Chapter 255 Entering the game with oneself!
A deathly silence fell over the Golden Palace.
All the debates just now about birth, power, and public opinion seemed pale and powerless in the face of the most fatal and untouchable taboo: "royal bloodline"!
Even though everyone could see that Yi Xingyao was not in a good state, and his words were full of loopholes, when it came to matters concerning the royal bloodline, it was better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free!
After recovering from their initial shock, Liu Taifu and the others all had a look of surprise in their eyes, feeling that this was a golden opportunity!
Only Liu Taifu's lips subtly concealed a shrewd smile.
He seized the opportunity and immediately took the lead, kowtowing heavily, his voice filled with grief and indignation.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise!"
"The royal bloodline cannot be tainted. This matter concerns the foundation of the nation and the stability of the country! We, your humble servants, tearfully beg Your Majesty to immediately isolate and imprison Jiang and the two princes! This matter must be thoroughly investigated... It is better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free! Otherwise, our Great Qi royal family will become a laughingstock of the world! The foundation of the nation will be shaken, and the country will be in grave danger!!"
After Grand Tutor Liu, all the court officials stepped forward to present their memorials:
"We second that request! We humbly beseech Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation!"
"To preserve the purity of the royal bloodline, Your Majesty, please make a swift decision!"
...
The clamor that had just been suppressed by the emperor's power is now surging back with an even stronger force!
All the blame was directed at the woman, far away in the Lihe Palace, unaware of the impending storm, and her two young, innocent children.
Emperor Zhaoheng stood there, his tall figure like a lone peak in a storm.
He looked at the ministers kneeling and pleading below, and at Yi Xingyao, who seemed to have gone mad... The rage in his heart surged like magma, almost breaking through the dam of reason!
Emperor Zhaoheng had no doubts about Narcissus.
His anger could no longer be contained and finally erupted. Suddenly, Emperor Zhaoheng shouted:
"I will kill you, you traitor who spouts such nonsense!"
He suddenly drew the sword from the guard beside him, and was about to rush down from the throne to personally kill Yi Xingyao!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Seeing this, several senior officials rushed forward desperately to stop him, pleading, "Your Majesty! Killing him now would be silencing him! What would the people think? This is a matter of great importance; please reconsider, Your Majesty!"
"Get out of my way!"
Emperor Zhaoheng dismissed an old minister. Although he did not harm the old minister, the frail old minister was pushed so hard that he almost stumbled and fell.
It was only with the help of his colleagues that he was able to stand up.
The remaining court officials and relatives who were connected with the Liu family surrounded Yi Xingyao at this moment, protecting him from behind.
Only by protecting Yi Xingyao can they completely bring down that imperial concubine who doesn't belong to any powerful or aristocratic family!
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at the ministers in the court, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He absolutely refused to believe that Narcissus would be unfaithful!
How could Qingyan and Qinghe, with their identical eyebrows and eyes, possibly be someone else's children?
This is clearly slander! It's a frame-up!
But... the royal bloodline cannot be flawed...
He knew all too well the importance of this matter.
Now that the matter has reached the imperial court and is under the watchful eyes of everyone, if he were to forcefully suppress it now and execute Yi Xingyao with the power of an emperor to save Shui Xian and the children, then the stigma of "killing a loyal minister and protecting a wicked concubine," or even "questionable bloodline," would forever accompany Shui Xian and the children for the rest of their lives!
This will be an unsolved mystery that will never be cleared up, and it may even cause Narcissus to lose the public support he has just gained!
The world can never tolerate a saint with moral flaws!
A moment of deep thought flashed through Emperor Zhaoheng's mind.
Now, is he relying on his own judgment, stubbornly upholding it, and leaving behind an eternal mystery?
Or... for the sake of the so-called "royal reputation," should we temporarily wrong them, isolate and confine them, and then investigate?
Emperor Zhaoheng stood at the pinnacle of power, yet he felt an unprecedented sense of hardship.
Looking down at the faces below, some genuinely pleading for a thorough investigation, others feigning sincerity, he felt for the first time how cold and heavy the position of the supreme ruler truly was.
Xian'er... his Xian'er is still at Lihe Palace, waiting for him to return from court. Perhaps she's playing with Yongning, or perhaps she's checking on the twins...
Did she know that a catastrophe, capable of engulfing her, was about to befall her?
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his face growing increasingly grim...
......
The night was as dark as ink, completely swallowing up the hustle and bustle of the day.
The darkness seems to conceal all hidden dangers, yet it also resembles a colossal beast capable of devouring people, lurking in the deep sky.
However, the palace did not turn off the lights and go to bed early as usual. A few dim palace lanterns remained in the hall, their light flickering and illuminating the serene silhouette of the narcissus.
She was not asleep; she was sitting on the soft couch by the window, unconsciously stroking a cloth tiger that Yongning had played with during the day, her gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window, as if waiting for something.
She heard footsteps approaching from afar; they were the same footsteps she always knew, but now they sounded utterly exhausted.
The sound of a man's footsteps broke the silence of the night.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not have a palace attendant announce his arrival and walked straight in.
He shed the majestic dragon robe he wore in the imperial court, donning only a dark-colored casual robe, yet still couldn't conceal the deep, unyielding gloom between his brows.
Those usually sharp and deep eyes were now bloodshot, filled with a pain and deep struggle that Narcissus had never seen in his eyes before.
"Xian'er..."
He spoke, his voice terribly hoarse.
Emperor Zhaoheng walked slowly to Shuixian, but did not embrace her or take her hand as usual.
