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墨書 Inktalez
He truly was a despicable person. He cursed himself inwardly, but suddenly heard the woman in front of him say, "I have something to ask of you. I hope you can help me send a letter home to Night Star."
"What?" It felt as if lightning had struck him; her words exploded in his ears like thunder.
In that instant, Li Ye felt as though he had fallen into an ice pit, with an overwhelming cold rushing towards him. He had thought that her pleasant demeanor towards him was because she had developed some feelings for him, hadn't he?
"I had a nightmare. I'm quite unsettled." Hesitating, Mo Xier voiced her concerns and glanced at the man sitting across from her, offering him a cup of wine with an eager expression.
Li Ye felt as if he had been struck by lightning again, looking at the woman before him with an indescribable feeling in his heart.
"No, I won't allow it." He decisively refused, leaving her wine cup suspended in mid-air, disregarding it completely. Mo Xier awkwardly set the cup down and asked, "Why not?"
"I am the emperor, do you understand?" His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable authority as he continued, "I have my dignity."
He would not allow anyone to infringe upon his dignity. Even though he was so humble and cautious in front of her, he still would not help that woman send a message to another man; wouldn't that mean handing her over?
"What does sending a letter to Night Star have to do with anything?" Mo Xier asked in surprise.
"Do you not understand my feelings for you? Now you come asking me to send a message to another man; where is your heart?" His voice was heavy as he forcefully turned her chin towards him and said, "Mo Xier, what I want is your heart!"
His eyes were deep like water, staring intently at her. Mo Xier was taken aback and hesitated before saying, "But what’s wrong with you asking your subject to send greetings?"
"Not good." His voice was heavy and firm.
"Your Majesty, I have said I do not like you; I simply do not like you. No matter what, my heart will never be yours. Why can't you just give up?" Her voice carried a hint of anger, with a faint blush on her beautiful face.
"I don't believe it. How am I not as good as him? I refuse to accept that you have no feelings for me." He tightly grasped her chin, leaning in closer, his handsome face astonishingly attractive.
"Your Majesty, please show some restraint." She pressed her lips together tightly, revealing her pearly white teeth, her voice cold.
"You will eventually come to like me." His tone was stern, his expression proud and noble, carrying an air of unyielding dignity and arrogance.
"Hmph." She scoffed lightly, pushing his hand away and standing up. "Since you are unwilling, then forget it. The commoner takes her leave." Her voice was icy and devoid of any emotion as she truly left without a trace of hesitation.
He silently watched her figure gradually fade away until she disappeared from sight, not even turning his head once.
Deep down, he understood that every smile and frown of hers, every action represented his own feelings. Could she really not fall in love with him?
He refused to believe it; it was only because Night Star had known her before he did that she fell for that man. One day, she would surely love him too.
Thinking this way, Li Ye steadied his mind and waved at the head eunuch, Zhang Zehai.
"Have there been any recent reports from the border?" he asked casually while sipping a cup of murky wine.
"Replying to Sovereign, a confidential letter just arrived and has already been submitted to the Imperial Study," Zhang Zehai replied respectfully, bowing his head.
"That is very good." The corners of his thin lips curled slightly as he gazed in the direction where Mo Xier had disappeared, revealing a smug smile. In his heart, he secretly thought: "Mo Xier, just wait and see who ultimately wins this game."
On her way back, Mo Xier felt heavy-hearted; the air was so cold it was hard to breathe. The weight of her thoughts pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to catch her breath. What was going on?
With these thoughts in mind, she gently pushed open her room door. The place was desolate and empty, devoid of any warmth. The maid Cui Er sat nearby, focused on sewing.
She couldn't bear to disturb her. The moment she crossed the threshold, she collapsed onto the floor, overwhelmed by an indescribable pain in her heart.
In the Empress Dowager's chamber, the fragrance of incense wafted gently, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of a wooden fish.
An elderly woman of noble bearing was twisting a string of prayer beads in her hands, murmuring something under her breath. A eunuch stepped forward to report, "Empress Dowager, I just saw His Majesty laughing and chatting with Miss Mo Xi at the Azure Breeze and Bright Moon Pavilion, where they had a lavish banquet."
"Are you sure you didn't see wrongly?" The murmuring stopped abruptly as the Empress Dowager raised her gaze slightly, her expression unchanged, and asked in a tone that was neither angry nor pleased.
"Absolutely certain. Even if I were to poke my own eyes out, I wouldn't dare to speak carelessly," the young eunuch replied, trembling as he knelt on the ground, his small eyes darting like a fox as he gauged the Empress Dowager's reaction.
The Empress Dowager did not reprimand him. The sound of the scriptures being copied beside her paused momentarily before continuing again after a brief silence.
With her eyes still closed and her fingers still moving over the prayer beads, she had already noticed Green Wisteria's earlier actions. She subtly pressed her lips together and continued, "What did you see the Emperor doing with Miss Mo Xi?"
Green Wisteria's expression tightened; she bit her lower lip, and her hand holding the brush suddenly froze. A drop of black ink fell onto the rice paper, quickly spreading into an ugly black blot.
"I... I..." The eunuch stammered, seemingly unsure of how to begin. His voice trembled with hesitation.
"Speak freely; I will not blame you," the Empress Dowager instructed.
