The document is clear to the world

Chapter 110

Yingge gritted his teeth and remained silent. I stood up and gazed at the vast desert outside the curtain, my heart filled with desolation. "You are not loyal to Hudutai, and Hudutai is only trying to protect his own power. You know that Hudutai is a man of strong character and would disdain using me to blackmail Lu Li. You did this only to lure Lu Li away from the capital, wanting to eliminate this major threat in the desert. In other words, I am Lu Li's weakness, and your only chance of winning against him is to start with me. You were very careful at first, and you almost fooled even me."

I met her gaze and continued, "My father still hasn't given up, has he? Kidnapping the princess and using me... he must have gone to great lengths."

"Princess, are you really going to betray your master?!"

"This time... has Father joined forces with the Mongols again?"

Yingge lowered his head. "Master only wanted to kill the woman who would seize your power. That's why he used the Mongols to capture her. He originally intended to kill her with one blow... but it was also to delay that time. That's why he used you..."

I frowned slightly. "So you're exploiting the Mongols' hatred for the Han Chinese, with your own ulterior motives. If Lu Li fails to break through in time, are you planning to collude with the Mongols to retake the Central Plains?!"

"Yes. We planned everything meticulously. We used this person, we colluded with that person, but in the end we still failed. Didn't we?"

I shook my head. "That's because... what you've thought of, Lu Li can also think of. He already knows everything about you, so naturally he knows what to do."

Something seemed to be blooming in Yingge's eyes. I only saw a burst of firelight. Beneath the firelight, I saw my father's gaze, inch by inch.

The day I put on my wedding dress and stepped out of the house, what was my father thinking? Did he cease to see me as his closest and most trusted daughter, and instead see me merely as the wife of his rival? My father was able to plant spies around Lu Li; he was fully aware of the movements in the capital. He knew everything about me, and about Lu Li.

I don't believe Lu Li was unaware of all this. I believe he knew everything about the kidnapping from the very beginning; they were simply vying for control. My father has spies, and Lu Li has his own; their battle of wits has likely been going on for quite some time. Now, the question is: should we release Brother Ying, or kill him? Should we pretend we knew nothing, or erase this matter entirely? I must make a decision.

I sighed softly, "You are my father's henchman, so you should know what to do."

Yingge was taken aback, then nodded firmly.

"I will remember your loyalty to my father." I lowered my head, gave a slight bow, and turned to leave the tent.

As he stepped out of the tent, Hudutai greeted him, saying, "The Emperor has awakened and wishes to see Yingge."

I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Thank goodness...

“Eagle Song has committed suicide. Please find someone to bury her body,” I said softly.

Hudutai gasped, then lifted the curtain and stepped into the tent.

At that time, I willingly and resolutely embarked on the path my father had laid out for me. There were no complaints, no regrets; I was content to be my father's pawn, Lu Li's wife. But a pawn and a wife are ultimately incompatible. I am incapable of loyalty, but once they are at each other's throats, I will have to make a choice.

Back in the tent, Lu Li had already woken up. He was seriously injured and leaning against the bed, looking down as he reviewed memorials.

I walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, but to my surprise, he didn't look up or say a word.

"What? Did you hurt your brain?" I said irritably.

He seemed very serious, meeting my gaze with a stern face. "...Do you wish to explain yourself to me?"

I was taken aback. When he addressed me as "Imperial" in private, it never meant anything good!

"Explain what?"

He frowned, raised one hand, and I saw a lock of black hair at the tip of his finger.

He coughed slightly. "Do you know what this means?!"

"We've severed all ties," I replied.

He suddenly flew into a rage, "You knew it and you still did it? What do you mean by 'even fate has its limits,' and 'some things can't be forced'?!"

In my memory, he was not someone who got angry easily, but in front of me, he was stubborn like an ignorant child. His eyes were so bright they were almost piercing, clearly reflecting my image.

He gazed at me for a long time, the anger in his eyes subsiding slightly, replaced by a hint of sadness. After a long silence, he sighed deeply, "How could you utter such words of severing all ties?"

I was stunned. When I heard him say the words "severing all ties," I was so shocked that I couldn't even utter a rebuttal.

"You really don't care?" He stared at me intently, his expression heavy with melancholy. That question left me stunned. Did I really not care? This marriage, this man… had already turned my life upside down. Could I still lie to myself and say I didn't care?

I slowly raised a smile, and finally couldn't help but laugh. He stared at me in astonishment, and asked blankly, "Is it that funny?"

I laughed until tears welled up in my eyes, then patted my chest and looked at him, saying, "I only realized today that you are such a sincere person, but I also want to hear your honest opinion today."

