The Imperial Son mechanically stepped forward.
Emperor Jingxi frowned slightly, his expression cold but still asked: “Now, tell me, when you first got together with her, did she…”
He lowered his eyes and finally uttered those words.
The Imperial Son felt a thunderclap explode inside his head.
He never imagined that one day his biological father would discuss such a topic with him.
He panicked a little, eyes darting left and right.
He hesitated, wanting to avoid it, but his father clearly wanted an answer.
So he awkwardly replied, “No… but I don’t care.”
In truth, he had never cared about this matter.
A wu was so good; how could he care?
He only hated the fact that she had connections with Lu Yunjian, unable to accept it.
He felt betrayed.
The original encounter was all her scheming!
Emperor Jingxi said: “Leave.”
The Imperial Son could not accept being dismissed like a dog.
He pressed on: “Father, I want to know—”
As soon as he said that, Emperor Jingxi suddenly exploded in anger.
He grabbed the case files on the table and slammed them into the Imperial Son’s face.
The papers scattered like snowflakes all over the floor.
Veins bulged on Emperor Jingxi’s neck, his handsome face tightening into a grimace.
He clenched his teeth and said coldly: “You have eyes; look for yourself. Why do you need to ask? I owe you nothing—get out!”
The Imperial Son was shocked; he had never seen his father so furious or heard such words.
Yet he endured it, knelt down, gathered all the scattered sheets, clutching them tightly without leaving a single one behind.
Then he bowed his head and retreated to a side hall, quickly reading each page.
Recalling everything.
Reading it, the Imperial Son’s hatred boiled over.
“Lu Yunjian, I want you dead! I want you torn to pieces!”
Although he no longer dared to covet his stepmother, the time he spent with A wu was a memory he would never forget.
He would never allow anyone to taint those dreamlike moments!
Lu Yunjian must pay the price!
***
Emperor Jingxi had brought no attendants or guards, walking alone toward Langhua Hall in a daze.
But upon reaching the entrance to Langhua Hall, he abruptly stopped.
He stood quietly at a secluded spot along the long alley, staring at the glazed lanterns hanging from Langhua Hall.
The lamps were still lit, as on many nights before, but now the past’s beauty felt like flowers in mist, shadows on water; he no longer knew what was real or false.
In truth, he had long suspected that she had a twisted past.
Now, at this point, he no longer cared about those things.
Whatever A wu had been through before, he would not blame her nor think it was her fault; he had long accepted all of it.
But…
He never imagined it would be Lu Yunjian!
If it had been someone else, someone distant and unknown, that would have been in the past.
A wu no longer remembered, and he would not think about it.
They would live quietly, and no one would care.
But it had to be Lu Yunjian.
Lu Yunjian—the thorn in his throat since he was nine, the man he had endured since he was fourteen—had once possessed A wu!
This was simply—
Emperor Jingxi took a deep breath, thinking painfully: ‘Because it was Lu Yunjian, it meant A wu had hidden and evaded so much from him.’
She had never truly trusted him, because she had never told him the truth.
He stood lonely beneath the courtyard wall in the long alley, staring at the lamps of Langhua Hall until very late, lingering there, unable to enter.
He thought, maybe A wu already knew, maybe she was anxious and terrified.
But he did not know how to face her.
Should he erupt in thunderous anger and force answers from her?
But what could she say?
Emperor Jingxi was strangely afraid.
He regarded A wu as his wife, the mother of his children.
Up to now, she was his heart and flesh.
How could he bear to question her?
She would surely weep bitterly and panic.
He did not have the heart; he was afraid of frightening her.
Should he approach and soothe her?
Comfort her?
He would deal with Lu Yunjian, never speak of it again, and both would pretend ignorance to move on.
As he hesitated, he went to look at the two children.
Now the two children had been brought to Fengtian Hall and had fallen asleep separately.
Two little ones, snow-white and tender, hands clenched into tiny fists beside their heads, sleeping peacefully.
Looking at these two children, Emperor Jingxi recalled many things.
To be fair, when the Imperial Son and Princess Dening were still in their mother’s womb, he was not close to the Virtuous Consort or Consort Kang, just fulfilling duties.
