allonlinenovel Chapter 168 The Truth
Chapter 168 The Truth
The Empress Dowager looked at the baby's clothes in her hands. She had sewn them herself, stitch by stitch, while she was pregnant. There were better embroiderers in the palace, but she was worried that those embroiderers were too clumsy and might hurt the baby's delicate skin.
But now, as he looked at it, he felt extremely sad and was about to burst into tears!
But he couldn't cry. Xia Jin'an told him that his body had been broken because of the child, and the emotional fluctuations had damaged his health. If he couldn't rest and recuperate properly, he might not have much time left.
He cannot die.
Suddenly, a tutor cautiously came over to report that Consort Yue had come to request an audience. This was Yue Xingxi's first time paying respects to the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager could not turn a blind eye to it; she had to give Yue Xingxi this courtesy.
The Empress Dowager looked at the sallow-faced, emaciated man in the mirror and felt a pang of sorrow. The once stunningly beautiful Empress Dowager was gone.
He quickly picked up the rouge from the table to cover the paleness on his face.
He struggled to sit up and said to the servant, "Let him in."
A polite smile appeared on his face, but this polite smile vanished the moment he saw Xia Muning behind Le Xingxi.
Le Xingxi entered, followed by a rather unfamiliar servant and Xia Muning.
Xia Muning bowed properly, his every move flawless, thanks to his father's rigorous training.
The Empress Dowager stared blankly at Xia Muning. Xia Muning's appearance inevitably reminded her of an old friend, someone she usually had no fear of.
But now, he was exhausted and disheveled, and perhaps out of the instinct to survive, a very bad premonition suddenly welled up in his heart!
He roared loudly, but his roar was also somewhat weak and feeble: "Lord Xia, what are you doing here?! Consort Yue, take him out immediately!"
Le Xingxi pretended not to hear and focused intently on the decorations in the palace.
"Your Majesty, I have come today to ask you about the cause of my brother's death."
"Your brother naturally died from falling off the sedan chair, it has nothing to do with me! Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor!"
Xia Muning pulled a gold hairpin from her hair and slowly approached the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was extremely weak, and Xia Muning was able to easily control her.
"I quite like this gold hairpin because it was a gift from my brother, but after today, I may like it even more, because this hairpin will be inserted into the chest of the person who murdered my brother, stained with the blood of my enemy."
The cold hairpin slid across the Empress Dowager's neck, making her feel icy cold all over.
"How dare you! You actually plotted to murder the Empress Dowager! Your brother spoke rudely and offended me. Can't I punish him by making him kneel in the sun for a while?"
“My brother has always been gentle and virtuous, how could he possibly talk back to the Empress Dowager!” Xia Muning shook her head, not believing it at all!
Just then, familiar footsteps slowly approached.
Le Wentao strolled in leisurely, his eyes shining, rubbing his waist with a satisfied expression, clearly in a good mood.
Seeing everything before him, he found it extremely amusing. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "How lively!"
"Lord Xia, I know the reason. It's because your brother accidentally discovered that our Empress Dowager was pregnant with the Prime Minister's illegitimate child three years ago!"
"Our dear Empress Dowager actually made your brother, a pregnant man with a big belly, kneel on the ground in order to kill him and silence him."
Le Wentao shook her head, looking at the Empress Dowager with apparent regret: "What a pity! Good and evil will eventually be rewarded. Your child died three years ago in the womb before even seeing this wonderful world!"
Le Wentao walked behind Xia Muning, took Xia Muning's hand, and with a slight force, a bright red mark immediately appeared on the Empress Dowager's neck!
Le Wentao tempted, "Lord Xia, the Empress Dowager killed your brother. Do you hate him? Stick this hairpin into the Empress Dowager's chest, and he will bleed profusely, and you will be able to avenge him!"
"Don't hesitate, don't waver, stab him!"
Xia Muning looked at the Empress Dowager in front of her, then at Le Wentao, opened her hand, and let go, causing the gold hairpin to fall to the ground with a crisp sound!
Xia Muning pushed Le Wentao away, and Le Wentao stumbled and almost fell.
"Your Highness, you must be disappointed. I didn't do it. If you wanted to kill the Empress Dowager, why didn't you do it yourself? Why use me as a decoy?"
A flash of anger crossed Le Wentao's face. He looked at Xia Muning and said, "How dare you! Men, arrest him!"
Zhong Tian stood resolutely in front of Xia Muning.
Le Wentao looked closely at Zhongtian's face and smiled knowingly: "I wasn't wrong, you really have entered the palace."
Zhongtian remained silent.
"Very well." Yue Wentao composed herself. "Today, Zhongtian is standing in your way, and I can't do anything to you for the time being, but Lord Xia, don't you want revenge?"
Xia Muning glanced at Zhong Tian and said, "I only want the Empress Dowager to die. Does it matter who kills her? I don't care about that. Revenge is certainly satisfying, but I still have to live my own life!"
Xia Muning picked up the hairpin from the ground, wiped off the dust, and handed it to Le Wentao, saying, "Lord Le, I am worried and unable to act, but I know you are fearless! If you can kill the Empress Dowager, I will applaud and cheer for you!"
Le Wentao accepted the gold hairpin and smiled, "I am indeed fearless."
Le Wentao walked up to the Empress Dowager, pointed the gold hairpin in her hand at the Empress Dowager's heart, and stabbed it fiercely.
The Empress Dowager trembled violently, her eyes wide open, betraying her deep fear. Everyone, regardless of who they are, fears death!
But fear was useless; the golden hairpin pierced the Empress Dowager's heart without any resistance.
The Empress Dowager looked into Yue Wentao's eyes and asked with some resentment, "Why?"
"Every man for himself, or the world will destroy him. If I don't kill you today, you'll kill me anyway. It's all about the victor and the vanquished. Why ask why?!"
The Empress Dowager stared blankly outside, her vision gradually blurring. She seemed to hear the Emperor's hurried footsteps approaching!
His Majesty hurriedly walked to the Empress Dowager, embraced her, and looked up at Yue Wentao with some anger: "Yue Wentao, how dare you kill the Empress Dowager! You are too arrogant!"
"Guards, arrest Yue Guijun!"
Master Li led his attendants to capture Yue Wentao. Yue Wentao did not resist. He knelt on the ground and stared straight at His Majesty with some disappointment.
"Your Majesty, in your heart, is everyone more important than me?"
Le Xingxi was like this, and so was the Empress Dowager. He poured his heart and soul into His Majesty, yet couldn't he win back even a sliver of His Majesty's sincerity?