Ye Xiaowei smiled slightly, slowly wiping the back of her hand, and said in a seemingly casual tone:
"Third Princess, you are good in every way, but you take everything too seriously. You are not old, but you are mature beyond your years. You weigh things carefully and think things through carefully. In this harem, you are good in every way, but everything in excess will backfire. Moderation is key."
She paused slightly after speaking, a half-smile playing on her lips, leaving Ye Zirong utterly puzzled. She truly couldn't fathom what she was thinking, and had no idea what she would say next.
"Your Highness's teachings are absolutely correct, and I will certainly follow your instructions!"
On the surface, Ye Xiaowei smiled gently, appearing to be very protective of her younger sister. However, inwardly, she wished she could tear out her tendons and blood, then chop her up and feed her to the fish in the sea to vent her hatred.
"Now that you know, relax a little. I am your royal sister, not some ferocious beast or monster. Do you think I would eat you?"
☆、041 Feeling dizzy
Ye Zirong suddenly looked up, about to speak, but the words she was about to say were inexplicably stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say them.
Ye Xiaowei certainly wouldn't eat her, but the Ye Xiaowei in front of her was clearly smiling innocently, with a gentle and tender smile and clear, soft eyes. However, she seemed to see a sinister, bloodthirsty light beneath those soft eyes.
Her heart sank suddenly, and an almost suffocating fear enveloped her entire body. That icy aura, as if it had a sense of self, frantically pierced her capillaries and then entered her internal organs, causing excruciating dull pain...
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, but she stood there like a stone statue, the fear in her heart screaming and roaring wildly, as if it would burst out of her chest and tear her apart!
This feeling of being completely suppressed by the strong was really unpleasant. She wanted to shout and rush in front of Ye Xiaowei, tear off that mask that always showed a smile. She wanted to see what kind of cunning face was hidden under that fake smile.
She desperately wanted to see through her right there, but time wouldn't allow it, and Ye Xiaowei naturally wouldn't let her see through her so easily.
Zi Sang entered from outside the door, bowing her head respectfully, and said:
"Your Highness, the Emperor has awakened and sent me to summon you to the palace."
Ye Xiaowei stood up: "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zi!"
Zi Sang led the way, guiding Ye Xiaowei and the other two into the house. Emperor Mingde had just woken up and was still a little dizzy. He sat on the dragon throne, supporting his head with one hand.
Ye Xiaowei and the others approached and bowed, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress Dowager!"
Emperor Mingde waved his hand: "No need for formalities, all of you. What brings the three of you here today? Why did you all come together?"
Ye Ziyu was eager to find an outlet to release the pent-up frustration in his heart. As soon as Emperor Mingde finished asking the question, he couldn't wait to speak up.
She recounted the events of the day in detail to Emperor Mingde, embellishing the story with exaggerated details of how Empress Ye Fan had viciously cursed her father and how she had ruthlessly used witchcraft to frame him, causing him to be bedridden for days while the imperial physicians were helpless.
In the end, Ye Ziyu broke down in tears, her face filled with undisguised worry.
Ye Xiaowei watched coldly as Ye Ziyu put on a one-woman show, thinking to herself, "I can't believe this boss is usually such a good-for-nothing, all looks and no brains, but she's quite the actress. She speaks with great emotion and cries with just the right amount of sympathy, exactly what makes her mother feel sorry for her."
It seems that appearances can be deceiving. She had underestimated her before, but it doesn't matter, we have a long future ahead of us!
As the conversation drew to a close, Emperor Mingde's brows furrowed more and more. One was the man she deeply loved, and the other was her Imperial Noble Consort. Both were equally dear to her.
As Ye Ziyu spoke, she became somewhat agitated, choking up and bursting into tears. She transformed from the impulsive and thoughtless fool she once was into a filial daughter.
Emperor Mingde looked troubled, as if deep in thought, but he did not utter a single word against Ye Ziyu's words.
Ye Xiaowei's heart sank, and her gaze grew increasingly cold, revealing a hint of iciness.
Indeed, emperors are the most affectionate, yet also the most heartless. No matter how much they used to dote on you, or even make vows of eternal love and claim to be devoted to only you, it is always difficult for them to keep their promises.
