The Enchanting Empress Dowager Is Really Poisonous Volume 2 Chapter 17 - The Unscrupulous Divine Doctor! Changes in the Palace

Volume 2 Chapter 17 - The Unscrupulous Divine Doctor! Changes in the Palace

(All the Lord Lord De – Lord Xiao are dukes)

**Qingzhou, Tianyun City**

This is the southernmost coastal city of Fengyu, where the air carries the scent of the sea. Tianyun City is the richest coastal city and one of the fiefs of the Prince Xuan, Long Yue Li.

Here, the culture is open; both men and women contribute to the labor force, relying on fis.h.i.+ng for their livelihoods. Due to its distance from the capital and Long Yue Li’s lack of increased taxes over the years, the city has become increasingly prosperous. The citizens live and work in peace, with bustling shops and a steady flow of merchants, making it a vibrant place.

At the heart of Tianyun City stands a five-story pavilion by the sea, from which one can see the ocean clearly from the top. During high tide, it offers the best view of the waves, but access to the top is restricted.

In front of the pavilion lies the busiest street in Tianyun City, teeming with people and carriages. However, this lively scene suddenly fell silent as all eyes turned towards a pure black carriage drawn by a striking chestnut horse, moving slowly and deliberately, demanding attention. Remarkably, the carriage had no driver; the horse made its way to the pavilion, eventually stopping in front.

After a pause, just as people were about to return their gazes, a hand emerged from the carriage. This hand, seemingly carved from the finest white jade, had long, well-defined fingers and a snow-white sleeve contrasting sharply with the dark carriage.

Moments later, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a young man in white, around twenty years old, stepped out. His presence was breathtaking, akin to a celestial being.

Dressed in pure white, with unadorned black hair cascading down, he appeared like a roguish young man. Yet, upon seeing his face, all notions of irreverence vanished. His features were finely drawn, like those of a master artist’s careful creation—eyebrows slightly raised with a hint of coldness, a straight nose, and pale lips. His skin was unnaturally fair, almost translucent; at the corner of his left eye was a teardrop birthmark, as if a drop of blood had crystallized upon his arrival in the mortal realm. His gaze, cast downward, obscured his emotions, yet he radiated an air of divine detachment.

As he descended from the carriage, his slender fingers brushed against the hem of his clothing, releasing an ethereal aura reminiscent of a snow-capped peak—pure and otherworldly, making it hard to look directly at him. When his pale gaze swept across the crowd, a sense of reverence filled their hearts, compelling them to wors.h.i.+p him. By the time they regained their senses, he had already entered the pavilion!

Only after his white figure disappeared for some time did the onlookers come back to reality, pondering the ident.i.ty of this celestial-like man. With his divine visage and ethereal presence, it was impossible for anyone to forget him.

The women who had witnessed this scene covered their hearts, their faces flushed. They knew they shouldn’t indulge in thoughts about such a divine figure, yet they couldn’t help but be captivated, knowing that just a glimpse of such a man in this lifetime was enough!

In the fifth floor of the Linhai Pavilion, when a figure dressed in snow-white entered, a disdainful and contemptuous voice greeted him: “If those below knew that you, who looks like a celestial being, are actually a heartless ghost doctor who saves fewer lives than you take, I wonder if they would still wish to wors.h.i.+p you as they do now?”

The speaker was Jin Yu, once the sole heir of the world’s number one divine doctor, Ghost Hand. Now he was known as the feared ghost doctor in the martial world. While his master was revered, he was dreaded. His medical skills were unparalleled, yet he rarely saved lives; his conditions were extraordinarily harsh, and usually, before a patient could fulfill his demands, they were already dead! He had strict principles: even if the patient were an emperor or a powerful lord, he would watch them die without flinching. Therefore, unless there was truly no other option, no one would seek the ghost doctor, and naturally, few knew that the most unscrupulous ghost doctor bore such a deceptive face.

Jin Yu, who had kept his head lowered, finally lifted his gaze slightly. His autumn-like eyes were cold and devoid of emotion, his voice flat: “So, it seems I saved you in vain.”

