或許更盼望着能死在玉田那個地方。那樣，她就既全了和謝清崖的情，也不會讓您覺得她背叛了您，讓您傷心難過。”
“您沒發現嗎？”
“她從玉田回來後，一直悶悶不樂。”
“因為她知道，您和謝清崖，總會有一次對抗。而不管結局如何，她都不可能高興。”
“謝清崖是因為這個才找上我，而我也是因為這個，上回才如此着急去了山莊找您。”
“我怕一直耽擱下去，昭昭遲早有一天要出事。”
蕭元星說完，再度跪了下去。
他未再說什麽，只沉默地跪着。
殿內靜悄悄的。
沒人說話，只有外面風聲呼呼，偶爾傳過來一些鳥叫聲。
不知過去多久，殿中才再次響起昭裕太後嘶啞的聲音：“……她是什麽時候喜歡上謝家那小子的？”
蕭元星低聲回道：“大抵在您把她許配給文昭以前，她就已經喜歡上謝清崖了。” 本書由LK團隊為您獨家整理 “什麽……”
昭裕太後神色怔怔了好一會。
她似明白了什麽，忽然擡起胳膊，把袖子擋在臉上。
蕭元星聽到殿中響起壓抑的啜泣聲。
擡頭看去，便見姑姑拿袖子擋着臉，可肩膀卻藏不住露出顫抖的模樣。
擔心姑姑出事。
蕭元星不由擔心喊人：“姑姑……”
可昭裕太後卻沒理他，待情緒平靜一些之後，也只是啞着嗓音說了一句：“你先回去吧。”
蕭元星看着人遲疑片刻，最終還是沒說什麽，只低低應了一聲“是”，便先往外退去。
丹楓和映雪就守在外頭，眼見他出來，兩人忙迎了過來。
“世子，太後她……”
蕭元福交待：“先別進去，過會等姑姑喊了再進去。”
兩人自是不會有所反對，輕輕答了一聲“是”。
“昭昭呢？”蕭元星問丹楓。
"Rest in the house." Dan Feng replied, sighing as he spoke, "She started crying as soon as she entered, and refused to let me stay with her. She wanted me to serve the Queen Mother instead."
Dan Feng said this and sighed again.
The original guess became a fact, and she was really worried that the Queen Mother and His Highness would hurt their feelings for each other and become separated.
Her eyes were also red, and she couldn't help but look at Xiao Yuanxing and asked, "Prince, the Queen Mother and His Highness..."
"Don't worry, Aunt and Zhao Zhao will be fine." Xiao Yuanxing was not as nervous as her.
Just like what he said to Zhao Zhao at the beginning.
They all loved her very much, and even if there were things they didn't understand, they would never sit idly by and watch her be sad and do nothing.
These people are gathered here today.
It was all because of her.
Xie Qingya is.
He is.
My aunt would naturally do the same.
"Take good care of them."
Xiao Yuanxing said something to Dan Feng and then left.
Cao Da has been arrested, but he has not yet been convicted and executed. There is no guarantee that his cronies will not do something, and there is no guarantee that Cao Da will not continue to revive.
He and Xie Qingya still have a lot of things to do.