PFC Chapter 97 Can a person who doesn't know where they were born truly be happy?
Chapter 97 Can a person who doesn't know where they were born truly be happy?
"boom--!"
It was as if a thunderclap exploded in Cao Wei's mind!
Despite having guessed it beforehand, when the name "Jiang Qingxue" actually came out of Qin Mu's mouth, he still felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
really!
It really was for snow removal!
He clenched his fist quietly in his sleeve, his nails digging deep into his palm, drawing blood, but he was completely unaware.
"Jiang...Qingxue?"
Cao Wei forced himself to remain calm, attempting a final struggle:
"This old man... doesn't know what Your Majesty is talking about. Jiang Qingxue... who is she?"
Qin Mu looked at him with a hint of pity in his eyes, as if he were looking at a child trying to deceive himself.
"Mr. Cao, at this point, why bother pretending anymore?"
Cao Wei was stiff all over, as if he had been nailed to the chair.
Qin Mu continued:
"Princess Mingyue of Yuehua Kingdom, Jiang Zhaoyue. She was born on the third day of the ninth month of the seventeenth year of Chengping. At the time of her birth, an unusual phenomenon occurred in the sky, with a full moon. Her father, King Jiang Huaijin of Yuehua Kingdom, named her 'Zhaoyue,' which means 'the bright moon shines, illuminating the mountains and rivers.'"
With each word he spoke, Cao Wei's face grew paler.
These details, these secrets known only to the core ministers of the Moonflower Kingdom… how could Qin Mu know them so clearly?!
"pity,"
Qin Mu changed the subject, his tone tinged with regret:
"When Princess Mingyue was only three months old, the Yuehua Kingdom was destroyed. The iron cavalry of the North trampled the royal city, Jiang Huaijin committed suicide by burning himself, and thirty-seven members of the royal family were either killed or captured... Only a three-month-old baby girl was taken back to the manor by Prince Xu Xiao of Zhenbei, who claimed to be the daughter of an old friend and named her Jiang Qingxue."
He paused, his gaze settling squarely on Cao Wei's face:
"The one who risked his life to protect the princess and fought his way out of the encirclement, but ended up getting lost, was none other than Cao Wei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of Yuehua Kingdom."
The tea room was deathly silent.
The only sounds were the occasional birdsong from outside the window and Cao Wei's heavy, suppressed breathing.
He stared intently at Qin Mu, his eyes shifting with an unpredictable expression—
Shock, fear, anger, despair...
Finally, it turned into a deathly, cold silence.
"His Majesty……"
Cao Wei spoke slowly, his voice hoarse as if grinding sand:
"What exactly... do you want to do?"
He no longer denied it.
At this point, any denial is futile.
Since Qin Mu was able to investigate to this extent, it means that the evidence he possesses is far more than this.
Qin Mu smiled, raised his eyes, and looked calmly at Cao Wei:
"Mr. Cao should already know what I want to do."
Cao Wei remained silent.
Of course he knew.
Qin Mu has investigated Jiang Qingxue's background and discovered Cao Wei's existence. Now, he has come to her door in person...
There are only a few possibilities:
First, they killed him to silence him and completely cover up the existence of the orphan of the Moonflower Kingdom.
Second, they used Jiang Qingxue as a hostage to coerce Cao Wei into serving the court.
Third... there may be even deeper schemes.
Cao Wei quickly weighed the options in his mind.
Given Qin Mu's demonstrated strength and cunning, if he truly wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths.
That's the second possibility.
"Does Your Majesty wish for me... to serve the court?"
Cao Wei asked tentatively, but in his heart he was already planning how to maneuver.
Qin Mu shook his head.
"No."
His answer surprised Cao Wei:
"I do not need Mr. Cao to serve the court."
Cao Wei was taken aback: "Then Your Majesty..."
Qin Mu slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the continuous rooftops and distant mountains.
Sunlight shone on his moon-white robe, gilding his entire body with a faint golden edge.
His back was as straight as a pine tree, yet it exuded an indescribable aloofness.
