Chapter 103: I Treated You as a Mother, What Did You Treat Me As?

"Jiang Peihuan... you really are a seductress," the Marquis of Le An and the Empress Dowager whispered, their hands roaming as they spoke, "Under heaven, only I can satisfy you..."

The Empress Dowager let out a soft hum, "Quick... quickly take me..."

On the bench behind the screen, two figures gradually entwined.

Inside the hall, a sound that made faces flush and ears red rang out.

……

Two hours later.

Jiang Peihuan was utterly exhausted, limp in the Marquis of Le An's arms.

The Marquis of Le An pinched her chin, "Peihuan, I feel as if I'm dreaming."

"Mmm... me too..." Jiang Peihuan's eyes glazed, her face flushed, "Every time you make me ascend straight to immortality, it feels... as blissful as being an immortal..."

The Marquis of Le An laughed, "When I said it felt like a dream, I didn't just mean our pleasure."

"What is that?"

"These past years, I, Lao An, have risen from an unnamed foot soldier under the Prime Minister to become the Marquis of Le An of Xuan Guo, and I now possess Xuan Guo's most powerful and beautiful woman."

Recalling the past, the Marquis of Le An, Lao An, couldn't help but feel his emotions surge.

Back then, the now high‑ranking Prime Minister Si Tu Wei was merely a wealthy merchant trading between states; seeing Jiang Peihuan, a singer, he took her as a concubine.

Later, Si Tu Wei met the Xuan Guo Crown Prince who was then a hostage in Wasteland Nation, and he made a far‑sighted decision, arranging for Jiang Peihuan and the Crown Prince to be together.

Soon they had a son, who is the present king of Xuan Guo, Xiao Qidi.

Years later, Si Tu Wei spared no effort to rescue the then Xuan Guo Crown Prince back to Xuan Guo, and then gave him his full support.

When the successor ascended the throne, Si Tu Wei was thus appointed Prime Minister of Xuan Guo.

After several more years, the late king passed away.

Si Tu Wei then brought back Jiang Peihuan, still a hostage in Wasteland Nation, and Xiao Qidi together.

Xiao Qidi inherited the throne, and Jiang Peihuan became Empress Dowager.

Though Xiao Qidi was young and weak, all court authority lay in Si Tu Wei's hands; he was not a king, yet wielded king‑like power.

Si Tu Wei's power peaked; he was constantly occupied with court affairs, and, wanting to safeguard his future, he no longer wished to maintain a private relationship with Jiang Peihuan.

But Jiang Peihuan, in her prime of vigor, could not bear to be alone in an empty chamber, and she pestered Si Tu Wei relentlessly.

Si Tu Wei selected from his retainers the tall, handsome Lao An, whose talent in that regard was extraordinary, had him pose as a eunuch, and sent him to serve Jiang Peihuan in the palace.

Thus, Lao An, relying on his exceptional advantage, quickly won Jiang Peihuan's favor.

The two also joined forces, seizing a portion of court authority from Si Tu Wei, and Lao An was ennobled by Jiang Peihuan as Marquis of Le An.

Henceforth, in Xuan Guo's court, it was no longer the Prime Minister's family alone that dominated; the faction of the Empress Dowager and the Marquis of Le An could now stand equal to the Prime Minister's power.

"You not only possess me, I've borne you two sons..." Jiang Peihuan's cooing voice pulled Lao An from his thoughts.

Lao An gently stroked Jiang Peihuan's smooth, fair shoulders, smiling, "These years I've wronged you—from the time you conceived my first child, to avoid gossip we could only find a pretext to move from the Royal City to this remote Shuncheng; though a temporary palace was built there, its conditions fall far short of the Royal City palace, and it's already been five years."

Jiang Peihuan rested her cheek on Lao An's solid chest and whispered, "As long as I'm with you, I don't feel wronged."

Lao An exhaled a warm breath, "Soon, very soon you can return to the Royal City. According to my estimate, in a few days Liu Chang and his men should be back to report to me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peihuan's shoulder twitched, her eyes drooped, her fingers unconsciously tensed, and her nails dug into Lao An's chest skin.

"Qidi..." Jiang Peihuan gritted her teeth, "Does he really have to die?"

Lao An's gaze darkened, "If he doesn't die, how can the son I gave you obtain the throne? You know this—why are you hesitating now?"

Jiang Peihuan remained silent for a long time, then said with difficulty, "Qidi is after all a piece of flesh from my own body."

Lao An's expression grew even gloomier as he raised his voice to scold, "Could it be that you want to stop me again? Last time I sent Qi Zhan and others to tail Xiao Qidi for an ambush, you repeatedly urged me to show mercy. Now I suspect Qi Zhan's group went missing—did you secretly do something? Don't you realize we have no retreat? If Xiao Qidi doesn't die and learns of our affair, it will be us who die!"