Besides, he was young and overwhelmed by state affairs; what understanding or tenderness could he offer besides instructing eunuchs to carefully watch over them and giving generous rewards?
Many things were still managed by the Queen Mother.
Because of this, he was unfamiliar with the pregnancy and birth process of these two children, never personally accompanying or experiencing it.
Even after their birth, he only glanced at them.
But with these two children before him, his feelings were naturally different.
He accompanied A wu through her pregnancy, personally overseeing her diet, occasionally checking her pulse, inquiring about her condition, and even holding her at night.
When she gave birth, he waited anxiously outside the delivery room.
Afterward, he joyfully took the crying baby from the maid’s hands, experiencing the happiness of fatherhood.
He stayed with A wu during her recovery, watched her produce milk, and tasted it sweetly.
All of this was his first experience, novel and unforgettable in his life!
All of this deeply planted A wu in his heart, making him regard her as part of himself.
Yet now, he knew she had deceived him like this!
Emperor Jingxi hated—hated Lu Yunjian, and hated A wu.
‘When I was overjoyed holding you tightly, what were you thinking? Did you ever recall the past?’ Emperor Jingxi closed his eyes with difficulty.
He knew A wu was fragile now and could not be frightened, but what should he do?
How could he face her?
Just then, a eunuch hurriedly arrived, saying a maid from Huifeng Hall had come with a report.
Emperor Jingxi forcibly composed himself, fell silent for a moment, then summoned the maid.
The maid immediately knelt trembling, stammering that the Empress was dead.
“Dead?”
Emperor Jingxi asked briefly, expressionless, then rushed to Huifeng Hall, where he saw the Empress’s tragic state.
The person who killed her was not strong and lacked experience, so they had stabbed clumsily several times, resulting in this condition.
Emperor Jingxi looked at the shocking bloodstains on the embroidered bedspread and immediately ordered an interrogation.
It was soon revealed that the Imperial Noble Consort had been there before.
The maidservants turned pale and stuttered, implying the meaning without stating it.
By then, the Imperial Son had arrived.
Emperor Jingxi ordered him to interrogate.
But Emperor Jingxi himself strode quickly toward Langhua Hall.
Upon arrival, he almost stormed in.
Entering the courtyard, Langhua Hall looked as usual.
Early autumn was faintly in the air; banana trees swayed, pomegranate flowers bloomed, a few palace maids quietly guarded the eaves, and two little eunuchs were sweeping the ground.
Seeing this scene, Emperor Jingxi’s heart eased slightly.
But soon, he realized something was wrong!
His heart raced wildly.
Without caring about anything else, he strode into the bedchamber and immediately met a palace maid, who was startled: “Your Majesty?”
Emperor Jingxi grabbed her: “Where is the Imperial Noble Consort? Where is she?”
The maid was frightened speechless: “She… she’s resting inside the hall…”
Emperor Jingxi tossed the maid aside and rushed to the screen, tearing open the embroidered curtain, only to see a woman sitting there with her back turned.
Only then did his heart truly relax.
He gasped, voice hoarse: “A wu, I—”
Halfway through, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
He stepped forward, grabbed and turned the woman around, and to his shock, it was Dening!
He gripped Princess Dening’s shoulders tightly, his voice harsh: “Where is she? Where is she?”
Princess Dening’s face was pale as she looked stubbornly at her father: “She’s already gone, left!”
Emperor Jingxi’s eyes darkened as he said word by word: “What are you talking about?”
Princess Dening: “She ran away.”
Emperor Jingxi stared fiercely at his daughter, then suddenly shoved her aside.
Caught off guard, Princess Dening fell clumsily to the ground, her hair undone.
Yet she bit her lip and did not utter a sound.
She felt she was right!
She was a princess of Dahui, and she would do what she must!
From a certain moment onward, she had been suppressing some resentment or other feelings, and now, finally, they were unleashed.
At least she felt relieved!
Emperor Jingxi said: “Guards, lock her in her chamber! Without my orders, she is not to leave the hall!”
Then, he strode out powerfully, commanding sharply: “Dragon Guard!”