Repeatedly broken branches

Xie Huai brought Xiao Mu into the capital city without stopping, and they stayed at an inn there, waiting for the king's summons.

Xie Huai knew that Xiao Mu's belongings had all been burned to ashes, so he bought her some clothes to change into and some jewelry that girls like. But she still sat by the window as always, her lifeless eyes staring blankly at something, just sighing incessantly.

If she hadn't stayed at Xiao Suzi's house, this wouldn't have happened. They were taken away by the merciless flames before they even saw their parents. She was already in so much pain from just a burn on her shoulder, but Xiao Suzi and the others must have been in a thousand times, ten thousand times, more pain from being burned all over their bodies.

She's a menace, why wasn't she the one who died? Anyway, she's already orphaned, what does it matter if one of her dies?

"Xie Huai, I want to go back to my own world." Xiao Mu looked at him, as if talking to herself, but her scarlet eyes were clearly looking at Xie Huai.

Xie Huai's eyes flickered slightly. "How can we go back?"

Xiao Mu shook her head helplessly. "I don't know myself. I'm suffering here. What should I do?"

Xie Huai thought she was referring to the Chen Kingdom, since she grew up there. Unfortunately, it was no longer the Chen Kingdom, and she was no longer a princess.

Both were princesses, both princesses of fallen kingdoms, but Bai Jiaoyu and she were worlds apart. One was carefully protected, while the other wandered around, without any relatives or friends, all alone.

Xie Huai lowered his eyes and said calmly, "If it's painful, you might as well face it. Find that old man, find Bai Jiaoyu, find out the truth, and give your friends justice. They can't have died in vain."

Xiao Mu thought he was right. Xiao Suzi and the others couldn't have died in vain. If Bai Jiaoyu was the arsonist, one life for another wouldn't be enough. Xiao Suzi's family had four lives, while Bai Jiaoyu only had one.

A few days later, the news of the king's summons finally arrived. Upon learning this, Xie Huai immediately took Xiao Mu to the palace.

The young girl, dressed in a crescent-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), walked gracefully towards the palace. Her steps were resolute, and she was determined to seek justice for her friend. So she did not look back, and she could not remember how she got to that person.

The man looked much older, unlike the robust man I had seen when I was a child. His temples were gray, and his face was covered with wrinkles.

He looked at himself, his eyes devoid of any emotion; one could even say that by looking at himself, he was looking at the former Princess Wei.

They looked so alike, their eyes brimming with autumn water, just like Princess Wei back then, because she was her daughter.

"Xiaozhi, I am your maternal grandfather."

Xiao Mu knelt down, her forehead hitting the ground heavily with a thud, and said in a cold voice, "Your Majesty."

"Little Zhi, come to my side." She beckoned to him from the Western Regions Dynasty.

Xiao Mu straightened up and nodded, saying, "This is not in accordance with the rules. My purpose in requesting an audience with Your Majesty is actually to see Bai Jiaoyu. Is she here?"

The King of the Western Regions said, "Ayu is right outside the door. You two sisters can meet her and have a chat."

"No need, Your Majesty. Please let her in. I have something to ask Bai Jiaoyu."

The King of the Western Regions said kindly to the person outside the door, "Come in, Ayu, and meet your sister."

The person outside pushed the door open rudely, his brows furrowed with anger. Looking at Xiao Mu kneeling down, he raised his voice and said, "That's right, it's me. You don't need to pretend. Who do you think you are? Someone else's abandoned wife, a princess of a fallen kingdom."

"Ayu, don't talk nonsense." The King of the Western Regions glanced at her, his tone reluctant to be harsh, his eyes full of the doting affection of an elder for a junior.

Xiao Mu glanced at her, gritting her teeth, and said, "Then you can come at me. Why hurt innocent people? Those four sisters were so innocent. You're being too willful... Why did they die so tragically? They didn't offend you, did they?"

