Phoenix Overlooking the World, Dancing Alone for You Chapter 61: Mother and Son Conversation

  The next morning, just after dawn.

  Yongshou Palace

  "What to do, Empress Dowager?" Princess Zijin wore a white embroidered peony cheongsam with a pink sash and a long skirt, her hair styled in an elegant cloud-shaped bun, with jade and green jade earrings.

  Obviously visible on the other side of her cheek, a white bandage was wrapped around it. Due to her anxious movements, tiny spots of crimson seeped through, making it look even more terrifying.

  The palace maids who were waiting on the side, one by one, all lowered their heads and did things with trepidation, not daring to relax in the slightest. They didn't know what had happened at the princess's mansion banquet last night, nor why the empress dowager was sent back to the palace in a daze, nor that when they saw Princess Zijin again, she would be missing an ear.

  Qī Yuè Guó, who doesn't know and who isn't familiar with it. The spoiled and arrogant Princess Zǐ Jīng, whoever dares to lay a hand on her must have the guts of a giant. However, in private, they find it particularly refreshing.

  Just because she was born into a noble family, is she a princess or something? It's not like they're treating them as humans, always scolding and beating them up.

  Their lives are not lives, heaven is all-seeing, and bad people will eventually get their due.

  "What to do, you ask me what to do, why didn't you listen to me last night?" The Empress Dowager's face was deathly pale, and even with her vast experience in handling crises, she still hadn't recovered from the shock.

  In the middle of the night, she woke up and asked Aunt Qin about what happened afterwards. It was fine if she didn't say anything, but once she started talking, she got so angry that her eyes rolled back, her chest hurt, and she almost fainted again.

  Leng Xue, that despicable woman, she actually destroyed nearly half of the elite guards she had carefully cultivated for most of her life. It's really detestable. That short arrow could have taken her life, yet someone appeared out of nowhere to save her with their own body. What does she have that's so good, worth someone dying for?

  "Mother, I was wrong, please forgive me." Princess Zijin had no regard for her identity, face, or dignity. She didn't want to die, so she had to humble herself. In front of the palace maids and eunuchs, she knelt upright in front of the Empress Dowager.

  Originally, in front of Leng Xueyao, she was nothing. The princess, how could she be any different? She designed her, disobeyed her, threatened her, and cut off her ears with a knife.

  She didn't know why Leng Ziyue was still sparing her life, but she knew for sure that there must be a bigger conspiracy waiting for her, and Leng Ziyue would never let her off.

  Since imperial power means nothing to her, what else can save her life?

  Rather than losing everything under her umbrella, she at least wanted to grasp a straw that could save her life.

  "Empress Dowager, don't get angry and worry about your body." It's said that under a big tree is where one can enjoy the cool breeze. Qin Auntie has no choice but to guard this big tree, the Empress Dowager. She's already old, if the Empress Dowager were to pass away, she would have to serve another master, not being reused is a small matter, being bullied is the bigger issue.

  She didn't want to spend her whole life in the harem, still suffering humiliation even when she was old.

  Apart from guarding the Empress Dowager and consolidating her position, she had no other way out.

  "Hmph, how can I not be angry?" The Empress Dowager coldly snorted. Those dead guards were all her favorites, and she was reluctant to use them unless absolutely necessary. Who would have thought that they would be completely destroyed by her own most trusted daughter?

  Forget it, raising children is all about repayment, she doesn't acknowledge it and that's that.

  "Your Majesty, have a cup of tea to calm down." He handed the tea to the Empress Dowager while making eye contact with Princess Zijin, hinting that she should say something apologetic and conciliatory, not to be stubborn.

  After all, she was the daughter born to the Empress Dowager, how could she possibly be truly angry.

  "Mother, I really know I was wrong. Whether you want to beat me or punish me, I'll accept it all, as long as you can calm down and not get too angry with yourself." Princess Zijin knelt on the ground, pinched her thigh hard, her eyes reddened, tears welled up in her eyes, and she sobbed, as if she really knew her mistake.

  She hated Leng Xueyu, hated that she wasn't eating her flesh and drinking her blood, but she no longer had the guts to provoke her, that woman would really kill her with one knife.

  If Leng Zixue wanted to, even if the Emperor himself begged for mercy on her behalf, it would be of no use.

  "Everyone get out." With a wave of her hand, the Empress Dowager dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs, leaving only herself, Princess Zijin, and Qin Ayi in the room.

  "Yes." The humble one lowered his head and backed out respectfully.

