Chapter Ninety-One
The Holy Emperor strolled leisurely by the Lotus Pond, with Feng Xiyang following closely behind, her mind filled with wild guesses. Suddenly, the Holy Emperor asked, "Do you know why I am helping you?" Xiyang was taken aback and, regardless of whether he could see her, shook her head. "Xiyang does not know."
"It’s not just about helping you—I’m also doing this for myself. Even if you haven’t witnessed Fu Yixiao’s methods firsthand, you must have heard about them from the Empress Dowager," the Holy Emperor said, glancing sideways at her before stopping. "Not only has Xia Jingshi been deceived by her, but Feng Suige is also being manipulated like a puppet. Yet, the one she truly loves is someone else."
All the thoughts in Xiyang’s mind froze in an instant. Bewildered, she asked, "Who?" But the Holy Emperor didn’t answer her directly. Instead, with a faint smirk, he continued slowly, "There is something Xia Jingshi cannot give her, but she can obtain it from your elder brother. Do you understand what she desires?"
"What does she desire?" Xiyang suddenly felt like a parrot, mindlessly repeating the Holy Emperor’s words. "Hasn’t she always loved my husband?"
"Love? If she loved him, why didn’t she marry Xia Jingshi?" The Holy Emperor sneered. "Xia Jingshi is merely a stepping stone she discarded, and Feng Suige is just her backup. Once that man succeeds, Fu Yixiao will undoubtedly abandon Feng Suige..."
"Who is that man?" By now, Xiyang could no longer mind propriety and interrupted the Holy Emperor. "What exactly do they want?"
"Throughout the land, all rebels and traitors covet nothing but the imperial throne, and what she eyes is none other than the Empress Regalia," the Holy Emperor said sharply, his gaze piercing. "That man, Princess, you have met—and you should be very familiar with him. He is Fu Yixiao’s childhood sweetheart—his name is Ning Fei!"
Xiyang shuddered, struggling to speak. "How could it be him? Isn’t he Ling Xueying’s husband? Isn’t Ling Xueying her closest friend?"
"Ha," the Holy Emperor chuckled darkly. "Every person has their weakness—be it fame, profit, love, or desire. Just as there is no deal that cannot be struck in this world, if the price is high enough, why fear she won’t comply?"
A vague thought flashed through Xiyang’s mind like a shooting star, too fleeting to grasp before it vanished. But in her heart, anger had already taken hold. She stamped her foot indignantly. "No wonder they’ve been targeting me at every turn! How despicable! I must write to Father and tell him everything..."
"There’s no need to trouble the Lord of the Nation," the Holy Emperor said, staring into her eyes, enunciating each word deliberately. "All we need to do now is wait for the right moment."
As Xiyang hesitated, the Holy Emperor smiled with confidence. "Once Xia Jingshi sees through Fu Yixiao’s sinister intentions, do you think he won’t realize who truly cares for him in this world?"
Xiyang suddenly understood, her face lighting up with joy. "I see! Thank you for your guidance, Emperor—I’ll go find my husband right away...""Ah," the Holy Emperor stopped her from moving, "it's not yet time to tell him." Seeing Feng Xiyang widen her eyes in shock and uncertainty, the Holy Emperor sighed softly, rolled up his sleeves, and bent down to pluck a blooming pink lotus from the Lotus Pond, handing it to Xiyang. "I truly don’t know how the Lord of the Nation managed to raise such a pure flower like you in this murky palace..."
Feng Xiyang instinctively took the lotus, her eyes flickering with confusion as she pondered. Before she could grasp the meaning behind his words, the Holy Emperor, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly hardened his expression and demanded sharply, "Who’s there?" His piercing gaze turned toward a faint blue shadow that had silently emerged from the left.
Xiyang followed his gaze, her hand trembling as the pink lotus fell with a soft thud at her feet. "Husband, you’re back!"
