Смертная любовь в эпоху Северной Сун

Глава 38

"Didn't you want to know everything?" A voice, filled with suppressed anger and resentment, suddenly broke the eerie silence in the room. Startled by the Empress Dowager's hateful tone, Rongyue felt a shiver run down her spine. She looked up to follow the sound, only to be horrified to see a pale face twisted and contorted in the flickering, eerie light: "Fine! I'll tell you everything today!"

An aged voice opened the floodgates of ancient memories, and like a torrent unleashed, a torrent of earth-shattering secrets rushed toward the unsuspecting Rongyue...

The wind rose. The autumn wind, triumphant and powerful, swept away the fallen leaves with its overwhelming force! Amidst the mournful cries of the leaves, it sang a triumphant song, gathering its spoils of war, and roared away once more…

Having walked a considerable distance from the Cining Palace, Ke Rongyue remained dazed and confused, her eyes unfocused and utterly lost, gazing blankly at the vast horizon. A fierce wind raged, tousling her black hair, ruffling her clothes, and even brazenly whipping its way into her ears, yet she remained oblivious, her steps unsteady, wandering aimlessly towards the unknown future…

"Wife, wife's back!" Upon seeing Rongyue from afar, Dongfang Yao shouted happily, his face beaming as he ran towards her with joy: "Wife, why did you take so long to come back? I was so worried waiting for you..."

Staring blankly at that smiling face radiating sunshine, the Empress Dowager's words resounded in her ears like a thunderclap once more—

"Since ancient times, the Kingdom of Huye has always had two emperors assisting in governing! Once the great cause is accomplished, Yao'er will be the supreme Holy Emperor, and you will be the revered Virtuous Emperor!"

"The Huye Kingdom values bloodlines above all else. How could I allow the future Holy Emperor of the Huye Kingdom to have the blood of the Eastern traitors flowing through his veins!"

"Hmph, twenty years of brotherhood? So what! Do you think he'll let Yao'er go after he knows the truth? Naïve! Let me tell you, if the truth really comes out, he'll naturally want to tear me to pieces, but he won't let Yao'er go either! The sins of the mother are visited upon the son, I believe you understand this principle very well!"

"It's none of your business?! Yao'er is devoted to you, how can you bear to watch her be in danger in the future?!"

...

She was in grave danger... she was in grave danger... how could she bear to...

Seeing Rongyue swaying precariously and looking pale, Dongfang Lie felt a pang in his heart. He stepped forward, a look of worry crossing his fair and handsome face: "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

His gaze slowly moved towards Dongfang Lie, whose head was adorned with a crown, and another thunderclap exploded in his ears—

"Hahaha! There's nothing in this world I wouldn't dare to do! A trick of 'switching the prince for a cat' still fooled everyone's eyes! That bitch Xue Yiyi probably still doesn't know that her son is basking in my affections!"

"You mean this Blood Jade Necklace? See it? Behind it is a phoenix rising from the ashes! It's not your mother's, but your mother's twin sister, Xue Yiyi's! Want to be a phoenix? Hmph, in your next life!"

"Retribution? Divine retribution?! Nonsense! If it weren't for that bitch Xue Yiyi's meddling, how could Yulang have died such a tragic death! So she deserves her fate! As for your mother, if she hadn't threatened to expose everything about our Huye family, why would I have forced her to her death?"

"How could I have known that the Dongfang family was destined to have no heir? Hahaha—because twenty-six years ago, from the moment that bastard was born, I administered a sterilization drug to him! This world is destined to belong to our Huye family!"

...

His mother wasn't his biological mother, his brother wasn't his biological brother, and the people he thought were his family were actually his greatest enemies... What's worse, he probably wouldn't have any children of his own in this lifetime... Rongyue couldn't even imagine how far his anger would spread when he learned the truth...

Her gaze mechanically swept over Chu Xuyao, whose face was always cold and icy, while a series of commands buzzed in her ears—

"Hmph, misunderstanding? I may be old, my eyesight and hearing may be failing, but my mind is not confused! I know very well what Chu Xuyao and that emperor are thinking of you!"

"As the saying goes, beautiful women have always brought ruin to the country. Although I don't understand what it is about you that attracted these two proud sons of heaven, since they are now infatuated with you, you must play the role of bringing ruin to the country, understand?"

"Use yourself to sow discord between them. Once the support of the Number One Manor in the World is lost, the bastard's throne will surely be unstable!"

"Since you have the blood of the Huye family flowing in your veins, you are not allowed to say no! Don't think that just because you and that bastard are cousins, he will be merciful and let you off the hook. Don't forget, you are still a Huye! When the truth comes out, your fate will definitely not be any better than mine and Yao'er's!"

...

A beauty? A scourge of the nation? Ha, how utterly laughable, how utterly absurd! If even her face, as plain as a cabbage leaf, could bring ruin to a nation, wouldn't the world be perpetually at war, never at peace? The Empress Dowager actually wants her to use her 'beauty' to seduce Dongfang Lie and Chu Xuyao, turning them against each other, driving them to rage for the sake of 'beauty'? Ha, this is a classic joke! What merit does she possess to be entrusted with the task of bringing ruin to a nation?

