The candlelight flickered, and Jingren Palace was quiet and desolate.
It had been a long time since the Empress and the Crown Prince had sat together in the hall.
Knowing the situation, Granny Shen finished tidying up early and closed the door, giving His Highness and the Empress some much-needed space to be together.
"It seems we've never sat here, face to face, talking like this before."
Empress Rouci took a sip of tea and spoke in a gentle yet cool tone, revealing a hint of the vicissitudes of old age.
"Yes. Why did Mother Empress help me in the palace today?" Xie Ling lowered her cold eyes, her tone distant.
"Surprised?"
Empress Rouci chuckled softly.
"You probably think everyone is a fool. You are my own son, and even if the whole world is fooled by you, you can't fool me."
Xie Ling was startled; he truly hadn't expected this.
She understood the astonishment in the man's eyes.
A dark murderous intent surfaced in Empress Rouci's deep eyes, and intense hatred burst forth from her face.
"I did this entirely because—"
I hate that man!
Li Shengyuan, he doesn't deserve to live in this world at all!
The hatred in Empress Rouci's eyes shocked even Xie Ling, but the shock only lasted for a moment.
He quickly regained his usual indifferent expression:
"So, you're not doing this to help me, but for yourself. You simply want to make that damn emperor unhappy."
"Dog Emperor... Well said, that title suits that heartless and treacherous dog of a man perfectly." Empress Rouci smiled coldly.
"Now that you know the truth, we, this fake mother and son, no longer need to put on a show of entanglement and deep affection in public."
only,
This secret must be kept by you. If others find out, your identity will be exposed instantly.
This is also why the Empress did not intend to pretend in front of him.
They were already in the same boat.
Xie Ling coldly withdrew her gaze and turned to leave.
He did not ask why the Empress hated Li Shengyuan so much.
Because he knew that even if he asked the Empress, she wouldn't answer.
Her motivations were definitely not solely due to palace intrigues; perhaps there were deeper reasons at play.
As long as it wouldn't interfere with his plan to massacre Li Shengyuan on the night of the full moon, Xie Ling had no intention of digging deeper.
The moment he stepped out of the gate of Jingren Palace, he saw Li Xuanche carrying a pot of wine, drunk and staggering in.
He met up with the Xilong brothers and they agreed to drink to their hearts' content, not leaving until they were completely drunk.
But at the end, feeling resentful, he inexplicably walked towards Jingren Palace.
The moment he faced Xie Ling, anger flashed across Li Xuanche's face. He smashed the wine bottle in his hand, pounced on him, and grabbed his collar with both hands.
"Li Changyu! Xie Ling! Which one is the real you?!"
"How dare you show your face here! So what if you are the real crown prince? Haven't you already been abandoned by the Empress Dowager?"
"In my mother's eyes, I am the only son she has, and I am the most important child to her!"
"Why did you show up again? Why did you come back? Why did you come to Jingren Palace so late?"
"You want to steal my mother's love away from me!"
Li Xuanche's eyes were bloodshot, and he reeked of alcohol.
Xie Ling simply stood there quietly, her gaze lowered without expression, glancing at him sideways.
Don't look at me like that!
Li Xuanche roared in a fit of rage, "It's like looking at a dead man!"
"I don't believe it! I don't believe you really don't care! They love me, do you understand? Ask the child who will always be Father and Mother's best!"
"Are you finished speaking?"
Xie Ling stared at him coldly and expressionlessly, as if he didn't care about him at all.
In contrast to his madness,
It made Li Xuanche seem so ridiculous.
He was stunned for a moment, and then Xie Ling gave him a light push, causing him to stumble back several steps. Once he regained his footing, he became even angrier.
"You, you just wait!"
"I will definitely beat you tomorrow! I will let Father and Mother know that I am the son they are most proud of!"
Xie Ling had already walked far away, leaving his shouts to dissipate into the air.
Jingren Palace.
Empress Rouci heard the commotion and came out, where she ran into Li Xuanche who was walking towards her.
Upon seeing her, Li Xuanche immediately rushed forward, his eyes red as he grabbed her shoulders.
"Mother! Why did you treat me like that? Why did you speak up for him in the main hall!"
He reeked of alcohol, which made Empress Rouci frown, but her eyes remained loving as she raised her hand to wipe away his sweat and tears.
"Silly child, you're angry about this? And you've gotten yourself so drunk?"
"Waaah—"
Li Xuanche hugged his mother tightly and buried his face in her hands, weeping bitterly.
"I thought you, Mother, didn't want me anymore and wanted to be good to Li Changyu. But then you remembered that I'm not your biological son at all, and all the feelings you've given me are worthless!"
"I'm so scared, scared of disappointing you!"
Empress Rouci was taken aback, her eyes involuntarily warming. She pulled him into her arms and stroked his head.
"Silly child, how could your mother bear to be disappointed in you? You are the child I value most."
Even if you are not my biological child, your mother is the best person in the world. She deserves all that is good, and so do you…”
Empress Rouci murmured to herself,
The voice grew softer and softer as he fell asleep. He was so drunk that his body felt heavy as iron, and Empress Rouci couldn't move him by herself. She called for eunuchs to help carry him to a side hall to lie down.
After he got drunk, she wrung out a handkerchief and placed it on his forehead.
In his dazed state, Li Xuanche was still whispering:
"Mother, don't worry, I won't lose to Li Changyu. I'm sure I'll get first place tomorrow."
As I left the Imperial Study, it was late at night, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.
Li Shengyuan sat inside the sedan chair, rubbing his temples.
The sedan chair suddenly stopped.
"I have met the goddess."
"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."
"Goddess Bodhi, why are you still wandering around the harem so late? Could it be that you've come here to run into me?"
Li Shengyuan lifted the curtain, teasing him with a half-smile.
Posomeng lowered her head and smiled, her veil fluttering in the wind, and said politely, "Your Majesty is joking."
"However, I do have something on my mind, which is why I am wandering around here. The moonlight is so beautiful tonight that it reminds me of some old friends and some old memories."
"Does Your Majesty still remember my elder sister, Jialuolou?"
Li Shengyuan's expression changed slightly, his smile froze for a moment before disappearing again. He stepped down from the sedan chair and waved his hand, saying, "You may all go down first."
After everyone had left, Li Shengyuan's expression changed, and his tone turned colder:
"Why bring up that poisonous woman again out of the blue?"
Posomeng lowered her eyes and smiled: "Your Majesty, she is, after all, my sister. It's not appropriate for you to say that. Ah... by the way, I remember, she died right here, in this magnificent palace."
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