Chapter 35 The Xiao Family Bloodline This time, she absolutely had to remain calm and composed...
The setting sun streamed through the window, and the latticework window with its three-section, six-bowl design split the sunlight into six pale golden petals, which fell upon the woman, as if draping her in a shimmering, gold-flecked gauze robe, making her appear as exquisite and translucent as if carved from mutton-fat jade.
A strand of black hair flowed softly down her shoulder, rising high in front of her pale yellow peony-patterned bodice, and then sliding down her incredibly slender waist.
The woman's eyes still held traces of tears, making her dark eyes sparkle. Her long, drooping eyelashes trembled, and her delicate, porcelain-like skin glowed with a faint pink hue in the dappled sunlight.
The stunning spring scenery is so beautiful that it's hard to look away.
The room temperature seemed to be slowly rising, and the woman's unique sweet fragrance mixed with the bitter smell of the medicine created an aroma that could make people lose their minds.
From the man's dark gaze, Chu Yueyuan realized how inappropriate her actions were. She released her lips, wanting to spit out his finger.
The smooth, warm sensation that had been tightly wrapped around his fingers suddenly vanished, and Pei Muwei's eyes darkened abruptly as he tightened his grip on the woman's delicate chin.
Chu Yueyuan's chin was gripped tightly by him, rendering her speechless. She could only furrow her brows and force herself to feel the bloody taste emanating from her lips and teeth.
It has a slightly fishy taste, a hint of saltiness, and a touch of sweetness.
The unfamiliar taste made her very uncomfortable, and she subconsciously used her tongue to push against the finger in her mouth.
The tip of her tongue, like a small fish swimming aimlessly, inadvertently wrapped around the man's calloused fingers, sending a tingling, numbing pain and an indescribable sensation rushing from her spine to the top of her head.
Pei Muwei's eyes darkened suddenly, and he released his hand from the woman's chin.
Chu Yueyuan, now free, covered her mouth and coughed a few times. She stared wide-eyed in disbelief, tilting her head slightly, still kneeling by the bed.
The man sat on the couch, resuming his tall and imposing figure. Her chin rested on his knee, and their eyes met, like devout Buddhists worshipping a deity.
Pei Muwei looked down at the little empress dowager kneeling on his knees. The woman's black hair was like fine silk draped over her shoulders, perfectly highlighting her delicate face. Her dark eyes were red and swollen, with watery light in them.
He was almost bewitched, reaching out to stroke her dark hair, his long fingers running through her soft strands.
"Pei Qing, you...you're awake?"
Chu Yueyuan smiled, trying her best to make the joy on her face outweigh her surprise.
Pei Muwei pinched the woman's hair and gave a faint "hmm": "The Empress Dowager has miraculous healing skills and brought this humble subject back from the brink of death."
Chu Yueyuan: .....
"Cough cough... I was worried about Pei Qing's injuries, so I stayed up all night reading medical books. I came across a treatment called bloodletting to remove poison from poisoned people. Seeing that my beloved minister showed no signs of waking up, I was really anxious, so... I tried to bloodletting you according to the medical book. Thank goodness, Pei Qing is a lucky man. My haphazard attempt really woke you up."
Chu Yueyuan offered a rambling explanation and tried to pick up the gold hairpin that had fallen to the ground, but the man bent down and picked it up first.
Pei Muwei wiped the bloodstains from the tip of the hairpin with his fingers, his voice low: "It is my fault that I have once again caused the Empress Dowager to shed tears."
He helped the dazed Empress Dowager to her feet, simply tied up her smooth black hair, and secured it with a gold hairpin.
Chu Yueyuan watched as the Regent, who had just been brought back from the brink of death, nimbly stepped down from the ground. His hands were very steady as he helped her put her hair up in a bun. He spoke clearly and distinctly, showing no signs of the fatigue or stiffness he had experienced from being bedridden for many days.
There was no dressing table in the dormitory, only a full-length bronze mirror, in which a man and a woman were reflected.
The young woman had bright eyes and white teeth, and rosy cheeks; the young man was tall and elegant, handsome and otherworldly.
Chu Yueyuan coughed lightly and asked tentatively, "...How much of what I said just now did Pei Qing hear?"
Pei Muwei put his hands behind his back, his dark eyes gleaming, his long fingers gently twirling the sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist. After a few moments of silence, he stared at the woman's blinking dark eyes in the bronze mirror, a leisurely smile playing on his lips:
“When I was walking on the Bridge of Helplessness, I vaguely heard the Empress Dowager crying. So I turned around and followed the sound of Your Highness’s crying. Suddenly I woke up. As for what the Empress Dowager said, it must have been a hallucination when I was not in my right mind.”
