The voice was deep and subtle:
"Your Highness, these are things a father should do. Why say such things to the Emperor..."
Emperor Mingde felt waves of heartache and pain. Looking at Li Changxi, who was so haggard and thin that he looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind, he could no longer help but reach out and pull him up.
Her face was filled with worry and shame. When she grasped Li Changxi's fingers, which were nothing but skin and bones, her heartache was palpable.
"Li Guijun, why are you doing this? I have not intended to blame you!"
Li Changxi lowered his eyes, feigning shyness. When Ye Xiaowei looked up, she subtly curled her lips, but the movement was so quick that it was as if she had returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
"Mother, Father treats me even better than his own children. If Mother wants to blame Father, I... I am willing to accept any punishment on Father's behalf!"
Having said that, she prostrated herself on the ground, her eyes fixed on the floor before her, her hands resting on the floor, awaiting Emperor Mingde's judgment. Emperor Mingde quickly bent down and reached out to help Ye Xiaowei up:
"You two, father and daughter, are so considerate of each other, vying to have me punish you. Do you want me to be the villain?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiaowei was surprised and flustered. She tried to kneel down again, but this time, Emperor Mingde did not make her kneel down. Instead, he simply grabbed her tightly.
Emperor Mingde sighed:
"Alright, alright, what does this have to do with you two?"
After speaking, her cold gaze swept directly at Wang Zhong, who was still kneeling on the ground, trembling like a leaf. Her kingly aura was emanating without reservation, and her imposing presence made the already frightened Wang Zhong even more terrified.
He shouted sternly, "Wang Zhong! Who on earth gave you such audacity to frame the Crown Princess!"
Wang Zhong trembled, prostrating himself on the ground: "Your humble servant... Your humble servant..."
Anyway, he's going to die today. If he confesses now, not only will he die, but his children will also die, or even suffer a fate worse than death!
He gritted his teeth and said resolutely:
"It was all due to my momentary lapse of judgment that I made such a grave mistake. All the blame lies with me and has nothing to do with anyone else. I will accept whatever punishment Your Majesty deems appropriate!"
☆、017 Thinking Strategies
"Guards, take Wang Zhong, this treacherous minister who dared to frame the Crown Princess, to prison. He will be beheaded at the Meridian Gate in three days!"
Immediately, imperial guards in armor rushed in, one on each side, and carried Wang Zhong out. As Wang Zhong was being helped to his feet, he glanced at Li Changxi. Li Changxi remained calm, his dark eyes expressionless, showing no sign of panic or fear.
Ye Xiaowei sighed inwardly, "Old ginger is spicier. Li Changxi is indeed Li Changxi. His calm and steady demeanor in the face of change is truly worth learning from!"
However, in a short period of time, he lost his right and left arms in succession and eliminated the spies he had planted by her side. Although Ye Xiaowei did not show up, she even pleaded with Emperor Mingde on his behalf.
However, an old fox like Li Changxi would not be so superficial as to judge by appearances alone.
Xia Yu died, Chunlu was punished and sent to another place to work as a maid, and some other spies were also transferred away from Ye Xiaowei's side under various pretexts.
Li Changxi, who had initially paid no attention, could no longer pretend that nothing had happened; he had underestimated Ye Xiaowei.
However, Ye Xiaowei has no power or influence at the moment. She is just a greenhorn with no strength. Since she is going too far, he will not hesitate to show no mercy and nip her in the bud to avoid any complications.
After dealing with Wang Zhong, Emperor Mingde reprimanded the imperial physicians before dismissing them. He then instructed Ye Xiaowei to rest well, not to be willful or playful, and to make sure she recovered her health first.
After giving a few words of advice, he scolded Li Changxi for not taking care of his health and insisted on taking him back to Xigui Palace.
As Ye Xiaowei respectfully saw off Emperor Mingde and the others, she looked up and, whether she was overthinking it or just seeing things, she seemed to sense an intense killing intent emanating from Li Changxi's eyes.
But when she looked closely, she saw Li Changxi's gentle smile and eyes!
While a glance can conceal something, the murderous intent emanating from her was not so easily dispelled; Li Changxi actually intended to kill her.
Because he eliminated his spies in her palace, has he finally become intolerant of her? Unfortunately, the outcome remains to be seen!
However, this also led Ye Xiaowei to make a decision: to build her own power base in preparation for any eventuality!
But look at her current backup forces: a few maids, a few old women, a few eunuchs, and that devilish Luo Zijin and that pretty boy Yin Jinmo, plus herself, it seems that she has no fighting power at all!
Moreover, because she was fed poison by Li Changxi in the past, although she has now discovered that she has not taken it, her body is indeed very weak. Let alone dealing with a big, burly person or someone with high martial arts skills, I'm afraid that in the current situation, she can't even deal with an ordinary little girl.
To strengthen one's own power, one must first train oneself and become strong.
With Emperor Mingde just back and the removal of his henchmen planted around her, Li Changxi wouldn't dare to make too many moves for the time being. He would simply remain still and secretly observe her movements.
On the surface, she was still the filial daughter, and he was still the good father who treated her as his own daughter!
One advantage of being reborn is that you retain the memories of your past life, which makes things much easier!
Every now and then, Emperor Mingde would go to Tiantai to worship the rain god and pray for rain. Every autumn, Emperor Mingde would personally lead the court officials to perform this rain-seeking ceremony.
It is not yet autumn, so preparations for praying for rain are still underway.
Rather than waiting for someone to use tricks to frame you, it's better to strike first!
