There weren't many people inside the cave, mostly Ji Mingwei's confidants. They were all on high alert, each with one hand on their sword hilt, ready to draw their swords at any moment.
There was no wind inside the cave, and it was even warm with a faint fragrance, but the atmosphere was much more tense than outside where the wind was raging.
Ye Qingxue didn't waste any more words with Ji Mingwei and said directly, "Bring Xiaobao to me and let me see him, otherwise your aunt, cousin, and other relatives will have no way to survive!"
Hearing her cold tone, Ji Mingwei sneered, "Now that your own son is in my hands, why are you speaking to me in such a commanding tone? You can't possibly not know why I invited you into the cave, can you?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wan forgot to shed tears, staring blankly at them, murmuring, "Weiwei..."
Ji Mingwei's smile vanished, and she said coldly, "Aunt, I am now Princess Xuan! Today, the Crown Princess and I must each die; it will be either her or me!"
“You are certainly very important to me, and I will always remember my aunt’s kindness in raising me over the years. But, aunt, you must understand me. I must protect my husband and two children!”
In order not to discourage her subordinates, she could only bring her aunt and the others into the cave, leaving only her trusted confidants there. In this way, her subordinates would not see her ruthless side and her betrayal of the years of kindness she had shown them.
She will become the empress of the world in the future, and she will not be criticized by the world.
Madam Wan's face drained of color instantly, and her body trembled. After a long while, she was finally able to speak: "But, but your younger cousins are still young. You've watched them grow up. How can you bear to do this?"
Ji Mingwei's expression hardened: "They are children of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, descendants of the Ye family! Their relationship with Ye Qingxue is even closer than my relationship with her. Why don't you ask Ye Qingxue for help, Aunt?"
Madam Wan and her two children subconsciously looked at Ye Qingxue.
Ji Mingwei said resolutely, "Ye Qingxue, you should understand that whether it's for the greater good or for my husband and children, even if you only kidnapped my aunt and the others, or even if you kidnapped my parents and sisters, I will not be threatened by you!"
Madam Wan was struck dumb, and she took a step back, almost collapsing to the ground.
Ji Mingwei wouldn't care about their lives, while their lives were entirely in Ye Qingxue's hands.
Ji Mingwei took a step closer to Ye Qingxue, her killing intent instantly spreading out: "Ye Qingxue, you'd better obediently accept your death, or don't even think about your child surviving! I don't need to give you the sword, right? Just pick one from one of your men!"
Ye Qingxue looked at her with eyes as cold as glaciers, as if she wanted to freeze Ji Mingwei in front of her.
Ji Mingwei showed no fear whatsoever, and even smiled: "Your child is an idiot, completely lacking in intelligence. Even when he grows up to be an adult, he will never think of revenge. So, as long as you and Yun Zhuo die, I can consider sparing his life."
Ji Mingwei flicked her long sleeves and said in a deep voice, "Ye Qingxue, go to your death!"
A breeze seemed to blow in from the cracks in the cave, causing the candlelight to flicker. Dong Bai's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes filled with resentment. He didn't know what to say and could only look at Ye Qingxue.
What should we do? The young prince is in Ji Mingwei's hands, and her Crown Princess cares so much about him. What should we do?
Madam Wan, with her two children, knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Your Highness, this is a matter between you and Princess Xuan. Don't drag us into it! We are innocent! Our third branch of the family has never been involved in any of the things that happened in the Marquis's mansion in the past. We have no hatred between us."
Each "ah" was uttered with a sobbing tone, sounding pitiful and aggrieved.
“It’s not our fault that your children fell into Princess Xuan’s hands. No matter how noble your status is, I am still your third aunt, and my two children are still your younger brother and sister. You can’t take us hostage!”
"If you really want the little prince to live, then obediently listen to Princess Xuan's words and die on your own... You just heard it, Princess Xuan will not let the little prince go for our sake. We are not that important."
Ignoring the sword pressed against her neck, Madam Wan was desperate for her children. She kowtowed repeatedly to the ground, pleading, "Your Highness, I'm begging you, please!"
The two children cried too, their bodies trembling, looking so pitiful.
However, Ji Mingwei remained unmoved. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Ye Qingxue, as if to say, "If Ye Qingxue doesn't die, she will become a scourge to the world."
Ye Qingxue stared at her for a long, long time before finally speaking: "I'll die if you want, just let me see Xiaobao one last time. As long as I see him and know he's alive, I'll die!"
Ji Mingwei said, "Do you really think that your child being in my hands is just a lie? Haven't the people from your Crown Prince's residence investigated and found out that your child is truly in my hands?"
Ye Qingxue said, "No, I don't think it's a scam. I just want to see my child one last time before I die, as a mother."
Ji Mingwei simply looked at her calmly without saying a word, but her expression was very condescending, a silent rejection.
Ye Qingxue said, "I finally made it to Suolongwu. If I can't even see my own child one last time, wouldn't that be too regrettable? How can you expect me to die willingly?"
Ji Mingwei remained unmoved. She said, "It does sound regrettable, but there's nothing I can do. Your child has fallen into my hands. If you want him to live, you'll have no choice but to obey me."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