  "Empress, what do you think we should do?" Last night's incident was so big that the Emperor couldn't possibly not have heard any rumors. The matter of the Dead Guard needs to be explained somehow. Princess Zijin is really flustered.

  The empress secretly nurtured the dead guards, entrusting them to her management. Since ancient times, which emperor has ever been lenient in the face of such things? Just thinking about the punishment that is about to come, she was so frightened that her whole body trembled.

  "I don't know." After thinking hard for a whole night, she still couldn't come up with a solution.

  At that time, in order to sit on the queen's position, she used all means and exhausted her mind, finally achieving her wish. The taste of having unparalleled power made her increasingly obsessed with power.

  She had fantasized about what it would be like to sit on the dragon chair.

  If she weren't the emperor's daughter, how could she have ascended to the throne? Others can do it, so can she. But she is the emperor's daughter and also the empress. When the previous emperor fell ill, she took advantage of her status to help her son ascend to the throne, making herself the Empress Dowager above all others.

  However, she was still not satisfied with the status quo and hoped to monopolize power.

  The emperor had always listened to her words, doing anything would first come to ask for her opinion, and then issue an edict. She liked that feeling, very much liked it, until the emperor wanted to establish a empress, for the first time disobeying her will.

  Chu Ningning, the daughter of Wang Chu, was favored by the Emperor to be his Empress. He went against her and brought out the ancestral rules, wanting her to give up her rights.

  She conformed to the emperor's wishes and established Chuning as empress, after which many subsequent events occurred, each of which made her extremely angry whenever she thought about them.

  Time and time again, they quarreled. After Chuning Ning was granted death, the knot between her and the Emperor could no longer be untied, and she also handed over all the power in her hands. He no longer listened to her words.

  Because of this, she began to secretly cultivate her own power. No one could go against her will. If the Emperor didn't favor her, then she would make the Emperor need her. As long as she had real power, she didn't believe that there wouldn't be a day when the Emperor would beg for her help.

  Now everything is ruined, ruined by her own daughter's hands.

  Having such a large number of dead guards would only push the emperor further away from her, and she couldn't think of a way to deal with it.

  "Mother..." The purple crystal princess called out weakly, lowering her head and tightly grasping the hem of the empress dowager's skirt. She didn't want to die, but she was even more afraid that all the blame would be pushed onto her.

  "Get up!" The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, her long armor stretching out, the bright red color making Princess Zijin let out a scream, reminding her of the bloodthirsty and cruel Leng Ziyue from last night. She was someone who liked blood, liked the vibrant red color. Her body, which had just stood up, almost fell to the ground again in disarray.

  She couldn't forget, how Han Yue's hand felt as she pressed against her face, and cut off her ear with a single slash, the cool sensation making her heart tremble with fear.

  Blood splattered onto her face, numb with pain, she had long since lost consciousness.

  "What are you shouting about?" The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow, her sharp eyes fixed on Princess Zijin's face as if trying to see right through her.

  "After the empress, I don't want to see anything red, it's too scary, just like Leng Ziyue, she is a bloodthirsty and murderous devil." Shaking her head, somewhat dazed, Purple Crystal Princess didn't dare sit close to the Empress Dowager, finding a slightly farther position, sitting quietly there, muttering to herself.

  "Useless thing." A cold glance from her and she's already scared like this, how can she do great things? "What happened to you last night, the dance was going well, why did you suddenly start stripping..."

  Realizing that uttering such indecent words from her mouth was an insult to her identity, the words that had already reached the tip of her tongue were forcibly swallowed back by the Empress Dowager.

  "I, the young prince, didn't understand what was going on either. At that time, I only remembered seeing Leng Ziyue's face without a hint of smile, and the dance was about to end soon. My mind was anxious thinking of a way to respond. Then, what happened next I completely don't remember, nor do I know what I was doing, until..." Princess Zijin clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she spoke.

  Everything is Cold Ziyue's fault, that's why she has to compromise and lose all her dignity.

  "Continue." The empress dowager gave Princess Zijin a cold glance, the fact was almost as she had thought, only after understanding the cause and effect could she think of a good way to shift all the blame off her.

  "Until that wretched woman, Leng Yinling, held a knife to kill me, I didn't wake up and come back to my senses. Only then did I realize I wasn't wearing anything on my body." Princess Zi Jing recalled the humiliating events, her face turning darker and darker. "It was only when I changed clothes that the missing memories from that time clearly reappeared in my mind, every detail crystal clear."

  It's fine if she can't remember, but she remembers more clearly than anyone else, and those fragments pierce her mind bit by bit.

