Recognizing their kinship was acceptable, but if it meant losing Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe, Elder Tong and the others fell silent. They were caught in an indescribable dilemma. They couldn't stop Luo Zhiheng from returning to her family, nor did they want to push them apart. Therefore, they unanimously decided not to interfere, leaving the final outcome to fate.
Touching her nose, Murong Qianxue smiled awkwardly: "I don't know much about it."
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow. Because she had been resting and hadn't had any conversation, her complexion had improved a lot. She was back to her listless and languid appearance, with a charming yet undeniably domineering air: "Don't you understand? Then you should know that there's a new, noble Empress in the General's Mansion, right? Qianxue, I thought we were friends. You wouldn't hide anything from me."
Luo Zhiheng is very clever. Mu Yunhe seemed relaxed and carefree that day, but Luo Zhiheng could sense his unease and tension. And today, every time Yu'er recounted the dangerous situation that day and mentioned the Empress, Murong Qianxue would immediately interrupt. Now, Murong Qianxue is acting like this again, hesitant to speak. All of this must be related to the Empress.
Luo Zhiheng instinctively felt that she should meet this Empress. After all, wasn't she the current mistress of the General's Mansion?
Murong Qianxue gritted her teeth, her mind racing. She was definitely trying to sow discord among that arrogant and conceited empress. She said, "There is an empress, but I really don't know the specifics. When she came that day, you were already unconscious. However... it is true that she crushed your life-saving medicine."
Luo Zhiheng's eyes flashed, and she smiled. That afternoon, while Mu Yunhe was cultivating in another room, Luo Zhiheng had Qiwan invite Her Majesty the Empress. Her wet nurse was now as frightened as a bird, never leaving her side, and only Qiwan, who was straightforward and only listened to her, could invite someone.
Luo Zhiheng knew she had been somewhat impolite, given the Empress's noble status. But since she couldn't get out of bed, she hadn't held out much hope of seeing the Empress. Yet, miraculously, the Empress actually came.
Luo Zhiheng noticed the wet nurse's tension and fear, and the despair in her eyes as she looked at her. This made her frown. Could it be that the empress was abusing her status and bullying her? Otherwise, why did everyone seem so wary of this empress?
Thinking this, Luo Zhiheng's first impression of the Empress worsened. She leaned lazily against the large cushions. The bed curtains were drawn, and there was a medicinal fragrance in the room. There were no footsteps. Suddenly, the woman appeared outside the bed curtains. The tall woman, dressed in gorgeous gold, stared straight at the bed. Her sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the bed curtains.
Luo Zhiheng's throat tightened, and she suddenly felt speechless. She squinted at the person outside and thought to herself: Silver Moon Kingdom is indeed a kingdom of monsters. How could this be the King's mother? People would believe she was the King's sister.
After a brief silence and a stare at each other, the Empress finally spoke, her voice brimming with anticipation and excitement: "Is your mother Qin Yinheng?"
Second update! Aww, that's all for today's update! Please vote, leave comments, and give monthly tickets! Group chat kisses!
420 Identity Verification! (Up)
Updated: 2013-11-04 18:22:01 Word Count: 3294
Her Majesty the Queen spoke first, getting straight to the point, and her urgency was palpable beneath her calm demeanor.
Luo Zhiheng had imagined what it would be like to meet this only empress in the world. She was curious about the empress, and they might have an unpleasant encounter, after all, this empress had tried to kill her before. She just didn't expect that the first thing the empress asked her was about her mother.
"What do you mean?" Luo Zhiheng was not impolite after all; her tone was calm and composed.
The Empress could sense Luo Zhiheng's aura; it was calm and composed. Luo Zhiheng spoke slowly and deliberately, showing no fear or obsequiousness towards her because of her status. This composed and dignified attitude gave the Empress a very good first impression. She couldn't help but soften her tone slightly: "If your mother's name is Qin Yinheng, then she does have some connection to me."
Luo Zhiheng's eyes darted around, a hint of doubt rising in her heart. She really had never heard of the name Qin Yinheng before, and she didn't even know what Luo Zhiheng's mother's name was. But why did the name Qin Yinheng sound so familiar?
