Too high to reach

Chapter 402 Warm Spring Breeze
On the first day, Li Jing brought Mo Ruhai over so that he could stay at home with his wife.

The father and daughter were drinking tea and discussing business when the topic of Kang Ge'er came up again. Mo Ruhai sighed with emotion, "...Luckily, Yi Yi, you acted decisively, took him back to the Mo family, and even found a good wet nurse..."

Your mother has been incredibly devoted to him! These past few days, she's lost more than ten pounds. Her hair has also turned quite a bit gray, sigh…

This child was so weak and small. If he had been raised in the Xu family, even if he had survived, he wouldn't be this robust. Now, although he's still a little weaker than a full-term baby, I dare say it's the best possible outcome..."

Mo Yi nodded; she believed it.

"The Xu family is very kind, sending gifts all the time! Madam Xu and her eldest daughter-in-law also come often."

"Yes. The Xu family is very reliable. It just so happens that Kang-ge is almost two years younger than my eldest nephew. In the future, he can start his education and go to school together. In my opinion, Kang-ge shouldn't come back to the Xu family before he comes of age."

"That would be great... but the Xu family might not be willing! They're a large and wealthy family, full of scholars. How can they let their eldest grandson be raised by his maternal grandparents? It's not exactly pleasant to say... but hey, they might not even look down on the Mo family these days!" He said with a smile, quite relieved.

Mo Yi chuckled as well.

While swords clashed and battles raged outside, the Prince Qi's residence enjoyed a peaceful and warm spring.

"Have you heard from Xu Ke yet?" Mo Ruhai asked again.

"No. But... my daughter thinks that no bad news is good news."

“Yes, just like when the prince was!” Mo Ruhai nodded.

“Besides…” Mo Yi pouted, “Even if he comes back, I’m afraid he’ll be arranging marriages and remarrying next year. You’d really be willing to let Kang Ge’er live under his stepmother’s thumb!” Mo Yi asked with a smile.

"Of course I can't bear to part with you! You don't know..." Mo Ruhai looked at his daughter: "To be honest, when you were little, your father didn't take care of you at all. You were such crying and fussing little brats, just looking at you made me feel worried from the bottom of my heart."

I didn't know how to get close to you. Sometimes, I even called you by the wrong name... Later, you became well-behaved and sensible, but your mother had a difficult personality... Your father couldn't stand it anymore, so he paid extra attention to you.

Looking back now, I'm so glad it happened... This father-daughter relationship is the greatest reward I've ever received in my life.

Kang-ge'er, his father saw that he was so small and weak, and had lost his parents. He felt sorry for him... and over time, he really took him to heart. He would go to see him several times a day, and if he didn't, he would miss him!

"Yiyi, let me teach you something... Being a father and being a mother are completely different! Back when your older brother was born, I didn't understand what my relationship was with that little bundle of flesh... They say it's the natural bond between father and son, but I really felt nothing..." Mo Ruhai blushed as he spoke.

"Besides, your mother treats Wenwen differently, and your father treats you differently, right? So, once you're born, the prince should take care of you more! Don't believe too much that blood ties will definitely have an impact! All feelings come from all walks of life! Once you've taken it to heart, it's a lifelong bond."

"Wow, Daddy?! You see things so clearly now. And..." Mo Yi looked her father up and down.

Wearing a light blue silk robe and a jade pendant at her waist, she exuded a gentle and refined air. "She looks younger and has a better demeanor than she did a few years ago..."

Mo Ruhai smiled smugly, then asked cautiously, "Is Yi Yi worried about things in the palace?"

"Yes... Your Highness has only been back for a few days? I'm worried that things are being rushed." She wanted to persuade the prince to wait a little longer, but once the prince saw the letter, he couldn't wait any longer.

“You must trust the Prince. Look, he even specially sent your father to keep you company... which shows how thoughtful he is…” He looked towards the door, “With him here, everything will be alright.”

News kept coming in, the faint sound of cannons outside, the chaos in the streets, and the imminent imposition of martial law...

The father and daughter were so nervous that they couldn't eat or drink and kept waiting... Finally, the street became quiet.

After a while, Li Jing sent someone back, "Your Majesty, it's all done over there! The Prince has sent his men to fetch you so you can see it for yourself."

A weight was finally lifted from her shoulders, and Mo Yi excitedly stood up: Such a big thing had happened, and she wanted to stay by the Prince's side…

Mo Ruhai quickly helped her up and, with a group of maids and guards, headed towards the palace in a grand procession.

……

After vomiting blood, the emperor immediately fell into a coma.

Someone inside the hall was shouting loudly, but Li Jing glanced over and immediately fell silent...

The imperial physician was on the scene and rushed over to take a look.

Several people took turns checking his pulse to confirm the diagnosis, only saying that he was originally weak, and now his anger had affected his heart, which caused him to vomit blood and fall into a coma.

You need to take medicine and get acupuncture immediately.

They carried him to a side hall, administered medicine, and inserted acupuncture needles. He was still unconscious, but judging from the expressions of the imperial physicians, his condition seemed to have stabilized.

