novelAbuy Chapter 119 I Love You the Most
Chapter 119 I Love You the Most
Inside Yuxiu Palace.
Jiang Qingxue was sitting in front of her dressing table, weeping, when she suddenly heard the sound of the palace door being pushed open.
She froze, quickly wiped away her tears, and turned to look.
Then, she froze.
Qin Mu.
Why did he come?
Moreover... he was alone, without any attendants.
Jiang Qingxue hurriedly stood up and was about to bow when Qin Mu raised his hand to stop her.
"No need for formalities." Qin Mu's voice was gentle, with a rare tenderness in it.
He walked up to her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly: "Were you crying?"
Jiang Qingxue's heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head: "Your Majesty...no."
"Still saying no." Qin Mu reached out, his fingertips gently brushing across her slightly reddened eyes. "Your eyes are swollen. I've only been gone a few days, and you miss me this much, my beloved?"
Jiang Qingxue's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
She could feel the warmth of Qin Mu's fingertips and smell the familiar imperial aura emanating from him, a blend of ambergris and a faint scent of ink.
She forced herself to relax and, following Qin Mu's words, slowly raised her eyes.
Those clear, cool eyes were now veiled with a layer of mist, shimmering with tiny lights under the palace lanterns.
She bit her lip, turning her already pale pink lips slightly white, her voice carrying just the right amount of sorrow and grievance:
"His Majesty... hasn't come for several days."
She paused, her long eyelashes drooping, casting trembling shadows beneath her eyes:
"Today... today the palace has taken in Consort Hua. I have heard that Consort Hua is exceptionally talented, has a stunning appearance, and comes from a prestigious family... I am filled with apprehension, fearing that Your Majesty will forget the old once you have a new favorite."
She spoke with heartfelt emotion, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs.
The moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) looked particularly thin under the lamplight, making her resemble a pear blossom swaying in the wind—fragile, delicate, and pitiful.
Qin Mu looked at her quietly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"My dear concubine, you are overthinking it."
Qin Mu reached out and gently pulled Jiang Qingxue into his arms.
His movements were natural; he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close to his chest.
Jiang Qingxue's body stiffened for a moment, but she quickly relaxed and obediently leaned into his arms.
She could feel the warmth from Qin Mu's chest and hear his steady, powerful heartbeat.
That imperial, irresistible aura completely enveloped her, almost suffocating her.
"My favorite is naturally my beloved concubine."
Qin Mu's voice rang out above her head, deep and gentle, yet each word clear:
"Consort Hua's entry into the palace is merely a temporary measure. Her status is special, and I need her to counterbalance the Xu family and restrain Xu Longxiang. But in terms of affection and sincerity..."
He paused, then lowered his head and gently sniffed her hair:
"No one can compare to my beloved concubine."
Jiang Qingxue's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't know how much of Qin Mu's words were true and how much were false.
But she knew that she had to show the appropriate reaction at this moment.
"His Majesty……"
She buried her face in Qin Mu's shoulder, her voice muffled, tinged with suppressed sobs:
"Your Majesty, I know I shouldn't be so jealous, so petty. But... but I just can't control myself. The thought of Your Majesty looking at other women, smiling at other women, and..."
She couldn't continue, and her shoulders began to tremble slightly.
That trembling wasn't feigned.
it is true.
As she spoke these words, Xu Fenghua's calm and dignified face uncontrollably appeared in her mind, as did her image of her standing beside Qin Mu in a deep purple palace dress.
The older sister she once respected and trusted has now become a member of this deep palace.
She became her nominal "sister".
This realization filled her with a deep-seated fear and sorrow.
"Silly girl."
Qin Mu gently patted her back, his movements as tender as if he were comforting a frightened child.
"I promise you, I will visit Yuxiu Palace more often in the future. As for Consort Hua... I will handle things carefully."
He paused, a meaningful glint in his voice:
"Furthermore, doesn't my beloved concubine want to know why Consort Hua entered the palace?"
Jiang Qingxue froze.
She slowly raised her head, looking at Qin Mu through teary eyes:
"Your Majesty... are you willing to tell me?"
Qin Mu smiled.
That smile was so deep, so very deep, as if it could see right through her thoughts.
"nature."
He took Jiang Qingxue's hand and led her to the soft couch by the window, where they sat down. Moonlight streamed in through the carved windowpanes, casting dappled shadows on the two of them.
"Xu Fenghua's entry into the palace was not voluntary."
Qin Mu spoke, his voice calm, yet each word struck Jiang Qingxue's heart like a hammer:
"It was I who forced you to do it."
