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The Empress Dowager's straightforward words took Ye Xiaohan by surprise; she had no desire to know such palace secrets.
However, the Empress Dowager did not allow her to decline. Before the topic could be changed, she was stopped by the Empress Dowager.
"Miss Ye, do you know what it feels like to use even your own child as a bargaining chip to achieve your goals?" The Empress Dowager said with a mocking smile, recalling her terrifying past.
Ye Xiaohan hardly needed to think deeply; she could easily imagine various plots from palace dramas.
"I cannot win the Emperor's favor, so I have to resort to despicable means. Time and again, whenever the Emperor visited Consort Shen, the Prince would conveniently fall ill, requiring the Emperor's attention."
As for why he fell ill, that question did not even need to be asked.
Ye Xiaohan began to understand; the mockery on the Empress Dowager's lips was not only directed at those absurd events of the past but also at her own foolishness during that time.
No wonder the Empress Dowager doted on Murong Jing so much; it turned out there was a sense of guilt involved.
"Miss Ye, the Prince's disposition today is all my fault. If you must blame someone, it should be me," the Empress Dowager circled back to the topic and addressed Ye Xiaohan.
After hearing the Empress Dowager's confession, Ye Xiaohan felt her resistance lessen slightly, replaced by a hint of sympathy.
"Let this matter rest here; do not bring it up again in the future." Since the Empress Dowager had already lowered herself to apologize, Ye Xiaohan decided to leave it at that. If she pressed too hard and provoked anger instead, it could lead to unfavorable consequences.
However, although she chose to endure this matter, she still wanted to gain something in return.
"Empress Dowager, your journey south is under imperial orders and cannot be delayed. When do you plan to depart?" It would be better if they could leave sooner.
She did not hide her intentions too much; the Empress Dowager easily understood what she meant.
"I am indeed traveling day and night without time to waste," the Empress Dowager replied. "But the Prince's heart is troubled. Even if we leave now, he may physically depart while his heart remains elsewhere."
These words seemed to refer to Murong Jing's romantic affairs, but they could also apply to other matters as well.
For instance, the struggle for the throne.
Ye Xiaohan took the opportunity to probe, "The southern frontier is picturesque and the people are simple; it’s indeed a good place for self-cultivation. This trip would be just the right chance to relax."
"Your words truly resonate with me. I have been wanting to recuperate for a while," the Empress Dowager replied, her mood visibly lifted by the suggestion. "At my age, all I seek is some peace and quiet."
Indeed, she was a woman who had fought through palace intrigues for half her life; her words were as smooth as water, ambiguous enough that one could hardly discern her true intentions.
After sending off the Empress Dowager, Ye Xiaohan discussed the matter with Gu Bei and felt that things might not be so simple.
"I fear Murong Jing may not be willing to let go of this position," Gu Bei said gravely. If that were true, they would have yet another formidable opponent.
Ye Xiaohan reflected for a moment and thought there might still be a chance: "I believe the Empress Dowager doesn’t have a strong attachment to the palace. The real issue lies with Murong Jing; if he insists on pursuing this, even if the Empress Dowager goes against her will, she would still assist him."
The two deliberated for a while but found no solution. The root of the problem was clear: they needed to dissuade Murong Jing from his ambitions and make him withdraw from the competition.
However, convincing Murong Jing would not be an easy task.
In the end, their discussions yielded no conclusions, and they could only take things one step at a time.
Yet misfortune often comes in pairs; calamity does not strike alone.
Before they could resolve the issue with Murong Jing, something far more serious occurred.
Luo Jingxian was arrested and taken to the government office.
"What happened?" Upon hearing this report from her servant, Ye Xiaohan was taken aback. If she hadn’t developed the ability to remain calm in the face of disaster during this time, she might have jumped out of her chair.
"Yes," the servant quickly explained what he had learned: "The Yard Officer from the Government Office reported that Miss Luo suddenly went wild in public, attacking people indiscriminately on the street and nearly causing a fatal incident! Bystanders tried to intervene but ended up getting attacked as well. Even the arriving Yard Officer was not spared; he had no choice but to forcibly take her away."
