C98

The empress dowager looked coldly at the palace for a total of nine days. She only felt hatred and humiliation, and every time she thought of the humiliation from the past, she couldn't help but wish that she could make the palace nine days into the palace and become one of the eunuchs in the harem.

Yes, she didn't want him to die, because that would be too easy for him. Only by watching him suffer and live in humiliation could the hatred in his heart be slightly relieved. Her mother and brother all died in the hands of this elder brother. The palace used to be bustling with people, but now, only the three of them were left.

What made her most gratified was that the palace had no children for nine days. Even if the palace had to die, she would still be happy to watch. Since she did not wish to see Gong Huan Feng entering the palace, and it was only an arrangement by the late emperor, she could not oppose it. Moreover, at that time, she would have to rely on the palace for nine days before she could become the official wife of Ji Ru.

"Empress Dowager, would you like to try? Even if I don't have a son, why must you be so proud? Your only son doesn't have much time left, so after he leaves, I will still stay by your side. Unfortunately, he's not my flesh and blood, so I don't need to worry. Fortunately, he was not stupid enough to hand over the sole prince to Feng'er to nurture. Don't worry, my beloved little sister. She will just do the things from the past once more and support another young emperor. There will be a time when you beg me. At that time, you will kneel at my feet and beg me bitterly. "

The corner of his mouth revealed a smug smile. He was the King who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Southern Champion. Once the reverse scale of fire returned to the sky, the entire Southern Champion would be in his hands.

"Empress Dowager, there is also another joyous news. Your son, beg me to choose anyone as you please and be his son. I have already chosen someone, and in the future, I will have another child in my palace. He will inherit everything from me and become the new King shoulder to shoulder of the Southern Champion. Perhaps, the Southern Champion should be replaced by a new monarch. Today, it is not just fire. "

Her delicate body started to tremble. Could it be that her son was running out of time?

"Empress Dowager, accompany your son well. I think you don't have much time left to accompany him."

Gong Jiu stepped past the Empress Dowager and took the handkerchief from her hand. With a dark smile, he placed it in his sleeve. The empress dowager, however, was in no mood to fuss about it. If it was really as the palace of nine days had said, then all her hard work and achievements would have been for naught.

She quickly made her way to the sleeping quarters. She wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with her son. His son was her everything.

Behind him, that sinister and handsome face was frighteningly gloomy as he looked at her. After entering her chamber, he held onto the silk handkerchief hidden in his sleeves, "You are mine, and in the end, you are mine. You won't be able to escape. Dead or alive, you were, were, and will be mine. This is your destiny. No one can save you. Why are you unwilling to be my woman? Could it be that the taste of being in the palace is that pleasant? "

He watched that graceful figure disappear from his bedroom, and he didn't leave for a long time. Even now, he still deeply loved her, his little sister. Even if she slaughtered all the members of the Gong Family, she was still allowed to live.

"You owe me too much, too much. Don't think I don't know why they betrayed me. In the face of power, what was kinship? However, you must also pay the price today. In the end, the Southern Champion is mine, and you are mine as well. "

He turned around and walked out of the Forbidden Palace. The fate of the future Southern Champion was in his hands.

The empress dowager walked into the palace with quick steps. When she saw Gong Huan Feng on the Dragon Couch, she held onto the reverse scale of the fire. She knew how deeply she loved the reverse scale of the fire, but she didn't care.

"Feng'er, it's already deep into the night. You should return to the palace to rest."

When Gong Huan Feng heard the empress dowager's words, she hastily stood up. "This son didn't know that Imperial Mother had arrived. Please forgive me for my rudeness."

There was no smile on the empress dowager's face as she looked worriedly at her son. "Feng'er, go back to the palace and rest for a bit. It won't be too late to wait until tomorrow."

She did not want to leave. Tonight was so gentle, and she did not know when she would be able to see it again.

"Feng Er, you should go back and rest. There will naturally be someone waiting on you here." "I'm also tired. You should go back and make some preparations. Tomorrow, I'll have someone deliver my prince to Zhaoyang Palace."

The empress dowager saw that she had left and ordered her guards to keep a tight watch. They were not allowed to come close, and they were not allowed to let anyone near.

"Lin'er, how do you feel?"

"Muhou, you are only afraid that your son will suffer from a serious illness. Now that I am exhausted and powerless, my mind will be tired."

"Gong Jiu said that you don't have much time left, is that true?"

"Sigh, it's not like Imperial Mother doesn't know. Right now, I have no control over my illness. Only Ji Tian Ning is able to barely control my illness. If this goes on, I'm afraid my illness will become more severe, which is hard to say. "

"Lin'er, you cannot … you cannot …"

The empress dowager's voice was choked with sobs, but tears were already streaming down her cheeks. If her only son left, what more could she expect?

"Mother, you don't have to be too sad. Ji Tian Ning once said that it is a natural law for people to die from old age and no one can escape from it. "Gong Jiu Jiu has already promised to lead the army personally. Feng Yuan can be broken in a day, and I also have a son, so there's no need for mother to worry."

"The royal grandson's body is frail and sickly. He's still in his infancy and the power of his palace is too great. How can I not be worried?" "Originally, I thought that since you have grown up and have had a lot of power in the past few years, you would be able to regain it in the future. But now, you are so ill …"

In the dead of night, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. The bedroom was still brightly lit, and a figure could be seen on the windowsill.

