Murong Zheng didn't say anything after all. When he looked into the queen's eyes, the guilt was growing heavier, like a cloud carrying rain.
The queen's face was calm, with a smile still on her lips, but this smile made Murong Zheng feel sad.
"From now on, I will no longer protect the emperor." The queen spoke, word by word. Even these few short words sounded like thunder in her ears.
"You promised me that you would be a good queen to me and help me." Murong Zheng hated the queen's indifferent tone. He couldn't help but remind the queen that her words were still in his heart at that moment. He had not forgotten them and he would not allow the queen to forget them.
"I will help you on the premise that I am your queen." The smile on the queen's lips was full of bitterness, and she couldn't help shaking her head after she finished speaking.
"I have never thought of deposing you. You will always be my queen. I promised the Grand Empress Dowager that I would respect you and let you be in charge of the harem. Over the years, I have fulfilled all my promises."
Murong Zheng didn't like the Queen's look. He said anxiously that he hoped the Queen could remember the promise she made.
"What did the Emperor promise me back then? Have you forgotten it?"
The queen was unmoved by the emperor's anxious words and just asked softly.
Murong Zheng was stunned, looking at the queen for a long time before he said, "Back then, I promised you that I would try to accept you and love you, but people are selfish. I gave all my love to Ruer. You know that Ruer was willing to sacrifice his life for me. He deserves my love."
Over the years, every time he was driven mad by Concubine Dong's clumsy methods, he comforted himself in this way, telling himself again and again that she was willing to sacrifice her life for him and that she was the most worthy of his love.
Murong Zheng's words successfully brought more smiles to the Queen's face, but that smile was more like a mockery.
"It is true that I have never saved your life in a critical moment, but if I were there at that time, I would also do everything I could to save your life. You may think that I cannot compare to Concubine Dong's love for you, but for you, the best 17 years of my life have been wasted in this deep palace."
"Since the emperor cannot fulfill his original promise, what qualifications do you have to make demands on me?" The queen tried hard to hide the bitterness in her heart and asked word by word.
Murong Zheng was speechless. He wanted to explain, but no matter how much he explained, it seemed that it was no match for the Queen's words: I can't do it.
"The position of Queen is something all women in the world want. Isn't that enough?" After a long time, Murong Zheng spoke, but this time, he still felt guilty.
"If it were enough, today, I would still be the queen standing shoulder to shoulder with the emperor. Perhaps others would think that being the queen is enough, but in my opinion, without the emperor's love, this queen position is more like a cage."
"I have been in this position for seventeen years. Before, I was worried that you would mess around for Concubine Dong, but now I am worried about the lives of the children. You know that Concubine Dong attacked Akai, but you don't know that our eldest prince, the second prince and others were not spared."
Murong Zheng looked at the queen, watching her calmly expressing her grievances and worries, and his heart seemed to be gripped.
"Before you came, Ah Kai came here before. He said he was willing to marry into Bei'an for the sake of Princess Jiaoyang of Bei'an."
The queen had already made the worst plan. Thinking about what Murong Kai wanted, she simply told him everything. There was not much she could do to help the child.
"Nonsense." Upon hearing this, Murong Zheng completely forgot that he was confronting the Queen and shouted angrily.
"What does Murong Kai want to do? Is this huge Zhou Dynasty no longer big enough to accommodate him? Or is he just like you, not wanting to live a peaceful life anymore?"
"Your Majesty, we want to live a peaceful life, so we don't want to suffer in this deep palace."
(End of this chapter)