Long Yue Li, wrapped in a flamboyant crimson outfit that clung to his body, was now swathed in thick layers of gauze, resembling a dumpling. Coupled with his devilish appearance, it looked somewhat ridiculous! He shot Jin Yu a resentful glare: “Didn’t you say your medical skills were unmatched? You boasted that this sword wound would heal in less than seven days, so why am I still lying here?”

Jin Yu sat at a nearby table, poured himself a cup of water, and lifted it to drink but ultimately set it down. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the cup clean before pouring water again. After finis.h.i.+ng, he turned his gaze to Long Yue Li: “If I heal you so quickly, will you just go get stabbed by a woman again?”

Long Yue Li huffed irritably: “What’s it to you?”

Jin Yu walked over to the bedside. Dressed in white, he and Long Yue Li in red were like a demon and a celestial being, both strikingly handsome. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you; although I promised to save you three times, if you keep getting badly wounded by a woman, I won’t help you next time. If you’re that useless, you might as well die—why waste my effort?”

Though he spoke with ruthless words, his expression remained unchanged, leaving one to doubt whether those words truly came from him.

Long Yue Li, recalling the news from Xiang Ming two days prior, felt his anger surge: “Who asked you to worry so much? If I keep lying here, by the time I get back, it’ll be too late. That dead woman might run off with someone else, and I might as well be dead!”

Upon hearing this, a hint of expression finally crossed Jin Yu’s face, a smirk that was almost scornful: “Just one woman, how pathetic!”

Seeing his expression, Long Yue Li’s anger suddenly dissipated. Propping his head with one hand, he smirked mischievously: “What’s wrong with women? They’re far more appealing than your disgusting bugs and poisons. I remember you’re over twenty; you haven’t tasted the flavor of a woman, have you? Still a virgin?”

Jin Yu remained unfazed by the provocation, coldly responding, “All women look the same without their clothes on. What’s so special about that? Didn’t you say this before?”

Long Yue Li choked momentarily, then narrowed his eyes, grinning like a cunning fox: “That was before I met her. All women might be the same, but she is uniquely special. Until you experience it, you wouldn’t understand!”

Noticing the warmth in Long Yue Li’s gaze that he hadn’t seen before, Jin Yu became curious: “Who is she?”

Long Yue Li immediately suppressed his expression, eyeing Jin Yu warily. After thoroughly a.s.sessing him, he firmly decided not to reveal anything about Leng Jiu. His looks were decent, and it seemed that woman favored handsome men. Although this person before him showed no interest in women, that woman could easily attract attention. Better to be cautious and snuff out any budding rumors at the start!

“Why bring her up? Aren’t you supposed to be changing my bandages? Hurry up!” Long Yue Li said impatiently.

Jin Yu’s eyes flickered, and he surprisingly refrained from his usual sharp tongue as he quietly changed the bandages. However, in a place where Long Yue Li couldn’t see, a hint of intrigue pa.s.sed through his eyes. It genuinely piqued his curiosity what kind of woman could evoke such protectiveness and wariness from Long Yue Li.

He seldom recognized people, with Long Yue Li being one of the few, and the one he had spent the most time with. In front of each other, they showed their truest selves, exchanging unfiltered sarcasm. Yet now, Long Yue Li displayed a side that Jin Yu found incomprehensible, and how could he not be curious? If Long Yue Li knew that his efforts to rid himself of two rivals in the capital had instead attracted a “wolf,” he would probably be furious enough to spit blood!

While the two exchanged unusual thoughts, a different scene unfolded in the palace.

In the morning, before Leng Jiu had even risen, her palace door was burst open. Long Yi stormed in, his sword pointed threateningly at her throat. His handsome face burned with anger, his eyes nearly cracking with fury as he shouted, “Leng Jinghua! How could you be so cruel?”

