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Chen Wen replied awkwardly, "I don't know what those mean either; it's a new folk saying."

Sima Rui remained silent, signaling him to continue.

Chen Wen gritted his teeth and said, "I've been tracing the original source of 'The Swaying Green Robe' all along, but I never expected—"

"What didn't you expect?" Sima Rui continued.

"I never expected it to come from the palace."

"The palace?!" Sima Rui exclaimed in astonishment. Then, recalling that bright and beautiful face, he shook his head. Who would dare to be so audacious as to play tricks on the emperor's harem in the palace? To play tricks on the emperor's woman—this was absolutely unprecedented in history. For some reason, those elegant words, that magnanimity and grace unlike any other woman, suddenly flashed through Sima Rui's mind.

Sima Rui narrowed his eyes and said, "I want you to secretly investigate a person from childhood to adulthood, in every aspect, without revealing anything."

"Who could possibly deserve the emperor's attention?" Chen Wen asked.

Sima Rui smiled coolly: "Xie Weiying, the fourth young lady of the Xie family."

Her?! A blurry image flashed through Chen Wen's mind. He had only glimpsed her a few times, and it wasn't clear. Although she was undeniably beautiful, her timid and submissive demeanor was utterly uninteresting. Why was the Emperor interested in her? The rumors surrounding this fourth young lady of the Xie family had been rampant in the palace. She had missed the imperial concubine selection due to a serious illness upon entering the palace, falling out of favor and remaining sickly ever since.

"Understood."

"Okay, go ahead and do it." Chen Wen vanished into the dark night.

Suddenly, Sima Rui shouted sternly towards the door, "Someone come here!"

Gao Lu walked in cautiously with his head bowed, and said respectfully, "What can Your Majesty do for this old servant?"

"How's the imperial edict I asked you to draft coming along?"

"This old servant has done everything His Majesty has instructed."

"So, was there any reaction?"

Gao Lu said in a low voice, "Not for now."

"Increase the reward. I want to know the truth." Sima Rui frowned slightly.

"This old servant understands."

"Go down." Sima Rui waved his hand impatiently. Gao Lu silently withdrew.

Sima Rui stood by the window, his slender figure casting a long, elongated shadow in the moonlight.

If that person really was her, if the swaying figure in green was truly her, then he could use this opportunity to completely tame her. He thought of her stubborn, bright eyes, where her unyielding pride resided. She had never truly submitted to him. No matter the cost, he would make her submit to him from the bottom of her heart, completely and utterly, just like any other woman. No one could be the exception, no one.

What kind of person is she? Her mind is full of so many novel ideas.

Jun Jin, it's Jun Jin again! What exactly is her relationship with Xiao Jin? What is she hiding, just like Xiao Jin?

He will definitely find out. Investigate everything thoroughly.

The palace was never short of grand banquets.

The Emperor kept his word. Within days, she was restored to her former rank of Jieyu, and a large amount of jewels and treasures were openly sent to Luoshuang Palace. Sima Rui also began to frequently visit Luoshuang Palace without any restraint, dining with me and even hiring a large number of craftsmen to repair the palace. However, what others did not know was that he never stayed overnight or asked me to serve him in bed. Perhaps seeing my terrified expression last time, he knew I had suffered deep aftereffects. He began to carelessly display my status in his eyes to everyone in the palace. He made his favor towards me known to all.

The Frostfall Palace was no longer as desolate as before. One after another, many opportunistic concubines began to come and go from the Frostfall Palace to visit me, saying a lot of flattering words. Their eager and ingratiating expressions made me feel exhausted. After a few days, I started to use the same trick: I was unwell and could not receive guests.

I was just thinking I could rest for a few days when he suddenly informed me that a grand banquet would be held in the palace to celebrate his conferment of the title of new Consort. Since Consort Xie's death, the position of Consort De had been vacant. What intrigued everyone was that the Emperor hadn't announced his choice beforehand. Everyone said it was Consort Huan, who was pregnant with the Emperor's child, but others said that based on the Emperor's favor, it should be me. There were many possibilities and speculations, and the harem was abuzz with gossip. Now that the Empress's position was vacant, the four Consorts were the heads of the harem. This was evident from Consort Wang's arrogant demeanor. Furthermore, the other two Consorts, Consort Shu and Consort Xian, were indifferent to palace affairs—one timid, the other indifferent. If I could become Consort De, I could share power in the harem with Consort Wang—what a fortunate thing that would be!

Compared to the explosive upheaval in the harem, I had little interest in the matter of being conferred the title of imperial concubine. Anyway, it wouldn't be me who was conferred the title, and it was none of my business who was conferred the title. Just as I was about to use the excuse of feeling unwell to avoid going,

The Emperor, who was sitting across from me enjoying the dishes I had cooked, suddenly said casually, "You must attend this banquet." My little wish vanished instantly.

