That day was my birthday.
Despite the strange looks from the ministers, Qinghe stood up with a smile and said she would perform a dance for me.
As expected, after Qinghe stood up, those upright and incorruptible ministers immediately stood up to oppose her.
The reason is that Qinghe is the daughter of a traitor, and sparing her life is already the greatest act of charity. It is absolutely impossible for her to even think of showing her face on such an important occasion.
In this country, everyone except me wishes Qinghe were dead.
To me, she was nothing more than an insignificant... pastime?
But the little girl looked at me stubbornly. She had a delicate appearance, but at this moment her almond-shaped eyes shone with determination: "His Majesty did not object."
I'm just too lazy to talk.
These kinds of elaborate festivals can easily make people feel tired every time.
I propped my head up with my elbow and looked down.
He must look very lazy right now.
Even so, the Empress's majesty remains, and they will never dare to look me in the eye.
“This…” some ministers hesitated.
At this moment, Qinghe had already walked to the center of the main hall.
Strangely, she was different from usual at this time. Normally, she would always remember her identity as the daughter of a traitor, be cautious and discreet, never seek the limelight, and wish that others would forget her existence.
She was behaving very strangely that day.
She's probably grown up a bit and has her own ideas now. If I do the math, Qinghe should be 16 this year.
It was around the age when I met him.
Thinking of him, I quietly drank a glass of wine.
It's all in the past, I shouldn't think about it.
Feeling a bit unsettled, I shifted my attention to the center of the main hall.
At this moment, Qinghe's dance is already halfway through.
That's when I noticed that this girl was extremely beautiful. Despite her delicate and frail appearance, she didn't seem bland at all.
Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to hold deep affection, looking at everyone with profound tenderness.
Even after the dance ended, Qinghe's gaze never left me.
"Sister..." Qinghe gave me a fawning smile.
"Hurry up and get down!" a minister urged immediately.
The tone was stern, but Qinghe didn't take it to heart at all.
"Sister, I have something to say."
I lowered my elbow, which was supporting my head, and suddenly had a bad feeling.
Before anyone could stop her, Qinghe had already said what she wanted to say.
"Sister, I like you!" Qinghe said firmly, "I like you very much, and even if I don't get a response from you, I will continue to like you."
On my birthday, in front of everyone.
Qinghe spoke her mind.
My expression changed instantly.
Actually, I could vaguely sense Qinghe's feelings. For example, she would spend several nights making little trinkets for me by hand; she would often stand outside my palace waiting for me, sometimes for an entire night; and although her eyes were full of affection, the way she looked at me was different from how she looked at others...
But so what? I won't care about these little things.
She is the daughter of a traitor, and I am the Empress.
If she ever escapes my control, I will kill her without hesitation.
For example, right now...
"Drag it away." My face must have been very pale at that moment.
But I know this is Qinghe's revenge on me.
This is the only way I can deal with her revenge.
But... what can I do...? I haven't completely forgotten him yet, but what if even the only person who dares to get close to me is gone...?
So... how am I supposed to deal with all that longing through countless days and nights?
Qinghe was taken away.
As she was being led away from the main hall bound, I saw the relieved smiles on the faces of the ministers.
"That damned man can finally die."
They said these hurtful things to Qinghe's face.
But Qinghe seemed unconcerned.
A pair of affectionate almond-shaped eyes kept looking at me.
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips.
However, there were faint tears in the corners of her eyes.
She must have cared. Every time the ministers said she should have died long ago, it reminded her of her relatives who died tragically because of treason.
She had always been cautious, simply because she didn't want to hear those words or feel those longings.
Like me, she has memories she can't escape.
...
While Qinghe was in prison, I never gave the order to execute her.
Rumors of our sworn brotherhood have spread far and wide.
"No wonder the Empress has never executed that traitor's daughter; it's because the Empress has taken a liking to that little girl."
"I heard that the daughter of that traitor has a vixen-like appearance, and her eyes are very alluring."
"The Empress has not taken a fancy to any young man so far. For the past ten years, the harem has been empty, except for that traitor's daughter, who is kept by her side. Isn't the meaning quite clear?"
"But I heard that after the traitor's daughter confessed her feelings to the Empress, she has been imprisoned ever since?"
"But all this time, the Empress hasn't issued an order to execute that girl? That little girl should have died long ago..."
My eyes and ears are everywhere in this country.
These rumors could not escape my ears.
Looking at the memorials that had been submitted.
I set it aside, took out a scroll of imperial edicts, and wrote on it...
"Qinghe, the daughter of the traitor, was originally intended to be spared by me because of her young age and innocence. However, she has committed treason and disgraced me. She shall be executed on a chosen day."
After drafting the memorial, he looked at the seal beside him.
I had a feeling that once this cover was laid down, it would be a final farewell.
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