Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 98 : A Choice To Make

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 : A Choice To Make

Although the Empress was the highest-ranking person in the Golden Dragon Palace after the Emperor, she always felt intimidated by her eldest stepson, Xie Jianshen.

In order to command everyone’s respect and attention, the Empress decided to pick a fight with Xie Jianshen not long after she ascended to the position.

One time, she summoned Xie Jianshen to the Eternal Spring Palace to drink tea together with other noble omegas.

The simple tea gathering took on a different turn when the Empress challenged Xie Jianshen to a small poetry competition.

When Xie Jianshen chose to recite a political poem, she accused Xie Jianshen of harboring ill intentions toward the empire. In the end, Xie Jianshen was forced to kneel on a stone pavement for three hours.

The Empress smugly watched as Xie Jianshen obediently carried out the punishment. He did not utter a single word of objection, but then he marched into the Golden Dragon Palace to show his father the bruised knees that resulted from the Empress’ abuse of authority.

The Emperor abandoned his agenda of the day and headed right into the Eternal Spring Palace. He proceeded to scold the Empress harshly in front of all her maids and servants, calling her a beast who preyed on the previous Empress’ children.

From there on, he also refused to frequent her palace. The Eternal Spring Palace was slowly becoming the Cold Palace*. The Empress had to go beg for the Emperor’s forgiveness for six months straight before the Emperor’s heart softened and he was willing to frequent her palace again.

That was when the Empress understood that in the Emperor’s eyes, Xie Jianshen was worth a thousand times more than her. The Emperor’s favor granted his sons irrevocable immunity toward anyone, including the Empress.

After the incident, most of the noble families understood that the Empress and Xie Jianshen did not get along well. The two omegas were tactful and polite to each other whenever they happened to meet, but the mutual dislike was as clear as day.

It thus came off as a surprise when Xie Jianshen took the initiative to pay his stepmother, the Heavenly Empress, a visit three days after the heavenly troops left Golden Dragon City to fight the demons at the Human Realm.

It had to be noted that Xie Jianshen never stepped another foot into the Eternal Spring Palace after the commotion that happened more than fifteen years ago.

"You should send your maids away," Xie Jianshen advised the Empress as soon as he arrived at the Eternal Spring Palace. He did not even bother with the formalities. "You don’t want them to start talking about what they are about to hear."

The Empress glared at Xie Jianshen.

"This is my palace," she said in a haughty tone. "I am the mistress of this palace. Know your place, Xie Jianshen."

"Very well."

Xie Jianshen flashed the Empress his sweetest smile.

"I want to talk about that baby in your stomach, the so-called heir to the Heavenly Empire."

The maids at the Eternal Spring Palace swore that the Empress’ face turned pale as a ghost when she heard Xie Jianshen’s words.

When the Empress dismissed them with a stern glare, they fled from the room like frightened rabbits.

"I don’t know what you are talking about," the Empress said to Xie Jianshen in a futile attempt to hide her scandalous secret.

A smirk spread on Xie Jianshen’s face. He casually walked in a circle around the Empress and watched how the latter’s face changed color rapidly with his every word.

"You have been keeping a little bird in this Eternal Spring Palace of yours for some time. After you no longer had any use for him, you tossed him away like a ragged cloth.

I don’t know what disgusts me more -- your lies or your cruelty."

The Empress was unable to say anything in return.

The lavishly decorated room was spinning.

She felt light-headed but she wanted to throw up at the same time.

Subconsciously, she pressed a hand against her pregnant belly.

No, she said. No. No one was supposed to find out.

That bastard should have died by now...

Xie Jianshen came up to her like a specter and whispered into her ear, "Do you think that any child will do as long as it carries the Fuxi Palace sigil on its forehead?"

The Empress screamed in terror. She distanced herself from Xie Jianshen and raised a finger at him.

"Y-you... You...!!!"

Meanwhile, the head eunuch of the Eternal Spring Palace came rushing into the room with a few guards in tow.

"Your Majesty!" he cried. "Did something happen???"

He knew very well that the Shuiran Palace Mistress did not get along well with the Empress. He just never thought that the man was brave enough to cause a scene when half of the Golden Dragon Palace was empty.

Once the Emperor heard of this, he was going to become livid with anger! Finally, the scale of power was about to tip in the Empress’ favor!

Xie Jianshen looked away from the intruders and sneered at the Empress.

"Did something happen, Your Majesty?" he asked with a mocking tone.

"N-no," the Empress stuttered. She whipped around and barked at her subordinates, "Get out of here! Do not enter without my permission!!!"

"Y-yes!"

The head eunuch and the guards were baffled, but they quickly left the room.

Xie Jianshen cocked his head to the side and gave his stepmother a malicious smile.

"Choose," he said. "Give birth to the baby and be dragged to the execution platform right after giving birth, or..."

Xie Jianshen lowered his eyes for a split second to look at the Empress’ swollen stomach before beaming at her in schadenfreude.

The Empress shook violently from head to toe.

Xie Jianshen curtsied before his stepmother and ended his visit with a simple farewell, "I shall take my leave now. Wishing Her Majesty a blessed and bountiful reign of thousands of years."

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Author’s note :

*Cold Palace is the name given to the dilapidated residential buildings that housed ex-harem members.