Chapter 221: Exploratory Discussions (Part 1)

The life of Empress Jing Xian was truly legendary. From a pampered Young Lady to an Empress, experiencing the departing hearts between husband and wife, being framed and separation from one’s child. At the end she even gave a tooth for a tooth and an eye for and eye, and cleaned up the entire Inner Palace of Great Liang so thoroughly, which made one delighted. She was the kind of person that would be unwilling to fall in the face of adversity and if there were any regrets, it would be the first that Xie Chi’s poison could not be cured and the second, she was unable to have a reunion with Xie Yuan.

Both brothers, Xie Chi and Xie Yuan were also more like Empress Xiao. Empress Xiao was originally a great beauty that everyone sought for and it was not over to say that she was absolutely beautiful. Not only did Xie Chi and Xie Yuan inherited Empress Xiao’s beauty, they also inherited her means and methods. As Xi Jing was in the Imperial family, there were still some shadow of Emperor Xiao Wu, like when engaging with politics and balancing the powers at both ends, he could not help but relied the power of marriage. However Xie Yuan was different. He was far away in Ming Qi and was on opposing side with the Imperial family of Ming Qi. There were no traces of Xie Yi Long’s shadow and he did accomplish the expectations that Empress Xiao had of him. Even though he was not considered a good person, he was definitely not a despicable person.

Shen Miao had not expected that Xie Jing Xing’s life experiences would have so much twists and bizarre turns and she could not help but admire Empress Xiao Xian. Empress Xiao Xian resembled her previous life but at the end became this Empire’s winner. However Shen Miao was unable to do it like Empress Xiao, to have the determination to cut one’s loss quickly and able to withstand the pain of separation of one’s flesh and blood.

Seeing her complicated expression, Xie Jing Xing instead felt funny, “There is no need to pity me. I have never seen her before and naturally do not have any attachment to her.”

She was a young man that grew up alone in storms, with a birth Father chasing to kill and had never seen one’s birth Mother before. Instead he had an even more open mind to things and many things would just amount to a smile from his perspective.

However it was because one did not have any expectation of others thus one did not care about another’s feelings.

Shen Miao was silent for a moment before speaking, “I will accompany you to walk to the end.”

Xie Jing Xing’s eyes slightly moved but he continued to smiled and teased, “Since you sympathise with me, why not compensate it to me?”

His devilish smile swept the sentimental atmosphere away. Shen Miao glared at him and suddenly thought about something and said, “But in this case, His Majesty’s illness…” She did not continue speaking.

Since the Gao family had asserted that Xie Chi could not live past thirty five, then how long… Could Emperor Yong Le live?

“Imperial Older Brother has already passed his thirty sixth birthday this year.” Xie Jing Xing said, “It can been seen that sometimes assertions are not accurate. However,” His eyes got cold, “Imperial Older Brother’s health is getting worst.”

“Does the Lu family and Ye family know of this matter?” Shen Miao asked.

“One heard that after Emperor Xiao We passed on, my Imperial Mother had already wiped out everyone who knew of the matter in the Palace. Currently the people who knew of Imperial Older Brother’s illness, other than the head of the Gao family, you, me and Imperial Sao, there should not be anyone else living.”

Shen Miao’s heart jumped as she thought about Empress Jing Xian’s swift and forceful methods that helped to resolved many future worries.

“Then did Her Ladyship the Empress knew of the Emperor’s illness before married she married him? Or was it after marrying the Emperor…” Shen Miao asked.

Xie Jing Xing looked at her with a smile but not a smile, “What do you want to ask?”

Shen Miao thought that if Empress Xian De knew that Emperor Yong Le would not live past thirty five, would she marry to Emperor Yong Le? After all it was not an easy task to be widowed at such a young age. If she knew of it after marriage, then wouldn’t be deceiving her entire lifetime?

“If it was you, how would you choose?” Xie Jing Xing asked.

