Chapter 96
96 sneaking out of palace
Zhai Heng pursed his lips, he knew that Zhai Tianyu has been a soft-hearted boy ever since he was young. He wouldn’t let anyone in his world but once he did he would care about them to no end, but what was kind-heartedness in his eyes might be selfishness in the eyes of others. Only cared about people who were involved in his world while leaving those who had nothing to do with him alone, however, Zhai Tianyu was the emperor and no one dared to say anything to him.
But Liu Hui Ying was different she was the type of woman who would say what was in her head without any qualms. Most probably when Zhai Tianyu went looking for her to help Ji Yu, she must have spoken some bitter truth that Zhai Tianyu refused to face.
” Tianyu, you only need to remember that you are doing everything for the country, the Liu family is like a rotten pus-filled sore that needs to be eradicated for the sake of the betterment of the Empire, you don’t have to feel sorry for the Queen,” Zhai Heng said even though his heart was beating harshly against his chest telling him what he was saying was wrong but he still went ahead with it. Because the future of their country was more important than his heart and what he wanted.
He heaved a deep breath and ignored the resistance of his body before continuing, ” The Queen might be innocent but so were a lot of people whom the officials of the Liu family killed under the reign of the Dowager Empress. You don’t have to feel guilty for what you did.”
” No,” Zhai Tianyu shook his head, a melancholic look on his face as he stared at his hands and smiled disdainfully. ” If I don’t feel guilty for doing what I did to the Queen then what is the difference between me and those officials of the Liu family? They killed innocent people without any remorse and I did the same as well. Because of my arrogance and selfishness, I brought Ji Yu to the harem and left her in this vulnerable state, I was the one who married the queen and promised in our vows that I will protect her but on the night of our wedding, I offered her a jar of poisonous wine. No matter how I look at it,” he raised his head and looked at his elder brother. ” I was indeed a coward, I feared being controlled like a puppet by the Liu family and made all sorts of retaliation against them but not once did I go against them instead I went for the Queen who was the weakest of all.”
He dropped his gaze down to the floor and sighed heavily. ” Grandfather always said that one should never burn bridges entirely, yet I was foolish enough to hurt the Queen and now I can’t save the woman who means the most to me....”
” You can always force the Queen, your majesty,” suggested Zhai Heng.
” No, I have,” Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes as he shook his head. ” I have done enough damage to the Queen, no more. If I push her into a corner, then I will be shamelessly degrading myself even further in her eyes. Right now she thinks of me as a coward, if I were to force her then she will think of me as a tyrant and that is one thing that I never want to become.”
He pushed himself off the chair and then walked around Ji Yu’s bed before sitting down and skimming his fingers over her head. ” I guess, this will be the end of the Zhai family. But at least I will make sure to eradicate all the pests that have been digging in our roots before ending everything.”
.....
—
” Your majesty, do you really have to do this?” Qui Ai asked in a voice that was below a whisper as she handed the male servant’s clothes to Liu Hui Ying who took them from her and then carefully took a whiff. When she was sure that the clothes were fresh from the laundry and didn’t have the scent of a man, Liu Hui Ying placed them on the bed and immediately hopped off the bed where she was lying.
” Of course, I have to do it,” answered Liu Hui Ying as she placed her hands on her blouse and started taking it off. ” Do you have any idea how annoying is to stay in this same place and just do nothing but eat and sleep? ”
At first, Liu Hui Ying was enjoying the peace that was suddenly handed to her but now she couldn’t help but think that it was better for her to simply get out of this place and return to her own world.
After all, if she was to stay here who knows how much trouble she has to get entangled into?
” But what if you are caught?” asked Qui Ai in a worried voice, even though she said that when she noticed that Liu Hui Ying was having a hard time changing her clothes, she still helped her mistress. ” The women of the harem are not allowed to leave the palace, if anyone finds out that you left the palace and that too at such an odd hour, I am certain that it will be really troublesome your majesty. Even the Dowager Empress would not be able to save you if that happens. And the Ji family who has been eyeing you for so long will have a field trip.”
” No one will be able to catch me,” Liu Hui Ying winked at Qui Ai as she showed a victory sign to her maid. ” I am not someone whom they can catch so easily anyway. I am just going to look around the palace and then go outside to buy a few things, after that, I will return as soon as possible, you just have to hold the fort till then.”
As soon as her skirt was replaced by the wide pants, Liu Hui Ying handed her clothes to Qui Ai and said, ” Just drape the robe and lie down on the bed, in case nanny Gong comes to check on me.”