  Last night, piece by piece, in her dream, the image of her undressing, charming and seductive, hinting at provocative words, crystal clear.

  She even dreamed of it, and the more she didn't want to think about it, the more she couldn't help but think about it. She just felt that feeling was especially comfortable, even more so than when she was secretly dating Zheng Muqi, making her unable to stop.

  Looking at Princess Zijin's face, which was flushed with excitement, the Empress Dowager's face turned darker than a pot bottom, with a hint of "hating iron for not becoming steel", "Don't be foolish, pay attention to your status."

  "The young prince was at a loss for words, his voice trailing off... The Princess Zi Jing hung her head in shame."

  She never forgot her identity, her husband died so many years ago, it was for the sake of the royal family's reputation, she didn't even have the chance to remarry.

  It's not as good as those village women who can remarry whether they are divorced or widowed, but she cannot, and can only live a life of widowhood.

  "Your Ladyship, I think that Cold Silver Bell is also suspicious. How could she suddenly take a knife to assassinate the princess without any reason or benefit? Moreover, she doesn't have the guts." Qin Auntie spoke with her head lowered, not daring to be careless.

  "After the empress, I also think she doesn't have that kind of courage." The woman who was kicked flying by her wasn't scary at all, what's scary is that she might be used by others, just to wake up her own catalyst.

  Zi Jing Gong Zhu's eyes sank, if it was really Leng Zhe Yue who controlled her mind and manipulated Leng Yin Ling to pretend to assassinate her, but in fact woke her up to achieve her goal, then Leng Zhe Yue would be too terrifying.

  Her plan was a win-win situation, regardless of whether it succeeded or failed, and she had nothing to lose.

  "Haha... " Understanding the cause and effect of things, the Empress Dowager burst out laughing in a self-mocking manner. Leng Ziyue, ah Leng Ziyue, you're so clever, but if you really become a pawn for the House of Yi, I'm afraid even the House of Yi won't be able to control you.

  If you were born a few decades earlier, there would be no place for the Ji family in the imperial court.

  "Your Majesty, I..." Qin Auntie's words were cut off as she gently stroked the Empress Dowager's chest. Just then, Eunuch Liu, who stood beside the Emperor, loudly announced: "I have come to pay my respects to Your Imperial Majesty. The Emperor requests your presence at the Qianlong Hall for a meeting."

  Princess Zi Jing's body trembled, her legs suddenly went soft, and her hand jerked, almost knocking over the teacup beside her. Her eyes were filled with fear and terror.

  She finally knew that ending her own life with one knife was much happier than living in fear.

  At this moment, she is like a startled bird, always on guard, afraid that the people closest to her will harm her.

  "I'll be there soon." The Empress Dowager picked up her rosary, and the inevitable couldn't be avoided. The Emperor's summons came later than she had expected.

  He still cares about the mother-son relationship after all, right?

  "The slave withdraws." The old duke received his reply and quietly left.

  "Zi Jing, you go back to the Princess's mansion first. I'll find you again." The Empress Dowager waved her hand and didn't look at Princess Zi Jing anymore. Qin Gu Gu understood and called over a palace maid to help the Empress Dowager change into new clothes and re-do her hair, making her look majestic once more.

  "Yes, Your Majesty." The princess nodded obediently and turned to leave with big strides.

  Empress Dowager, do not sell out your son's ministers. If you are not benevolent, then do not blame your son's ministers for being disloyal.

  As long as she can live, she will pay any price.

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  Coiled Dragon Hall

  "How many of those dead guards are left?" From within the inner palace, amidst the wafting fragrance of sandalwood and the majestic screen with a spread-winged roc, the stern voice of the Moon Emperor rang out.

  He knows everything but can't do anything before his wings are fully grown.

  If you want to do it, you must succeed at one stroke; otherwise, you will never recover in a thousand years.

  A man in a long blue robe with a handsome face stood respectfully outside the screen and said loudly, "There is still one of the strongest dead guards left."

  Zi Jing Gong Zhu had always been extremely arrogant, in her opinion, summoning those dead guards was enough to kill Leng Zhi Yue and still have some left over, but unexpectedly, they would all be defeated.

  Leng Xue's ruthless and bloodthirsty nature made everyone who saw her tremble with fear at the aura of slaughter that surrounded her.

  Even a seasoned warrior with countless bloodstains on his hands would involuntarily weaken by half in front of her.

  "We can eliminate them all." On the pure white rice paper, a bold and powerful stroke was added to the large character for "kill", and the Moon Emperor felt that the time had come.