Today was so overwhelming that everyone present was completely bewildered. Tea and snacks were no longer served; exhausted and frightened, they all sat huddled on the ground. Li Jing became the center of attention, sitting there, with people constantly coming in to report to him…

With things outside mostly settled, Li Jing gestured and summoned several elders from the royal family and several senior officials and important ministers from the court, showing them the letter.

In fact, everyone felt the same way as the Emperor: the authenticity of the letter could be completely discerned from the expressions of Empress Dowager Qian and the Empress.

At this moment, those people were all thrown into the center of the hall, sitting or lying on the ground, guarded by a group of soldiers with swords at their sides. The Crown Princess had also been summoned there…

Prince Yong'an observed silently: most of the princes present did not look well.

Except for Li Chang... He's like a male bird in heat now, walking with his chin up, so ostentatious!
Sigh, how could things have turned out like this...

I never would have guessed... Empress Dowager Qian, you're amazing! It's just a pity we started cooperating a little too late... He stroked his chin with regret, it was all for naught, this empire now belongs to Li Jing!
I felt a mix of envy, jealousy, and admiration... but then I thought: This is troublesome, he has a grudge against me.

"Honey...we have to run away..."

It's no wonder he could tell that most of the princes present were in a terrible mood...

Li Pu closely followed the Crown Prince and harbored a deep grudge against Li Jing... He originally hoped to rely on his merit in following the Crown Prince to live a life of luxury and then take revenge on Li Jing.

...He did a lot for the Crown Prince, and his head is probably in danger...Looking at my mother and wife, I suddenly feel like I need to pee, what should I do?
Empress Dowager Qian sat on the ground, eyes closed, softly chanting scriptures… her hair was disheveled, and her body was still aching. But this did not affect her self-confidence!
My demeanor was grand and imposing, and my response was composed and calm...

This is simply the consequence of doing something so significant...

Isn't that just how life is?

Victory makes one king, defeat makes one a bandit. This has been true without exception throughout history…

I could feel the malice coming from the Queen's direction. Tch... how petty!
Empress Jiang glared fiercely at Empress Dowager Qian: This witch has been pretending for far too long, her entire life has been a pretense... She knew to steal the letter in her hand, but didn't know how to protect it?!
Today's events... If the Crown Prince had simply targeted Li Jing, even if he lost, he could still have a chance to survive before the Emperor... As long as he lived, he could devise another plan. But with this letter exposed, it's all over... He'd be lucky to even die a peaceful death!
The Crown Princess knelt there, maintaining her last vestige of dignity, her eyes lowered to conceal her confusion and despair. She had initially thought it was a power struggle between the Crown Prince and Li Jing… but she never imagined it would involve such a deep-seated blood feud.

My family was definitely involved in what happened back then! So, no matter how you look at it... it's all over! With this identity, bearing such consequences... there's nothing to complain about.

But...where are my children? She finally couldn't bear it any longer, collapsing to the ground in an extremely unsightly position, covering her face, softly calling the names of her two children, tears streaming down her face...

Yu'an, however, was covered in blood, seemingly injured somewhere. She knew the situation was serious, so she only let out soft moans when she couldn't help it…

The crown prince, head drooping, sat silently on the ground, motionless.

The sight of her daughter-in-law and daughter finally provoked the Empress. Without a word, she got up from the ground and lunged at Empress Dowager Qian, scratching her face with her long fingernails.

"Ah!?" The Empress Dowager was still pretending to be detached and magnanimous.

A searing, piercing pain shot through her... The Queen's long fingernail snapped, leaving her face a mess... Her right eye was filled with blood...

"You crazy woman!" Empress Dowager Qian retaliated, and she and Empress Jiang began to wrestle...

Both women were shouting and cursing, but it was impossible to understand what they were saying; they showed no trace of the demeanor of women from aristocratic families.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were both preoccupied with their own feelings, and no one bothered to pull them away...

Everyone stared in disbelief, and the guards quickly stepped forward and pulled them apart.

"Hehehehe..." This is Li Jing laughing.

With the situation settled, he had no other thoughts on his mind but how to deal with these people in a satisfying way... The female guard even found poison on the Empress Dowager... Did he want to die like this and then live a life of wealth and glory?
That's wishful thinking!
He wanted to do it himself... to cut off pieces of flesh from his mother's, brother's, and sister's graves. He breathed heavily, these thoughts filling his entire being with murderous intent... his eyes turned red.

Seeing those two instigators scratching, fighting, and hurling insults at each other without any regard for their image...

He stepped forward: "Then, right in front of these people, I'll crush you all to pieces, inch by inch!"

"Your Highness! The Princess Consort has arrived!" a voice called from the doorway.

Li Jing stopped and turned her head blankly, looking at the entrance of the main hall.

Mo Yi appeared at the doorway, wearing a large, moon-white cloak embroidered with pale pink floral patterns.

"Your Highness..." Her voice was filled with surprise, her steps light. Her pregnant belly was faintly visible, and her concern emanated from within...

Like a spring breeze, it instantly dispelled the haze in Li Jing's heart...

(End of this chapter)