Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 1164: Chapter 164: Noble Princess Consort Rong’s Interrogation (Part 2)

"Do you think I would kill the second son and the others?" The Emperor’s face was calm, "If I wanted them dead, I would have ordered their execution, not degraded them to commoners."

"Did you really not kill Yi’er and the others?" Noble Princess Consort Rong still believed Empress Xie’s instigation.

Facing Noble Princess Consort Rong’s questioning gaze, the Emperor’s eyes did not waver, "No, I wouldn’t kill them."

"Did Yi’er and the others really hang themselves?" Noble Princess Consort Rong could not believe her two sons would commit suicide.

"Yes."

"Wasn’t it you who ordered them to hang themselves?" Noble Princess Consort Rong, weakened by her frail health, spoke with great effort, "Your Majesty, look at me, was it really not you who ordered them to hang themselves?"

The Emperor met Noble Princess Consort Rong’s sharp gaze and said calmly, "No, I did not order them to hang themselves." After saying this, he added, "I haven’t lost my mind to such an extent."

"Yet you’re not saddened." Noble Princess Consort Rong straightened up and her expression turned mad, "Yi’er and the others are dead, and you don’t seem saddened at all. Yi’er was your most cherished son, yet you act as if nothing has happened."

In response to Noble Princess Consort Rong’s accusation, the Emperor asked calmly, "Do you wish me to be like you?"

Noble Princess Consort Rong felt chilled by the Emperor’s calmness, and suddenly burst into laughter, a laughter filled with self-mockery.

The Emperor did not understand what insanity Noble Princess Consort Rong was experiencing, "Take care of yourself, I will come to see you again."

"Cousin, did you ever love me?" Noble Princess Consort Rong suddenly asked.

By now, the Emperor had turned his back to Noble Princess Consort Rong.

"Cousin, did you ever love me?" She asked again, "Cousin, answer me."

The Emperor did not respond, ready to leave when he heard Noble Princess Consort Rong say again, "Cousin, the one you love isn’t me, it’s Xie Wan, isn’t that right?" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she screamed hysterically, "You never loved me, did you? The one you loved from the beginning to the end was Xie Wan, wasn’t it?"

"Cousin, answer me, are you still going to deceive me... cough cough cough cough cough..." Noble Princess Consort Rong began to cough violently, then coughed up blood.

The Emperor turned around, seeing Noble Princess Consort Rong with scarlet, angry, and indignant eyes, he sighed softly, "When have I ever deceived you."

Noble Princess Consort Rong stared stubbornly at the Emperor and asked once more, "Cousin, tell me, do you love me at all?"

"You asked me this question when you were young." The Emperor said, "This question, you’ve asked for decades, have I ever answered?"

Noble Princess Consort Rong was stunned. She thought back carefully, indeed she had asked innumerable times, but each time the Emperor never directly answered, always talking around it.

"Once, I told you that my most cherished was you."

"Cherished... hahaha..." Noble Princess Consort Rong used to think cherishing meant love, now she realized, cherishing isn’t love, "I was wrong, I was so wrong... I was laughable, I always thought you loved me, I thought I was the one you loved most... cough cough cough cough cough..."

Seeing Noble Princess Consort Rong cough more and more blood, the Emperor walked over and reached out to support her, only to be tightly grabbed by her. She exerted herself, her nails deeply embedded in the Emperor’s arm.

"Cousin, from young to now, did you ever love me a little?"

Seeing the Emperor silent, Noble Princess Consort Rong knew the answer, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed.

"Not even a bit?" She asked cautiously, her eyes full of pleading as she looked at the Emperor.

The Emperor gently wiped the bloodstain from the corner of Noble Princess Consort Rong’s mouth, speaking softly, "I only cherished you."

Noble Princess Consort Rong shook off the Emperor’s hand and glared at him, "I’m not a cat or dog, I don’t need your cherishing. I’ve loved you for decades, what I wanted was your love. Now you tell me you don’t love me, you only treasured me like a plaything, it’s truly laughable... hahaha... then what does my love for you count as... a joke, a huge joke..." Noble Princess Consort Rong realized she had become a big joke. Her decades of love meant nothing... hahaha...

Seeing Noble Princess Consort Rong’s crazed appearance, a trace of mercy flashed in the Emperor’s eyes.

"The person you love is Xie Wan, isn’t it?" Noble Princess Consort Rong again grabbed the Emperor’s hand, asking fiercely, "It’s her you love, isn’t it? In what way am I inferior to her, how is she superior to me? She’s not as beautiful as me, doesn’t understand you like I do, nor has the years of growing up together with you. Why is it her you love, why..."

Noble Princess Consort Rong asked frantically again and again.

"Who told you I love Xie Wan."

This question left Noble Princess Consort Rong stunned, she stared blankly at the Emperor.

Looking into Noble Princess Consort Rong’s eyes, the Emperor said each word slowly, "I! do! not! love! Xie! Wan!"

"You truly don’t love Xie Wan?"

"I don’t." The Emperor said, "I love no one, what I love is the Great Zhou and its people." The Emperor was still lying, this would be easier for Noble Princess Consort Rong.

Noble Princess Consort Rong asked in disbelief, "You don’t love any woman?"

"No, I have no time for love." Having grown up together, even if the Emperor didn’t love her, he didn’t want to hurt her again after she’d lost two sons.

Noble Princess Consort Rong unconsciously released her grip, blankly staring at the Emperor.

At that moment, past scenes flashed through her mind, thinking of how the Emperor was always busy reviewing memorials, sometimes not visiting the harem for months or even longer.

"There’s a whole nation full of things waiting for me to do, I have no time for romance." The Emperor’s tone softened, "Your feelings for me since childhood, I understand. I can only give you cherishing, nothing else." He was usually busy with state affairs, truly didn’t have time for romance. He loved Xiao Xiao, but the time they spent in romance wasn’t much.

"You..."

"You’re my cousin since childhood, you’re different from other women in the harem, but the love you want, I can’t give." The Emperor’s words were both compassionate and cruel, "Take care of yourself." With this, he turned and left.

Noble Princess Consort Rong sat blankly on the bed, her expression turning void.

The Emperor walked out of Yongxin Palace and sighed deeply, "I still lied to deceive her."

Sun Kui didn’t know what the Emperor said to Noble Princess Consort Rong, he comforted him, "Your Majesty, you did it for the good of the Noble Consort."