——
Zhai Heng pursed his lips, he knew that Zhai Tianyu has been a soft-hearted boy ever since he was young. He wouldn’t let anyone in his world but once he did he would care about them to no end, but what was kind-heartedness in his eyes might be selfishness in the eyes of others. Only cared about people who were involved in his world while leaving those who had nothing to do with him alone, however, Zhai Tianyu was the emperor and no one dared to say anything to him.
But Liu Hui Ying was different she was the type of woman who would say what was in her head without any qualms. Most probably when Zhai Tianyu went looking for her to help Ji Yu, she must have spoken some bitter truth that Zhai Tianyu refused to face.
” Tianyu, you only need to remember that you are doing everything for the country, the Liu family is like a rotten pus-filled sore that needs to be eradicated for the sake of the betterment of the Empire, you don’t have to feel sorry for the Queen,” Zhai Heng said even though his heart was beating harshly against his chest telling him what he was saying was wrong but he still went ahead with it. Because the future of their country was more important than his heart and what he wanted.
He heaved a deep breath and ignored the resistance of his body before continuing, ” The Queen might be innocent but so were a lot of people whom the officials of the Liu family killed under the reign of the Dowager Empress. You don’t have to feel guilty for what you did.”
” No,” Zhai Tianyu shook his head, a melancholic look on his face as he stared at his hands and smiled disdainfully. ” If I don’t feel guilty for doing what I did to the Queen then what is the difference between me and those officials of the Liu family? They killed innocent people without any remorse and I did the same as well. Because of my arrogance and selfishness, I brought Ji Yu to the harem and left her in this vulnerable state, I was the one who married the queen and promised in our vows that I will protect her but on the night of our wedding, I offered her a jar of poisonous wine. No matter how I look at it,” he raised his head and looked at his elder brother. ” I was indeed a coward, I feared being controlled like a puppet by the Liu family and made all sorts of retaliation against them but not once did I go against them instead I went for the Queen who was the weakest of all.”
He dropped his gaze down to the floor and sighed heavily. ” Grandfather always said that one should never burn bridges entirely, yet I was foolish enough to hurt the Queen and now I can’t save the woman who means the most to me....”
” You can always force the Queen, your majesty,” suggested Zhai Heng.
” No, I have,” Zhai Tianyu closed his eyes as he shook his head. ” I have done enough damage to the Queen, no more. If I push her into a corner, then I will be shamelessly degrading myself even further in her eyes. Right now she thinks of me as a coward, if I were to force her then she will think of me as a tyrant and that is one thing that I never want to become.”
He pushed himself off the chair and then walked around Ji Yu’s bed before sitting down and skimming his fingers over her head. ” I guess, this will be the end of the Zhai family. But at least I will make sure to eradicate all the pests that have been digging in our roots before ending everything.”
.....
—
” Your majesty, do you really have to do this?” Qui Ai asked in a voice that was below a whisper as she handed the male servant’s clothes to Liu Hui Ying who took them from her and then carefully took a whiff. When she was sure that the clothes were fresh from the laundry and didn’t have the scent of a man, Liu Hui Ying placed them on the bed and immediately hopped off the bed where she was lying.
” Of course, I have to do it,” answered Liu Hui Ying as she placed her hands on her blouse and started taking it off. ” Do you have any idea how annoying is to stay in this same place and just do nothing but eat and sleep? ”
At first, Liu Hui Ying was enjoying the peace that was suddenly handed to her but now she couldn’t help but think that it was better for her to simply get out of this place and return to her own world.
After all, if she was to stay here who knows how much trouble she has to get entangled into?
” But what if you are caught?” asked Qui Ai in a worried voice, even though she said that when she noticed that Liu Hui Ying was having a hard time changing her clothes, she still helped her mistress. ” The women of the harem are not allowed to leave the palace, if anyone finds out that you left the palace and that too at such an odd hour, I am certain that it will be really troublesome your majesty. Even the Dowager Empress would not be able to save you if that happens. And the Ji family who has been eyeing you for so long will have a field trip.”
” No one will be able to catch me,” Liu Hui Ying winked at Qui Ai as she showed a victory sign to her maid. ” I am not someone whom they can catch so easily anyway. I am just going to look around the palace and then go outside to buy a few things, after that, I will return as soon as possible, you just have to hold the fort till then.”
As soon as her skirt was replaced by the wide pants, Liu Hui Ying handed her clothes to Qui Ai and said, ” Just drape the robe and lie down on the bed, in case nanny Gong comes to check on me.”
——
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