"Alright, I'm not as good as you. The Empress Dowager knows your secret; you can't escape it. One day you'll come to your senses."
Madam Wei stepped forward and grabbed her by the neck with one hand: "Do whatever you want, but you can't harm her. I've said it before, I have my own plans. If you ruin my plans, you'd better be prepared for destruction."
She slowly released her grip, took out a handkerchief to wipe her slender white knuckles, and left Ji Qingyao with a cold, indifferent back view.
“Crazy!” she muttered.
"Looks like this path is a dead end. All that talk about mothers loving their own flesh and blood is utter nonsense. Knowing I'm her daughter and still wanting to strangle me, is she crazy?!"
She said indignantly, "Fine! I won't argue with a madman. Marquis Yiyang is about to go to the capital anyway."
If the mother's path is blocked, the father will always side with his daughter, right?
If she is unloved by her father and mother, then this real "Fourth Miss Wei" is too pitiful.
She mourned for a moment, then pulled the covers over her head and went to sleep.
...
"What did you say? Xi Xi went to see the Empress?"
Madam Wei turned and left.
...
Qingning Courtyard was the residence of the Empress during her youth in the Yan family.
Yan Xiu, dressed in her undergarments, lay weary on the quilt: "Let her in."
Inside the room, a calming incense burner held a purple-gold incense burner. Wei Pingxi, unusually flustered, sat on the edge of the bed and obediently said, "I'm sorry to bother you, Aunt."
"You knew you were disturbing me, yet you still came?"
"I had to come; I was afraid that if I came too late, I really wouldn't be able to see my aunt."
There was a hidden meaning in her words. Yan Xiu laughed at her cleverness, but also felt sorry for her: "Since we're meeting again today, tell me, what brings you here?"
Wei Pingxi quickly got up and helped her sit down at the head of the bed: "There are a few things I need to ask Aunt."
"explain."
Why did my aunt fall out with my mother back then?
Deterioration of relations.
Yan Xiu raised an eyebrow: "Because she still coveted His Majesty after marriage and childbirth, and because she couldn't hide her feelings for many years and I saw through them. What else do you want to ask?"
"Wasn't it because my mother carried me out on a windy day, which displeased the Empress?"
"no."
"Could I be the child of my mother and His Majesty?"
"How dare you! You dare to question His Majesty's disloyalty to me?"
Wei Pingxi straightened his clothes and knelt down: "Aunt, please calm down!"
"You have a lot of nerve." The Empress exhaled heavily: "If anyone else had dared to say such a thing, I would have killed them."
"Aunt..." she whispered, "Did your child with His Majesty have any birthmarks at birth?"
Yan Xiu gave her a quick look and said, "This is not something you should know."
"Please, Aunt, tell your nephew, please, Aunt..."
She pleaded softly, like a fledgling bird snuggling to its mother. Yan Xiu's heart softened, and a wave of sorrow washed over her: "I don't know..."
Her daughter was born out of her sight.
"And what about His Majesty? Does His Majesty know?"
"Your Majesty is unaware that on the day I gave birth, assassins broke into the palace. The situation that day was chaotic, extremely chaotic..."
"I'm sorry to bother you, Aunt."
Yan Xiu sighed softly, "Get up, don't kneel. I heard you called a doctor in your courtyard. Who's sick?"
"Zhizhi caught a chill from being out in the cold wind with me, but it's alright, a few doses of medicine will do the trick."
"How are things between you and her?"
"What do you mean, how?"
Seeing her feign ignorance, Yan Xiu flicked her finger on her forehead: "I'm really looking forward to you two growing old together."
"That's impossible. You'll get tired of eating the same thing all the time."
"Once you understand your own heart, you won't say such foolish things." Yan Xiu half-embraced her: "You weren't hurt at Ming Shui Lake that day, were you?"
"No."
"Treat Zhizhi well, and don't let her down."
"Aunt, you've misunderstood!"
"Behave yourself and stop bothering me." She pushed away her beloved nephew: "Yao'er doesn't tolerate you and is always jealous. Don't come to see me these days. Although she's not good, at least she still holds the title of princess."
"Yes, Aunt."
Wei Pingxi turned around and looked at her tired face, which was obviously due to lack of rest. He suddenly remembered what Zhizhi had said: "In her previous life, the Empress was depressed and suffered a heart injury."
A strong pang of sorrow welled up in her heart: "Auntie, take good care of yourself, smile more, it's good for your health."
"I understand. Be nicer to your concubine, or you'll suffer in the future."
"How could I possibly suffer a loss? I'm the kind of person who only likes to take advantage." She said gently, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt."
