Read Novel Full Chapter 1608 - 1601: The Collapse Within the Li Family
Chapter 1608 -1601: The Collapse Within the Li Family
“Yunshu, don’t speak nonsense! How can you speak of your grandfather like this!”
Madam Li, the second wife, was usually fearful of her father-in-law, and deeply intimidated by him. She hastily tried to comfort Li Yunshu at this moment.
But Li Yunshu was not so timid; now that she was sitting in a powerful position, her temperament had become even more fierce and domineering. “Mother, go back and tell grandpa that this illegitimate child cannot enter our Li family’s door! Our Grand Duke’s Mansion will never allow it!”
Although Madam Li, the second wife, wanted to try to persuade Li Yunshu again, she was met with a barrage of complaints from her.
She knew her daughter had always been decisive, and somewhat domineering in nature. Now that she had become the empress, it was, of course, impossible to offend her.
She hurriedly went back and reported this matter to her father-in-law.
She spoke very tactfully. Her original intention was to bridge the relationship between her daughter and her father-in-law, but who could have known that upon learning the news, the old Grand Duke’s face turned an iron blue, his eyes flashing with a fierce cold light, and with a voice heavy with suppressed fury, he thundered, “Who told her about this?”
He had hidden the existence of this illegitimate child extremely well; even Li Bo was unaware, not to mention that the child had never set foot in the Grand Duke’s Mansion. Though he was kept close by, an alternate identity had long been prepared for him, something Li Yunshu had never known before.
Now, she actually knew!
Trembling, Madam Li, the second wife, replied, “Grand… Grandfather, please calm your anger. I do not know how Yunshu found out, but what she said is not wrong. After all, for our family, it is better to have a legitimate descendant.”
“What’s the use of being legitimate! Can she still bear children?” The old Grand Duke barked coldly, his eyes filled with contempt.
Madam Li, the second wife, was scolded until she dared not speak, but she felt uncomfortable in her heart and soon went to the palace to tell Li Yunshu all about it.
But it seemed as if Li Yunshu had anticipated this; she threw a tantrum in the Fengqi Palace, her face flushed with anger, “My grandfather… how could he say such things! Is he just using me? Making use of me as the empress, and then he wants to seize power… to support his own son to ascend the throne?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Ignoring the propriety, Madam Li, the second wife, rushed forward and covered her mouth, her face looking extremely ugly, “Is this something you, as an empress, should say?”
“But isn’t that exactly what grandpa is doing?” Li Yunshu clearly remembered how brutally her grandfather made her aware of the reality after she was found to be unable to bear children, training her to become a ruthless person!
She was now capable of personally killing Qin Ge and framing Rong Yun.
As for her grandfather who taught her…
What was she in her grandfather’s eyes?
A beloved granddaughter? No!
Li Yunshu shook her head with a pale face, “Her Majesty is nothing more than a pawn of grandpa’s!”
Initially, Madam Li, the second wife, had some objections, but after thinking it over, wasn’t it exactly the case?
Now their Li family held an immense sway over court and politics, and her husband, who had no talent for office, had already been promoted to Minister. If her father-in-law cultivated an exceptionally wise illegitimate son, and once his ambitions were achieved, the Imperial family of the Great Wei Dynasty would have to change its surname to Li, where would their family stand a chance to establish themselves?
Furthermore, her only daughter was infertile!
If her husband remarried, and if the several children from his concubines grew up to be capable…
Madam Li, the second wife, began to feel a heavy weight in her heart, “This is simply a disaster for us mother and daughter!”
A sharp blade buried in their hearts.
Li Yunshu was not one to tolerate sand in her eyes; she declared with a ruthless gaze, “Since it is a disaster, let’s end it prematurely! Don’t let him block my path!”
Li Yunshu had her own squad of personal soldiers, who were responsible for protecting her during battles. She sent this team to assassinate the illegitimate child.
The assassination was incredibly easy, so much so that Li Yunshu herself was slightly amazed.
However, having resolved a major concern, her mood naturally became much more cheerful.
She ordered Chun Xing to prepare the meal, and planned to visit Qin Muyan.
That night, she finally could sleep beside Qin Muyan. Although he was feverish and ill, and they couldn’t do much, she grew fonder of his uniquely masculine scent.
Even after Qin Muyan woke up and immediately left, she still incessantly longed to follow him.
Since he was in the imperial study every day, she made it a point to visit there daily. Now that she was the empress, no one dared to stop her.
But this time, when she went to the imperial study and didn’t find Qin Muyan, she was instead greeted with a slap across her face.
“Slap!”
The oncoming palm wind roared fiercely, carrying a bloody savagery. Li Yunshu instinctively fought back but was restrained by someone grabbing her wrist.
Lord Li, her grandfather, restrained her movements and then backhandedly slapped her again.
“How dare you!”
Enraged by the slap, Li Yunshu exclaimed, “How dare you show such disrespect to Her Majesty!”
“Does the empress not know the emperor is busy with state affairs? Busying herself with the emperor every day, neglecting the harem and her duties, where does she have the bearing of the mother of the country? As a grandfather, my family discipline has been lax; I am too ashamed to face the emperor!” Lord Li’s voice was frosty and bone-chilling, filled with such fury as if he wished he could have killed Li Yunshu.
Li Yunshu struggled fiercely to break free and argued with him for a while. Seeing he was about to strike again, she called the imperial guards, and only then they managed to eject him from the palace.
Li Yunshu’s brought lunchbox was knocked over, and her hair came undone.
Chun Xing handed her a handkerchief, “Your Majesty, please wipe it off, there is blood at the corner of your mouth.”
“Wipe what off! A cut like this won’t kill Her Majesty!”
Li Yunshu stormed off furiously, no longer in the mood to see Qin Muyan.
Su Yingxue and Chu Yihan happened to pass by on their way to greet the emperor. Su Yingxue, linking her arm through Chu Yihan’s, clucked sympathetically, “The sorrow of killing one’s own child, to think the one who did it was his own granddaughter, no wonder the old man couldn’t help but resort to violence in the palace – he must have been at his wit’s end.”
Chu Yihan raised an eyebrow, “Rebellious officials will eventually be executed along with their entire family.”
The illegitimate son of the Li family was their own contrivance. However, that man had been by Lord Li’s side for many years, his hands stained with blood; he was certainly not innocent.
Within Fengqi Palace, staring at the palm print in the mirror, Li Yunshu’s anger intensified, “He dared to hit Her Majesty! All because of his damned illegitimate son… Now I am the empress!”
Chun Xing knelt shivering beside her, “Your Majesty, there is something fishy about this matter. Why don’t you meet with Lord Li and explain things?”
For someone like Lord Li, it was not unusual to have some concubines and illegitimate children on the side, just as their Majesty’s own father had hidden concubines and illegitimate children.
But for such a thing to be suddenly revealed and create a situation tense as drawn swords, it was indeed strange.
“Explain what! I am the empress. If anyone should explain, it should be him, his duty as a subject! Her Majesty is not afraid,” Li Yunshu narrowed her eyes, a bloodthirsty look in them, “Right, since that squad is so useful, you go too. Have Wei Lao San, the elder doctor, and the people in that village killed off so to prevent future troubles.”
Chun Xing was a bit slow, “But Lord Li said you shouldn’t touch those people for now.”
“So what if he said that? I want to do it anyway! Go, carry out Her Majesty’s orders!”
Li Yunshu swept her hand, her eyes shining with excitement, like a wild beast in the jungle that had caught its prey, glowing with a bloodthirst.
Having obtained the position of the empress, she desired even more!