He pursed his thin lips slightly and sighed, "Let's eat first."
I picked up the bowl and stuffed a mouthful of rice into it. "I've eaten. Now, tell me."
He looked at me for a while, then waved for Xiaoman to leave, looking rather helpless.
How much do you know about Xiao Lianjue?
"Not much. I've never understood why Xiao Lianjue is still the Crown Prince even though Xiao Zongjiu has been on the throne for several years. According to the rules, if they like him, they should be granted the title of Prince. However, the mother and son who ascended the throne should see Xiao Lianjue as a thorn in their side and wish they could tear him apart. Yet they let him occupy the Eastern Palace without saying a word. It's too strange. More importantly, this is not in accordance with the rules at all!"
"...It's against the rules, so it's a long story."
Chapter 129
Do you know who Emperor Gaozu of Xiling was?
"I know, the richest and most powerful brothel in Xiling Kingdom!"
"puff--"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a mist of water drifted past him. The culprit, knowing he couldn't dirty the table of food, turned his head and sprayed water.
"I didn't say anything wrong. Even the cooks at Xihongyuan know this."
He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, probably because he choked, and coughed a few times before calming down.
"This... cough, was it your third brother who said this again?"
"That's roughly the idea, that's my own summary."
He nodded, looking like he didn't know what to say to me.
“Alright, then continue. Emperor Gaozu was known for his fondness for women, but that doesn’t negate all the shrewdness and methods a ruler should have. Unfortunately, his excessive indulgence ultimately led to his early death.” He curled his lips as he said this, “Of course, that’s just what people say. In reality, someone was forcing him to abdicate and seize the throne.”
Not entirely unexpected, but it was still rather cruel.
"Xiao Lianjue is indeed capable of doing what he says."
He smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't him."
I exclaimed, "Who else could it be?"
"It's not surprising that you would think it was him, but in fact, he was the least necessary person to do so. Although Emperor Gaozu was a womanizer, he treated his first wife, Empress Zhou, very well, and he openly favored Xiao Lianjue. It's clear that he couldn't escape the throne no matter what. In the tenth year of Ruifeng, the emperor fell seriously ill. The illness came on like a landslide and he recovered slowly. During the few months he recuperated, he handed over almost half of the country to Xiao Lianjue. Anyway, the country was going to be handed over to Xiao Lianjue. It was just a matter of time. So all of this seemed to be a matter of course. But the more a matter of course it seemed, the more anxious some people became."
The first beneficiary of the emperor's death would undoubtedly be Xiao Lianjue, as for the second...
"Xiao Zongjiu?!"
"Not entirely, half of it was forced upon us."
"What do you mean?" I frowned, then thought for a moment, "Could it be that Consort Li is the current Empress Dowager, she..."
He nodded and pondered for a moment, "It can't be said that she was too ambitious, but once she sat in that position, she became powerless to control many things. Later, Emperor Gaozu couldn't stand Consort Li's methods and had the idea of deposing her. If she didn't take action, she would be doomed. Not only would she not be able to turn things around, but her son would definitely be the first one Xiao Lianjue would target."
"What method did she use to force Xiao Lian to never leave the East Palace?"
"Have you ever wondered why the Hundred Days Cult disappeared overnight?"
"...It's definitely related to him."
"Um?"
"He had a concubine who used a sleeve dart engraved with the bronze flower of the Hundred Days Cult. At the time, I just thought it was strange, since it was said that the Hundred Days Cult was all gone."
"You've seen her?" He was somewhat surprised. "Although Xiao Lianjue wasn't as philandering as Emperor Gaozu, he still liked to keep mistresses in his golden house. His most favored mistress was always more known than seen."
Favored? Do I feel that way at all?
"It's not that I really like it, it's just that it's useful enough."
"Mmm," I replied, and casually picked up a piece of radish for me.
I frowned and held the bowl far away. Even though you know I've never liked radishes since I was a child, you still put them on my plate.
He placed his hand on the table, tilted his head slightly, and his eyebrows twitched slightly. Seeing that I had no intention of compromising, he sighed softly, shook his head, and put his hand down.
They didn't persist?
"The current Yeting Prefecture is nothing more than the second Hundred Days Sect. It's pitiful that Bai Wuyan is so focused on using the Heart-Shattering Palm to make the sect famous and renowned in the martial arts world. He has devoted all his energy to studying martial arts. How can he have the energy to handle sect affairs?"
"And so, with Xiao Lianjue's sweet talk, the Hundred Days' Teachings became his possession?"
“That’s right. Not only did he gain power, but he also kidnapped Bai Wuyan’s daughter.” He gave a cryptic smile. “Originally, Bai Wuyan shouldn’t have known about this under Xiao Lianjue’s meticulous arrangements. But things in this world can never be kept secret forever, especially with so many eyes watching Xiao Lianjue’s every move. You should be able to guess who the informant was.”