Leng Jiu was startled by his murderous intent but soon felt puzzled as she noticed her maid, Ziyu, pressed down on the ground in panic, while Qingling and Du Heng rushed in and knelt. Du Heng reported, risking his life: “Empress Dowager! Early this morning, the imperial physician discovered that the Crown Prince had died, suffocated by someone. The Emperor is furious, and a maid claimed to have seen Ziyu sneaking into the Crown Prince’s palace last night!”

Ziyu looked up at Leng Jiu with tear-filled eyes: “Empress Dowager! I didn’t do it!”

Leng Jiu turned her gaze to Long Yi: “Do you suspect that I did it?”

Long Yi’s sword trembled slightly, its tip nearly piercing her skin. With a cold sneer, he replied, “The evidence is irrefutable; what else do you have to say?”

Leng Jiu smiled lightly: “The Crown Prince’s palace is filled with imperial guards. How could a mere maid enter?”

“You still dare to argue? Just now, two guards committed suicide in front of me, confessing that they took money from this maid!” Long Yi pressed the sword forward, the tip breaking her skin and drawing blood. Yet, he didn’t care about anything else; not killing her immediately was already showing restraint.

“Empress Dowager! I didn’t do it! I was here all night, how could I have harmed the Crown Prince?” Ziyu struggled between the two guards, the blade against her neck cutting her skin. She didn’t care about her own blood, only wanting to prove Leng Jiu’s innocence.

Leng Jiu lowered her gaze, then reached out to grasp the tip of Long Yi’s sword, gently pus.h.i.+ng it aside. Sitting up, she said, “If the Emperor has already decided I deserve to die, just say the word, and someone will immediately drag me out for execution. But before you sentence me, can you let this dying person say a few words?”

“I’ll see how else you can argue!”

“Arguing?” Leng Jiu smiled. “I never argue. I only have a few questions for the Emperor. First: why would I want to kill the Crown Prince? I am the Empress Dowager, the most esteemed woman in the Fengyu Dynasty. No one can take my position; why would I kill a prince who poses no threat to it?”

“Second: if I wanted to kill the prince, why wouldn’t I bribe those two guards to act directly? Why would I send my most trusted maid to do it, making it obvious that I was involved? Do you think I’m that foolish?”

“Third: the Crown Prince’s palace is heavily guarded with both guards and physicians, along with numerous maids and matrons. How could a single maid brazenly enter and kill him? Doesn’t the Emperor find that somewhat ridiculous? Is everyone else dead?”

Long Yi’s reason was awakened by Leng Jiu’s words, but he still struggled to believe it; her calm demeanor was too unsettling. “How can I trust you?”

“Have I asked you to trust me?” Leng Jiu removed her feet from the bed and slightly bent to put on her shoes. Standing up, she opened her arms: “Qingling, Ziyu, why aren’t you coming to help me dress?”

Hearing this, Qingling came over. Ziyu tried to follow but was held back by two guards. She looked at Leng Jiu pleadingly: “Empress Dowager!”

Leng Jiu shot her a glance before turning back to Long Yi: “If I were truly behind this, why would I need a maid to take the blame? If you wanted her dead, a single word would suffice; would I fear her escaping?”

Long Yi studied her intently before waving his hand, ordering the guards to release Ziyu.

Once freed, Ziyu rushed over, quickly wiping her tears to help Leng Jiu with her clothing.

Qingling attempted to apply medicine to Leng Jiu’s neck, but she stopped her: “Leave it! Let some people enjoy themselves!”

Qingling didn’t press further, and together with Ziyu, they helped Leng Jiu don her imperial attire and fix her hair. Throughout the process, Long Yi stood silently nearby, his anger gradually dissipating. Observing her composed and proud demeanor stirred a mix of complex feelings within him.

Seeing that Leng Jiu wasn’t treating her wound, Ziyu stubbornly refused to bandage it, thinking that she could not die and that she needed to prove her innocence, both for herself and for the Empress Dowager!

After finis.h.i.+ng her preparations, Leng Jiu looked at Long Yi: “Let’s go!”

Long Yi was momentarily stunned: “Where to?”

