Li Yunrui had said nothing, yet she had said everything.
She could clearly have offered countless excuses.
She could have said she kept a male favorite, that she had suffered a momentary lapse, or shifted the blame onto a man who did not exist.
But she had not.
Li Yunrui knew nothing of the shock within Emperor Qing. From her perspective, he was as he had always been. Not only had he maintained his composure, but his expression had barely even darkened.
His face remained calm, like a pool of stagnant water, without a ripple to be seen.
She was deeply disappointed, and her expression dimmed somewhat.
Once, she had adored this man so much.
For this man's ideals, she had been willing to give everything.
Yet he always disappointed her.
Now, she desperately wanted to see His Majesty suffer because of her honesty,
but once again, she did not get her wish.
Emperor Qing remained silent. In the deepest recesses of his calm eyes, endless raging waves were forcibly compressed into a single point.
That point churned violently in the depths of his pupils, as though it might explode at any moment.
He had an answer in his heart, but he dared not confirm it and did not want to.
After a long while, he asked, enunciating every word, "Why?"
"Why what?" Li Yunrui parted her crimson lips, wearing a careless smile.
"Does Your Majesty wish to ask why Yunrui shamelessly seduced a man, or why I committed such a monstrous transgression by keeping this child?"
Emperor Qing said nothing. He merely looked quietly at Li Yunrui.
They stared at each other for a long time.
Seemingly bored, Li Yunrui averted her gaze and giggled.
"It seems Your Majesty wants to know both. In that case, I'll answer them