Wait, what was the King's name again?!
Qin Yinshi! Qin Yin...
What does this mean? Is her mother's name Qin Yinheng? It's so similar to the name of the Prince, and she might have some kind of relationship with the Empress. Could it be that Luo Zhiheng's mother was...?
Luo Zhiheng's clever mind raced for a moment. Suppressing her shock, she chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but my mother died in childbirth after giving birth to my sister and me. For many years, my father has been fighting wars away from home, and although my brother is older, he is not often by our side. I don't know what my mother's name is. No one has ever told me."
Her Majesty the Empress's face turned somewhat pale, her eyes reddened, and her emotions clearly fluctuated.
She knew that her poor child had died in childbirth. Although the information she had gathered was not yet complete, she already knew some things, which made her dislike Luo Ningshuang even more. She just hadn't expected these children to suffer such a tragic fate, not even knowing their mother's name.
"Aheng..." The Empress subconsciously wanted to call him more affectionately. She couldn't bring herself to call him Heng'er because Qin Yinheng's childhood name was also Heng'er, and the homonym was even more hurtful.
Luo Zhiheng smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you can call me Miss Luo or Princess Mu, it's fine. Aheng is my husband's pet name. My husband is a bit too fond of and obsessed with certain things. Once he says something belongs only to him, he won't let anyone else touch it. If he hears you calling me that, he will definitely be unhappy."
"You care a lot about Mu Yunhe?" The Empress's expression changed, and she asked subtly.
Luo Zhiheng nodded, then, remembering the bed curtains separating them, she smiled gently and said, "Yes, there aren't many people I care about in this life, but Mu Yunhe is the most important. So naturally, I will protect what he loves." She suddenly raised her eyes, looking at the Empress outside through the veil, and said meaningfully, "I'm someone who would risk my life for Mu Yunhe, so anyone who dares to harm Mu Yunhe is my enemy, and I will fight them to the death!"
The Empress's pupils contracted slightly, and she couldn't help but step forward, her voice becoming somewhat unsettled: "I did not harm him."
"Yes, you didn't actually hurt him, you just tried to kill him. Actually, I should be glad you didn't really kill him, otherwise someone as afraid of death as me would still want to fight you to the death. Even knowing I couldn't kill you, I would still willingly go and die. If you had really killed Mu Yunhe that day, it would have been better if you had killed me too. People always have troubles when they're alive, but when you're dead, there are no more troubles." Luo Zhiheng leaned slightly out, her words casual and soft. She even laughed softly, but the dissatisfaction and jealousy in her words were hard to ignore.
No one had ever dared to speak to the Empress like that! The words, though filled with harsh and ruthless hatred, were spoken so gently and kindly, wrapped in a layer of disguise. They seemed soft, yet they were so sharp that they tore the Empress's heart apart.
This girl was standing up for Mu Yunhe, expressing her feelings to her. Luo Zhiheng resented her for almost killing Mu Yunhe!
The Empress was naturally very uncomfortable. They hadn't even officially recognized each other yet, and she was already being resented. If this was really her granddaughter, would she ever come back to her side? The resentment and fear she felt were enough to make Luo Zhiheng want to stay far away from her.
Her Majesty the Empress was filled with remorse. Had she known this would happen, she shouldn't have been so ruthless towards Mu Yunhe. But Mu Yunhe was also despicable; knowing Luo Zhiheng's possible identity, he still dared to gossip about her in front of her! Wasn't this just sowing discord?
"You're quite devoted to him, no wonder he's so good to you. Your relationship is truly wonderful," the Empress said dryly. She couldn't say another bad word about Mu Yunhe.
Luo Zhiheng nodded seriously and said, "Of course, we have both sworn to each other that we will grow old together in this life, and our marriage will be a pure marriage."
The Empress felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes dimmed for a moment.
Is this girl telling her that she won't have any other men? Did Mu Yunhe also tell her about her plan to have Luo Zhiheng take a concubine in the future?
"Enough with the useless talk. I am truly sorry that I, the master of the General's Mansion, was unable to greet Her Majesty's arrival. I just wonder what brings Her Majesty to the General's Mansion? Is she here to see the Prince? But the Prince is no longer here. If Her Majesty is looking for someone, she should return to your Silver Moon Kingdom," Luo Zhiheng said innocently.
