Chapter 46.2 - Destroying a Family（2）

With her forehead pressed to the ground, Dan Xiang’s voice slightly quivered as she answered resolutely, “…This slave…this slave is willing to do things for liangdi, even if I lose my life, I will not back away.”

Rong Xi sighed lightly and took a sip of the sweet ginger soup, “Raise, go bring the squab here. After you return, have some of this sugar water as well.”

Without much effort, Dan Xiang brought back a chirping squab. Flapping its wings, it was raised to be quite fat by the kitchen bureau. After the birdcage was sent to the Eastern Palace’s personal kitchen, the chefs and rough maidservants heard that Rong liangdi was personally coming to cook and they became even more alert.

Rong liangdi was pretty and also spoke to them amicably. This time when she came, she even had Dan Xiang reward them with silvers.

The few months Rong Xi had become liangdi, she took advantage of the lack of a principle consort in Mu Huai’s Eastern Palace to gain the favor of all the servants. This was an opportunity she worked hard to take advantage of, she could not waste it.

The small kitchen’s servants all had beaming smiles on their faces, but they saw Rong Xi’s personal senior palace maid bring in a birdcage. Only then did they know that Rong liangdi wanted to cook this pigeon today.

After Rong Xi entered, Dan Xiang didn’t wait for the cooks to speak before shutting the door, saying, “Liangdi doesn’t like other people to disturb her when she cooks, it’ll be enough for me to assist.”

Before the cooks had time to answer, wanting to help Rong Xi kill the pigeon, Dan Xiang already blocked everyone outside.

It was better for them to do less than to overdo it. It wouldn’t be too late to go in after liangdi calls for them. The small kitchen’s servants observed the silvers they were bestowed and happily left the area.

Speaking of which, when Concubine Yu was pregnant, she loved to eat crispy roasted pigeon the most. Fuqu Palace also had a personal kitchen, but the servants there didn’t know how to make it. Concubine Yu only liked the pigeon that Rong Xi cooked.

Recalling the past, Rong Xi handed the knife to Dan Xiang, asking, “Do you know how to slaughter pigeons?”

Dan Xiang hesitated, then took the knife. However, looking at the pigeon flapping its wings in the cage, she closed her eyes in the end, not daring to really do it.

Rong Xi let out a gentle smile. Her voice was still sweet and soft as always, but the words she spoke were so cruel that Dan Xiang lost all color in her face–

“Forget it, since you’re scared, I’ll kill it.”

******

On this night, Mu Huai was sitting in bed, his slender fingers holding the booklet with a heavy gaze.

In Jiazheng Hall tomorrow, Di Zhuo will be impeached by his fellow court officials. Let the Di family have a good sleep tonight.

By tomorrow, let’s welcome the disaster that will overturn the skies.

He had already investigated all the evidence. This Di Zhuo, a mere Minister of Rites, was able to embezzle so much money from the national treasury. In his past life, he never investigated this matter and actually let Di Zhuo this dog official live peacefully for so many years.

–“Husband, you should sleep early.”

The woman’s sweet and soft voice interrupted his thoughts. Mu Huai looked askew at the pregnant beauty lying on the bed and lightly replied, “Alright.”

Like always, he carefully brought her into his arms. Soon, he entered his dreams.

On the other hand, Rong Xi had yet to fall asleep. During the morning, she had already filled a goat’s intestines with pigeon blood and had also drank a bowl of specially concocted medicine.

In the darkness, she looked at the man’s deeply asleep visage.

After a brief internal struggle, she felt the medicine was taking effect and finally furrowed her brows as her nail pierced the goat intestine.

The fresh blood slowly flowed out as her fair forehead was dotted with cold sweat.

Prior to this, Rong Xi had already explained it to the child in her belly. If she were to successfully pass through this challenge this time, she would definitely not let anyone harm it.

No matter which woman would enter the Eastern Palace in the future, as long as she didn’t harm her [RX] child, she [RX] will obediently be a concubine.

But if the child was harmed, then don’t blame her for being cruel and poisonous.

Rong Xi felt the pain in her body intensify. She had threatened the imperial physician to make this prescription for her. After the medicine’s effects passed, she would return to normal. However, there was also a small risk of hurting the fetus.

The imperial physician cautioned her to carefully make her decision.