"I didn't! If I had done that, I... how could I agree to you sending assassins again?" Jiang Peihuan sat up abruptly, "Don't you trust me?"

Lao An stared into her eyes for a moment, his expression softening, "Peiyao, I don't doubt you, but as you said, Qidi is after all a piece of flesh from your body, and I do worry you may not be able to steel yourself."

Jiang Peihuan's face showed resentment, "I've lived here five years, and though you're often too busy to see me, I haven't felt wronged—yet now... I truly feel wronged."

Lao An laughed as he pulled her into his embrace, "Okay, okay, I misspoke—I apologize."

Jiang Peihuan lowered her head and began to sob softly.

"Don't be upset," Lao An soothed gently, "You have no feelings for the late king; it was all Si Tu Wei using you as a stepping stone for his own future, treating you as a sacrifice. Thus you shouldn't be overly attached to Xiao Qidi. Only our children are the true fruit of our love."

"In the future, when our son rules all under heaven, you will still be Empress Dowager, and our family will sit at the pinnacle of Daxuan's power, no longer needing to heed outsiders—how wonderful it would be for our family!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peihuan finally stopped sobbing.

She lifted her head, eyes glistening with tears, "Lao An, you must never treat me the way Si Tu Wei did."

"How could I?" Lao An lowered his head and kissed the tear at the corner of her eye, "I'm not like him; he merely used you as a tool to climb the heights of power, whereas I truly love you."

Jiang Peihuan whispered, "I have a request."

Lao An's gaze shifted slightly, but he kept his gentle tone, "Tell me; if it's not excessive, I can agree."

"According to your assassination plan this time, Qidi... probably already..." Jiang Peihuan's tears welled up, she choked, "You once ordered Liu Chang to bring back Qidi's head, and I... I hope that after our great endeavor succeeds, I can recover Qidi's corpse and give him a proper burial."

Lao An secretly let out a sigh of relief.

In his heart he scoffed contemptuously—so that was the condition.

"Very well, in the future I will certainly see to it that Xiao Qidi's head and body are reunited and buried in the royal tomb of Daxuan."

Having said that, he slipped his hand between Jiang Peihuan's legs.

Jiang Peihuan gave a soft hum, "Don't... after doing that for so long I'm a bit sore; I'm going to bathe."

"I'll bathe with you," Lao An said, moving to lift her.

"No," Jiang Peihuan refused, "If we bathe together you'll want another round; after I finish washing, you can go, but first keep the boys company—they miss you. After I bathe and change, tonight... we have all the time we need."

Lao An reluctantly released his grip, "All right, all right, as you command, my Empress Dowager."

Immediately, Jiang Peihuan summoned a maid to attend her bath.

Lao An dressed, still inhaling the lingering fragrance on his hand, and swaggered out from the rear gate of the main hall to the back courtyard.

At this very moment——

Xiao Qidi and Li Yao have already reached Shuncheng.

These past few days of nonstop, hurried travel have made the two look like destitute commoners, and even their riding horses have grown thin.

The two followed a group of ordinary folk through the city gate, Li Yao forced open eyes that were bloodshot, whispering, 'Your Majesty, night is falling; now that we've entered the city, why not find an inn to rest first?'

Xiao Qidi gazed toward the palace of Shuncheng, his eyes dark and gloomy, a chill spreading across his face, 'I can no longer wait to see the Empress Dowager.'

Li Yao secretly pinched their thigh to stay alert, then said, 'That…… I, the subordinate, will accompany you.'

'No need, find a place to rest.' Having said that, Xiao Qidi flicked the reins and galloped toward the palace.

Under the blood‑tinged setting sun, dust rose on the city's main thoroughfare.

As the afterglow was about to fade, Xiao Qidi arrived before the main gate of Shuncheng Palace.

'Who goes there!' the gate guard shouted sternly.

Xiao Qidi dismounted, strode forward with dragon‑like vigor and tiger‑like steps, and the icy, oppressive aura he emanated left the guard stunned.

The Empress Dowager has lived here for five years, during which Xiao Qidi has also come to visit.

The guards naturally recognized his face.

It's just that they hadn't seen him in a while; his face was covered with wind‑frosted stubble, so they didn't recognize him at first.

Now that he had drawn near, the guards hurriedly dropped to their knees and shouted in unison, 'Greetings, Your Majesty!'

Xiao Qidi, face cold, was about to stride through the gate.

The lead guard hastily ordered, 'Quickly go and report to the Empress Dowager!'

The guards were all flustered.

Because Marquis Le'an had come today and still hadn't left.

Within Shuncheng Palace, everyone who served and protected the Empress Dowager already knew of her private relationship with Marquis Le'an.

Perhaps at this very moment those two are being intimate.

If Your Majesty were to barge in like this and see what he ought not, the consequences could be dire.

