Chapter 595: Ruthless
The shocked Nanny Wu quickly went forward to help her. “Consort, what’s wrong?”
Madam Wu dug her fingers into her flesh and gritted her teeth. “We must leave! He wants me dead. I’m certain he wants me dead.”
Shocked, Nanny Wu quickly looked up at the palace maids in the room. Seeing that they were only packing the things as if they did not hear Madam Wu’s words, she lowered her voice and said, “Consort, you can’t say this casually. This is the palace.”
Madam Wu turned to look at her and said, “While the Emperor and Madam Li are too busy to bother with us, let’s leave quickly. We can leave the things behind.”
Seeing that Nanny Wu was hesitating, she lowered her voice and said, “Have you forgotten how Madam Zhu and Qi Haoran’s wet nurse died?”
Nanny Wu shivered. Could it be that the Emperor wanted to kill Madam by summoning her to stay in the palace? Then she, who had entered the palace with Madam…
Nanny Wu’s body swayed and she hurriedly said, “I’ll go call for a palanquin now.”
When she ran to the entrance of the hall, she bumped into Qi Xiuyuan and Madam Li, who were walking over. Nanny Wu’s face turned pale and she involuntarily fell to the ground.
Qi Xiuyuan stopped in front of her and said with a smile, “Why is Nanny Wu here instead of serving the consort?”
The pale-faced Nanny Wu trembled and could not speak. She could only lie on the ground.
She had served Madam Wu since she was young. Having followed Madam Wu from the Wu family to the Qi family, working her way up from being a second-grade servant girl to a first-grade servant girl, and then to Madam Wu’s trusted personal nanny. She had seen many things and understood the grudge between Madam Wu and Qi Xiuyuan.
To Qi Haoran, though he hated Madam Wu, she probably wouldn’t come to mind if he didn’t get to meet her. On the other hand, the hatred between Qi Xiuyuan and Madam Wu was impossible to wash away. Who would have thought that not only would the 14-year-old youth survive the battlefield, but he also ultimately ascended the supreme position?
Li Jinghua felt that Nanny Wu’s behavior was very strange. She had only come with the Emperor to take a look at Madam Wu. Was there a need to be so flustered?
Hence, she could not help but take a few more glances.
However, Qi Xiuyuan walked past Nanny Wu and entered the palace. He said to the palace maid, “Call your steward-in-charge over.”
Nanny Mo, who was watching from behind, quickly ran over and knelt down to pay her respects.
Qi Xiuyuan said, “Since Nanny Wu is getting on in age, don’t send her to run errands for no reason. As for the Consort, just do your utmost to serve her.”
Qi Xiuyuan looked up and met Madam Wu’s eyes, then smiled and waved his hand. “Alright, I have something to say to the Consort. You guys can leave first.”
Elated to hear Qi Xiuyuan call her Empress, the corners of Li Jinghua’s lips curled up slightly, and her expression softened. She waved her hand to dismiss the servants.
Since it was more convenient for her to handle the harem matters, Qi Xiuyuan didn’t want to hide it from Li Jinghua. Besides, he still had many national affairs to deal with, so he naturally couldn’t keep an eye on the harem.
Qi Xiuyuan walked up to Madam Wu and looked at her face carefully. Only then did he realize that the eyes of the graceful woman from back then were filled with wrinkles at the corners. Her hair was already gray and she was no longer as delicate and charming as before.
Qi Xiuyuan remembered that back then, his mother held his hand and walked back with her big belly. On the way, she even stopped to let him pick a few beautiful flowers and put them on her temples. A woman with a bright face asked him with a smile, “My boy, does Mother look good like this?”
He remembered replying loudly, “Yes, Mother is the most beautiful.”
At that time, his mother’s cheeks were flushed red. Then, they saw Madam Wu leaning against the courtyard door. At that time, she was dressed in white and her body was slender and delicate-looking. She was looking at them with tears in her eyes, her eyes filled with accusation.
At that time, he did not know what had happened, but he remembered his mother’s expression darkening instantly.
