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墨書 Inktalez
Green Wisteria stumbled forward, standing dazed in place, unsure of how to react. Her path of growth had always been simple; aside from her master and Buddhist Verse, she had no one to rely on.
In her world, relationships were straightforward—if there was a connection, it could span thousands of miles; if not, even a step would be difficult. Her gentle nature meant she never held grudges against others; it was neither her desire nor her ability.
Her master often taught her to let go and be at ease!
But this time, she completely forgot that lesson!
She couldn't let go of the outstanding young man, couldn't let go of the budding feelings in her heart, and there was so much more she couldn't release!
Thus, for the first time, when she confronted someone, it ended up being so embarrassing. She felt like a small spirit from Buddha's pen, with her dark and ignorant little thoughts laid bare!
The room was eerily quiet, with only Mo Xier's heavy breathing under the covers. After a while, Green Wisteria approached and gently poked her shoulder: "Are you... are you asleep?"
There was no response from under the covers. Just as Green Wisteria began to feel anxious, Mo Xier suddenly threw off the blanket and sat up, her gaze icy. "What on earth is wrong with you today?"
Green Wisteria's face was cast into countless small shadows by the candlelight. Looking into Mo Xier's eyes, she felt a wave of sorrow rise in her heart, her voice thick with emotion: "I... I'm just afraid..."
"What are you afraid of?" Mo Xier had lost all desire to sleep. Her pent-up grievances seemed to find an outlet at that moment. "So many people like you; Empress Dowager values you, and everyone in the palace praises you. The person you like is right in front of you; you can see him day and night. What are you afraid of?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she found it hard to contain her own excitement. Breathing heavily, she murmured softly: "But what about me? I'm called a seductress and faced with hostility everywhere. I live here cautiously, struggling to get by. The person I love—where is he? I don't even know if he is alive or dead..."
At that moment, Green Wisteria deeply regretted her actions. She believed that Mo Xier was not someone who spoke sweetly but plotted harm; today’s outburst was simply a loss of control.
Now she truly regretted not trusting this friend and acting impulsively. She silently recited a few phrases of Amitabha and softly apologized: "I'm sorry."
Mo Xier painfully closed her eyes before reopening them; clarity returned to her gaze as she spoke rationally and quietly: "You did nothing wrong; it was my fault."
From the very beginning, it had been a mistake—not to have been cautious stepping into the palace, knowing it was a den of wolves that devoured without leaving bones behind, yet still rushing in resolutely to escape the tiger's den.
Since you have come, you should have clearly stated your position to the Empress Dowager early on and sought her protection. It was her presumption to think that the Cining Palace was impenetrable, forgetting that the emperor's power extends throughout the court, let alone just the Cining Palace!
Green Wisteria looked at her pale face in fright and felt scared herself. She hurriedly reached out to hold her hand, saying, "Mo Xi'er, it’s my fault. Please don’t be angry, okay?"
She was not one to sweet-talk others into feeling better; now that she had apologized, she truly meant it.
Mo Xi'er shook her head and sighed deeply. "You are not wrong; you simply fell in love with a man who will never belong to you forever."
She looked at Green Wisteria's face, which resembled her own but was free of makeup, as if there were words she wanted to convey, yet also seemed to say to the other person, "Perhaps you don’t understand; this kind of pain will never cease.
It will leave an indelible scar on your heart over time, reminding you day after day that the man you love, that exalted emperor, will never stop his pursuit of beauty.
The harem requires a balance of power. His understanding of women will only remain at the level of using their status or seizing their beauty. A lifetime with one person will never appear in his dictionary! Never!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, raising her voice as if taking this opportunity to tell Green Wisteria about the despair of the path laid out before her.
Green Wisteria was startled and took a step back, covering her chest as she looked at her. "Mo Xi'er, what do you really want to say?"
Mo Xi'er weakly lowered her head and covered her eyes as if blocking her view from the world would keep everything outside of her life. But she knew it was futile; everything was in vain!
"You should not doubt me!" Mo Xi'er's voice lost all warmth. "When I told you I did not wish to be the emperor's woman, I truly meant it! Perhaps I might lie to others for convenience's sake, but I won’t lie to you!"
She wouldn’t tell the other person how important a friendship without conflicting interests was to her or how precious it was to have a friend with whom she could share everything.
Upon hearing this, Green Wisteria felt as if she had been thrown into a fruit soaked in vinegar—sour and painful. She didn’t know that this feeling was called guilt: "I have never doubted what you said to me..."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps I am jealous—jealous of your stunning beauty that makes the emperor unable to forget you and continually yield.
Perhaps I am jealous of your Golden Casket Medical Arts that allow you to become the first Physician of our dynasty and save the Empress Dowager from the brink of death when the Imperial Medical Bureau is helpless."
Perhaps I am jealous of you, for no matter when or where, you can keep your heart intact... But I am very afraid, very afraid that these things you do not want are something I can never reclaim.
I am also worried that if one day you are willing to bow your head to the Emperor, then others will cease to exist forever!
Mo Xier looked into her eyes and smiled bitterly, "Beauty, medical skills?"
A crystal tear slid down her beautiful cheek. "If you envy me, if you are jealous of me, would you like to see what all this has brought me?"