He simply stood there, gazing at her with a complex expression, as if trying to etch her image deep into his heart.
Narcissus raised her head to meet his gaze. Her face showed neither fear nor grievance, only a calm understanding.
She gently put down the cloth tiger in her hand, stood up, and said softly, "Your Majesty, you have arrived."
It was as if they had anticipated his arrival and were already aware of the news he brought.
Looking at her calm appearance, Emperor Zhaoheng felt even more heartbroken, feeling deeply indebted to her.
He took a deep breath and used all his strength to tell Shui Xian the whole story of the disgraceful events that had unfolded in the court.
"...I absolutely do not believe him in the slightest!"
In the end, Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly grabbed Shuixian's shoulders with such force that she frowned slightly, but the pain that almost overflowed in his eyes made her heart tremble.
Emperor Zhaoheng solemnly assured him, "Xian'er, I believe you!"
"Qingyan and Qinghe are my children, they are my bloodline! I have never doubted it!"
His voice lowered, revealing a vulnerability he had almost never shown to anyone else in front of the woman he loved on this cold night.
"But...Xian'er, this matter has blown up too much...I need time, I need solid evidence, to uproot those demons and monsters hiding in the shadows and wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
"Otherwise, even if I forcefully suppress it, you and the children will forever live in the shadow of rumors... So... so it may be necessary for you and the children to temporarily suffer..."
He couldn't continue; the words caught in his throat.
For an emperor, especially one who deeply loves his beloved woman and young children, to suffer injustice must be incredibly difficult and humiliating.
Narcissus listened quietly, her face remaining calm and expressionless.
She was already fully aware of the turmoil in the court through her spies and informants.
The sight of Yi Xingyao, Liu Taifu, and their powerful relatives made her sneer inwardly.
This group of people will stop at nothing to bring her down, even daring to throw such filthy and disgusting mud at her!
She showed no anger or resentment in the face of Emperor Zhaoheng's suffering.
Instead, she raised her hand and gently stroked his furrowed brow with her fair and pink fingertips, as if to soothe his anxiety.
Her actions were filled with boundless pity, which made Emperor Zhaoheng cherish her even more.
"Your Majesty, I understand."
Her voice was like the gentlest breeze in spring, softly caressing Emperor Zhaoheng's tense heartstrings.
Narcissus lowered her eyelashes slightly, her long lashes casting a faint shadow under her eyes.
Her expression held a hint of hidden disappointment, but her words still reflected Emperor Zhaoheng's perspective and showed complete understanding of him.
"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease... This inner palace, this outer court, has never been a pure land."
"Some people can't stand to see me doing well, or Yan'er and He'er doing well, so they resort to such despicable means. I... am not surprised."
She raised her eyes, her gaze clear and firm as she looked at Emperor Zhaoheng: "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a country, and you have your own difficulties and the pros and cons that you must weigh. I do not blame you."
"For the sake of the Emperor's reputation, and for Yan'er and He'er to have a clean and uncontroversial future, what does temporary grievance matter?"
Shui Xian even offered, “If Your Majesty deems it necessary, I may immediately move out of Lihe Palace and temporarily reside in Xiyuan or a more remote palace. I am also willing to temporarily relinquish the Phoenix Seal and the power to assist in the management of the six palaces, to show my willingness to cooperate with the investigation and to ensure that Your Majesty will not be put in a difficult position.”
These words, like the warmest spring water, instantly washed away the heaviness in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart and nourished his tormented soul.
Emperor Zhaoheng originally thought he would see her tears, her grievances, and even her resentment, but he never expected to receive such a profound understanding and unreserved trust!
As a vulnerable woman, she even tried to protect him, cherish him, and understand him in her own way!
He could no longer restrain himself and suddenly stretched out his arms to hug Narcissus tightly.
"Xian'er! My Xian'er!"
The usually strong and composed emperor now spoke in a low, hoarse voice, filled with remorse.
"It is I who have wronged you!"
He buried his face in the hollow of her neck, which exuded a faint fragrance, greedily absorbing the warmth from her body, and spoke each word as if it were the most solemn vow, echoing in her ear.
"Xian'er, believe me, I swear to you!"
"Once this matter is resolved, and once I have thoroughly cleansed away those demons and monsters, I will depose the Empress!"
"I want you to stand by my side rightfully! I want the whole world to know that you, Shui Xian, are my only Empress! Qing Yan and Qing He are my most honorable legitimate sons!"
Narcissus gave a soft "hmm" and obediently hugged Emperor Zhaoheng.
Emperor Zhaoheng was deeply moved. He thought that his plea, which set aside his imperial dignity, had earned Shui Xian's obedience.
Little did he know that from the moment he stepped into the Lihe Palace, he had already fallen completely into the chess game that Shui Xian had been carefully preparing.
What she was waiting for was his determination to completely depose her out of guilt!
This is what she truly wants—the crucial step to bring down the Empress and her backers once and for all!
She retreated in a strategic manner, seemingly yielding and making concessions, but in reality she had already handed the sharpest blade to Emperor Zhaoheng, and was pushing him to personally cut down powerful officials, nobles and relatives!
Narcissus nestled in his arms, feeling his rapid heartbeat and listening to his resounding vows. A faint, yet icy smile curved her lips where he couldn't see.
She achieved her goal!
But on Narcissus's face, a perfectly timed expression of emotion and a woman's dependence was revealed.
"Your Majesty... with your words, I have nothing to fear..."
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