Chapter 97: Domineering White Moonlight 16 She didn’t dare, nor could she gamble…
"The Imperial Concubine's child died upon birth...switch the two children..."
The shrill voice of Kang Gongren came, both real and fake, like a heavy hammer that smashed Xie Jingchuan's world into pieces, and the memories that he had deliberately forgotten in the past came flooding back like a tide.
When he was a toddler, stumbling toward the most elegant and beautiful woman in the palace with his hands outstretched, his mother would slowly support him, her tone gentle and distant, "Jingchuan can walk now. Your Majesty will surely be very happy."
When he was a little older, he received praise from the Grand Tutor in Chengguan Pavilion. He happily shared it with his mother. She was sitting at her dressing table, drinking bitter medicine, her bare hands resting on her flat belly, a look of melancholy on her face. Finally, under his hesitant gaze, she curled her lips after a long while and said, "Well, does your father know?"
Even when he deliberately caught a cold and developed a persistent fever in the dead of winter because he hadn't seen his mother for a long time, she only paid him a quick glance and said, "You must take good care of the Crown Prince. His Majesty has been busy with government affairs recently. Please don't let him worry about other things."
Year after year, sentence after sentence.
"The prince should go."
"The prince has his own wet nurse and palace maids to take care of him."
"Jingchuan has grown up. You can make your own decisions on matters like this. There's no need to come back to me."
She had never treated Xie Jingchuan harshly. Unlike ordinary mothers, she would not yell at or beat her disobedient children. She was even rarely impatient. She was just gentle and just the right amount of coldness and neglect, so that Xie Jingchuan could not feel any real warmth.
He originally thought that this was because he was the crown prince of Jin State, and he shouldered the expectations of his father and all the subjects of Jin State, so he could not act like an ordinary child and act like an ignorant child.
But now they told him that this was all because he was not his mother's biological son.
It turns out that it wasn't that he was ungrateful over the years, but that everything had a traceable path.
Xie Jingchuan staggered back, his eyes filled with bloodshot, his back pressed heavily against the hard, cold stone wall, his mind going blank.
He felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he suddenly bent down, grabbing the clothes on his chest tightly, tearing the luxurious dress that the embroidery workshop had made for his birthday into pieces.
No, there must be something hidden in this, it can't be true...
How could he not be my mother's child? !
How could his father, the emperor he had admired and respected since childhood, do something as shocking as swapping babies?!
How could he be so cruel as to kill his first wife step by step?!
Collapse, despair and endless anger devoured Xie Jingchuan's last bit of sanity. He bent his waist and let out a broken roar, as if his throat was strangled by an invisible hand.
He wanted to find his father and mother to ask them face to face.
He wanted to hear his father tell him in person: Who is he?
During these nineteen years, what was real and what was fake?
As if seeing what Xie Jingchuan was thinking at the moment, Ali quickly stopped him and said anxiously: "Xie Jingchuan, you can't go!"
In the original book, Xie Jingchuan learned about this royal secret alone, and his usual calmness and composure disappeared. He immediately went to confront the emperor, but the emperor, angry and humiliated, ordered the imperial guards to take him back to the East Palace and forbade anyone from visiting him. Anyone who disobeyed the order would be executed.
No one knew what had happened, but any minister who tried to intercede for the prince was severely reprimanded, demoted, and had his salary fined.
For a time, everyone was in danger, and there was even a rumor in the court that the emperor wanted to depose the prince.
But when he came out of the East Palace again, his temperament had changed drastically, and he became the cold-blooded and violent emperor that she deeply feared.
Today, Ali chose to uncover this heavy past with Xie Jingchuan because he didn't want him to anger the emperor and end up with the worst possible ending in the original book.
Today is his birthday. How could Ali watch him fall into the trap again?
"Xie Jingchuan! Calm down!"
Ali opened his arms and suddenly blocked the secret passage, his pale face filled with unprecedented panic.
"Get out of the way!" Xie Jingchuan almost lost his mind and reached out to push her away.
Ali not only did not retreat, but took another step forward and blocked his way: "If you go now, it will be tantamount to seeking your own death. If this is really done by the emperor, he will definitely not admit it, at least not in front of you! Then your situation will only be..."
"So what?!" Xie Jingchuan's eyes were red as he growled hoarsely, "Do you want me to pretend I didn't hear anything and continue being this unknown Xie Jingchuan?!"
In a rage, he lost control of his strength and swung his arm to push Ali away.
He didn't use his full strength, but she almost used all her strength to block him. The sudden push made her lose her balance and she hit the protrusion of the stone wall beside her.