As she spoke, she removed the inner garment, revealing her snow-white skin. The countless bruises on her arms stunned Green Wisteria; they were not marks of romantic entanglement but rather signs of torment. In panic, she covered her mouth and exclaimed, "What... what happened?"
"What happened?" Mo Xier hugged her arms and curled her body into a fetal position, trembling from the cold. "This is what you call the love of an emperor!"
"Is it the Emperor?" Green Wisteria's eyes widened in disbelief as she shook her head. "No, it can't be... it can't be the Emperor..."
He was such a dignified and imposing ruler; his smile was so bright and sunny, cultured and kind. How could he do such things to a woman he had always favored?
But looking at Mo Xier's pained expression and her struggling fear, a voice kept whispering that it was him; it must be him.
No one else had the audacity to hurt Mo Xier; no one could inflict such harm and humiliation upon her and then remain silent about it!
Green Wisteria sat down on the edge of the bed with a thud, feeling her limbs go weak and her body cold. "How could this happen? Why did this happen..."
Mo Xier buried her face in her knees, tightly hugging herself in an attempt to find some warmth. "If this is what you envy and are jealous of, I truly wish I had never possessed anything!"
"I'm sorry, Mo Xier. I'm sorry, truly sorry..."
Green Wisteria could no longer hold back; she reached out her hand wanting to embrace Mo Xier but hesitated in mid-air, afraid to let it fall. She couldn't imagine what Mo Xier had faced since she went missing today.
She also couldn't fathom how these injuries came about. She hated herself for not searching for her, for not caring for or comforting her after she returned, but instead speaking harshly and questioning her. At this moment, she regretted so deeply that she wished she could kill herself.
Hearing the cries of Green Wisteria, Mo Xier seemed to regain a bit of clarity. She wiped her tears and patted the other’s shoulder, saying, "Alright, stop crying. I'm fine! Didn't I come back in one piece?"
Upon hearing this, Green Wisteria felt even more regret and cried harder.
She had never felt so sorry for someone before. Clearly, they were good sisters who met too late, yet she had let her friend suffer such great injustice without helping or comforting her at the first moment. Instead, she had doubted her, reopening her wounds and hurting her once again.
Perhaps deep down, there was another reason: she could not accept that the man she was infatuated with, a strikingly handsome figure akin to a deity, would use force against a weak woman. She didn't know whether to be jealous of Mo Xier or to abandon this budding affection.
The painful conflict made it hard for her to face Mo Xier!
"Mo Xier, I..." Green Wisteria began to choke on her words as she cried. She felt she had so much to say, but all those words could only coalesce into a powerless apology.
At this moment, Mo Xier had calmed down. She realized she had been misplacing her anger onto this innocent friend. Perhaps it was because she desperately sought validation or perhaps because she wanted support and comfort from her friend. When things went awry, she broke down.
Now, she no longer felt lost or uneasy; no amount of sadness could affect her life. There were so many Monsters and Demons she had to face; she really didn’t want to push away the only warmth around her.
Thinking of this, she reached out and hugged the trembling girl, gently stroking her back. "Alright, alright, don’t cry. Be good!"
Under her soothing voice, Green Wisteria's emotions gradually calmed down. Her eyes were red from crying, and Mo Xier smiled as she comforted her. "Look, I’m back safe and sound! I haven’t eaten anything all day and came back just to sulk with you. I'm starving! Do you have anything to eat?"
Upon hearing this, Green Wisteria realized that she too had sat there all day in a daze without eating or drinking. The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
After all, they were young; in their world, no misfortune seemed insurmountable. Their youthful vigor would continuously provide them with hope, making every hardship seem solvable!
This was their strongest and most sincere intention; perhaps that was why their presence caused such unease in the palace!
Fortunately, it was still early. The two girls tidied themselves up and decided to head to the Small Kitchen in Cining Palace for a stroke of luck.
In the Imperial Study, two additional lamps had been deliberately lit today, making the room as bright as day. Li Ye closed a memorial and set down his red brush, rubbing his temples.
Zhang Zehai entered with a cup of warm tea, replacing the cold cup on the table. He stood by the side, bowing his head in silence.
Li Ye opened his eyes and asked, "Has the person been sent back?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, they have been sent back!" Zhang Zehai, unsure of his master's intentions, did not dare to take credit and simply answered honestly.
Li Ye's hand slowly tapped on the table, producing a crisp sound. "What did the Empress Dowager say?"
"The Empress Dowager looked at the report submitted by the head of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and did not get angry. She only said to let things take their course. It seems that she has given up on the idea of adopting Miss Mo as her adopted daughter," Zhang Zehai carefully speculated on the emperor's expression as he replied.
Li Ye neither shook his head nor nodded. After a moment, he picked up the tea and took a sip. "Hmm."
Zhang Zehai sensed that the emperor was in a good mood and took out a small judge's pen from his sleeve, presenting it. "Your Majesty, this is a confidential report from the border."
A glint of light flashed in Li Ye's eyes as he took it and unfolded it.
Zhang Zehai's position did not allow him to view such documents; he could only step back three feet and wait for further instructions.
Suddenly, he heard Li Ye laugh heartily. "Good, what a fine Li Qingfeng! I did not misjudge him!"
Hearing this, Zhang Zehai knelt down and exclaimed loudly, "This servant congratulates Your Majesty."
The emperor's laughter echoed from the Imperial Study, rising into the clear moonlit sky.
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