FID – Chapter 722

Chapter 722: No Compassion Cultivated

“Go look for her? Isn’t that like a lamb entering the tiger’s den?” Liu Zhiqiu frowned.

“I guarantee she won’t be able to plot against our Liu family,” Liu Muqiu said.

Matriarch Li wouldn’t plot against the Liu family—she would only target Liu Muqiu.

But right now, solving the immediate problem was the priority, and she couldn’t afford to worry about that.

No matter what the conditions were, she would agree to them. As long as she ensured that the person survived, there would be a future.

Qian Wanjin nodded. “We can give it a try. My family also has a special route for transporting goods, but because of the relationship between the Qians and the Lius, it’s impossible to use it right now. There are strict inspections at every point along the route.”

The carriage traveled along a small road toward Cangwu Town, entering quietly under the cover of night.

By now, the moon had reached its peak in the sky, and the palace in the capital was lit with bright lanterns.

The palace eunuchs and maidservants moved in an orderly fashion, everything appeared peaceful.

In the Qiande Hall, Feng Mohan looked at the person sitting in front of him, a smile curling at the corners of his lips, but his eyes were filled with chilling coldness.

“Empress Dowager, after all these years of recuperation in the Yangxin Hall, I never thought that one day you would pay such attention to state affairs!”

With silver hair and the appearance of someone in their forties or fifties, showing no signs of aging, she wore a dark red phoenix robe. Her dignified and majestic aura surpassed even that of Dowager Consort Liu.

“Your Majesty, you are a young emperor. Although you have been with the Prince all these years, he has always controlled the court, raising you in mediocrity. He has wolfish ambitions—can’t you see that? The ministers he placed around you are merely there to monitor you. Every day, he indulges you with pleasures and handles all the affairs for you. In such circumstances, how are you supposed to grow? I do not wish to meddle, but you are the bloodline of the late emperor. The late emperor’s will was to have you as the emperor, not to make you a puppet of the King of Nanling for your entire life. I am coming out now simply to restore order and wake you up, Your Majesty. You must not continue to be deceived by these villains.”

“So,you want to clear away my ministers and govern behind the curtain? If you truly remember the late emperor’s will, you should know that the one thing he despised most was the involvement of the harem in political affairs!”

“I am only fulfilling my duty to supervise. If you call it ‘participating in politics,’ then I am forced to do so. Your Majesty has been misled by these villains, and your solo reign has many flaws. If I do not advise you, how can I fulfill the responsibilities of the Empress Dowager?”

“The duty of the Empress Dowager is to imprison me in the Qiande Hall, pretending I am ill, not even allowing me to step out of the palace doors?!” Feng Mohan laughed coldly in anger, his eyes sharp like blades, stabbing toward the old woman.

The Empress Dowager stood up, gently brushing her robe. “Your Majesty is tired. Please rest early. I will come to visit tomorrow. You must take care of your health and not overexert yourself. Once you are well, I will hand over the affairs of the court to you.”

With those calm words, she left, surrounded by a group of respectful palace maids and eunuchs.

Feng Mohan swept his arm across the table, knocking everything onto the floor, his chest heaving violently.

He felt like a cripple, imprisoned in this palace and unable to move!

The wise ministers by his side, who could have helped him, had all been removed by the combined efforts of the Empress Dowager and Minister Zuo. Presently, only a few remained!

Elder Yang and Uncle Zhixia had been thrown into prison, and the imperial guards were all under Qin Xiao’s control. Even if he wanted a meal, he needed to have the eunuchs ask the Empress Dowager before anyone would bring it to him!

He was now truly a puppet!

The hall was silent, not even a eunuch was left by his side to attend to him.

In the past, everyone around him had been moved by the Empress Dowager.

He hadn’t expected, and probably neither had his uncle, that after carefully guarding against the power of Minister Zuo and Qin Xiao, the real threat would come from the Empress Dowager herself!

With the Empress Dowager’s position in the harem, when his uncle wasn’t around, she could control him as easily as squashing an insect!

He slumped down, gazing through the half-open window at the moonlight. The bright moonlight, which once seemed like a calming and peaceful sight to him, now only made him feel more isolated and helpless.

He wondered how Uncle Zhixia and Elder Yang were faring in the prison.

Those people would surely not treat them kindly.

He had heard that they were to be executed on a chosen day.

A chosen day!

He didn’t know if his imperial uncle could make it back in time.

If they couldn’t make it in time, he would never have the face to face Aunt Liu and the entire Liu family again!

The small window of the dungeon let in a cool moonlight.

In October in the capital, it seemed to add a touch of chill to the air.

“Teacher, it’s my fault for dragging you into this.” Sitting in the corner of the prison cell, Liu Zhixia smiled bitterly at the elderly man on the other side of the iron bars.

“Don’t talk about dragging anyone down. When I took the position of Grand Tutor, I was already mentally prepared. Even without you, as long as I assist His Majesty, I’ll always be a thorn in the side of those people. It’s got nothing to do with you.” Elder Yang smiled.

The political landscape changes rapidly; no one can predict where they will end up or where they will stumble and fall.

Now, both he and Liu Zhixia were merely victims of the power struggle.

His words left Liu Zhixia silent.

Trapped in the dungeon, there was nothing they could do. They were already prisoners, and now all they could do was hope that Feng Qingbai would return in time.

Otherwise, they would probably lose their heads.

“Teacher, do you think they’ll choose what day to take our heads?” Liu Zhixia asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Of course, it’ll be before His Highness returns.”

“My wife gave me a chubby little boy. When I left, he had just turned a month old, and I didn’t even get to hold him much. By the time he grows up, he’ll probably not even remember what his father looks like.”

Elder Yang grunted, “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not over yet. Things may still take a turn for the better.”

“I hope so.” Liu Zhixia turned his gaze to the skylight above.

What he missed most now, aside from his chubby son, was Yuzheng. He had promised to take care of her for life, but now he feared he might break that promise.

And his father and mother at home would surely be devastated.

This label of being unfilial and disloyal was truly hard to bear.

“Teacher, before this, the Empress Dowager always stayed in Yangxin Hall and never showed herself. After all these years, why has she suddenly reappeared? It doesn’t seem to benefit her in any way.”

The Empress Dowager had no children. Even if she won in this power struggle, and the throne was passed to someone else, it would have nothing to do with her.

“Back then, His Highness used bloody methods to secure the young Emperor’s throne. The Empress Dowager lost both of her sons to His Highness’s sword. This time, she’s not after anything else, but revenge.”

“Does she not care about the country?” Liu Zhixia scoffed.

Looking at the entire Nanling royal family, the only one qualified to be a wise ruler was Feng Qingbai, who had carefully mentored Feng Mohan. The others were mostly mediocre, incapable of handling such responsibility.

If the Empress Dowager persisted in trying to pull Feng Mohan down, Nanling would inevitably fall.

To place personal desires above the nation’s welfare—such a waste, especially after once being revered as the mother of the nation.

Years of meditation in the Yangxin Hall had still failed to nurture any compassion.

“The reasons behind all this are complicated. There’s much that cannot be spoken of, and much that’s hard to distinguish between truth and lies. In any case, the Empress Dowager’s return from Yangxin Hall will only make her more difficult to deal with than Dowager Consort Liu.”