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墨書 Inktalez
"Have you seen the Former Emperor?" Aunt Yu exclaimed, astonished. "When did this happen?"
"Of course," Qingqin scoffed. "If I hadn't seen the Former Emperor, how could I have protected Xi Ruo? Do you really think the Empress Dowager would treat Xi Ruo any differently just because the Current Emperor made some private promise to a fallen general's daughter? In the Empress Dowager's eyes, Chu Xiruo is not a threat at all. She would never allow anyone to usurp the position of Empress, so it would be incredibly easy for her to make Xi Ruo disappear. So, do you think sending Xi Ruo to the temple for meditation was an act of mercy from the Empress Dowager? It was merely a last resort by the Former Emperor to protect Xi Ruo. The Empress Dowager is devoted to Buddhism; she wouldn't kill anyone in front of Buddha, would she?"
"My goodness!" Aunt Yu gasped. "Just a few days ago, the Empress Dowager was planning to let Xi Ruo enter the palace!"
"Enter the palace?" Qingqin laughed derisively. "I should actually thank the Empress Dowager. If it weren't for her grace, how could I have seen Xi Ruo? In previous years, it was her mother who brought her here to pray and worship, and we only got to see each other twice a year. Ever since she was confined by the Empress Dowager, I've received no news about her at all; it's been quite difficult..."
"Does Xi Ruo know about her background?" Aunt Yu asked, calming down.
"Now that the Emperor has distanced himself from her, as long as she can't enter the palace, I don't have to worry too much... She sees me as family; I'd rather she not know. Speaking of it only brings up the filth of the palace, which is why we mother and daughter can never recognize each other in this lifetime."
After saying this, she turned her gaze toward Aunt Yu and gave a sorrowful smile. "I've told you everything that the Empress Dowager wants to know and what she doesn't know. I think you can go back now and report to her..."
With that, she turned to Princess Bilian and gently knelt down. "Your Highness, please don't blame me. Though I acted out of concern for my child, it was Mei Shuang who brought this upon herself..."
Master Jing could hardly contain his anger upon hearing this. "How dare you twist your words! To commit such despicable acts and then shift the blame onto others—truly venomous like a snake! After all these years of practicing in the Buddhist realm, you've sullied Buddha! You truly deserve to descend into the depths of hell!"
"Ah Jing," Princess Bilian had been quietly listening until now; she furrowed her brow and stopped Master Jing, her gaze resting on Qingqin for a long moment before asking, "Should I be thanking you for sparing Shuang'er’s life instead of taking it immediately?"
Qingqin shook her head. "Xi Ruo said that Mei Shuang saved her on the road; besides, although she looks different from the original Mei Shuang, she's clearly not the same person anymore. That's why I let her go—just giving her a little lesson."
"A little lesson?" Princess Bilian's eyes flashed with coldness. "Jingkong, we've known each other for so many years; I still understand your character. You are someone who distinguishes between gratitude and resentment; you wouldn't transfer your hatred towards the Empress Dowager onto innocent Shuang'er. What you're saying is merely covering for Chu Xiruo. You know that once your actions are exposed, there will be no escape for you. To avoid implicating Chu Xiruo, you're shifting the blame for harming Shuang'er onto the Empress Dowager... In truth, it was Chu Xiruo who caused you to harm Shuang'er, wasn't it?"
Princess Bilian's tone was light, yet it left everyone present in shock.
That gentle and submissive girl actually harbored such vengeful thoughts.
Upon hearing Princess Bilian's words, Qingqin's shoulders trembled, and she slowly lowered her gaze.
“At the beginning, Chu Xiruo didn’t leave the temple, did she? She was clever enough to know that if she left, the Emperor would surely come looking for her. So, she hid in an unknown corner of Cheng En Temple. Sure enough, after a few days, the Emperor really did come. She was overjoyed, thinking he had come to find her, only to realize that although he inquired about her whereabouts, he didn’t truly care about her. His thoughts were focused on Mei Shuang, who had come to Cheng En Temple with her. Disappointed and recalling the humiliation she suffered at Mei Shuang's hands years ago, she developed murderous intent towards Mei Shuang, didn’t she?”
Qingqin's face turned pale, and her body trembled even more as she sank slowly to the ground.
“Later on, you discovered Chu Xiruo's plan and feared that if Mei Shuang were killed by her, it would implicate you. So you suggested a different idea—under the pretense of treating Shuang'er’s illness, you slowly poisoned her. Only then did Chu Xiruo feel at ease to leave...”
At this point, Princess Bilian's expression turned stern. “Jingkong, maternal love has blinded you to commit such despicable acts! This could have been avoided; why didn’t you tell Chu Xiruo the truth? If you had told her, she would have given up on the Emperor and wouldn’t have vented her anger on Shuang'er. Everything could have been avoided...”
Qingqin sank heavily to the ground, her face as white as snow. Her gaze became vacant as she stared into the distance before suddenly exclaiming loudly, “Why should I tell her?! Xi Ruo has already suffered enough! If I told her the truth—that the man she longs for is actually her own brother—she wouldn’t be able to bear it!”