Shen Miao said, “When I marred to you, I have not like you to the stated that I am willing to be widowed.” After saying those words she had a look of annoyance, thinking if this was considered cursing Xie Jing Xing or not.

However Xie Jing Xing was very satisfied hearing those words and pulled her over before placing Shen Miao’s head in his embrace and said in all smiles, “Oh? Does it mean that now you like me to a state that you are willing to be widowed?” Not waiting for Shen Miao to reply, he thoughtfully said, “As such when you married to me you actually liked me.”

“Who liked you?” Shen Miao was suffocated by him pressing her into his embrace and spoke in anger. However she heard Xie Jing Xing’s leisurely voice, “Just say that you like me. I am one who has tender and protective feelings for the fairer gender and would not bear to let you be widowed so young.”

Shen Miao did not get angry and instead laughed and retorted, “Being widowed? Rest assured. Currently there are not many females alive that would stay widowed obediently. There are lots of rumours between women and places of pleasure can be found everywhere in Long Ye.” She no longer carried herself like the past in front of Xie Jing Xing and would occasionally make Xie Jing Xing frustrated to dead.

Sure enough, Xie Jing Xing paused upon hearing those words and stared at her carefully before gently speaking, “Want to look for places of pleasure?” His tone was warm but Shen Miao felt that he back of her neck was inexplicable chilly. Not waiting for her to speak, Xie Jing Xing suddenly stood up and carried her before striding towards the bed, scaring Shen Miao so much that she shrieked but Xie Jing Xing still said, “You reminded me to work hard so this Husband would naturally not dare to be lazy.”

Tie Yi, who was guarding outside, was unexpected caught off-guard by this couple’s action that his old face became red. He could not leave or stay and it was extremely funny to see his tanned face become red.

After the couple gasp for breath and fussed around, they finally stopped. Shen Miao lay on Xie Jing Xing’s arms and asked him, “You have not answered my question previously. Does Her Ladyship the Empress know of the matter or not?”

“Imperial Sao is such an intelligent female, if she was deceived and married in, the matter would be big.” Xie Jing Xing sighed, “At the beginning when Imperial Mother was selecting a wife, she had once called Imperial Sao into the palace to talk. One need not need to think. Imperial Mother hated people who used others sincere hearts in her entire life. Even it was to balance the political forces, she would still be conscientious to the other party.”

Shen Miao said, “To marry even upon knowledge, Her Ladyship the Empress sincerely like the Emperor.”

Xie Jing Jing did not speak.

Empress Xian De’s maiden family was a family of literature and history. When talking about real power, it was much lacking when comparing to other aristocratic families but at the end Empress Dowager Jing Xian chose Empress Xian De for Emperor Yong Le because Empress Xian De’s maiden family, the residence of Zhang Historian, was absolutely loyal. Moreover Empress Xian De was like her title, gentle, honest, sincere, intelligent and magnanimous. Empress Dowager Jing Xian and Emperor Xiao Wu were different. Emperor Yong Le could promote his other consort to balance the political powers but there was only one wife and this was the partner that one would be spending one’s life with. One’s character was important as she should be able to share the fortune and misfortune with the other and was considered a daughter of a noble house and able to withstand storms and resist the splendor.

Empress Xian De’s family was loyal and one would not know if Empress Xian De truly had feelings for Emperor Yong Le. After all, it was a luxury to talk about sincere feelings in an Imperial family. However Empress Xian De had always been calm even knowing that Emperor Yong Le was unable to live past thirty five.

Shen Miao said, “If it is just for power, she should plan for herself.”

XIe Jing Xing smiled, “Imperial Sao is very smart but not greedy.”

It would be the best if one was not greedy. Many roots of tragedies could not escape from the word greed. Greed for power, greet for wealth or greed for feelings.

Shen Miao thought for a moment and said, “Now that Consort Jing is pregnant, how do you all plan to deal with the Lu family?”

