But Yue Shen only spoke of establishing her child as the heir, without mentioning adopting the child under her own name. This would be announcing to the world that the child of the imperial brother and prince consort is the heir, while the emperor has no offspring.

“I know this is difficult for you. If you’re unwilling, it’s alright.” Yue Shen spoke up when she saw her not saying anything.

“This subject is willing.”

How could she be unwilling? Yue Shen’s inability to have children was more or less related to her.

Moreover, the young Emperor had made such a big concession. In the eyes of outsiders, she had practically picked up a huge bargain.

“That’s good then. Qiu Niang’s child will surely be as gentle and steady as you in the future, more suitable to be the ruler of a country than me.” Yue Shen smiled softly, her gentle almond eyes melting into a pool of water.

Yue Shen leaned on her shoulder, the corner of her mouth carrying a trace of melancholy: “Qiu Niang, actually, sitting in this position, I haven’t had a single day of true happiness. Every day I have to deal with the Qin clan and everyone else, being insincere and ingratiating. Qiu Niang, I’m very tired. Let me lean on you for a while.”

“Your Majesty……”

She pulled out the golden dangling hairpin constraining her long hair, and her ink-black hair fell down like a waterfall. Her almond eyes lowered slightly. If counting her age, the young Emperor was only sixteen years old this year.

Born during the struggle for succession, enthroned at five years old under the coercion of the Qin clan, for over ten years she wore a mask every day, bowing and scraping to deal with the Qin clan, quelling the Dian King’s rebellion, weakening the Qin clan, demoting Gu Zheng, consolidating the precarious Yue clan’s imperial power. And she was only sixteen years old. In her previous life, she would have only been in her first or second year of high school.

Even in history, she could leave a brilliant page.

The price was her body, her life confined to a city, the four corners of the sky.

When she walked out of the imperial study, the sky had turned gloomy, looking like it was about to rain.

As she was hurrying out, she saw Yu Ye coming towards her with an umbrella: “Madam Qiu, the Empress Dowager requests your presence.”

Qiu Shuzhi frowned slightly, but still followed Yu Ye to Qingning Palace.

On the way, she encountered Lan Xuezhao appreciating flowers in the imperial garden. He was dressed in blue, his beauty standing among the flowers like an immortal. But his brow no longer showed the former willfulness and boldness, only traces of sorrow remained.

When Lan Xuezhao saw Qiu Shuzhi, there was a flicker in his eyes.

Qiu Shuzhi nodded in acknowledgment and walked past him.

When they arrived at Qingning Palace, it was time for the evening meal. Dishes were being presented to Qin Qing by servants one after another like a flowing stream.

Not having seen him for a long time, Qin Qing’s charm had become even more graceful. Though wearing the darkest black clothes, on his body they delicately outlined every part of his figure, alluring but not frivolous, languid but not fawning.

He lazily propped up his chin, holding jade chopsticks in his hand, his gaze even more scattered, picking and choosing from the dishes presented by the servants.

“Daughter-in-law greets Father……” Before Qiu Shuzhi could finish speaking, she was silenced by Qin Qing’s fingertip on her lips.

His gentle eyes showed rare anger: “Qiu Shuzhi, don’t you have a name? You are not allowed to call yourself daughter-in-law in front of this Dowager, and this Dowager is not your Father Empress Dowager!”

After the young Emperor’s successful seizure of power, Qin Qing had also become more restrained, but his former arrogant and cold manner remained unchanged, his residual authority still present.

“You are Yue’er’s Father Empress Dowager, naturally you are also Shuzhi’s Father Empress Dowager.” Qiu Shuzhi smiled lightly.

He was exasperated and deliberately picked a plate of fish with the most bones from the servant’s hands. In the past, Qin Qing would only eat the most tender piece of meat under the fish’s face, but angered by Qiu Shuzhi, he placed the entire plate in front of her.

