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墨書 Inktalez
When the Emperor was still young, his father treated him harshly. One day, he secretly snuck out to play with Night Star.
Every time he visited the Night Family, there would be snacks and tea that he couldn't find in the palace. Whenever they heard of his arrival, Old Madam would prepare some special treats.
He originally thought those were all prepared for Night Star by Old Madam, but during another secret visit to the Night Family, he discovered that Night Star held a very low status there, sometimes even lacking the right to speak.
Old Madam was always cold towards him, and she didn't even show the warm and benevolent smile she had when looking at her own family. The gaze she directed at him was devoid of warmth...
The more Li Ye thought about it, the more suspicious he became, and he broke into a cold sweat.
Tightly gripping the two pieces of Flawless Jade in his hand, he looked up and saw that it was already dark outside.
He stood up and walked out of the room. The hallway was silent with no movement; occasionally, a few servants from the Night Family would pass by with their heads down, looking at him with expressions of fear.
After all, the servants of the Night Family had never seen much of the world; how could they have imagined that the Emperor had arrived?
Just like he once thought that Old Madam treated him well simply because he was the exalted Son of Heaven, who would soon hold power over the fate of the Night Family.
But who could have guessed the hidden meaning behind it all?
The Emperor quietly walked into the back garden. It was dark outside, but his people had been waiting there for him to return.
As he thought about this, a sense of anger welled up inside him. He recalled how Old Madam said she would fetch another pot of tea but never returned; it truly frustrated him.
He coldly waved his hand at those beside him, his wide sleeves billowing in the wind as he said, "Let's go."
Without looking back, he headed toward the main gate of the Night Family. Chief Eunuch Zhang Zehai behind him wore an odd expression and hesitated to say, "Your Majesty, weren't you going to see Princess Fuyuan?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice filled with anger came from the Emperor: "Shut your mouth!"
The cold gaze shot over like a chilling ray, and Zhang Zehai instantly shivered, lowering his head and daring not to say more as he followed along. The group behind him also followed suit, their pace gradually quickening.
Outside, the night was calm, with sparse stars and a bright crescent moon. A touch of enchanting, cool moonlight fell on his face as he tightly gripped the jade pendant in his hand to steady himself.
At the same time, as the Emperor stepped out of the Night Family, a figure quietly observed everything from the other side of the wall. Once they had walked far away, the figure stepped out from the shadows.
The figure was tall and broad, but his once upright posture seemed slightly hunched due to the passage of time. As he emerged from the shadows, his face came into view.
It was Chancellor Jiang Huai. A young attendant beside him was about to speak, but Jiang Huai suddenly waved his hand.
The attendant quickly closed his mouth, no longer speaking, though he wore a hesitant expression and dared not ask anything further. He couldn't help but wonder why the Chancellor had come to the Night Family at such a late hour. Was he afraid of people gossiping and spreading unpleasant rumors?
Thinking this, the attendant lowered his head but curiously glanced at the handsome figure in the distance as he followed the Chancellor through the back door of the Night Family.
The moonlight slowly fell, carrying an air of mystery as it faded into Old Madam's doorway. The door creaked open, gradually shutting out the cool light from outside.
Inside, the atmosphere was strange; yellow candlelight flickered ominously, with drops of wax hastily falling like tears.
"Did you tell him everything?" Jiang Huai suddenly spoke up from one side. His voice was somewhat hoarse against the thick darkness outside, creating an extremely eerie atmosphere.
"No," Old Madam denied, hesitating before nodding suspiciously with a somewhat strange expression.
Jiang Huai couldn't help but frown; there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his gaze towards Old Madam. "How did you explain things to him?"
Old Madam hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "I gave him that jade pendant. I didn’t say anything when he asked questions, and I also let him drink that tea."
As she spoke, Old Madam looked at her brother for help. She felt an extremely complex mix of emotions that she couldn't quite describe.
When she gave birth to the Emperor, it was this brother who cleverly persuaded her while also forcing her to send him into the palace, staging a grand play of swapping a cat for a prince.
Over these years, she felt both hatred and gratitude towards Jiang Huai; after all, they were family. She hated him for separating her from her flesh and blood and raising a son who had no connection to her. What use was that? Her own flesh and blood were what mattered most.
But sometimes she couldn't hate her brother, after all, it was her brother who allowed the current emperor to have everything, to possess the supreme honor. If she had raised him by her side, she would never have attained such glory and wealth.
She didn't know how her son had fared over the years.
But she knew her heart was bleeding, day and night flowing with black blood... that kind of heart-wrenching pain, that kind of agony of being separated from one's flesh and blood.
Before marrying into the Night Family, she had never imagined that one day in the future, she would endure such sorrow and grief day and night.
Bearing the hatred towards Night Star, carrying the sorrow of not being able to recognize her own son, it was simply worse than death.
"You did well!" Suddenly, Jiang Huai clapped his hands in praise, looking at his sister with appreciation. His sister had aged now, her black hair already streaked with white, no longer the beauty of her youth.