Xie Jing Xing was playing with Shen Miao’s long hair and said carelessly, “What does Lu Jing’s pregnancy got to do with us? Water that can float a boat can also swallow it. The Lu family thought that by using the Dragon’s seed, they could rest without worries but they have thought incorrectly. Some opponents would definitely turn around when a Monarch has a Dragon seed and how many in Lu family army would bend with the wind? They can be biased towards the Lu family but could also be biased towards the Imperial family.”

Shen Miao looked at him “It could not be just that right?”

Xie Jing Xing raised his brows, “What do you think?”

“After preparing for this long, it is obvious that Consort Jing’s pregnancy is an accident and you did not expect this at all.” Shen Miao said, “If Consort Jing is not pregnant, how do you plan to deal with the Lu family?”

“Easy.” Xie Jing Xing said, “Imperial Older Brother had been scheming against the Lu and Ye family since enthronement and had been searching for evidence on the Lu family using the army privately. Now most of the evidence are collected and it is time for it to be brought out to the open. At that time, all the mouths under Heavens would be sealed and that is the first thing. The second thing is.” Xie Jing Xing said, “Even though the Lu family has large military power in Great Liang, it is not like there are no other Generals. Those Generals have mostly become Imperial Older Brother’s people and there is still the Mo Yun Army that is cumulating power. Now matters have become much easier. Once the evidence are brought up to light, either the Lu family confess but Lu Zheng Yi had been arrogant for an entire lifetime and would definitely not admit to the crimes and instead turn against the Imperial family. Then one can round up the gang and eliminate in one stroke.”

When Shen Miao heard him speak, she thought that Xie Jing Xing and Emperor Yong Le were indeed brothers as they really deal with people to a state that there was no way to turn it around. It was very simple and crude but very effective. Was this perhaps inheriting some characteristics of Empress Xiao?

She said, “If this is the case, why is there the need to prepare for so many years? It can be completed at the beginning.” By resolving this early on, it would save a lot of time.

Xie Jing Xing leaned towards her years, “Little girl, you have to know that we the Xie family’s men do not like wading in mud and water and also do not like evenly matched adversaries. If one were to take action, one will do it to the level that everything is uprooted. The Lu family’s roots are too deep and it if was done earlier, it would be harder to clean up. Now that the time is ripe, isn’t it better to clean everything all up?”

Shen Miao frowned and she heard Xie Jing Xing speaking again, “I know that you like to gamble. At the beginning when you have little powers, you dared to scheme against Prince Yu but it was too dangerous. The damage can be too great and I do not like it.” He said, “Sacrificing too much is also a defeat.”

Shen Miao had to admit that Xie Jing Xing’s words made sense. At the beginning, she dared to go against Prince Yu and Fu Xiu Yi because she was fighting alone. By using a stone to hit jade, the jade would always be more injured but afterwards when the Shen family got implicated, she have too much considerations and could not be as bold as before.

Moreover this was even so with Xie Jing Xing. If it was an evenly matched opponent, the more it was dragged on, the one suffering would be the commoner of Great Liang. If one had enough strength like now and, it would be easier to clean everything up and one could also minimise the amount of sacrifices.

“But the Lu family is like this, how about the Ye family?” Shen Miao still had doubts and was hesitating to talk about it but finally spoke.

“Previously Imperial Older Brother planned to pull the Ye family since the Ye family had no descendent and just a crippled Young Master that could not make any waves.” Xie Jing Xing said, “But since you have told me your dream, Ye Mei and sibling are enemies. How could one draw enemies over? This is self-destruction.” He then said, “Rest assure, I will avenge for you.”

Shen Miao was silent for a long time before speaking softly, “Thanks.” For another party to change a plan that was started way early was not something that could be said that easily. Not mentioning how troublesome it is to re-plan everything that was related to it, when one scheme, the most fearful thing was variables but Xie Jing Xing was willing to take care of all possible outcomes in the future.

How fortunate was one to encounter such a person.