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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Xuxin smiled, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, exuding a myriad of charms. "A guest has arrived. My name is Liu Xuxin. Greetings, Young Master."
Her demeanor was shy yet alluring, with an ambiguous tone. Jiang Wei looked at her coldly and replied indifferently, "I am Jiang Wei."
His voice carried no emotion, and Ajin was taken aback, immediately sensing a strong hostility—a kind of rivalry that belonged solely between women.
That kind of conflict could only be understood and generated among women.
She quickly felt something was off, an invisible sense of crisis washing over her. She glared fiercely at the woman in front of her, unaware that the woman was smiling charmingly at her and softly said, "This Young Master is truly handsome."
Ajin's face flushed red; she smiled shyly, feeling embarrassed to show any hostility, yet she remained vigilant in her heart.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Night Star smiled and said, "Since you are here, why not stay at the manor? It would save you the trouble of looking for an inn in a foreign place."
With that, he turned to the Azure Dragon standing beside him and instructed, "Go prepare guest rooms for these gentlemen."
Meanwhile, at another location in Night Manor, a figure staggered through the back door. The person appeared elderly, with a hunched back clearly marked by the passage of time. The figure swayed as they hurried into Old Madam's room.
Old Madam was grooming herself in front of a mirror. Her long hair had turned white and dry; she was applying a faintly fragrant rose oil—something of fine quality from the palace that she had been reluctant to use until now due to neglecting her care. Recently, however, her face had aged noticeably, prompting her to finally take it out.
Jiang Huai pushed open the door. Old Madam did not turn around but continued with her task, her eyes fixed on the mirror without blinking.
In the reflection of the mirror, an older man approached with a mysterious and anxious expression. "What’s going on? Why are you so eager at this late hour?" she said quietly.
With her fair and slender fingers, she carefully smoothed her hair while applying the rose oil little by little, her expression remaining unchanged and calm.
Jiang Huai stepped in front of her and smiled. "I think the time is just about right." With that, he walked forward with a smile and poured some rose oil into his palm to apply it to his sister's hair.
"How do you plan to do it?" Old Madam raised her eyebrows slightly.
Jiang Huai chuckled softly, his smile broadening as he said, "Just listen to me; we'll do it this way tomorrow."
With that, he leaned in gently, whispering something into Old Madam's ear. After hearing it, she hesitated slightly, her face showing uncertainty. "Will that really work?"
"Of course, sister, you can trust me," Jiang Huai replied confidently, his expression full of assurance.
Old Madam noticed a wild joy on his face, an ambitious expectation reflected in his demeanor.
Seeing her brother like this, she felt a moment of unfamiliarity.
After all these years, how had he changed so much? Is power and ambition truly that important to a person?
She fell silent, no longer speaking, quietly tidying her hair and gradually removing her makeup to reveal a more weathered face beneath.
Time had not only left its marks on her appearance but had also cleansed her spirit. After enduring for so many years, was she finally about to explode at this moment?
It was indeed something to look forward to. When she turned back again, her brother had already left without her noticing, leaving behind an empty space and a faint chill in the air.
The next day, Night Star had just gotten up when Qinglong came to report that Old Chancellor had been waiting in the hall for quite some time and looked rather anxious. Old Madam was also there waiting.
This made Night Star feel a bit puzzled; Old Madam never took the initiative to seek him out. What could have made her so excited today?
And what was his uncle doing here? He recalled Qinglong reporting some days ago that the Chancellor often entered through the back door at night to see Old Madam. A wave of disgust washed over him.
For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to feel any fondness for this uncle. Nevertheless, he had to maintain the dignity expected of a general.
His upbringing had taught him to always uphold his composure.
He tidied up his clothes and arrived in the hall, where he saw Jiang Huai pacing back and forth beside his seat, seemingly anxious. Old Madam still wore her usual cold expression, making anyone who looked at her feel uncomfortable.
“Uncle?” Night Star hesitated, stepping forward, unsure of what to say first.
Jiang Huai was momentarily taken aback when he saw him enter. He looked around to ensure no one else was present before saying, “I have something I want to tell you, but I’m not sure about your household…”
Being someone who was accustomed to the ways of the world, Night Star understood what he was implying. He nodded and replied, “Uncle, don’t worry. Everyone in this household is my trusted confidant; there are no outsiders here. Please speak freely!”
He regarded the cunning old man before him, who resembled a sly fox, with a sense of caution.
However, the next words from the Chancellor were earth-shattering and hard to accept. He said, “Nephew, I have wanted to tell you this for a long time but never found the right moment. Today, I believe it’s time for you to know some things.”