Bai Jiaoyu said nonchalantly, "So what if they are four worthless lives? I originally wanted to burn you to death, but unfortunately, I burned them to death. I can only say that they were your scapegoats. You should feel ashamed and indignant, instead of coming to me to demand an explanation. You should go and be buried with them, you wild girl!"

Bai Jiaoyu was used to being arrogant and disdainful of everyone. From a young age, her uncle and maternal grandfather only had eyes for her. However, her maternal grandfather wanted to bring Xia Yunzhi, who had been living away from home, into the palace. She refused to accept this. Why should Xia Yunzhi take away her favor? Only by killing her could she maintain her favor. Alas, she killed the wrong person and took the lives of four commoners. It didn't matter. Anyway, her maternal grandfather wouldn't blame her.

"Your Majesty, Bai Jiaoyu has confessed to murder. What will you do with her?" Xiao Mu turned her gaze to the Western Region King, who remained unmoved. The Western Region King was completely unfazed. Jiaoyu had always been like this since she was a child, and he was used to it. In his eyes, Jiaoyu had always been this way, and it was all because he had spoiled her.

The King of the Western Regions said calmly, "They're all dead. You can't expect your sister to pay for their deaths, can you? She lost her mother at a young age and has already suffered enough. Besides, you are sisters... I will allocate some money to properly bury those people. Let's just let this matter rest!"

Xiao Mu couldn't believe that her maternal grandfather was someone who treated human life as worthless, someone so cold-blooded and ruthless, someone who spoke of four lives as nothing more than four ants.

Bai Jiaoyu lost her mother at a young age but received boundless love from her maternal grandfather and uncle. Meanwhile, when she lost her mother, her maternal grandfather and uncle never offered a word of comfort, not even to visit her. So that's how it is. It's because their hearts are only for Bai Jiaoyu. No wonder, no wonder her maternal grandfather and uncle never made any move after her kingdom fell. It turns out they already had a little princess in their hearts.

When will she finally be someone's favorite?

"Your Majesty, the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, let alone Bai Jiaoyu who has four lives on her hands. Are you just going to let it go so easily?" Xiao Mu still refused to give up. She couldn't believe that her maternal grandfather was such a tyrant.

The King of the Western Regions grew impatient. He said sternly, "Xiaozhi, I summoned you to the palace not to hear you interrogate me. I only let you in because of your mother's kindness. Don't treat your sister like this. She's already pitiful enough. What else do you want her to do? I've already shown them leniency by giving them a proper burial. Otherwise, could they bear the crime of harboring a princess?"

Hidden possession? Princess? This is a distortion of the truth.

Xiao Mu was unwilling to communicate with such a person any longer. Her eyes were filled with resentment. He was also her maternal grandfather, so why was he so biased towards Bai Jiaoyu? Wasn't she his granddaughter?

Why is it that Bai Jiaoyu can get away with murder and not even have to apologize? Why is it that ordinary people just die without consequence?

Xiao Mu couldn't understand why such a person could become emperor, why such a person could still live in this world and possess supreme power and honor. How could such a person be worthy?

She gritted her teeth and said, "Bai Jiaoyu, you will die a horrible death! Even if you are a princess, so what? You killed someone, you are destined to go to hell!"

"Grandfather~ Look at her!" Bai Jiaoyu called out to the King of the Western Regions in a sweet voice, her eyes full of innocence and grievance. She actually acted aggrieved, which made Xiao Mu feel disgusted.

The King of the Western Regions was furious. "Xia Yunzhi, how dare you curse your own sister like this! I hereby punish you by confinement, and you are not to be released without my summons!"

"How dare you? I am the future Empress of Chaoyang Kingdom!" Xiao Mu warned sternly, her gaze sharp.

The men from the Western Regions Dynasty exchanged a glance and immediately took Xiao Mu away. No matter how much she struggled, they refused to let go. She even felt that the wound on her shoulder was about to burst open.

She felt extremely wronged. If Yu Yanjing were here, he wouldn't have let her suffer like this. But Yu Yanjing was the one who pushed her this way, so why would he come?

