Chapter 120: Jiang, Your Wife Has Left You

Chapter 120: Jiang, Your Wife Has Left You

The Empress had likely anticipated Shen Zhixue's reaction and simply chuckled, "Don't worry, Fidel's reach doesn't extend here. Let Jiang Huizhou handle the rest."

Shen Zhixue clenched his fists tightly, realizing that Jiang Huizhou might have once again kept him in the dark about some scheme. The so-called "plan to fake a paternity test to become the Federation's Crown Prince" that Jiang Huizhou had confessed to him was nothing more than a smokescreen.

Perhaps from the start, most of what Jiang Huizhou told him was a lie.

"You don't seem very happy?" The Empress watched him with keen interest, clearly amused by the situation. "Well, of course, that boy has secretly set up such a grand scheme without telling you a single word, making you worry and fear. If it were me, I'd be livid—I'd go back and leave him!"

Shen Zhixue didn't respond to the Empress's teasing. Instead, he calmly asked, "When did this all start?"

"Oh, the way you say it makes it sound like there's something going on between Jiang Huizhou and me," the Empress covered her mouth as she laughed. "But I have no interest in younger men..."

"What I mean is, when did he start working with you? Did he already establish contact with you before we arrived in the Federation? Was he planning to join forces with you to oppose Fidel from the very beginning?"

The Empress studied him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, "You're no fun. Why aren't you jealous?"

Shen Zhixue pressed his lips together, staying silent, simply standing up and walking toward the door of the chamber.

The Empress's voice dropped instantly, "Stop. Did I say you could leave?"

"Since you don't have the answers, I'll find them elsewhere."

"Fine, I should've known you'd be no fun. I'll stop teasing you." The Empress waved her hand. "Come sit down. I'll answer whatever questions you have."

Shen Zhixue turned around but didn't walk back. He stood at the door, his tall, handsome frame highlighted by the lavish court attire. The artificial sunlight bathed him in a warm glow.

But he felt no warmth—only cold. No matter what he said or did, Jiang Huizhou always seemed to instinctively exclude him, whether it was out of "distrust" or "concern for his safety."

Again and again, he was left in the dark. Again and again, after he had given his all with genuine sincerity, he was met with a slap in the face, revealing a harsh truth—that his caution, his worries, his struggles, and his pain were all just trivial, laughable, and useless.

Jiang Huizhou had arranged everything, including himself. He was just a pawn, manipulated and playing his part as best he could. Whether he wanted to or not, whether he was afraid or not, whether he was sad or happy—none of it mattered to the outcome. He was simply following the script Jiang Huizhou had written for him.

"When did he break with Fidel and choose to collaborate with you?"

The Empress replied casually, "From the start."

Shen Zhixue narrowed his eyes and asked, "I don't get it. I hope you can explain everything to me."

The Empress paused for a moment before saying, "How much do you want to know?"

Shen Zhixue stepped forward, his deep blue eyes fixed on her. "What do you think I should know?"

"Alright," the Empress shrugged and said, "But if I tell you now, it could jeopardize the alliance between Jiang Huizhou and me. So, even if you learn the truth, I hope you'll stick to the script. Before everything is completed, don't let Jiang Huizhou know that you've already learned the whole truth."

Shen Zhixue clenched his fists. "Fine."

"Actually, from the very beginning, Jiang Huizhou chose me. The royal family and the military have been in a stalemate for a long time, and things were peaceful. But Fidel—he's a madman. He used the military's influence to carry out large-scale, inhumane human experiments in the Federation. He did this very covertly, and we currently have no evidence. It's difficult to bring Fidel down with an unsubstantiated accusation, so Jiang Huizhou chose to collaborate with me."

"He helped me expose Fidel's secrets to the public, restoring political clarity to the Federation. In return, I promised him that once the Federation's situation stabilized, I would be his backing... and his bargaining chip in negotiations with the Empire."

Shen Zhixue said in a deep voice, "So, he had already contacted you while he was still in the Empire."

"Yes. After coming to the Federation, he was completely controlled by Fidel and couldn't meet with me. So, we established contact and devised a plan while he was still in the Empire." The Empress's deep blue eyes rested on Shen Zhixue. "Do you know why Fidel conducted those human experiments?"

Shen Zhixue asked blankly, "Why?"

"Because of his wife." The Empress said, "I assume the version you've heard is that his wife went mad after losing her child over a decade ago, right?"

Shen Zhixue was speechless: "Isn't that the truth?"