I stood there awkwardly, biting my chopsticks.

Volume 3, Chapter 92: Heartbreak

I didn't go in until I felt the banquet was about to start, and I huddled in a corner without making a sound.

I didn't expect to run into that little rascal in the corner. He still looked unwell, pale and sickly, and kept coughing, but thankfully his forehead wasn't so hot anymore. When he saw me, he started laughing, which made his cough even worse. People around him gave him disgusted looks, so he tried his best to hold back his cough, his little face turning red from the effort.

I hugged him tightly, feeling a pang of heartache. After a long silence, he finally stopped coughing, lifted his little face, and looked at me with bright, sparkling eyes. He saw that I was just wearing the most ordinary palace maid hairstyle, nothing but a white jade hairpin, and dressed in my usual white clothes without any decorations.

He pouted, glanced at the stunningly beautiful women around him, and muttered, "Mom, why don't you dress up a bit? At least let Father see you. It's embarrassing to be with you. You're the kind of person who gets lost in the crowd."

"What are you saying, you brat?" I gave him a sharp rap on the head. "How dare you complain about your mother? Don't you want to talk anymore?!" I said, making a move to pinch his cheek.

He quickly dodged, occasionally letting out a few laughs, until someone nearby deliberately coughed a few times to signal us, and we stopped fooling around. Looking at the women sitting demurely, their faces flushed with inexplicable blush and hope, Shao Shao and I exchanged knowing smiles, secretly covering our mouths to laugh. But since they had already reminded us with their actions, we behaved much better.

I glanced up and inadvertently saw Huan Shuangshuang sitting next to Consort Huan. Her face was flushed with a rosy smile, she seemed very happy, and there was a hint of confidence and excitement at the imminent realization of her dream. She was six months pregnant, quite large, yet her attire remained impeccable. Perhaps due to long-term supplementation, her body was rounded and full, making her appear even more elegant and noble. She was probably anticipating the title of Consort De, which was well-deserved; since she was carrying the emperor's child, she naturally deserved a reward. As if sensing my gaze, Consort Huan turned her head, nodded at me, and gave me a meaningful smile.

I didn't quite understand her meaning. But I didn't think too much about it and continued to look around. Consort Wang didn't seem as happy as usual today. She sat there coldly, as if she were ice. Perhaps she had been ruling the palace for a long time and was worried that the sudden appointment of a new consort would affect her position in the palace.

The women in the imperial harem must have worried about nothing more than their status and the emperor's favor. That was their entire existence—how tragic, how barren. They had no ambition, no dreams of their own. I absolutely do not want to become like that. Absolutely not.

"Mom, are you envious?"

"What?" I turned to look at Shao Shao. "What are you envious of?"

He rolled his eyes: "Of course I envy their status, their favor, and my father's attention."

I paused, confused, and said, "Why should I envy them?" I have money, and I don't care about status that comes from depending on men. As for attention—I lowered my eyes and remained silent.

Seeing my silence, he suddenly said, "Mom, you care about Father, don't you?"

I'm truly speechless at this kid's precocious maturity and ability to see through human nature. I stared at him, rendered speechless by his question. If I didn't care about him, why would I consider his needs in everything? If I didn't care about him, why would I willingly let him use me? If I didn't care about him, how could I tolerate his repeated harm? If I didn't care about him, why would I atone for his sins? If I didn't care about him, why would I even love his child?

"Then why not fight for it?" he wondered. Life in the palace had taught him that if he wanted something, he would fight for it, grab it, and even resort to any means to get it.

I stared blankly ahead, muttering, "How can love be obtained through struggle?" Especially the love of an emperor—how difficult, how distant it is.

He coughed a few times and asked in surprise, "Mom, how would you know you can't do it if you didn't try to compete?"

I was startled and looked down at his matter-of-fact expression. Perhaps children's minds are just that simple, without as many concerns and thoughts as we do. That way, they are free from constraints, restrictions, and shackles, and can act according to their own nature. That's what they truly want.

I suddenly remembered a story I read a long time ago. A man was sitting on the ground crying, complaining, "God, why won't you let me win five million just once?"

Even God wept. He said to the man, "Brother, you should buy a lottery ticket too!"

Another person complained to his best friend: "I've always liked her since I was a child. I know everything about her, when her birthday is, what her first love was like, how she wasn't a good student in school... I even know when her period is, and I've bought sanitary napkins for her. I like her so much, why doesn't she like me?"

His friend remained silent for a long time before quietly asking, "Dude, have you confessed your feelings yet?"

The man suddenly realized that he had always liked her and naturally assumed that she knew. Being kind to her over the years had become a habit, and he had completely forgotten to tell her how much he liked her.