At the very least, we should first buy some time to let the Empress Dowager and Marquis Le'an prepare a response.

'Nobody move!' Xiao Qidi barked in a low voice.

The lead guard's eyes showed even more panic as they hurriedly said, 'Your Majesty…… you came without sending word ahead; the Empress Dowager surely isn't prepared to receive you, and such haste would be a breach of propriety, so please——'

The guard hadn't finished speaking when Xiao Qidi's gaze, like a blade, fell upon them: 'Say another word and you die.'

The lead guard dropped to their knees with a thud, terrified.

The remaining guards hastily knelt, heads bowed, daring not to breathe.

Xiao Qidi did not halt his steps; learning from the palace maids he passed that the Empress Dowager was in the main hall, he halted all reports and charged straight for the hall.

Outside the hall stood a group of eunuchs, servants, and maidens on guard.

Seeing Xiao Qidi appear suddenly, each of them was terrified out of their wits.

Xiao Qidi ordered them all to kneel on the ground and remain silent, then stopped at the threshold, staring fixedly at the tightly shut doors before him.

Night had already fallen.

Through the crack in the doors, one could see the hall lit by candlelight.

Yet no sound could be heard.

Xiao Qidi raised both hands, ready to push the doors open, but his hands froze in midair for a moment before he slowly lowered them.

Five years ago, the Empress Dowager said she was unwell and wanted to move to a quieter place to recuperate.

Xiao Qidi therefore acquiesced, letting her choose the place herself.

Thus, she has resided in Shuncheng ever since, and Xiao Qidi even ordered the temporary palace there to be expanded.

Although Xiao Qidi harbors many grievances toward the Empress Dowager, she is, after all, his birth mother.

Mindful of her kindness in bearing him and of their childhood dependence, he also wishes to strive to fulfill a modicum of filial duty.

Even though over these years he has noticed the Empress Dowager's many problems, discovered her secretly contending for court power, and seen her resort to various petty schemes against him,

he has still endured, again and again……

He even constantly tells himself that these are merely his own conjectures based on circumstances, with no actual evidence.

However, from the historical materials Ning Jinli gave him, he saw everything.

Only then did he realize that the Empress Dowager was not only truly carrying on an affair with Marquis Le'an, but had in fact…… given birth to two children!

What 'I'm unwell, I want a quieter place'……

It's all just an excuse she made to hide the birth of her children from prying eyes!

Even more, she wanted her and Marquis Le'an's child to become the ruler of Xuan Guo!

All the way back from the frontier, Xiao Qidi has continually repressed his emotions.

At this very moment, he stands before this door.

He also does not know what scene awaits him once he steps inside.

On the way here, he had thought of cutting through the tangled mess with a swift blade, showing no mercy, charging in and killing to his heart's content.

But now, he feels his legs as if weighed down by ten thousand catties, as though a great mountain presses upon his body.

'Empress Dowager……' Xiao Qidi's broad shoulders trembled slightly, his eyes reddened to the point of dripping blood, his back teeth clenched until a metallic taste of blood seeped out, 'I regarded you as my mother; what, then, have you regarded me as?'

'You tell me, should I go in, or…… continue pretending to know nothing?'

'Mother…… you really know how to give your son a difficult problem……'

Xiao Qidi closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Unconsciously, his fingertips dug into his palms, and blood slowly seeped from the gaps between his fingers.

"Your... His Majesty..." Xiaoshi Nu, kneeling nearby, gathered her courage and whispered, "You... why not... rest a bit, your hands are bleeding... I'll go call a doctor to come see you."

It was good that she didn't make a sound.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Qidi's eyes snapped open and he swung his fist at the gate.

Bang!

The heavy gate burst open from his punch, the latch scattering everywhere.

"Ah!" a startled cry rang out in the hall: "Who is it!"

Xiao Qidi took a deep breath, strode over the threshold, and said, "It's me, your son Xiao Qidi—I've come to see you!"

"Qidi?!" Jiang Peihuan leapt up from the bench and sent the screen before her crashing down.

Seeing her son alive before her eyes, she burst into tears, two streams flowing down her cheeks as she rushed toward Xiao Qidi.

"Qidi... is it really you?"

She couldn't believe he was still alive.

But at this moment, she also felt grateful that he was still alive...

Two conflicting emotions tore at her heart.

Seeing Xiao Qidi's face weathered and gaunt, his skin darkened and roughened, his eyes bloodshot, his whole body like that of a displaced refugee, her heart clenched uncontrollably.

"Qidi... you... you..." Jiang Peihuan choked out, reaching out with both hands to touch her son's face.

Xiao Qidi took a big step back, his gaze sweeping over her entire body, and said coldly, "Empress Dowager, you're in high spirits—already night has fallen, yet you're so elaborately dressed, your makeup extraordinarily beautiful; could it be you're expecting guests, or perhaps later... there's some happy occasion?"