Chu Yueyuan's cheeks turned even redder.
Pei, the cunning scoundrel, feigned illness. He overheard her, and even made up a reason to fool her, as if he was afraid that she, a young widow, would cling to him.
"However, I am curious, what did Your Majesty mean by saying, 'If you have a guilty conscience, a thief will take advantage of you'?"
Chu Yueyuan's heart skipped a beat. She marveled at the Regent's meticulous mind, which allowed him to pinpoint the most crucial sentence from her long, rambling sob.
After a moment's thought, she downplayed her inner demons in her conversation, only recounting how the thieves had taken advantage of her vulnerability.
"That day at Tanzhe Temple, I drew a very unlucky fortune stick and felt uneasy. I remembered that the Princess Consort of Chen had mentioned that there was a reclusive monk in the temple who was good at interpreting fortune sticks. Coincidentally, the Emperor was chasing a deer to Yutan Peak, so I went in as if possessed, wanting the reclusive monk inside to interpret the fortune stick. After that... I inadvertently fell into a trap set by the void."
Ever since Chu Yueyuan woke up, she felt that there were many coincidences in her actions at Tanzhe Temple that day, as if an invisible hand was controlling her, leading her step by step into the ancient temple on Yutan Peak.
She pondered for a long time and concluded that the source was that ominous fortune slip.
Having been in hiding at Tanzhe Temple for over ten years, Xukong naturally had ways to tamper with the divination sticks to ensure she would draw the unlucky one.
Pei Muwei's gaze narrowed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "Did the Princess Consort mention to the Empress Dowager that there is a highly skilled monk at Tanzhe Temple who is good at interpreting divination slips?"
Chu Yueyuan nodded: "That's right, it was Princess Consort Chen who suggested drawing lots together that day..."
At this point, her heart tightened suddenly, and she recalled how Princess Chen always mentioned how accurate the fortune sticks at Tanzhe Temple were when she was climbing the mountain. She also mentioned that Princess Liang's daughter-in-law was currently pregnant, so it would be better to draw a fortune stick to ask about the gender, so as to bless the Crown Princess to give birth to the little prince safely.
Could it be... that Princess Chen and Xu Kong are accomplices, and that the two of them meticulously wove this elaborate web to trick her into falling into their trap?
Did Princess Liang participate in this?
Looking back, Chu Yueyuan felt that Princess Liang's behavior at Tanzhe Temple that day was also strange in many ways, as if she had known all along that there was danger in the temple.
Before this, she thought that the Regent's fate was uncertain, which was why Prince Chen and Prince Liang were eager to seize the throne.
Once the regent awakens, the two will retreat into the shadows like little devils seeing the light, daring not to make any rash moves.
But if they had planned this all along, wouldn't their next target be... after getting rid of the regent?
Chu Yueyuan's face turned pale instantly. She stood up abruptly, grabbed Pei Muwei's arm, and tried to pull him out, her voice urgent: "Oh no! His Majesty is in danger alone in the palace! Pei Qing, come with me to the palace!"
Noticing an unusual dampness under her palm, she turned her head and saw bright red bloodstains visible beneath the man's white silk robe, with warm blood flowing between her fingers.
Chu Yueyuan then remembered that the other person's right arm had been injured, and quickly let go of her hand.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already replaced the imperial guards in Zichen Palace and Fengqi Palace. Prince Chen and Prince Liang have not received news of my death and will not act rashly for the time being."
The man spoke in the coolest voice the most heartwarming words.
Chu Yueyuan recalled that the Imperial Guards outside Fengqi Palace had not only changed their faces in the past few days, but their numbers were also several times greater than before. It seemed that the Regent had long ago made thorough preparations for her and Xiao Yun.
She couldn't help but feel guilty and asked with concern, "You're so kind, my dear minister. Where is the doctor in the palace? Quickly, have him come and re-bandage your wound."
Pei Muwei took a plain handkerchief and wiped the bloodstains from the Empress Dowager's fingers. He replied slowly, "Dr. Mu only makes one house call a day. He drained my blood this morning and won't be coming again. I can bandage myself."
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly, thinking to herself that the doctor in the Prince's mansion had quite the airs.