I nodded, eating and listening at the same time. It was rare for him to be so patient and talk to me about these things today.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; after the oriole, there's a hunter... They've all thought too far ahead, completely forgetting the emperor's existence. Emperor Gaozu intended to leave the throne to Xiao Lianjue, but he absolutely wouldn't allow him to have any thoughts of forcing the emperor to abdicate. Once this happened, how could Emperor Gaozu tolerate him? He immediately issued an imperial edict, saying that Xiao Lianjue was inherently violent, autocratic, and forming cliques, and sent him back to the Eastern Palace for confinement to reflect on his thoughts. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the edict did not include a time limit. Perhaps Emperor Gaozu was confident of his long life and thought that he could use this blow to temper Xiao Lianjue's arrogance, and that he would eventually issue another edict to release him in his lifetime after his anger subsided. But in the end, he couldn't overcome the word 'variable'."
"In that case, Consort Li and Xiao Zongjiu will definitely have an opportunity... There must be quite a few factions supporting them. First, force her husband and her own father to their deaths, and then take advantage of that flawed imperial edict. Wouldn't the throne be within their grasp?"
"I survived only by walking through seas of fire and wiping the edge of blades; otherwise, one wrong step would have meant utter destruction."
"Hmm... there's another question. Shouldn't Xiao Lian be the one most wary of Consort Li? How did she get the opportunity to investigate the Hundred Days Cult?"
"This..." He smiled again, his phoenix eyes narrowing into crescent shapes, making my heart skip a beat. "It's all his fault for being so arrogant. Why should women in the deep palace be unable to associate with people in the martial arts world? Don't you think so?"
"This move is too risky. Keeping Xiao Lianjue in the Eastern Palace is just like giving him wings."
"They think that with power in their hands, one day I will be able to completely eliminate you. They are too confident and underestimate the power that Xiao Lianjue has built up since childhood."
I ate a couple of bites of rice, and then I felt depressed.
"What business is it of us fishermen if the clams fight?"
"You'll have to ask your older brother about that. Besides, if I didn't want to take this benefit, I wouldn't be holding Han Xuanmo hostage."
"Yunzhi, tell me the truth, is there something about our family that I don't know about?"
I remember Li Mu saying that the entire Rong family had wronged Nangong Ling. At the time, I thought it was just Li Mu bluffing, but as more and more mysteries surrounding my elder brother emerged, that statement had more than one meaning.
He looked at me with a mysterious gaze, and after a long while, he reached out his slender, delicate hand and picked up a bowl of radish soup from the table, placing it in front of me.
"If you don't want to tell me, then don't. I'll always find out."
"If I could have known, I would have known long ago."
You just love to scheme against me!
I got angry and shoved him, but he just grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap.
"You can't even eat in peace, you should be punished." As she spoke, her cool, smooth hand touched the back of my neck and pinched it. "Now that you have a baby, don't be picky about food. Once you get through these few months, I'll do whatever you want."
Having grown accustomed to his cold and aloof demeanor, this sudden change in attitude was all the more chilling.
"...Then take a sip."
"Finish your drink, and I'll tell you slowly after you've finished."
His tone was light, yet it carried a hint of hidden obscurity.
I took a sip of the soup from the bowl, and my brows immediately furrowed as soon as I tasted it. The taste was really... I forced myself to drink a few more mouthfuls, but I couldn't stand it anymore, so I focused my mind on thinking about what had happened in my family over the years. One reason was to distract myself from the taste in my mouth, and the other was to carefully search for any clues that I might have missed.
Chapter 130
Originally, I hid it too well. I wished the whole world knew how much I hated Nangong Ling. Especially after I found out he wanted to kill me, I felt a lump in my throat. But it's okay, I can go with the flow. The important thing is to deceive my older brother, which is the ultimate goal.
"Please don't let it be Nangong Ling."
"A marriage contract is one thing, but true feelings are another."
"Don't underestimate yourself; it's not worth it for a mere pawn."
"Anyone is fine, but you are the only one I must not betray."
My older brother's words kept echoing in my mind, and his usually serious face would occasionally smile when he saw me. These things were as clear as if they happened yesterday.
"All you know is only part of what they are willing to tell you. The events surrounding your older brother in the ten years before you were born are a complete blank to you."
"...Since you kept it so well secret, how did you know?"
“The turn of events last March, even without a sword, his every word was enough to break me.” A cool hand stroked my neck, and lingering fear remained in his deep, dark eyes. “Even if we had bowed to heaven and earth and performed the wedding ceremony, you might have turned away and never looked back. These things cannot bind you. After all, that sword strike back then made you escape from me for so long… And hearing your elder brother’s words, my heart trembled, yet I still had to listen with a smile. Taking his sword was not even a fraction of the pain in my heart…”
"Stop talking, do you think I'm feeling any better?"
He smiled and said, "Alright, then I won't say anything more."
What? He's been talking for so long and hasn't even gotten to the point yet. Before I could even catch my breath, he had already put me down and turned to let Xiaoman come in and tidy up.
"Wait a minute!" I grabbed his sleeve.
"I still have some things to do, I'll talk to you when I get back tonight."
I frowned, and though reluctant, I let go of her hand.
After he left, I drank some tea and felt a little sleepy, so I asked Xiaoman to prepare a heater for me and then crawled into bed to dream.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already late. The moon hung in the sky, mostly obscured by thick clouds, casting a faint glow.
A faint candlelight shone through the crack in the door. I rolled up in the blanket, sat up, stared at the light for a while, and then slowly woke up.
"Clouds..."
I called out softly, and the door opened shortly afterward.
"Get up when you wake up and come out for dinner."