In Weiyang Palace, Liu Liu was discussing matters with Mu Xing. Several palace maids stood beside them, smiling as they looked at the Empress and the Crown Prince. The two, one large and one small, were equally outstanding and dazzling, bright as jewels.
"Mu Xing, I'll ask your father to find you a tutor soon. You need to start studying."
"Mother Empress, I don't want to study," Mu Xing whined, tugging on Liu Liu's arm. He had no desire to study, and he didn't want to be with that brat. Seeing him made him angry. Liu Liu’s expression turned stern as she refused, "No, you must study. Otherwise, you won't know anything when you grow up, and Mother Empress can't teach you like on the island."
"I won't study with that child. Why don't we bring Feng Xin Soul into the palace to study with me?" Mu Xing remembered Feng Xin Soul. He heard he had returned, which was great! Now he'd have someone to play with. A smile bloomed on his little face, his dimples deepening, making him incredibly cute.
Liu Liu listened to her son's suggestion and considered it seriously. This was good; an emperor needed friends. She would let Xin Soul be his accompanying student.
"Alright, let Xin Soul come into the palace as your accompanying student. You two will study together. When Mother Empress sees your Father Emperor, she'll ask him to find you a tutor."
Mu Xing nodded. Although studying was hard, having Xin Soul accompany him in the palace would surely make it less boring and much more interesting. He no longer objected to his mother's words. He reached out, wrapped his arms around his mother's neck, and planted a kiss on Liu Liu's cheek.
Liu Liu couldn't help but laugh, pinching her son's soft cheek. This little rascal, after getting what he wanted, planted a kiss on her. Otherwise, he’d have a stern face.
As the mother and son were playfully wrestling, the eunuch Xiao Anzi entered the great hall. He bowed respectfully.
"Reporting to the Empress, a young lady named Dai Mei wishes to see the Empress. Does the Empress wish to see her?"
Liu Liu abruptly stopped. Her face lit up with joy. It was Dai Mei! Mu Xing was also delighted. Before his mother could speak, he quickly waved his hand, "Let her in! Quickly invite her in."
"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince," Xiao Anzi bowed and retreated. He knew that although the Crown Prince was only five years old, he was a person of considerable authority. The Emperor and Empress doted on him immensely, and his words were not to be questioned. He immediately withdrew to welcome Dai Mei in.
Dai Mei entered the great hall, dusty and travel-worn, her entire demeanor appearing somewhat lost. She first respectfully greeted the Empress and the Crown Prince. Mu Xing had already rushed down, taking her hand and pulling her to sit beside him. He called out joyfully.
"Auntie, why have you come? Mu Xing missed you so much."
Seeing Mu Xing, Dai Mei finally showed some happiness. She smiled and hugged Mu Xing, "Auntie missed you too."
However, Liu Liu caught a trace of loneliness in Dai Mei's eyes. What had happened between Dai Mei and Hua Wu You?
Liu Liu waved her hand, signaling Cui'er to take Mu Xing away. She had something to ask Dai Mei. Cui'er responded, leading Mu Xing and the palace maids of Weiyang Palace out of the great hall.
The great hall fell silent. Liu Liu descended from her phoenix seat, her phoenix gown of crimson and frost lifting a splash of fiery red. Her expression was elegant, like a wisp of cloud drifting across the horizon.
"What happened?" she asked, walking to Dai Mei's side. Her voice was as soft and moist as water, a gentle pleasantness that flowed into one's heart like mountain streams. Dai Mei suddenly hugged Liu Liu's waist and burst into tears.
The grievances of many days collapsed at this moment. She sobbed uncontrollably. Liu Liu stroked her head, like a gentle mother caressing her child. To her, Dai Mei was a friend, a confidante, and family.
"He's gone. I don't know where he went. After we arrived at Qilian Mountain, I went through immense hardship to find someone to remove the蠱 from him. But in the end, he left without a word. I don't know where he went."
The more Dai Mei thought about it, the sadder she became. If she had known, she might as well have saved a cat or a dog. This man was not worth anything. At the very least, he should have said goodbye before leaving. Instead, he left them silently, without a word.
Forget it. It was better not to care about this man. She would never have to see him again, saving her the trouble. Yet, her heart felt stifled.
"Well, why did he leave? Did anything happen between you two on the way? Did you find out why he wanted to kill the Emperor?"
Liu Liu pressed for details. She couldn't fathom why Hua Wu You wanted to kill the Emperor. There must have been a deep-seated hatred. She had planned to ask him why he wanted to kill the Emperor once the蠱 on him was resolved, but she hadn't expected him to leave. She wondered if Dai Mei had heard anything.
Upon hearing Liu Liu's question, Dai Mei suddenly remembered something and immediately spoke, "He said he was the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty, and the current Emperor had a national feud with him, which is why he sought revenge."
Liu Liu froze upon hearing Dai Mei's words. She wasn't expecting any particular reaction but was in disbelief. Hua Wu You claimed to be the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty. Could he be her brother, Su Liu Feng?
How could this be possible? Hua Wu You had fiery red hair and blue eyes, which were characteristics of the barbarians. How could he be her twin brother, Su Liu Feng? Could their mother have barbarian blood?
Liu Liu frowned, deeply perplexed. She hadn't expected Hua Wu You to be her brother. If he were her brother, why wouldn't her aunt have any reaction? But why did Hua Wu You insist he was the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty?
"Did Hua Wu You himself say he was the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty?" Liu Liu anxiously asked Dai Mei. Dai Mei nodded, then added, "He also took out a jade pendant at the time, shaped like a sun. He called it something like Ri Shi (Sun Eclipse)."
"Ah!"
This time, Liu Liu was utterly astonished. She hadn't expected that the person she had been searching for so long was the man beside her, her brother Su Liu Feng. But why did he look so strange?
Her aunt had suspected Nangong Yue, but never Hua Wu You. Where had things gone wrong? If Hua Wu You was fake, who had misled him? Moreover, he possessed the Su family's Ri Shi. What was going on?
Liu Liu's expression flickered. Seeing her bewildered look, Dai Mei asked curiously.
"What's wrong, Master?"
"Rest for a while. Return to Xiaoyao Island and tell my aunt, Su Xin He, about Hua Wu You being the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty. See how she views this matter."
Liu Liu commanded Dai Mei in a deep voice. Dai Mei nodded, her face filled with confusion. Liu Liu sighed.
"I am a child of the Su family from the previous dynasty. I have a twin brother named Su Liu Feng. Su Liu Feng possessed a Ri Shi jade pendant. If he were truly Su Liu Feng, then he wouldn't be the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty at all. The emperor of the previous dynasty died without issue; where would a Crown Prince come from?"
"I see."
Dai Mei was stunned for a long moment. This matter was truly complicated. No wonder the master wanted to leave the palace back then. There were so many intricate issues. Then Hua Wu You couldn't be the master's brother, Su Liu Feng.
Dai Mei carefully examined her master, shaking her head in disbelief. "Master, no matter how I look at it, Hua Wu You doesn't resemble your twin brother. The difference is too great."
"If he isn't my brother, then where did the Ri Shi come from? This means someone has been deceiving him all along."
Liu Liu sighed softly. If Hua Wu You eventually realized he was just a pawn, that he was nothing, she didn't know how he would cope. Moreover, the person who deceived him was likely Prince Xiang, Feng Luo.