Mo Chou and Mo You looked on in amazement. This little ancestor, once grown, would be someone no one could afford to offend, lest they face a truly formidable adversary.
"As long as the person is alright," Mo You offered words of comfort, thinking from another perspective that it was good the person was unharmed, even if they were unattractive. Losing one's life would have been the most heartbreaking outcome.
"Mm," Mo Chou and Xiao Yu'er fell silent. The voices from outside carried into the room, every word heard. Qing Yao lay on the bed, too listless to move. Though Xiao Yu'er and Mo Chou felt indignant on her behalf, she didn't dwell on it too much. If she was ugly, so be it; she disdained those who judged by appearance. She closed her eyes to rest.
After Qing Yao woke up, she saw Mo You and instructed her to keep a close watch on Wu Qing and the others. She didn't wish to see them yet, as Yin Xuan had not yet obtained the antidote. She was waiting for it. What would be the point of meeting them now? She feared falling into that man's trap again. He would surely have people monitoring Wu Qing.
Yin Xuan secretly ordered Chang Ting to meet in secret with the Censor-in-Chief of the Dan Feng Dynasty, the same envoy who had accompanied the Crown Princess Ji Feng to Xian Yue. She had met the Emperor of Xian, and thus, meeting the Empress would be much easier.
Indeed, upon receiving Chang Ting's report, the Censor-in-Chief immediately went to the palace to inform Her Majesty the Empress. The Empress was greatly alarmed, wondering why the renowned Emperor of Xian had secretly come to Dan Feng. The Empress summoned several important ministers overnight to discuss the matter.
Finally, the Censor-in-Chief was dispatched to notify the Emperor of Xian of a gathering at Yue Hua Pavilion.
That night, at Yue Hua Pavilion, a gentle breeze rustled, and silk veils fluttered.
Outside the pavilion stood a line of eunuchs and palace maids, each vigilant and cautious. The Empress was resting inside the pavilion, and they had been ordered to stay far from it. The Empress had forbidden anyone from disturbing her.
Several dark figures drifted across the sky, like wisps of cloud, piercing the thin veils in an instant and landing in the pavilion.
Bearing an air of arrogance and a handsome, dominant presence, as if born to rule the world and look down upon all beings, the Emperor of Xian had resumed his true appearance. He gazed coldly at the woman seated above him. The Dan Feng Empress, in her fifties, wore a bright yellow phoenix robe, embroidered with gold and adorned with colorful phoenixes.
Her face, still retaining its charm, had gained a little weight. A fleeting glance of astonishment flickered in her bright eyes before they returned to a state of calm.
With three thousand concubines in the imperial harem, beauty had no effect on her whatsoever. It was simply because the man before her possessed a kingly aura, something her imperial consorts lacked. Her consorts came in all types, but one thing was missing.
Men of dominance were rare. In Dan Feng, where women held supreme authority, men were raised in secluded domesticity. Thus, men were generally refined and gentle. Where was the dominance? Even if they possessed any sharp edge, it had long been smoothed away.
"You are the Emperor of Xian."
"Yes," Mu Rong Liu Zun nodded gravely. With a wave of his hand, the men behind him retreated to the pavilion's edge, though they did not leave. They feared the Dan Feng Empress might act against their master and thus could not afford to be careless. However, they perceived the Empress to be quite sincere, as all defensive measures were positioned more than ten meters away.
"For what purpose have you sought out this Empress?"
The Empress spoke softly, her innate dignity lending her eyes exceptional sharpness. Her presence did not yield to Mu Rong Liu Zun.
Mu Rong Liu Zun slowly curved his lips into a cold, sinister smile and spoke slowly, "I have come to ask the Empress for something."
"What is it?"
The Empress's tone was somewhat displeased. Had he not told the Censor-in-Chief that he had important military matters to discuss with her?
She had assumed it was about an alliance between the two nations and had shown her sincerity by positioning the defenses so far away. She hadn't expected the Emperor of Xian to ask for something upon arrival. Her expression immediately darkened, and a chilling light flashed in her eyes.
