Chapter 40 The Queen's Sad Story

(Concubine Yang is Concubine Wan)

/

Concubine Yang just returned to Jinxiu Palace.

Li Dexian was leading his men to move the second princess out.

Even with the nurse's persuasion, the second princess continued to cry and refused to leave, calling for her mother. The servants stood there helplessly.

Concubine Yang hugged the Second Princess distressedly, "Yuer, don't cry, don't cry. Mother is here."

The second princess hid in Concubine Yang's arms and cried, "I don't want to leave my mother, I don't want to leave my mother."

Li Dexian touched his nose and said, "Your Majesty...it's getting late. The Second Princess should move to the Yonghe Palace of Concubine Hui."

Yang Fei's eyes were red, and she said dissatisfiedly, "Why are you rushing me?"

Li Dexian didn't know what to say anymore.

Concubine Yang kissed the Second Princess' forehead soothingly and said softly, "Yuer, go stay in Yonghe Palace for a while. When the time comes, your mother will come to pick you up!"

"No, no." The Second Princess still refused and hugged Concubine Yang's neck: "I don't want to be separated from my mother."

Li Dexian looked at the sky, calculated the time, and spoke again: "Your Majesty, I am still waiting to return to report. Please... please don't make things difficult for me."

Concubine Yang glanced at him.

She hardened her heart and pulled the Second Princess's hand away. Concubine Hui was oblivious to the world outside and a kind person, so she could be trusted.

"Take the second princess away."

The wet nurse held the crying and struggling second princess in her arms and left Jinxiu Palace.

Soon, the Second Princess' voice could no longer be heard. The gate of Jinxiu Palace slowly closed.

Concubine Yang wiped the tears from her face, her face as cold as ice, and gathered all the servants of Jinxiu Palace into the courtyard.

"There's a traitor in Jinxiu Palace."

"Are any of you friends of that slave girl today?"

Concubine Yang hated that lowly servant today. She hated betrayers the most in her life. If the Emperor hadn't sent her to the Ministry of Punishment, she would never have seen the light of day.

The servants had heard something about what happened today, so no one dared to stand up or agree.

"No one dares to admit it, right?"

Concubine Yang pointed to the open space in the courtyard, where the sun shone brightest. "Everyone, kneel down until someone steps forward."

After a moment, a palace maid came out, gritting her teeth, and said, "This servant and He'er are usually the best... the best."

Concubine Yang looked at her coldly and asked, "Has she met anyone recently? Or has she suddenly received anything valuable?"

"I didn't notice it. But He'er once told me that there was an old woman who was seriously ill at home."

There is a seriously ill old woman at home. This all makes sense. Concubine Yang thought carefully, and then said: "I will never let anyone who dares to betray me go. If He'er can return to Jinxiu Palace alive by chance. But she can't live to see the sun tomorrow."

"The same is true for you. I am a man of my words."

————

Concubine Yang's Jinxiu Palace became increasingly deserted, while the Queen's Fengyi Palace began to become lively.

Since the last Queen's birthday, the relationship between the three has become much closer, and Cheng Shuyi always takes Wen Wanyu to visit Fengyi Palace.

At the beginning, Wen Wanyu did not dare to reveal her true nature because of her status as queen.

Later, the queen also put down her burden, spoke to her sincerely, and told her about her life before entering the palace. Gradually, Wen Wanyu dared to befriend her.

Wen Wanyu discovered that the queen was actually quite wild and rebellious. She loved drinking, playing mahjong, and doing many things that queens and other high-ranking ladies were not allowed to do.

Because of her identity, she didn't dare to do it.

On this day, Wen Wanyu, Cheng Shuyi, the Queen and the Queen's personal maid Qiulan played mahjong together.

Playing mahjong is not allowed in the palace.

So they did it secretly.

Only by doing things that are not allowed can you maintain the excitement.

The loser gets gold coins.

Wen Wanyu is a veteran player of Happy Mahjong. Influenced by the game in his family, he is undoubtedly the true "Mahjong God".

Even Queen and Cheng Shuyi, who love playing mahjong, only have a 20% chance of winning.

Qiulan touched her empty purse and said with a worried look, "My Lady, if you keep fighting, I'll really be out of money."

Cheng Shuyi also had a gloomy face: "If the fighting continues, my salary will be gone."

The queen chuckled softly, "Alright, alright. No more fighting."

Cheng Shuyi saw a small purse with the word "Lin" embroidered on it.

After seeing this, the Queen said:

"'Lin' also means grace, which means blessing, warmth, grace, and good fortune. At that time, there had been a long drought, and just when Lin'er was born, it rained heavily. The emperor was very happy and named him 'Lin'."

The tears in my eyes were no longer under control and fell drop by drop.

The queen's voice was hoarse, but she did not stop, revealing her scars to them.

"My daughter Lin'er was only half a month old, only half a month old... and she left me forever..."

Cheng Shuyi had been in the palace for three years, yet she still didn't know the true cause of the Third Prince's untimely death. The Emperor and everyone in the palace had deliberately concealed the truth.

"Lin'er's wet nurse contracted the plague and passed it on to Lin'er. To prevent the plague from spreading on a large scale, the emperor ordered the wet nurse and Lin'er to be moved to the most remote and uninhabited Anyuanxuan."

"The day Lin'er left, he had a high fever and was unconscious. Because the Imperial Concubine's second prince had an asthma attack, she summoned all the imperial physicians to Fuyao Palace, leaving only one inexperienced physician to care for my Lin'er."

Just listening to it makes people feel angry. Wen Wanyu asked: "Then the emperor doesn't care?"

The Queen smiled bitterly: "Everyone in the harem knows that the Imperial Concubine is the Emperor's original wife. The Imperial Concubine has more power than this Empress. Princess Jing'an passed away, and the Emperor went to the Princess's residence. But so what? All of this was tacitly approved by the Emperor."

"Ever since Lin'er contracted the plague, I have been kneeling before the Buddha every day, hoping that the Buddha would bless my son with good health, even if it means I will die."

Only now does Wen Wanyu finally understand Yixiu's feelings at the time. "I went to Yama Palace and begged all the gods and Buddhas in the hall, 'If you want to lock me up, lock my life, not my son's.'"

What puzzled her was that all this was tacitly approved by the emperor.

She always felt that there was a misunderstanding.

The Queen clutched her chest, struggling to breathe. "For so many years, I've been living in agony. I've been like a walking corpse. I've wanted to ask the Imperial Concubine countless times, her son's life is life, but isn't my Lin'er's life also life?"

"It's true that I stole her throne as queen. But why did she have to pay for it with my son's life?"

In the eyes of Wen Wanyu and Cheng Shuyi, it was indeed the Imperial Concubine's fault. If she was dissatisfied with having her position as Empress taken away from her, she could have taken revenge on the culprit, the Emperor. Why would she harm the child?

"My Lady... people can't always live in the past. They must look forward."

Queen: "I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

"I don't mean any other reason by saying this. It's just too painful."