Chapter 507 Confession
Jiang Fenghua continued, “Since I was a child, I have had nightmares every night. Whenever I dream about my past life, I feel terrified. I dream about two children who were killed by Su Tingwan. I don’t want them to be killed by Su Tingwan again in this life, so I plotted to kill everyone in the Su family.”
Xie Shang stared at her, wanting to say: What nonsense are you spouting? Just because of a dream, what past life? Jiang Fenghua, stop lying to me. Are you trying to make up this kind of story to gain my sympathy?
Finally, he simply said, "I will not believe a single word you have said, because who would believe a dream and commit murder?"
Jiang Fenghua sneered, "See? I told you the truth, but the Emperor doesn't believe me. Instead, he believes that Su Tingwan was once your Empress. It's because the Emperor's true love is Su Tingwan!"
"His Majesty must be thinking that I'm plotting something again, step by step," Jiang Fenghua mocked directly. He kept saying he loved her, but he had never believed her.
Xie Shang was struck by what she had been thinking. He calmed himself down and said in a deep voice, "Don't mention Su Tingwan. She's dead. I have no recollection of what you're saying. Su Tingwan is dead, and I never did anything to make her empress."
He said, "With your methods and abilities, you wouldn't have had to wait until now to kill the Su family."
“But to ruin the Su family’s reputation and make them infamous, we have to rely on the royal family. If I directly assassinate the Su family members, all I will get in return is the royal family hunting me down, and the Jiang family will not benefit either.” She said bluntly.
"You mean you knew all along that Father would bestow a marriage upon you, so you deliberately married me to use the royal family to help you take revenge? How is that possible? How can you prove that what you're saying is true?" He denied it again, "It was Father who bestowed the marriage upon me. No one can influence Father's decision."
Jiang Fenghua continued, "Actually, I don't know why someone who was clearly dead would come back to life. I also have no evidence to prove that such a thing happened. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, I don't know what to say. If you still don't believe me, then just consider me a ghost."
Xie Shang stared into her eyes to see if she was still lying. Jiang Fenghua was too smart. Didn't he know whether she was a human or a ghost?
He said, "Now that the Su family has been destroyed and Su Tingwan is dead, you can't even be bothered to give me a perfunctory answer."
He added, "You must have nightmares often and confuse your dreams with reality, which is why you treat Su Tingwan as an enemy."
Jiang Fenghua was dumbfounded. "I've already explained it to you clearly, but you still don't believe me. You haven't experienced our past lives, so you won't believe me."
She continued, "So Your Majesty has tested me time and time again, doubted me time and time again. Does Your Majesty truly love me? Whether in the past life or this life, the person Your Majesty loves most is not me. Now I have made things clear to Your Majesty. I only hope that Your Majesty will not harm the Jiang family. They will not endanger the Xie family's empire. Now I have avenged myself, and I have protected my child. Your Majesty wants to seek the truth, and I also want to know why I came back to life."
Xie Shang saw the sincerity in her eyes and realized she wasn't lying.
He wondered: Does she really not love me?
"Your Majesty, I will return to Chenxi Palace now." She put on her hat and cloak, covering herself up completely.
Xie Shang watched her every move. "Are you cold? You're wearing so many clothes."
Jiang Fenghua said calmly, "I just gave birth half a month ago. The fact that I am still alive and standing in front of the Emperor today can only be attributed to God's kindness. I also cherish my life. Your Majesty need not doubt that I was faking fainting during childbirth. In fact, I really did faint."
After saying that, she slowly walked out of the imperial study.
An awkward look flashed in Xie Shang's eyes. He hadn't stepped into Chenxi Palace once in the past two weeks.
"Ruan Ruan," Xie Shang called out to her.
Jiang Fenghua stopped in her tracks, remaining as still as a virgin. Her clear eyes fixed on Xie Shang, she asked, "Is there anything else Your Majesty wishes to ask?"
"What do I have to do for you to truly like me?"
Jiang Fenghua was stunned. She had no answer to this question. Just moments before she entered the Imperial Study, he was still holding another woman in his arms. The Empress Dowager had truly found her a rival this time and would definitely marry Bai Yuhan to Xie Shang.
She went straight out the door. The price of liking him again was too high. Xie Shang was right. She was too lazy to even pretend anymore. She could no longer feign deep affection for him.
Xie Shang watched her leave helplessly. Jiang Fenghua remembered their past life. What was their past life like that made her so determined to say she didn't love him?
-
Jiang Fenghua left the Imperial Study and saw Granny Wang standing in the distance. No one dared to eavesdrop on the Emperor here.
When Granny Wang saw her come out, she quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, will you not escort the Empress back to the palace?"
She said, "I can go back by myself; His Majesty is busy with state affairs." That was all she could say.
Now that Xie Shang knows everything, she may not be able to keep her position as Empress. In any case, she still has three children. If the Emperor were to bestow upon her the title of Virtuous Consort again, she would accept it.
Granny Wang deliberately spoke loudly, "Her Majesty is still in confinement and hasn't fully recovered, yet she ran out to find the Emperor. If Her Majesty doesn't care about herself, no one will. Just now, this servant saw the woman the Empress Dowager found for the Emperor at Huguo Temple. Her Majesty is in confinement, and the Emperor has taken a new lover. No wonder Her Majesty is heartbroken."
"What do you mean by dead or alive? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" She knew what Granny Wang meant, but unfortunately she had already confronted Xie Shang. Even if she hadn't, Xie Shang wouldn't have reacted to such words.
She guessed that Xie Shang might handle the situation coldly, just like the late emperor.
Xie Shang stood by the door watching Jiang Fenghua get into the sedan chair. After hearing what Granny Wang said, he felt a mix of emotions. Had they really lived two lifetimes together? Had they been husband and wife in two lifetimes? Master Wu Zi could tell fortunes, so perhaps they could go to Huguo Temple together and ask Master Wu Zi to tell their fortunes.
At this moment, Wuxin stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty."
"Has Bai Yuhan returned to Cining Palace?" Xie Shang asked.
Wu Xin paused for a moment, then quickly said, "It was too dark on the road, and this servant was worried that Miss Bai would get lost, so this servant sent her back. Does Your Majesty wish to take Miss Bai to the Qianqing Palace to serve you?"
Xie Shang stared at Wuxin and said in a deep voice, "When did I ever say that Bai Yuhan would serve me in the Qianqing Palace?"
Wuxin quickly replied, "That's what everyone in the palace is saying. Just now, this servant overheard the Empress Dowager mentioning that she wanted to give Miss Bai a title. She also said that Kunning Palace has been empty for a long time and has been renovated so that Miss Bai can move in."
"Who's spreading this?" Xie Shang asked coldly.
Unwilling to add fuel to the fire, he said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The concubines in the harem are all saying that the Empress has fallen out of favor and that Your Majesty is going to depose her. Everyone knows that the Empress almost didn't survive the day she gave birth, but Your Majesty went to see her once after returning to the palace and hasn't gone back since. It's because Your Majesty has taken a liking to a new favorite. There are even rumors that the Empress Dowager wants to make Miss Bai the Empress and will depose the Empress." He didn't care anymore; the gossip about Bai Yuhan in the harem was already rampant.
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