“Fine, since you’re so eager to be this Dowager’s daughter-in-law, this Dowager will give you a chance to show filial piety. This Dowager wants to eat fish now. You remove every single bone from the fish meat. If you leave even one tiny bone that scratches this Dowager’s throat, this Dowager will punish you!”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled softly: “Alright.”

She carefully picked out the bones one by one with chopsticks. The faint yellow lamplight shining on the fish meat made the transparent tiny fish bones even harder to distinguish. Before long, her eyes began to feel uncomfortable.

“All of you, leave.” Qin Qing ordered coldly, dismissing the attending palace servants.

He never intended to torment Qiu Shuzhi, but Qiu Shuzhi insisted on hitting his sore spot, knowing full well that he hated their father-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship the most, yet she deliberately brought it up.

Separated for so long, he was trapped in the palace without any news of her, anxious every day. Finally, when he had eagerly awaited her return, before he could say a few soft words, she hit him where he felt most insecure. How could he not be angry?

He watched as Qiu Shuzhi uncomfortably rubbed her eyes, and the anger in his heart dissipated.

“This Dowager suddenly doesn’t want to eat fish anymore. Pick up a piece of bamboo shoot for this Dowager.”

Qiu Shuzhi put down her chopsticks: “Empress Dowager, I came this time to return something to you.”

She took out the handkerchief embroidered with his name that he had once stuffed into her collar.

Qin Qing suddenly stood up: “Qiu Shuzhi, what do you mean? Now that you’ve achieved success, you want to abandon me?”

“It’s not abandonment.” Qiu Shuzhi said calmly: “What the relationship between the Empress Dowager and me truly is, you should be clear in your heart. I have never expressed to the Empress Dowager that I have even the slightest improper thoughts.”

Qin Qing laughed softly, the corner of his eye flashing with a hint of fine, bright moisture: “You mean to say it was all my own delusion, that I debased myself to seduce you?”

“In Shuzhi’s heart, the Empress Dowager will always be the Empress Dowager. Shuzhi respects and reveres you, but only to that extent.”

She placed the handkerchief on the table. The embroidered words on it were nothing short of a devastating blow to Qin Qing. Before, he could deceive himself, fooling himself that Qiu Shuzhi had him in her heart. But now he realized that everything from before was a joke.

His eyes turned red as he approached Qiu Shuzhi step by step, until there was no distance between them.

He asked hoarsely, in an almost torn voice: “Qiu Shuzhi, haven’t you ever, not even for a moment, had feelings for me? Am I not better than that lowborn Yue Guanyi? Why can he, but I can’t? All I ask for… I’ve never dared to hope to marry you openly. I just want… I just want you to cherish me a little, to cherish me like you cherish Yue Guanyi!”

Outside the eaves, rain pattered softly. The heavy rain mixed with his tearing voice, telling of a heart’s secret untold to others.

At this moment, he was no longer the high and mighty Empress Dowager, but just an ordinary man, pouring out his long-suppressed feelings to the person he loved.

Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes trembled, and she remained silent for a long while.

Long enough to give him a glimmer of hope.

But what followed was Qiu Shuzhi’s cold reply: “From the first time Shuzhi met the Empress Dowager, I only had respect for you. Besides respect, there were never any other thoughts.”

Having said this, she left promptly and decisively.

Leaving Qin Qing alone, watching her departing figure.

His form unsteady, his thin and fragile body leaning on the table, he almost couldn’t stand.

For a long time, he smiled foolishly, like a madman stuffing the handkerchief into his mouth, torturing himself with physical pain. The foreign object constantly pushed into his throat almost suffocated him at this moment, as if the air in his lungs could neither be inhaled nor exhaled, all congealing into a motionless gel, silent and deathly still, congested in his chest, blocking his throat, choking his heartbeat. His body involuntarily convulsed, curled up, and bent.

Only the waves of pain coming one after another reminded him over and over again how absurd his life had been.