CHAPTER 816: CHAPTER 238 TWIST_2

"Your Majesty, I’ve indeed come today to discuss a matter concerning the Duke Residence. I request to be granted an audience with the Empress Dowager," said the female servant.

Emperor Hongxiao’s expression changed slightly as he scrutinized Jiang Li closely, "He told you even this?" he asked.

Jiang Li remained silent. That day in the cave, Jih Heng had revealed the tangled history between the Jih family and Yin Zhan, and naturally, had also disclosed the Empress Dowager’s true identity. Jih Heng had said that Emperor Hongxiao must have already placed the Empress Dowager under house arrest, and that for the Empress Dowager, Emperor Hongxiao would not let her off.

Jiang Li knew that this matter, after all, involved the Imperial Family’s secrets. Unlike Jih Heng, she was different to Emperor Hongxiao, who still needed to make use of Jih Heng. But to him, she, a mere woman, was expendable. If Emperor Hongxiao sensed any threat from her, he would not hesitate to eliminate it. The best strategy was to pretend to know nothing—the more she showed she knew, the more dangerous it would be.

But she could not do that. There was one thing she had to clarify, even if it meant risking the suspicion of the emperor. There was little she could do for Jih Heng, but at least she could help him find the truth.

"What do you want to ask the Empress Dowager?" Emperor Hongxiao asked.

His voice was deep and oppressive, but Jiang Li was not disturbed. She simply bowed her head and said softly, "There are some matters concerning Madam Jih that I wish to ask the Empress Dowager."

"You are unwilling to speak?" Emperor Hongxiao said, "Jih Heng has told you everything; he is truly not afraid of death."

"I am a person of the Duke," Jiang Li replied, "I will never betray the Duke."

She knew what Emperor Hongxiao feared. As an emperor who grew up in such an environment, he was full of caution toward those around him and would not easily trust others. Perhaps in Emperor Hongxiao’s view, Jih Heng’s actions were simply foolishness, laughable to the extreme, something he completely disagreed with.

Indeed, upon hearing her words, Emperor Hongxiao retorted, "Oh? Forever? Then I ask you, if Jih Heng goes to Qingzhou and does not return, what then? Will you spend your life devoted to his memory? Talking about forever... it seems you’ve overestimated yourself too much."

"It is Your Majesty who underestimates me," Jiang Li replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "If the Duke goes to Qingzhou and never returns, I will stay in Yanjing City, waiting for him. If he dies, I am willing to never marry and live alone for the rest of my life in his memory. Forever is not actually that difficult; it passes within the days and nights."

Her voice was gentle as she spoke of a matter so trivial that Emperor Hongxiao could not help but turn to look at her, as if to see clearly whether Jiang Li was lying.

Jiang Li looked back at him calmly, her gaze resolute, making one feel that doubting her determination was unforgivable.

Emperor Hongxiao snorted, "Sweet talker."

Instead, Jiang Li smiled. From the emperor’s words, she detected that his feelings for Jih Heng were not solely those of a ruler for his subject; there was also a bit of genuine affection. It was precisely because he had Jih Heng’s interests at heart that Emperor Hongxiao was so wary of her.

This was better than what she had initially hoped for.

"So it is that you must see the Empress Dowager at all costs?" Emperor Hongxiao asked.

"I beg Your Majesty’s permission."

"I can grant you that," he said. "When Jih Heng left, he pleaded with me to take care of you. I didn’t expect that before I got the chance to take care of you, you would come to me. Since this concerns the Duke Residence alone, I will not interfere. Whatever answers you seek from the Empress Dowager, go and ask her yourself. However, there is one thing I must remind you of: the Empress Dowager is a madwoman. Whether you can bear the consequences if you anger her will be up to you to determine."

Jiang Li smiled upon hearing this. She knelt down reverently once more to thank the emperor, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

She thought that Emperor Hongxiao must also be aware of the deadly feud between the Jih family and the Empress Dowager, otherwise he wouldn’t have let it pass so lightly. But this made it all the more convenient for her. With her bow, Emperor Hongxiao became impatient and called for Eunuch Su, ordering him to quickly take Jiang Li to see the Empress Dowager.

Everything was going much more smoothly than Jiang Li had anticipated.

Eunuch Su said, "Miss Jiang the Second, come with me, please."

Jiang Li exited the Yangxin Hall and followed Eunuch Su. The direction Eunuch Su took did not seem to lead to Kunning Palace, but rather to the Cold Palace; the path was deserted the entire way. As they walked, Jiang Li realized something. It appeared that, just as Jih Heng had said, the emperor had the Empress Dowager under house arrest. Indeed, with Yin Zhan dead and Yin Zhili’s rebellion, Emperor Hongxiao must have foreseen this day’s arrival and might even have been aware of the misdeeds committed by the Empress Dowager. Now that it had come to this, naturally, he would no longer maintain the pretense of a mother-son relationship.