Lu Li frowned at me, clearly unaware of what I was talking about.

I smiled and smoothed my hair. "Was it really you who instructed me to bring you the infertility medication every day?"

He didn't bother to answer, but became interested in my hairstyle and reached out to stroke it, saying, "Your hairstyle is quite unique."

I grabbed his hand and looked at him coldly. "Don't interrupt. I want to hear this answer. No matter what I said or how much I made a scene that day, you wouldn't answer. You're not getting away with this today!"

He remained silent for a long time before finally shaking his head slowly. "I don't know anything about the medicine. I only heard you mention it suddenly in the main hall that day."

I nodded. "At first, I was angry. You didn't say anything in the hall that day, so I assumed it was you. But upon closer reflection, I realized I missed many clues. There's no reason for you to give me this medicine for two years, since we haven't shared a bed for over a year. You really wouldn't go to such lengths. Besides, there was a commotion in the hall that day. Although more medicine was sent, it had been switched. I think you ordered it. Even though it wasn't you, you still insist on admitting it. It shows you're protecting that person. Are you so afraid I'll kill her to vent my anger?!"

“I want you to forgive her.” Lu Li stared into my eyes. “She didn’t mean any harm. She just wanted to destroy what she couldn’t get. I wronged her first.”

I had a pretty good grasp of the answer, but I really didn't want to talk about it. It was obvious he didn't want to either; he just reached out and pulled me, still hesitating, and sighed, "You're angry that I'm late, you're upset with me, so..."

I shook my head. "At that time, I did want to sever all ties with you and cut all ties with you."

His brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. "What does this mean?"

I took the letter from my pocket, handed it to him, and sat down to watch his reaction. I saw his body tremble violently as he looked at the paper, his eyes flashing with a sharp, piercing light, like a sword gleaming. He crumpled the small piece of paper in his hand, his lips pressed tightly together. "Who is it?!"

I shook my head with a smile, "I don't need to explain this time, do I?"

He sighed deeply, his tone returning to its usual gentleness, "It wasn't me."

"I know, I just found out too." I leaned closer and stared intently at him. "If it were you, I would have torn you to pieces long ago."

Yet, he was filled with deep emotion; even an emperor of his time had so much he didn't know…

He chuckled softly, suddenly finding himself in the mood to tease me, saying, "This shrew of mine, trying to imitate Wenrui, has only resulted in a pathetic imitation."

I reached out to teach him a lesson, but the hateful man just laughed, grabbed my hands, and pushed me down onto the pillow.

"He doesn't look like someone who's injured and recovering at all." I glared at him.

He leaned down to look at me, just inches away, his warm breath brushing against my neck. "You woman, you only show your true nature when you're pushed to the limit." He chuckled softly in my ear. "Zhi'er is just like you; I'm genuinely worried she won't be able to get married."

Hudutai's voice followed closely: "The curtain should also be drawn. Be mindful of royal decorum!"

I turned around angrily and saw Hudutai standing at the tent entrance, holding a knife and grinning mischievously.

Lu Li asked with a light laugh, "Did you bring her?"

Hudutai glanced at me slightly, his voice a little stiff, "I brought it."

Behind him was a corpse being carried. Lu Li frowned, and I turned my head slightly away, not daring to look at Ying Ge's death. He must have bled a lot to commit suicide by biting his tongue.

I felt Lu Li's indifferent gaze as he looked at me. He must have noticed the unintentional glance that Hu Dutai had given me earlier.

Lu Li then simply waved his hand and said, "Since he's dead, bury him."

Silence returned to the tent, but with a stiffer feel. The warmth from before had dissipated somewhat, a fact we all understood without saying a word.

Lu Li finally raised his head and said calmly, "Come here."

I leaned gently on his shoulder, very carefully.

"How have you been these days?" he asked gently.

I nodded.

He smiled, his warm hand gently sliding down to my lower abdomen. "And what about him?"

I nodded, but then suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "Who are you talking about?!"

"The journey home was bumpy..." He looked down with concern, his gaze landing on my still flat stomach, a hint of worry in his eyes. "How are you... feeling?"

Seeing that I was staring at him expressionlessly, Lu Li sighed deeply and gently raised his hand to slide it down to my lower abdomen. "This—you still won't tell me what you know?"

Her voice was filled with utter helplessness, "How long are you going to keep this from me?"

How did you know?

He just smiled, and I suddenly remembered that he was the emperor. What could possibly be kept from him, let alone the Imperial Hospital?

