Xiao Ran propped herself up with all her might, determined not to collapse from fear.
She had heard that ghosts were afraid of the brave.
So, she... must not be afraid!
Chu Qing watched Xiao Ran's trembling body, narrowed her eyes, and continued to sneer, "I've always treated you well, yet you dared to plot against me. Today, I'm here to take you to the underworld to keep me company."
Hearing this, Xiao Ran replied with hatred in her eyes, "Treated me well? Hmph! If I hadn't acted first, you would surely have deposed me as the empress dowager. Your short - lived son died so early! I was still so young! How could I endure the loneliness! I... I fell in love with someone else and had to hide it from you! What's more... you clearly knew about it but pretended not to! Your scheming was so deep that it made people uneasy!"
Chu Qing: "???"
Her daughter - in - law had fallen in love with someone else?
And... she had known but pretended not to?
Wasn't this a bit unfair?
If this was the reason why Xiao Ran had killed her...
She would be so aggrieved!
Chu Qing suppressed her anger and continued patiently, "Xiao Ran, you secretly replaced the imperial heir with someone else's child and then killed me. Do you think the Yuan family will let you go unpunished?"
Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment, then laughed maniacally, "Humph! You even know this! It seems that killing you was truly the right choice. Now, you're dead, the late emperor is dead, and... that so - called stolen child has become the emperor of the Great Yan. I'm his mother! Who can do anything to me!"
"I can!"
Yuan Rui, who had been hiding aside, finally couldn't hold back and stepped out.
He had heard enough.
He had originally followed his aunt to hear the story of this so - called empress dowager.
However, the long - buried secrets that were revealed had shocked him deeply!
His imperial grandmother...
Had been killed by this vicious woman whom he had always regarded as his mother!
Although he didn't know what his aunt had whispered in her ear to gain her trust, but...
She had finally confessed everything she had done!
When Xiao Ran saw the emperor approaching, she shook her head in panic, "You... you tricked me! Your Majesty! You must believe me! This woman, Chu Qing, has evil intentions! She... she drugged me!" Xiao Ran tried to deny everything.
Yuan Rui sneered and brought Qin Zhen in front of her. His voice was cold as he said, "Now, Empress Dowager, do you admit it?"
Qin Zhen also grinned and said, "Xiao Ran, everyone knows what you've done."
At this moment, Xiao Ran collapsed on the bed as if all her strength had been drained.
She...
Had lost completely.
...
After Chu Qing returned to the Prince Ning's Mansion to rest for a few days, she heard that the emperor had made public all the misdeeds of Empress Dowager Xiao.
He didn't think this was a private matter that would damage the royal family's reputation. Instead, he exposed these dirty secrets to everyone.
Therefore, neither in the court nor among the common people did anyone oppose the emperor's edict to depose the empress dowager.
Chu Qing sighed with relief.
She remembered what the emperor had said when she left the palace:
"Aunt! You looked so much like my imperial grandmother just now! I even wanted to call you imperial grandmother!"
How she wished to be called imperial grandmother by him again!
But, it was impossible.
"Boss!" The voice of the little meatball suddenly sounded, making Chu Qing jump and scream in surprise.
Lv Luo immediately asked worriedly, "My lady, what's wrong?"
Chu Qing replied expressionlessly, "It's okay. I suddenly feel... sleepy. You and Liu Xin go out first. I'll take a good rest."
Since Chu Qing was approaching her due date, she had become extremely sleepy. Lv Luo didn't suspect anything and left with Liu Xin.
Chu Qing slowly closed her eyes, then said coldly, "Little meatball, if you don't explain yourself properly, I'll surely chop you into minced meat this time!"
The little meatball trembled its round body and said slowly, "I didn't disappear on purpose last time! It was... because I touched a taboo..."
"So, now you can come out. Are you not touching the taboo anymore?" Chu Qing's tone was still a bit cold.
The little meatball chuckled, then rolled around excitedly and said, "There's no taboo now! Because Boss, you've already completed your goal! Moreover... if you want to leave, you can do so at any time!!!"
Leave?
Chu Qing froze.
At first, she had indeed wanted to complete the goal quickly and leave.
But now, she didn't want to leave at all.
Because, here was Wei Ying.
Here was... a new beginning.
The little meatball sensed Chu Qing's low mood and carefully said, "Boss, if you don't want to leave... you can stay here."