His tone was heavy, filled with complex emotions, as if he were struggling to find the right words.
It felt as though he had something stuck in his throat that made it uncomfortable for anyone listening. Night Star felt a bit awkward and was slightly curious. “What is it? Please go ahead, Uncle.”
After saying this, Jiang Huai glanced at Old Madam sitting behind him, his eyes shifting slightly.
His dark pupils rolled like a fierce animal assessing its prey. “Dear nephew, actually you and the Emperor are brothers!”
He spoke in a deep voice with a serious and grave expression. Night Star was taken aback and involuntarily exclaimed, “What did you say?”
“In fact, you and the Emperor are biological brothers; both of you share the blood of the Night Family,” Jiang Huai repeated softly again, as if narrating a story.
This statement struck Night Star like thunder on a clear day, echoing in his ears for a long time. He looked at Old Madam in disbelief: “Is this true?”
Old Madam took a moment before nodding solemnly; this was the first time she had shown such an expression.
Previously, she had always been indifferent towards him; even frowning had been an unprecedented occurrence. What had happened today?
Night Star took three steps back, and the expression that had been frozen finally changed. "Impossible, if it were the Night Family, how could they become the emperor? Could it be that you..."
Suddenly, he thought of something, his voice caught in his throat, and he couldn't continue with his words. Upon seeing Jiang Huai's affirmative expression, he suddenly understood everything.
They had used a substitution scheme; he didn't know how they did it, but they had placed the emperor on the throne. No wonder, back then, the Night Family and the Jiang family had joined forces to strongly recommend Predecessor Emperor to choose the emperor as the crown prince and supported him in ascending to the throne. It turned out to be like this.
"Why did you do this?" In the end, he couldn't help but ask.
The Chancellor was slightly moved, letting out a long sigh that seemed to carry the scent of falling petals mixed with the bitterness of worldly affairs.
"It was a last resort, forced by circumstances. Otherwise, you brothers would be together now. It was just unavoidable, but since things have happened, we must accept it."
"Mm." He replied lightly, momentarily unsure of what to say.
Jiang Huai continued, "We were also heartbroken at that time, but since it has happened, we should plan for the next step. What do you think, dear nephew?"
"Mm." He responded again, but his focus was on what would come next. He wanted to know why the Night Family, so cold-blooded and heartless, would send their own bloodline away.
"We Night Family and the Jiang family did many things to secure our footing. However, after loosening our own bloodline within the palace, I discovered a more convenient shortcut."
As he spoke, he paused as if hesitating on how to express himself. After organizing his emotions and thoughts, he continued: "Over these years, I have been gathering allies and secretly forming alliances with various powers. Now my position is completely solidified; we can recognize ourselves with the emperor. This way, power will belong to us Night Family and Jiang family; the entire Empire will be ours. How could that be bad?"
"And then what? Does uncle want to become emperor himself?" Night Star asked coldly, his tone devoid of any emotion.
Jiang Huai felt slightly awkward and retorted angrily: "This way, our Night Family and Jiang family can last for generations without decline! This is our priceless treasure! It is the only way for our family to continue thriving!"
"Ha!" Night Star scoffed lightly, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
The idea of prosperity for generations was something he had never considered; he hadn't even thought about such matters. He was still young and didn't even have offspring of his own yet.
He did not want to think about the person in front of him and his own mother, who had already half-buried themselves in the earth. A person in their sixties naturally thinks more than an average person.
"Why does my uncle want to tell me these things? Wouldn't it be better to keep it a secret?" Night Star said coldly, feeling a bit sorrowful inside.
He was not interested in these matters because he was not the one destined to be emperor. The one who would bear the family responsibilities in the future was that emperor, who still did not know his own background.
"We need you to recognize the emperor and help him defend the Empire," Jiang Huai said with concern, his expression carrying a hint of self-blame and guilt. Night Star was stunned; he did not expect things to develop this way. His good brother, whom he had known since childhood, turned out to be his biological brother.
"I won't go. Even if I don't recognize him, I will still defend our great land," he firmly opposed, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly squinting with unparalleled confidence.
With a high nose bridge, he stood tall on the ground where sunlight streamed in, bathed in golden rays. His cold face showed no signs of cracking.
"Son, go and recognize him. It would be a good deed for your mother. I really don't want to see you two brothers turn against each other over a woman. You have already suffered enough fighting on the battlefield day and night; now you want to mourn for a woman all day and night. I can't bear to watch you like this; my heart aches for you!"
Old Madam suddenly spoke up, her tone somewhat timid, making her words feel quite awkward.
Night Star was slightly taken aback and asked in disbelief, "Mother, what did you say?"
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