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墨書 Inktalez
What exactly is this old cocoon formed from over the years?
"That medicine, the Empress Dowager still drinks it on time, right? It's just some mild herbs to dispel heat and nourish the body. It won't cause any harm; instead, it can strengthen her health."
Mo Xier advised, adding at the end, "Otherwise, the Emperor might become suspicious. After all, His Majesty is so filial to the Empress Dowager."
After leaving the Empress Dowager's palace, Mo Xier walked alone on the marble floor paved with white jade, observing the surroundings of the imperial palace. The marble was smooth and flawless; walking on it under the same sky, she breathed in the air steeped in history.
She knew that somewhere else in this world, someone was breathing the same air as her—her lover and family should be living well in that world.
Suddenly disappearing like this, she wondered if they would worry about her. Mo Xier thought as she wandered through the palace, not recognizing any paths, only walking east and west according to her instincts. The palace was vast, with gilded pillars and glazed tiles, resplendent and magnificent.
Wherever she went, there was a solemn grandeur. Strange, Mo Xier frowned; she did not know when this palace had been built. She had thought all palaces were the same, but now it seemed otherwise.
The palaces here were different from those in modern Beijing City; they were vast and boundless.
As she looked around, Mo Xier discovered many fresh things that could not be seen in modern tourism.
For example, on the eastern lawn, there was a patch of purple flowers with eight petals and no buds nearby, alongside small fruits whose names she did not know—green and plump fruits hanging from branches. They made one salivate.
The ground's slate steps had somehow transformed into a pebble-paved path. The stones were smooth and green, emitting a glossy sheen. Mo Xier bent down to take a closer look; it turned out that these egg-sized stones were actually flawless jade.
"Tsk tsk," unable to resist, she squatted down and reached out to touch them. In the hot summer day, she surprisingly felt a gentle coolness. Surrounding her were artificial hills and jagged rocks; wildflowers and grasses sprouted from between the stones, and faintly she could hear the sound of a small spring flowing.
She was mesmerized by the beauty before her. Continuing along the path inward, she discovered a stone table and stools where a stunningly beautiful woman stood quietly beside the table.
The woman had exquisite features; her long hair fell over her shoulders. Her red lips parted slightly as her delicate fingers rested on her chin atop the table. Her index finger gently rubbed against her cherry-red lips with an enchanting grace; her alluring collarbone resembled a finely carved sculpture.
The woman appeared very noble, standing elegantly by the table with tassels hanging from her hands. The cold and proud expression between her brows revealed wealth and deep-rooted power in every gesture.
"Who are you?" The woman clearly noticed her, raising an eyebrow and staring intently.
"I..." Mo Xier was momentarily at a loss for words. Should she say she was a Physician? Or the Empress Dowager's Adopted Daughter?
A Physician had no standing in the palace, especially compared to the person before her, whose status was worlds apart.
She didn't want to claim she was the Empress Dowager's Adopted Daughter either, since the Ceremony of Enfeoffment had not yet been officially held. The Empress Dowager had neither announced it to the world nor issued a decree.
"You have quite the nerve, not kneeling before me!" The woman scolded, her gaze revealing an arrogant demeanor, proud like a swan.
Mo Xier pouted and stared at the woman, loudly declaring, "Who are you to command me to kneel? This is outrageous! I am the Empress Dowager's newly adopted daughter! Do you know what that means?! By seniority, you should call me princess!"
Forget it; this woman just rubbed her the wrong way.
"Princess?" Noble Ning raised an eyebrow, looking skeptically at the beautiful woman before her. How come she had never heard of this princess?
Such a significant event as the Empress Dowager adopting a daughter—why was she unaware? She quietly scanned the lovely girl in front of her and suddenly softened her tone a bit, asking, "What is your name?"
"Mo Xier!" Mo Xier said proudly, her voice filled with youthful exuberance. A gentle breeze tousled her long hair, and the light yellow silk tied around her waist fluttered lightly, following the wind.
"Mo Xi'er is you?!" Noble Ning's body shook with anger as she glared.
"That's right! What about it? You've heard of me, haven't you?!"
She lifted her head proudly, but unexpectedly, Noble Ning stood up and stormed toward her. A sudden cold wind rushed in as a pair of jade-like hands swung fiercely toward her face.
A crisp sound echoed through the silent Imperial Garden.
Then came the sharp pain on her cheek. Mo Xier was caught off guard and received a hard slap, staggering back three steps before tripping over some stones and falling to the ground.
"On what grounds do you hit me?" She covered her swollen cheek and asked angrily.
"Why? You little Jade Bitch, which minister sent you here as a performer? How dare you seduce the Emperor! You are truly shameless; just look at yourself, how could you possibly be worthy of the Sovereign of the Nine-Five!"
Noble Ning scolded indiscriminately in a fit of rage. Just a few days ago, the Emperor unexpectedly took notice of her.
She was overjoyed as she sat at her vanity, grooming herself and applying the most exquisite makeup she had worn since entering the palace, donning new clothes and waiting to be accepted by the Emperor.
As she wished, the man she had longed for appeared before her, just as she had imagined—handsome and valiant, exuding charm and grace.
His features were strikingly clear, his lips slightly curled with a hint of wickedness. In an instant, she found herself lost in his gentle gaze.