Leng Jiu chuckled lightly: “I am now accused of a grave crime, plotting against the Crown Prince. Shouldn’t the Emperor have me imprisoned in the dungeons?”

Long Yi turned his face away, unable to meet her clear gaze: “The Empress Dowager’s status is too n.o.ble to be treated like a common criminal. You need only be placed under house arrest in the Weiyang Palace until everything is clarified before a final decision is made!”

Leng Jiu halted: “Then I thank the Emperor for his grace!”

Long Yi stared at her for a long moment before throwing down his sword and turning to leave, instructing others to encircle the Weiyang Palace and not allow anyone in or out. In other words, the Empress Dowager was now under house arrest!

“Empress Dowager!” Ziyu knelt before Leng Jiu, tears streaming down her face again. “I didn’t do it; I’m innocent!”

Leng Jiu reached out to help her up and sighed softly, “I know it wasn’t you. I will clear your name in this matter. However, you should understand that in the palace, being good-hearted won’t guarantee your survival. Sometimes, if you don’t act, disaster will still find you!”

“I understand! I will be more careful from now on!” Ziyu cried like a wretched person, taking a long time to stop her tears.

Qingling, seeing Ziyu like this, didn’t reprimand her, but felt some worry in her heart: “Right now, we can’t intervene in palace matters. We can’t send messages because the Weiyang Palace is sealed. Are we really just going to sit here and wait?”

Leng Jiu took a handkerchief and asked Qingling to wipe the blood off her neck, smiling lightly, “Who said we’re just sitting here waiting?”

With her neck slightly raised to show the wound, she called out, “Du Heng! Bring Xiang Ming in!”

“Yes!”

Xiang Ming walked in and saw the glint in Leng Jiu’s eyes as she asked, “Did the Empress Dowager summon me?”

Leng Jiu threw the ring that Leng Yue had given her: “Go to the General’s residence and tell him to meet with that person in the dungeon, and say this: ‘The Empress Dowager is dying; he is free!'”

“Huh?” Xiang Ming was stunned. What was this? But she didn’t ask further, curious instead: “But how can I get out of the sealed Weiyang Palace?”

Leng Jiu gave her a cool glance: “If the Huajia’s lightness skills can’t get out of the Weiyang Palace, then they don’t deserve to be called the best in the martial world!”

Xiang Ming sighed inwardly, took the ring, and bowed slightly: “I obey!” She turned and left.

“Du Heng!”

“At your service!”

“Over the next few days, all meals in the Weiyang Palace must be strictly checked, including drinking water and snacks, especially for Ziyu!” Leng Jiu’s eyes turned cold: “I don’t want any rumors of someone committing suicide out of guilt!”

Du Heng stiffened: “Understood!”

News of the prince’s death spread quickly throughout the palace, followed by reports of the Emperor storming into the Weiyang Palace and sealing it off. A wave of unease swept through the palace as people speculated whether a power s.h.i.+ft was coming.

Furu Palace

Zhao Yan nervously watched Hua Yuxuan and said angrily, “I heard the Emperor barged into the Weiyang Palace this morning, pointed a sword at her, and drew blood on her neck. But in the end, he didn’t go through with it and let her escape!”

Hua Yuxuan’s face darkened: “The Emperor has feelings for her. Even if he has hated her over the years, that love still exists, so he won’t easily harm her. Besides, with her bewitching looks, she can make any man lose his mind, especially the Emperor.”

Zhao Yan widened her eyes: “But she’s already the Empress Dowager; that’s outrageous!”

Hua Yuxuan sneered: “Wasn’t there a Mingxian Empress in ancient times? The Emperor clearly promised her the position, yet turned me into a concubine. Who would believe he doesn’t have ulterior motives?”

Zhao Yan began to believe her; the Mingxian Empress was widely known, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager had been childhood friends. If they truly wanted to defy convention, it wouldn’t be impossible.

Hua Yuxuan took out a handkerchief to wipe her lips, her narrow eyes narrowing into a sly smile: “Tonight, let’s set fire to n.o.ble Consort’s chambers. She wanted that woman to protect her child, but now that the child is gone, how can she not harbor resentment?”