If one makes even the slightest mistake, or is slandered with exaggerated accusations, years of hard work and favor could be destroyed in an instant, and one might even end up disgraced and relegated to obscurity.
Her father kept flashing through her mind: his gentle smile, his slender, tall figure, his reproachful eyes when she made a mistake, his soft-spoken admonition…
The woman who swore she would love him and protect him for life, in the end, could only watch helplessly as he walked step by step toward death.
Emperor Mingde's deep contemplation and increasingly serious gaze could only mean one thing: she too was beginning to suspect that her father was behind these events. Although she hadn't spoken yet, her expression betrayed her innermost thoughts.
As she expected, everything went exactly as she predicted…
"That's true, but without any evidence, and considering that the other party is the Emperor and Empress, how can we conclude that this was done by the Emperor and Empress based on the private discussions of a few servants? Isn't that too frivolous?"
Ye Xiaowei remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she let out a cold snort.
Emperor Mingde's words seemed to be speaking for the Empress, but they were full of suspicion towards her. Indeed, the most suspicious and heartless person is the emperor.
Ye Zirong, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke:
"Your Majesty, there's no smoke without fire. Besides, quite a few servants did see the Emperor and Empress arguing with the Imperial Noble Consort in the Imperial Garden that day. The Emperor and Empress did indeed send pastries to the Imperial Noble Consort, and she felt unwell after eating them that evening. The imperial physicians examined her but couldn't diagnose her. Now her condition is worsening. Although I don't want to believe that someone as kind and gentle as the Emperor and Empress could do such a cruel thing, all of this together makes it seem too far-fetched to call it a coincidence..."
Emperor Mingde remained silent. Ye Xiaowei watched all this coldly, not speaking up for her father, because she knew that saying anything at this moment would be futile.
She was certain that although Emperor Mingde had not said anything yet, he had already begun to suspect her father.
Furthermore, if she were to speak up for her father now, she would only end up losing more than she gained.
When faced with an unexpected situation, instead of rushing to deal with it immediately, calm down, assess the situation, and analyze it carefully.
Ye Zirong raised her eyes and quickly glanced at Ye Xiaowei. In the instant she lowered her eyes, a smug smile appeared on her lips, which was obvious.
But only for a moment, and she returned to normal, continuing:
"Your Majesty, the truth of the matter is still uncertain. However, in private, I am inclined to believe in the Emperor and Empress's character. I believe that based on their usual conduct, they would not do such a cruel thing. But now that it has happened, rumors are spreading throughout the palace. In order to find out the truth and to give justice to the Emperor, Empress, and the Imperial Noble Consort, in my humble opinion, Your Majesty should order a search of the Emperor and Empress's palace. If it was not done by the Emperor and Empress, then there is no need to fear a search. This will also clear the Emperor and Empress's name, and the rumors will naturally fall apart!"
Ye Zirong spoke eloquently and her words seemed reasonable. However, her only purpose was to search the Emperor and Empress's Fengning Palace. Her so-called "the innocent will clear themselves" and "give the Emperor and Empress justice" were nothing but high-sounding rhetoric.
Ye Zirong is so cunning and scheming at such a young age. No wonder she was no match for her in her previous life and was deceived by her false appearance.
The two women came on strong, one playing the bad cop and the other the good cop, but their goal was the same: to kill the father and daughter!
If that's what they want, does she really want to let their evil scheme succeed?
☆、042 Singing in Harmony
Now that the two sisters have put on such a good show, they must have already done all the work behind the scenes, and now they are just waiting for Emperor Mingde's approval.
After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Mingde looked weary, but still nodded, shattering the last glimmer of hope in Ye Xiaowei's heart.
If two people truly love each other, and their feelings are so deep, having gone through so much together and made vows of eternal love, in the end, they cannot withstand some rumors that disturb the inner palace.
Should she say that her mother, the empress, changed too quickly, or should she say that as an emperor, she had no choice but to do many things?
But whatever the reason, she said she could not forgive it!
Ye Ziyu and Ye Zirong exchanged a glance, neither able to hide their joy, quickly revealing a gleam of excitement. Ye Ziyu even 'accidentally' turned up the corners of his mouth.
Ye Xiaowei saw all of this and felt a chill in her heart!
