"Mother," Wuxian said again.
Tang Zhuyun finally sensed something was amiss, because Wuxian hadn't been looking at her, but instead was staring downstairs, and she felt—
It was like he was having a fit of hysteria.
The old mother was startled and patted Wuxian's face, her voice slightly urgent, "Wuxian, what's wrong? Your mother is here."
Wuxian was silent for a moment, then said, "That's all."
"What's gone?"
"The Empress Dowager is gone."
This time, everyone in the room was startled.
Children's words always have a touch of mysticism.
The fact that it's "gone" easily leads people to overthink things.
Xiu'er turned pale with fright and came over, saying, "Wuxian, what are you saying?"
Wuxian said, "The Empress Dowager is gone."
Yingying said, "Pah! Wuji, may this bring you good fortune!"
She paused, then added, "Damn it, Tangbao, you can't just run away by yourself! You should have told me before you ran away!"
Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes at her. "What, aren't you coming with me?"
Ren Yingying gritted her teeth. "Or, I might as well leave..."
I feel a little guilty when I think of Qu Nian.
"I can't bear to part with Dog Meat," she said, sticking out her tongue.
Tang Zhuyun didn't take it to heart, after all, Wuxian was different from other children.
As long as he isn't frightened, that's fine.
Yanran had originally intended to go downstairs to find Cui Xiaoqiu —who had also come—but because there were too many women around, she wisely avoided coming up, though she wasn't in the mood for it now.
She suddenly thought of Guagua.
Guagua was still munching on an apple Yanran stepped forward and said, "Guagua, ask Wuxian what he's saying."
Xiu'er slapped her thigh. "Right, how could I be so stupid? Guagua, come quick, ask Wuxian what he means."
Wuxian and the others were like people from a completely different world.
And Guagua is the bridge connecting the two worlds.
Guagua asked, bewildered, "What do you mean?"
Xiu'er repeated what she had said.
Guagua then asked Wuxian, "Mother is here, and she's doing well!"
Wuxian: "Downstairs, Mother... is gone."
He doesn't like to talk to others, but when Guagua asks him a question, he just smiles and answers.
Most of the time, Wuxian doesn't look at anyone.
His gaze lingered most on Guagua.
Everyone was completely bewildered.
Guagua understood. "Where is Mother downstairs? Guagua wants to see."
"It's gone," Wuxian to be seen."
Where was it originally?
Wuxian stretched out his small hand and pointed in a direction.
But there were so many people downstairs that you couldn't see anything at all.
Xiu'er asked, "Does she look like the Empress?"
Wuxian ignored him.
Guagua asked, "Does it look like Mother?"
Wuxian nodded.
Xiu'er: "... Exactly the same?"
Wuxian remained silent.
Guagua asked, "Are they exactly the same?"
Wuxian nodded again.
Xiu'er was already used to it and explained, "He was just unhappy, so he started talking to Guagua. But about this..."
Either it's a daytime ghost sighting, or someone is faking it.
Ren Yingying said, "Perhaps Wuxian is mistaken."
"Impossible," Xiu'er said firmly. "Wuxian couldn't possibly be mistaken."
This child has an astonishingly keen eye for observation and possesses remarkable inner talent.
Yanran asked Wu Yu, "Did you see it?"
Wu Yu shook his head.
Everyone else said they didn't see it, except for Wuxian.
This matter reveals a chilling and eerie quality.
Ren Yingying whispered to Tang Zhuyun, "Could it be that some people, like me, have had plastic surgery...?"
That's terrifying.
Suddenly, I had the feeling that many modern people were hiding in this world, and they might even be enemies, secretly watching them.
"Unlikely," Tang Zhuyun said. "I'll go back and tell the Emperor to keep an eye on it."
"I know!" Ren Yingying's mind raced. "Could it be that someone is trying to impersonate you, sleep with your man, and then make you two misunderstand, break up, and run away with the baby? Holy crap!"
She's already imagined a million-word melodramatic and angsty novel.
Tang Zhuyun was utterly speechless. "Remember to bring an umbrella on rainy days. Go home, shake off the irritation in your head, and let it all out."
"Don't you think that's possible? Wake up! Right now, your man is the emperor, the hot commodity. Who wouldn't want a bite?"
"Even if someone had such an idea, are they stupid? After so many years of marriage, is a face all they can recognize?"
Ren Yingying: "Send him some drugs, make him drunk."
Tang Zhuyun: "If that's the case, it's not his fault; it's someone else's scheming. If I don't confront the bad guy, what am I misunderstanding him for? Are you sure that situation doesn't count as him being raped? If he was raped, and I don't stand up for him, but instead stab him in the back, am I out of my mind?"
Ren Yingying suddenly realized that the logic in all the melodramatic and tragic novels she had read over the years was indeed flawed!
"But," Xiu'er said softly, "Your Majesty, I also think that they might be trying to drive a wedge between you and the Emperor."
Tang Zhuyun: "I think that if someone really looks like me, it's one thing to try and fool the emperor, but they could fool others, so we need to be even more careful."
It's actually quite difficult to deceive the people she knows well.
There were no emotional problems between her and Emperor Wen, so the idea of her being a substitute is incorrect.
"I just don't know if Wuxian has seen wrong."
"You didn't see wrong."
It was Jinse spoke, having remained silent until now.
Everyone looked at her.
"Among the hidden clans of Nanyue, besides our Sound Attack Family, there's also the Yanrong Aristocratic Family. Although their skills aren't as superb as the Crown Princess's, they're still enough to fool the eye."
She had previously believed that Ren Yingying was a descendant of the Yanrong Aristocratic Family of Nanyue.
Jinse's expression was very serious.
In truth, both of these powerful families chose to retire gracefully and live in seclusion simply because they did not want to be used as tools by others.
The Sound Attack Family was besieged and pursued, leaving her as the sole heir; the Yanrong Aristocratic Family —it now appears—has sided with the imperial court.
The Nanyue court... was utterly incompetent.
However, he was later utterly defeated by Qu Nian, and a new emperor took over. I wonder what his situation is now.
However, if the Yanrong Aristocratic Family were to reappear in the martial arts world, and even disguise themselves as the Empress, it would clearly indicate that they had not been subdued.
They also want to stir up trouble.
After listening to her, Ren Yingying's eyes darted around. "I'll go back and ask Qu Nian about this. If he's not convinced, then I'll just give him another beating."
Qu Nian: Actually, I have a lingering fear of that place, Nanyue.
He was terrified of being swapped with Dog Meat's body again!
After returning to the palace, Tang Zhuyun told Emperor Wen about the matter.
Emperor Wen immediately ordered an investigation.
"Perhaps Wuxian is mistaken," Tang Zhuyun said. "The Nanyue delegation doesn't have many opportunities to get close to you; let alone have a private audience."
"We must be on guard," Emperor Wen said. "I have decreed that Qu Nian be in charge of receiving them."
The people of Nanyue felt a deep-seated fear of Qu Nian.
Qu Nian: I've fucking committed a major taboo with you!
Whatever I'm afraid of, you give me.