The Empress Dowager’s face was grim. She stammered for a few moments, unable to speak. She understood the Emperor’s implication: that the veiled Divine Dragon Palace was still the true Yao’er.
As for Yun Mo, he had known all along that the Emperor in the palace was fake. That was why he had been patient, intending to help the true Yao’er reclaim the throne. But how could this be possible?
“The world has never heard of anyone curing love flowers.”
“The world is vast and full of wonders, Mother. What is there to disbelieve?”
On this matter, Shangguan Yao was certain. He himself was a prime example. Who would have ever imagined that the Empress Dowager had another son besides the Crown Prince, and that he would then usurp the throne by a switch? Thus, many things in the world were hard to explain.
Whether the Empress Dowager had truly heeded the Emperor’s words was unknown, but her eyes were vacant and her expression was exceedingly unsightly. Her complexion was paler than Shangguan Yao’s, and the body seated on the bed couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Thinking that the person might indeed be Yao’er, her tears flowed uncontrollably. If it was the true Yao’er, then his return meant he was truly coming to claim the throne.
This was because the throne belonged to the Shangguan family, not the Ye family. He loved his father so much that he certainly would not allow anyone to tarnish the dignity of the Shangguan family.
“Yao’er.”
The Empress Dowager began to cry. The Emperor raised his head, knowing that the Yao’er she spoke of was not him, but the true Emperor, and he himself was Ye Jingyi, an illegitimate son who should never have been born.
At this thought, Shangguan Yao felt a pang of sorrow.
In truth, he had never even been able to be his true self in his entire life, and thus his heart was equally tormented. However, with things having come to this pass, neither he nor his mother could turn back.
“Mother, you must help me. He has returned, because, because?”
With tear-filled, hazy eyes, the Empress Dowager stared intently at him, wondering what else the Emperor wanted.
Shangguan Yao mustered all his strength to speak, “Last night, Leng Yue entered the palace. I drank with him, and after just two or three cups, I became intoxicated. He must have done something. This morning, I discovered the Jade Dragon Talisman was stolen.”
After speaking, Shangguan Yao removed the fake Jade Dragon Talisman from his waist, rose, and walked to the bedside, offering it to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was even more horrified. From this incident, she could be more certain that the person behind it was indeed Yao’er. But why would Yun Mo hand it over? The Empress Dowager could not understand this at all.
“Yao’er.”
The Empress Dowager did not know what to say. Between mother and son, only fear remained. Shangguan Yao sat by the bed, tightly holding the Empress Dowager’s hand, and spoke in a deep voice.
“Mother, only you can save me now. I beg you, help me one more time. If I can get through this, I will surely give the Ye family important positions. I have learned my lesson this time and know that only relatives are reliable; others are not.”
“Yao’er, if you knew this day would come, why did you do it in the first place?”
The Empress Dowager cried again, sobbing uncontrollably. By this point, she no longer knew what to say, or what else there was to say. Looking at the Emperor, she wondered what other ideas he had.
“Mother, give Yao’er a chance. Please help Yao’er. If he truly succeeds in taking the throne, how will Mother face him? How will Mother face the world, as well as the Ye and Ye families? So many people have been implicated. Does Mother truly intend to ignore it all?”
“Then what do you want this empress to do?”
She had already wronged her son once; what more was there to do? All of this in the palace originally belonged to him. It was the greed of Jingyi and her that had harmed everyone. What could be done now?
“Mother, we must find a way to capture him and retrieve the Jade Dragon Talisman, then everything will be fine. After that, I will replace the personnel in the Ministry of War.”
A flash of ferocity flickered in Shangguan Yao’s eyes as he spoke with a bloodthirsty tone. His face was somewhat contorted at this moment, utterly unlike his former handsome demeanor. The Empress Dowager stared at him dazedly, her reaction delayed for a long time.
“Yao’er?”
“Mother, please help me. I will remember this lesson well in the future. If he has indeed returned, and you say the Ye family was involved in this matter, will they have a good outcome? What about the Ye family? He is my relative. Will that person let them off? Mother, don’t you think of these things?”
“Do you intend to kill him again?”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes were very cold as she stared intently at Shangguan Yao. She had already killed him once. If he was still alive, she would not kill him again, so he should not think about it.
Shangguan Yao’s deep eyes suddenly flashed, and his tone softened. “Mother, I know you pity him. Mother, rest assured, I will not kill him this time. At most, I will imprison him. Once my reign is stable, I will release him.”
“You?”
The Empress Dowager did not believe Shangguan Yao’s words at all. Did she not know what kind of person he was? How could someone who didn’t even respect his own mother spare Yao, when he was like this? But in the current situation, what should be done?
She had already harmed Yao and some people in the Eastern Palace. Did she have to harm Jingyi and Qing Tian again?
The Empress Dowager wept profusely, not knowing what to say. She waved her hand, “Go down. Let this empress think about it carefully.”
“Mother?”
Shangguan Yao wanted to say more, but the Empress Dowager suddenly raised her head and screamed as if driven mad, “This empress said, let me have some peace!”
“Yes, Mother.”
Shangguan Yao had no choice but to comply and leave, leading the eunuch back to Jingfu Palace. Not knowing what decision his mother would ultimately make, Shangguan Yao was like an ant on a hot pan, anxiously waiting for news in the grand hall of Jingfu Palace.
On this side of Changxin Palace, the Empress Dowager cried and cried. She knew what Yao cared about, but what should she do? She truly couldn’t bear to let Yao die again.
Ping’an did not know what was wrong with the Empress Dowager, or if the Emperor had said something to anger her, causing her to cry for the entire morning. Her hair was disheveled, and she refused to get up or eat. She had fainted from crying several times, and upon waking, she continued to cry.
“Your Highness, please stop crying. If you continue to cry, something will happen. Your Highness’s body cannot withstand it.”
The head eunuch, Lin An, also quickly came to persuade her, “Empress Dowager, please do not be sad. It is we servants who are useless, not having served you wholeheartedly to bring Your Highness comfort.”
As his words fell, the eunuchs and palace maids in Changxin Palace all knelt down.
The Empress Dowager looked at the eunuchs and palace maids in her sleeping quarters with swollen, red eyes. She still had some affection for these people who had served her. She waved her hand, “Everyone, get up.”
Lin An and Ping’an, having heard the Empress Dowager’s words, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Leading the group to rise, Ping’an approached and said softly, “Does Your Highness wish to eat something?”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, “Except for Lan Ji, the rest of you may withdraw.”
Lan Ji had been recently sent into the palace by Ye Qing Tian. Because Jia Ye had been killed, and fearing the Empress Dowager would lack someone to keep her company, Ye Qing Tian had sent Lan Ji into the palace.