"Mr. Cao,"
Qin Mu's voice was soft, yet every word was clear:
"I have come here today only to ask you one question—"
He turned around, his gaze sharp and intense, and looked directly at Cao Wei:
"If I told you that Qingxue is doing well in the palace, that I would protect her and ensure her a life of glory... would you believe me?"
Cao Wei was startled!
He stared wide-eyed at Qin Mu in disbelief.
What does that mean?
Qin Mu wasn't there to blackmail him, nor was he there to kill him to silence him...
Instead, she came to... assure him that she would protect Qingxue?
"His Majesty……"
Cao Wei opened his mouth, only to find his voice terribly dry:
"Why...why did you do this?"
He didn't believe it.
How could he possibly believe that?
An emperor, an emperor who had just discovered the identity of the orphan of an enemy state, not only did not eliminate the threat completely, but instead promised to protect him.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Qin Mu seemed to see through his suspicions but didn't care.
He walked back to the tea table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Mr. Cao, do you know how Qingxue has been these past few months since she entered the palace?"
Cao Wei pursed his lips and remained silent.
Of course he wanted to know.
But Xu Fenghua's response was vague...
Qin Mu didn't wait for his reply and continued speaking to himself:
"When she first entered the palace, she was timid and cowardly, and lived in constant fear. I bestowed upon her the title of Consort and granted her residence in Yuxiu Palace, but she dared not even leave the palace gates."
"Later, I discovered that she was skilled with a sword. So I let her practice swordsmanship in the palace and would visit her occasionally. She was very focused when she practiced, and there was a light in her eyes. That was the swordsmanship that Xu Longxiang taught her when we were in the northern border."
Cao Wei's heart stirred.
Qin Mu even knew that Xu Longxiang had taught Qingxue swordsmanship?
"And then..."
Qin Mu paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes:
"She gradually adapted to life in the palace. She would smile at me, pour me tea, and quietly sit aside embroidering while I reviewed memorials..."
His voice gradually lowered:
"But the light in her eyes grew fainter and fainter. Sometimes when I looked at her, I felt she was like a delicate porcelain doll, beautiful, but without a soul."
Cao Wei felt a sharp pain in his heart as he listened.
He could almost see that scene—
Qingxue, dressed in magnificent palace attire, sat in the resplendent palace, forcing a smile at the man who had taken everything from her.
Where is her sword?
What about her pride?
Where is her youth, which should have been so vibrant and carefree under the plum trees at Tingxuexuan?
"So what exactly is Your Majesty trying to say?"
Cao Wei's voice turned cold:
"Are you trying to tell me that Qingxue is doing well in the palace? Or are you trying to tell me that she has been worn down by this deep palace and become your caged bird?"
His words were filled with barely suppressed sarcasm and anger.
Qin Mu looked at him quietly, without getting angry.
"Mr. Cao has misunderstood."
He said slowly:
"I say all this simply to tell you that Qingxue is my concubine, and I will naturally protect her. This requires no reminder from anyone, nor any transaction."
He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, like ice in the dead of winter, each word carrying a chilling edge:
"But some people use Qingxue as a bargaining chip on the chessboard, as a tool for exchanging benefits, and as a ladder to power."
He paused, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the celadon teacup, producing a very subtle friction sound:
"They thought that by sending such an innocent woman into the palace, they could obtain intelligence, pave the way, and even... achieve their so-called great cause."
Qin Mu raised his eyes, his gaze piercing Cao Wei like a tangible object:
"Tell me, isn't this kind of person ridiculous?"
Cao Wei was startled!
Qin Mu's words were like a lightning bolt that cleaved through the fog in his mind, instantly connecting the cause and effect!
Xu Fenghua's statement, "It's all for the greater cause," is relevant.
Xu Longxiang insisted on sending Qingxue to the palace.
Not long after Qingxue entered the palace, Cao Wei was attacked...
I see! I see!
Cao Wei's breathing became rapid, his chest heaved violently, and the suppressed anger in his deep brown eyes erupted like a volcano!
"Xu! Long! Xiang!"
He squeezed out the name slowly and deliberately, his voice hoarse like that of a wounded beast, filled with boundless hatred!
He recalled the thunderous clang of iron hooves when Xu Xiao breached the Moonflower Royal City twenty-one years ago.
