Chapter 165: You'll be the same too

"Mother Empress!" the Emperor's voice was ice-cold and bone-piercing.

The Empress Dowager shuddered all over and turned her head in alarm.

Only behind the carved screen in the inner hall did the secret door slide open silently.

Xiao Jieyun's face sank like water; he stepped forward first, while Xiao Yuanhang carried Tuan Tuan and followed closely behind.

It's over! The Emperor heard it all!

"The, the Emperor?!" the Empress Dowager's voice trembled, her face full of horror, "Prince Ning! How could you……"

Chang Mama's face changed drastically; she went "thump" and knelt on the ground, trembling like a sieve.

Xiao Jieyun spoke gently: "Tuan Tuan, take a close look—what exactly is this thing?"

Having said that, he glanced askance at Eunuch Cheng.

Eunuch Cheng understood, stepped forward with a bow: "Forgive me, Empress Dowager."

He snatched the Empress Dowager's Heart-Knot from her hand and handed it to Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan turned it over in her hand, looking and sighing: "Tsk tsk, Imperial Uncle, this is far more powerful than that screen from last time!"

"If you really do what that old woman says, you'll have headaches every day, unable to sleep, and even when you do sleep, it'll be nothing but nightmares!"

"Then, before long, you'll start raving nonsense, and soon you'll collapse!"

The Empress Dowager's face changed abruptly; she shouted angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Chang Mama shot up her head: "Empress Dowager, see clearly! She's spitting blood and slandering people! I'm innocent!"

Tuan Tuan looked at the Empress Dowager: "You don't believe me?"

She furrowed her brows, playing with the Heart-Knot, feeling vexed: "This is too sturdy—maybe not even a fire-forged blade could break you!"

She looked around, trying to find some way to deal with the Heart-Knot.

Suddenly, she saw Chang Mama still kneeling on the ground.

She cracked a smile: "Granny, just wrap your hair around it, and you'll see if I'm right or not!"

Chang Mama relaxed in her heart, humph—clearly just a little kid! Want to test me?

This is the National Preceptor's secret treasure; after wrapping the hair, it needs fresh blood to nourish for seven days to take effect—what could be tested now?

She made up her mind, reached up, and cleanly pulled out a few strands of her graying hair, handing them to Tuan Tuan.

Here you go—within a moment, there's nothing to see.

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips: "I won't; you do it yourself—it's a hassle, I don't know where to wrap it!"

Chang Mama did as told, inwardly scoffing—just a little girl, with a room full of adults playing hair with her!

After wrapping her own hair into the center of the Heart-Knot, she held it out to Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan put her finger in her mouth to suck on it; Xiao Yuanhang recalled her appearance during the autumn hunt, and his brows furrowed instantly: "Tuan Tuan!"

Tuan Tuan took her finger out of her mouth and reached to grab the Heart-Knot.

A smear of red from her finger was smeared onto the spot where Chang Mama's hair was wound.

"Hum……hum……"

A deep, low humming sound faintly emanated from the Heart-Knot.

The dim luster on the knot instantly came alive, like a greedy beast finally tasting the food it had long craved.

At the same moment, "Ugh—!"

Chang Mama let out a non-human, hoarse growl.

She stared wide-eyed in terror, raised both hands, and watched as her hands, which had only a few fine lines, instantly became covered in wrinkles.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, eyes wide open.

Only to see her skin lose moisture at a visible speed, shriveling rapidly.

Her graying hair turned completely snow-white, then fell out in clumps, revealing a bald scalp covered in spots.

Her cheeks hollowed out deeply, her teeth fell out one by one, hitting the ground with a crisp "pat" sound.

Her once-straight back emitted a light "crack-crack" as it suddenly hunched, making her instantly shorter by a chunk.

She was as if some mysterious force were frantically sucking out all her vitality.

With difficulty she lifted her dry, chicken-claw-like fingers, pointing at Tuan Tuan, her voice aged and hoarse to the point of being indistinguishable, her eyes filled with fear:

"You…… what did you do……"

She summoned her last strength to step forward, but as soon as her foot lifted, she went "plop!" and fell face-first onto the cold ground.

The instant her body touched the ground, her entire form collapsed and disintegrated, kicking up a cloud of dust.

All that remained on the floor was an empty set of palace robes, lying limp over the heap of human-shaped ashes.

It all happened too fast, too unbelievable, so much that Xiao Yuanhang stared blankly, not having time to cover Tuan Tuan's eyes.

Only then did he react, grabbing his daughter's head and pressing it against his neck: "Don't be scared, Dad's here."

Tuan Tuan was indeed startled, and she obediently rubbed against her father's neck.

Xiao Jieyun's forehead veins throbbed; he couldn't imagine what chaos would engulf the Fierce Kingdom if this were used on himself.

The Empress Dowager's face drained of color, her lips trembling violently, she staggered back a few steps—if she hadn't grabbed the nearby table in time, she would have nearly collapsed.

She gazed at the pile of ashes, then at the Heart-Knot clenched in Tuan Tuan's hand, and finally at the Emperor's furious face, her eyes full of shock.

Is he harming me? He actually is harming me?

When did he start harming me?

That's it! He left without a word, and only after I became Empress Dowager did he send someone with a message.

At first I resented his coldness, refusing to see him, yet he kept sending sachets, jade pendants, and embroidered handkerchiefs…

With tender feelings, he said that after returning, he was poisoned, fell seriously ill, and then became embroiled in the succession struggle, barely escaping with his life.

Has it been since then?

Or was the very first encounter outside the palace a fake?

Empress Dowager couldn't believe it, slowly shaking her head: "No, this isn't real, this is absolutely not real!"

Upon hearing this, Tuan Tuan lifted their head: "You still don't believe me?"

If you really do what she says, Imperial Uncle will collapse!

Xiao Yuanhang covered her small mouth: "You can't say that, Tuan Tuan!"

Then what should I say?

Just say… just say… forget it, we all understand, don't say it.

She pushed the lover's knot toward the Empress Dowager: "Look!"

Empress Dowager flinched slightly, then slowly looked up, only to see that the lover's knot was now much brighter than before, also much more beautiful, and in some places faint patterns appeared, completely different from just a moment ago.

Empress Dowager widened her eyes: "What is this?"

Tuan Tuan snorted: "After swallowing a person, of course it's different!"

Empress Dowager shivered.

Tuan Tuan looked at her: "If you feed it your blood daily, you'll collapse too!"

"What?" Empress Dowager was completely stunned.