"Wife, wife, why don't you say anything..." Rongyue's prolonged blankness made Dongfang Yao uneasy. He grabbed Rongyue's arm and shook it anxiously.

The swaying brought Rongyue back to her senses. She let out a long breath, gently patted Dongfang Yao's hand to show she was alright, then turned slightly towards Dongfang Lie, lowering her eyes and bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, this servant is not feeling well. May I return to the residence with Prince Yao?"

The respectful yet distant tone caused a flicker of anger to rise on Dongfang Lie's fair face, and his tone became slightly sharp: "Return to the manor? You seem to have forgotten your current status! However, I am not heartless. Since you are unwell, I will grant you a day's rest. Tomorrow you can resume being my servant!" With a wave of his hand, tinged with anger, he turned and strode towards the palace without looking back.

With a complex look in his eyes, Chu Xuyao glanced at the tired and weak Rongyue. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but when his gaze fell on Dongfang Yao, who was standing next to Rongyue with affection, he finally pursed his thin lips, turned around, and followed Dongfang Lie into the palace.

"Wife, why did my brother call me a servant..."

"Brother Yao," Rongyue sighed wearily, resting her head on Dongfang Yao's shoulder. "Take me back, I'm sleepy..."

Dongfang Yao's eyes instantly lit up with joy: "Wife, are you coming home with me? That's wonderful! Wife, let me tell you, it's on that big tree in the manor..."

"I'm sorry, Brother Yao, can we stay in the palace for a few days?" Unable to bear seeing the disappointment on Dongfang Yao's face, Rongyue lowered her eyes and closed them, concealing the helplessness and exhaustion in them.

"Oh." Dongfang Yao responded listlessly, head drooping, as he helped Rongyue slowly walk in the direction she had indicated. Suddenly, however, he seemed to remember something, and excitedly slapped his forehead. His previously disappointed eyes brightened again: "I almost forgot! Wife, this is great! Do you remember the woods I told you about last time? Look, there, look! It's right there! Living in the palace is perfect, we can go to that woods to hunt birds! Oh, oh, oh! Wife, you must make a lot more 'egg centipedes'..."

Volume 1, Pear Blossom Courtyard, Melting Moon, Chapter 46: The Difficult Little Darling

After dismissing the guards, Dongfang Lie continued to sip his fragrant tea, his handsome face expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.

On the other hand, Chu Xuyao's expression grew increasingly solemn after hearing the guard's report, and the cold, slanted tip of his sword tightened inch by inch: "Lie, don't you find it strange?"

He paused, his hand holding the glass still. "What are you trying to say?"

"Don't you think there's something more to your mother's words, something that seems to be..." Chu Xuyao's hawk-like eyes suddenly narrowed: "Something that seems to be implying..."

"Xuyao, you're overthinking it! Mother is old and has a bad temper. And Uncle has done something so foolish, so of course she's upset. She's just venting her frustrations and resentment. What could she be implying?" Dongfang Lie casually brushed away the tea leaves that had just splashed onto his lapel, his face expressionless.

"No! I absolutely do not believe that was just a complaint!" Huo De raised his hawk-like eyes, Chu Xuyao's eyes sharp and piercing: "Do you know that I just received news not long ago that your uncle has been colluding with the Southern Kingdom all along! After this incident, he also fled to the Southern Kingdom. Lie, don't blame me for speaking out, you heard the guard's retelling just now. From your mother's words, can't you hear that she is implying that your uncle will make a comeback? Therefore, I strongly suspect that your mother seems to have known about this all along! Moreover," Chu Xuyao paused, his expression becoming increasingly grave: "Even the matter of the poison last time..."

*Smash!* Dongfang Lie slammed the purple jade teacup heavily onto the table, sending pale blue tea stains flying through the air from the sudden impact: "Xu Yao! Do you know what you're saying?!"

"Of course I know what I'm saying! Lie, do you still remember how your mother secretly switched Liu Ruxu away without anyone noticing...?"

"Liu Ruxu is her own niece, and she likes her very much. Mother Empress naturally couldn't bear to watch her be executed by me! It's only natural that she secretly rescued her. Therefore, Mother Empress's actions are perfectly justifiable!"

"But she was rescued right under our noses, and it wasn't until several days later that we began to suspect something was amiss! First, she used a clever trick to deceive everyone, then she vanished without a trace, leaving no trace of Liu Ruxu! This shows just how powerful your mother is in the palace! Lie, if she didn't have her own agenda, why would she secretly build such a vast network of influence behind your back..."

“Xuyao, you don’t understand! The palace has always been a place where people devour each other. Without a certain level of power, you’ll be eaten alive, leaving not even bones! Your mother…”

"Dongfang Lie!" Chu Xuyao slammed his fist on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at Dongfang Lie: "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?!"

Enraged that his thoughts had been exposed, Dongfang Lie slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting, "Does any mother ever harm her own son?! I am her biological son! If what you say is true, that Mother Empress helped her brother plot against her own son, then Xuyao, tell me, what is Mother Empress's motive for doing this, and what is her reason?! Is the status of an Empress Dowager less prestigious than that of a mere princess?! What kind of logic is this?!"