I recall the tearful yet resolute eyes in Jiang Huaijin's eyes when he entrusted the infant Qingxue to him before he immolated himself.
I recall how he lived in hiding, wandering the martial world, and finally had to rely on the Xu family, all so that he could secretly protect the only bloodline of the late emperor.
How much did he sacrifice?
They abandoned their obsession with restoring their country, they abandoned their dignity, and even they abandoned their freedom...
All she wanted was for Qingxue to grow up safely, to have a simple and genuine happiness like any other girl.
But what did Xu Longxiang do?
The child he watched grow up, the "Dragon Elephant Brother" whom Qingxue trusted and relied on since childhood.
He actually sent Qingxue to the most dangerous prison in the world with his own hands, using her as a pawn, as a tool, as...
Sacrifices in exchange for power!
"What a fine heir to the Prince of Zhenbei... what a war god of the northern frontier..."
Cao Wei suddenly let out a cold laugh, a desolate and sorrowful laugh that echoed in the silent tea room, carrying endless mockery and pain.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Qin Mu. The wariness, suspicion, and hostility in his eyes faded away at this moment, turning into a clarity that was almost desperate.
He stood up, straightened his faded blue robe, and then bowed deeply, performing a standard courtier's salute:
"It seems... His Majesty already knows everything."
Qin Mu quietly accepted his bow without interfering.
After Cao Wei straightened up, he slowly spoke, his voice regaining its usual gentleness, yet still carrying an undeniable power:
"nature."
He paused, then added:
"However, Qingxue is unaware that I already know."
Qin Mu's gaze drifted out the window, seemingly piercing through the palace walls to land on the slender figure in Yuxiu Palace:
"Because she still cares about Xu Longxiang... I don't want her to face such a difficult choice."
These words were spoken very softly, yet they sent a shiver down Cao Wei's spine!
He looked up, staring at Qin Mu in disbelief.
This young emperor, upon learning Qingxue's true identity and the Xu family's conspiracy...
Instead of taking his anger out on her, he was actually... thinking about her?
Are you unwilling to let her face a difficult choice?
What does this mean?
This means that Qin Mu did not regard Qingxue as a remnant of an enemy state, or as a threat that needed to be eliminated.
Instead, they see her as an independent, emotional woman who can be hurt.
A concubine whom he was willing to protect, understand, and even respect.
A complex mix of emotions welled up in Cao Wei's heart.
Perhaps... Qingxue's life in the palace wasn't as miserable as he imagined?
"His Majesty……"
Cao Wei's voice was a little hoarse. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down:
"Qingxue truly trusts Xu Longxiang. After all... they grew up together."
He paused, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes:
"But Xu Longxiang... is not worthy of Qingxue's trust."
He said this with absolute certainty, filled with deep disappointment and anger.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu's lips curled into a meaningful smile:
"That's exactly right."
He stood up and walked to Cao Wei, the two of them only a step apart.
The morning light slanted in through the window, casting a bright band of light between the two of them, and dust motes danced slowly in the light.
"so,"
Qin Mu's voice was soft, yet every word was clear, like a heavy hammer striking Cao Wei's heart:
"I want you, sir, to personally explain Qingxue's true identity and background."
Cao Wei's pupils suddenly contracted!
He suddenly looked up at Qin Mu, his eyes filled with astonishment and resistance!
"Your Majesty...you mustn't!"
He almost blurted out:
"Qingxue... for the past twenty years, although she didn't know her own background, at least she lived a relatively peaceful and happy life in the Xu family. Xu Xiao treated her like his own daughter, and Xu Longxiang..."
Upon hearing this name, Cao Wei gritted his teeth and continued:
"At least on the surface, they treated her extremely well. She didn't need to know about that bloody past, didn't need to bear the burden of national and familial hatred, didn't need to..."
"Is it unnecessary to know where my roots are? Is it unnecessary to know who my parents are?"
Qin Mu interrupted him, his voice still calm, yet carrying a power that pierced the heart:
"Mr. Cao, do you really think a woman who doesn't know where she came from, where she's from, who her parents are, or where her roots are... can truly be happy?"