Xia Jingshi’s eyes locked with the Holy Emperor’s until they were nearly face to face. Only then did he withdraw his gaze and say coolly, "So it’s Your Majesty who has come." As he moved to bow, the Holy Emperor raised a hand gently and said, "How many times must I say it? We are family. This isn’t the court—no need for formalities."
Xia Jingshi slightly evaded the gesture and completed his bow regardless. The Holy Emperor’s hand, left hanging in the air, was withdrawn smoothly a moment later. Instead, he bent down to pick up the fallen lotus and handed it back to Xiyang with a smile. "Hold it carefully—don’t drop it again." Xiyang hesitated before murmuring softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty," then lowered her head and retreated behind Xia Jingshi.
The three stood stiffly for a moment before the Holy Emperor cleared his throat. "I shall take my leave now. You should visit the palace more often—the Empress Dowager often worries about you." Without waiting for Xia Jingshi’s response, he turned to Feng Xiyang. "As for that Incomplete Chess Game we discussed earlier, I’ll set it up for you again tomorrow at the Empress Dowager’s place." Seeing Xiyang nod, the Holy Emperor said no more and walked away along the winding path.
Silence.
The gentle breeze that had been rustling moments ago seemed to suffocate in the awkward tension, vanishing without a trace. Even the air grew stiflingly warm.
Xiyang stole a glance at Xia Jingshi and, seeing his grim expression, grew even more uneasy. After some hesitation, she spoke up first to explain, "Today, the Empress Dowager was feeling slightly unwell, and she worried I might be too bored. Since the Emperor was away on an inspection tour, so..." Xia Jingshi glanced at her indifferently. "I never asked about this. Why are you in such a hurry to explain?"
Feng Xiyang was instantly speechless, torn between embarrassment and frustration. Looking down at the lotus in her hand, she felt even more at a loss. After a moment of silence, Xia Jingshi suddenly asked, "Where is Ning Fei?" Xiyang looked up at him in surprise. "Ning Fei? Didn’t he go to Su Sha with Ling Xueying?"
Xia Jingshi stared at her intently. Seeing her expression held no deceit, he sighed and explained briefly, "Someone reported seeing Ning Fei entering the gates of Mingde Palace early the past two mornings, but I’ve received no news of his return. That’s why I came to check." Xiyang’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled the Holy Emperor’s words, but she maintained a calm tone. "Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity... Husband, has Xiao Canjun’s injury improved at all?"Xia Jingshi gave a soft hum and said gently, "Weiran has fully regained consciousness. The medical officer said with a bit more recuperation, she’ll be able to walk again. As for you—I just heard from the palace attendants that you haven’t been in good spirits lately. These next few days, don’t go wandering around. Get some proper rest."
Feng Xiyang felt a warmth in her heart at his tender words, tears threatening to spill. Afraid of displeasing him again, she kept her head bowed low. "Thank you for your concern, husband. Xiyang will take good care of herself."
"Mm, that’s all then. If you hear any news regarding Ning Fei, send someone to inform me..." Xia Jingshi turned to leave, but Xiyang hesitated only a moment before summoning unexpected courage to rush forward and stop him. "Husband, please listen to Xiyang—just one word!"
The corner of Xia Jingshi’s mouth twitched slightly. "If it’s more of those baseless words, there’s no need to say them."
"No," Xiyang pleaded sorrowfully, "Xiyang only wishes to remind you to be wary of those around you. Don’t let scheming people take advantage of you."
"Take advantage?" Xia Jingshi narrowed his eyes sharply. "Have you heard something?"
"Not exactly," Xiyang murmured. "It’s just... Xiyang feels that by nature, you are kind-hearted and easily deceived by treacherous people..."
Xia Jingshi listened quietly before interrupting, "You might as well speak plainly, so I can take precautions sooner."
Xiyang hesitated, then lifted her head to look at him. "Will you believe me, husband?"
Xia Jingshi nodded. "If what you say is true, why wouldn’t I?"
After a long pause, Xiyang spoke slowly, "Ning Fei... and Fu Yixiao."
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