"Eldest Brother, are you telling the truth? Qu Yuan is dead?" Ling Yao asked in shock. Did Linglong know about this?
"That's right, he died long ago. They said he drank too much and fell into a ditch, but I dug up his grave. He was strangled!"
Everyone...
To dig up someone's grave and then openly admit it.
"Zhong Liang, where did you hear such things? This is utter nonsense," Prince Ru Nan said with great sorrow. "Your father has always been distant from you, but he never treated you harshly. Do you really not wish him well? Are you truly here to see if your father is well, or do you have ulterior motives? In the past few months, you've been forming factions and winning over court officials. What exactly are you trying to do?" His gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials.
Instantly, many felt uneasy.
Heh, never treated him harshly?
The First Prince now realized the depth of Prince Ru Nan's scheming. It was laughable that he had once trusted him so much based on his gentle demeanor.
Ling Yao could no longer suppress her temper. "Uncle Wang, you say Eldest Brother has schemes, but you have taken over all state affairs, cutting off our contact with Father. Our second brother, the Crown Prince, does nothing all day in the palace. Why is that?"
Prince Ru Nan looked deeply at Ling Yao, then chuckled lightly after a pause. "Ling Yao, you truly make Uncle Wang see you in a new light. It seems you have changed a great deal this past year."
"People must grow. If you don't open your eyes, how can you distinguish between gods and demons?"
Prince Ru Nan nodded, not angered. He looked at the Second Prince, who had remained silent. "Zhong Yi, do you think the same?"
"I..." The Second Prince hesitated, then looked at Ling Yao with a conflicted expression. "Little Sister, I don't understand anything. Uncle Wang just hasn't had time to arrange things for me."
"Feng Shijin, wake up!" Ling Yao felt he was being incredibly foolish.
"So be it!" Prince Ru Nan smiled bitterly. "Since that is the case, then let us go to Feng Luan Palace and invite the Empress Dowager out. You should believe your mother's words, shouldn't you?"
"And you all!" He said to Minister Cao and the others, "Come along!"
Ling Yao and the First Prince exchanged glances, both filled with doubt.
The palace was filled with Prince Ru Nan's people. He couldn't possibly not know that no one was in Feng Luan Palace. Or did he have another plan?
Regardless of the reason, they had to go and see.
Soon, a crowd of people, like a surging tide, headed to Feng Luan Palace. Numerous guards stood at the entrance. Prince Ru Nan explained the situation, and the guards went in to report.
Shortly, a wet nurse came out. Everyone recognized her as Granny Zhou, who had always been by the Empress's side.
Ling Yao was somewhat surprised. She hadn't seen Granny Zhou when she visited before. Could Mother really be inside?
"This old servant greets Your Highness, the Prince, the Princess, and all the officials. The Empress is tidying her appearance. Please wait a moment."
Mother is really inside?
What was going on?
Indeed, after a short while, Granny Zhou came out to help the Empress. She was draped in a purple sable cloak, wearing a phoenix coronet, dressed very solemnly. Her round face, however, was unadorned, looking somewhat pale and not in good spirits.
"Mother!" The Second Prince exclaimed with surprise.
"Imperial Sister-in-law."
"Your subject greets the Empress."
The chorus of voices ended. The Empress smiled and nodded. "I have heard everything. Thank you for your concern, all you officials. It's just the children being unruly. The Emperor is merely weak in spirit. The imperial physicians have prescribed rest. I visited him a few days ago; it's not what you think."
"Empress Dowager, is the Emperor lucid?" Minister Cao asked.
"Naturally, he is lucid, but he tires easily and cannot tolerate any stimulation. The imperial physicians say he has a tumor in his brain and they are developing effective medication to dissolve it, so it will take time. If there are important matters, you may discuss them with the Prince."
Mother seemed unchanged, always gentle and polite to everyone, her demeanor graceful and measured. In Ling Yao's memory, her mother had always been this way, towards her and her second brother. She didn't visit Feng Que Tower often, and when she did, she would say a few gentle words and leave.
Neither cold nor overly warm.
She hadn't felt anything was wrong; Mother was simply of that disposition, towards Father, and towards everyone.
But Ling Yao, having experienced hardship, was often sensitive. She suddenly felt that this Mother was very similar to Prince Ru Nan.
Hypocritical.
"Eldest Brother, is Mother being controlled?" she whispered to the First Prince.
"No, if one is infected with the Soul Devouring Gu, they lose their own consciousness."
The two were very close, whispering to each other, which the Second Prince saw. He immediately became angry.
When had Ling Yao and Eldest Brother become so intimate, while always being angry with him? Little Sister had always been soft and gentle; her anger towards him must have been instigated by Eldest Brother.
"Little Sister, why aren't you paying your respects to Mother?"
Ling Yao looked over. The Empress was also looking at her. Her exquisite, celestial beauty made her momentarily dazed.
Ling Yao smiled. "It's been a year, Mother. You seem to have gained some weight."
Everyone: "..."
Is that how one speaks to their mother?
However, the Empress did seem to have gained some weight. Shouldn't she have lost weight from worrying about the Emperor daily?
The Empress's faintly smiling face stiffened.
Prince Ru Nan reprimanded, "Ling Yao, how can you speak to your Empress like that?"
What business is it of yours how she speaks? Who do you think you are?
She had said she was going to marry into another country, and the Empress was heartbroken – it was all false! Her eyes held no regard for her daughter. Ever since she came out, the noble Empress had maintained her posture, not even looking at her.
Was this the behavior of a mother missing her daughter?
She was no longer the fool she used to be; she could see through some things.
Her mother's gaze towards Prince Ru Nan was different.
Her suddenly disappearing and then suddenly reappearing mother, the woman from Prince Ru Nan's mansion – she dared not believe it, yet the facts forced her to.
Just now, Yu Shan's whisper in her ear, "She seems to be pregnant," shattered all her reason.
Her belly was hidden, and judging by the curve, it was larger than hers. Father was poisoned by the Gu, whose child was it!
A bastard!
"Mother, I had a dream a few days ago. I dreamt Father's eyes were bleeding. He said a treacherous minister was ruining the country! He said he was like a trapped beast, unable to break free! Have you truly seen Father?"
"Ling Yao! What nonsense are you talking? Are you questioning your Empress Dowager?" Prince Ru Nan's face darkened, and he berated her angrily.
The Empress seemed struck, swaying slightly. Granny Zhou supported her and said urgently, "Princess, please don't say more. How can dreams be taken seriously? If you say this, the Empress Dowager will be so sad!"
"Little Sister! What is wrong with you? How have you become so cold? She is our Empress!" The Second Prince also accused her heartbrokenly.
Ling Yao smiled, looking at her family, her eyes growing colder.
The First Prince leaned beside her and declared loudly, "Ling Yao is a divine maiden. How can a divine maiden's dream be an ordinary dream? What she says is naturally true! If Prince Ru Nan doesn't let us see, then he has something to hide!"
"Presumptuous!" The Empress rebuked. She looked at Ling Yao, her eyes filled with disappointment. "As soon as you returned, you caused trouble. Do you resent your father for taking away your divine maiden status and exiling you to the Turks?"
"It was not Father who exiled me to the Turks, but a treacherous minister! If it is to be unknown to gods, it must be done by ghosts. Why was Noble Consort Aunt confined? Do you really need me to say it? Because through her, you poisoned Father with the Gu! You have controlled Father for a year!"