Zhao Yan shuddered at Hua Yuxuan’s sudden display of cruelty but didn’t speak further. She felt like a p.a.w.n in Hua Yuxuan’s game and could only comply. She didn’t understand why Hua Yuxuan wanted to fight the Empress Dowager to the death. Even if the Emperor and Empress Dowager could rekindle their old romance, she felt the Empress Dowager was different now. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taught her how to dress and sent her to the Emperor’s bed. Yet Hua Yuxuan didn’t believe that; she seemed intent on eliminating the Empress Dowager, which puzzled Zhao Yan. Although she was currently allied with Hua Yuxuan, deep down, she didn’t think Hua Yuxuan could outmatch the Empress Dowager. That woman, whom she didn’t know well, felt formidable, unlike Hua Yuxuan. If possible, she would rather not be an enemy of someone like that, but now she had no choice.

In the palace, to spy on each other, the concubines often sent spies into each other’s courts or bribed others for information. n.o.ble Consort had once been favored, so her palace was under close watch. Zhao Yan didn’t have a plan, but n.o.ble Consort was particularly wary, surrounding herself with handpicked maids and servants, ensuring they were under her control and their families were bound, leaving them no room to betray her.

However, on the day of her delivery, one of her most trusted maids secretly added a drug to her soup. If it weren’t for a third-rank maid, Lu Er, witnessing it, she would have been dead by now. n.o.ble Consort secretly executed that maid, and Lu Er, for saving her, was promoted to a second-rank maid. Lu Er was an honest and silent maid who rarely spoke, so hardly anyone noticed her. n.o.ble Consort observed her for two days and deemed her trustworthy, keeping her close. Little did she know, this quiet maid had actually been planted by Zhao Yan as a spy years ago but had never had the opportunity to act.

The First Prince pa.s.sed away suddenly, and upon hearing the news, Consort De (n.o.ble Consort) spat blood and fainted. Her already pale face became even paler. If it weren’t for the support of a five-hundred-year lifespan, she might have already lost her breath!

After being unconscious for an entire day, Consort De finally woke up that evening. Her gaze fixed on the canopy above as silent tears streamed down her face. Her child had been born for less than ten days, yet Heaven was so unfair! Why?

A wet nurse entered with a bowl of ginseng soup and asked Lu Er to help Consort De drink it. Lu Er carefully supported Consort De, and the nurse began to feed her. However, it wasn’t long before Lu Er quietly began to sob, drawing the attention of Consort De and the nurse.

Consort De looked at her, slightly puzzled. “Why are you crying, child?”

Lu Er wiped her tears with her sleeve and murmured, “I’m sad for the princess and for the prince. You fought through so much to give birth to him, yet he barely enjoyed a few days of motherly love before pa.s.sing. How could Heaven be so unjust? It’s all because of the Empress Dowager; how could she be so cruel to such a small child?”

Hearing this, Consort De felt a pang of pain. No one could be more heartbroken than her. However, she keenly caught the last two sentences and was somewhat surprised. “You said the Empress Dowager?”

The nurse sighed. “The mistress just woke up and doesn’t know. The Emperor found out this morning that it was the Empress Dowager who ordered the palace maids to do it. He stormed into the Weiyang Palace and almost killed the Empress Dowager with a sword, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Now she is under house arrest, and the entire harem knows!”

Consort De shook her head weakly. “It’s not her!”

The nurse was slightly taken aback. “Why would you say that? A guard admitted it this morning and even committed suicide in front of the Emperor. The evidence is conclusive; it was the Empress Dowager!”

Consort De smiled sadly. “In the harem, what seems like conclusive evidence can often be misleading!”

“Even if it wasn’t the Empress Dowager, she’s still not a good person. That day, the mistress pleaded with her so desperately, yet the Empress Dowager left without a second thought. If she had promised to protect the prince, he wouldn’t have pa.s.sed away!” Lu Er said angrily, her voice thick with emotion.

