Chapter 314 The Virtuous Empress Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 2, Extra Chapter) ...

After two unsuccessful attempts to subtly inquire, the emperor lingered with Ye Yunhua several times, using her pleading as a pretext to hastily resolve the matter.

On one hand, he promoted him, rewarded him, and appeased him; on the other hand, he naturally demoted him, issued an imperial edict to reprimand him, beat him up, and sent him back before the New Year.

The matter ended so hastily that the Ye family, who were always well-informed, quickly learned of it. The Empress not only did not kneel and beg, but she didn't even mention it once.

Before they could even confront "Ye Yunhua" and demand an explanation, those informants who had spread the news were identified by "Ye Yunhua" and dealt with according to palace rules.

Because of this, the Ye family didn't have a good New Year. Even though the surveillance had been exposed, they refused to admit it and couldn't confront "Ye Yunhua" about it.

The emperor was pleased with the outcome and even spent half a day with "Ye Yunhua" as a reward for her attitude.

For the emperor, an empress from the Ye family who was biased towards the royal family had many uses, and getting close to her appropriately was a way of showing his attitude.

In response, the emotionless puppet "Ye Yunhua" showed no unusual reaction. She neither fawned nor glared at him. Every word and action was in accordance with the rules, and she acted with propriety.

The emperor was very satisfied with this, feeling that such a temperament was indeed suitable to be empress. When facing his two sons, he changed his attitude towards Ye Yunhua from suppression to winning her over.

The younger Qin Heng was alright; after a moment of awkwardness, he excitedly rummaged through his storeroom, thinking about what to give "Ye Yunhua" to show his affection.

The eldest prince, Qin Xi, felt both sad and ironic. He was the first to notice his mother's unusual behavior and had tested her many times.

The "Ye Yunhua" of today is no longer the mother who would be so upset by a single word from him that she couldn't sleep, yet still cared for him the next day.

Qin Xi looked at Ye Yunhua, who still naively believed that as long as he was willing to get closer, Ye Yunhua would turn back into his former younger brother, and the sorrow in his heart deepened.

He initially thought so too, until one day, he deliberately fell in front of "Ye Yunhua," even injuring his hand and bleeding profusely. The servants were in a panic, but he couldn't earn even a glance of concern from "Ye Yunhua."

It was then that Qin Xi finally understood that some people, once lost, may never be found again.

The current Empress Dowager no longer cares about them, and all of this is their own doing.

Sure enough, a few days later, Qin Heng came to him with a pale face, his eyes, usually so carefree, filled with an unprecedented despair.

"Brother, could you give me half of the loquat syrup that Mother made by hand that you took back? I haven't even tasted a drop yet. And could you give me back the sachet that Mother made?" Qin Heng tried to force a smile, but his expression turned into one of near tears.

Seeing his expression, Qin Xi couldn't help but think of herself a few days ago, when she was just as desperate. In the end, she gave him two spoonfuls of loquat syrup.

As for the sachet, forget about it. He hadn't received many gifts from Ye Yunhua before, and the only thing he had left was this sachet.

Qin Heng couldn't bear to eat the two spoonfuls of loquat syrup, so he carefully put them in a porcelain bottle. He then returned to his residence and searched high and low for a long time. Finally, in the pile of waste paper in the storeroom, he found a torn booklet of the Three Character Classic, which was handwritten by Ye Yunhua and used for children's enlightenment.

Most of the palace servants were illiterate, and many papers with writing on them would be carefully put away without the master's permission, which is why this booklet was left.

When Qin Heng had the booklet repaired by a craftsman, he cherished the tenderness he had once dismissed, and suddenly discovered a secret.

In the Emperor's study, there was a secret compartment containing a well-preserved collection of poems. It was covered with numerous notes written in delicate handwriting, and a bookmark with the same handwriting was tucked inside.

When Qin Heng was a child, he was naughty and took this thing out to play with, which earned him a severe scolding from his father.

At that time, he and his elder brother secretly speculated that the item might have been written by one of their father's unrequited lovers, and later they investigated it. After finding out that it was their father's savior, they paid no further attention to it.

