“Ping Aunt, I want to ask you something?”
Mu Rong Chong reached out and tightly clasped Ping An’s hand, making her tremble. Tears welled up in his eyes. The Crown Prince was still the same as when he was a child. She truly couldn’t understand why the Empress treated him this way.
“You may speak?”
“Did my father, the Emperor, really force the Empress Dowager?”
He recalled the words his mother had spoken when he was poisoned. He was born from his father's forceful act upon his mother, which was why she hated him, was that it? Ping Aunt must know about this. He couldn’t believe his father was that kind of person.
Hearing Mu Rong Chong’s words, Ping An began to cry. “It’s all in the past, why must the Crown Prince ask? It will only lead to more sorrow. Actually, it was not the late Emperor’s fault.”
Ping An lowered her head and wept, drops falling onto the table.
This was truly a karmic entanglement. Empress, what exactly did you tell the Crown Prince? She didn’t know about the bloody purge of the Eastern Palace that night because she had always tried to stop the Empress from doing such things. That night, the Empress told her nothing.
By the time she found out, Jing Yi had already become Emperor, replacing the Crown Prince. What more could she say?
“What exactly happened?”
Mu Rong Chong persistently asked. He wanted to know why his father had forced the Empress Dowager. In his memory, his father was a very handsome man, gentle and refined.
He possessed both the commanding presence of an emperor and the cultured, jade-like demeanor of a man. How could such a person force the Empress Dowager?
“Crown Prince, it wasn’t the late Emperor’s fault. The late Emperor loved the Empress dearly. It was all out of love. From the moment the Empress entered the palace, she was enfeoffed as Empress, the highest honor. Even when she began to be unhappy, the late Emperor still pitied her and indulged her in everything.
But as time passed, the late Emperor sensed something was wrong and pressed the Empress. When the Empress was cornered, she revealed that she already had a man she loved. This was a cruelty to the Emperor, who loved her deeply, which led to that incident.”
“So, that’s how it was.”
Mu Rong Chong breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that anyone would have acted that way in such a situation.
To a woman he loved deeply, whom he had always doted on and cherished, to suddenly discover that she loved someone else – what a blow that must have been! Why did his father pass away so young? It was all due to the wickedness of that woman.
She had always been a person who wore a human skin, yet was insatiably greedy. If she truly disdained the Emperor’s love that day, why didn’t she leave?
And regarding the matter of poisoning him, if she feared he would discover her having another child with Ye Qing Tian, why didn’t she leave with Ye Qing Tian and that child?
She craved power yet also wanted to enjoy love. She didn’t understand that one couldn’t have both fish and bear’s paw.
If Xiao’er were to tell him today that the person she loved in her heart was actually someone else, then his actions would absolutely not have been the Emperor forcing her.
He would have forced her night after night, ceaselessly, to bear him children, to be entangled together for all eternity. He would have killed that man.
His father, however, never forced her, perhaps due to deep love. Yet this vixen-hearted woman had done such a thing.
A chilling aura emanated from Mu Rong Chong’s face as he tightly gripped Ping Aunt’s hand.
“Ping Aunt, let me go.”
Ping An looked up and deeply into Mu Rong Chong’s eyes, tears glistening.
“Crown Prince, it’s not that I don’t want to let you go. I’ve thought about it for a long time. But the poison in your body has not been cured. The current Emperor and Lord Ye are both looking for you. Do you know? Because the Empress refused to hand you over, Lord Ye dispatched many subordinates disguised as eunuchs to patrol around Jingfu Palace. This place is almost like a prison, and you are poisoned. I’ve searched for a long time, but I haven’t found where the Empress kept the antidote.”
Ping An said with tears. Mu Rong Chong’s eyes were as deep as the sea. He took a deep breath, never expecting that his own mother was not as caring as a servant who looked after him. This was truly laughable.
“Ping Aunt, don’t be sad. How about this? You keep an eye on the movements in the palace. If anyone enters the palace, tell me.”
If Xiao’er truly came to the palace and knew he was here, she would definitely help him leave.
“Alright.”
Ping An wiped her tears and cautioned Mu Rong Chong, “Crown Prince, eat quickly. I cannot disappear for too long. Don’t worry, no one will find you here. I will find the antidote for you. As soon as I get the antidote and you take it, you can leave the palace.”
“Thank you, Ping Aunt.”
Mu Rong Chong was usually indifferent and rarely thanked anyone, but today Ping An was worthy of his thanks.
If he were to get out, he would surely treat Ping An well.
“Crown Prince, I must leave now.”
Ping An, fearing discovery, didn’t have time to say more to Mu Rong Chong before she left.
Now, no one from Changxin Palace could leave, let alone know about matters outside the palace. She had to find a way to go out and gather some information. This must not be known by Ye Qing Tian, nor by the Empress.
Recalling the Crown Prince from her childhood, Ping An felt this was the only thing she had to do.
She had remained unmarried and watched the Crown Prince grow up. Although he went to the mountains to learn martial arts at thirteen, she often visited him before that age. She liked him a lot. Now, she wanted to do something for him.
.............
Qing Feng Pavilion.
At night, as soon as it got dark, lamps were lit in the room. Yun Xiao woke up and stared coldly at the bright moon outside the window frame. Now, the only way was to cause chaos in the palace. They would secretly search Jingfu Palace to see if anyone was truly there.
As Yun Xiao was lost in thought, she heard voices outside the door, and her eyebrows rose as she looked. It was a eunuch dressed in blue eunuch robes. His head was bowed low, his appearance unclear. As he entered, he knelt down with a thud and spoke in a hushed voice, “Your servant greets Young Master Yue.”
Yun Xiao’s eyebrows shot up, and a cold smile curved her lips. Such swift action. It seemed Ye Su Xue couldn’t wait any longer. But that woman was quite clever to come begging her.
If she rashly obtained medicine from the imperial physicians, it would only lead to a dead end. And now the Ye family were mere commoners, so it was impossible for them to enter the palace. Thus, she could only come to her.
“Lift your head.”
Yun Xiao spoke in a deep voice. Yue Mei quickly lifted her head, looking directly at the Cold Moon Young Master. Under the bright light, the handsome face of the Cold Moon Young Master was covered by a layer of cold, ethereal gauze. His pupils were dark, and a fierce glint curved his lips.
Just a glance made one’s heart tremble, giving them the urge to flee, but she still had a task to perform, so she endured and did not move, though cold sweat dripped from her forehead.
“Your servant Yue Mei greets Young Master Leng Yue.”
“So, you are from Noble Consort’s side. Get up. Why have you come here in the dark?”
Yun Xiao was in a bad mood, so she didn’t give Cold Moon a pleasant look, staring at him gloomily. Yue Mei shivered again. This Young Master Leng Yue was truly terrifying, making one afraid. She quickly spoke.
“Our Lady wishes to ask Young Master Leng for a favor.”
“Speak.” Yun Xiao knew what this favor was. It was she who had sent that letter to Zhaoyang Palace. She wanted to use Ye Su Xue’s hand to eliminate the child in Ye Yu Yun’s womb.
This was Shangguan Yao’s first child, and it was a lineage he valued. She had heard his happy voice today, and it could be imagined how enraged he would be if this child were lost again. The palace would surely fall into chaos.
This would be beneficial for her to find Mu Rong’s whereabouts, and also beneficial for taking him out.