"Wenbo pays his respects to the Empress."
The Empress had always doted on him, but this time she did not allow him to rise, making him kneel. For a proud man, this was undoubtedly a blow. When they were alone, he would accept her punishment, but in front of outsiders, his pride was completely shattered.
Hua Wenbo gritted his teeth, remained motionless, and slightly lifted his head. Peering through the gap, he saw another handsome man sitting beside the Empress. This man had brows as if carved from frost and eyes like scattered stars. His imposing aura was like a sharp blade exuding killing intent; a mere glance could instill a palpable sense of danger.
Hua Wenbo speculated, could it be that the Empress favored this man? The thought made his slender hand clench. Was she finding him old and unattractive? He knew she wasn't young anymore either, yet she fancied such a youthful gentleman. What a lustful woman, Hua Wenbo thought dismissively.
"Did you capture the Empress of Da Xian? And administer poison to her? Is this true?"
In the Moon Blossom Pavilion, a cold and sharp voice rang out. Hua Wenbo was startled and quickly looked up at the man.
The Empress of Da Xian? Could that woman be the Empress of Xian Yue Xiu Di? He hadn't expected it to be her. Rumor had it that she was resourceful and cunning. He had overlooked this crucial information, a grave mistake.
Seeing how much the woman valued Wu Qing, he realized that if he had utilized her back then, it might have been beneficial for him. Above, the expressions of two individuals were grim and displeased, while the man below was filled with regret.
He had even forgotten to reply to the Empress's question. The Empress's expression grew increasingly displeased, her voice colder.
"Hua Wenbo, this Empress asks you, is this true?"
Hua Wenbo snapped back to attention, looking up. He wanted to deny it, but it was evident that the woman had been abducted by the man before him that night. Could he be the Emperor of Xian Yue?
If he denied it, and this man brought that woman forward, the Empress would surely be even more enraged. Hua Wenbo then spoke in a docile tone.
"Your Majesty, this concubine did not know she was the Empress of Xian Yue, which is why I took action."
Upon hearing this, the Empress was furious. Never mind the reason for poisoning the Empress of Xian Yue; a consort engaging in such entanglements with another woman already violated palace rules. Moreover, he was so cruel as to poison his own child.
"There is another matter I need to ask you. The child you gave birth to that day was a prince, correct?"
The Empress's voice was as sinister and alluring as a ghost from hell, her face contorted with furious rage as she glared at him.
If he said yes, she would likely show him no mercy. But if he didn't, this man was clearly here with ill intentions and would not have come unprepared. If Wu Qing appeared, it would surely spoil everything.
In truth, no one knew better than he that Wu Qing, despite his name "Wu Qing" (meaning heartless), had always yearned for familial affection. If the Empress acknowledged him, he might return, and his eventual demise would be even more gruesome.
After much deliberation, Hua Wenbo decided to confess everything.
"Your Majesty, this concubine was wrong. I sent him away years ago and have always regretted it. I wanted to bring him into the palace, but he had no intention of returning, so I administered the poison, intending to bring him back."
The Empress had always doted on Hua Wenbo. Seeing his deep remorse and his attempts at amends, her heart softened somewhat, but her expression remained cold. She spoke menacingly:
"You will immediately hand over the antidote to the Emperor of Xian. As for the child, you must move him with genuine affection, and he will surely return."
The Empress sighed. In truth, her words back then were casual, and she hadn't anticipated such a disaster. She had many princes in her harem and had not mistreated them. Who knew such a situation would arise?
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Hua Wenbo appeared heartbroken, delicate tears streaming from his beautiful dark eyes like raindrops, evoking pity.
However, this act was effective on the Empress but had no effect whatsoever on Murong Liu Zun, who watched with a cold gaze. Instead, he raised an eyebrow with disdain. This man was clearly acting. His repentance was not reaching his eyes; was this true regret?
Furthermore, if he remembered correctly, this man had treated Wu Qing with extreme cruelty. Knowing how much he yearned for family affection, he had tormented him repeatedly. He deserved to go to hell. However, Murong Liu Zun couldn't be bothered with their royal affairs and spoke in a cold, hard tone.
"I want the antidote, not your repentance."
Upon hearing the man's words, Hua Wenbo was filled with resentment. However, before the Empress could speak, he took out two antidotes from his sleeve. He glanced at them and then spoke respectfully, "Here are the antidotes. I had already prepared them and sent them over."
It seemed as though everything was prepared in advance. The Empress's anger subsided slightly. She waved her hand coldly, and immediately a palace maid stepped forward, took the antidotes, and handed them to the Empress. The Empress's voice then rang out at the appropriate moment.
"You will go to the Cold Palace to reflect on your actions. If the child forgives you and is willing to return, you may return to your chambers. Otherwise, you are forbidden to leave the Cold Palace for the rest of your life."
Hua Wenbo's face drained of color, and he cried out, "Your Majesty!"
The reason he had acted so diligently was to solicit her leniency.
If he had known this would be the outcome, he wouldn't have bothered acting. He quickly looked up, met the Empress's imposing gaze, and glared at her with eyes that burned like torches. He dared not say anything further.
Although his poison skills were formidable, the Empress was a highly skilled martial artist and extremely cautious, not easily dealt with.
For years, she had lived in seclusion, only visiting their palaces for favors, and then leaving quickly. Thus, he had never found an opportunity to strike. He hadn't expected to end up in the Cold Palace after all.
Unwilling to accept this, Hua Wenbo silently vowed. He looked up at Emperor Xian, who was seated beside the Empress, his eyes dark and unreadable. With an air of arrogance, he rose and departed elegantly.
In the Moon Blossom Pavilion, the Empress handed the two packets of antidotes to Emperor Xian and slowly said, "Send this medicine to that child. And please convey my apologies for my oversight. If he is willing to return, I will compensate him."
This was something she owed him.
Emperor Xian remained silent, accepted the antidotes, and under the pavilion's lamplight, glanced at them. The two packets of medicine were indeed labeled, making it easy to distinguish which antidote was which.
Emperor Xian stood up, clasped his fists, and thanked the Empress.
"If this medicine proves ineffective, Your Majesty will likely be troubled again."
"Very well," the Empress waved her hand.
Emperor Xian's figure flickered. Leading his few subordinates by the pavilion, he swiftly vanished into the night. The Empress gazed tiredly at the scene before her. Was she truly aging? Handling matters had become somewhat taxing.
As the night deepened and the early spring air remained cool, a subordinate outside the pavilion entered and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, it is time to return to your palace to rest."
"Alright, let's go." The group disappeared into the Moon Blossom Pavilion, leaving the vast palace in a state of desolation.
In the solitary building behind Wang Yue Lou, within the most luxurious and exquisitely decorated room, Murong Liu Zun, clad in fine robes, reclined languidly on a soft couch, his posture casual and alluring.
However, his unconsciously shifting gaze held a strange, shimmering depth that dared not be met directly.
A steady voice sounded from outside the door, "Is he here?"
As the clear, cold voice echoed, a flash of brilliance crossed the dark eyes of the man who had been so languid moments before. He quickly replied, "You may enter."
"Yes, Master." The subordinate opened the door, ushering her and the young princess inside before closing it.