A profound silence enveloped the surroundings; the night wind blew gently, accompanied by her sobs that sounded particularly haunting.
“I originally planned for her to leave early so that she wouldn’t witness the Emperor’s affection for Shuang'er. She might still hold onto some hope and continue living... But do you know? Xi Ruo broke down when she saw the Emperor gazing foolishly at Mei Shuang on the mountain... She went mad... Do you all understand? Wuwuwu...”
“Chu Xiruo has gone mad?”
Everyone exchanged shocked glances; tonight had been full of unexpected revelations.
Qingqin cried for a while longer, her eyes vacant as she murmured, “Actually, it doesn’t matter whom the Emperor falls in love with. But I never expected him to like Mei Shuang... Their bond over so many years—what can Xi Ruo do? Xi Ruo has gone mad because of Mei Shuang; therefore, Mei Shuang must die!”
As she reached the end of her statement, she suddenly became hysterical, her face contorted in a way that was terrifying.
Aunt Yu stepped forward with a piercing gaze, not swayed by Qingqin’s tears as she remained focused on her duty. “Even if Xi Ruo has gone mad, she should have a place to go. Where has she gone?”
“Where has she gone?... Hah, I don’t know.” Qingqin felt resentment rising within her as Aunt Yu refused to let go of Chu Xiruo’s whereabouts amidst her tear-filled eyes. “She is already like a useless person; why can’t you just leave her alone?”
The more Aunt Yu questioned the whereabouts of Chu Xiruo, the more puzzled she became. Having experienced countless worldly affairs and weathered many storms, she could see through Qingqin's seemingly convincing act. "Whether to let her go is a matter for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, but bringing her back is my responsibility. If she truly is of royal blood, the Emperor will certainly not ignore her. But if not, Qingqin, you understand the consequences..."
Qingqin listened silently, and with a bitter smile, suddenly pulled something from her sleeve and was about to put it in her mouth.
"Not good! She's going to take her own life!"
Master Jing reacted swiftly, knocking the object from Qingqin's hand just as it reached her lips. A small pill was sent flying away.
Qingqin's expression changed dramatically as she grabbed Master Jing's arm. With a single forceful pull, Master Jing knelt down with a groan, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
All of this happened in an instant. Aunt Yu was furious. "Qingqin, how dare you commit murder?"
Qingqin let out a cold laugh; her once benevolent face twisted into a malicious grin, her eyes gleaming with venom. "You dare to move? I will take her life."
She then turned to Princess Bilian, her gaze darkening. "I don't need you to bring her before the Emperor for recognition, nor do I want the Empress Dowager to see her. The Empress Dowager never liked her in the first place. What does your status as a princess matter? Princess, you are the illegitimate daughter of the Founding Ancestor; surely you haven't forgotten how your mother died? And how the Empress Dowager treated you? Your brother, the Former Emperor, wouldn't even acknowledge you. You are merely a nominal princess—does that title bring you any joy?"
Princess Bilian's face paled slightly at those words. She remained silent; after all, everything Qingqin said was true.
"So I will not let my daughter repeat your mistakes. Seeing your present state tells me what our future holds... Therefore, I have only one condition: let us go! We will never return..."
"Not a chance!" Master Jing gritted his teeth against the pain. "Princess, you must not listen to her; she harmed Shuang'er... ah..."
Princess Bilian pondered for a moment. "I agree; you must release her first."
"Good, my word is my bond." Qingqin slowly released Master Jing and then pulled out a vial of pills from her sleeve, tossing it to Princess Bilian. "Give this to her in three doses; she should wake up soon."
Princess Bilian caught the vial, her expression one of shock.
Qingqin had already turned away, speaking calmly, "Perhaps it is the Buddha's mercy; she has already changed her ways... Her sins do not warrant death. Let her do more good deeds in atonement for her past."
Princess Bilian lowered her gaze to the bottle, pondering for a moment before saying lightly, "Chu Xiruo poisoned Mei Shuang and then took her own life. Cheng En Temple's Abbot also died by suicide due to the fallout..."
Qingqin paused, tightly shutting her eyes.
The remaining three watched silently as that somewhat unsteady figure grew increasingly distant, evoking a sense of sorrow.
Only the night wind carried Qingqin's airy words, "I truly do not understand why one would send their own daughter to the palace..."
"Princess, if you let her go like this, what if Shuang'er’s condition worsens? And how will we explain this to Aunt Yu?" Master Jing said, rubbing her painfully sore arm, angered by that despicable woman who had nearly broken it.
Aunt Yu stepped forward, equally worried. "Princess, can you really trust her? She has endured here for so many years; her temperament has long become unpredictable and inscrutable. It’s hard to guarantee that she—"
Princess Bilian shook her head. "If she wanted to harm Shuang'er, Shuang'er would have been dead long ago. Although what she says may not all be true, one thing cannot be denied: for the sake of her daughter, she is capable of anything... Over these years, she has willingly remained hidden for nearly twenty years just to ensure her daughter's safety. It is indeed commendable... Let her go. I suspect she does not have many days left..."
The last sentence left Aunt Yu and Master Jing both shocked. "Princess, what do you mean by that?"
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