Out of the temple gate.
Zhao Junyao sent soone to notify Zhao Junwu at the Sixth Prince’s Mansion while ordering the entire temple to be sealed, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving at will.
After completing these arrangents, he mounted his horse and headed straight towards the Imperial Palace.
He was on the edge of an emotional breakdown.
The indescribable pain and extre anger intertwined into a dense iron-spiked web.
Enveloping him completely, no amount of struggle could break free.
The horse sped up, faster and faster.
Zhao Junyao’s eyes were dark and bloodshot, his face cold as ice, like an enraged lion ready to kill with each breath!
Arriving at the Imperial Palace.
Zhao Junyao didn’t have ti to change his clothes. He tossed the reins to a Little Eunuch and rushed directly to Ningshou Palace.
...
The Empress Dowager calmly knelt before the Buddha, still maintaining an air of tranquility.
However, her physique seed more plump than a few days ago, even her features appeared more swollen than usual.
Compared to her previous thin appearance, she was almost unrecognizable.
Yet Zhao Junyao had no ti to concern himself with these changes.
In his plain clothes, he stord into the grand hall without notifying anyone, striding into the small Buddhist chapel.
The Empress Dowager turned swiftly upon hearing the noise, her eyes lifting coldly.
"Oh!"
"What wind has blown you here today, Imperial Son?"
"Still in civilian clothes, where have you co from?"
Zhao Junyao had no patience for riddles, he asked bluntly.
"Was it you who poisoned Empress Dowager Zhen?"
Facing her, he could no longer call her "Mother", so he simply addressed her directly.
The Empress Dowager paused montarily, her expression indifferent, nodded.
"Yes, what of it?"
She stood up and smoothed the folds of her luxurious dress, raising her chin with a proud look.
"She fought with for a lifeti, naturally she deserves to die!"
Zhao Junyao sneered.
"If it’s about fighting, there are many who’ve fought with you for a lifeti, why her specifically?!"
"Such a rare poison, just for a trivial person, isn’t that a bit unreasonable?"
The Empress Dowager sneered.
"There’s no such thing as reasonable!"
"Isn’t it normal for Imperial Palace won to fight to the death? What exactly do you an, Emperor?"
Zhao Junyao stared at her, sneering coldly.
"Who is Lady Tian?"
"What exactly transpired between you, her, and Empress Dowager Zhen?"
The Empress Dowager stiffened abruptly, her eyes swirling with endless fear, like secrets long hidden glimpsed, like... facing imminent death.
With all her strength, she suppressed the fear in her eyes, the trembling of her body, the unbearable guilty conscience deep within, striving to speak with the most normal, detached voice.
"The Late Emperor had several Lady Tians, I don’t know which one you an!"
Zhao Junyao caught every expression on the Empress Dowager’s face.
"Do you really not know?"
Then why are you feeling guilty?
Zhao Junyao felt closer to the truth.
But the Empress Dowager defiantly refused to discuss the topic further.
"If there’s nothing else, Imperial Son should take his leave!"
"The mourning family must continue to worship Buddha!"
Zhao Junyao stood unmoving.
The Empress Dowager spoke coldly again.
"What’s this? You’ve avoided coming for ages, and now you refuse to leave?"
Zhao Junyao said nothing, instead... he slowly drew his soft sword from his waist.
He aid the sword at the Empress Dowager, his gaze cold and voice solemn.
"Do you know I can kill you right now?"
The Empress Dowager showed no fear, her lips curled in self-satisfaction.
"Kill if you like!"
"If I were afraid to die, I wouldn’t have done it!"
She let out a cold laugh, circling Zhao Junyao twice.
"Imperial Son, oh Imperial Son!"
"You’re the son of the mourning family; don’t I know you?"
"You’ve lived with integrity and ruled wisely, of course the mourning family can’t compare!"
"But when it cos to treachery, the mourning family has endured a lifeti in this harem, you couldn’t compare!"
"Naturally, a sovereign ruler, a man’s man, has no need for lowly tricks like these!"
"So, you will ultimately lose to !"
She approached and placed her neck against his blade.
"Go ahead!"
"Once you act, the news that you were seduced by a temptress, ignored counsel, and murdered your own mother will spread throughout the Capital City!"
"By then, the Empress’s life may not be spared!"
"The mourning family, an old woman, dies without regret, but your Empress, the Crown Prince’s mother, the woman you most favor, will also be buried with !"
"Such a pity!"
"You!"
Zhao Junyao glared, teeth gritted in fury.
He snorted angrily, slamming the sword to the ground.
"Just wait, one day I’ll uncover the truth of those past events!"
With that, he turned on his heel and stord away!
The Empress Dowager watched his retreating figure, laughing triumphantly.
"Ha ha..."
"Uncover the truth of past events? Did I hear that right!"
"All those years ago you were just born!"
"Now you’re in your thirties, so much ti has passed, if the mourning family left any evidence, all those years as Empress Dowager would be pointless!"
"Go ahead and investigate!"
"As long as you have no evidence, I remain your birth mother! You can’t do anything to !"
"In governance, the mourning family isn’t your match!"
"In palace intrigue, ten of you can’t match one of !"
The voice muttering to herself.
The Empress Dowager lounged carelessly on the soft couch, summoning the Palace Maid and eunuchs to massage her shoulders and legs, her expression completely satisfied!
...
Returning from Ningshou Palace.
Zhao Junyao’s face was ashen with anger.
He had always held disdain for the absurdities of harem politics, even less concern for won fighting amongst themselves.
Now...
He never imagined he could be ensnared in such a dispute.
Especially from thirty years ago!
Seated at the imperial desk, he gulped down tea, finally calming the fire in his chest.
His pounding head gradually cleared.
He took deep breaths, staring out the window, fingers tapping the table as his mind raced.
Just ntioning Lady Tian, the Empress Dowager’s expression changed dramatically, which was very peculiar.
Could it be...
Zhao Junyao’s mind was forming a chilling suspicion.
Could it be... he is not the biological son of the Empress Dowager?!
As the thought erged, even he was shocked.
But...
Thinking back over the years on their mother-son relationship.
Zhao Junyao increasingly believed his suspicion was correct.
From childhood, the Empress Dowager never showed even a hint of affection.
Not to ntion the few tis.
He secretly saw the Empress Dowager glaring at him with vicious eyes.
When he looked closer, she had already changed her expression.
Being young and believing firmly in his identity, he didn’t bother at the ti.
Thinking back now... his heart felt icy cold.
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