Rong Xi was always very clear. She had run away from Mu Huai for this child in the beginning. In order to protect this child, Ye Yunlan and Nanny Huan had sacrificed their lives. Therefore, this child could not just arrive in this world for nothing. This child had to avenge her, as well as avenge Nanny Huan and Ye Yunlan.

Without any hesitation, she had the imperial physician make the medicine.

Mu Huai had a fitful sleep. He faintly smelled the scent of blood and he frowned. He seemed to have heard the woman’s frail cries by his ear.

“…Husband, Husband save me.”

Mu Huai immediately jerked his eyes open. Feeling that there was a wetness by his legs, he had a rare moment of panic as he cupped the woman’s sweat-drenched face.

His voice was trembling as he comforted her in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid…I won’t let anything happen to you.”

With a dark look, Mu Huai got off the bed to light a candle.

Seeing that there was indeed blood on the bed, he felt his heart suddenly drop. As the painful memories from his past life flooded into his mind, each scene was like a cruel stab into his heart.

He definitely could not let this woman leave him again.

The vein on Mu Huai’s forehead throbbed as he angrily ordered, “…Someone come, something happened to liangdi, bring the imperial physician!”

Dan Xiang also did not sleep tonight. Hearing the Crown Prince’s furious voice, she immediately went to the imperial physician’s bureau to search for the imperial physician that looked at Rong Xi before.

This imperial physician had also made preparations a long time ago, his heart beating thunderously in his chest.

Mu Huai clenched his fists and frowned, forcing himself to stay calm, however his hands were shaking unconsciously. He was scared that this woman would die, and just like in his past life, she would leave him. He was so useless. After having a second chance, he still could not protect this woman.

The imperial physician brought over two nurses, and forced Rong Xi to drink a bowl of medicinal tonic.

Seeing her condition take a turn for the better, he dabbed at the sweat on his forehead as he spoke in a trembling voice to Mu Huai, “Replying to His Majesty…Rong liangdi has signs of a miscarriage, however, thankfully it was discovered in time and the fetus is stable.”

Suppressing the fear in his heart, Mu Huai pretended to be calm as he asked, “Why would liangdi suddenly show signs of a miscarriage?”

Standing by the side, Dan Xiang suddenly let out a low cry and knelt down on the ground, “…Your Highness, the recent rumors in the palace all say that Rong liangdi‘s undetermined illness was because she had been cursed, otherwise…otherwise, this slave doesn’t think there’s any other reason behind it either. Before, liangdi‘s body had been very healthy and the imperial physician also served very well. If it wasn’t for a curse, how could she end up like this?”

Dan Xiang dabbed at her tears while she spoke.

Mu Huai clenched his fists even tighter, as if he wanted to grind his bones to dust.

Before, the reason why he suddenly lost the ability to walk was also because he was inflicted with a mysterious illness. Thus, he extremely abhorred things like witchcraft. He didn’t expect that his own woman would also be harmed by this evil witchcraft as well.

Dan Xiang raised her eyes to observe Mu Huai’s expression and fanned the flames even further, “Liangdi had only ever offended one person in this palace, Your Highness…you have to stand up for liangdi, what happened…there’s an eighty percent chance it was the eldest miss of the Di family that did this…”

******

At night, the Eastern Palace’s Crown Prince took his guards and barged into the Di residence.

Such movements startled Di Zhuo who was currently partaking in pleasures with his concubine.

Hearing the frightened report from his servant, Di Zhuo hurried changed his clothes. After walking out from his concubine’s courtyard, he saw Mu Huai with a fierce look on his face as he ruthlessly dragged Di Shiyin out by her hair and threw her down in front of him.

Di Shiyin screeched in pain, her hands were already bleeding from the broken rocks on the ground.

Di Zhuo was stunned.

Was he in a nightmare right now?

He wanted to quickly wake up, but the scent of blood in his nose told him that this was not a dream but reality.

He suddenly knelt down on the ground, his confused eyes looking at Mu Huai and the fallen Di Shiyin on the ground as he asked in a shaking voice, “Your Highness…why did you come to this subject’s residence so late at night? Even to this subject’s daughter…doing such a thing? This subject…what crime did I commit?”

Mu Huai’s dark eyes were full of hostility. Under the hazy lights of the Di estate, he looked just like the grim reaper.

Letting out a cold snort, Mu Huai didn’t answer him, ordering people to throw down the memorials he had organized over the past few days at Di Zhuo’s feet instead. With shaking hands, Di Zhuo read through the memorials and his eyes widened.

