The Emperor was now aware of Chu Qianli's identity.
She was the daughter of Long Xiyue.
Although he had no proof, he had a strong suspicion about the relationship between Long Xiyue and Long Qianyue.
However, the Long family had withdrawn from Beiming after Chu Qianli left the imperial city.
Even if the Emperor knew he had been deceived for years, he was powerless.
"What did you say?" Chu Qianli's hand trembled, and the pill in her hand almost rolled onto the ground.
The Emperor watched, his heart filled with dread.
No one feared death, especially an Emperor who had lived a life of privilege and had begun to see himself as a deity.
Emperors throughout history had desired longevity, wishing for thousands of years of life.
He feared death more than anyone.
The pill in Chu Qianli's hand was his life-saving medicine; how could he let it be destroyed?
However, he needed to make a deal with this girl, and for that, he had to calm himself down.
"Back then, Long Xiyue died in Beiming. Now that you have returned to Longteng and become Empress, you should be well aware of this."
"I'm asking about the cause of my mother's death. How much do you actually know?"
Chu Qianli put down the pill and stared intently at his face, "Who harmed my mother to death?"
"She was poisoned and then fell off a cliff. I sent people to investigate this matter back then..."
"Could it be that this matter truly has nothing to do with you?" Chu Qianli knew she shouldn't get agitated.
More than a decade had passed since the incident. If she wanted to uncover the truth now, she had to remain calm.
But at this moment, she couldn't stay calm!
"There were forces within Beiming who colluded with Long Tianliu, jointly harming the Empress of Longteng, slandering my mother, and expelling her from the country! As the ruler of Beiming, how can this matter have nothing to do with you?"
"So, you have actually been suspecting me all along?" This girl was truly cunning! He hadn't detected her hatred at all!
Chu Qianli said coldly, "If I truly had evidence, I would not be saving you today!"
Hearing this, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.
He said, "At that time, I had only been on the throne for a short period and was consolidating my power. I had no time to harm your Longteng."
Chu Qianli remained silent, her clenched palm slowly relaxing.
She had learned about Beiming's history. When Long Xiyue had her accident, the current Emperor, Emperor Jing, though he had been on the throne for several years, those years were a period of unrest for Beiming.
His primary task was to stabilize his empire; expansion was something he truly lacked the capacity for.
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have intervened to save him multiple times.
Because deep down, she also felt that he was not responsible for Long Xiyue's death back then.
"Not only did I not harm your mother back then, but I even considered cooperating with your mother, but..."
"My mother sought your help, didn't she?" Chu Qianli's brow furrowed even tighter.
Her mother must have been desperate back then to have thought of seeking his help.
But she could almost imagine that back then, the Emperor must have felt that Long Xiyue had reached such a state that she had no further value, and therefore refused.
It was not entirely his fault for not helping.
But thinking about it now, her heart still ached.
The Emperor knew that his inaction back then had contributed to the cause of Long Xiyue's demise, so he dared not say more at this moment.
He pointed to a desk not far away, "In the third drawer from the bottom, there is a hidden compartment. Go and open it, and retrieve the small box inside."
Chu Qianli immediately went over and, following his instructions, took out the small box from within.
"Open it and take a look," the Emperor said again.
Chu Qianli's fingertips began to tremble slightly.
Opening the box, she found an old letter inside.
It was a letter from Long Xiyue!
On it, there was the seal of the imperial jade seal of her Longteng Kingdom!