Was it the dragon robe, the dragon throne?
"Little sister, you didn't dream of this palace coup?" he said, his tone light.
Ling Yao, however, realized.
He resented her.
"It's alright, all your busyness is for Jingguo. Your Imperial Brother understands. I can handle these matters myself. A young lady like you shouldn't overwork herself. Look, you've lost weight."
Mingde Emperor's eyes held evident, genuine heartache.
Ling Yao felt a little better.
"Imperial Brother, just say what you want to say!"
"Are you impatient?" Mingde Emperor chuckled. "I remember you were the most patient when you were little. You could listen to me ramble all day without getting annoyed."
"Every time you saw me, you'd greet me with such joy."
"Every time I left, you'd watch me go for a long distance."
"Why do you feel annoyed now?"
"Oh, I know. You want your Imperial Brother to be diligent in his governance and quickly grow into a qualified emperor." He stood up and descended the steps, one by one.
Walking towards Ling Yao.
"And then, you and General Xiao can live happily ever after and retire, right?"
He had reached Ling Yao, his gentle face turning sharp.
"Do you know what a qualified emperor needs to abandon? He must first abandon emotions! Family affection, romantic love, friendship – he can no longer possess any of them!"
"Imperial Brother! Aren't you being too extreme!" Ling Yao retorted loudly. "What are you fussing about now? What happened? Just tell me!"
"Am I extreme?" Mingde Emperor scoffed. "Our father dedicated his entire life to Jingguo, loved our Empress dearly, was fraternal towards his siblings, and was magnanimous to his officials. What did he get in return? Betrayal, rebellion, and a lifetime of infamy after his death!"
"You spent a year outside, didn't you hear it? The common people call Father a foolish ruler!"
"And the reason for this outcome is precisely because he was too sentimental!"
"He doted on our Empress, which led to her ingratitude. He was completely unguarded with Prince Runan, which led to him biting back from behind. He was kind to his officials, which nurtured traitors like Grand Tutor Lu and Prime Minister Zuo!"
"He worked himself to death, even sacrificing his life – he deserved it! He was foolish! It would be against heavenly principles if he hadn't lost the kingdom!"
He's gone mad, saying such treasonous words!
Ling Yao didn't care what had provoked him, but she couldn't tolerate him speaking ill of her respected father, especially since he was already dead!
"You are not allowed to speak of Father like that! He was just not good at being an emperor, he was not a foolish ruler!"
"Yes! Because his heart was too soft, so to be a qualified emperor, one must be ruthless. Am I right, Imperial Sister?" Mingde Emperor straightened his sleeves and sat down again.
The previous agitation vanished. His change of demeanor was so swift that Ling Yao hadn't even managed to suppress her anger.
"So, I should kill Song Beiting, is that it?"
A chill spread through Ling Yao's heart.
She could no longer see through the person before her.
She had never imagined he would say such things. She knew his relationship with her brother Wen Tang better than anyone.
Since childhood, they had been almost inseparable, closer than brothers. Even after becoming emperor, their relationship had remained unaffected.
According to Duo Rui, if Wen Tang hadn't participated in the rebellion and had saved him, at most he would have been stripped of his command and demoted to commoner status.
It was impossible that he would kill him.
Ling Yao felt a sense of disorientation.
It seemed that ever since they reunited, problems had arisen between them.
A rift had formed, growing larger and more obvious with time.
Seeing the wrong expression on her face, Mingde Emperor's voice softened. "Do you think he shouldn't be killed?"
"I heard from Duo Rui that the Imperial Guards did not participate in the rebellion, and moreover, he saved your life."
"Yes, he saved my life and, with his last breath, personally killed Prime Minister Zuo. I'll also tell you, he is indeed not the Divine Lord of Dayao, nor is he Prime Minister Zuo's son. Prime Minister Zuo, twenty years ago, on the orders of Princess Qirong, now Queen of Qirong, found a pregnant woman about to give birth in Suiye and, according to the expected birth time of the Divine Lord of Dayao, dug her out of her womb."
Suiye?
Ling Yao already knew that the Divine Lord of Dayao was Xiao Shan.
But Wen Tang brother was also from Suiye? The same hometown as Xiao Shan?
Was it a coincidence?
Wen Tang brother was six years younger than Xiao Shan, and both were born in auspicious years.
"Prime Minister Zuo is a Qirong spy, but Wen Tang is a citizen of my Great Jing. He also rendered meritorious service in saving me. By rights, I should not kill him. However, he was raised by Prime Minister Zuo. Who can guarantee that he is completely unaware of these matters, right, Imperial Sister?"
"I want to spare him, but to appease the court officials, I need a convincing reason."
"For example, Imperial Sister marrying him, making him a second husband. With the status and prestige of a divine maiden, no one would dare to question it."
Ling Yao looked at Mingde Emperor as if she had seen a ghost.
So, after all this, this was his goal.
He had always wanted to bring them together before, and now he was forcing it?
"Your Majesty! You have truly changed. You dare to use any scheme against this Palace Consort! Heh heh, don't you know that an ordinary mortal cannot withstand the spiritual energy of a divine maiden? Do you want your good brother to die even faster?"
"He doesn't want to live anymore! He refuses to wake up! I don't care if the spiritual energy is real or not, but I know you have a way. Ling Yao, Imperial Brother listens to you. Forget about Qinghe, work diligently day and night, strive to be a qualified emperor. However, I don't want to be truly alone. I only have this one brother. As long as you marry him, even if it's just a formality, can you make him wake up?"
"Give up on that idea!" Ling Yao roared. "Before coming to the capital, I told myself that this capital could no longer trap me!"
"Why do you think I'm still here? It's because of Father. I'm repaying the kindness of Father raising me. Do you all truly think I'm doing this for Jingguo? Ridiculous. You really think I'm a divine maiden who saves all beings, capable of sacrificing myself for others?"
"Even Song Beiting dares to force me!"
Mingde Emperor stared at her, his gaze filled with pain and disappointment. "It's just a formality, and you're unwilling. Are you afraid Xiao Shan will be unhappy? What if he agrees?"
Ling Yao turned away. This Taiyi Palace was truly not a good place.
Perhaps she would never come again.
What brother-sister affection?
She, who was born cold and detached, couldn't afford these ethereal things.
"What does Wen Tang truly mean to you?"
Behind her, Mingde Emperor watched her resolute back and chuckled.
Didn't she say last time that they were friends, family?
Is this how you treat family and friends, so heartlessly?
One Song Wentang is not enough, add Feng Shijin, would that be enough?