Forgotten Legend of the Bloodied Flower

"Your Highness!"

Even before they reached Empress Dowager Yan, there was already a cry. The cry were 4 points miserable, 3 points heartbreaking, and 4 more points pitiful. In other words, it sounded like a pig cry.

Empress Dowager Yan glanced to the source and saw her second aunt along with her own father. Her cold gaze looked unreadable as she nodded faintly. "Second Aunt."

The woman called Second Aunt was the sister of Empress Dowager Yan's father. She could be said to be part of the Yan Family and naturally enjoyed the benefit of being the aunt of the Empress Dowager.

(Note: Empress Dowager Yan is only in her twenties. She's the second Empress after the first Empress died during Emperor Xuan's Reign, who is Emperor Yang Zhou's father)

"It's only now that you allow us to enter?"

"Is this how you should interact with an Imperial Family member?" Empress Dowager Yan asked coldly.

Her second aunt trembled and wanted to point finger at Empress Dowager Yan, but she didn't dare to. Because of her action from before, it was already made known that the Yan Family was not welcomed in the palace.

They had become a joke in the Capital City.

If she dared to do it again, she was afraid that she would be the joke in the Capital City for the second time.

"Calm down." Empress Dowager Yan's father looked at his daughter. It has been so many years. After Empress Dowager Yan's antics back then, he hadn't been wanting to see her at all.

Even when Empress Dowager Yan came back to Yan Family Residence on her third day of marriage, her father didn't talk to her.

He was disappointed in her.

Empress Dowager Yan knew that, so she merely looked at her father. She knew her mistakes back then was not something that could be forgiven so easily. However, she still held onto the faint believe that her father would still at least look in her direction.

Her wish was granted.

But not in the way she wanted.

"Your Highness, this subject wants to ask you to plead for leniency on behalf of Yan Family," Empress Dowager Yan's father cupped his fist and spoke slowly.

The Second Madam Yan now looked at Empress Dowager Yan more fiercely. It seemed that after had the backing of Empress Dowager Yan's father, First Master Yan, she had grown fearless.

Empress Dowager Yan ignored this unsightly woman and merely looked at her father. He had aged since the last time she saw him, but his dignified look and behavior was still the same as before.

But he was looking at her was if he was looking at a stranger.

Empress Dowager Yan's fingers clenched into a fist, but she held it back. Calming herself down, she merely looked in the direction of her father with the calmest look possible. "What makes you think Ben Gong will help you, First Master Yan?"

Her unhurried words caused the light within First Master Yan to dim slightly.

The two of them were in a stalemate, not saying anything for the next few seconds.

But Second Madam Yan was not as patient as these two. Her veins bulged when she heard Empress Dowager Yan's words.

"He's your father!"

Empress Dowager Yan arched her eyebrows. "Slap her mouth."

A maidservant moved forward and slapped Second Madam Yan's mouth without hesitation.

Slap!

With her cheek red and tingling, Second Madam Yan looked in the direction of Empress Dowager Yan in disbelief. She didn't expect this cowardly and easy to manipulate girl would suddenly be so hard to control like this.

Empress Dowager Yan's eyes were cold and icy. "This is not an outsider place to meddle."

Her words caused Second Madam Yan's eyes to widen. Before she could say anything more, the nearest maidservant had already gagged her mouth. They didn't need any order because they knew that Empress Dowager Yan was already using up her patience in dealing with this kind of woman.

"Mmph!" (I'm your aunt! How dare you say that I'm not your relatives?)

Madam Yan was on the verge of exploding. If not because her mouth was gagged, she would have long cursed Empress Dowager Yan.

Empress Dowager Yan's father looked at his sister and frowned. Even at this time, he wondered how in the world his father produced a woman like this. She only knew how to create trouble no matter where they went.

But as a brother, he couldn't just leave her be.

It was annoying.

Empress Dowager Yan didn't care about Madam Yan and turned to look at her father. "Are you also trying to use our relationship to cover up the wrongdoing of Yan Family?"

"Yan Jin Nian! Is this how you talk to your father?" First Master Yan asked in a fierce tone. He was surprised that his own daughter would question him like this so harshly.

Aside from the Emperor and his superior, no one would dare to challenge First Master Yan in the slightest bit. They all knew that it would be of no point and the power behind him was not something that they could touch.

On the other hand, Empress Dowager Yan's eyes flickered.

There hasn't been anyone who called her with her real name in many years. They only called her as Empress Dowager Yan because of her position. However, Empress Dowager Yan was not about to nitpick about this in front of her father.

As a father, he had all the qualification to call her with her real name no matter what her status had become.

However, his words didn't shake Empress Dowager Yan in the slightest bit. She was still looking at her father with the same indifferent expression. Only her eyes moistened a bit as haze began to gather.

But she refused to cry.

She refused to show her weakness in front of these two!

"The one in wrong will be punished but the one without fault will be left alone. Hasn't the teaching of the academy taught you that there's no mistake go unpunished?" Empress Dowager Yan didn't attend the academy, but she still knew some things.

"I, Yan Jin Nian, might not be a literacy or a scholar, but I still know this much. Have you ever thought of the miserable fates of others when you commit those deeds? Have you ever considered just how many people lost their lives because of your decision?

You're the official and also the literaci! Tell me, if these kind of people are not punished, do you really think the nation could prosper?"

The long sentences and the roar from the Empress Dowager was totally unsuitable for a woman. However, they couldn't be bothered with it.

First Master Yan looked at his daughter with eyes widened. For the first time, he felt that this daughter had finally grown up. She was no longer the same childish little brat who thought that just because she was the first young miss Yan, she would be able to do anything.

And when she was betrothed to Emperor Xuan, things continued that way. She became even more uncontrollable and harmed her own brother.

He was so disappointed in his daughter.

But now, he realized… she had changed.

She had grown up.

But…

It was too late.

First Master Yan closed his eyes for a moment. He looked at his daughter in front of him and then answered in a low voice, "You're right. The wrong got punished and the righteous will be awarded. That's the only way to protect the kingdom."

Second Madam Yan was so stunned that she forgot to struggle. She looked at her first brother in law in disbelief.

Didn't they come here because they wanted to plead for the Yan Family?

Why did it end up this way?

Why?

First Master Yan turned around and walked away. His eyes moistened, but no tears fall out. He knew very well what the Yan Family had done for the past few years ever since they had the so called backing of Empress Dowager Yan.

But he couldn't stop them because his position in the family was not absolute.

No matter what he said, his other relatives and siblings refused to listen to him. With the backing that Empress Dowager Yan provided to him, they became more and more lawless, causing troubles here and there.

A lot of people had suffered in their hands.

All he could do was to reduce the damage with his own hands and tried his best to stop them from completely destroying Yan Family.

But…

It was useless.

No matter how much he tried to repair the situation, it was the truth that the Yan Family had so many wrongdoings. Those who were involved wouldn't be able to escape their due punishment.

In this cleaning up that the Emperor started, a lot of people will fall off power.

Many people would be demoted, exiled, prisoned, or even executed.

The court will change completely.