Consort De tiredly closed her eyes. “You all should leave now. I need to rest.”

Lu Er helped Consort De back onto her bed, tenderly covering her with a quilt before leaving, her face hidden in her hands as she felt heartbroken.

As Consort De lay in bed, Lu Er’s words echoed in her mind: If only she had promised to protect the prince, he wouldn’t have pa.s.sed away! Tears flowed down her cheeks as she clenched her fists under the covers. She hated the one who caused her child’s death, but she hated Leng Jinghua even more. She could have saved her child; she could have done it! Yet, she watched helplessly as her child was harmed. How could she not hate her?

“His Majesty is here!”

The eunuch’s shout snapped Consort De back to reality. She quickly concealed her anger, gazing sorrowfully at the screen as Long Yi walked in and approached her bedside, concern etched on his face. “You’re awake!”

“Your Majesty!” Consort De called softly, her voice thick with grief.

Long Yi took her hand and comforted her. “Don’t worry! I will definitely find the one who killed our child and make them pay dearly!”

Consort De tightly grasped Long Yi’s hand, tears streaming down her face. She opened her mouth to speak but ended up sobbing instead.

Seeing this made Long Yi’s heart ache even more. The child she had fought so hard to bring into the world was gone, and he understood her pain, feeling a deepening affection for her. “You will have more children in the future. You need to take care of yourself first!”

After a long pause, Consort De finally managed to speak. “Is… is it really her?”

Long Yi’s expression changed slightly. “I’m still investigating this matter; it’s too early to draw conclusions!”

Consort De gripped the quilt tightly, her veins protruding from the back of her hand. Her eyes were blurred with tears as she looked at Long Yi in despair. “I know it’s her… Long ago, she was jealous of me even before I was pregnant, which led to the Emperor striking her. I admit I was jealous of her past with the Emperor, but the child was innocent!”

“On that day… after I gave birth, I ordered that no one be allowed to enter, but the Empress Dowager barged in. She told me that giving birth wasn’t a true accomplishment; one must raise the child well to enjoy glory and wealth. I said with the Emperor here, who would dare harm my child? But the Empress Dowager just laughed coldly and left. I… I never expected her to be so cruel. My child hasn’t even reached a month old!”

Long Yi was shocked by her words. “Such a thing happened?”

“Your Majesty! I am but a dying woman; there’s no need to deceive you. I beg you to give justice to our child!” she cried, trying to sit up as if to prove her point with her life.

“You are still weak; don’t move!” Long Yi pressed her back down, gazing at her pale, sorrowful face. After a moment of silence, he left the room. In that instant, Consort De saw the pale expression on Long Yi’s face and a hint of murderous intent.

Watching him leave, a glint of determination flashed in Consort De’s eyes. Leng Jinghua, don’t blame me for being ruthless; you pushed me to this. If you show no mercy, neither will I. Even if I go to h.e.l.l, I will drag you along to accompany my child!

Long Yi didn’t personally go to Weiyang Palace but instead issued a decree stating that the Empress Dowager had lost her virtue by instructing her maid to plot against the First Prince, an act of extreme cruelty that violated the heavens. She, along with her maid, was to be imprisoned in the heavenly prison for questioning, and all servants of Weiyang Palace were to be detained until the truth was uncovered, facing the same punishment!

If the sealing of Weiyang Palace had caused panic in the entire palace, then this decree was like a thunderclap to everyone. The Emperor had actually imprisoned the Empress Dowager in the heavenly prison—a first in history!

When Zhao Yan heard this news, she was also taken aback. She thought it wouldn’t be so easy, yet within a day, such a huge change had occurred. How much did Consort De hate Leng Jinghua to send her into the heavenly prison with just a few words?

When the palace maid reported the news, Hua Yuxuan was confronting Hua Jinzhi. Hua Jinzhii sat coldly across from her, his gaze not that of a brother to a sister, but like that of an enemy. The atmosphere was tense as they exchanged no words. Upon hearing that Leng Jinghua had been imprisoned in the heavenly prison, Hua Jinzh could no longer stay seated and jumped up, his face changing dramatically. “He actually dared to imprison her?”

