“Wan’er, lead people to search the Yangfeng Palace. Anyone who obstructs will be killed without mercy!” the empress dowager ordered forcefully.
Watching the group follow Wan’er towards her palace, Mei Siyu was puzzled. Why wasn’t the empress dowager eager to pursue her, but instead searching her palace? Could there be some hidden truth?
“Your Majesty, we did not find young mistress Qing, but…” Wan’er returned, speaking hesitantly.
“But what?” the empress dowager asked.
“But we found this!” Wan’er held up the item she had discovered.
“This again! Mei Siyu, how dare you curse the emperor!” the empress dowager said in disbelief, seeing the name on the curse doll. The thought that someone would curse her imperial son filled her with increasing hatred.
“Bring Mei Fei to be executed!” the empress dowager shouted angrily.
“Your Majesty, this might not be appropriate. Mei Fei is carrying the imperial bloodline. If we punish her like this, the emperor will be furious,” Xia Wan’er said softly, subtly adding more fuel to the empress dowager’s anger.
“Wan’er, why are you trying to harm me?” Mei Siyu glared at Xia Wan’er.
“Sister, you have been good to me, but I cannot go against my conscience and cover up your actions. This time, you’ve gone too far!” Xia Wan’er cried.
“Bring her here. First, abort the child in her womb, then execute her. I want her to taste the pain of losing a child before dying by poison! Haha!” the empress dowager said coldly, looking at Mei Siyu with contempt.
“No, please don’t harm my child! Your Majesty, you will be cursed, and the emperor will investigate!” Mei Siyu desperately protected her belly.
“Haha, now you’re afraid? Too late! By the time the emperor returns, you’ll be gone. What can he do? I’m his mother – would he dare blame me? You overestimate yourself. Kick out this bastard!” the empress dowager said ruthlessly.
“Ah, no! Child, who will save my child?!” She then fainted from the pain. No pain in the world compares to losing a child – how could a mother watch her unborn child die in her womb?
[Author’s Note: Additional text about the story’s progress and gratitude to readers]
“Mother! How can you be so cruel? Isn’t the child in Yuer’s womb also your flesh and blood?” Arriving just in time, Ming Lengchen grabbed the servants’ legs about to kick Yuer’s belly, protecting the unconscious Mei Siyu and looking painfully at his mother.
Liu Gong Gong presented the physical evidence, wondering what she could still argue about. Ming Lengchen carefully held Mei Siyu in his arms, wiping the dirt from her face with his sleeve, sighing softly with distress.
“Yes, this servant obeys,” Liu Gong Gong said, holding up a tray with his pinky raised. “Read!” Ming Lengchen glared at Xia Waner.
“This servant is Chun Xiu, a maid from the Phoenix Ceremony Hall. I left this letter to clear Mei Fei’s name. The doll found in the Yang Feng Hall was the work of the Virtuous Concubine and has nothing to do with Mei Fei. I know people might not believe a lowly maid, but I have evidence! The doll has a ‘wan’ character stabbed into its body, something even the young miss didn’t know…” Liu Gong Gong respectfully read the entire letter.
“Your Majesty, this letter cannot prove that this concubine slandered my sister. I beg you to investigate carefully,” Xia Waner pleaded.
“Read again!”
“Yes. Waner, your adoptive father knows you’ve worked hard. For the greater cause, you must endure. If necessary, you can kill to silence others, but you must never let anyone know about your martial arts or the secret that you are not the real Xia Waner. This would ruin everything, remember!” Liu Gong Gong read out another letter in a soft voice.
“Impossible, I already destroyed it. How did you get this?” Xia Waner shouted uncontrollably.
“I had long suspected you. These were found under Chun Xiu’s bed. You never expected this letter to be in my hands. What you burned was not the original, but a copy forged by Chun Xiu imitating your adoptive father’s handwriting. She anticipated you would eliminate her and secretly left this letter to expose your evil deeds. Virtuous Concubine, you are quite the actress, deceiving both me and the innocent Yuer. Li Xiuqing, do you admit your crimes?” Ming Lengchen said angrily.
“Haha, you finally know my real name. Why did you only reveal this now? If you had spoken earlier, perhaps this foolish Mei Siyu would not have suffered so much,” Xia Waner, actually Li Xiuqing, laughed.
“I wanted to give Mother a chance, thinking she could not be so heartless. Yet, she still took this step,” Ming Lengchen said sadly, looking at the empress dowager sitting nearby.
“My son, everything mother did was for your own good,” the empress dowager cried.
“Destroying my child, is this your idea of good? In that case, I would rather not have such kindness!”
“My son!” The empress dowager approached Ming Lengchen, grabbing his sleeve and begging.
“Guards, execute the Virtuous Concubine by beheading! Take her away!” Ming Lengchen ordered authoritatively, unwilling to let such a cruel woman remain near Yuer and harm his kind-hearted love.
The guards dragged the shocked Xia Waner away. A distant, bitter laugh could be heard – her elaborate schemes ultimately betrayed by her own maid.
He picked up the still-unconscious Mei Siyu, not sparing a glance for his mother, walking away directly. He had promised Yuer he would protect her, yet today he had failed.
He suddenly understood why Yuer was determined to leave the palace. Despite being an emperor with supreme power, he could not protect the woman he loved or their true love.
[Epilogue: Grand Finale]
In the green mountains and waters, the red sun shone on his handsome face. Looking into the distance, a soft crimson hue appeared. Bird calls brought his wandering thoughts back. The young girl in his arms playfully toyed with his hair, displeased by his momentary distraction: “Daddy, why aren’t you paying attention to Nian Yu?”
“Haha, you’re getting too bold with your father. Careful, or I’ll spank you,” he said, raising his slender hand in a playful threat, his hawk-like eyes filled with doting love as he looked at his daughter.
“Mommy said I can say whatever I want. Don’t believe me? Ask mommy!” the girl said, her pink cheeks puffed out proudly, making him laugh again.
“Nian Yu, are you being mischievous again?” Mei Siyu, wearing a light purple narrow dress, her hair cascading down her back, simply tied with a satin ribbon – her favorite style.
“Mommy, daddy ignored me!” the little girl complained, pulling Mei Siyu’s hand and pointing at Ming Lengchen.
“Cheng, how could you ignore our little princess? Look how sad she is,” Mei Siyu said softly, her almond eyes moving from her daughter to his face, still unable to get enough of the face she had been looking at for five years. She was grateful to heaven for the happy family she now had, having arrived with nothing.
“Yuer, I was just thinking about you, so I didn’t hear our baby calling,” he said innocently, looking at his wife with deep affection.
Five years ago, he had given up his throne, all his nobility and power, bringing his beloved wife to this secluded paradise. They lived a happy life, content with each other, until the birth of their daughter brought new challenges.
“Cheng, the diaper,” she requested, and he quickly complied.
“Cheng, I want to sleep with our daughter tonight. Can you go to the guest room?” Facing his wife’s clear, beautiful eyes, he was lost and reluctantly left.
“Daddy, lift me up!” Since their daughter learned to speak, he had become a full-time caregiver, as his Yuer was pregnant again.
They lived happily like this, and by the end of that year, they welcomed their son. Looking at Yuer lying on the bed with a pale face, he solemnly swore, “I will never let Yuer get pregnant again!”
