Chapter 106 The Abandoned Eldest Daughter Makes a Comeback (30 chapters)

The Empress suppressed the turmoil in her heart, her tone remaining gentle, "Miss Chen is indeed extraordinary; no wonder His Majesty treats you so specially. However, the rules in the palace are very strict; I wonder if Miss Chen is getting used to living here?"

What are you trying to say?

Shen Yunzhen bluntly stated that she was too lazy to engage in cryptic exchanges with her.

She knew that the Empress hadn't come to see her to say these pointless things.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yonglu, who had been standing behind the Empress, couldn't help but jump out.

"How dare you speak to Her Majesty the Empress like that!"

Yonglu was naturally captivated by Shen Yunzhen's beauty and remained stunned for a while before coming back to his senses. However, he knew very well that everything he possessed depended on the Empress.

If the Empress's position is unstable, these close attendants will also likely meet a bad end.

This Miss Shen is too much of a threat to the Empress; he must help the Empress suppress her.

Fortunately, he was quite old and had no connections, so he was able to suppress the reluctance and pity in his heart.

Shen Yunzhen glanced at Yonglu and said indifferently, "The people around you are quite well-mannered."

The Empress smiled slightly, "I'm sorry to have made Miss Shen laugh."

Then, she looked at Yonglu and her tone suddenly became stern, "Who told you to talk back? Slap yourself."

Yonglu was taken aback, then realized that he had been too eager to show off and had forgotten the importance of this person in His Majesty's heart.

If I do this, not only will I be unable to escape His Majesty's punishment, but I may also implicate the Empress.

A fine layer of cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. He knelt down with a thud and raised his hand to slap himself hard across the face.

"Smack!"

"This servant knows she was wrong."

"Smack!"

"This servant knows she was wrong."

"..."

The crisp sound of slaps and repeated apologies echoed in the Imperial Garden. The palace servants lowered their heads, not daring to look at them for long, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Soon, Yonglu's face became red and swollen, but he dared not hesitate for a moment, nor dared to stop.

Only when his face was swollen and bruised, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his body was swaying precariously, did Shen Yunzhen speak calmly: "Alright, let's leave it at that, lest we spoil the scenery of the Imperial Garden."

Although Shen Yunzhen didn't care about the rumors from the outside world, she wouldn't let the person off so easily when they had already offended her.

The crime doesn't warrant death, but a minor punishment is necessary as a warning.

The Empress had come with a vengeance, but before she could do anything, she was already being overshadowed, which made her feel even more aggrieved.

But she had no choice but to back down. Judging from His Majesty's recent actions, if the other party went to His Majesty to complain, she would probably be reprimanded.

It doesn't matter that she was reprimanded; what she fears is that it might implicate the Crown Prince.

Because of the woman before him, the relationship between the Crown Prince and His Majesty had become unpredictable. Although His Majesty had not yet suppressed the Crown Prince, the Empress worried that this was only temporary and a compromise made to consolidate the country.

Therefore, she must not provoke His Majesty's prejudice against the Crown Prince because of this.

Yonglu dared not stop and looked at the Empress.

"Since Miss Shen has been so magnanimous in letting you go, then you should stop. But you must remember, you must never again be so disrespectful and disorderly!"

The Empress spoke slowly and deliberately, her gaze fixed sharply on Shen Yunzhen.

Shen Yunzhen shrugged, sat back on the soft couch, and leaned back lazily as if boneless.

Such an unrefined posture, yet performed by her, seemed perfectly natural. Her whole being seemed to be surrounded by an invisible, beautiful halo, and every move she made exuded a unique charm that captivated the heart.

This vibrant and sensual scene momentarily stunned the Empress and several palace maids, including Bihe and Qiaozhi. As for the rest, they all lowered their heads, keeping their eyes down and their minds at ease, treating themselves as mere wooden or clay sculptures, and naturally had no chance to witness this enchanting and beautiful scene.

Yonglu hastily withdrew his hand and kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

The Empress waved her hand: "You may all leave now."

Through their brief encounter, she also noticed that Shen Yunzhen was quite straightforward and didn't like beating around the bush, so she decided to speak frankly and directly.

Qiaozhi and the others obediently retreated outside the pavilion and took a few more steps, but the people brought by Shen Yunzhen remained in place, without moving an inch.

The Empress's heart sank lower and lower.