Yet her eyes remained as bright and radiant as they were back then, reminding him of their mother. Their mother's eyes were just as bright and captivating as his sister's, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who looked at them.
"I just don't understand why you wanted me to give that tea to the emperor. I took a sip too; it didn't feel any different."
Old Madam said, showing a look of surprise and some confusion.
The Chancellor laughed, his slightly aged handsome face now exuding an air of maturity. With a somewhat lazy smile, he said, "That tea can induce hallucinations. If you give him that stuff, the emperor will have a pleasant dream tonight."
After saying this, he chuckled twice and continued, "Sister, in a few days it's the Empress Dowager's birthday. I'll find a way for you two to meet."
Old Madam frowned slightly, feeling somewhat displeased. "Why must we meet on the Empress Dowager's birthday? I think..." She didn't finish her sentence.
She felt it was inappropriate and very risky; if someone discovered it and the matter was exposed, wouldn't they all be in danger?
However, Jiang Huai revealed a mad grin and said brightly, "Sister, don't you know that the most dangerous place is often the safest place?
Moreover, the emperor rarely leaves the palace; today is just an exception. Given your status, it's not difficult for you to meet him. But to meet him without anyone knowing is not easy."
Old Madam's eyes turned thoughtfully; indeed, her brother was right. She was now a meritorious spouse who had lost her husband. If she were to meet the emperor alone, it would certainly attract significant attention.
The focus was not only on her but also on her intention to find the Emperor. If there were no legitimate reason to meet with the Emperor, it would certainly raise suspicions.
"Alright." She nodded reluctantly, feeling somewhat tired. "It's getting late; I need to rest. Brother, please go back. If you return too late, Sister-in-law will be displeased."
Old Madam rested her chin on the table, and under the candlelight, the silver strands in her hair shimmered.
"Hmph, does that woman have any say?" The Chancellor snorted coldly from his nose, cursing as he looked at his sister's face. For some reason, this Fair Lady seemed to age particularly quickly. Although she was older than his sister, she still appeared so handsome and graceful, carrying a hint of maturity.
Looking at his own sister, whose hair had turned white as snow, her face lined with wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes that were slightly drooping.
He was quite puzzled. Could it be that the pain of missing her son over the years had caused his sister to age rapidly? Or was it that men simply feared aging less than women?
However, his own wife had not aged like her.
As he thought about it, the Chancellor felt a twinge of heartache and guilt. If it weren't for his ambition back then to replace the crown prince with a substitute, his sister wouldn't have ended up like this—losing her family, losing her child, living out her days in solitude.
Even in old age, she still harbored resentment. After saying this, he turned around and slowly walked out. Outside the door stood a young servant quietly waiting.
Seeing the Chancellor come out, the young servant quickly followed behind him, silently walking without daring to speak. He was recently promoted by the Chancellor and was said to be kept close as a trusted aide.
He did not understand why he had caught the Chancellor's eye; such opportunities were rare.
However, he understood the principle of "serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." There were questions that should not be asked; if he accidentally ended up as just another servant beside the Chancellor, it would be a loss beyond measure.
Thinking this way, the young servant buried his head low and dared not make a sound.
The Chancellor cleared his throat and said, "Be cautious in your words and actions; you are doing well." After saying this, he glanced at him and nodded slightly before adding, "It would be even better if you could refrain from speaking too much or spreading rumors."
Upon hearing this, the young servant immediately knelt on the ground and trembled as he said, "Chancellor, spare me! Even if you gave me a hundred times more courage, I wouldn’t dare to speak carelessly! That would be a grave offense deserving of having my tongue cut out!"
In the Jiang family, there was a rule: if a servant spoke something they shouldn't or spread rumors that slandered their master, they would face the punishment of having their tongue cut out.
This kind of punishment is extremely cruel; it not only takes lives but also subjects people to immense suffering.
Such pain is unbearable for ordinary individuals. He once witnessed a young servant at the Prime Minister's residence being punished for speaking ill of his master, having his tongue cut out.
The young servant was in agony, blood streaming down his face. He saw the severed tongue twitching on the ground.
Thinking about this made him shiver all over. He looked up and realized that the Prime Minister had walked far away without noticing how panicked and terrified he was while kneeling.
He couldn't help but feel strange, thinking that this master was truly difficult to understand.
Even so, the young servant said nothing more, not even opening his mouth, and simply followed quietly behind.
Inside Night Star's room, he lay alone on the soft couch while Mo Xier slept soundly beside him.
Originally, they would not be staying together, but tonight Mo Xier was too exhausted. After spending some time changing his bandages in the room, she fell asleep from fatigue.
Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he decided not to disturb her and carefully lifted her up to place her on his bed.
He initially thought of calling Xinrong to help change her clothes but feared that the maid might wake her with clumsy hands. So he gently unfastened her outer garment himself. He then covered her with one side of the blanket and lay quietly at the edge of the bed, observing her sleeping face.
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