No one could tell how much ti had passed. The trembling of that phoenix robe finally subsided, and she began to smile again. It was not a hurried smile, but one of serene composure:
"You only dare to ntion the Princess, but not the Tushan Clan. What are you afraid of?"
At these words, the faint smile tugging at Chen Yi’s lips froze slightly.
The Empress’s phoenix-like eyes locked onto Chen Yi’s gaze, and after a long mont, her expression turned smug.
She turned around and pointed toward the small building, saying:
"Why not co upstairs for a chat?"
After so contemplation, Chen Yi slightly nodded.
Thus, the Empress led Chen Yi upstairs, casually waving at the lady-in-waiting, Su Xin. The latter imdiately understood the gesture and turned to command the palace maids to prepare wine and dishes.
As the mother of the Emperor and the courtier seated themselves on the second floor, one dish after another was carried up by the palace maids. Su Xin herself brought forth a fine jar of "Jia Qing Brew," warming it gently over an iron net.
Before long, the cups before Chen Yi and the Empress were filled with warm wine.
The Empress picked up her cup, the liquid inside swaying lightly, and drained it in one go.
Gazing into the distance, she said:
"I still rember how you defended back in the underground palace at the Heavenly Altar."
At her words, the hand holding Chen Yi’s wine cup paused briefly.
Back then, the Empress had been possessed by the Tushan Clan’s spirit. For her to recall the events of the underground palace was not unexpected...
But... judging from her tone,
could it really be as she claid—that a fragnt of the Tushan Clan’s soul remained within her?
The Empress spoke slowly: "The mory lingers vividly. The late Emperor was so consud by his esoteric pursuits that, despite my many years in the palace, I remained childless and had no understanding of what it felt like to be a parent. It was only then that I finally grasped it. Even now, after all this ti, whenever I think of your self-sacrifice, a faint ache stirs in my heart. Do you understand what I an?"
Chen Yi froze montarily, avoiding her gaze and staring at the wine in his cup as he replied, "I do not understand."
"You claim you do not understand, but deep in your heart, you do—you just refuse to face it. I investigated you. You ca to Great Yu alone, never ntioning your parents. Presumably, you lost them at a young age. For that very reason, the Tushan Clan treated you sincerely, as if you were their own, and you, too, regarded her as a mother."
With a gentle smile, the Empress plainly declared:
"So, what if I said I wanted to see you as my son?"
Chen Yi sharply raised his head, his pupils contracting slightly.
A palace maid stepped forward to refill their cups. The Empress accepted hers, now slightly tipsy, yet still drinking it all in one gulp.
After a mont of pause, she said slowly:
"Now that you can no longer et the Tushan Clan, you must feel overwheld with longing. For , I have suffered recurring heartaches these days and also wish to adopt you as an honorary son to ease them... True, an honorary mother and son are but a pretense, but when the false is made true, the true may beco false, too."
"What’s more, since the Tushan Clan left a fragnt of her soul within , it cannot entirely be considered false."
After finishing her words, her face flushed faintly, as if the alcohol had muddled her speech.
Chen Yi opened his mouth slightly, uncertain of how to respond.
The Empress’s gaze was earnest. She chuckled softly and said:
"At the end of the day, perhaps the two of us are just warming ourselves through mutual dependency. She adopted you as Qi and treated you like her child, and you ca to see her as a mother. anwhile, I have no children of my own and no one to rely on. Now that the Tushan Clan has returned to the underground palace, you and I might as well play the roles of mother and son."
Chen Yi finally spoke: "...What do you an?"
"Still unwilling to understand?"
The palace maid stepped forward to fill her cup again. The Empress raised it, and then her entire body trembled. Her head tilted, as though struggling against so unseen force for control.
Chen Yi instinctively rose to his feet, for this scene was nearly identical to when the Tushan Clan had possessed the Empress, the two souls vying for the sa body.
After a long while, the Empress slowly cald down. She gazed steadily at Chen Yi and said gently: "Qi, do you truly not wish to acknowledge your mother?"
That was the Tushan Clan’s voice!
At these words, Chen Yi’s eyes widened, and his lips trembled as he stamred: "Mother..."
Then, as if realizing sothing, he hurriedly corrected himself: "Your Majesty..."
The Empress took in this scene, her heart seeming to settle.
But what she did not anticipate,
was that within Chen Yi’s mind, an amused sneer erged:
She claid that a fragnt of the Tushan Clan’s soul still lingered in her body...
But if that were true, why did she call him Qi?
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