The Empress's face was extremely pale, alternating between red and white, despair and collapse. Was the maid trying to send her away?!
The Empress said urgently, "My presence here has nothing to do with the Prince. Luo Zhiheng, do you have the gold dowry left by your mother? Was that dowry specifically left to you by your mother? Is the place where the gold dowry is hidden only accessible to you? May I take a look?"
Luo Zhiheng narrowed her eyes and said casually, "Oh, that? That's right. It was left to me by my mother, but I won't keep it all to myself. My mother has three children, not just me. I'll divide it equally between my brother and Luo Ningshuang. As for the dowry, how did Your Majesty know about it? And why did you want to see it? Of course, I know Your Majesty is incredibly wealthy, so you wouldn't be interested in my meager dowry. I'm just very curious about Your Majesty's intentions."
The Empress, however, retorted with a righteous indignation, "Since those dowries were left to you by your mother, they are yours. How can they be divided among others? You are the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, and it is only right that you inherit everything from your mother. They have no right to do so. As for how I did it, once you have shown me those dowries, I will naturally tell you."
"I'm sorry, those are things my mother left behind before she passed away. I can't just show them to strangers. Even my beloved Mu Yunhe didn't have the chance to see them, you..." Luo Zhiheng smiled slowly, but a hint of coldness rose in her voice at the end.
Helpless, the Empress could only say, "Let your wet nurse speak." Luo Zhiheng's attitude towards her was extremely unfriendly and wary.
The wet nurse came to the bedside and knelt down in front of Luo Zhiheng. Luo Zhiheng did not say anything to stop her, but instead looked at the wet nurse coldly.
The fact that her mother had left behind a gold dowry was known only to her wet nurse. Now that others knew, it must be related to the wet nurse. Luo Zhiheng was filled with unease, unsure if her wet nurse had betrayed her.
"Young master, do you remember what I said to you when I took you to see those golden dowry items that day?" the wet nurse asked softly.
"Which ones are you referring to?" Luo Zhiheng's voice was a little cold.
"When you asked me where this dowry came from, and what my maternal grandparents' family was like, how they could have so much wealth to give their daughter as a dowry, I didn't tell you the truth. At that time, I thought that as long as you lived a peaceful and quiet life, that was better than anything else. I didn't want you to know those terrible things and to live in fear with me, so I didn't tell you."
“But today I have to tell you, I never imagined that I would be so afraid that you would suffer a terrible fate if you knew the truth. Today I have to tell you the truth to save your life.” After the wet nurse finished speaking, she kowtowed to the Empress and pleaded, “Before I speak, I would like to ask Your Majesty a question: Do you feel even a little bit of remorse for what happened back then?”
The Empress's expression changed drastically, her eyes glaring fiercely at the wet nurse, but she ultimately didn't utter a sound of rebuke. No one dared to question her like this, yet such a question made her feel alive. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. Years of hiding, years of forgetting, but only a small part of the iceberg had been brought to the fore, and everything became crystal clear. It turned out she couldn't forget.
Nodding, the Empress said with a self-deprecating smile, "It's more than just a little guilt! I am filled with remorse!"
The wet nurse's eyes immediately reddened, and she kowtowed heavily, her voice trembling as she said, "In that case, the Empress can rest in peace if she knows. The master will also be happy."
"Young master, your mother is the legitimate princess of the Silver Moon Kingdom, the legitimate daughter of Her Majesty the Empress and the Queen. However, she was forced to leave the Silver Moon Kingdom back then and has been living in anonymity ever since. Your maternal grandfather actually passed away the year he fled. The Empress standing before you is your maternal grandmother. Of course, this is just the common way of addressing her. According to the custom of our Silver Moon Kingdom, the person standing before you is your imperial grandmother, and the deceased Empress is your imperial grandfather. Those golden dowries are only worthy of the direct line of the Silver Moon Kingdom's royal family; even the King is not worthy of them."