“This…this…”

After so many years, he had embezzled quite a bit of money from the court. Di Zhuo originally thought that he did things quite secretively, but didn’t know that Mu Huai had been secretly investigating him.

In a cold voice, Mu Huai interrupted him, “What do I want to do? Naturally, I’ve come to demolish your home. I want you to spit out all the money you’ve embezzled all these years.”

Di Zhuo knew that Mu Huai’s arrival this time meant that it would be difficult for him to escape from this situation.

Di Zhuo lost his voice, “…Your Highness, this subject is guilty, but this subject’s daughter is innocent, begging Your Highness to spare her life…”

Yet Mu Huai treated Di Zhuo’s words like a passing wind. With a bloodthirsty smile, he cruelly looked at Di Shiyin’s profile and asked, “Let me ask you, why did you cast a curse, harming my child and Rong liangdi?”

The people Mu Huai brought had already found a puppet stabbed with needles in Di Shiyin’s boudoir. Rong Xi’s named was carved on the puppet, it was already set in stone that Di Shiyin had committed witchcraft.

Now that Di Shiyin was about to die, she was no longer afraid of anything.

She began to laugh, and Mu Huai frowned upon seeing this. Laughing maniacally, she answered, “I just want to curse her to death, what about it? This curse took effect so quickly, did she miscarry? Look at how anxious you are, how quick…”

Before she could finish, Mu Huai pulled her hair and fiercely slammed the woman’s head against the sharp cornerstone.

“Peng—”

Di Shiyin’s head immediately started bleeding. She moaned a few times, but didn’t die yet.

Di Zhuo cried out, “No!”

Yet he saw Mu Huai grabbing Di Shiyin’s hair, pulling her head up. Seeing her disfigured face, he said, “You bitch, even dying a thousand times or even ten thousand times would not appease my anger.”

Di Zhuo couldn’t handle the scene in front of him and had already fainted.

Mu Huai saw that Di Shiyin had yet to stop breathing and slammed her forehead agains the rocks again. This time, Di Shiyin’s originally beautiful and fair face had been ruined beyond recognition.

Although all the soldiers around him had blood on their hands and killed people before, they had never seen such a bloody scene and all turned their heads away.

Di Shihua had also been woken up by the commotion. She didn’t expect that her family would fall into such dire conditions overnight.

She walked listless over to Di Shiyin’s corpse and bitterly wept.

Although she had been envious of her elder sister, she never wished that she would die in such a tragic manner.

Mu Huai had already left, ordering the soldiers to confiscate the Di residence. He also ordered the unconscious Di Zhuo to be tied up, and had them watch over him lest tried to commit suicide by biting his tongue.

Such a corrupt official must be interrogated and tortured.

Let all the citizens of Great Qi witness the power of the royal family meting out justice.

*****

After he sealed the Di residence with great momentum, by the time Mu Huai tiredly returned back to the Eastern Palace, it was already yinshi (3 AM – 5 AM).

The skies outsider were no longer the blackness of the night, but the deep blue that signified the upcoming morning.

Outside the Eastern Palace, the imperial physician had waited for several hours for Mu Huai’s return. Although it was true that Rong Xi had threatened him, he was still theCrown Prince’s person.

After thinking for a long time, the imperial physician knelt on the ground and told Mu Huai the truth behind Rong Xi’s fake miscarriage. He asked for Mu Huai to punish him but also begged to have his life spared. Because, on this matter, he was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

At the time, being threatened by Rong liangdi, he was scared of losing his life and lost his rationality.

Outside of his expectations, the Crown Prince stayed silent after hearing all this.

Instead of erupting in fury, his attitude was very calm.

Mu Huai had an indifferent expression on his face as he told the imperial physician, “I understand. This matter cannot be spread outside, if it is, you should know what the consequences are.”

Finished, Mu Huai didn’t bring up any punishment, instead leaving him behind and entering the Eastern palace.

The imperial physician wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead, not knowing how Rong liangdi would be punished by Mu Huai.

Recalling what happened just now, after the Crown Prince left the palace, Rong liangdi saw that he was restless and finally calmly told him, “If you’re feeling torn, then you can tell the Crown Prince the truth, I won’t hold a grudge against you.”

Since she said this, then she had already made preparations to lose his favor.