The door closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance. Yan Xiu stared blankly at the gauze curtain above her head and sighed sincerely: This child, with his intelligence, is quite like His Majesty's.
--------------------
Author's Note:
This chapter is titled "Using Oneself as Bait," but in reality, everyone in the game is using their own bodies as bait, except that Zhizhi's body is a real body.
This story is about love developing over time, with the initial act leading to a deeper connection. Xi Xi is being stubborn now, but once the mystery surrounding her past is revealed, just wait and see what happens.
Chapter 51 It's good to be confused sometimes.
"Mother."
As Wei Pingxi stepped out of Qingning Courtyard, he bumped into Madam Wei.
"Why are you here? Your Highness didn't sleep all night taking care of the princess, and now..."
"I saw her, but I was kicked out by my aunt after only a few words." She smiled awkwardly. "My aunt was in a bad mood, and I disturbed her peace. She doesn't want me to come here for the rest of the time."
She held Madam Wei's hand and whispered, "Mother, how can I appease Aunt and calm her down?"
Hearing that she was "kicked out after only a few words," Yan Qing's heartstrings relaxed slightly. She took her hand and walked towards Qinghui Courtyard: "The princess is ill, and Her Majesty cares most about this daughter. It's understandable that she doesn't want to see you or listen to your nagging. At this critical moment, don't bother her."
Wei Pingxi sighed with regret: "Alright, I'll listen to Mother."
Back at Qinghui Courtyard, Yu Zhi took her medicine and was still resting in bed. Madam Wei went to rest as well. Wei Pingxi pushed open the door and entered, his face turning pale for a moment.
She walked to the bedside, reached into the quilt, and Yu Zhi was awakened by her touch. She looked at her sleepily and asked, "You're back?"
"Um."
She was in a bad mood and used a little too much force, causing the beauty lying on the brocade quilt to feel a slight pain. The pain and embarrassment finally made her see the gloomy face in front of her, the face that seemed to be sulking with someone.
Yu Zhi pressed her hand down to stop her reckless behavior: "What did Her Majesty say?"
Wei Pingxi threw off the covers and collapsed without even taking off his boots, burying his face in the beauty's soft, delicate place: "I said some things, I roughly understand, but I don't want to understand anymore."
A chill ran through her body, an indescribable coldness spreading through her, and her teeth chattered slightly: "I regret going on this trip."
Yu Zhi couldn't understand what she was saying.
The old lady subtly issued a curfew, but the fourth young lady refused to listen and insisted on sneaking into Qingning Courtyard to see the Empress. Now that she had seen her, she said she regretted going.
She was acutely aware of the gap between herself and this person. In terms of intelligence, even ten of hers wouldn't be a match for the Fourth Miss. She didn't understand her schemes and calculations, but she could see that she was in a sad and depressed mood.
Even if Yuzhi didn't understand why someone who was always confident and proud was showing such vulnerability, it didn't stop her from feeling sad for her.
"It will all pass." She stroked the fourth young lady's thin back, noticing she was trembling.
This realization sent tidal waves through Yu Zhi's heart, and her eyes welled up with tears: "Xi Xi..."
Wei Pingxi took a deep breath and raised his head: "I'm fine."
She kicked off her boots and lay down, laughing, "Maybe I'm overthinking it. A good night's sleep will do the trick."
She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Yu Zhi was both amused and exasperated. She wiped away the fine tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips and carefully hugged her.
Hopefully.
Hopefully, a good night's sleep will make me feel better.
Wei Pingxi slept for a very long time, so long that the timid Yu Zhi would occasionally reach out her finger to check her breathing.
Wei Pingxi was dreaming.
Nightmare.
On the very day she died, the [Forget-Me-Not] drug suddenly took effect in her body, causing her legs to go weak and leaving her kneeling helplessly on the ground.
The agony of having one's intestines ruptured is no exaggeration; the pain is so intense that one cannot even cry out for help, and one is drenched in sweat.
She couldn't understand who had harmed her.
She had a bad relationship with her grandfather, father, and brothers in the Wei family. They disliked her and regarded her as a disgrace. Did they hate her so much that they wanted to kill her?
She curled up on the ground, her gorgeous clothes stained with dust, never to regain her former elegance.
The poison of "Forget-Me-Not" first spread to her internal organs, making her feel worse than dead. She vomited blood, which mixed with her sweat. She didn't know if she was hallucinating from the pain or if she really heard footsteps.
A calm, composed, and extremely elegant pace.
Not too fast, not too slow.
The man stopped a few steps away, and Wei Pingxi didn't even have the strength to lift his head.