421 Identity Verification! (Next)
Updated: 2013-11-04 20:15:55 Word Count: 4328
"My young master was wondering why the dowry was left to the eldest daughter. This is the reason. According to the customs of Silver Moon Kingdom, only the eldest daughter can inherit everything from her mother. So, my young master, you are actually the eldest granddaughter of Silver Moon Kingdom, and the granddaughter of Her Majesty the Empress!" The wet nurse deliberately made this relationship clear so that Her Majesty the Empress would value Luo Zhiheng more.
The wet nurse's words were long and drawn out, filled with sighs and sorrow, as if they came from ancient times. Luo Zhiheng listened quietly, her initial shock giving way to calm.
No matter how noble, unexpected, or extraordinary Luo Zhiheng's status was, it belonged to the previous Luo Zhiheng, to someone else. Although she occupied this body and helplessly accepted its good and bad, those were things that inherently belonged to this body, and she couldn't resist them. However, wealth and status were things she could resist. 17857282
She was a chivalrous thief, a bandit with a conscience. She was probably the most ethical bandit among them. Although she made a living by robbery, she only robbed the corrupt and wicked. She was greedy, but she acquired wealth ethically. What was hers, she took; what didn't belong to her, she didn't covet.
So even though another unusual identity emerged, it didn't make Luo Zhiheng overjoyed.
Her calmness emanated from within, so much so that even Her Majesty the Empress outside couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Anyone with a brain understands what the title of Crown Princess of the Silver Moon Kingdom represents. It represents unparalleled status and power, immense wealth, countless benefits, and the secret to immortality! The Crown Princess is essentially a candidate for Crown Prince.
A place so coveted that countless people would scramble to get in, yet Luo Zhiheng remained as calm as the Crown Princess of the Silver Moon Kingdom, like a rotten cucumber...
This must have been incredibly embarrassing for Her Majesty the Empress, who was so proud and looking forward to seeing Luo Zhiheng's excited expression.
"Young master, did you hear what I said? Do you understand what I mean?" The wet nurse was nervous and uneasy at the moment, afraid that the empress would be angry with Luo Zhiheng because of what happened back then. So she asked the empress if she felt guilty. The answer she got made the wet nurse go all out and reveal Luo Zhiheng's identity. As long as there was guilt, plus so many years of accumulation, there would probably be no more doubts and hatred.
But the little master's reaction was very strange.
"You basically understand now, right?" Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and smiled. "But what does that have to do with me? I've never met my mother. To put it bluntly, if you ask me what kind of feelings I have for my mother, I can only honestly answer that I have no feelings for her."
The Empress's face turned cold, and the wet nurse froze. The atmosphere instantly shifted from passionate and emotional to utterly ruthless.
Luo Zhiheng said to herself, "I have never met my mother. In the past eighteen years, she has only given me the kindness of giving birth, but not the kindness of raising me. I am very grateful to her for bringing me into this world, but people need to spend time together to develop feelings. Without vinegar, how can there be feelings? Even family ties can change and break down if they are carelessly trampled and hurt unintentionally."
"Once interests and personal gain are involved, kinship can easily become a weapon that hurts and can take lives. If kinship is like this, how many relatives can be truly reliable? Even those who are together day and night can betray each other in the blink of an eye; they can be incredibly fickle. I haven't spent a single day with my unfortunate mother, so what kind of affection do I have for her?"
“Now you tell me what my mother’s past was like, what her illustrious status was, but what good is that? What does it represent? It all belongs to my mother. But my mother is dead, she’s gone. What use are posthumous honors and riches? You didn’t tell me when she was alive, and you didn’t come looking for her even when she was the Empress. Now that she’s been dead for so many years, you’re telling me, and the Empress has appeared. What do you want?”
Luo Zhiheng's tone was mechanically calm, her voice icy as she asked, "Your Majesty, are you now trying to acknowledge me? Or is it because I'm a daughter whose status has risen with my mother's? After so many years since my mother's death, suddenly I'm discovered, and a noble maternal family comes to acknowledge me. Do you think I should be overjoyed to recognize you and be loving towards you? Do you think that's possible? Family ties don't necessarily mean true kinship. You've been able to ignore and disregard your own daughter for so many years, to the point that you didn't even know she was dead. How much love can you possibly have for me, your granddaughter?"
