Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Emperor Jingyuan sat behind his desk, holding an urgent report from Jiangnan in his hand, but his eyes were not on the paper.

Jiang Sese was born to Danxia and that man before Danxia entered the palace... Emperor Jingyuan already knew about this.

Emperor Jingyuan did not extend his affection for Jiang Sese to the fact that he loved her as much as he loved her.

It's not that I hate it.

If she hadn't involved Xie Jue, he wouldn't have paid her any attention whatsoever, let alone harbored any murderous intent.

Very light footsteps came from outside the hall.

Emperor Jingyuan did not raise his head.

Duan Wei bowed as he entered the hall, kneeling before the imperial desk, his forehead touching the ground. Having served Emperor Jingyuan for so many years, he had never hesitated in reporting matters, but tonight, after kneeling, he remained silent for two breaths before speaking, recounting the events: "...She said she possesses items belonging to Consort Chen and requests to see Your Majesty!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the emperor on the dragon throne suddenly stood up.

Duan Wei knelt on the ground, not daring to move.

But an emperor is still an emperor.

After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Jingyuan slowly sat back down on his dragon throne. It was as if his momentary loss of composure was merely an illusion caused by the flickering candlelight.

Emperor Jingyuan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, as if trying to slowly push those surging emotions back into a bottomless well.

When he opened his eyes again, his face had returned to its usual deep and calm expression.

"Summon her to see me."

"Yes," Duan Wei replied, bowing deeply, his heart filled with dread.

Silence returned to the Imperial Study.

Emperor Jingyuan remained seated, his gaze seemingly fixed on the memorial, yet also seemingly penetrating it to gaze upon the distant, dusty past.

Danxia...

What will your belongings be?

……

The palace doors slammed shut behind them with a dull thud, shutting out the night breeze outside and the lights in the corridor.

Only two people remained in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Jingyuan sat behind his desk, his gaze flickering slightly as he looked at the purple figure in the hall with its head bowed.

Purple. Danxia also likes purple.

When she was still alive, no one else dared to wear purple.

The lower-ranking concubines were afraid of offending her, while the higher-ranking concubines were afraid of being embarrassed. If they wore clothes of the same color, whoever looked worse would be embarrassed.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jingyuan couldn't help but smile.

The girl before him knelt with her head bowed, and he couldn't see her face clearly, only that her purple dress shimmered softly in the candlelight. She was indeed Danxia's daughter; even the color of her dress matched.

Emperor Jingyuan's calm tone carried a hint of urgency: "You said your mother left behind some belongings. What exactly are they?"

Jiang Sese knelt in the hall, her eyes lowered, her hands clasped in front of her forehead trembling slightly.

The main reason is that Emperor Jingyuan genuinely wanted to kill her.

She can't rely on anyone.

We have no choice but to take a gamble.

But Jiang Sese really dislikes gambling. Winning is naturally great, but losing usually comes with consequences she can't afford. Like this time, she's gambling with her life.

The description of Emperor Jingyuan in the book flashed before my eyes.

When favored, he is extremely lenient; but once he sees something that goes against his wishes, he is decisive and ruthless without the slightest hesitation.

Jiang Sese closed her eyes briefly, then slowly raised her head: "Your Majesty, the keepsake left by my mother... is me!"

"If you want to kill me, how can you face my mother's spirit in heaven?!"

The candlelight fell on her face, making her features even more striking than Leng Danxia's, but her eyes and brows lacked the dignified elegance of a woman of great beauty, and instead possessed a youthful innocence that was not yet fully developed.

Yet the contours of the face, the slight upward curve of the chin, the subtle stubbornness at the corners of the lips when pursed—in the flickering candlelight, there was an inexplicable resemblance.

Emperor Jingyuan was completely stunned.

He had seen women who resembled Danxia before.

After Danxia's death, many people searched for women who resembled Consort Chen and sent them to the palace. There was even a girl from Zhen Ding Prefecture who, if not looked closely, looked almost exactly like Danxia.

But he saw right through those people.

If it's not that person, then it's not.

What's the point of having only one face?

Later, seeing that the beauties they had presented were all neglected, the ministers stopped bothering to find a substitute for Consort Chen.

But at this moment, the girl kneeling in the hall raised her head, and the string in his heart that had been withered for more than ten years was suddenly gently plucked.