Father... I miss Father so much. In this world, only Father truly treated me well. Unfortunately, there is no one like Father in this world anymore.

They locked themselves in the palace where their mother had once lived. Although no one had lived there for twenty years, there wasn't a speck of dust in sight. The furnishings inside were also extremely exquisite, with a style that leaned towards a little girl.

Xiao Mu didn't shout or yell, but sat down quietly to observe everything in the room. Her mother liked the rosewood furniture, so it turned out that she liked it in her boudoir. Unexpectedly, the color scheme here was similar to that of her mother's old residence in Chen Kingdom, both being rosewood.

The Empress Dowager loved daffodils, so the tablecloth was daffodil-shaped, the porcelain vase on the table was filled with pink daffodils, and even the tea set was painted with daffodils in bloom. The daffodils on the table were very fresh, with water droplets on the petals, so they must have been delivered to her every day.

That old man really dotes on Princess Wei. She hasn't lived here for over twenty years, yet he's kept it as if it's always been inhabited.

It's ironic that such a person is so cold-blooded.

When I was little, my mother always said that my maternal grandfather was a very, very good, kind and loving wise king. The people lived in peace and prosperity, and his descendants were also very filial. He only had one empress, my maternal grandmother, who gave birth to the eldest princess Qian, the second princess Yao, the third princess Wei, the fourth princess Sang, and the youngest prince Nao. He passed away before that. He never married again and treated his children equally, but he loved Wei the most because Wei was the most like his maternal grandmother. She was gentle, calm and thoughtful.

Xiaozhi resembled Wei, and Wei resembled her maternal grandmother. Therefore, her maternal grandfather always looked at her as if he were looking at someone else. Through Xiaozhi's eyes, he was reminiscing about his maternal grandmother. Wei could often sense her father's gaze in the same way, and she knew that her father was missing her mother.

Originally, the maternal grandfather was very reluctant to send Wei to marry a foreign ruler. However, Xia Yuyi had no choice but to ask for Wei's hand in marriage. Xia Yuyi's power was unshakeable, so sending Wei there was fine. In his eyes, only someone like Xia Yuyi was worthy of his beloved Princess Wei.

But is Mother lying? Grandfather is not kind or wise at all. He treats human life as worthless. He favors Bai Jiaoyu. Is she... lying?

The eldest and third princesses were already gone, the second princess Yao had married far away, and the fourth princess Sang died shortly after birth. Therefore, only the crown prince and Bai Jiaoyu remained by the maternal grandfather's side. He doted on Bai Jiaoyu because she resembled Xiaozhi so much when she was a child. Over time, Jiaoyu replaced Xiaozhi, and the maternal grandfather no longer cared about Xiaozhi. Because the maternal grandmother was gone and Wei was dead, what was the point of dwelling on the past? Xiaozhi was just a substitute; she was just a child. How could she possibly become his deceased wife?

Jiao Yu was actually very kind when she was young. She was spoiled and that's how she became. That makes sense. In the palace, besides the king and the crown prince, she was the most noble. What kind of good things didn't she have? How could she possibly care about ordinary people? Even if she killed someone, her maternal grandfather would not care. He would only think that the dead person was guilty and that the dead person deserved to be unhappy with Bai Jiao Yu.

Xie Huai stood at the door and knocked, but he couldn't get in because the door was locked. The key was with the old man, the king, so how could he open it?

"Xie Huai, I had too high hopes for him, I never expected him to be this kind of person."

Xie Huai looked astonished. "Emperors are inherently ruthless, let alone someone who has been emperor for so many years. One can only imagine how cold-hearted he must be?"

“My father would never do that. If I killed someone, he would definitely make me pay with my life!”

Xie Huai chuckled softly, leaning against the door, and said in a low voice, "He won't... because a daughter is still a daughter. No matter how big a mistake you make, he will forgive you. Don't ask me how I know. Want to hear my story?"

Xiao Mu nodded and listened quietly to Xie Huai's story.