Her current refusal to plead for the Emperor and Empress does not mean she is willing to let them slander her father. It's just that things happened too suddenly, and she hasn't found a better way to break through yet. So, even though she is furious and wants to tear the two sisters in front of her to pieces, she is not willing to do so.
Given the current situation, she needs to remain calm, because only by staying calm can she come up with the best way to break their trap.
Yes, she believed her father was innocent, and even if no one in the world believed him, including her mother, she still chose to believe him.
Because how could a man as gentle and kind as her father, who wouldn't even raise his voice when scolding her, be so heartless as to take a person's life? What a joke!
In order not to alert the enemy, the only thing she can do now is to wait and see!
Emperor Mingde said in a deep voice, "We will do as the third prince says, but before the truth is found out, I do not want it to become public knowledge. Everything must be done discreetly!"
Emperor Mingde still cared about his feelings for the Empress and did not want to make a big fuss. Firstly, if it was not the Empress who did it, people would inevitably gossip about it in the future.
Secondly, even if it really was him, she only wanted to handle the matter quietly. Although she was an emperor above all others, there were still many things she had to do. But her feelings for him remained, and she didn't want to hurt him too deeply...
Ye Xiaowei had guessed Emperor Mingde's thoughts, otherwise she wouldn't have said that last sentence.
However, Ye Xiaowei was not moved in the slightest by Emperor Mingde's words; on the contrary, she merely snorted coldly in her heart.
If you don't believe it, why bother with so much? Are you saying all this now to cover up your suspicions about the Emperor and Empress? Or is it just to give you temporary peace of mind?
Ye Zirong lowered her head: "Your subject obeys the decree!"
Emperor Mingde turned around and looked at Ye Xiaowei. Ye Xiaowei was looking down with her head down, so no one could see the light in her eyes.
After observing for a moment, Emperor Mingde reached out and grasped Ye Xiaowei's hand, softly calling out:
"Wei'er, you won't blame me for being so heartless, will you?"
Ye Xiaowei looked up, a faint smile playing on her lips. There was no trace of hatred or anger in her eyes; she was as calm as if nothing had happened.
Of course she wouldn't blame Emperor Mingde for being heartless; she would only blame him for not trusting her father!
Ye Xiaowei shook her head: "Your Majesty is overthinking it. How could I possibly think that way? Your Majesty is first and foremost the ruler of a nation, and secondly, the wife of a ruler. Everything should be for the greater good. I understand..."
However, despite all this, you shouldn't disbelieve that a man you claim to love to the core could do something so ruthless.
In the end, what you called love before was nothing but empty talk. If you truly loved someone, the trust between you would never be so weak.
However, she would never say these words, nor could she say them.
Emperor Mingde believed that Ye Xiaowei truly thought so, and was deeply moved. His eyes glistened with tears, and he was at a loss for words, only nodding repeatedly.
"well…"
Emperor Mingde's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his eyes, which had been filled with tears just moments before, now flashed with a cold light.
"Very well, you few will come with me to Fengning Palace!"
Everyone replied that they obeyed the decree, and then the group went to Fengning Palace in a grand procession.
Emperor Mingde repeatedly said that this matter should not be publicized and should be handled discreetly. However, given the current situation, how can he truly keep a low profile?
I'm afraid this matter will spread like wildfire in less than half a day. The eldest and third brothers intend to ruin them, father and daughter, and make them lose all their reputation, preferably disappearing completely. They will not let such a good opportunity pass them by and will definitely seize the chance to suppress them severely.
Although it was not publicized extensively along the way, the emperor's travels were always accompanied by a grand procession. There were dozens of people in the entourage, plus Ye Xiaowei and others. The group arrived at Fengning Palace in a grand procession.
Upon hearing the announcement, Empress Ye Fan, who had been resting in bed due to a recent cold, immediately ordered her servants to dress and, along with the servants of Fengning Palace, went out to greet the Emperor.
As soon as Emperor Mingde's jade carriage stopped at the entrance of Fengning Palace, Ye Fan joined the others in bowing to Emperor Mingde.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!" Emperor Mingde said with a faint expression, raising his hand in a perfunctory manner.
"No need for formalities, please rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"