landbeastnovel Chapter 12 Obsession
Chapter 12 Obsession
The phoenix robe she wore, which once symbolized supreme glory,
It had long been torn to shreds and covered in filth and dust.
Her exquisite hair was disheveled, and her precious hairpins fell to the ground and shattered.
That once beautiful face, twisted by jealousy and resentment, was now as pale as paper, covered with tear stains and despair.
"Your Majesty, how cruel you are!"
Empress Guo murmured to herself, her voice hoarse and weak, filled with endless sorrow and regret.
Only now, after she has been completely banished to this desolate palace, she finally understands that she has always been just a pawn in Emperor Qing's hands!
A pawn used to deal with Ye Qingmei and to quell the anger of certain people, a pawn that can be sacrificed at any time!
She believed that as long as she got rid of Ye Qingmei, she could regain Emperor Qing's favor and secure her position as Empress.
She thought that as long as she kept it secret enough, no one would know the truth.
But she was wrong!
That's completely wrong!
She underestimated Ye Qingmei's importance in some people's hearts and overestimated her own position in Emperor Qing's heart.
"Ha ha ha ha,"
Empress Guo suddenly burst into manic laughter, the sound sharp and shrill, echoing eerily in the empty Cold Palace.
"I'm such an idiot! The biggest idiot in the world!"
"For you, I'm willing to get my hands stained with blood to get rid of that thorn in your side!"
"But what about you? You mercilessly banished me to this desolate place, placing all the blame on me!"
Her eyes were filled with tears of blood, and her heart was filled with resentment and bitterness.
She thought of Ye Qingmei, the woman who had once driven her mad with jealousy.
That woman, though dead, will live on forever in the hearts of some.
And what about her?
She is still alive, but she is in more pain than if she were dead!
She lost everything: her reputation, her status, her favor, and even her freedom.
"The imperial family is the most ruthless of all; truly, the imperial family is the most ruthless of all!"
Empress Guo repeated the sentence over and over again, her voice filled with a desperate realization.
She finally understood that in that man's heart, there was never true love, only cold calculation and scheming.
Whether it was Ye Qingmei, or Guo Shi, or the other women in the harem, they were all just pawns in his power game.
When they are useful, they can bestow upon you unparalleled honor.
When something is no longer useful, it can be discarded without hesitation.
sad!
Sigh!
ridiculous!
The Guo family went to great lengths and paid a heavy price to elevate her to the position of Empress.
And she herself, in order to secure her position as empress, did countless shady things.
In the end, however, they ended up with such a tragic fate!
"puff--"
A mouthful of blood spurted from Empress Guo's mouth, staining the filthy ground in front of her.
Her body trembled violently with a mixture of excitement and despair.
She knew she was finished.
It's completely over.
In this cold cage, she will spend the rest of her life alone until death comes.
The man who once promised her a lifetime of wealth and glory will probably never even mention her name again.
Regret, like a venomous snake, gnawed at her heart.
If, if she hadn't been blinded by jealousy back then,
If, if she hadn't listened to those slanderous words,
If, if she could see through the emperor's cold heart,
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
What awaited her was only endless darkness and boundless despair.
The door to the Cold Palace was ruthlessly closed, isolating it from everything inside and outside.
The glory and prosperity of the past have all vanished like smoke.
Only the mournful wails and desperate sobs remained, echoing for a long time in the dark corner.
·······
The Princess's Residence.
Inside the bedchamber, it was warm and cozy, like springtime.
Li Yunrui held Ye Tian in her arms, sitting on a soft couch covered with brocade, her eyes filled with maternal radiance and a hint of obsessive infatuation.
She gently rocked the baby in her arms, a tender smile on her lips.
"My child, you don't have a name yet."
Li Yunrui looked down at Ye Tian's small face, which resembled Ye Qingmei's, and said softly.
"Your mother, she was so radiant, like a star in the sky, illuminating the entire Qing Kingdom."
"I hope that you, like her, can become the future pillar of Qing Kingdom and support this vast sky."
Her eyes were filled with longing and admiration for Ye Qingmei, as well as boundless expectations for Ye Tian's future.
"How about we call him Ye Tian?"