Your Majesty, you have gone too far for this woman. How can the Empress Dowager, who is supposed to be the mother of the nation, be unable to command even a few palace servants? Where is her dignity?

Thinking of this, the Empress's thoughts became increasingly chaotic, and she couldn't help but speculate even deeper.

His Majesty has been reluctant to bestow a title upon her; could it be that... he intends to directly elevate her to the position of Empress?

Otherwise, how can we explain his extraordinary act of protection?

Once this thought arose, it spread wildly in her heart like weeds, making her feel agitated and her spine cold.

If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes today, she probably wouldn't have known that her position as empress was already on the verge of collapse.

Shen Yunzhen was completely unaware that the Empress was overthinking things and lost in thought. She waved her hand, signaling the people beside her to leave.

She wondered what the Queen wanted to say to her.

The palace servants beside Shen Yunzhen respectfully withdrew, leaving only the Empress and Shen Yunzhen in the pavilion.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, adding a touch of softness to the conversation.

The Empress took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and looked directly at Shen Yunzhen. "Miss Shen, the reason I came here today is to have an open and frank talk with you."

Shen Yunzhen raised an eyebrow slightly. "What does the Empress want to say to me?"

"I just heard you say that you are only staying in the palace for a short time. Is that true?"

"That's natural."

"What if His Majesty doesn't let you leave? What if he grants you the title of Imperial Concubine, or even a higher position? Would you still want to leave the palace?"

After speaking, the Empress stared intently at Shen Yunzhen, not missing a single change in her expression.

Shen Yunzhen wasn't stupid; she immediately understood the deeper meaning behind the other person's words.

She hadn't considered anything happening between her and Xiao Yuheng, nor did she mind putting his mind at ease. She said frankly, "Don't worry, I really won't stay in the harem, and Xiao Yuheng won't give me a title, whether it's a Noble Consort or anything else."

To be precise, it's that he didn't dare.

Granting Shen Yunzhen a title would be a blatant insult to her, and he couldn't bear the consequences of angering her.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that he would never see him again was something he absolutely could not accept.

The Empress carefully observed Shen Yunzhen's expression and knew that what she said was true.

The rank that ordinary women in the harem longed for and dreamed of was like dust in her eyes, not worth mentioning. Even towards the emperor, she was somewhat indifferent and lazy, not taking him seriously at all.

The Empress felt slightly relieved, but then, a huge wave of doubt, mixed with anger, erupted from the bottom of her heart.

"If that's the case, why did you enter the palace?"

Why...did they abandon Chengxu?

Poor son, who gave his heart to his beloved prince for the first time in his life, without any pretense or reservation, only to be trampled upon in the end.

Although Xiao Chengxu only lost his composure when he first received the news and then returned to his usual calm, the Empress could never forget his incredulous, grief-stricken, and desperate appearance at that time.

She would never forget the gleam in her son's eyes when he mentioned this woman, nor the tender affection and intense love that surrounded him.

As a mother, she knew perfectly well how deeply her son was involved in this relationship and how sincere and pure his feelings were.

Shen Yunzhen picked up a strand of hair and twirled it between her fingers, saying casually, "Who knows?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression changed slightly, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

Her tone softened: "Miss Chen, I did not mean to offend you. I am just curious why you, who do not care about His Majesty or your rank, would enter the palace. After all, it is more comfortable outside the palace than inside this square palace."

Shen Yunzhen shrugged. "Just think of me as being bored and wanting to go somewhere else to have fun."

What kind of reason is this? It's absolutely outrageous!

"Since Miss Shen is unwilling to say, then I will not ask. You don't need to fob me off."

"I'm just telling the truth. Since you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Shen Yunzhen blinked, her tone as innocent as could be.

The Empress paused for a moment, then said, "Miss Shen, I have heard that you and the Crown Prince once had a relationship. I wonder if he has told you that he intends to marry you as his Crown Princess, and that he has even asked me for permission. But unexpectedly, you went directly into his father's harem. So I want to know why you entered the palace, and whether you considered the Crown Prince's feelings when you came in?"

The Empress asked directly, and Shen Yunzhen answered directly in return.

"No."

Decisive and efficient, with a resounding impact.

He's just a man, why should she consider his feelings?

If you feel wronged, then go away on your own.

There are plenty of men out there, and some of them never feel wronged.

The Queen could hardly believe her ears.

