They've already breached the palace, yet all they ask of me is an edict of self-reproach.

"?"

Consort Chen was stunned when she heard the sickeningly sweet voice coming from her mother's throat.

"How could my mother make such shameful sounds..."

Consort Chen was puzzled, but her pretty face was burning hot.

Although Consort Chen had never experienced the trials of romance, her woman's intuition told her that something was wrong with her mother.

"Could it be that a lecherous thief broke into the palace last night?"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Consort Chen was startled and quickly suppressed it.

The palace was heavily guarded; let alone a thief, no man could possibly break in without the emperor's permission.

But how do we explain Mother's strange reaction just now?

"Mother... Mother..."

Consort Chen gently nudged her mother's shoulder. Rather than continuing to overthink, she decided to ask her mother herself.

Consort Chen knew her mother's strong-willed nature very well. If a thief had really entered Chang Le Palace last night, her mother would never have allowed him to do as he pleased, but would have sacrificed her life to preserve her purity.

Thinking of this, Consort Chen felt much better.

Li Qingguo was half-conscious when someone suddenly hugged her from behind, which made her more alert. Now, hearing her daughter's call, she was fully awake.

"Luan'er...?"

Li Qingguo turned her head and saw that her daughter was lying next to her, and almost cried out in surprise.

"Was last night's absurdity just a dream?"

The thought subconsciously crossed Li Qingguo's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

The tingling sensation emanating from my body at this moment is proof that everything that happened last night was real.

But why is her daughter lying next to her?

Li Qingguo clearly remembered that her daughter had been summoned away by the Empress last night and had not returned; otherwise, her affair with the Emperor would have been exposed long ago.

"Mother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Although Consort Chen was full of doubts, she still subconsciously cared about her mother.

"No...it's nothing..."

Li Qingguo said with a somewhat guilty conscience.

Although she was forced into what happened last night, she ultimately felt sorry for her daughter.

Seeing her mother's expression, Consort Chen became even more puzzled.

In Consort Chen's memory, her mother had never been so flustered, not even when the Western Chu palace was breached.

Her unease grew stronger. Consort Chen paused for a moment, then asked, "Mother, what you just did...?"

Upon hearing her daughter's question, Li Qingguo immediately recalled the unconscious coquettish sound she had made in her sleep, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

However, because Li Qingguo had been nourished the night before, her face was already rosy, so Consort Chen did not notice that her mother's complexion was not normal.

"This matter... must never be known to my daughter..."

Li Qingguo thought to herself, and after a flurry of thoughts, she quickly came up with a solution.

Immediately, Li Qingguo sighed.

Upon seeing this, Consort Chen's heart leaped into her throat. Could her guess be correct?

Thinking of this, Consort Chen's body trembled involuntarily.

If my mother really did encounter a womanizer last night, what should I do...?

Consort Chen was momentarily stunned, her mind going completely blank.

Just then, she suddenly heard her mother, Li Qingguo, say, "Luan'er, do you think your mother should live in this world?"

Upon hearing her mother's words, Consort Chen was taken aback, and her attention was also greatly diverted.

Why did Mother say that?

Consort Chen's tone was somewhat worried; after all, she was still concerned about Li Qingguo.

Li Qingguo sighed softly again: "I just dreamt of your father..."

Upon hearing this, Consort Chen's doubts were completely resolved. The reason her mother had made that sound was because, being in the palace, she was reminded of her father and dreamt of him.

Thinking of this, Consort Chen felt extremely guilty. As a daughter, how could she have such a thought that her mother's innocence had been ruined by a lecher?

"Mother, let bygones be bygones..."

After thinking things through, Consort Chen immediately hugged her mother to comfort her, feeling deeply ashamed.

If it weren't for her, her mother would probably have died for her country along with her father, instead of being raised in the Western Liang Prince's Mansion and suffering for so many years.

"My only wish now is that you can live a peaceful and happy life. If that happens, I will be content even if I die."

"Mother, please don't say that."

Consort Chen quickly interrupted Li Qingguo, tears streaming down her face.

"Everything my mother did was for me. If my father knew this in the afterlife, he would certainly not blame my mother."

"Mother, rest assured, I will never let you suffer again. Last night, Her Majesty the Empress promised me that she would plead with His Majesty to allow you to stay in the capital."

Consort Chen was worried that her mother might really do something rash, so she quickly told her what the Empress had promised her the night before.

"My dear Luan'er."

Li Qingguo hugged her daughter, but in her heart she thought to herself: Even if the Empress doesn't plead for me, the Emperor probably won't let me leave the capital.

Li Qingguo was very confident in her charm, and coupled with Zhao Ji's inconsiderate treatment of her last night, she was certain that Zhao Ji would not let her leave the capital again.

Of course, Li Qingguo dared not tell his daughter the reason behind this.

"My daughter only hopes that her mother is well and safe."

Consort Chen held Li Qingguo in her arms and began to sob softly.

After a long while, Consort Chen felt that her mother was sticky, which she figured was probably from a nightmare she had the night before, and she broke out in a cold sweat. So she said:

"Mother must have broken out in a cold sweat last night. I'll have the maid prepare hot water for her to bathe and change, so she won't catch a cold."

When Li Qingguo heard that her daughter wanted her to take a bath and change her clothes, she was startled.

Last night, she was tormented by that foolish emperor Zhao Ji, who showed no mercy whatsoever. Now, she could barely walk, let alone stand up.

If my daughter notices anything amiss later, that would be disastrous.

"Take a bath later, Mother wants to talk to you now."

Li Qingguo couldn't find a reason for the time being, so she could only make up an excuse.

"Oh well."

Consort Chen didn't think much of it, and besides, she also wanted to have a good talk with her mother.

After Consort Chen was sent to the palace, she never saw Li Qingguo again, and her longing for him was naturally very strong.

Seeing that his daughter had no suspicions, Li Qingguo secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then took the initiative to start a conversation, telling some old stories from the Western Chu palace.

……

Meanwhile, in Xiliang.

Inside the Prince's Mansion.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Chen Sangui sat in the main chair with a somber expression, below him a group of Xiliang officials and military generals who were silent with fear.

Chen Sangui picked up his teacup, took a sip, and without looking up, coldly asked:

"Who can tell me, I treated Han Pingchuan like my own son, and even intended to pass the throne to him, so why did he rebel against me?"