  His mother was a woman with extremely deep city governance, for the sake of power, she could do anything. In addition to this batch of dead guards handed over to Princess Zijin, there is another batch of deeply hidden shadow guards directly under her jurisdiction.

  If he doesn't cut off her left and right arms quickly, letting her continue to grow stronger, it will be difficult to control her later.

  "The Emperor has already had a wonderful plan in mind, why need to let subordinates like us take action." A flash of dim light flickered across his eyes and disappeared instantly. He had been following the Moon Emperor for not just one or two days, so he could guess a few parts of the Moon Emperor's thoughts.

  Leaving such a good chess piece like Leng Xueyu unused would be a waste.

  "Heh heh, I don't like it when others guess my thoughts." The calm tone carried a hint of chilliness, and the Emperor's eyes had already taken on a murderous intent.

  "Under him many mouths." Single knee kneeling down, Liang Xiao actually forgot that his companion was the old tiger of a nation's monarch.

  "You are the leader of my dark guards, having been by my side for so many years. Even without emotions, you've developed them too. If you can't even guess this, then I've wasted my time raising you." A figure clad in a bright yellow dragon robe emerged from within, walking with an air of majesty, his sharp eyes fixed intently on Liang Xiao.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  "What is Leng Xueyu doing now?" Standing by the window with his hands behind his back, Yue Di's eyes flashed with too many emotions, neither sad nor happy, bitter and hard to understand.

  Liang Xiao said in a low voice: "After returning to the Zhongjun Hou Mansion, she has never appeared again."

  It's not that he wants to strike himself, but he has a feeling that Leng Xueyu had discovered their existence long ago and just pretended not to know.

  Hesitating whether to inform Yue Di and make him more vigilant.

  "Speak your mind, I know your temperament." Without turning around, the Moon Emperor also sensed his hesitation.

  "Leng Ziyue seemed to have already discovered the whereabouts of the inferior people, but it was unclear why she pretended not to know." People say that the emperor's heart is the most difficult to measure and understand. In his opinion, Leng Ziyue's thoughts were even more difficult to comprehend than the emperor's heart.

  The Moon Emperor furrowed his thick eyebrows, thinking deeply, "As long as you don't touch her bottom line, she won't make things difficult for you, just pay attention to her major actions."

  At least, for now, it seems that Leng Xueyu and he have the same goal, which is to destroy all the power in the hands of the Empress Dowager.

  She wants to take back everything that the Zhongjun Houfu has lost, and he is willing to lend a hand; she dislikes the Empress Dowager, Princess Zijin, and he can turn a blind eye, letting her do as she pleases; she wants to get rid of her step-sister, Yiniang, and that has nothing to do with him.

  Yuandi wants to retrieve all the power that fell into the hands of the Empress Dowager and must rely on Leng Ziyue.

  She is so arrogant and domineering that she dares to do what others do not dare to do.

  Secondly, her identity is in a very delicate position, and not everyone dares to touch her.

  She was a capable woman who single-handedly took down half of the elite guards that the Empress Dowager had painstakingly trained.

  It is more profitable to befriend her than to oppose her.

  "Yes." Liang Xiao nodded his head and didn't say another word.

  "Order it down, keep a close eye on Princess Zijin. Without losing any soldiers or generals, if you can take down the remaining batch of dead guards, then act quickly." He needs to expand his own team and cannot let go of those who can be used.

  The eunuch Liu stood outside the inner palace gate, holding a dustpan and softly reporting: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived."

  "I'll be right there." With a nod from the Moon Emperor, Liang Xiao flew up to the roof beam and hid his breath along with himself.

  "Yes."

  "Go ahead with confidence, and report to me immediately if anything happens." The soft voice faded away in the thick fragrance of sandalwood, the Moon Emperor adjusted his dragon robe, and took elegant big steps out of the inner hall.

  Mom, how long has it been since we last had a good chat just the two of us?

  Looking back, he used to listen to her and follow her wishes without questioning why.

  It was that weak and incompetent him, who couldn't even protect the woman he loved most, and with a torn heart, he watched her take her last breath in front of his own eyes.

  He hated his own incompetence even more than he hated the mother who had given birth to him.

  What kind of power and desire could be more important than his own happiness, he really wanted to know.

  "Empress Dowager, please have some tea. The Emperor has risen from the imperial study." Eunuch Liu personally handed her a cup of pre-rain Longjing tea, serving her with great care.