Only then did the young eunuch gather his courage. After a moment's hesitation, he said fluently, "I just saw His Majesty embrace Miss Mo Xi and pinch her chin. They were laughing and seemed to be discussing something."
His voice quivered with fear, worried that one misstep could lead to his execution.
To execute a grand plan, one must take risks; he was gambling—betting on the Empress Dowager's thoughts and his own fate.
"Mm." The Empress Dowager nodded, opening her eyes to glance at Green Wisteria beside her. She noticed that Green Wisteria's face had turned pale, her elbows trembling uncontrollably as she bit down on her lips until they turned white without a hint of color.
"And what else? What did the Emperor do this afternoon? Did he review any memorials?" The Empress Dowager asked in a calm voice.
With a gentle tenderness, like a mother concerned for her son's life, worried that he might lose himself in distractions and neglect his duties.
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this afternoon the Emperor... he did not... step into the Imperial Study at all."
The young eunuch stammered, yet his heart was unusually calm and clear.
At this moment, he was no longer nervous; the deliberate display of anxiety was because he understood that all those in power were the same—they would not guard against those who did not fear them.
Moreover, he suspected that he still had some value to the Empress Dowager, after all, she was so focused on the Emperor's life, needing him to investigate the Emperor's whereabouts at every moment.
"Did not?" The Empress Dowager's voice suddenly sharpened, glaring at the young eunuch. "What has the Emperor been doing?!"
The young eunuch, calculating his words carefully, was startled and dared not speak, having originally thought the Empress Dowager was just a fortunate woman; now he suddenly felt that a woman in a high position was not simple at all.
Not simple at all; it was complex to the point of being somewhat frightening!
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is in the sleeping quarters..." he replied hesitantly.
"In the sleeping quarters?" The Empress Dowager's voice softened slightly, surprised. "Is the Emperor unwell? He looked fine this morning?"
Green Wisteria frowned beside her, anxiously looking at the kneeling young eunuch, who tightly closed his mouth, appearing as if he wanted to say something but held back.
The Empress Dowager silently observed all her actions.
"No. The Emperor is with Miss Xi," the young eunuch reported with his head down.
"What? She has come to the sleeping quarters? This woman really has no sense of propriety." The Empress Dowager was instantly furious, her voice stern and carrying an air of royal authority.
A crisp sound echoed. The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows and asked, "What happened?"
Green Wisteria knelt on the ground, flustered, and said, "I accidentally knocked over the Ink Platform. Please punish me, Empress Dowager."
Finally, it had come. The Empress Dowager secretly felt pleased but spoke unhappily, "Go and copy three hundred volumes of scriptures. Bring them to me tomorrow for review."
"Yes." Green Wisteria replied respectfully while kneeling, feeling a wave of unbearable anxiety in her heart.
"Everyone else can leave," the Empress Dowager instructed lightly, waving her hand.
Green Wisteria and the young eunuch retreated together and gently closed the door. At that moment, the room was exceptionally peaceful. The Empress Dowager slightly pursed her lips and said, "What a pity. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have to sacrifice you."
Her voice was oddly ambiguous in the silent room.
Although Green Wisteria was a nun, she was still young and had just begun to experience feelings of love; how could she resist the various temptations of the worldly world?
Ah, the allure of fireworks; she was not a saint. From the first time she met the Emperor, she could tell that this little girl’s heart was wavering.
Since she had taken her as an Adopted Daughter and the Emperor still did not seem to give up hope, then let these women fight among themselves. She had heard recently that Green Wisteria had become very close with Mo Xier and even formed a sisterhood; it was truly not easy!
She wanted to see how long this friendship would last.
There is an old saying: when women interact with each other, they must hide their schemes like red flowers while serving as green leaves for support. The Ancients do not deceive me!
At the border, the wind blew fiercely, cutting like blades against the face, unbearable pain mixed with sand hitting against skin, creating an intolerable sensation everywhere.
Night Star lay unconscious in a prison cart, while in the adjacent cart were Qinglong and others. The border was filled with mournful winds; how desolate were the trees? That group of people was being transported back to the capital.
Their master was neither dead nor alive; ever since that day, he had remained unconscious. He checked the wounds and found signs of cracking.
But those people did not give them water to drink or food to eat. They could endure living in good health, but what about the general?
Qinglong fed the general a Revival Pill, keeping his life hanging by a thread. He secretly used all his savings to bribe a Minion who was escorting him, asking him to occasionally sneak some water to the general.
That Minion, emboldened by his position, ignored them when he saw their side had lost power, even though he accepted the money.
As for the water, he did give some, but not properly; he only occasionally splashed a bowl of water on the general's face.
The few of them looked on in anger, glaring with fury. If there was a chance of survival, he would definitely kill this disrespectful Minion with his own hands.
"This dog!" Qinglong cursed, anxiously glancing at the general in the prison cart. He faintly heard the general softly calling out, "Mo Xi'er, Mo Xi'er."
"General, you must hold on!" Qinglong shouted desperately, gripping the bars and yelling, "General, I believe the emperor is wise and will surely recognize our innocence. He will definitely execute Liu Qiankun and that Rebel! You must hold on!"
His voice was hoarse, like a frenzied beast trying to break free from its cage.
But the solid iron cage was as strong as a wall; there was no way to escape. Li Qingfeng, who was accompanying the troops, stopped his horse and turned back to shout, "Save your strength!"
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