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Chapitre 37

"Ahem!" Abruptly interrupting their tender conversation, the Empress Dowager's sharp eyes fixed on Rongyue on the bed: "Since you're much better, it's time for you to come with me!"

Her heart felt as if it had been doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling her to the bone! "It's time for you to come with me..." Should this be interpreted as her washing her neck, packing her things, and getting ready to go?

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly because of the Empress Dowager's words. Chu Xuyao's expression grew increasingly gloomy. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "The Empress Dowager and the Princess Consort share the same surname and are connected by blood. Even if she has a thousand faults and ten thousand wrongdoings, you should at least show leniency because she is a member of your Liu family. Why do you have to make things so difficult for her and press her so hard?"

"Making things difficult in every way? Pressuring us relentlessly?! Master Chu, please watch your words!" The Empress Dowager slammed her phoenix-headed cane to the ground in anger, her face flushed with embarrassment and fury: "I forced her? Fine, fine! I'll show you whether I forced her or she came with me willingly!"

Under the wary gazes of the three men, the Empress Dowager approached the soft couch and pointed her old hand, adorned with sharp nail guards, directly at Rongyue: "Yue'er, tell them, did your aunt force you?"

"Whether I forced you or not, you old witch, you know perfectly well! Even a blind man could see your sinister intentions, so why are you pretending to be innocent!" Rongyue snorted disdainfully, about to say something sarcastic, but the words were choked back by the blood-red jade pendant that the Empress Dowager was intentionally or unintentionally showing on her wrist!

Her mother's jade pendant! She couldn't be mistaken! Blood-red jade, vibrant with blood, formed from the blood of a cuckoo's cry! A fallen jade, alluring with blood, forged from the flames of a phoenix! Blood-red jade, there are only three pieces in the entire world, and her mother possessed one! Her mother loved cuckoos, so the back of the jade was carved with a lifelike cuckoo crying blood, while the front bore her mother's surname! Just now, she clearly saw the character "Xue" (雪, meaning snow) for a fleeting moment when the blood-red jade was revealed! Although in Liu Rongyue's memory, Liu Rongyue herself believed that a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent, and she knew very few characters, she still recognized her mother's surname! The Xue family loved blood-red jade, an unchanging tradition! How could she mistake the jade pendant her mother had never parted from! But how could that jade pendant be in the Empress Dowager's hands!

Rongyue's face changed drastically, her mind in turmoil. An indescribable rage and sorrow instantly overwhelmed her reason! How could this be... She clearly saw it with her own eyes, saw her mother's most cherished blood-red jade pendant accompany her into the coffin and buried in the grave... Could it be... grave robbing!

"Liu Rongyue, the Empress Dowager is asking you a question!" What kind of time is this? She's still in a daze! Doesn't she know this is a matter of life and death?!

Chu Xuyao's rebuke snapped Rongyue back to reality. This was Liu Rongyue's business; what did it have to do with her? What did Liu Rongyue's mother have to do with her? Digging up Liu Rongyue's mother's grave was none of her business. Yes, it was someone else's affair; why should she meddle in it for them…

That was what she thought in her heart, but once the words came out of her mouth, Rongyue was horrified to find that she was as if she were being haunted, and her words were not what she truly meant: "What are you saying, Aunt? Aunt wants to chat with me and catch up, and I would be more than happy to do so. How could you say I'm forcing you? I'll go with you now!"

After she finished speaking, the two men were terrified: "Liu Rongyue, do you know what you're saying?!"

Dongfang Lie and Chu Xuyao's simultaneous angry shouts jolted Rongyue awake! Realizing what she had just said, Rongyue wished she could bite off her own tongue! But words spoken are words spilled, and it was too late to take them back!

Volume One: Pear Blossom Courtyard Under the Melting Moon, Chapter Forty-Four: The Secret Passage

Entering this palace, which resembled a funeral parlor, for the second time, Rongyue felt nothing but dread! The desolate hall was filled with the aura of death and the smell of decay. The swirling, blackened cloth strips gave the impression of rampant demons and vengeful ghosts, their low whimpers like lamentations. The people here were like walking corpses, devoid of thought and soul, merely empty shells to be manipulated.