Jiang Qingxue's pupils suddenly contracted!
She bit her lip hard to keep from letting out a gasp.
"Why...why..." Her voice trembled violently.
"Because of the Xu family."
Qin Mu's gaze drifted to the deep night outside the window, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Xu Longxiang holds considerable military power in the northern border, secretly accumulating strength and plotting rebellion. Although I am in court, my control over the northern border remains somewhat distant. And Xu Fenghua..."
He paused, then turned to look at Jiang Qingxue:
"She is Xu Longxiang's elder sister and the core of the Xu family's strategy in Jiangnan. Controlling her is equivalent to controlling the Xu family's financial resources and connections in Jiangnan, and it's like planting a thorn in Xu Longxiang's side."
Jiang Qingxue's heart sank little by little.
She certainly understood this principle.
But she didn't expect Qin Mu to tell her so bluntly.
"So... His Majesty took Consort Hua as a concubine simply to... check the Xu family?"
If that's all...
If Qin Mu had no personal feelings for Xu Fenghua, if all of this was just political maneuvering...
Then perhaps Sister Xu's situation in the palace wouldn't be so bad?
Qin Mu looked at her quietly for a long time before slowly nodding:
Yes and no.
His voice was soft, yet it possessed a power that penetrated the heart:
"Xu Fenghua is indeed very beautiful, very talented, and also... very special. But my taking her in is more for the sake of the greater good."
He reached out and gently lifted Jiang Qingxue's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye:
"My beloved concubine, you must understand. In this deep palace, love is the most luxurious and also the most dangerous thing. I am the emperor, and my every move concerns the fate of the country and the safety of the people. There are some things I have to do. There are some people I have to take in."
His gaze was as deep as an abyss, as if it could absorb all the light:
"But my heart will always remain here."
He held Jiang Qingxue's hand and gently pressed it against his heart.
Through his dark dragon-patterned robes, she could feel his steady, powerful heartbeat emanating from his chest.
one more time.
It was as if it were making a declaration.
Jiang Qingxue stared at him blankly, her mind a complete mess.
Reason told her that Qin Mu's words were not to be believed.
How could an emperor who could force his subjects to marry his wives and who would stop at nothing to achieve his political goals have any true feelings?
But emotionally...
When she looked into Qin Mu's deep eyes and saw that rare, almost real, complex emotion within them, she was, for a fleeting moment, tempted to believe.
I believe he truly treats her differently.
Believe that his gentleness at this moment is not feigned.
"His Majesty……"
Jiang Qingxue's voice choked, and tears welled up in her eyes again:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty understands."
She slowly knelt down at Qin Mu's feet, her forehead touching the ground:
"Your Majesty, I shouldn't have doubted you, and I shouldn't have been so jealous. I...I know I was wrong."
Qin Mu watched her kneeling figure quietly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
He reached out and helped her up.
"Get up. The ground is cold."
He pulled her back into his arms, gently resting his chin on the top of her head:
"Remember, no matter how many people come to this palace, no matter how many concubines I take in, you will always be the most special one."
His voice was soft, yet every word was clear:
"Because you are the only one I personally chose. Because only you have shown me... something different."
Jiang Qingxue leaned against him, motionless.
She didn't know whether Qin Mu's words were true or false.
All she knew was that from this day forward, she had to be much more careful.
She not only had to play the role of a "resentful woman in the deep palace" well, but also the role of a "favored concubine favored by the emperor".
And all of this was for...
live.
In order to wait for the day when Xu Longxiang succeeds.
In order to wait for... the day when I can leave this deep palace prison.
Outside the window, the night was deepening.
The moonlight, like water, bathed the courtyard.
Outside Yuxiu Palace, an elderly figure stood quietly in the shadows, peering through the cracks in the window at the two people embracing inside.
A complex and indescribable light flickered in Cao Wei's eyes.
He saw Qingxue.
I saw her pale and haggard face, the tears in her eyes, and her forced smile.
She also saw... Qin Mu's tenderness towards her.
That gentleness didn't seem like a pretense.
At least, at this moment, it doesn't seem like a pretense.
Cao Wei slowly closed his eyes.
The ice in my heart quietly cracked open.
Maybe……
Perhaps this young emperor truly had some genuine feelings for Qingxue?
Perhaps Qingxue's days in the palace were not as difficult as he imagined.
The thought both struck him as absurd and brought him a strange sense of relief.
He slowly turned around, silently blending into the night and disappearing at the end of the palace road.