What is she saying? Doesn't she have a heart?

From the moment she learned of Shen Yunzhen's existence, the Empress had been keeping a close eye on the Crown Prince's every move and had witnessed all his efforts.

It is unparalleled in the world for a man to treat a woman with such devotion. Even a stone would be moved by such devotion, but who knew that her heart was harder than iron.

Her son's sincere heart and dedication seemed to be nothing to her; she paid no attention to his deep affection.

"How could you do this?"

The Empress was so angry that her hands trembled.

Shen Yunzhen asked in confusion, "Why not?"

Who says that a woman must reciprocate a man's sincere devotion with equal sincerity?

All of this was done willingly by the other party; no one forced him.

Since that's the case, whether you're triumphant or disappointed, you should bear the consequences yourself.

"How could you do this! As a woman, you should..."

Shen Yunzhen raised her hand to interrupt her, "If you're going to say these unpleasant things, then you don't need to."

She could guess what the other party would say. This was a shackle imposed on women by the world, one that even the mother of a nation could not escape. She would not criticize the other party, but she would never wrong herself.

The Empress choked, her anger intensifying, yet she was unable to vent it.

She suppressed her emotions and spoke with a hint of pleading: "Miss Chen, I am not blaming you, but I hope you can know that His Highness the Crown Prince is deeply in love with you. If you have no intention of staying in the palace, please look back at him, okay?"

She was afraid, she was really afraid, that if things continued like this, Chengxu would gradually head towards destruction.

In the Empress's eyes, Xiao Chengxu's current calm was nothing more than the stillness before a storm. On the surface, he was calm, but inside he was extremely repressed, like a volcano about to erupt. Once it did, the earth would shake and everything would be destroyed.

Little did she know that Xiao Chengxu was secretly sneaking into Lanyue Palace every night.

Now that he knew of Xiao Yuheng's deliberate indulgence, Xiao Chengxu would never let it go, even if he didn't know the reason.

It was only by noticing the unusual situation and being able to get close to Shen Yunzhen that Xiao Chengxu was able to maintain his composure.

Even so, he became even more proactive and worked hard to strengthen himself.

Shen Yunzhen's face remained unmoved; in fact, she became even more relaxed.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's situation is none of my business. I have never made any promises to him, nor have I ever asked him to do anything for me. His feelings are his own choice. If you are worried about him, you should care for him more, instead of coming to me with these questions."

Although these words were extremely hurtful to a biological mother, Shen Yunzhen did not intend to compromise herself and do something against her own will.

Who told her to end up with such a son? Who told... Xiao Chengxu to meet her?

The Empress was stung by her words.

If she could make the Crown Prince give up, why would she bother coming to her?

The Empress's gaze lingered on Shen Yunzhen's face for a long time before she finally looked away.

Among women in the world, if we talk about absolute beauty, it is hard to find another like her. If an ordinary woman has even a bit of her charm, she will be outstanding. But a woman's charm is not only in her appearance, but also in her talent.

He only hoped to find a woman whose talent and beauty could distract the Crown Prince and ease his obsession with her.

“Miss Shen, I came here today hoping to have a proper talk with you. But it seems I have said too much. In that case, I will take my leave.”

The empress said no more and turned to leave.

As she turned around, the Empress paused for a moment, then said, "Miss Chen, if you encounter any difficulties in the palace in the future, you can come to me."

If someone wants to leave the palace but His Majesty is unwilling to let them go, she is willing to help them leave.

It wasn't for anything else, but simply because of Quan Huang'er's obsession.

Parents love their children not only for their achievements, but also for their happiness and well-being.

Even though the Empress disliked the other party's attitude towards the Crown Prince, she was willing to let the two of them be together for the sake of the Crown Prince.

Moreover... setting aside her prejudices, she did not want such a woman to be trapped in this desolate imperial city.

Shen Yunzhen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and nodded gently: "I understand."

The empress said nothing more and strode away.

After the Empress left, Bihe tiptoed into the pavilion and asked in a low voice, "Miss, what did Her Majesty the Empress say to you?"

Shen Yunzhen shifted to a more comfortable position, closed her eyes to rest, and said in a lazy tone, "I'm just here to test the waters, no need to worry about it."

Bihe nodded, feeling somewhat uneasy.

She had witnessed the Empress's methods firsthand, and she feared that the other party might harm the young lady.