As he spoke, he turned to leave, but Hua Yuxuan pulled him back. “Jinzhi! What do you think you’re doing?”

Hua Jinzhi coldly replied, “That’s none of your business!”

“She is the Empress Dowager; it has nothing to do with you!” Hua Yuxuan shouted, raising her voice.

Hua Jinzhi pushed her hand away: “You’d better pray this doesn’t concern you; otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!”

“Hua Jinzhi!” Hua Yuxuan yelled in anguish: “I am your sister, your own sister! Do I mean less to you than a woman you’ve slept with for one night?”

Hua Jinzhi paused, turning around with a dark expression: “What did you say?”

Hua Yuxuan’s heart jolted, and her voice softened: “Don’t think I don’t know what you did that night. Being with her will ruin you. As your sister, I beg you to cut ties with her. Why must you be with her when there are so many women in the world?”

“What if I must be with her?” Hua Jinzhi looked at her coldly, his gaze filled with a darkness he had never shown before: “I don’t have a sister with such a cruel heart. If it weren’t for Father and Mother’s sake, I wouldn’t let you live until today. You’d better not interfere in my affairs with her, or don’t blame me for being rude!”

Hua Yuxuan laughed hysterically, unable to believe him: “You call me cruel? Who is truly more cruel? She can even kill a newborn child; is she not cruel?”

“She won’t kill that child and wouldn’t even stoop to do so!” Hua Jinzhi a.s.serted. When he spoke of Leng Jiu, a flicker of trust and tenderness crossed his eyes, but it quickly vanished, turning into cold mockery as he looked at Hua Yuxuan: “Do you think I don’t know what you’ve done? Ten years ago, when the third concubine gave birth to the fourth sister, that delicate little child I watched grow up—because Father favored her, saying she would be a great beauty. The next day, you pushed her into the pond to drown. I jumped in to save her, but by the time I got her out, she was already dead. You cried as if heartbroken, and Father comforted you, but only I knew you were terrified, trembling at the sight of your fourth sister’s corpse!”

Hua Yuxuan was shocked, stepping back uncontrollably: “You… you know…”

Hua Jinzhi sneered: “I know much more. Like the ruined face of the fifth concubine, or how your tenth aunt’s brother ended up dead for trying to molest you. Hua Yuxuan, I’ve seen everything you’ve done over the years. You dare call others cruel? In my eyes, you’re the only one in the world who is truly cruel!”

Hua Yuxuan sat down in shock, and Hua Jinzhi walked away. For a long time, she stared at the palace gate, unable to regain her composure. She had been so careful to hide everything, so secretive, yet she hadn’t realized that her own brother had seen it all. She had never understood why Jinzhi had always kept his distance from her, even despising her; now she realized it was because of this.

“Fourth sister…” A vague infant face appeared in Hua Yuxuan’s mind. That child, so exquisitely beautiful, more so than her, whom their father loved so dearly, saying she would be given the finest husband. She felt jealous, hated her, feared being neglected. In a moment of malice, she harmed that child, but when she saw the child struggling in the water, she regretted it. She wanted to save her, but she couldn’t; it hadn’t been her intention to kill her.

The fifth concubine’s ruined face was because of her anger; she seduced their father, who ignored the first consort for half a year. She couldn’t bear to see their mother in tears, so she ruined her! The tenth concubine’s brother tried to rape her; that’s why she had him killed. She hadn’t done anything wrong! She hadn’t done anything wrong!

“I did nothing wrong!” Hua Yuxuan shouted, overturning the teacups on the table, then frantically began to smash things in the hall!

“Ah…”

As the cell door closed and the thick chains clinked into place, Leng Jiu breathed in the musty smell of the narrow s.p.a.ce and chuckled lightly, “I’ve never seen an ancient prison before; I suppose I’m seeing something new today!”

“Empress Dowager!” Ziyu, locked in the neighboring cell, timidly approached, clutching the wooden bars, her eyes welling with tears.