How can I know it won't work if I haven't even tried? I've had a sudden realization, but I'm still hesitant. Is it really possible? Is it really going to work? And how should I compete? I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to be like those women who are outwardly glamorous but inwardly ugly.

As if sensing my fear, Shao Shao squeezed my hand and said firmly, "Don't worry, Mom, I will always be by your side to support you."

While I was still in a daze, a voice suddenly called out in my ear: "Wei Ying". I looked up and stared around in confusion for a long time, still not coming to my senses. Suddenly, Shao Shao next to me whispered: "Father is calling you, go over quickly."

I snapped out of my daze, carefully got up, and cautiously avoided the malicious gazes of the crowd. I walked step by step toward the man sitting in front of me. What did he want me to do? My mind was a jumble of thoughts.

I saw Huan Shuangshuang, who was sitting in the third seat, looking at me with a pale face. What's wrong?

The noble man sitting in the center pointed to the side, gesturing for me to sit there. Just as I moved closer to him, preparing to sit next to him, someone suddenly shouted, "Assassin! Protect the Emperor!"

I instinctively turned around and saw, amidst the flashing blades, an assassin dressed in black thrusting his sword straight at him. The sword strike was powerful and forceful, seemingly drawing all his strength from his body. Screams erupted around me, and before my mind could even process it, my body instinctively moved closer to him, ready to shield him from the fatal blow.

Before I could act, a pair of strong hands suddenly pulled me from behind, making me stand in front of him. I was startled, a chill ran through me, and a wave of sorrow washed over me. I gave a bitter laugh to myself. Why did he have to pull me to shield him? Even if he hadn't, I would have taken the blow for him. Before I could even grieve, the sword was already in front of me, piercing my palm and embedding itself in my shoulder blade. The assassin hadn't expected the emperor to use a woman beside him as a shield, and was clearly startled. He tried to shift his position, but it was too late. He managed to deflect the attack slightly, and the sword, which should have pierced my heart, sank into my palm and shoulder blade. Instantly, pain spread throughout my body. I cried out to the sky, my eyes hardening, and with my last ounce of strength, I struck the assassin who was now standing before me, his body pierced by the sword. But suddenly, I saw that besides the masked assassin's eyes, filled with hatred, remorse, and disbelief, I also saw a small, slightly reddish butterfly birthmark at the corner of his eye. Wasn't that what Uncle Fu had mentioned…?

I quickly withdrew my energy, but the reversed flow of true energy dealt another blow to my already weakened body. Instantly, my face turned even paler, and I coughed up blood. After the energy from my palm strike diminished, I gently pushed it out, whispering in his ear, "Go!" Then, I used the force of the palm strike to send him flying far away, preventing him from being caught. He stared at me in shock, and before he could think, he had been knocked far away. Seeing that there was no chance of assassination, he turned and disappeared into the vast twilight.

A chilling voice suddenly came from behind: "Seal off the entire palace. That assassin is wounded. I will make sure he can't escape."

A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I felt my body growing colder and weaker. A pair of warm hands caught my sinking body from behind. They were so warm, yet why did my heart feel so cold, almost frozen? And it seemed that the coldness couldn't be melted by just a little warmth.

He looked at me with concern, a hint of guilt in his eyes. I gave him a sad smile and said, "Your Majesty, I would have protected you anyway, no matter what." He opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.

"Guards! Guards! Where's the imperial physician?" Chaos erupted all around. That assassin was incredibly audacious, barging in alone to attempt an assassination; he must have been prepared to die. Just as I was drifting off into thought, a small but soft hand grabbed my arm. His childish voice repeatedly told me, "You'll be alright, you'll be alright, you won't, you won't, you won't..."

I wanted to smile at him, but the pain in my body prevented me from doing so.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cried out, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, come quickly! Your Majesty, Consort Huan seems to be having miscarriage problems! Your Majesty—"

There came the earnest cries from one side, and here, the devoted woman who had willingly shielded him from the sword. The usually composed emperor suddenly felt uneasy. I steadied myself, enduring the excruciating pain, and struggled out of his embrace, leaning against his small but sturdy shoulder. With my free hand, I endured the agony and pain again, slowly, inch by inch, pulled the remaining sword from my body. With each inch I pulled, I became more lucid, more aware of the fact that he didn't care about me at all.

"Ah—" After a piercing scream, my hand, bleeding profusely from the sword's blade, finally pulled it out. I bit my lower lip hard, my face growing paler and my body growing colder. Blood kept gushing from my body, and I could feel my life force slowly draining away.

"What are you doing?" a voice exclaimed from the side, sounding panicked. I dodged the hands that reached out to support me, leaned against Shao Shao, still with my eyes closed, and murmured, "Shao Shao, take me back."