Although I took the infertility medicine every day, the meticulous Granny Jing had secretly tampered with it, greatly reducing its effectiveness. I willingly drank the medicine for a long time, only realizing Granny Jing's ulterior motives when I discovered I was pregnant. I was convinced that Lu Li had secretly prepared the medicine for me, so I kept my pregnancy a secret as much as possible, even staging farces to pay for his favor, all to distance myself from him. When I could no longer hide it, I used the matter of Consort Jing to bring up old grievances, causing a huge scene, and decided to leave the palace.

All this commotion, all this effort, was for the child's safety. And he knew it all, letting me cause such chaos without uttering a single word of dissent! He even granted my request to leave the palace! Can I interpret this as him caring about the child too?

"That day, you made an excuse that your period had suddenly started, wasn't that why?" He said, helping me down onto the soft couch and instructing the servants to bring ginseng tea. I looked at him, somewhat puzzled, "Since you knew, why were you still so composed..."

"I'd like to see who can hold their temper longer, or if you're the better one." He glanced at me, then stared intently at my lower abdomen. "This baby is over five months along, isn't it? It's so small... It's really hard to tell..."

I turned my head away, not letting him see my expression. "You were born a menace, when have you ever given me a moment's peace?!"

"Still angry with me?" His brows furrowed even more. "Ever since that child died, you've resented me. When will you get over this?!"

I took the ginseng tea he offered and looked at him expressionlessly. "Since it's a dead end, why should I bother to untie it?"

Thinking of that child, my heart sank, and I said nothing more. He remained silent as well. I just felt that this was for the best, for the best for both of us.

He seemed to be talking to himself, "I always felt that the real you was separated from me by a river, not deep or wide, but one I could never cross. No matter what path one takes in life, there needs to be someone to walk with you from beginning to end. I once longed for that person to be you… but you said you didn't want to walk the same path as me. I was truly shocked. The person I always wanted to share joys and sorrows with wouldn't continue walking with me. That loneliness and loss… can you understand? Thinking of your resolute words that day, I've wanted to harden my heart and let you go so many times, but I couldn't bear to. Sometimes I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking of you, but I didn't dare see you, afraid of your cold gaze. Every bit of indifference was enough to suffocate me. I've also thought of channeling my feelings into other women, but I always saw your almost mocking look in their eyes. I know this palace is too bitter; you don't want to go with me. Wait a little longer, until I've completely let go, then I'll let you go… or, I'll go with you…"

Because of Lu Li's injury, we traveled very slowly, occasionally admiring the beautiful scenery beyond the Great Wall. Not only did Hudutai return to the capital with us, but Lu Xiu, after retreating from Kaiping, also joined us. On the way back to the capital, the men were still discussing some kind of agreement.

That day, we sat in the carriage with Hudutai Lu Xiu, munching on roe deer meat and drinking. The roe deer was hunted by Hudutai on the road during the day; it was very delicious, and paired with the strong Mongolian liquor, it had a unique flavor. However, after only two cups, Lu Li snatched the cup away.

"You should take better care of yourself." He gave you a reproachful look.

I grabbed a piece of meat from the side of me, tore it into chunks, and stuffed it into my mouth.

Hudutai smiled mischievously, "Brother Lu, look at your woman, she eats more than any of us men."

Lu Li smiled helplessly, glanced at me, and said only, "I guess this time you're going to give me a baby that can eat a lot."

After a brief chat, Lu Xiu suddenly changed the subject: "Seventh Sister-in-law, this time it's my old flame, Han Yufeng."

Why did this person suddenly bring up such an old, trivial matter? I would have forgotten about it long ago if he hadn't mentioned it.

Upon hearing his words, I choked on my food. Lu Li quickly handed me water and patted me gently. "Why are you so scared? I've already given Yunniang to him. What can he do to you?"

"Yunniang," I murmured, "that girl... with Han Yufeng?"

"That's why I'm worried about him too. But Yunniang chose him herself, so I can't say anything," Lu Li said with a slight smile as he sipped his wine.

Seeing that I was enjoying my food, Lu Xiu couldn't help but tease me again, "I say, if you like eating so much, why don't you just stay in Da Meng? That way, our Brother Hudutai won't be thinking about you day and night."

I replied with a smile, "Okay, okay, that's what I think too."

Lu Li smiled, watching to see what other tricks I could come up with.

"Are you sure you're allowed to?" I asked Lu Li with a smile.

"If you want it, I'll grant it," Lu Li said with a faint smile.

Hudutai snorted and said to me, "Come on, you'd probably turn my camp upside down."

I glared at him. "Since you don't want me, you held my hand and talked on and on for so long. You have no idea how long-winded you are."