She gently pressed him back onto the bed, opened the sandalwood medicine box by the bedside, took out some medicinal wine and a wad of gauze, and gently pushed up his sleeves to reveal the man's strong, muscular arms.
After removing the layers of blood-stained gauze covering the arm, a shocking wound was revealed.
Chu Yueyuan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she couldn't help but lower her voice: "My dear minister, you've been recuperating for so long, how come your wound has become even worse?"
Pei Muwei stared at the woman's red eyes, a slight glint in his eyes, and said in a calm tone: "Bloodletting can expel the poisonous blood from my body. Every day, Physician Mu will use a small knife to cut open the old wounds to release the foul blood and then remove the rotten flesh."
He spoke calmly, yet the sound made the hairs on Chu Yueyuan's body stand on end.
She blinked her dark eyes, her gaze full of pity: "Does it... hurt?"
The young empress dowager's eyes were like sparkling lakes, clear and pure. With a gentle blink, the surface of the lake would ripple with enchanting beauty.
When Pei Muwei met her gaze, a gentle ripple seemed to stir in his heart. He said casually, "It's alright, I'm used to it."
As Chu Yueyuan listened, she felt even more heartbroken. She recalled what Granny Xu had mentioned about the Regent Prince struggling to survive after being poisoned at the age of seven. The suffering he endured back then was probably a thousand times more painful than it is now, which was why the man could say so calmly that he was used to it.
After bandaging the wound, Chu Yueyuan brought him a cup of tea. Knowing that the Regent's right hand was not moving easily, she simply sat on the edge of the couch and slowly brought the teacup to his lips.
The woman bent down without any guard, and the strapless bodice under her light-colored gauze dress revealed a hint of her rounded breasts, both proud and dazzling.
It inevitably evokes images of lotus blossoms peeking out from the lake, their white petals tinged with pink, swaying gracefully in the breeze.
Pei Muwei's eyes darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
The cup of cool tea that Chu Yueyuan casually brewed was savored by the Regent, who slowly drank it to the end.
She was extremely patient with her minister, who was recovering from a serious illness, and discussed matters with him in a gentle and soft voice:
“These past few days, Princess Consort Chen and Princess Consort Liang have been visiting the palace every few days. I suspect they are trying to find out about Pei Qing’s condition. Since you do not wish for outsiders to know that you have awakened, I will close the palace to guests after I return.”
Pei Muwei snapped out of her reverie, her long, narrow phoenix eyes blinking slightly, her gaze regaining its usual clarity:
"The palace is full of spies. News of the Empress Dowager's visit to me today will likely spread quickly. Your Highness's deliberate avoidance of the two princesses only makes you appear guilty. It would be better to openly summon them..."
Chu Yueyuan put down her teacup and sat down beside him, asking guiltily, "If the two princesses ask about Pei Qing's recovery, how should I respond?"
Pei Muwei remained calm and patiently explained to her, "The weather is turning cold, and the Canglang people's military supplies are insufficient. They dare not initiate war before winter. I have already ordered the return of 50,000 troops, which should arrive in Yongzhou City in about twenty days. Your Majesty can tell Princess Liang the truth. As for Princess Chen, Your Highness can..."
He leaned down and whispered a few words in the young empress dowager's ear.
The man's cool voice was already pleasant to hear, and after recovering from his illness, his voice was slightly hoarse. He leaned close to her ear, and his breath seemed to transform into calloused fingers, gently stroking her earlobe.
Chu Yueyuan's fair ears turned a faint pink, and she secretly resisted the urge to rub her earlobes.
"I will do as you say."
She turned her head to respond, but the two had been whispering too close, and her nose accidentally brushed against the other person's chin.
The instant their skin touched was like fireworks igniting, exploding in a dazzling display of light and color. Everything around them became illusory, except for the man's deep, unfathomable eyes, which held a fatal attraction.
Chu Yueyuan's heart trembled, and she hurriedly tried to keep her distance from him. But as she suddenly stood up, her Shu brocade shoes happened to step on the hem of her skirt, pulling her back onto the bed and causing her to fall straight into the man's chest.
The fragrance filled my senses, so sweet and intoxicating that it momentarily captivated me.
Perhaps because the Regent had just recovered from a serious illness and was not as agile as before, the eight-foot-tall man was knocked down onto the bed by Chu Yueyuan, a weak woman.
When Chu Yueyuan came to her senses, she was straddling the Regent's waist, her palms pressed against his strong chest. Through only a thin white silk robe, she could feel his powerful heartbeat, each beat more intense than the last, making her heart pound wildly.
