After Lei Xing sent her mother off, she went to soak in her medicinal bath for a while then spent the rest of her day resting. The Emperor did not show up all day, while she was a bit curious, she did not mind it at all and leisurely spent her time rolling around the bed reading, enjoying her alone time.

She picked up a book called the "Grievance of Xia" to read, it was one of the books she had recently bought. As she flipped through the book, the bookkeeper told her that it was rumored to be history's true account which piqued her interest. She had been too occupied lately with the Emperor and the bracelet to read, and it finally got into her mind this evening.

It was general knowledge that the Empress dowager was the fallen Xia empire's princess. From what she had gathered in her time here, the fall of the Xia empire was the highlight of the late Emperor's life. It was his last battle before he hung up his armor to become Emperor. Although, it was the true beginning of the military campaign that expanded the Long empire to what it was today.

The book was quite informative, it was either the author had a great imagination or was fearless with a death wish. Either way, Lei Xing admired their boldness and bravery to publish something like this about royal family members.

According to the book, before the battle of Xia, Long empire had been in a long era of peace following the civil unrest that occurred in the scramble for the throne amongst the then princes when their father died without naming a Crown prince.?The winner of that scramble was the current Emperor's grandfather, who was only able to win thanks to the help and support of the Xia empire.

Apparently, their countries had always been allies and his grandfather and the Xia Empire's Emperor had fought battles together when they were both princes. They got along so well that they became sworn brothers. When the scramble for the throne began in Long empire, this sworn brother lent him the army he needed to suppress his brothers to successfully ascend the throne.

The two sworn brothers never forgot their bonds of friendship forged in their youth even after both becoming Emperor of their respective nations. The sworn brothers often sent their crown princes as representatives, to show the importance of this friendship, as well to create the opportunity for the next generation to create bonds of their own. Eventually, truly becoming a family with the marriage of Long's crown prince and the Xia's only princess.

The two countries enjoyed a few years in this newfound solidarity and harmony until Dong country, a country bordering Xia empire began attacking them. Xia Empire was having trouble pushing the enemy back and so the Xia Emperor requested help from his sworn brother, who swiftly responded sending an army with his crown prince leading the charge.

But then this help had doomed the Xia empire.

Instead of the Long crown prince heading to the border to lend assistance, he charged into Xia empire's capital and massacred everyone, including the royal family members who had known him all these years and had taken him as another family member. The Long crown prince killed anyone who questioned his orders and blocked news of his actions from spreading to his father or the Xia army at the border.

Knowing that his father would disapprove of his actions and would probably execute him, the Long crown prince swiftly returned to the capital with a battle unit and with the assistance of Defense minister Fu and other officials, he assassinated his father and brothers and safely ascended the throne. He then announced that the Xia empire was a threat and so must be destroyed before it was too late, then he sent the full force of Long empire's army to join the army he left in the Xia capital and ordered them to crush the Xia army and seize control of the territory.

By the time the Xia crown prince received information on what had happened in the capital it was too late. If he chose to turn the army around to push out the Long army in their capital, the Dong army they were currently holding off will storm their country. It was impossible for them to fight the two battles at the same time. Swiftly and unexpectedly, the Xia empire fell at the hands of their longstanding ally.

Enraged at the Xia princess's criticisms and refusal to ascend the throne as his Empress, the new Long Emperor?ordered that the Xia citizens be turned into slaves out of spite. In the end, the Xia princess was demoted to a Noble consort and Defense minister Fu's daughter ascended to Empress.?As if as an atonement of some sort, the Long Emperor soon ordered an attack against Dong country and subjected them to Xia's fate.

Lei Xing sighed and put the book on her face as she contemplated the tale.

{...Well, he sucks...You can't eat your cake and have it too, that's too selfish...I personally think you should have just killed her...Ah, but then he wouldn't exist and tha- Wait, what do I care?! I don't care if he exists or not! Not at all!...*sigh* Who cares. He exists, so he exists and she's alive so she lives -_-)...If this were the case, then I can kind of understand her crazy, but what the hell do I have to do with her crazy husband?! Why take out your ang-...}

Lei Xing's thoughts were interrupted when someone removed the book from her face. She opened her eyes expecting to see Xiao Ruo or Ah Jin, but her eyes went wide when she saw the Emperor standing by the bed holding the book. She immediately sat up and instinctively snatched the book and put it behind her.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow and Lei Xing smiled and said, "You're here...again." She mumbled the last word, a bit irritated, but maintained the smile.

{...That stupid eunuch outside needs to be fired, he's been slacking off too much...Do your job and give me the heads up! What if I were undressing or something? -_-)...}

Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she looked at the Emperor who sat down beside her and rationalized that it must be his doing.

"I thought you were asleep...What are you reading?" The Emperor asked his interest piqued by her panicked reaction.

"Nothing... just a story. How was your day?" Lei Xing asked trying to change the subject, she was certain that him seeing this book was not be a good idea. After all, it portrayed his father as an ungrateful traitorous crazy person, who stabbed everyone in the back.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow and smirked, even more interested now. Her ploy was too obvious, she had never bothered to inquire about the events of his day before.? He stretched out a hand for the book, Lei Xing looked at the hand then looked at him with a feigned confused expression. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "The book."

Lei Xing pursed her lips and then begrudgingly handed it over. The Emperor took it and then knit his brows when he saw the title.

Lei Xing quickly defended herself, "I was just curious about the author's imagination...So I randomly bought it...Of course, this person is a bold criminal and should be punished for this slander! The royal family is not be used as a plot for fict-"

"What do you think of it?" The Emperor calmly asked cutting off her rambling, looking at her.

Lei Xing blinked and then knit her brows, "Well, nothing really...I don't have much of an opinion on it. Especially since it's an unverified tale, it shouldn't matter." She said still treading lightly.

"It's the truth, although an abridged version." The Emperor calmly informed as he flipped through the pages of the book.

Lei Xing blinked and then blankly stared at him, not knowing what to say. Thinking that it must have been quite the complicated relationship, knowing the Empress dowager and the person the book portrayed his father to be.

{...It must have been quite hard for you as a child being stuck in the middle of that chaos...}