A sharp pain came instantly, and Ali's slender figure suddenly curled up. He felt a warm and sticky feeling on his forehead. Even his breathing froze. He could only let out trembling inhalations and slid softly along the stone wall to the ground.
Her face was as pale as paper, and a muffled groan of pain escaped her lips.
All the rage and loss of control came to an abrupt end at this moment.
Xie Jingchuan suddenly froze when he saw the person he regarded as his life falling to the ground in pain, his face covered in cold sweat and full of pain.
In an instant, the blood in his body cooled and solidified.
Xie Jingchuan staggered and knelt down, his arms trembling. He wanted to help her up, but was afraid of touching her wounds.
"I'm sorry... I..." Broken words came out from his pale lips, filled with boundless horror and fear.
Ali's vision was blurred by blood, and he leaned weakly against the stone wall. But the moment Xie Jingchuan rushed over, he grabbed his hand tightly: "Don't go, don't go..."
She pulled Xie Jingchuan closer in panic, and the blood on her forehead slowly dripped onto his cuffs, blooming into blood-red flowers.
"Xie Jingchuan, you can't go. Think about the consequences of this matter. You can't go..." Tears welled up in Ali's eyes due to pain, and instantly extinguished the fire burning in his heart, leaving only cold ashes and broken ruins.
Yes, even if he rushed to his father to question him, what answer would he get?
The world belongs to my father. He was able to replace two babies with a single thought back then, and now he can easily put this prince to death.
If he died, what would Ali do?
The huge resentment receded like a tide, leaving behind only endless desolation and coldness.
Xie Jingchuan closed his eyes very slowly and with difficulty. When he opened them again, there was only bottomless depth and deathly silence in those blood-red, crazy eyes.
He carefully covered the wound on Ali's forehead with a handkerchief and placed her hand against his cheek: "I promise you, I won't act impulsively."
Ali trembled with tears in his eyes: "This is what you promised, don't break your promise!"
Xie Jingchuan's out-of-control state today really made her nervous, and she felt extremely uneasy at the moment.
Xie Jingchuan very gently picked her up and carried her sideways, then walked out with steady steps: "Well, I will never break my promise."
A-Li finally relaxed, put her arms around his neck, and looked at him for a long time: "Xie Jingchuan, do you know?"
He lowered his eyes and suppressed the anger between his brows.
Ali stared at him intently, his voice choked with sobs: "Xie Jingchuan is Xie Jingchuan. No matter who your parents are, no matter what your identity is, at least in my eyes, you will always be the Xie Jingchuan that I love."
Just like a lonely boat drifting on the sea in the long night, there is always a small swaying lamp. Although it is not very bright, it is the only existence and support in this world.
"I will always, always be by your side."
Xie Jingchuan slowly tightened his grip on her and stopped where he was.
Ali's eyes were red, and he stretched out a hand to cover his burning eyes: "Cry if you want to, I'm here."
All the strength and restraint completely collapsed after hearing this sentence.
In this treacherous palace where it is difficult to distinguish between true and false, there is someone who stands firmly with him.
She was within his reach and the only real thing he could feel.
As if he could no longer hold on, Xie Jingchuan half-knelt on the ground holding Ali, his shoulders shaking violently, and buried his head deeply in her arms.
Ali hugged him back and felt his tears finally burst out under his palms.
First there was a silent surge, and then a whimper of extreme despair came from deep in the chest, echoing softly in this secret passage without sunlight.
On the night of Xie Jingchuan's birthday, he learned an ugly truth, and at the same time embraced the only precious person in the world.
*
Since that night, Xie Jingchuan became increasingly busy, and those old memories seemed to have sunk into the water again.
Nowadays, the emperor is often ill, and most of the affairs and memorials in the court are submitted directly to the East Palace. Although there is no explicit order, all the court officials know that the prince is now in charge of government.
For a time, the gate of the East Palace was crowded with people, and there were people coming to answer questions all the time.
Lan Xin helped A Li get off the sedan chair. Mo Wen, who was busy at the door and confused, suddenly brightened up and ran over: "My princess, you are here. If you don't come, I will go to Yinyue Pavilion to pick you up."
The Qingluan Palace was completely burned down, and Ali was too lazy to move around, so he asked the empress dowager and the imperial concubine to let him stay in the Yinyue Pavilion.
Xie Jingchuan was probably the happiest person after hearing the news. Not only did he ask the Ministry of Works to repair and expand the building, he also opened the East Palace warehouse and almost moved all the things inside into Yinyue Pavilion.
Even Ali, who usually loves to show off, felt that it was inappropriate. He got angry five or six times before he gave up.