  "Hmm." Savoring the fragrance of tea, the Empress Dowager's expression softened as she quietly tasted the tea, unhurried and unruffled.

  The emperor sought her out for a reason, and it was clear in his heart. Even if he worried about it, it would be of no use to the matter.

  "The Emperor has arrived!" The small eunuch who made the announcement raised his voice and shouted in a shrill tone, as if afraid that someone might not hear him.

  "The Queen Mother is safe." The Moon Emperor walked away, waving his hand to dismiss the eunuchs and palace maids waiting on the side. His expression was warm and gentle, neither angry nor furious, with emotions that were hard to discern.

  He had to admit that his mother's deterrent force on the civil and military officials was very strong, in the princess mansion, her one word, no one dared to spread out everything that happened last night.

  If he is indeed a foolish ruler, it's possible that he may not know anything about what's going on.

  Early in the morning, on the imperial court, he really wanted to scold people. So, he took advantage of the situation and punished many people, just to vent his anger and put out the fire.

  "The emperor has arrived, please sit down quickly." The empress dowager said lovingly, with a gentle look in her eyes.

  Mr. Liu walked to the end, gently closed the door, and stood still like a great Buddha, guarding the entrance without moving at all.

  "Mother, I'd like to hear your thoughts on what happened at the princess's mansion last night?" The Moon Emperor asked straightforwardly.

  He can take advantage of Leng Xue's words to get things done, and that girl will not miss the opportunity, and she will also find him personally.

  "Your Majesty... " The Empress Dowager's face stiffened, she wanted to explain, but no matter what she said, it would be wrong.

  The Emperor seemed to have anticipated her expression, lowering his deep black eyes and saying in a low voice: "This morning, none of the ministers mentioned what happened last night, but the Fourth Miss of the Zhongjun Marquis's estate came to me seeking justice...". He glanced at the Empress Dowager's face and wisely stopped speaking.

  It's all about who has a deeper understanding of the Tao.

  "She's talking about justice, she's simply outrageous, not a bit... " As soon as the Empress Dowager mentioned Leng Ziyue, she couldn't calm down, and as soon as she opened her mouth, she was furious, losing her composure.

  "Regardless of how cold and frosty the situation is, Empress Dowager only needs to tell me what's going on with that batch of dead guards. I just need a reasonable explanation - are those people yours or Princess Zijin's?" The Emperor smiled lightly, not giving him an explanation, and this matter was thus dropped.

  "Alas...," Sacrificing Princess Zi Jing, she can still stand firm, if she acknowledges that all the dead guards were trained by her, wouldn't she be...

  Too many consequences, beyond the Empress Dowager's expectations, for a moment her heart was racing, always feeling that something was about to happen.

  "After the empress dowager, when the emperor was still alive, he once said to his son that no matter whether it was a member of the royal family or a civil and military minister, if they privately cultivated their own power, they would be put to death. Princess Zijin has always been a great help to the empress dowager, even in front of this emperor, she is very arrogant, how could the moon emperor let go of this opportunity to get rid of her."

  He just wants to see how their mother will choose when facing power and authority.

  The empress dowager's thoughts were a thousand miles away, her brow furrowed, the embroidered handkerchief in her hand had unknowingly changed shape, and could no longer withstand her torment.

  "The Empress Dowager will give you a chance to wait, let the Empress Dowager think carefully about how to tell you." With a heavy sigh, the Empress Dowager looked into Emperor Ming's eyes, not knowing where to start.

  She is ambitious, but she is also a mother who loves her children. To ask her to choose between herself and her daughter would be a great challenge for her own son.

  "In that case, I shall wait quietly for good news from Mother." The Moon Emperor sat upright in his main seat, his downcast eyes covering all his thoughts, and his slightly trembling fingers revealing his emotions.

  The throne, perhaps everyone wants to sit on it, but he doesn't.

  Due to the ambition of the Empress Dowager, he was pushed to the highest point, experiencing the endless bloody slaughter among his own brothers.

  "Good." A heavy response came from above, one hand covering her chest, the Empress Dowager stumbled forward, step by step, walking out of the palace.

  Mother, put down your ambition, wouldn't you be happier?

  The mother-son bond between us was reduced to nothing in your obstinacy back then. The emperor of the past couldn't change your decision, but the current emperor has the power to counter you now.

  If one day you stand in the opposite direction, you don't need to show mercy to me, and I'm not afraid of death. Many years ago, I should have died already.

  Digression

  Mua mua da, there will be two updates today, but it might be a bit late.

  Friends have opinions just mention oh.