Stopping in her tracks, the Empress Dowager turned around, leaning on her cane, and coldly swept her gaze over the servants on either side: "All of you, leave!"

They bowed respectfully and retreated quietly. The crowd on both sides bowed and carefully withdrew. No one made a sound during the entire process, and the hall remained deathly silent and desolate.

With a displeased look, the Empress Dowager glanced at the two guards standing behind Rongyue and waved her hand: "You may also step down!"

The two guards exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and remained silent. Before they arrived, the Emperor had secretly instructed them to follow the Princess wherever she went. If anything happened to her, they would be dead!

Seeing that the two guards remained unmoved, the Empress Dowager hurled her phoenix-headed cane at them, her old face contorted with rage: "You bunch of treacherous dogs, your hearts are all black, each of you is scheming for your own gain! You sway whichever way the wind blows! Prime Minister Liu has just stepped down, and you dare to give me attitude? Do you think the Liu family has no one in court? Blind dogs! Just wait and see, you'll regret this one day! Get out, all of you, get out of here!"

They dared not dodge the cane thrown by the Empress Dowager, and had no choice but to take the vicious blow head-on. Seeing the Empress Dowager's ferocious expression on the verge of exploding, they were caught in a dilemma, unable to leave or stay! Being a servant was truly not a job for humans!

Having served as their servant for several days, Rongyue truly empathized with their plight. Perhaps it was because they had once shared the same misfortune, but Rongyue, unusually kind, decided to lend them a hand: "You may all step down now. I will take care of the Emperor's affairs."

The two guards, who were eager for Rongyue to say this sooner, glanced at her with tears of gratitude, bowed, and left impatiently.

Still feeling a burning anger inside, the Empress Dowager glanced at Rongyue and said in a cold tone, "Come here and help me up."

"Help you? She's still sick and needs someone to help her!" With a raised eyebrow, Rongyue ignored her and calmly watched the Empress Dowager, who was so angry she was about to jump up and down.

Based on a mercenary's intuition, she sensed no murderous intent from the Empress Dowager. Therefore, she deduced that the Empress Dowager had summoned her not to kill her, but perhaps to tell her something, or to ask for something in return. That's why she obediently followed her to this gloomy, suffocating palace. The reason she hadn't let Dongfang Yao come along was because the previous incident was still vivid in her mind, leaving a deep shadow. Call her petty, call her paranoid, she simply didn't want this old witch to have too much contact with Dongfang Yao.

Seeing that Rongyue not only had no intention of helping her up, but also had a look of amusement in her eyes, the Empress Dowager's wrinkled face immediately darkened: "What, don't you want to know how I came to have the Blood Jade?"

The words "Blood Jade Necklace" sent a chill down Rongyue's spine: "How did you come to have my mother's belongings?"

The Empress Dowager smiled sinisterly: "Want to know? If you do, help me over there, and I will tell you everything!"

Calming herself, Rongyue quickened her pace, took the Empress Dowager's arm, and followed the direction the Empress Dowager indicated, slowly walking towards the small pavilion to the east...

"Go, get into bed and open the hidden compartment behind the bed!"

Upon reaching the large wooden bed in the East Warm Pavilion, the Empress Dowager gave Rongyue a sudden shove. Rongyue stumbled and fell onto the silk quilt embroidered with black lotus flowers.

She gave the old witch a furtive look, then scrambled onto the inside of the bed. After groping around on the black wall for a while, she finally found a smooth, oval-shaped object that looked like a switch.

She knew that with a gentle turn of the switch, all the secrets might be revealed before her without reservation. She was the one who wanted to know the secrets, but now that the moment had arrived, she suddenly hesitated, even felt a sense of retreat. The dead were gone; everything had vanished with their passing, and all the secrets should be buried forever. Was it really worth it to unearth deeply buried secrets for an inanimate object, to burden herself with the shackles of secrecy, and to torment herself with worry? Moreover, the affairs of the Liu family were incredibly complex; once she knew everything, could she escape unscathed?

Her hand, which was caressing the switch, paused again and again. Undeniably, she wanted to back out at the last minute.