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Then... tell me honestly. What's the deal with that national master from Dongyi? And... how did Wei Ying and I start? Why did you... choose me?"
The little meatball was stunned. It didn't expect Chu Qing to get straight to the point.
"Um... it's just... " The little meatball thought for a while and then told the truth, "I once said that the national master, Du Mi, was a bug and that he had awakened his own consciousness. This so - called self - consciousness means that he realized the origin of this world and understood the true meaning of existence. The reason he awakened was... "
Chu Qing frowned. She didn't care about the profound words the little meatball had said in the first half. What she cared about was why the national master knew so much. Even... he could predict the future.
The little meatball continued carefully, "Because before you were reborn, I took a nap while exploring this world... and accidentally leaked a wisp of my spiritual energy onto him. Then he... became like this. It can be said that... he is half of me. As for why I chose you... it was just random."
"What about Wei Ying and me?"
"Because you are the one who can resolve his unlucky fate. The national master could calculate the future because of me, so he deliberately revealed that Wei Ying was an unlucky star. Then Wei Ying came to the Great Yan. Who would have thought that you two would develop an inseparable bond. Then... after you were killed, his fate became unstable again. After that... I attached myself to you and made you be reborn. As for your rebirth mission, it was... because... well... I thought Wei Ying was a good person, and I wanted you two to have a legendary love story."
Chu Qing frowned and stared at the meatball in disbelief.
The little meatball trembled nervously and continued, "I'm telling the truth! I swear!"
No matter what the reason was, was it destined that she and Wei Ying would be together?
Thinking of this, Chu Qing couldn't help but smile.
Seeing this, the little meatball beside her immediately asked tentatively, "Boss... can I leave first?"
"Leave." Chu Qing gave it a cold look.
The little meatball disappeared immediately.
After leaving, it finally let out a sigh of relief.
It would never admit that it had made this ancestor pursue Wei Ying out of curiosity about whether cross - age love could work!
...
When Chu Qing woke up from the dream, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
Then, a warm stream flowed out from below.
Having given birth before, Chu Qing immediately knew that this was...
Her water had broken!
She was going to give birth!
"Lv Luo! Liu Xin! Ah... I'm going to give birth!"
Liu Xin, who was guarding the door, immediately ran to call the midwife who had been invited to the mansion earlier, while Lv Luo rushed into the room with a pale face.
"My lady? You..."
"I'm going to give birth! Damn Wei Ying! Why isn't he back yet!"
...
At this moment, everyone in the Prince Ning's Mansion was on high alert.
Even the rough men from Pohuang were anxiously waiting outside the door.
"What should we do! The princess is going to give birth! The prince isn't back yet... If... " Wei Sheng was so nervous that he was sweating for the first time.
Hong Ling immediately glared at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"Qing'er!" Chu Zhan and Chu Xing's couple rushed over anxiously after hearing the news. Qin Zhao even pushed the door open and went in to accompany Chu Qing.
Chu Zhan, who was waiting outside, looked at Wei Sheng and whispered seriously, "How's the Prince Ning?"
"After the master was attacked, he took the medicine developed by Wu Ya in time. Then... after he recovered, he was extremely angry and joined forces with An Duoze to kill Hu Yan Zhuori."
"What about the matter of his being attacked?"
"We didn't tell the princess."
Chu Zhan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the closed door.
He hoped... Qing'er would be safe.
"Who's there!" Hong Ling, who had been silently guarding, suddenly shouted coldly.
Suddenly, a figure leaped down from the roof and rushed straight towards the room where Chu Qing was.
When the people from Pohuang saw this, their expressions changed drastically, and they all rushed forward to stop him.
"Get out of my way!" A deep voice thundered, making everyone freeze.
This voice...
It was...
The Prince Ning! Wei Ying!
"Your Highness, you can't go in! It's not good for you!"
"Get lost!"
...
Chu Qing was in a daze from the pain. She didn't expect that giving birth would be so painful in this life.
Just as she was in excruciating pain, a familiar soft call suddenly reached her ears.
"Qingqing, I'm sorry. I'm late."
Chu Qing looked up and saw Wei Ying, looking a bit disheveled, looking at her worriedly.
She was about to cry when suddenly a force pushed from below.
Along with the baby's cry, Chu Qing suddenly lost the urge to cry and instead let out a soft laugh.
What she had missed in her previous life, in this life...
Was complete.