Otherwise, given Ye Xiaohan's reputation here, the Government Office would surely show some leniency towards Luo Jingxian.
However, this explanation was something Ye Xiaohan simply could not accept.
"How could she be so violent, attacking someone in the street? This is impossible!" Ye Xiaohan absolutely did not believe that Luo Jingxian would do such a thing. "You can leave now; I understand the situation."
Once the servant left, Gu Bei comforted Ye Xiaohan. "It must be a misunderstanding. I also believe Your Highness must have her reasons. I'll send someone to investigate; don't worry for now."
"No," Ye Xiaohan interrupted. "It's not appropriate for you to expose yourself right now; I'll go instead. I can't believe Jingxian would harm someone without cause. Her condition has basically healed, and she hasn't relapsed in such a long time."
It was impossible for things to suddenly become so chaotic.
Since Gu Bei couldn't intervene, Ye Xiaohan decided to take matters into her own hands. She was no longer the person who could only stand by and watch as others were persecuted. After just one visit to the Governor's residence, she gained the privilege to see Luo Jingxian.
When she finally saw Luo Jingxian, Ye Xiaohan became even more convinced of her judgment. Although Luo Jingxian looked somewhat disheveled, her eyes were calm, showing no signs of madness.
"Jingxian, are you alright?" Ye Xiaohan assessed her surroundings and noticed that while there were signs of a struggle on her body, there were no signs of torture, and the wounds were few, which eased her worries somewhat.
After a moment of silence, Luo Jingxian seemed to just come to her senses and nodded.
"I'm fine; I'm sorry to worry you." Luo Jingxian moved a little closer so they could talk more easily.
Ye Xiaohan felt anxious and asked, "What exactly happened? Those people... why did you strike out?"
At the mention of those people, a strong hatred instantly filled Luo Jingxian's eyes. She had always been serene and composed, but this intense emotion surprised Ye Xiaohan.
Ye Xiaohan patiently waited for Luo Jingxian to share everything on her own.
It took a full incense stick's worth of time before Luo Jingxian calmed down, steadied her emotions, and spoke. "Those people are from the Bai Family!"
"The Bai Family?" Ye Xiaohan momentarily struggled to recall before realizing, "The Bai Family from the capital?"
Back in the capital, Ye Xiaohan had purchased her residence from them, and Luo Jingxian had been discovered in the Bai Family's villa's Underground Chamber, mistakenly identified as their eldest daughter.
Luo Jingxian slowly nodded. "Yes, that deranged woman!"
Later, in Luo Jingxian's account, the mystery from that time was unveiled.
Three years ago, Luo Jingxian felt stifled in the Exiled Royal Palace and would occasionally sneak out to have some fun. The Queen favored her and didn't want her to feel bored, so she turned a blind eye to Luo Jingxian's escapades, especially since she was quite skilled.
Because of this, when Luo Jingxian met a man she admired outside, no one noticed it in time.
At that time, Luo Jingxian was young and had grown up being pampered, so she had little wariness towards others. The man's sweet words and flattery led her to believe she had found her true love.
"I thought I was the happiest woman in the world, having met a man I liked who also liked me back." This was the first time Luo Jingxian mentioned the reason for her disappearance, but it was merely the prologue to three years of tragedy.
That man was not a good person at all; he didn't know she was a princess from the deep palace and thought she was just an innocent girl. Luo Jingxian's extraordinary beauty sparked his ill intentions.
Such a stunning beauty could fetch a fortune if sold to someone powerful or presented to a High Official as a concubine. He envisioned a substantial sum of money from her.
His hopes for a life of wealth and luxury were pinned on this woman.
While Luo Jingxian was lost in sweet dreams of love, that man took advantage of her unguarded state, drugged her, and planned to sell her off.
Luo Jingxian was naive but not foolish; when she sensed something was wrong, she quickly saw through the truth of the situation.
In her anger and disappointment, Luo Jingxian found a way to beat him up and escape. However, she had been poisoned and couldn't recover her martial skills, leaving her nearly defenseless. Being in an unfamiliar environment without any money made it extremely difficult for her to return to the palace.
To make matters worse, on her way back to the palace, she encountered Bandits.
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