Chapter 103: Listening to You

◎What exactly is your status?◎

Yu Lian had just learned that Mrs. Chen's husband and child had been taken into custody by Hua Ji's soldiers. The reason why Mrs. Chen was still able to move around freely was twofold. First, as a woman, she was weak and powerless. Second, the entire household was under strict guard by soldiers; not even an ant could escape.

Thirdly, her husband and child were in the hands of those soldiers. If she wanted to flee, she would have to carefully consider the consequences.

After listening, Yu Lian fell silent for a moment before asking, "What is your true identity?"

If it were an ordinary family fleeing disaster, why would Hua Ji have seized her husband and child? There must be some ulterior motive behind this.

Mrs. Chen wept as she wiped away tears. "Empress...my lady..."

Yu Lian suppressed the fluttering of her eyelids and corrected her. "Don't call me Empress...just address me as you normally would."

Mrs. Chen bowed again and said, "My father was originally the landowner in this town. I was sent to the palace as a servant girl by my father in pursuit of wealth and glory. Later, I was fortunate enough to catch the Emperor's eye and was granted the title of a concubine..."

Yu Lian: "..." It turned out she knew this person.

Mrs. Chen looked up at her, "At first, in the palace, I was utterly clueless and found every step treacherous. I nearly lost my life. It was my father who sent me a guiding strategy, mentioning a noble person who would teach me how to establish myself in the palace and win the Emperor's favor. I followed each instruction meticulously, not daring to be careless for a moment. That's how, by sheer luck, I gained the Emperor's affection..."

Thoughts of the infamous Concubine Chen danced in Yu Lian's mind, prompting her to inquire curiously, "The original Li Imperial Concubine came from an esteemed background, and the Empress was no ordinary woman with her remarkable tactics. How did you manage to ascend to the rank of a concubine?"

Mrs. Chen's expression shifted abruptly, a newfound confidence flickering in her brows. "Following the noble lady's ingenious plan, I hid behind His Majesty, currying favor and appearing vulnerable. I watched as the Concubine and the Empress engaged in a fierce rivalry. Eventually, the Concubine lost her child, and the Empress's crown prince was left disabled. As a result, His Majesty's only remaining child was my son. He genuinely believes that I have no ulterior motives and that our love is sincere. He has even confided in me that if it weren't for the fear of the influence backing the Concubine, he would have elevated me to the position of Concubine, replacing her altogether."

Yu Lian: "..." Though her appearance still exuded a delicate and gentle charm, the words she spoke carried a hint of the allure and cunning one would expect from an enchanting concubine.

Little did she expect that her casual strategizing on paper would be so thoroughly grasped and utilized by this person. This alone earned Yu Lian's newfound respect. If she were in Mrs. Chen's shoes, inexperienced and unprepared, she might not have emerged as triumphant in the palace intrigues as this young lady had. It seemed this modest maiden possessed a natural talent for navigating the treacherous world of the imperial court.

Yu Lian narrowed her eyes, gazing at the younger Mrs. Chen as if she were some rare, enchanting concubine. The younger Mrs. Chen, bashful, lowered her gaze, "Please don't look at me like that..."

Yu Lian asked, "If the imperial city had not fallen, your son might have ascended to be the crown prince one day, and you would have reigned as the queen mother. Do you hate Hua Ji for that?"

Mrs. Chen immediately prostrated herself, her forehead turning red from the force of her obeisance. "This humble woman dares not, this humble woman dares not... I am but the daughter of a rural landowner, never aspiring to such terrifying wealth and splendor. Not to mention my lowly birth, even if the Emperor favors my son, the court officials would not support his ascension to the throne as crown prince. Should my son become the crown prince, my humble origins would become a burden to him. Then, the Empress and the Concubine would have reason to take my child away. I would fare no better in any case; perhaps it is for the best if this imperial city falls, at least then I would not lose my child."

Yu Lian sighed, only then realizing how ruthless the strife within the imperial palace truly was. Even with the emperor's favor, numerous obstacles still stood in one's way, among which one's birth was an insurmountable chasm.

Having finished her gossiping, Yu Lian invited Mrs. Chen to rise and speak, who then sat down nervously on one side.

The reason for her seeking Yu Lian unfolded.

From the beginning, she learned from her father about the noble person who taught her how to survive in the palace. After the imperial city was seized, she instinctively fled back to her hometown, only to find that her father had moved the whole family to the capital, and their old house was sold. Besides, to avoid being captured, she dared not return.

With no other choice, she resorted to seeking refuge with the noble person who schooled her in palace intrigue.

Little did she expect that the man who rebelled and captured the imperial city would be the husband of that noble person. As she went to seek help, she was caught by the very man leading the troops to escort the noble lady and her family back to the capital for a life of luxury.

Her capture became inevitable.

Yu Lian asked, "What about the emperor?"

The man accompanying Mrs. Chen was handsome but ordinary, lacking any regal aura. His demeanor leaned more towards that of a steadfast military officer or guard, appearing reliable yet unremarkable.

Although he appeared loving and caring towards Mrs. Chen, there was also a sense of caution and subservience in his behavior, as if he placed himself in a lower position in their relationship. How could this befit an emperor?