The posture of ruler and subject did not disrupt the hierarchy, but it did disrupt the relationships between them.
"I'm really...cough cough...clumsy..."
She gave an awkward laugh, her eyes darting around, and made a move to get up. Her buttocks inevitably pressed down, and she could vaguely hear a low groan coming from the man's throat.
Chu Yueyuan thought she had touched the Regent's wound again, so she stiffened and dared not move, her bright, watery eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
Did I hurt Minister Pei?
Little did they know that this statement was shrouded in an ambiguous atmosphere that could easily be misunderstood.
The next moment, Pei Muwei raised his hand and held the back of her head, his palm sliding down her black hair and pressing against her fair and slender neck, forcing her to lower her head and look directly into his eyes.
The man's skin was already fair, but after walking around the gates of hell, his face became even whiter due to his illness. His eyes were as black as lacquer, and his eyelids were so thin that a faint blood seeped out. With the upward curve of the corners of his eyes, they were as eerie as red lotuses.
Even hotter than the temperature of his palms was the dark, unfathomable emotion surging in the man's eyes.
Chu Yueyuan's mind went blank as the distance between them suddenly closed. The scene at this moment was just like the two of them embracing in the raging fire at Tanzhe Temple.
Even the temperature around her was quietly rising, as if invisible flames were crackling and burning all over her body, causing her cheeks to flush crimson.
The room was exceptionally quiet, so quiet that the sound of each other's breathing was amplified infinitely, intertwined and filled with a seductive power that washed over the fragile eardrums.
For a moment, Chu Yueyuan was at a loss. She stared blankly into those pitch-black eyes, instinctively sensing the dangerous aura emanating from the man.
Could it be that the Regent is going to...
No, she must have misunderstood. Just like last time at Tanzhe Temple, she misunderstood that a man was trying to take liberties with her, and almost punched him into the underworld.
No, this time, she must remain calm and not let Pei make a fool of himself again.
Calm down, Chu Yueyuan, you need to be nonchalant!
While silently admonishing herself, Chu Yueyuan noticed the palm that was holding the back of her head loosen, which made her even more certain of her thoughts. Without flinching, she opened her eyes wide and boldly met the man's dark gaze.
Her fingers involuntarily gripped the man's white silk nightgown tightly, the torn collar revealing his crescent-shaped collarbone.
Pei Muwei gazed at the young Empress Dowager with an expressionless face. His dark eyes were like the dark sea before a storm, with turbulent whirlpools beneath the calm surface.
The woman had a pair of naturally alluring peach blossom eyes, especially after crying. Her beautiful eyes would slightly upturn, with ripples in the depths, like pear blossoms after the rain. Her clear black and white pupils exuded a hint of charm when she looked at anyone, making her exceptionally enchanting and lovely.
The young empress dowager foolishly believed that he was about to die. Not only did she weep by his pillow, expressing her feelings, but she also threw herself into his arms to show her love.
Reckless, foolish, and utterly stupid...
Yet his heart was in turmoil.
At this moment, the young empress dowager was like a hibiscus flower entwined around him, her beautiful face drooping, gazing at him pitifully, her eyes revealing a captivating charm that stirred his heart like a feather.
Pei Muwei's gaze was fixed on those rosy, full lips. His fingers seemed to sink into a warm, slippery bed once again. The desire that had been suppressed spread uncontrollably, like vines quietly climbing up his heart, gradually burying his struggling rationality.
His vision was fixed on that single point of crimson, which tempted, encouraged, and clamored for him to chase after it.
As the Regent's handsome features drew closer, his cool, refreshing aura pressed against them, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling...
Chu Yueyuan was the first to give in, and she hurriedly turned her head away.
Just then, Lin Sizhou's heart-wrenching screams erupted outside the door:
"Your Majesty, stop!"
Startled by the deafening roar, Chu Yueyuan's arms went limp, her lips barely brushing against the man's cheek before she collapsed onto his chest.
"Your Majesty, how could you take advantage of the Regent's serious illness and force yourself upon him! This...this is truly a violation of imperial virtue!"
Lin Sizhou was terrified by what he saw. He kept repeating that it was against the virtues of a monarch and would be unforgivable by heaven and earth. He regretted that he had been soft-hearted and had believed the sweet words of the little empress dowager, letting her in to grope the regent.
If he had known that the young empress dowager was plotting something sinister, he would never have agreed to her request, even if he had died in the outhouse!
