Looking at the woman in front of her, Mo Yan thought, "You wouldn't say she's really given up. Perhaps she just can't face her own incompetence."
In Mo Yan's eyes, she was indeed incompetent. Putting everything else aside, she was the emperor's lawfully wedded empress. As long as she lived, Shu Lan could only be a concubine! If she was told to stand, she couldn't sit. If she didn't comply, she would be beaten.
The Empress was wrong because she had too many concerns, thought too much, and wanted too much.
She longed for the emperor's love, for a lifelong, monogamous relationship, but knowing it was impossible, she resorted to self-destructive behavior, as if hoping to gain the emperor's attention through this method.
Yeah, and a little selfish too.
She didn't think about the consequences of her actions, nor did she consider the situation her son would be in because of her weakness.
She was thinking, "I'm already feeling so bad, can't I just hide away?"
In an ordinary household, that's possible.
But not for the royal family.
If you back down, others will take advantage of you. If the Empress dies, then King Wu will be in a very awkward position. He is not the Crown Prince, but he is the late Empress's son. If they want the position, they have to kill King Wu.
The queen's fingers twitched again, but she did not open her eyes.
“I’ve always felt that you’re a good sister-in-law, but not a good mother.”
The moment Mo Yan said those words, the Empress opened her eyes, her eyes filled with tears and disbelief, as if she couldn't understand why Mo Yan would still come to hurt her when she was about to die. Shouldn't she be comforting her at this time?
"Don't understand why I'm saying this? No, you understand. You've always understood, you just haven't been willing to come out of it."
You understand the bloodshed within the royal family, you understand the hardships your son has endured, you understand that your husband is the emperor and must treat everyone equally, you understand that you are the empress and must carefully maintain balance within the harem.
But you're not resigned to it, you're unwilling, you want a lifelong, monogamous relationship, you want the emperor to give you everything you desire. If you can't do that, you become a coward, hiding in your snail shell, unwilling to strive, unwilling to move forward, because you're afraid of losing!
Empress: "!!!!"
Every word Mo Yan said was like a knife piercing her heart, inflicting wound after wound, each one drawing blood.
“You know your husband has had a tough time, but you don’t want to understand. So you use your attitude to tell her, ‘I want your love. I’ve made so many concessions for you, but you’ve wronged me.’”
Mo Yan didn't mean to be so direct, but there was nothing she could do; some people just couldn't be comforted.
Because comforting her won't work; instead, it will make her feel that she should stay in her shell, that she should hide like this, and that she should be afraid.
“You know King Wu’s situation. You could have done something for him, but you didn’t. You think you’re the most virtuous empress, and you can’t do those scheming things, right?”
The Empress gripped the blanket tightly and remained silent.
“You feel heartbroken, you feel betrayed, but sister-in-law, no one in this world has it easy. To put it bluntly, you were willing to marry my brother, so you should have known when you got married that this path would be difficult.”
The reason Mo Yan said so much was because she still regarded her as her sister-in-law; otherwise, she wouldn't have had so much free time.
"I knew, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult, so bitter, so painful."
She thought she could accept it, but she only realized what it meant to be heartbroken after experiencing it herself.
She thought she could be indifferent, but she couldn't.
"We're not young anymore, those romantic relationships really don't matter. Think about it, what do those things really mean in the face of death?"
Your concessions will only embolden Shulan, and they will only give her more reason to push her luck.
While you are alive, King Wu is the Empress's legitimate son; after you die, he will only be the late Empress's son. A local official has more power than a distant one. Do you think the next Empress is far away after you die? What will King Wu do then?
You're so engrossed in your own romantic love affairs, but what about your son, your family, your people? Can't you be a little braver?
I was afraid when I was a child, which could be attributed to my young age.
I was afraid when I was young, but I can say I never experienced it.
Being afraid in youth is a sign of a lack of responsibility.
If you're still afraid when you're old, then you're really... beyond saving.
"I……"
Just as the Empress was about to say something, a sound came from outside.
"Your Highness, the head of the Imperial Hospital has arrived."
Mo Yan stood up and walked out. The Empress, lying on the bed, watched her departing figure in a daze.
She had a feeling that the eldest princess had never left.
As soon as Mo Yan came out, she saw the head of the imperial physicians, an old man with a white beard.
"I never expected it to be you."
Why does this person have memories with Mo Yan? Because the original owner of this body dealt with him a lot back then. He was a fence-sitter, always going whichever way the wind blew, so Mo Yan naturally couldn't stand him.
"Princess, how have you been?"
"Hmm, you're unwell. Why didn't you come when the Empress summoned you for a medical examination?"
Just as the imperial physician was about to speak, Mo Yan spoke up.
"No need to answer. If you ask me to give him ten lashes, just hit his buttocks. He's got a lot of flesh and thick skin."
Imperial Physician: "!!!!" The Eldest Princess is not playing by the rules!
Mo Yan sat down directly on it and started eating the fruit brought by the palace maid. She took one bite and her face darkened.
"Bring over the imperial kitchen's stuff too! What are these things? Are you trying to fool the Empress with this?"
Ruo Jiu immediately led her men to arrest the person. After the princess returned, the palace was going to become quite lively.
Other houses: "!!!"
The young concubine: "???" Is the princess courting death?
The elderly concubine said, "The princess is back! Someone's going to be in trouble!"
Do you know why I hit you?
The imperial physician, whose buttocks were already a bloody mess: "..."
“Princess, my duty is…”
"Ten more lashes! I haven't finished speaking yet. Disrespecting me, I'll give you ten more lashes."
Mo Yan spoke softly, glancing at the teacup.
Now, without Mo Yan having to say anything, someone went directly to the Imperial Household Department.
"Princess, you are settling a personal score." The imperial physician believed that the reason he hadn't fainted was because of his hatred.
"You're wrong. I took my revenge back then. The Empress is the head of the harem. How dare you be so disrespectful and send over a newly arrived imperial physician?"
No matter what you think, you deserve to die.
Imperial Physician: "!!!!" Who the hell knew you, this jinx, would come back?
Soon the stewards from the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Household Department arrived, and when they saw the head of the household's backside, their hearts sank.
Are they doomed...?
"Come on, explain to this princess what's going on with this fruit and this teacup. Was it due to negligence? If that's the reason, I don't mind making your whole family negligent."
Mo Yan was smiling as she spoke, but the atmosphere between them was like an icebox.
The palace has always been a place where people change their allegiance based on the prevailing winds. Seeing that the empress was useless, they would naturally turn to the imperial concubine.
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