The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Chapter 1349: A Gift for Our Reunion

The beginning of the twenty-third year of Shengping was destined to be a tumultuous autumn. From the start of the printing, the stone bricks in front of the Meridian Gate were stained with a new layer of fresh blood, the smell lingering and unresolved. Many families who were reveling in grand feasting today had their homes invaded and confiscated by the Imperial Army by tomorrow, their mansions collapsing in an instant.In the capital, a tense yet slightly panicked atmosphere pervaded, prompting many nobles to consciously restrain their idle children, reducing unnecessary entertainments, keeping a low profile to avoid offending the Emperor.

The Xia family, in particular, wished to shrink themselves like a trembling quail, daring not to make a commotion.

This troubled beginning was entirely due to the remaining forces of the deposed Crown Prince of the Xia dynasty. The Emperor was determined to settle scores and suppress them with inevitable harshness, naturally attracting scrutiny upon those bearing the Xia surname.

Resentment, fear.

Some Xia daughters who were dismissed from their engagements couldn’t withstand the pressure of public opinion, choosing to end their lives with a white silk ribbon, and the family had to secretly handle their funerals, later claiming sudden illness as the cause.

In mid-February, another message arrived: the Ning family, exiled to the Northwest, was intercepted and slaughtered by bandits, leaving none alive. This news spread to the capital, stirring public discourse and provoking the Emperor’s fury.

He had spared the Ning family’s lives, yet someone sought to leave none surviving. Who opposed him, whose idea was it?

Who had the greatest vendetta against the Ning family?

Emperor Chu entered the Chaoyang Palace with a grim face. Chu Ze was flipping through a book by the sunlit south window, still wrapped in a heavy cloak, with the scent of medicine permeating the hall.

His complexion seemed even more pallid compared to the last meeting.

Upon seeing Emperor Chu arrive, he set down the scroll and stood up, bowing to Emperor Chu: "Emperor."

Emperor Chu approached and glanced at the book placed on the small table—it was a volume of unofficial histories of the nine realms.

He shifted his gaze to Chu Ze and asked directly without any detours, "Did you send people to exterminate the Ning family?"

Chu Ze appeared calm and bowed: "Weeds not uprooted regenerate with the spring breeze. This gift marks our reunion after years apart, presented to the Emperor."

Regarding Emperor Chu’s direct inquiry, Chu Ze did not evade but frankly admitted it.

"A gift?" Emperor Chu chuckled coldly, his eyes flashing with icy light, "I thought the screen you presented at the Longevity Festival was the gift."

Chu Ze lowered his gaze: "The Emperor, being the sovereign, is blessed with heavenly protection, his fortunes vast. He will surely escape this calamity safely."

"What if the escape fails?"

Emperor Chu stared icily at him, "If I cannot escape, do you know what will happen to Great Qing? The Crown Prince has yet to be established. If the Emperor falls, Great Qing will surely descend into chaos. The remnants of the Xia family will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to rise. The people of Great Qing will live amidst peril."

"You bear the surname Chu and are the youngest son of the Emperor. The protection of Great Qing rests upon your duties. To disregard the glory and shame of the nation for personal gain, aligning with traitors and scoundrels to plunge Great Qing into ruin—this is the extent of your vision, a disgrace to the Chu family."

Chu Ze’s fingers twitched slightly, then he lifted his gaze: "Since you recognize me as a member of the Chu family, this birthday gift is indeed rebellious. Yet, did I not deliver Xia Houzhe and Cabinet Minister Ning right to your presence? As for the Ning family, they deserved their fate long ago. Brother Emperor, the principle of uprooting weeds should be better understood by you."

Emperor Chu’s eyes half narrowed: "Can you truly ask your heart if this is uprooting weeds or deliberately inciting hatred?"

"No matter the case, Brother Emperor should be fearlessly resolute," Chu Ze replied.

Emperor Chu gazed at him, suddenly changing his tone: "What is the punishment for plotting against the Emperor?"

Chu Ze swept his robe aside and knelt down: "I deserve a thousand deaths."