“I’ve never had parents since I was little, and I don’t know where I came from. I’ve been begging since I can remember. Before I met my master, I was a little beggar, surviving on leftover food from restaurants, drinking from streams when I was thirsty, and sleeping in dilapidated temples when I was tired. Once, I found a jade pendant. It was so beautiful! But the owner of the pendant came looking for me and beat me up, insisting that I stole it. His father beat me up too because the owner of the pendant was a child who claimed to have seen me steal it, even though I’d ​​never seen him before. His father wouldn’t listen to my explanation and beat me up. I thought to myself, it’s so good to have a father. Even if you lie, he’ll believe you unconditionally… So, I envied that child. I watched them walk away and smiled foolishly…”

Xiao Mu felt a pang of sadness. She hadn't expected Xie Huai's childhood to be so tragic, yet he acted as if he were recounting someone else's story with such composure.

"After that, I met my master. He took me to the palace, bought me nice clothes, fed me lots and lots of meat, taught me how to make jewelry, and taught me how to be a good person. He told me that a jewelry master should never forget his original aspiration. He asked me what my original aspiration was, and I said that I just wanted to have enough to eat and wear. He smiled and told me that he would never let me go hungry again. He had no children, so he was my father. But I never called him 'father'..."

At this point, a hint of sadness flashed in Xie Huai's eyes. He raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said softly, "So, do you still feel unfortunate?"

"I didn't say I was unfortunate. I just don't understand why he's so biased towards Bai Jiaoyu, and why he condones her killing people?"

Xie Huai patiently said, "Well, Bai Jiaoyu is a princess. He couldn't possibly kill a princess for these reasons, could he?"

Xiao Mu fidgeted with her fingers and said weakly, "But isn't the emperor subject to the same laws as the common people?"

Xie Huai laughed even louder, his finger hovering in mid-air, pointing at Xiao Mu inside the door, and mocked, "You believe this? This is for fools. How can the emperor and the common people be the same? They are right even when they are wrong, and wrong even when they are right. Have you ever seen an emperor go to jail?"

Xiao Mu said with lingering fear, "But I don't want Xiao Suzi and the others to die in vain. I want to kill Bai Jiaoyu with my own hands and avenge them!" Her eyes burned with rage. In her mind, Bai Jiaoyu had already been burned to ashes. One life for another, she only hated that Bai Jiaoyu only had one life. Otherwise, she would have killed her four times over.

"Unless you have power and influence, Bai Jiaoyu will be the one bullying you!" Xie Huai said frankly. "Use your advantages to win over that old man and gain more power. That way, even if you kill Bai Jiaoyu, he won't dare to do anything to you."

Greater power? What could have more power than a princess?

Queen...

If she becomes Yu Yanjing's empress, she can avenge Xiao Suzi. She can kill Bai Jiaoyu with her own hands, and even her maternal grandfather can't do anything to her. She can treat this place as her own maternal home. She will marry here in a grand and glorious manner and become the empress of Chaoyang Kingdom. In this way, who would dare to look down on her? Who would dare to treat human life as worthless in front of her?

Although she loves Yu Yanjing, she doesn't want to be bound by the empty title of Empress. But in order to prevent herself and those around her from being bullied, she can only use Yu Yanjing's power to protect them, can't she?

How can it be considered exploitation? She genuinely loved Yu Yanjing, so perhaps it can't be called exploitation, even though she was truly terrified of the Empress's position. Countless people have died weeping while clutching the Phoenix Seal.

"Xie Huai, please pass on a message to Yu Yanjing for me. I agree to become Empress. Ask him to propose marriage to my maternal grandfather. I want to marry in the Western Regions!"

Xie Huai smiled bitterly and agreed, "Alright, I wish you gain power soon. I hope it won't be too late. While your friends' bodies are still warm, kill Bai Jiaoyu as soon as possible and avenge them."

Xiao Mu's eyes flashed with cold light as she gritted her teeth and said, "I will."

Xie Huai didn't know if it was right to give her such guidance. He admired her, and for some reason, his opinion of her changed at this moment; she was no longer that silly girl.