"Of course not." Her Majesty’s expression turned unusually serious: "Actually, his wife was a traveler from another dimension. What’s more, the Duchess wasn’t originally Fidel’s wife but belonged to his twin brother—the rightful heir to the title."

Shen Zhixue was completely caught off guard by this twist and leaned forward: "What?!"

"Fidel’s a total madman. He fell for his brother’s wife, so he murdered the real Duke of Fidel, stole his title, and even killed their child, the real Young Fedel." Her Majesty continued: "The night the Duchess remarried her brother-in-law, she told Fidel something that sounded completely insane."

Shen Zhixue took a deep breath: "She’s a 'dimensional traveler'?"

"Exactly." Her Majesty sighed: "Later, the Duchess went on a revenge spree against Fidel, nearly killing him multiple times, but in the end, she failed. Then, she decided to 'leave.'"

Shen Zhixue was puzzled: "Leave?"

"I’m not entirely sure either. But after that, the Duchess seemed like a totally different person—dazed and foolish, as if she’d forgotten everything Fidel had done to her. That’s how she is now."

Shen Zhixue pondered this. So, the "Duchess" was also a 'dimensional traveler.' Could 'leave' mean her soul went back to her original world?!

This was huge for Shen Zhixue. He’d never thought about going back before, but if the Duchess had done it, maybe he could too...

"What I’m about to tell you might really piss you off." Her Majesty said: "Fidel’s convinced the Duchess isn’t crazy—she just 'left.' So, he started countless human experiments, trying to find the dimension she came from. Honestly, I always thought this was nuts. We’ve explored the universe pretty thoroughly, and scientifically, there’s no such thing as a 'second dimension' like the Duchess described..."

By now, Shen Zhixue had it all figured out.

Jiang Huizhou didn’t bring him to the Federation because of some 'ridiculous attachment'—it was because he, like the Duchess, was a 'dimensional traveler.' The traces of his sudden arrival in this world couldn’t be wiped away. If Jiang Huizhou had recklessly brought him into the Duke’s residence, Fidel would’ve dug into his background and quickly figured out that his life matched the profile of a 'traveler.' At a certain point, his personality did a complete 180; things he couldn’t do before, he could now; he went from clueless to sharp...

So, to Fidel, he was a traveler from the same dimension as the Duchess—the perfect lab rat, irresistible bait. Fidel was bound to go after him. Only by taking action would Fidel slip up, giving Jiang Huizhou the chance to strike.

Her Majesty studied Shen Zhixue’s face but saw no sign of anger: "You... you’re not mad? I thought you’d at least be a little pissed. Even though Jiang Huizhou seems to care about you, using you as bait, he still tried to keep you safe."

Shen Zhixue shook his head, letting out a bitter laugh: "Your Majesty, honestly, I’m pretty much used to his games by now."

Her Majesty was momentarily stunned, then nodded in agreement: "Being with someone like that, yeah... But don’t get too worked up. Being smart’s a good thing, after all."

Shen Zhixue nodded: "You're right."

Her Majesty patted his shoulder: "It’s better if you’re not mad. Fidel’s probably gotten the decree naming you Crown Prince by now. He originally planned to frame you for tainting the royal bloodline, lock you up, and then swap you out on death row. But now that you’re the Crown Prince, he’s gotta be desperate and will probably make a move—maybe even try to snatch you from the palace... Once someone’s obsession hits its peak, no matter how smart they are, they turn into a total idiot."

Shen Zhixue lowered his head and sighed: "I’ll cooperate, but I’m exhausted. Can I get some rest first?"

"Of course." Her Majesty said: "I’ll make sure you’re guarded. Get some rest."

Shen Zhixue stood up, bowed to Her Majesty, and was escorted to his resting chamber.

On the way, Shen Zhixue passed through the royal garden and saw the Duchess crouching at the garden's edge.

Shen Zhixue was surprised: "Madam? Didn't I send someone to take you back?"

"I came back." The Duchess tugged at his sleeve: "I was worried about you, Zhi Zhi."

Shen Zhixue's eyes showed clear exhaustion, but he forced a smile: "I'm fine, see? I'm perfectly alright."

The Duchess looked at him for a long time and said: "I once played a game with a very smart person."

Shen Zhixue was puzzled: "Huh?"

"I could never beat him." The Duchess's voice was soft: "So, I just quit playing."

Shen Zhixue halted and turned to look at the Duchess standing beside him.

The Duchess tilted her head, her eyes filled with sincerity: "If you can't win, don't play with him, Zhi Zhi."