She had seen the Emperor before, in crowded gatherings and banquets where concubines were required to appear. She had witnessed the young Emperor's charisma and charm more than once.
That was the Emperor in the eyes of everyone else, a favored son of heaven, devoid of tenderness or emotion; all that radiated from him was an aura of lethal intent and unassailable royal dignity.
But now, he was different; his brow softened, his gaze gentle, and the curve of his lips held an enchanting power.
This was her Husband, her man—a man who could hold a place for her in his heart.
After dinner, he gently tugged at her clothing, laying her on the soft couch and pulling aside the curtains. In this closed, dimly lit space illuminated by faint orange-yellow candlelight, it was just the two of them.
His palm was warm and tender, his fingertips gliding over every sensitive inch of her skin.
Such a charming man was giving her all the wonderful and hazy sensations. Yet at that peak moment, he did not call out her name; instead, he whispered against her ear and lips, caressing her softness with murmurs of "Mo Xi'er, Mo Xi'er..."
Noble Ning would not mishear him; she would never forget that night of humiliation. How proud she had been, how noble! Countless esteemed young men from prominent families sought after women like her but lost to an unknown woman whose name she had never even heard before.
She had never heard of any noblewoman with "Mo Xi'er" in her name nor knew that the woman beside the Emperor was titled "Mo Xi'er."
She once suspected that some maidservant harbored selfish intentions to rise in status. During her investigation, she discovered that the Empress Dowager's name contained a character from the West.
This revelation sent cold sweat down her back; she dared not think further.
After the lingering moments, the man returned to the Sovereign of the Nine-Five, back to his lofty position. His eyes remained filled with indifference and authority, as if the tenderness and deep affection from that night had never existed.
Seeing the earthy woman before him today, all the fog finally lifted. She suddenly realized who it was that the Emperor had called out to that night.
She was a proud woman, a lady from a noble family with a strong sense of self-respect. She did not want her man to be shared with other women.
Just thinking about that gentle gaze being given to another woman made her heart feel as if it had been sliced by a knife, an unbearable pain.
She did not want other women to enter; she wanted to climb higher and higher, reaching the position of Queen, monopolizing the harem and controlling all women within the palace.
"You little Jade Bitch! I'm going to kill you today!"
Noble Ning approached Mo Xier, squatting down and gently patting Mo Xier's face with a smile. "What a beautiful face! Do you think you're some kind of beauty?" After saying this, she stepped on Mo Xier's abdomen with her heeled embroidered shoes.
Mo Xier struggled to get up, but the old maid standing behind Noble Ning pressed her down to the ground and pulled out a hairpin, stabbing it directly into her arm. The excruciating pain surged through her body like a tidal wave, piercing her heart…
Ah, I hope this act of self-harm works well, Mo Xier silently prayed, a hint of cunning showing on her face.
In Kunning Palace, the Empress Dowager sat quietly on her throne while Green Wisteria gently waved a fan in her hand. The Empress Dowager seemed in good spirits as she gazed at a bowl of thick black medicine before her and unexpectedly smiled.
This was the first time Green Wisteria had seen the Empress Dowager smile like this and couldn't help but ask, "Empress Dowager, what makes you so happy?"
The Empress Dowager stared at the thick liquid in the bowl and said, "Today this medicine tastes particularly good."
"Isn't it true that you have always hated taking medicine?" Green Wisteria asked in confusion.
"Yes, but this medicine was prepared by the Emperor for me. Of course I feel happy," the Empress Dowager said as she picked up the porcelain bowl and drank down the bitter medicine, feeling delighted inside.
Li Ye had indeed put thought into this for her. With this commotion, she could justifiably name that lowly woman as her Adopted Daughter, crushing the Emperor's intentions.
Outside Kunning Palace, Li Ye had just delivered the medicine and seeing that the Empress Dowager was fine, he stepped back. His bright yellow Dragon Robe shone under the afternoon sun, exuding royal elegance and an extraordinary presence.
It was clearly beautiful weather, yet doubts loomed over him like dark clouds, impossible to dispel. His mood was terrible; never had he wanted to summon that woman to his side as much as he did at this moment, to question her fiercely.
He wanted to ask her what was so good about Night Star. He was the Sovereign of the Nine-Five, a ruler high above, so how could he possibly be inferior to a subject? If she wished, he could send all those women to the cold palace.
Deep in his heart, her position far exceeded his imagination; sometimes, his feelings for her even spread uncontrollably.
With his head lowered, Li Ye lightly trembled his eyelashes; his mood was utterly dreadful.
He sought a beautiful place to ease his mind. The chief eunuch, Zhang Zehai, suggested, "Sovereign, why don't we take a walk in the Imperial Garden?"
"Alright. Lead the way." His voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.
It was just what he wanted; he was alone and needed some quiet time.
From a distance, before reaching the Imperial Garden, a low and hoarse sound of struggle reached his ears—like a woman's wail, yet also seeming to resist.
Though the voice was hoarse, it carried a stubborn strength.
Even from afar, he could hear several old women’s harsh voices: "Don't struggle! If you keep moving, we'll throw you to those eunuchs. Just look at your clean body and that pretty face; what a pity!"
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