Then, Madam Wu walked up to his mother and knelt down. He no longer remembered what they were talking about, only that his mother was trembling with anger, her grip on his little hand so tight that it hurt and caused a numbing sensation. Later on, she gave birth to his younger brother prematurely. After that, he saw his father bringing Madam Wu over to argue with his mother. The wet nurse said that Qi Feng wanted to make Madam Wu his co-wife, that he only wanted her name on the genealogical tree and not registered in the government office.
His mother didn’t agree, so she gave birth prematurely from the anger.
Qi Xiuyuan would always remember what the wet nurse had said when she hugged him and cried. His mother would not have died. Although she had given birth prematurely, she was in good health. Even if she gave birth prematurely and her health was damaged, she would not have died so early. It was all because of his father and Madam Wu. They had pressed on step by step and angered his mother to death.
At this moment, Qi Xiuyuan was not happy at all as he looked at Madam Wu.
Qi Xiuyuan stared at Madam Wu’s face without saying anything. Not only was Madam Wu worried, but Li Jinghua also looked at him nervously. In order to prevent him from doing anything rude, Li Jinghua took a step forward and held his hand. “Your Majesty, do you have anything to say to the consort?”
Qi Xiuyuan came back to his senses from his memories. He lowered his head and met Madam Wu’s eyes. He smiled and said, “Consort Wu, I came to tell you to live in the palace in peace from now on. If you miss Second Brother and Third Brother, tell the Empress and let her summon Madam Xu and Little Madam Wu enter the palace to visit you.”
Madam Wu muttered, “You’re putting me under house arrest?”
Li Jinghua’s expression changed drastically. She looked up at Qi Xiuyuan.
However, Qi Xiuyuan shook his head and said, “Why would I want to put you under house arrest? I still hope that you can live longer, so long that you can see your children and grandchildren grow up.” Qi Xiuyuan smiled. “I want to let you see what future your children and descendants will have because of you. Back then, you insisted on marrying my father and schemed to become a co-wife. Didn’t you do that to give your two sons a higher status so that they can enjoy more resources?”
Madam Wu’s expression changed drastically as she said sternly, “Your Majesty, this is a grudge between the two of us. It has nothing to do with your brothers…”
Qi Xiuyuan looked at her coldly and said, “Consort, you’ve misunderstood. Second Brother and Third Brother are not capable. What can I do to suppress them? Besides, they’re not the only ones with your blood.”
Madam Wu lay on the couch. Did this mean that he wouldn’t even let her grandchildren off?
“Don’t forget what you promised your father…”
Qi Xiuyuan said with a smile, “What did I promise Father?”
Madam Wu choked and remembered that Qi Xiuyuan had indeed not made any promises back then.
She took a deep breath, straightened her sleeves, knelt in front of Qi Xiuyuan, and cried, “Your Majesty, I only beg you to spare your second and third brother on account that they both carry your father’s bloodline.”
Qi Xiuyuan’s eyes were red as he said in a low voice, “Back then, when you angered my mother to death, did you ever consider me and Fourth Brother?”
Madam Wu kowtowed and said, “I’m willing to pay with my life.”
Qi Xiuyuan shook his head. “Though your life is worth nothing, I don’t want you to die. If you die, it’s very easy for Second Brother and Third Brother to die from sadness.”
Madam Wu, who originally wanted to escape all this with her death, trembled and no longer dared to have the thought of committing suicide.
“Do you still remember the wet nurse who abused my brother back then?” Qi Xiuyuan asked with a smile.
Madam Wu’s body trembled. She closed her eyes and said, “I remember. I sent their entire family far away. I don’t know where they are now.”
Qi Xiuyuan said regretfully, “What a pity. I originally wanted to find their families and bring them to the palace to accompany you.”
Qi Xiuyuan walked around the palace for a while, then pointed at the floor and said, “Back then, that wet nurse pinched and stabbed my little brother. After that, she even took off his clothes and threw him on the floor. At that time, my brother was only about a month old. He had long forgotten about this, so I don’t know how it felt either…”
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