Faced with Lin Sizhou's righteous accusations, Chu Yueyuan blushed with shame and almost jumped off Pei Muwei.
She quickly left the bed, catching a glimpse of the Regent calmly sitting up, his fingers slowly fastening the buttons she had torn off his clothes, a faint trace of rouge still lingering on his cheek.
At first glance, it really did seem like she, this wicked empress, had become lustful and wanted to take advantage of her upright and unyielding minister.
She felt a little dizzy and wondered if she had been bewitched and had acted rashly towards the Regent.
With her slender white fingers tightly gripping the embroidered handkerchief, Chu Yueyuan's cheeks flushed red as she explained softly, "What happened just now... was truly an accident. I did not mean to offend you, Pei Qing. I hope you will not take it to heart."
Pei Muwei twirled the sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist with his long fingers. He looked up at the little empress dowager's face, which was even redder than the setting sun, and said calmly, "Since it was an accident, the empress dowager need not take it to heart."
Seeing that the Regent was magnanimous and didn't hold it against her, Chu Yueyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and casually replied:
"Seeing that Minister Pei is safe and sound today, I can finally put my mind at ease. Minister Pei is recuperating peacefully at the Prince's residence. I will take care of all matters in the palace. I look forward to seeing you again at the Hall of Diligent Governance as soon as possible."
"Your Highness, I thank you."
Seeing the two, the emperor and his minister, speaking so politely and respectfully, Lin Sizhou couldn't help but feel indignant on behalf of the regent.
Throughout history, it has always been the women who suffer humiliation who have to swallow their anger. It is hateful that a prince, a heroic man who stands tall and upright, would suffer such humiliation as to be forced to crawl between the legs of the little empress dowager.
Heaven have mercy!
Chu Yueyuan felt uneasy and boarded the carriage under Lin Sizhou's resentful gaze.
Only after the carriage had driven quite a distance did she suddenly realize what had happened and began to regretfully pound on the window frame.
Startled, Jin Tong hurriedly asked what had happened.
Chu Yueyuan looked distressed, hugged her knees and sighed repeatedly.
She was so busy bandaging the Regent's wounds that she forgot the important matter at hand and didn't take the opportunity to bring back half a bottle of blood.
Sigh... Male beauty is so alluring! It seems this blood test for kinship has backfired.
————
As the sun sets in the west, the afterglow paints the sky with vibrant colors. The bamboo grove in the courtyard reflects the glow of the sunset, rustling softly in the gentle breeze.
Pei Muwei took off his nightgown and changed into a crimson-purple round-necked embroidered robe. He wore a gold crown with jade rings and cloud patterns on his head. He stood by the carved window and looked out at the scenery. The embroidered pattern of smoke and feather flowers on his chest floated with an amber light in the setting sun.
Lin Sizhou, preoccupied with his own thoughts, entered the study, bowed to the Regent, and respectfully said:
"Your Highness, General Kan has safely escorted the Empress Dowager into the palace."
Pei Muwei picked up the Qingfeng sword from the table. He gripped the hilt, and with a clear clang, the blade, gleaming with a cold light, slowly emerged from its sheath. The pure, flowing blade shimmered in the setting sun, reflecting the man's pair of captivating phoenix eyes.
His expression was serene, and his tone was indifferent: "I understand."
Lin Sizhou did not leave. As a confidant of the regent, he had seen some things and he was determined to find out the truth before he could feel at ease.
"Although the current situation is chaotic, it provides an opportunity to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous, so that we can settle accounts later and eliminate those who waver between the two sides. The remaining people can be safely recruited by Your Highness. Once you have dealt with Prince Chen and Prince Runan, the biggest obstacle to Your Highness's ascension to the throne will be removed..."
He paused, his brow furrowing even more, and carefully chose his words: "However, this humble official would like to ask, after the situation is stabilized, how does Your Highness plan to... settle the Empress Dowager and the Emperor?"
Lin Sizhou originally wanted to use the word "dispose of", but the Regent's attitude towards the young Empress Dowager was clearly different from that towards other women.
He had followed the regent for nearly ten years and had seen countless women try every trick in the book to catch the prince's eye.
Among them were many beautiful and talented noble ladies, talented young women from prominent families, and even a passionate and unrestrained princess from a foreign land. However, none of these women could so brazenly throw themselves into the prince's arms as the young empress dowager, and even press the prince down on the bed... and defile him.