Seeing her hesitation, the Empress Dowager gave a barely perceptible cold snort. Her aged, brown-skinned hand covered Rongyue's hesitant, soft hand, and with a forceful turn, a dark and deep passage suddenly appeared before Rongyue, accompanied by the long and deep sound of the stone door opening!

Caught off guard, Rongyue was shoved into the secret passage by the Empress Dowager behind her. The stone door slammed shut with an ancient, muffled sound, leaving Rongyue no time to react. There was no way out! Forced into the passage, Rongyue swallowed hard, having no choice but to follow the Empress Dowager. A brightly lit candle appeared in the Empress Dowager's hand. By its faint, yellowish light, Rongyue nervously made her way deeper into the eerie and terrifying passage…

"Hahaha—I am the Empress! The noble Empress of the Eastern Dynasty! Who dares to touch me, who dares, who dares... Ah—Auntie, don't come looking for me, it wasn't me who harmed you, go find Father if you want to find you, it was Father and the others who killed you... Who, who is there! Come out! Come out now! Ah... Open the door, open the door! Let me out now! If you don't open the door, I will kill you bunch of dog slaves..." A shrill and piercing scream suddenly pierced the deathly silence and gloomy dark passage, terrifying and horrifying, like a ghost or a vengeful spirit, startling Rongyue so much that she shuddered violently.

This sound... this is clearly...

"You guessed right, she is your sister, Liu Ruxu." Meeting Rongyue's horrified gaze, the Empress Dowager spoke slowly: "After the incident, the Emperor showed no regard for our past relationship and tried to put her to death with a three-foot-long white silk ribbon. But I thought of her cleverness and obedience, and couldn't bear to see her die so young, so I secretly switched her with someone else and rescued her... Hmph, but who knew that this useless thing would be scared insane by a living dead! What a waste of all my efforts!"

A living dead?! Rongyue bit her lower lip tightly, her expression changing rapidly. If she wasn't mistaken...

Rongyue's unusual expression seemed to be entirely within the Empress Dowager's expectations. With a cold laugh, she pushed open a black, weathered iron door with one hand: "If I'm not mistaken, it was you who broke into the Dark Palace that day! I never imagined that you would accidentally stumble upon my secret, which I've kept hidden for so many years! Fate has its own destiny; it cannot be stopped. Those destined to meet will meet sooner or later. This makes me marvel at the miraculous power of blood ties..."

Blood ties?! Terrified, Rongyue grabbed the Empress Dowager's arm, her eyes wide with horror, her high-pitched voice trembling uncontrollably: "Explain! What do you mean by 'blood ties'?!"

The Empress Dowager gave a cold, chilling laugh: "If you want to know, come in with me!"

Shaking off Rongyue's slightly trembling hand, the Empress Dowager, with faltering steps, slowly disappeared into the darkness beside the iron gate, accompanied by the flickering candlelight...

Watching the old, hunched figure walk further and further away, Rongyue gritted her teeth and followed...

Volume One, Pear Blossom Courtyard, Melting Moon, Chapter Forty-Five: The Heavy Truth

On the other side of the iron gate was a room of moderate size. The entire room was draped with black velvet curtains and sacrificial tents, reflecting the flickering, eerie candlelight, creating a chilling and sinister atmosphere! In the center of the room, eight square tables were joined together to form an offering table, its soft satin canopy trailing to the floor. Before the table, a pair of white candles flickered with an eerie light, and beside them stood a three-pronged incense burner, from which wisps of translucent blue smoke curled upwards, swirling around the various offerings piled on the table… Following the offerings, Rongyue was horrified to discover that behind them were rows upon rows of memorial tablets covered with black satin!

Her heart skipped a beat—the funeral hall!

The candlelight flickered, casting a dim, yellowish glow that allowed Rongyue to vaguely discern the Empress Dowager's solemn yet heartbroken expression. She walked around to the altar, her trembling, wrinkled hands picking up the outermost tablet. As if holding a cherished possession, she gently brought it to her heart, tracing the lines on the tablet again and again… In the candlelight's glow, Rongyue seemed to see the deep despair and endless sorrow that the Empress Dowager conveyed with each touch…