Beside the azure lake, on a large rock about two people wide and half a meter high, Ye Xiaowei lay lazily, her right hand supporting her head. Her eyes seemed to be watching the fish playing in the lake, but her gaze was unfocused, as if looking in nowhere.
Her long, jet-black hair, unadorned, cascaded down her body like a waterfall, its silky smoothness creating a unique and graceful effect.
To outsiders, Ye Xiaowei appears to be doing nothing, lounging by the lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery and living a leisurely life.
Of course, while she appeared to be admiring the beautiful scenery, she was actually thinking about how to build her own power.
The emerald green weeping willows sway gently in the wind, their branches drooping. Sunlight filters through the branches, casting dappled patterns that accentuate their stunning beauty and mysterious allure.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past from behind a tree and stood behind Ye Xiaowei. When he saw Ye Xiaowei deep in thought, his thin lips curled up, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.
A green foxtail grass was slowly moved closer and closer to Ye Xiaowei's nose. Just as the foxtail grass was about to touch Ye Xiaowei's nose, Ye Xiaowei, who had been silent all along, suddenly grabbed the foxtail grass with lightning speed.
Luo Zijing's already wildly beating heart immediately stopped because of her action. She stared wide-eyed, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound. She thought to herself, "This is it!"
Ye Xiaowei raised her eyes and gave Luo Zijin a half-smile, a smile that made Luo Zijin break out in a cold sweat and her hair stand on end.
His golden eyes darted around, his thick, long eyelashes trembled slightly, he licked his rosy lips, and swallowed hard.
"Uh..." Her golden phoenix eyes immediately curved into a beautiful arc as she smiled ingratiatingly:
"Oh dear, Your Highness, I only meant to tease you, but I didn't expect you to be so perceptive, hehe..."
Ye Xiaowei was still smiling: "Old man?"
Luo Zijing realized she had let something slip and quickly said:
"Haha... wrong, wrong! You're not old at all!"
"Since you're not old, why do you still address me as 'you'? Do you consider me your elder?"
Luo Zijin was so shocked that her jaw almost dislocated, and it took her a long time to recover.
"Is it only elders who can address you as 'you'? I thought... I thought..."
Looking at the flustered and bewildered man in front of her, Ye Xiaowei felt even more pleased.
What do you think?
"Your Majesty, I am of limited talent and learning, and ignorant of the ways of the world. Your Majesty..."
Seeing Luo Zijing's pretty face becoming increasingly contorted with panic, Ye Xiaowei chuckled.
Luo Zijing suddenly realized that she had been tricked. She was immediately annoyed, her phoenix eyes filled with displeasure. She slightly raised her chin and turned her head to the side. Her expression and manner were extremely cute.
Ye Xiaowei took the foxtail grass and put it in her mouth without hesitation, glancing sideways at Luo Zijin, who was puffing up like a toad.
"come over!"
Luo Zijing didn't even look at her, only letting out a soft snort through her nostrils.
Ye Xiaowei wasn't annoyed, and then said another sentence:
"come over!"
☆、018 Asking the Demon for a Kiss
But there was a hint of impatience in that voice, but more than that, there was languor. Luo Zijing was not usually one to cause trouble for no reason, and this time was no exception.
Although he was still unhappy, he didn't dare to really make her angry.
Hesitantly and reluctantly approached Ye Xiaowei and sat down on the rock.
Ye Xiaowei reached out and pulled him, then leaned into his arms, hugging his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest.
Luo Zijing was slightly taken aback, then a strange light flashed in her golden phoenix eyes, and her pink lips couldn't help but turn upwards.
His long, slender, jade-like fingers gently stroked her unbound black hair, brushing aside some of the stray hairs that had been blown into disarray by the wind, revealing her smooth forehead.
Ye Xiaowei found a more comfortable position, leaning against Luo Zijing's legs, shrugging her neck, and lazily spoke:
"I'm tired and would like to rest for a while. Would you like to sit here and keep me company?"
Two rosy blushes rose on Luo Zijing's fair, jade-like cheeks. His thin lips couldn't help but curve upwards again as he gazed at Ye Xiaowei, who was resting with her eyes closed in his arms, with a look of doting affection. He nodded gently.
"good!"
He reached out and embraced Ye Xiaowei, making her more comfortable in his arms. He looked down at the woman lying in his arms, whose breathing soon became even, and suddenly felt something called happiness taking root and sprouting in his heart.
In his bright golden eyes, the light shone even brighter. His thick, long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, drooped slightly and trembled gently, like a butterfly fluttering its wings.
On a rock beside a weeping willow tree by a clear lake, a charming man in a floral dress gazes so tenderly at the woman in his arms. If only the scene could be frozen in time.
I still remember the first time I met Ye Xiaowei. It was a cold winter day, with snow falling heavily from the sky, covering the earth in a layer of white.
She wore a silver-white long robe with cloud and dragon patterns, and around her neck was a snow-white and fluffy mink scarf. Her black hair was as plain as it was today, simply draped over her shoulders.
His dark eyes were calm and still as he gazed silently ahead. He had a high, straight nose, thin lips, slightly chubby cheeks, and translucent skin.
Luo Zijin was stunned. He couldn't believe there was such an extraordinary, exquisitely beautiful child in the world. He was already good-looking enough, but he never expected that there would be such a beauty in the inner palace. His heart was shaken and he couldn't take his eyes off her.
Later, Luo Zijin realized that it was what is known as love at first sight.
Back then, Ye Xiaowei was only six years old, while Luo Zijin was ten! He was personally selected by Emperor Mingde to serve Ye Xiaowei.
However, Ye Xiaowei back then was very quiet and weak, always looking sickly.