Xuanyuan Mo sent various rewards and gifts to the Imperial Concubine’s palace every day, solidifying the rumors of her return to favor.
On the other hand, news of the Empress being placed under house arrest quickly spread as well.
He seemed to be desperate, caring little about what others said.
Each day, memorials denouncing the Imperial Concubine piled up, yet he casually tossed them into the brazier without a second glance.
Gradually, rumors spread outside the palace, labeling the Imperial Concubine as a temptress who would bring disaster to the Tianqin Kingdom. If she were not executed, they claimed, the kingdom would face destruction. This accusation, heavy with implications, led numerous court officials to kneel outside the palace hall, pleading for her punishment.
Of course, those officials kneeling and accusing the Imperial Concubine were from the faction loyal to the royal family and the An family.
On the other hand, the families of the concubines who were close to Tang Guo did not make any demands to punish her.
Xuanyuan Mo looked at the officials kneeling on the ground, his expression filled with impatience. With a wave of his sleeve, he said, “If you enjoy kneeling, then keep kneeling. If you insist on defying my will, this is the perfect opportunity for me to replace you with people who are actually useful.” With that, he turned and left, his robe sweeping behind him.
The officials kneeling in protest exchanged glances before reluctantly standing up.
This tactic wasn’t working. It was useless.
Left with no choice, they had to retreat and think of other ways.
“You don’t need to worry, Imperial Concubine. Those people can’t do anything to me. I will protect you.” After dismissing the officials, Xuanyuan Mo eagerly came to see Tang Guo, declaring his loyalty. The sight was utterly ridiculous.
He knew that when he was present, Xuanyuan Mie wouldn’t dare show up. If the two of them appeared at the same time, she would undoubtedly be hurt.
In fact, he was also afraid of the truth being exposed, yet he couldn’t resist coming to see her. He wanted to fix everything. The past could stay in the past, and they could start over. From now on, he would care for no one else, favor no one else. He would only love her, protect her, and treasure her.
He had completely forgotten that once some things began, they could never be stopped.
Some wounds, once inflicted, remained. No matter what he did, nothing could undo it. Nothing could return things to the way they were.
To his surprise, Tang Guo no longer looked at him with the same pure and trusting smile as before. She no longer beamed brightly at him, saying, “Ah Mo, of course I trust you. I trust you’ll protect me.”
Instead, she simply raised her head slightly and smiled faintly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Xuanyuan Mo froze for a moment before quickly suppressing the unease rising in his heart. It must be because of An Ningxiang. The Imperial Concubine must have developed a grudge against him. She had always said that she liked to have him all to herself.
Yes, that must be it. She was angry.
“I’ll come see you tonight.”
As he turned to leave, knowing that the one who would come tonight wouldn’t be him, he gave a bitter smile. Was it still possible for him to compete with his brother now?
He was the emperor on the surface, while his brother was the shadow emperor behind the scenes. In truth, if they were to fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even his position as emperor was something his brother had no interest in. Their father had always favored and admired his brother more. However, his brother was carefree by nature, refusing to be tied down and unwilling to take the throne.
Once his brother set his mind on something, it was impossible to snatch it from him.
But this time, he wanted to try.
“Dream on.”
That night, Xuanyuan Mie held the woman in his arms and whispered into her ear, “He’s dreaming. He actually thinks he can take Guo’er from me. If I weren’t concerned about Tianqin Kingdom falling into chaos, I’d chop off his damn legs for running here every day.”
That afternoon, Xuanyuan Mo had even sought him out, talking about competing fairly with him. Fair competition? To hell with fair competition. Guo’er had always been his and his alone.
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