For the first time, Sima Shao looked at his father with such fierceness, helplessness, and anger. He choked out to the girl leaning against him, "Don't worry. I'll take you back." After a moment of panic, I realized that Yunying had broken through the encirclement and rushed to my side without a care. She helped me up, and I could feel something warm hitting my injured hand. She whispered in my ear, "How could you be so foolish, so foolish?" Then, suppressing the urge to cry out loud, she stumbled away with me.

The banquet was in complete chaos; the concubines had long since scattered and fled, leaving the place a mess. Huan Shuangshuang tripped her during their escape, nearly causing her to miscarry. I only learned this later.

When I arrived at the palace gate, I was too weak to stand or walk. My white robe was stained with a strange, eerie red, which looked particularly unsettling in the night. Shao Shao looked at me with concern for a long time, then called over a small sedan chair from nearby and had me sit inside.

After helping me into the sedan chair, Yunying hurriedly withdrew and directed the sedan chair bearers to take me back to the palace. I vaguely heard that she had sent Shao Shao to the Imperial Hospital to fetch Physician Chen, who was also known as Qingci.

For some reason, my consciousness stubbornly remained a tiny bit clear. The pain prevented me from falling asleep; my mind was hazy, and the blood kept flowing. Suddenly, there was a slight sound from above, followed by something cool against my neck. I barely opened my tired eyelids and saw the equally wounded assassin holding a sharp dagger against my carotid artery. It seemed that any struggle would be fatal. He looked at me coldly and warned, "Don't make a sound."

I no longer had the strength to speak, so I gave a faint smile and remained silent. My face grew even paler.

After a bumpy ride, I vomited blood several more times.

"Why?" he suddenly asked.

I know he's asking why I saved him even though he stabbed me.

The coldness made me instinctively curl up in a corner of the sedan chair.

Blood trickled down my lips, and I didn't have the strength to wipe it away. I weakly said, "I don't have the strength to satisfy your curiosity right now. If you trust me, come with me."

Volume 3, Chapter 93: The Emperor's Affection

Sima Rui stared blankly at his hands, recalling her cold, sorrowless yet seemingly desperate eyes when she left, her pale face, her stubbornness in leaving his support, her poignant smile, and her words to him without reproach: "Your Majesty, I would have protected you anyway, I would have protected you no matter what."

Something inside him suddenly collapsed, and an indescribable stream slowly flowed into it. He didn't know why, but the moment he pulled her close, he regretted it. Seeing her injured pierced his heart, a pain so intense it almost suffocated him. He even thought to himself that he would rather be the one hurt than her. He regretted it, he regretted it so much. But it was too late.

Watching her slowly pull the sword from her body, the blood dripping from her bitten lip onto his palm, her face cold and her eyes empty, his heart and eyes could see nothing but her. He suddenly felt that her wounds were the same pain he felt, that he felt his own blood draining away, that he was enduring the same excruciating agony.

Just as protecting him was instinctive for her, pulling her to his side to shield him was equally instinctive for him; he would have done the same for anyone else. It was an instinct honed through his training as an emperor. From a young age, his father had taught him that in such situations, simply pulling someone close to him to shield him from the fatal blow would create an opportunity to deliver a surprise attack on the assassin. However, upon seeing her injured, he completely forgot all the instructions he had received as a child. He forgot how to deliver the fatal blow to the assassin, forgot everything, forgot everything around him, as if nothing existed around him anymore; all he could see was her screaming in pain, the blood gushing from her mouth, and her figure falling backward.

For the first time, he was panicked, afraid, and a nameless fear welled up from the depths of his heart. He was afraid that the person before him would vanish like a wisp of smoke in an instant; her body was so light, so light that it seemed she would leave him. He wanted to grab her, to stop her from leaving. But then he saw his usually obedient and timid son staring at him with such fierce eyes, making him feel guilty. He released her, letting her go. Watching their staggering figures disappear into the distance, Sima Rui suddenly felt that person was so close, yet so far away.

What if she disappears?

Sima Rui shuddered at the thought. He quickly averted his gaze; he was the emperor, and more importantly, his beloved concubine was experiencing a threatened miscarriage and needed his comfort. That was the precious bloodline of the royal family. Even though he didn't care at all.

But the people of this country will care.

This is his responsibility.

After a long silence, he could only softly say in that direction, "I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes, unsure whether to feel sorrow or guilt. Among so many concubines around her, only she stood up to protect her; the others had long since fled for their lives. The assassin, though his attack was planned, had acted alone and thus failed. Sima Rui lowered her eyes. Was she the only one who truly cared for him? Was she really special to him?

After I told him, I clearly felt that the dagger at my neck had moved much further away.