He was not afraid of having too much to do, but he did not want to have nothing to do. Only when he was busy would the pain in his heart be lessened, temporarily forgetting the humiliation and pain. The silver strands of hair were dazzling under the light. They drooped down in front of him, reminding him that there were too many things that he had yet to do.

Under the light, his refined and handsome face became even more enchanting. His tall and straight nose, and his deep black eyes made him look even more enchanting.

A map was placed on the table under the light. The map was very big and was filled with two tables. Some of the tables were even covered by the map. He had no time to rest. He had been waiting for this day for too long. He needed to be prepared. He could only succeed and not fail.

Even though he had confidence in himself, he still had to be prepared. Tomorrow, he would start to officially order his troops, and even the vanguards would have to move out. The mountains and rivers on the map were all in his heart. There was a ravine in his chest, and no one was more familiar with that land than he was. It used to be a fertile ground for his family, but now, he was the only one living in this prosperous family.

His gaze swept across the wall. There was a scroll there, and on it was just a single melody. It was the snow-white hair song which Ji Tian Ning had chanted for him.

Right now, his hair was like snow, so how could it look as flourishing as the Three Thousand Eastern Flowing Water? If a beautiful woman did not return, even if she was sorrowful and depressed, she would not be able to return to her former self.

"If he had a choice, he would rather hang his hat and leave, and walk in the mountains and rivers, no longer being an official. However, he already had no other choice. Hatred and humiliation left him no choice but to advance forward. There was no path for him to retreat. His hair was like snow, and even if he used up all the blood of his enemies, it would not be able to make his hair go black again.

"When the matter of Fengyuan is settled, I will hang up my hat and leave. She once said that she wanted to travel through famous mountains and rivers, but I don't know if I have the opportunity to travel with her. "It's a pity that my troops are too few. The imperial guards and the side king's troops are not my personal troops. There's bound to be a lot of inconvenience in commanding them."

Shang Qiuyuan sat by the window, gazing out into the night. Tonight, the moon was bright and sparse, the clear and cold moonlight shining on the courtyard. Trees and plants were covered in a layer of silver gauze. However, he was not in the mood to admire the moonlight. There were too many things on his mind.

Now that she's leaving, I wonder if I'll be able to see her again. Will I have a chance to hold the zither with my own hands and let you sing this song for me and for me alone?

Inadvertently, that person walked into his mind. That spirited and elegant face and clear eyes appeared to be right before his eyes. This trip to Fengyuan, he might never have the opportunity to see her again. He felt a faint sense of loss in his heart. He had not yet helped her leave the palace and regain her freedom.

"Ji Tian Ning, I do not necessarily need to see you. As long as I know that you are very well, I will be at ease. Even if I leave Fengyuan, the arrangements I left for you will be waiting for you. I hope that one day, I will be able to see you again. At that time, I hope that you can live a happy life and return to your freedom. "

A gentle smile appeared on his face as he deeply felt that Ji Tian Ning was his soulmate. However, he didn't want her to stay in the harem because he knew that she wouldn't be able to get happiness there. He shook off the thoughts in his head and focused on making a plan to send troops. This plan was too important for him to fail.

The trees outside the window moved slightly. Shang Qiuyuan raised his head to look out the window, but he did not make a sound. A black shadow drifted in through the window like a ghost and stood in front of him. The black shadow didn't approach him. Instead, it rapidly vanished into the shadows of the room, merging into one.

Shang Qiuyuan was still firmly seated on his chair, silently looking at the black shadow. He could tell that the black shadow bore no ill will towards him, so he waited for the black shadow to explain his purpose in coming.

Now that the world was aware of the fact that the reverse flame scale was seriously ill, he had doubts in his heart. When he shared a bath with Zhi Zun, although the reverse scale was a little tired, it hadn't reached the point where it was severely ill and in bed. He did not have the intention to expose the secret of the reverse scale of fire, nor did he want to participate in the battle in the Southern Champion Kingdom.

"Master Hou is still working hard on national affairs even though it's so late at night. Thank you for your hard work."

His voice carried the gentleness of a man and a woman that were hard to distinguish. Shang Qiuyuan was still silent, gazing at the black shadow.

The black shadow lifted the veil, revealing a face that Shang Qiuyuan was familiar with. He had once seen this face by the side of the Fiery-Scaled Beast. It was one of the eunuchs guarding the hot spring while the Fiery-Scaled Spider bathed.

"Greetings, master Hou. I hope you can forgive me for disturbing master Hou so late into the night."

Shang Qiuyuan stood up and cupped his fists. Although the other party was just a eunuch, he was the one most trusted by the emperor's side. He could not afford to be impolite.

His face was indifferent. This person had snuck into the manor so late at night, he must've been ordered by the emperor to give him a secret decree.

"No need to be so polite, milord. Please take a seat."

The shadow once again covered his face with the veil, concealing his face. He was still standing in the shadows. "Master Hou, His Majesty sent his servant to deliver a message."

Shang Qiuyuan did not get up. Since the black shadow had snuck into Hou Mansion and was hiding within the black shadow, it must be an extremely secretive matter. He did not want others to know about it. If he stood up, it would be easy for others to see. He didn't know how many spies were present in the manor, or where they had arranged to be here.

He was lazy to know and did not want to pursue the matter. No matter what happened outside, he had his own goals.