Yunyi had already thrown caution to the wind and said, “Father Emperor, you can still find refuge here in Jiangdu now, but if this continues, I fear there will be no place left for you to settle. Regarding opening the granaries to distribute grain, please think it through again and again!”

Consort Chen carried a trace of cold smile as she said softly, “Your Majesty, you heard her words – increasingly insolent, not putting you, her father emperor, in her eyes at all. Not to mention you, even this concubine feels angry hearing it.”

Yang Guang stared at Yunyi expressionlessly and said, “If you return to Feixiang Hall now, I can pretend nothing happened.”

His words displeased Consort Chen, who said coquettishly, “Your Majesty…”

“What?” Yang Guang interrupted her, “Do you have an opinion?”

Consort Chen heard the displeasure in his tone and her heart trembled. She lowered her eyes and said, “This concubine wouldn’t dare.”

Yang Guang glanced at her sideways and scolded, “Get out!”

Though Consort Chen was unwilling, she understood Yang Guang’s decisive nature. In all the world, only Empress Xiao could say “no” to his face and remain unharmed.

After Consort Chen and the palace servants had all withdrawn, Yang Guang said coldly, “You still won’t withdraw?”

“I beg Father Emperor to prioritize the Great Sui empire!” Yunyi knew that if she were smart, she should obey and leave, but thinking of those people fighting until bloodied over a rabbit, and those surviving on tree leaves, she couldn’t pretend nothing had happened.

“What fine words about prioritizing the Great Sui empire!” Yang Guang laughed coldly repeatedly. The next moment, he kicked Yunyi to the ground, saying with deep disgust, “Since when did the Great Sui empire need your concern? What are you anyway? Nothing but a bastard!”

Seeing him kick Yunyi down, Ruyi and the other quickly helped her up, asking nervously, “Princess, how are you? Are you hurt?” Jixiang wept as she said, “Princess, please listen to His Majesty and don’t say anymore!”

Yunyi ignored them and the pain in her body, only staring at Yang Guang, “Father Emperor, what did you just… say? I am your daughter – how could I be a bastard?”

“My daughter?” After a burst of cold laughter, Yang Guang bent down and gripped her chin, saying sinisterly, “Do you really think you bear the surname Yang? That you are my flesh and blood?”

These words made an ominous premonition rise in Yunyi’s heart. She steadied her mind with difficulty and said, “I was originally…”

“No!” Yang Guang harshly interrupted her words. After taking several deep breaths, he still couldn’t suppress the hatred in his heart and shouted, “You are not my daughter at all! You are a bastard, a bastard!”

These words struck like thunder on a clear day, making Yunyi’s ears ring. After steadying her mind, she shook her head, “No, I am not a bastard. Father Emperor, I…”

“Stop calling me Father Emperor!” Yang Guang swept his sleeve, interrupting her words with a face full of disgust, “Do you know how much it pains me every time I hear you call me Father Emperor? If not for Weiyang, I would have killed you long ago, just like I killed another bastard!”

Yunyi murmured, “Another one?”

“Correct.” Yang Guang said coldly, “Do you still remember that woman you encountered in Honghua Prefecture?”

“Fa…” Yunyi instinctively wanted to call him Father Emperor, but halfway through, suddenly remembering Yang Guang’s earlier words, she swallowed them back and said instead, “Wu Meixue?”

“Correct. Didn’t you ask Weiyang then why you two looked exactly alike, even sharing the same birthday, and why she had a bright yellow swaddling cloth embroidered with a golden dragon?”

“Yes, Mother Empress said it was just coincidence.” As soon as Yunyi finished speaking, Yang Guang laughed coldly, “Where in the world would there be so many coincidences? I’ll tell you – you and she have the same appearance and birthday because you and she are twins!”

Yunyi stared at Yang Guang in a daze. When she first saw Wu Meixue, this thought had indeed crossed her mind, because they were truly too alike, not to mention sharing the same birthday. But after returning to the palace and asking Xiao Shi, this notion never appeared again. She never imagined she would hear it from Yang Guang’s own mouth now. But Mother Empress clearly said… what was going on?

Forcing herself to calm down, she said, “If we are twins, why did Mother Empress say she only gave birth to me alone?”

Yang Guang sneered, “Because at that time, even she didn’t know she had given birth to twins!”

Yunyi was completely bewildered. How could a mother not know whether she gave birth to one child or twins? Thinking of this, she shook her head, “That’s impossible. If Mother Empress had given birth to twins, she would definitely know.”

Yang Guang lowered his head with a sinister smile, “She would naturally know if she were awake, but unfortunately she fainted at that time.” After a pause, he sneered, “Your bastard life was truly fortunate – Weiyang woke up just before you were taken away, allowing you to save your life and even be a Great Sui princess for so many years!”

Yunyi struggled to digest what he was saying. After a long while, she said with difficulty, “So you’re saying all of this was your doing?”

By this point, there was nothing left to hide. Yang Guang said, “Correct. I arranged everything to make Weiyang think she had given birth to a stillborn child. But accidents occurred with both you and the other bastard. You were seen by Weiyang, and the person I arranged failed to kill the other bastard, allowing her to live fifteen more years.”

“Why?” Though Yunyi had already guessed some of it, she still wanted to hear Yang Guang say it himself, because she couldn’t believe that her most beloved Mother Empress could have done such a thing.

Yang Guang stared at her and said word by word, “Very simple – because you are not my offspring at all. I have no reason to let you live!”

Just as she thought! Yunyi’s vision darkened repeatedly. After a long while, she managed to stop the dizziness and said hoarsely, “So from childhood to now, no matter how hard I tried to please you, you never wanted to look at me?”

Yang Guang returned to the imperial desk, drinking cup after cup of wine. After finishing one pot, he took another. Only after all the wine was consumed did he turn around and sneer, “What else? Your existence every moment of every day reminds Weiyang of her betrayal of me. If not for Weiyang treasuring you like her life, I would have killed you long ago!” The last few words carried deep hatred that fell on Yunyi’s ears like sharp needles, making her eardrums ache.

“Kill me… kill me…” Yunyi murmured these words repeatedly. All along, she had thought it was because she hadn’t done well enough that Yang Guang didn’t like her. But it turned out he not only disliked her – he wanted to kill her. Laughable… truly laughable. But most laughable was herself, spending so many years trying every means to please someone who hated her to the bone, even foolishly hoping to gain his affection. How deeply ironic!