In terms of beauty, the young empress dowager was indeed superior, but when it came to being persistent and charming, she was far ahead of everyone else.
As the saying goes, even the most virtuous woman can be tempted by a persistent suitor. The prince had been abstaining from women for many years, but when he encountered a charming and persistent young widow like the Empress Dowager, coupled with the taboo relationship between uncle and sister-in-law, even with the mind of an ascetic monk, he probably couldn't resist such temptation.
He had to remind the regent that before he ascended the throne, it could be said that the young empress dowager was restless, immoral, and disruptive to the court.
But once the prince sits on the dragon throne, the historians turn their pens to the new emperor in the Golden Palace, labeling him as a foolish and corrupt ruler who has swept away moral principles, deceived the world, and ruined his reputation.
Even if the prince has feelings for the young empress dowager, he must consider the bigger picture and not leave behind a lifelong stain because of a beautiful young widow.
As the sun quietly sank, leaving only a faint crimson glow on the horizon, the brilliant afterglow gradually disappeared from the sky. The radiance on Pei Muwei's broad shoulders and back gradually faded, replaced by a deep blue hue.
After waiting a long time for the Regent's response, Lin Sizhou clenched his fists and spoke bluntly:
"The Empress Dowager is the late Emperor Shang's first wife, the Emperor's mother, and a member of the Xiao clan. If Your Highness were to take her into the palace, it would be against the established order and would surely be condemned by the world."
The dazzling sword light reflected the cold, sharp brows of the young master. Pei Muwei spoke calmly: "I have walked step by step from Beiting into the capital, and the criticisms of the world have long been trampled under my feet."
The atmosphere in the study suddenly plummeted to freezing. Sweat poured down Lin Sizhou's forehead. He gritted his teeth and insisted:
"Your Highness may not care about the world's criticism, but after enduring humiliation and hardship for so many years, do you still want the world to continue to be ruled by the Xiao family?"
He was emotional, his pale cheeks flushed slightly, and he declared emphatically: "The Empress Dowager is a woman of the Xiao clan. As long as she remains in the palace, the traces of the Xiao clan will never be erased!"
"Your Highness, do you intend to become Emperor Mingzong, leaving behind endless sources of trouble?"
Emperor Mingzong was the founding monarch of the Great Qi Dynasty. He was wise and powerful, conquered the world, and ended the three-hundred-year-long chaos of the six states. His achievements were countless, but the murder of his brothers and the usurpation of his brother's wife became an indelible stain on his life.
It was because Emperor Mingzong, the founding emperor, set a good example for the descendants of the Xiao family that from then on, every emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty had to make some immoral and unreasonable "achievements" in order not to betray the romantic blood flowing in their veins.
As the last rays of the setting sun sank into the horizon, the sword, now devoid of sunlight, grew as cold as frost, reflecting a layer of frost in the depths of the gentleman's dark eyes.
The gentle ripples that stirred in my heart eventually subsided into stillness in the darkness.
Pei Muwei knew that he was not Emperor Wu's biological son.
On the night of his seventh birthday, he was poisoned and fell into a coma. It felt as if his internal organs were being gnawed by thousands of ants. The excruciating pain caused him to fall into a coma, but he could still hear the conversations of the people around him.
The mother's heart-wrenching cries, the emperor's indifferent and heartless rejection.
"Your Majesty, I beg you, save Mu Wei! He is my only family..."
"My beloved concubine's only family is me."
"Mu Wei is not my child. For your sake, I have tolerated him for seven years. For seven years, his existence has been like a fishbone stuck in my throat, making me uneasy at all times. This thorn lies between us, making it impossible for my beloved consort to let go of her hatred for me. If it is fate, my beloved consort, please let go."
"His Majesty!"
At that moment, Pei Muwei truly wished he were dead.
But he survived, continuing to live under the scornful gaze of the palace servants, under the fickle fatherly love of the emperor, and under the ever-present worry on his mother's brow.
The obsession that kept him alive was to completely overthrow this corrupt dynasty. He wanted to use the bloodline that the man despised the most to rebuild a dynasty.
There will never be a dynasty with even the slightest trace of the inferior Xiao family bloodline.
Pei Muwei calmly sheathed his sword, his voice regaining its usual coldness:
“Si Zhou is overthinking things. The Empress Dowager is devoted to Buddhism. I will have the Ministry of Works build a pagoda at the imperial mausoleum in the suburbs of the capital. The Empress Dowager is a woman of the Xiao clan, so she should recite scriptures and pray for her people.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com