Mrs. Chen suddenly gave a cold smile. "I killed him."

"He took me and our child to flee, and on the way, I personally fed him a cup of poison-laced water. He didn't even know how he died, nor did he know that his son wasn't his biological child."

Yu Lian: ...

Yu Lian then heard a story that left her utterly astonished.

It turned out that although Mrs. Chen had risen to become a favored concubine in the palace, she had faced numerous perilous situations along the way. Each time, she was saved by a guard named Zhang Xian. As time passed, they developed feelings for each other. Zhang Xian was a high-ranking imperial bodyguard, while she was a consort of the emperor. Despite their affection, they dared not cross any boundaries.

On one occasion, Mrs. Chen was targeted with a poisonous scheme – possibly orchestrated by the queen or a noble concubine – involving an unsavory man to catch her in the act. At this critical moment, Zhang Xian rescued her. The poison, if untreated, could severely endanger a woman's fertility or even threaten her life. In the urgency of the situation... they consummated their love.

Then a child was born. Eventually, Mrs. Chen cunningly shifted the blame onto the Emperor, and thus, the child came to be recognized as the Emperor's son.

After the imperial city was breached, the emperor, accompanied by Mrs. Chen, their child, and a retinue of guards including Zhang Xian, fled for their lives.

Amidst these events, they were relentlessly pursued, and all the guards around them fell. Only Mrs. Chen, Zhang Xian, and their child remained. Then, the emperor unfortunately sustained injuries and, due to their hiding, couldn't acquire medicine for his fever, which worsened. It was then that Mrs. Chen resorted to poisoning him, ultimately sending him on his journey to the afterlife.

"The poison was initially intended for my own use when there was no escape. Then I realized, why should I use it on myself? If I rid the world of that arrogant man, Zhang Xian and our child could finally live openly as a family, even if only for a moment."

Though the Emperor favors me, such affection is the result of my countless stratagems. He was born a prince and ascended to the throne, having everything he desires at his fingertips. His gaze is fixed on the heavens, blind to the hardships around him. Others envy my favor from the Emperor, but they know not the bitterness hidden beneath. If I were to complain about the intrigues I face without concrete evidence, I would be accused of sowing discord. I aspire to be a concubine, even a queen, yet to avoid being trampled upon, I must pretend to desire nothing, only then might I earn his praise as a virtuous woman.

"I should be grateful that he spends the night with me, yet all the food and drink on the table cater to his tastes, not mine. When the Imperial City fell, he took me away, but do you think that's love? He only kept me and our son because my medicine damaged his body, rendering him infertile, making my child his sole hope for an heir."

"Only Zhang Xian treats me with care, understands me, and protects me at every turn. What's wrong with being with him? When he left, I was ecstatic! Never had I felt so relieved, so hopeful."

"My son can speak now, and I want him to call his real father 'Dad'."

Yu Lian was utterly stunned by this convoluted tale, standing there in disbelief for a long moment.

Well... she could only say, well played!

Mrs. Chen still looked like a delicate flower, but Yu Lian sensed a strong heart within her! She was truly impressed!

"But... if you've already killed the emperor, why would Hua Ji capture you?"

Mrs. Chen shook her head. "I didn't tell the soldiers any of this. They wouldn't have believed me; they'd just assume I was hiding the emperor."

"You're their master's wife, the current Empress. Only you can believe me and plead my case, revealing the truth. Then they'll listen."

Yu Lian pondered this and realized it was true. Who would believe such an absurd story? Who would dare to trust that an enchanting concubine conspired with a guard to kill the emperor during their escape, only to reveal that the emperor's bloodline wasn't his own, but that of the guard, making them a family of three?

Upon hearing this, one might find it absurd and become even more suspicious of Mrs. Chen's intentions...

However, Yu Lian couldn't simply believe Mrs. Chen's words entirely. At present, she was Hua Ji's wife, and unless something unexpected happened, she would likely remain so. Therefore, they were on the same team, and the former emperor's life or death indirectly affected her interests.

Exiting the courtyard, Yu Lian took Mrs. Chen to see Hua Ji. They had just had a minor disagreement, each harboring their own thoughts. But when it came to serious matters, they were both straightforward. Yu Lian recounted the situation with Mrs. Chen and proposed that his soldiers accompany her to exhume the former emperor's body at the burial site to verify the truth.

If Mrs. Chen's claims proved true, and the child was not the offspring of the "dog emperor," there would be no harm in releasing the family of three.

Hua Ji listened and nodded.

He gave Yu Lian a serious look.

Her captivatingly beautiful face was not the one that had humiliated him in prison, nor the fragile yet stubborn visage she had shown before his memorial, nor the sorrowful yet distant expression she had worn upon his return.

Her brows were focused, her eyes clear, and her speech calm and logical. The image of the young lady that Zhu Ying had always described in his letters began to converge with the woman standing before him, becoming vivid and alive.

He smiled slightly, "I'll leave it all to you."

Yu Lian glanced at him curiously. Did the dog man just give her a strange look?

With Mrs. Chen's seemingly-expected expression and the suggestive, teasing looks from the other elderly ladies like Mrs. Chen, did this shameless man have any idea how easily his words could be misconstrued?