Chapter 550   Being Surprised at the Empress’s Stance

“No one has sent me any message. I went to see Heng Yuqing. She was very anxious. Her father’s concubine had no good intentions.” Thinking of Heng Yuqing’s situation, Ning Xueyan sighed. She was in the same situation that she used to be in. At least, her mother was ill, but she could protect her. What happened in the Lord Protector’s Manor was more terrible.

“It seems that Xianyun is really anxious!” Ao Chenyi said with a faint look in his eyes, “If it were not for Xianyun stirring up trouble behind our backs, how could a concubine dare to mention such a thing?”

Ning Xueyan poured herself a cup of tea and took a sip. Her long eyelashes fluttered and she asked in confusion, “Why is the Empress so kind to Commandery Princess Xianyun? Why did she help her with such a thing?”

The competition between a wife and a concubine was a taboo for all families. As the Empress, who had no children, she should be dignified and self-respected. A motherly model in the palace should be unbiased. Ning Xueyan had never heard that the Empress was partial to the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. That was to say, the Empress had always done a good job.

She had never interfered in the struggle between consorts and concubines in the palace. No matter what happened in the fights in the imperial harem, she was still the Empress. Whoever would win or lose had nothing to do with her. Or perhaps, one could say that no matter who would win or lose, she would be the Empress of the palace because she did not have a son. And, she would become the Empress Dowager in the future.

As long as she was still the Empress, her position as the Empress Dowager would be stable. Therefore, she did not have to compete like Honored Consort Ya and Honored Consort Shu.

However, the Empress, who had always been fair, seemed to be completely out-of-line now. She meddled in the affairs of Prince Yi’s Manor out of turn and helped Commandery Princess Xianyun to frame Ning Xueyan. She could not figure it out. No matter what happened in Prince Yi’s Manor, it had nothing to do with the Empress.

“Help Xianyun?” Ao Chenyi raised his eyebrows evilly and a cold light appeared in his eyes. “Her parents’ family is weak. So what if she becomes the Empress Dowager in the harem in the future? Neither Honored Consort Ya nor Honored Consort Shu are easy to get along with. No one will care about an empress who has no child. Besides, her parents’ family have a close relationship with Lord Peace’s Manor. She and Xianyun should be considered as relatives...”

Ning Xueyan was surprised, as a thought flashed through her mind. “So, she is on Commandery Princess Xianyun’s side?”

The words came out of her mouth in a low voice. After that, Ning Xueyan subconsciously covered her cherry lips and stared at Ao Chenyi in astonishment.

No wonder the relationship between Commandery Princess Xianyun and the Empress was so good. The relationship between the emperor and Ao Chenyi was not harmonious. Everyone just did superficial things. Everyone knew that the relationship between the emperor and Ao Chenyi was not harmonious, but the Empress loved Commandery Princess Xianyun very much.

From Ao Chenyi’s reaction, she could tell that Commandery Princess Xianyun had spent a lot of effort to marry into Prince Yi’s Manor. In the end, she was granted marriage. The Empress’s role was unquestionable. Commandery Princess Xianyun was an ambitious woman. She came to Prince Yi’s Manor for the supreme position.

She had confidence in Ao Chenyi, or the whole Lord Peace’s Manor had confidence in Ao Chenyi. Then what about the Empress? This answer gave her the creeps. Unexpectedly, the Empress’s trump card was not placed on her husband, whom she had married for so many years. Instead, she put it on someone else.

“Does His Majesty know...?” She could not help saying.

“He...” Ao Chenyi waved listlessly at her. When Ning Xueyan leaned a little closer to him, Ao Chenyi reached out and held her on his lap. “He is busy with the matter of his two sons now. He is making them exhaust my attention. As for the imperial harem, without any children, there won’t be any trouble. Besides, the Empress has always been dignified. He thinks that the Empress is closer to Xianyun because the two families are relatives and that they have always had a good relationship.”

Being held so closely in his arms, Ning Xueyan blushed. A warm blush rose on her white jade-like face, which made her look even more charming and gentle. However, the news she had just received was so shocking that she did not care about shyness for a moment. She raised her shimmery eyes and looked at Ao Chenyi in surprise.

“She... Will she get burnt for playing with fire?”

Even though the Emperor did not care about her, so what about it? As long as she was a little contrary-minded to the Emperor, even the family behind her would not have a good ending, not to mention her, the Empress. Although she did not have a son, she could only be a nominal Empress Dowager in the future. But now, it could be said that she almost stood on the opposite side of the Emperor.

“What’s wrong with playing with fire? I enjoy watching people playing with fire very much. Since she likes dancing on the tip of the blade with Xianyun, I’ll give them this opportunity so they will not have any regrets. If no one is scheming, it’s not fun. My road has never been a smooth one.”