She is not Danxia. No.

But she is indeed Danxia's daughter.

She has half the blood of Danxia flowing in her veins!

Emperor Jingyuan's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He originally thought Jiang Sese would look like that man, he thought Jiang Sese would look like her father, but he didn't expect her to look like Danxia!

She is not that man's daughter, but Danxia's daughter!

A sense of surprise welled up in Emperor Jingyuan's heart for no apparent reason.

Jiang Sese knelt on the ground, watching Emperor Jingyuan slowly rise from the dragon throne and walk towards her step by step.

Jiang Sese's heart jumped into her throat.

Jiang Sese: ? ? ?

What are you trying to do?

She knew that wearing purple might make her a substitute for the emperor, but she really had no other choice. However, Jiang Sese did not expect Emperor Jingyuan to be so impatient.

Countless scenes from online novels flashed through my mind—things like "You look like my old friend," "From today onwards you will stay in the palace," and "I will take good care of you"—goosebumps fell all over my body.

But Jiang Sese showed no sign of panic on her face, and remained calm as she looked at Emperor Jingyuan.

Emperor Jingyuan stopped three steps away from her.

Jiang Sese was taken aback, somewhat confused.

He looked down at her, and there was something she couldn't understand churning in his usually deep and unfathomable eyes.

It wasn't lust, nor possession, but something... strange...

Emperor Jingyuan looked at her; her face was expressionless, yet tears streamed down her cheeks.

Jiang Sese felt a chill run down her spine.

Ever since discovering that Fei Ying and Shen Ziyu didn't look quite like she had imagined, Jiang Sese had been secretly curious about what Emperor Jingyuan would look like.

But no matter how you look at it, Emperor Jingyuan shouldn't be a person who cries!

This is no less intense than seeing Sadako from a horror movie suddenly start sobbing.

It's both frightening and pitiful.

Jiang Sese instinctively reached down to find a handkerchief to hand to him.

Emperor Jingyuan: "What are you looking for?"

Jiang Sese lowered her head: "I'm looking for a handkerchief."

After Jiang Sese finished speaking, she looked up at Emperor Jingyuan and asked, "Huh? Where are the tears?"

So she just misread it?

"You just said that you are the relic left behind by Danxia. If I were to kill you, I would be betraying the spirit of your mother in heaven."

Emperor Jingyuan looked at Jiang Sese's face, which bore a resemblance to Danxia's, and remained silent for a long time before saying, "You dare to say that."

Jiang Sese: "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

Both malice and goodwill can be sensed by the parties involved.

However, Jiang Sese did not sense Emperor Jingyuan's murderous intent at this moment.

There's a saying that goes something like this: you can't hide the look in someone's eyes when they want to kill them.

Emperor Jingyuan spoke in a flat, even voice, "When your mother passed away, I was not by her side. I am the one who has wronged her."

Jiang Sese's fear subsided slightly at this moment.

This emperor, who killed countless people, was ultimately nothing more than a pitiful man who couldn't see his lover one last time.

Jiang Sese didn't know how to comfort him, and felt that perhaps he didn't need her comfort at all. What did someone who possessed a vast empire and enjoyed boundless loneliness need her comfort for?

Jiang Sese racked her brains and could only meekly agree, "It's good that Your Majesty knows what's going on."

Emperor Jingyuan looked at Jiang Sese.

Has anyone ever told you that you're not very good at flattery?

"Yes, yes." The tone remained hesitant and submissive.

But the art style changed inexplicably.

It turned into casual chatter about everyday family matters during the Chinese New Year.

Jiang Sese deeply felt that serving a ruler was indeed like walking on thin ice; she couldn't fathom what this man was thinking at all. Then she thought again, if Xie Jue were here, he would definitely know what Emperor Jingyuan meant! In the book, it was written that Xie Jue could know what Emperor Jingyuan was about to say with just a glance. What an amazing skill… This must be the most invincible skill in officialdom.

Emperor Jingyuan glanced at her and said, "Thinking of Xie Junheng?"

Jiang Sese was surprised. "Holy crap, he can read minds too!" she exclaimed. "How did Your Majesty know?"

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled.

"He'll arrive tomorrow. Would you like to join me in playing a joke on him?"

Jiang Sese: ...

Jiang Sese: "I don't want to."