Traveling through another world to stir the emperor's heart

When the Queen Mother heard Feng Qingyue's words, her eyes were filled with love and approval. She sighed softly and said, "You are always so kind, child. I will definitely let the prince repay your kindness."

Feng Qingyue smiled faintly and whispered, "Queen Dowager, you worry too much. Praying for the people is my duty, so how can I ask for anything in return?"

The Queen Mother gently patted Feng Qingyue's hand and said with a smile, "You are always so gentle and thoughtful, which makes me happy."

The two continued their conversation, however, Feng Qingyue suddenly fell silent.

The Queen Mother looked at her tenderly and asked in a low voice, "Ayue, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly silent? Is there something on your mind?"

Feng Qingyue hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Queen Mother, Ah Yue has a question that I would like to ask you."

She paused, her eyes lowered, "About the eldest princess."

When the Queen Mother heard the word "Princess", a complicated look flashed in her eyes.

She frowned slightly, her expression a little serious, but soon regained her composure and sighed softly, "Ayue, why do you suddenly ask this?"

Her voice was slightly sad: "It's been many years since the Princess's incident."

Feng Qingyue carefully noticed the hidden pain in the Queen Mother's tone, and felt a little uneasy in her heart, but she did not give up.

She continued to ask, "Empress Dowager, what exactly happened to the eldest princess back then?" Her tone was gentle and her eyes were sincere, but she still had some persistence.

The Queen Mother sighed and lowered her head slightly, as if recalling the past.

After a moment, she slowly spoke in a low voice: "Yingxue, she is the only biological daughter of my family and the late emperor. She is talented, virtuous and dignified, and is the pride of our hearts. But because of my negligence..."

Feng Qingyue listened quietly, feeling the hidden pain and unspoken secrets in the Queen Mother's words.

The Queen Mother continued, "At that time, the political situation in the court was turbulent, and undercurrents were surging within the palace. Some people actually thought that her existence posed a threat to them."

Her tone was somewhat sad. "In the end, the eldest princess was secretly taken out of the Eastern Palace by the then concubine during a palace disturbance."

Feng Qingyue was shocked when she heard this. Obviously, she didn't expect things to be so complicated.

The Queen Mother continued, "However, when we discovered she was missing, we hurriedly began searching, but it was already too late."

"The family arranged by the concubine was executed that night."

"When we arrived, there was no trace of the princess. The family had been slaughtered, with corpses scattered all over the place."

Feng Qingyue's heart tightened slightly, and a trace of regret flashed in her eyes.

The Queen Mother's voice was low and somewhat helpless: "At that time, we mobilized all the power of the palace to find her."

"No matter how hard we searched, there was no trace of her. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace."

The Queen Mother paused, her eyes darkening. "Her disappearance greatly enraged the Retired Emperor, and there was unrest in the palace. Not long after, the late Emperor ascended the throne, and I became Empress."

"The late emperor sent countless people to search for her, and there were even rumors that she had died."

"At that time, I almost believed those rumors and fell into pain that I couldn't extricate myself from."

Feng Qingyue couldn't help but ask, "After that, how did you and the late emperor find out the whereabouts of the eldest princess?"

The Queen Mother took a deep breath and said slowly, "It wasn't until more than a decade later that we received news that there was a girl in the Black Blood Cult who looked very similar to me. We finally found her, but..."

The Queen Mother's eyes were slightly red as she spoke slowly, "She grew up in the Black Blood Cult, and her character has changed. She has absolutely no desire to return to the palace. She only wants to marry the Young Master of the Black Blood Cult."

Feng Qingyue was shocked after hearing this and sighed secretly: "Is the eldest princess really so stubborn?"

The Queen Mother smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, the late Emperor was furious when he found out. The royal majesty cannot be underestimated."

"However, the eldest princess was adamant and refused to change her mind even under threat of death."

"The late emperor once wanted to forcibly bring her back, but I was worried that would only exacerbate the conflict."

She continued, "Finally, Ai Jia intervened and agreed to let her marry the young master of the Black Blood Cult and stay in the Black Blood Cult, but she was required to visit the palace frequently."

"Who knew that misfortunes would happen one after another, and when I saw her again, we were already separated forever."

Feng Qingyue sighed silently, realizing that behind this glorious royal family, there lay such a heavy past.

She then asked, "What about the concubine who took the eldest princess away back then?"

The Queen Mother sighed softly, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes. She whispered, "That concubine's name is Li Yan. Her family has some power in the court. She was originally virtuous, but due to her selfish desires, she gradually embarked on a path of no return."

"She secretly colluded with powerful officials in the court, intending to take advantage of the eldest princess' disappearance to replace me."

The Queen Mother's tone became increasingly sad, as if she was recalling the heart-wrenching past.

Feng Qingyue's heart sank. She could sense the Queen Mother's inner helplessness and resentment.

After all, the disappearance of the eldest princess not only caused her to lose her biological daughter, but also caused her to suffer countless blows in the palace.

Li Yan's betrayal made her even more heartbroken.

The Queen Mother said slowly, "After the incident was exposed, Li Yan fell into despair. She knew she could not escape the Emperor and the court's wrath, and ultimately committed suicide in her room."

"Her family was severely punished. The entire family was executed, and even her relatives were not spared."

The Queen Mother's eyes were empty, as if she had returned to that unbearable moment.

She gently closed her eyes, trying to calm the waves in her heart.

Feng Qingyue looked at the kind and strong empress dowager in front of her, and an indescribable sadness surged in her heart.

She understood that these past events were a wound that would never heal for the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother choked up slightly, her voice filled with helplessness and regret: "If I had insisted that the late Emperor take her back to the palace and not let her marry the Young Master of the Black Blood Cult, perhaps her fate would have been different, perhaps..."

Feng Qingyue whispered comfortingly, "Queen Dowager, you don't have to blame yourself anymore. You have done your best." Her voice was gentle but firm, and her eyes were full of sympathy.

The Queen Mother smiled bitterly and shook her head: "You don't understand, Ayue. As a mother, I will never be able to forgive myself in my life."

Yingxue was the only biological daughter between me and the late emperor. Her death has left me heartbroken.

I have cried for her countless times. In my dreams, I always see her calling me back from a distance, but every time I wake up, her image disappears without a trace.

When the Queen Mother said this, tears glistened in her eyes, but she never let them fall.