The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

Looking into Qi Yitang's bewildered eyes, Xie Ling knew that she didn't understand her fear at all.

When he was eight years old, he went to great lengths to climb out of the cold palace, only to see the person he had been longing for happily following behind Xie Jingyu, brushing past him as if they were complete strangers.

That was his first "loss".

Now that they have finally come to understand each other, someone has forcibly taken her away from him for a day and a night.

Xie Ling was almost driven mad.

[That despicable villain! He's raised my standards for a partner so drastically! Where in real life can you find someone this devoted?! (Angry!)]

[This is definitely PTSD. He'll have a breakdown if the female supporting character leaves his sight for even fifteen minutes.]

[This is so appealing! Healthy relationships are certainly wonderful, but this kind of twisted, distorted love-hate relationship is even more to my liking.]

Qi Yitang didn't quite understand the letters, but she vaguely sensed something—

Xie Ling is sick.

He is not sick physically, but his mind is sick.

They say that a heart ailment requires a heart remedy, but does that mean his heart remedy can only work if he cares for her?

That would be a disaster.

We need to think of a way to bring him back from those crooked ideas...

Qi Yitang's face suddenly darkened. "Actually, I know everything. Just be honest with me."

"Confess what?"

Qi Yitang deliberately said, "You went out of your way to lock me up, not even letting me leave the Yangxin Hall. Which palace maid were you having an affair with behind my back, and even had Li Degui cover for you, working together from the inside?"

"Let me tell you, if you're tired of me, just say so now. I absolutely won't occupy the Empress's position; I'll make way for you right away!"

At the door, Li Degui was about to come in to serve tea when he heard these words. He felt a chill run down his spine and froze on the spot.

Your Majesty, what's going on now? His old bones can't take this kind of torment.

This is clearly just making trouble out of nothing.

Xie Ling laughed, "So Tangtang is in such high spirits, wanting to play the role of palace maids having an affair with her husband. What's so difficult about that?"

He pulled a garment from the wardrobe, saying, "I'll accompany you without hesitation."

Hey, that's not what she meant—

Before Qi Yitang could explain, her mouth was covered. The curtains fell, enveloping the ambiguous sounds in a warm, dim light.

Yet another day has been wasted.

Qi Yitang was absolutely furious. How could this person's ears be so limited? He only listens to what he wants to hear!

……

Xie Ling knew perfectly well that Qi Yitang was deliberately saying things to hurt him, just so she could get out.

But he won't let go.

No matter how much she makes a fuss or tries to torment him, he will not allow it.

As the year draws to a close, government affairs pile up like mountains, with ministers entering the palace daily to report on various important matters.

That day, Xie Ling still went to the Imperial Study to discuss year-end rewards and border defense matters with several important officials.

After nearly two hours of work, and as the ministers dispersed, it was almost lunchtime. Xie Ling was preparing to have the remaining folded documents taken back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation when he suddenly heard a report that Princess Anping was requesting an audience.

Xie Ling said, "Announce."

A short while later, a figure walked in through the palace gate.

Princess Anping wore a white brocade palace dress with deep purple gradient embellishments and exquisite gold thread embroidery. She wore a silver fox fur cloak over it, and her steps were graceful. Her demeanor was calm and dignified.

"May Your Majesty be well."

"No need for such formalities, please sit down." Xie Ling had always held this elder sister in high esteem.

When he was first released from the Cold Palace, Princess Anping was one of the few people who showed him kindness.

She had once privately asked for his opinion, and seemed to want to match him with Tangtang. Although it didn't work out in the end, she could be considered half a matchmaker for Xie Ling.

Therefore, the relationship between the siblings has been relatively harmonious over the years.

Along with her daughter Jiahe, among all her nephews and nieces, she received a unique gift.

"May I ask what brings you here today, my elder sister?"

"It's nothing important. The end of the year is approaching, and Jiahe's birthday is coming soon. I was thinking of taking this opportunity to host a few tables at the mansion and invite the family to get together."

Princess Anping sighed, "Ever since I last visited Tang'er in the palace, the little fellow has been clamoring to see his aunt... This time, I've come to ask His Majesty for a favor, hoping that Her Majesty the Empress will grace my residence with her presence one day."

Xie Ling paused for a moment.

"So that's what it was about. In the blink of an eye, Jiahe is already five years old. As her uncle, I will naturally not neglect her birthday gift."

"But... Tangtang has recently caught a cold, and the imperial physician has advised her to rest well and avoid exposure to wind. I'm afraid she won't be able to go to the Imperial Sister's residence, so as not to pass on her illness to Jiahe."

The aroma of tea rose gently, swirling into a pale white mist between the two of them.

Princess Anping did not respond, but gently stirred the water with the cup lid, producing a soft clinking sound of porcelain.

"Is it due to physical inconvenience, or is it because your younger brother, the Emperor, refuses?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Xie Ling's expression remained unchanged. "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Princess Anping's eyes were unwavering and clear, as if she could see right through people's hearts. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just heard a story a few days ago that I found interesting and wanted to tell it to Your Majesty."

"Oh?"

"The story tells of a couple from a bygone era who were deeply in love. However, the wife had once been in love with someone else in her youth, and after marriage, countless people surrounded her... Over time, the husband became suspicious and always felt that his wife would abandon him and find someone else."

"On one occasion, the husband, in a moment of desperation, imprisoned his wife, cutting her off from all contact with the outside world. At first, the wife could understand his anxiety, but as time went on, even the most magnificent palace felt like a prison."

"The two began to argue, and gradually resentment grew in the daily silence. In the end... the couple drifted apart and went their separate ways."

Princess Anning sighed, "One died in despair, and the other died alone. It is truly an extremely poignant story."

Wise people don't need to spell things out.

Xie Ling slowly closed her fingers on her knees, her voice tinged with coldness, "What does Your Majesty mean by this? Are you cursing me and the Empress to never grow old together?"

Princess Anping smiled. "Does Your Majesty consider it a curse, rather than some kind of fulfillment?"

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Neither of them spoke first, and the aroma of the tea gradually cooled in the silence.

Just then, Li Degui, looking extremely anxious and half-dead, came in from outside the palace to report that... the Empress was on a hunger strike.

Hunger strike?

Xie Ling's expression tightened.

Princess Anping laughed, "You two are certainly having a novel experience."

They even went on a hunger strike, which is like hurting the enemy eight hundred while also losing a thousand of their own.

"Your Majesty, the Empress became my study companion when she was eight years old. I have long seen your feelings for her, otherwise I would not have tried to bring them together. It's just a pity that she is not the kind of woman who will accept things passively, nor will she let you manipulate her."

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone Qi Yitang, who is the most mischievous one in the rabbit hutch.

It was jumping around and never still for a moment.

"That's all I have to say." Princess Anping gently placed the gilded visiting card on the table. "On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, I await the arrival of the Emperor and Empress."