"Don't tell me how much guilt and longing you feel for your mother, and then double the kindness you showed her to me. I really have no shame in making money off the dead."
The Empress's expression shifted rapidly, then she suddenly reprimanded, "Luo Zhiheng! Don't you think you've gone too far? I can understand that you have no feelings for your mother. After all, you don't remember her; she's a stranger to you. Even if Heng'er were to acknowledge me now, I'm afraid he would say the same thing. I admire your indifference to fame, fortune, and status. But how could you say something like profiting from the dead? Your mother is dead, and I want to treat you even better, but this is what you deserve. If you are a child of my Silver Moon Kingdom, then you deserve the best."
Luo Zhiheng suddenly sneered: "You haven't even given your own daughter the best, so how can you say you'll give me the best? Your Majesty, it seems you didn't understand what I meant. What I meant was that kinship doesn't necessarily remain kinship over time. If you truly loved your daughter, why would you have let her live among the common people? I, Luo Zhiheng, may have no power or wealth, but I have a stubborn streak. You may look down on me, but I will not accept your so-called kindness. Although I have no feelings for my deceased mother, I truly cannot do something like using a dead person to rise to power."
"Why do you resist acknowledging me? It's only right that you received everything from your mother. You don't want me to treat you well? Tell me why!" The Empress was also clever. She had witnessed Luo Zhiheng's backbone and liked it very much. It also proved how good this child was. Once it was confirmed that this child was Qin Yinheng's daughter, she would definitely take Luo Zhiheng back to Silver Moon Kingdom without any room for discussion!
Silver Moon Kingdom needs a ruler with such magnanimity, wisdom, and pure blood to govern! Previously, Empress Xian was the heir, which was understandable, as only Qin Yinheng was her legitimate son. However, years ago, she believed Qin Yinheng was dead, and later made Empress Xian, the daughter of the Imperial Concubine, the Crown Princess. But Empress Xian… was hardly an ideal candidate for ruler. She was still worrying about the future of Silver Moon Kingdom when Luo Zhiheng appeared.
This child is the best gift God has given her! While she is still healthy, she can raise Luo Zhiheng into an exceptionally outstanding heir, so that she can rest in peace after her death. (The marriage proposal is a common saying.)
Luo Zhiheng rolled her eyes. She was so clever; her little head quickly processed several possibilities after the Empress's reunion with her relatives. For example, being taken back to the Silver Moon Kingdom for a short trip, like a relaxing vacation, wouldn't be so bad. But the real fear was never coming back. Once you're on someone else's territory, what can you do if they won't let you out? Then there was Emperor Xian, a complete idiot, selfish, ruthless, and unscrupulous in achieving his goals. How could such a person be fit to be a ruler?
Moreover, the Emperor's bloodline isn't pure. Lady Huoyun had told her that while the Silver Moon Kingdom seemed mysterious, it was actually a mess inside. The royal family was full of scheming individuals, but few possessed real talent. Luo Zhiheng had also met some of the Silver Moon Kingdom's princes—tsk tsk, each one more dashing than the last, and each more brainless than the last. What if she were to be recognized as related to the Empress and then conscripted to be groomed as some kind of heir? After all, Luo Zhiheng's mother's status was undeniable; hadn't her wet nurse constantly emphasized that it was direct blood, the legitimate heir?
Luo Zhiheng didn't want to be narcissistic, but the situation forced her to consider things more carefully. Besides, Her Majesty the Empress was a very shrewd and ruthless person, whom she didn't like.
But she couldn't say any of this, so she just smiled and said, "It's too early to talk about anything else. I'm not necessarily Qin Yinheng's daughter, and those dowries may not have come from Yinyue Kingdom."
"Young master, how can you say that? Your mother really is Qin Yinheng!" The wet nurse was shocked and wanted to grab Luo Zhiheng and knock some sense into her as if she had gone mad.
The Empress suddenly laughed and said, "I understand now. You just don't want to acknowledge me as your mother. You're resisting me because you feel indignant on behalf of your mother, aren't you? You resent me!"