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墨書 Inktalez
"Huayang, you must come with me into the palace. If I am killed, you won't escape either!"
"Not necessarily," she replied defiantly.
Huayang, feeling frustrated, turned to Sang Qingxiao and provoked, "Your companion here shows no respect for women. How can you tolerate such behavior?"
Sang Qingxiao responded calmly, "He has never disrespected me."
Qi Xiaomian chimed in, "What gives you the right to compare yourself to my Xiaoxiao?"
"Ha! Your bond is indeed strong; I can't compete with that," she retorted.
The Great Yu Emperor's decision to summon them in the dead of night was indeed rare. Standing beside the Huayang Princess was Qi Shuo, disguised with a thin silver mask. To this day, no one had seen the true face of this lover. Following them were the guards Qi Xiaomian and Sang Qingxiao.
The process of entering the palace went remarkably smoothly. They had expected the guards to stop them, but their prepared excuses were unnecessary; the guide didn’t even glance at them and urged them forward, saying time was short.
Time was short?
Huayang Princess felt a sense of foreboding as they entered the inner palace, which was eerily empty. A faint scent of wine lingered in the air. The guide moved a few items around in the hall, revealing a hidden entrance.
When the entrance opened, the smell of wine intensified, and within moments, it became dizzying.
Huayang halted cautiously and looked at the guide. "Where is my emperor? I have never seen you before; that royal seal on you could easily have been taken from him."
The guide replied matter-of-factly, "Your Majesty is in the secret chamber."
"This could also be a trap you've set," she warned.
At that moment, Qi Xiaomian pulled Sang Qingxiao aside and charged forward toward the underground passage. "Even if it's a trap, are you not going in? Below might be your true emperor. Did you not hear this brother say it? Time is running out!"
The secret chamber wasn't deep; they descended about twenty steps before turning left into a spacious area measuring roughly forty to fifty paces on each side. It was quite empty except for a dragon bed placed at the far end, covered with thick fabric. Surrounding the bed were numerous jars of wine—some empty and others deliberately left open to let their intoxicating aroma waft through the air.
As Huayang Princess arrived and steadied herself, an aged voice emerged from atop the dragon bed.
"I once speculated who would find me first after the incident."
Huayang's actions surprised me; it’s unfortunate that in your final step, caution led to hesitation.
It seems that a young general from Great Jing was the first to enter here—Qi Xiaojiang; it has been some time since we last met.
"Your Majesty, did you know about Dayu early on?"
"Not too early. It was only after the news of Lover spread that I thought to investigate. Upon looking into it... sigh. If you were my biological son, it would be different. As for Son-in-law, you probably look down on Huayang, right? How about becoming my godson instead? If you agree, I will issue an edict entrusting Dayu to you."
Qi Xiaomian detected a hint of sincerity in his words. You would bypass blood ties and pass the throne to someone outside the family; this shows how significant the troubles with Dayu are.
A disaster! You and Miss Sang joining forces might still leave a glimmer of hope. At a time when the survival of humanity hangs in the balance, bloodline inheritance becomes less important.
"Ah, you are quite honest."
"I disdain to deceive others."
"You have deceived me before, haven't you? Disguising yourself to trick me and plotting against me with the national edict. Just as you wished, your own maternal uncle suspects me of being a spy. Now I can't even enter Jingjing City freely."
Pei Shen chuckled lightly. "A mere Qin Mu Hui cannot possibly stop you. Your ambitions lie elsewhere; you're merely pretending to retreat."
"I was foolish before. Upon realizing my time is short, I made some hasty decisions out of panic. I thought, if I must die, I should at least take someone down with me. Qin Mu Hui seemed like a perfect candidate. With both nations' leaders in turmoil, if chaos ensues together, it would prevent Dayu from being suppressed unilaterally."
"I saw that you had such a capable junior like him, felt jealousy, and feared you might become a variable. So I made some jokes, not realizing his narrow-mindedness would lead him to suspect you and ultimately bring about his own demise."
"Your Majesty," Huayang Princess said, sensing the tone of the person in bed was indistinguishable from the Emperor's yet uncertain, "Is it really you? What is wrong? Why do you keep saying you're going to die? If you're ill, just call for a renowned doctor; drinking can harm your health—why consume so much?"
"I can't help but drink."
Great Yu Emperor sighed bitterly. "The one who led you here, Shadow's End, is my substitute. He has been walking in my stead these days. Although he has mimicked my demeanor quite well, being alone with someone up close inevitably reveals discrepancies—after all, the court is filled with a bunch of Old Foxes."
"Even if I only let him attend court from a distance away from the officials, someone would still catch on."
"Of course, I never intended to hide everything completely; even in death, I had thoughts of testing loyalty and treachery. In times like this, one can best discern true intentions. Unfortunately, among the royal family, only you have stumbled into my presence while those officials remain hidden behind you, silently observing."
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