Ao Chenyi paused for a while and clasped Ning Xueyan’s head into his arms, with a bloodthirsty dark coldness in his eyes. “They got above themselves and schemed secretly. They thought that they were about to approach their goal, but found that they were unable to reach their goal at the last moment. Their switch from being extremely happy to being desperate is just what I want,” he said slowly.

His voice was not loud, but the coldness in his eyes was clear. Ning Xueyan was speechless. She reached out and touched his handsome and cold face gently. She knew that he was ruthless and even bloodthirsty. He watched his opponent step slowly to his death.

Prince Yi was the representative of the Asura.

But if not, could he be at the mercy of others? Compared with being trampled, Ning Xueyan would rather he was Asura, who trampled other people’s lives and dignity. The tragedy of her previous life told her that if she did not want others to trample on her life and dignity, she had to become stronger.

She should be fiercer, bloodier and more cold-blooded than her opponent.

Humans were selfish. She did not want to make the same mistake she did in her previous life.

“Be careful. With the addition of the Empress, the situation will be even more dangerous. Remember what you said. You will protect me!” She raised her head and looked at him with her eyes full of tenacity. She was not as weak and harmless as she looked.

When he saw the tenacity on her youthful face, the darkness in his eyes slowly faded away and finally, there was a touch of tenderness. As the sun shone through the window, he could see her delicate and beautiful facial features. Together with this tenacity, she showed a heroic spirit.

Such a charming person, but with such a temperament, was so attractive. However, she was not aware of it. She raised her face and looked at him seriously as if she wanted him to remember this promise forever. His cold heart softened and his kiss fell gently on her white and tender forehead. His voice was filled with tenderness as he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll always protect you.”magic

She was the only woman he really wanted in his life. Therefore, he would protect her.

He could play with all the people in the world, but she was the only one whom he was willing to treat sincerely.

“Remember what you said. If you forget what you said, I’ll be doomed eternally. I’ll die miserably and be cut into pieces.”

Ning Xueyan cursed herself in her gentlest voice. She said it word by word as if she was cursing others. She looked into Ao Chenyi’s charming eyes without flinching.

After being with him, she discovered that he had a casual temperament. He was not afraid of death; it was as if he could give up everything, including his own life. Ning Xueyan was very afraid that he would leave her and sacrifice himself one day. If so, she would rather relive the tragedy of her previous life.

Looking at Ning Xueyan who was behaving in this manner, Ao Chenyi was inexplicably angry, but then he softened. “Don’t worry. There won’t be such a day.”

Whether it was a success or a failure, he didn’t care. He just wanted to live a free life. But now, it was different. He had worries in his heart and could not do that. In his eyes, this woman was still a girl. She was so fragile that she would be easily broken at a touch. However, she warned him so firmly and every word pierced his heart.

He sighed helplessly and hugged her even tighter. There was a flash of light in his eyes. She was indeed the one who understood him the most. She knew that it would irritate him immensely if she cursed herself like that.

Ning Xueyan looked up at him. Her cold eyes were full of tenderness and light. She fluttered her long eyelashes twice and there was a hint of beseeching softness on her face. “No matter what happens in the future, remember me. You live, I live! You die, I die.”

Her eyes were as dark as ink. At first, they looked as cold as ice and snow. When one looked at them carefully, one could feel the fluidity of her gaze. They were charming and attractive beyond words. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly and her small mouth was slightly parted. The skin on her attractive oval face was delicate. She looked at him with an unspeakably gentle gaze.

Ao Chenyi had never seen Ning Xueyan express her feelings so clearly. She was so soft but so decisive. His heart rippled with tenderness. Unexpectedly, such a delicate girl could be so fierce and determined. The kiss fell on her lips again and this time, it was like a precious treasure.

“Don’t worry, I will live or die with you! If anyone threatens my life, I’ll kill them, be it gods or devils.”

It was his promise, the only promise he had made in his life. He would not let anything happen to her, who was so weak, so he could not let anything happen to him!

He held her tightly in his arms with self-mockery and his chin was against her black hair. He really did not expect that such a heartless person like himself would be so distressed. He really did not know whether it was her disaster or his disaster when he saw her upstairs at that time. Now it seemed that he was the one who had more calamity.

If he had not been too free at that time, he would not have gone to the Lord Protector’s Manor...

If it were not for the boredom, he would not have gone upstairs to rest...

If he had not seen that scene at that time...

If she had not pretended to be strong and taken advantage of him in the mourning hall...

He believed that he would regret it. Such a woman would be his only disaster in this life, but he was also willing to sink for her. The person in his arms was so soft that it made him feel like he was in the mortal world, no longer cold and dull.