"What is it you wish to ask of this Empress?"
"I will tell a story to the Empress, and she will naturally understand the whole matter."
Mu Rong Liu Zun could see the Empress's growing impatience and curled his lips into a cold smile.
Had she not been overjoyed to see him earlier? This rapid change was too swift. Considering how far she had positioned her defenses, could it be that she thought he was here to discuss cooperation? This woman's ambition was quite considerable.
"This Empress has important matters to attend to and does not have the leisure of the Emperor of Xian to travel such a distance just to tell stories. Or perhaps you have ulterior motives?"
The Empress spoke, narrowing her eyes, which gleamed with sharp light, filled with suspicion. Mu Rong Liu Zun remained unperturbed and spoke slowly.
"This is an old case from over twenty years ago. There was an Empress who doted on two male consorts. She simultaneously had both male consorts drink from the imperial procreation pool and perform a secret palace ritual. They then shared intimacy and conceived. Unexpectedly, both male consorts became pregnant. The Empress promised that whoever bore an imperial daughter would be the Crown Princess. If both bore imperial daughters, the first to give birth would be the Crown Princess, and the later one would be a prince. Who knew that one of the male consorts, proud and arrogant, gave birth to a son first? Unwilling to let the position of the primary consort fall into another's hands, he then swapped the phoenix for a dragon, bringing a woman into the palace, and cast the royal bloodline out into the wilderness."
The Emperor of Xian paused at this point and looked up at the Empress opposite him. She was a shrewd individual and quickly understood the implication, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"The Emperor of Xian means that the Imperial Husband gave birth to a son that day, not an imperial daughter."
"Yes."
The Emperor of Xian spoke in a deep voice. The Empress abruptly stood up, her face changing dramatically. She refused to believe that such a scandal had occurred under her rule; it was a pure scandal of the imperial family, and she would never believe it. What was this man's motive? She glared coldly at Mu Rong Liu Zun.
"What is your intention in secretly entering Dan Feng?"
"My intention? You should ask what Her Majesty the Empress has done! Allowing a harem member to meddle in state affairs, and furthermore, capturing my Empress, causing Qing Yao to be poisoned by Ang Shu."
"Does Her Majesty not know that your primary consort possesses special abilities? Not only did he harm my Empress, but he also harmed your own son. I have come to obtain the antidote and hope that the Empress will handle this matter properly."
The thought of Qing Yao's suffering sent a chilling, ominous aura radiating from Mu Rong Liu Zun, as if he were a spectral envoy from hell.
The Empress was startled, her eyes fixed on the Emperor of Xian with a sinister gaze, hoping he was joking or playing a trick on her. However, his expression was exceedingly serious.
This meant that the Emperor of Xian's presence here was because Dan Feng's primary consort had administered Ang Shu to his Empress and also to the child he had sent away.
The Empress mused confusedly. Wen Bo had always been gentle; how could he be so ruthless? When had all this happened? She hadn't known anything about it.
Silence fell upon the small pavilion. Just then, a soft, delicate voice drifted from afar.
"Is the Empress inside?"
"Yes, Imperial Husband Consort," came the respectful reply of the eunuch.
The Empress's expression turned frigid, her dark eyes as cold as ice. She gave a chilling command: "Let him in."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."
A palace maid responded, quickly descending the white jade steps. She bowed to Hua Wen Bo, who was approaching, and respectfully said, "Consort, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence. Please follow this servant inside."
Hearing the voice emerge from the pavilion, Hua Wen Bo felt a sense of unease, as if a shadow were cast over him.
He discreetly followed the palace maid up the white jade steps. Before he even entered, he sensed the palpable killing intent within the pavilion, making him even more cautious. He walked in without betraying his apprehension and looked up at Her Majesty the Empress. Her face was grim, her dark pupils flashing with sparks of anger, her sensual lips tightly pursed, indicating how terrible her mood was.