The imperial physician let out a light sigh. Carrying his medicine box, his weak legs left the Eastern Palace.

After Mu Huai entered the hall, he looked at the blood on his body with disgust. This blood was from that bitch, and he really could not stand it.

The hall was brightly lit up with candles.

Rong Xi was curled up into a little ball in the blankets.

Mu Huai sat by the bedside. His back facing Rong Xi, he lowered his voice as he asked, “Xi’er, are you asleep?”

Rong Xi naturally wasn’t asleep. Sensing Mu Huai had returned, she had already mentally prepared herself. No matter how he wanted to punish her, she would not feel wronged. She had already thought it through. She didn’t want to lie to man any longer.

She also didn’t want the relationship between the two to be marred with schemes, but she had no choice. If Mu Huai’s feelings towards her changed due to this incident, she could only accept it.

She only asked that Mu Huai would allow her to give birth to the child. After the child safely arrives in this world, even if he wants her life, she would have no regrets.

However, she would not be able to avenge Ye Yunlan and Nanny Huan’s deaths.

Hearing Mu Huai calmly calling her Xi’er, Rong Xi suddenly felt at a loss.

Did the imperial physician not tell him the truth?

Rong Xi’s soft and sweet voice trembled a little as she answered, “…This concubine…this concubine is not sleeping.”

When she finished, the man carefully laid her across his knees. Lowering his head, he kissed her in despair. Not at all half-heartedly, it was as strong and possessive as before, but it also seemed as if it was trying to prove something.

Just as Rong Xi couldn’t breathe, Mu Huai finally released her.

Complicated emotions could be seen in Mu Huai’s dark eyes. Looking at the woman’s surprised face, he asked her, “All of this…was it planned by you?”

Rong Xi felt her heart jump. In the end, the imperial physician still told Mu Huai the truth.

It was good that he told him. She didn’t want to lie to him or hide things from him.

Rong Xi didn’t answer him. She wanted to get down from Mu Huai, wanted to kneel in front of him to beg for forgiveness.

Yet Mu Huai stopped her, not allowing her to restlessly move around.

Rong Xi didn’t dare to look into the man’s eyes. In the end, she could only force herself to calm down as she spoke to Mu Huai, “Your Highness…this concubine is guilty. You can punish this concubine however you want to. After this concubine gives birth to the child, this child can be raised under the name of the future Crown Princess Consort. This concubine know that my crime’s are unpardonable. When the time comes, no matter how Your Highness wants this concubine to die, this concubine is willing as long as it can dispel Your Highness’s anger…also begging Your Highness, after this concubine dies, please treat this concubine’s child with kindness.”

When Mu Huai heard this, he let out a light laugh, but this laugh was very miserable.

Rong Xi had never seen such an expression on Mu Huai’s face. The man looked as cold and handsome as always, but it was also a bit gloomy.

Mu Huai didn’t become angry, only forcefully suppressing his voice to ask, “Do you think that I brought you back just for this child?”

Rong Xi’s lips trembled, but she didn’t know how to answer the man in front of her.

Mu Huai’s voice became cold and heavy, “Listen well, in my heart, you are a hundred times more important than the piece of flesh in your stomach. As for what happened today, I can forgive you. If in the future, you still use your own safety to scare me then I, I…”

Mu Huai stopped.

Having a second chance was in vain, being emperor for over a decade was also in vain. He had always been cruel and ruthless when dealing with things, everyone was frightened of him.

However he had no methods of dealing with this woman.

Rong Xi’s eyes turned red as she tried to stop herself from crying.

Yet she heard Mu Huai say, “You’re not allowed to do this in the future…I will protect you.”

When Rong Xi heard this, the tears she had been holding back fell down.

Mu Huai really couldn’t bear to see the woman in front of him crying. Helpless, he hugged her, placing her head against his shoulder.

As he rubbed her back, he admonished her in a low voice, “You’re not allowed to cry. You’ve been talking an awful lot about the Crown Princess Consort or whatever with me. Exactly who I want to become the Crown Princess Consort, do you really have no idea at all?”

Rong Xi sniffled as she replied, “This concubine doesn’t know…who Your Highness will choose to become the Crown Princess Consort…”

Mu Huai clenched his fists and bit her earlobe in frustration as he fiercely said, “Stupid woman, you’re foolish yet also cruel. I don’t want anyone else…I only want to marry you, you foolish woman, as my wife…”