Leng Jiu moved closer and sat next to her. “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Ziyu nodded, her voice sorrowful: “I’ve heard that being sent to the imperial prison means you’re half a foot in the grave, and you can’t escape. I don’t want to die, nor do I want the Empress Dowager to die. You’re clearly innocent; why doesn’t the Emperor discern right from wrong before throwing you in here? Is there no justice?”

Leng Jiu reached out and pinched her cheek, asking, “Do you want to hear a story?”

Ziyu’s eyes widened. “You still have the energy to tell stories?”

Leng Jiu smiled softly. “Life isn’t always smooth sailing; it has its ups and downs. No one can predict what will happen next or what dangers lie ahead. But no matter the circ.u.mstances, you must maintain a calm heart. Never lose your spirit; if you feel like the sky is falling, no one can save you!”

Ziyu looked surprised, her mouth slightly agape, before quickly wiping away her tears and forcing a smile. “I’ll do my best to learn!”

Seeing this, Leng Jiu smiled as well and began her story: “Once, there was a girl who grew up without a mother. Her father held a high position, but he had no fatherly love for her—perhaps there was some, but it had soured. At four years old, she started running with older children; no one felt pity for her age. She fell many times, covered in bruises, yet she couldn’t complain, and no one cared. If she dared to rest for even a moment, she would face the instructor’s merciless whip. So even if her legs broke, she had to keep running!

“She grew up day by day, surviving the devilish training, only to face a deadly game among her siblings. She was the youngest, with everyone aiming to kill her. But what they didn’t know was that she worked tenfold harder than they did; the skills she learned far surpa.s.sed theirs. In the end, she survived. To live, she killed all her siblings, leaving none behind!”

At this point, Leng Jiu paused and looked at Ziyu. “Do you think she’s cruel?”

Ziyu bit her lip, neither shaking her head nor nodding.

Leng Jiu smiled again. “I never thought that was cruel. When only one can survive, you have no choice but to fight for your life. If you don’t kill them, you’ll be the one who dies! They fought in a deep forest, and when she emerged alone, she was covered in wounds, her hands broken, nearly losing her life. But she persevered, only to ask her father one question: Why? Do you know how her father responded?”

Ziyu clutched the wooden bars tightly, shaking her head.

“He said this is the survival rule for the strong, that only those powerful enough can survive in that cruel, dark world and become his successor. And she won, so she became his only heir, standing at the pinnacle of that kingdom!”

“When your fate isn’t in your own hands, the only way to change it is to survive, grow stronger, and take control of your destiny!” Leng Jiu looked at Ziyu. “Just like now: you’re a mere palace maid, innocent, yet someone wants to frame you. You can’t prove your innocence and are trapped here, even risking your life. This isn’t the heavens being unfair; it’s because you’re too weak, weak enough to be killed by anyone. But if one day you rise to a height never reached by others, unbound by anyone, then you can dictate others’ fates and make them bow to you!”

“Perhaps you never dared to think like this before, but why not try now? If you can’t escape here, you’ll only die. Since you’re close to death, what’s there to fear? At sixteen or seventeen, dying unnoticed here—would you be willing?”

Ziyu quietly gazed at Leng Jiu, her grip on the wooden bars tightening, her fingers turning red without her noticing. She felt that this person before her was opening a path she had never considered. It was something she had never thought of before, nor dared to think about, but now it lay before her. If she was willing, she could step onto it. She knew the road would be hard, but she also knew that at the end of the road, there would be the brightest colors!

At that moment, Leng Jiu only wanted to encourage Ziyu or ease her emotions. She never imagined that her words would shape the future of a great nation’s first female prime minister!

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By the way, the scheming healer is just making a cameo. I hope you all enjoy it! Ahem, I must admit, I wrote this chapter while facing the wall!

339727394 is my reader group for the male harem. If you want to join, feel free! Just remember to screenshot and prove you’re a legitimate reader when you enter, or the others won’t be merciful! Come on, ladies!

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