Ah Li looked at Mo Wen with amusement and said deliberately, "Then I'll come later next time and wait for the now popular Mo Palace people to come and pick me up in person."
Mo Wen bowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, you are embarrassing me by saying this. I am just taking advantage of Your Highness's power."
He had just sent away the leader of His Highness's secret guards. The leader looked ferocious, but was actually a good person to talk to. He did not look down on him because of his status as a palace servant.
Originally, the commander of the secret guards only had to come to the East Palace on specific days to report to His Highness, but recently the commander had been coming more and more frequently. As time went by, he became familiar with Mo Wen and just said a few more words. Unexpectedly, the princess saw him and teased him.
As they were talking, they came to the gate of the East Palace. Mo Wen was guarding outside. Ali took the food box from Lan Xin and walked in alone.
The hall was as quiet as ever. Only when you got closer could you hear the rustling sound of paper and pen rubbing against each other.
Ali walked in quietly, not wanting to disturb Xie Jingchuan's thoughts.
Strangely enough, Xie Jingchuan was busy with government affairs and kept moving between the Eastern Palace and the Qinzheng Palace all day long, while she, an idle person, was spending more and more time in the Eastern Palace.
At first, I was worried about Xie Jingchuan and wanted to stay with him for a while longer.
Later, every time when she wanted to leave, Xie Jingchuan would always ask her to stay a little longer, just a little longer.
Seeing his increasingly cold and tired eyes, Ali's heart softened as expected, and he couldn't say no.
This went on time and again, and she spent almost all her time in the East Palace except for going to bed.
The food box in his hand was something Xie Jingchuan mentioned accidentally a few days ago. This snack from the imperial kitchen was always served to him when he was reviewing memorials late at night, but it was not very tasty.
But he was so busy with government affairs that he didn't even have time to summon the manager of the imperial kitchen.
Ali listened from the side, took it to heart, and eagerly learned and did it.
She walked towards the study with the lunch box, thinking about what had happened in the past few days. She inexplicably sensed that something was not right, but she also felt that she might be overthinking it.
After all, such a big change happened to Xie Jingchuan, and he regarded her as the only person he could trust. It was normal for him to want her to stay by his side... right?
Furthermore, Xie Jingchuan has become increasingly silent, making it impossible to guess what he is thinking. He gradually becomes somewhat similar to the cold and violent emperor in the book. Only when facing her, he is still the same as before.
Ali successfully convinced himself and threw away the random thoughts in his mind. He put on a bright smile and walked into the study: "Xie Jingchuan!"
"I'm so tired making this dessert for you!"
The girl's playful voice echoed in the empty palace, as if bringing the vitality outside the palace into it.
It is early summer in the blink of an eye.
*
When I came out of the East Palace, a full moon was hanging high in the sky.
Ali didn't let anyone from the East Palace see him off. He got on the sedan chair by himself and staggered towards the Yinyue Pavilion.
She sat there slumped like a boneless person, her eyes looking lazily into the void in the distance.
Thanks to her efforts, the plot has deviated from the original book, but to be on the safe side and avoid the ending where the character is pierced through the heart by a sword, Ali still plans to stick to the original plan.
When they first met, Ali asked Madam Tan how she could recover and cultivate her demonic power in her situation. Madam Tan only said three words.
Love blood.
Madam Tan told her that hundreds of years ago, humans and demons were not so clearly distinguished, and some demons with evil intentions had practiced a kind of magic that allowed them to use human heart blood to help them practice.
However, this blood is not available at any time. Only when a person falls in love with the monster can the monster use a special magic tool to extract the love blood from two inches of the person's heart.
This love blood is harmless to humans after it is taken out, but it can help monsters practice and help them recover their imprisoned monster power.
When Lady Tan entered the palace that day, she brought two magical instruments, one of which was used to extract the love blood.
Ever since he learned about this method, Ali has been hesitant.
In the original book, Chen Li also used this method, but before she succeeded, she was locked up by Xie Jingchuan in the name of "killing evildoers", and then died at his hands because of the "name of killing evildoers".
Ali didn't want to repeat the same mistake, so she could only make Xie Jingchuan fall in love with her while finding a way to restore her demonic power so that she would not fall into death at any time.
But this method would lead to a tragic death.
This is a dead end, and Ali is the anxious beast trapped in it.
In the end, she decided to use the method of taking the love blood.
In this huge palace, she had nothing to rely on except Xie Jingchuan's love and the empress dowager's care, which was three parts true and seven parts false.
Ali lowered his eyes, his gaze dimming slightly.
She was still not used to putting her life in the hands of someone else, even if that person was Xie Jingchuan.
She didn't dare, and couldn't take the gamble.
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