Li Yunrui asked softly, as if seeking the opinion of the baby in her arms.
"Ye, Tian."
She murmured the name softly, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
The leaf is the same as Ye Qingmei's leaf.
Tian was the height she hoped Ye Tian could reach.
This name embodies all her feelings for Ye Qingmei and all her hopes for this child.
Ye Tian blinked, thinking to himself, "Ye Tian? That's a good name, exuding domineering aura, which suits my future identity perfectly."
He naturally wouldn't have any objections.
"Ye Tian, my darling,"
Looking into Ye Tian's bright eyes, Li Yunrui felt a surge of affection.
She couldn't help but lower her head and gently kiss that rosy little face again.
The warm and soft touch sent a surge of secret pleasure through Ye Tian.
"This crazy foster mother, though her personality is a bit eccentric, the benefits she provides are actually quite good!"
He was secretly pleased with himself, but his face still showed the innocent look of a baby.
Li Yunrui was unaware of the "filthy" thoughts in Ye Tian's mind.
As she held Ye Tian, a thought suddenly came to mind.
"Tian'er, shall I take you to see your mother?"
The "seeing" she mentioned was naturally not to see the living Ye Qingmei.
Instead, they went to pay their respects to the legendary woman who had already passed away.
Ye Tian's heart stirred.
He also wanted to see the place where his mother, the mother of this world, finally rested.
Although he didn't have much interaction with Ye Qingmei, the blood ties and the loving look in her eyes before she died were deeply imprinted on his soul.
Li Yunrui quickly made the preparations.
She changed into an elegant dress, wrapped Ye Tian in a soft brocade quilt, carried him in her arms, and quietly left the Princess's residence in an inconspicuous carriage.
The carriage traveled all the way and finally stopped outside the ruins of Taiping Villa.
The once joyful and imaginative courtyard is now nothing but ruins and scorched earth.
The air still carried a faint smell of burning, along with an indescribable sense of desolation.
Li Yunrui carried Ye Tian as they slowly stepped down from the carriage.
Looking at the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar ruins before her, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
This used to be her favorite place to come.
Because here, there is the woman who haunts her dreams.
Every conversation with Ye Qingmei, every time he saw her confident and carefree smile, Li Yunrui felt a strange sense of peace and excitement.
But now, everything has changed.
"Light eyebrows,"
Li Yunrui's voice was choked with emotion.
She carried Ye Tian and struggled step by step into the ruins.
She stopped in her tracks on a relatively flat open space.
This was once Ye Qingmei's favorite spot, where that swing once stood.
Now, the swing has long since disappeared, leaving only two charred wooden stakes standing there all alone.
Li Yunrui took a food box from his attendant and gently placed the several exquisite side dishes and a pot of sake inside on the ground.
These were all foods that Ye Qingmei loved to eat most when she was alive.
"Qingmei, I've brought Tian'er to see you."
Li Yunrui held Ye Tian in his arms and slowly knelt on the ground, his voice filled with endless sorrow.
"Do you see this? This is your child, his name is Ye Tian."
"He's healthy, cute, and looks a lot like you."
She turned Ye Tian's small face towards the barren, scorched earth, as if Ye Qingmei's soul stood there, quietly watching them.
Looking at the ruins before him and feeling the faint scent of sadness in the air, Ye Tian felt a strange pang of sorrow welling up in his heart.
"Mother,"
He called out to himself silently.
Although he knew that Ye Qingmei could no longer hear him.
But he still wanted to tell her that he would live on, that he would avenge his mother, and that he would fulfill her unfinished dream.
Li Yunrui talked on and on to the scorched earth.
She spoke of her longing for Ye Qingmei, her admiration for Ye Qingmei, and her love for Ye Qingmei.
Her emotions constantly shifted between sadness, nostalgia, obsession, and paranoia.
Ye Tian listened quietly, his understanding of this crazy foster mother deepening even further.
He knew that Li Yunrui's feelings for Ye Qingmei were complex, twisted, but also real.
After the ceremony, Li Yunrui held Ye Tian and slowly stood up.
Her face was still streaked with tears, but her eyes had become even more determined.