But why is it that the Empress Dowager's handwriting is the same as the handwriting on the poetry collection and bookmarks that the Emperor has hidden?

Qin Heng felt wronged by Ye Yunhua's attitude. He knew he had gone too far, but he was still young and had been taught by his father and elder brother.

How could the Empress Dowager hold a grudge against a mere child? How could she really abandon him?

Qin Xi regretted it even earlier than Qin Heng, which made Qin Heng feel somewhat at ease. But how could they accept all of this with a clear conscience, considering that the culprit was their father, the emperor?

Soon, when the emperor went to check his son's homework, he inadvertently discovered a small booklet lying next to him. The familiar handwriting and signature shocked even the usually composed emperor.

Everyone has a soft spot in their heart, and even Qin Shaoan, who has always prioritized the country and neglected his emotions, is no exception.

When Qin Shaoan was a teenager, he was chased and seriously injured. The girl who risked her life to save him has always been the most tender memory in Qin Shaoan's heart.

He was the only person who helped him, took care of him, and cared about him not because of his status.

This tenderness had nothing to do with romantic love, but it was a past that Qin Shaoan cherished most and often reminisced about in his life.

Whenever he felt too stressed or his mind was cluttered, he liked to sit alone in his study and read that book of poems, which would quickly calm him down.

He had always assumed that the woman was an illegitimate daughter of the Ye family, and that she had been secretly taken care of over the years. Since a woman's handwriting was a private matter, Qin Shaoan did not examine it again in order not to affect her reputation.

Now he discovers that the woman who once saved him is actually his wife whom he has neglected for many years, and the collection of poems that can relieve his worries and bring him joy is also written by her.

In front of his son, Qin Shaoan did not show that he cared too much, but Qin Heng keenly noticed that his father was spending more time with his mother.

Qin Heng told Qin Xi about this discovery. He knew that his older brother had always been smarter than him, and that his feelings and goals were the same as his.

Qin Shaoan had never paid attention to matters between men and women. At first, he was quite satisfied with his relationship with "Ye Yunhua," until Qin Xi exposed his true feelings.

"There's no difference between when Mother and Father eat together and when I eat alone with her."

Qin Xi's seemingly casual remark brought Qin Shaoan, who was lost in his fantasy of being an old married couple, back to reality. Soon, another person was rummaging through drawers looking for the gifts Ye Yunhua had given him.

Whether Qin Shaoan was the emperor or the crown prince, his belongings were always taken care of by special people. He wouldn't deliberately cause damage like a child. There are still a few items that Ye Yunhua made by hand that can be found.

The reason there were only a few items was because Qin Shaoan had once warned Ye Yunhua that her duty was to manage the harem, not to do useless things that servants could do.

All that can be found now are the two sets of clothes and shoes that Ye Yunhua made for him when they first got married.

Qin Shaoan was only a teenager at that time, and neither his height, build, nor the color scheme of his clothes suited him now.

Ye Yunhua continued to act as empress as usual, but Qin Shaoan, who had been enlightened, became more and more alarmed the more he observed.

The empress in his memory, though law-abiding, was also a living, breathing person who could cry, laugh, be happy, and be sad.

Instead of what it is now, where there are no personal preferences or emotions, and every word and action is perfectly in accordance with the rules.

Ye Yunhua is indeed a very suitable empress now, but Qin Shaoan also knows that her current state is not normal.

As the emperor, it was much easier for him to investigate things than for Qin Xi and Qin Heng, who were princes. The palace maid who served "Ye Yunhua" was quickly taken away for questioning.

"The Empress has always had a gentle personality and rarely gets angry. When she encounters something unpleasant, she will just sulk by herself."

About half a year ago, the Empress was in a bad mood. She ate less and less every day and did not sleep well. It was most serious in the spring of this year.

The servants suggested consulting the imperial physician, but Her Highness only said that she was perfectly healthy, just a little lazy in the spring. One day, she suddenly went to bed early, and when she woke up, she was completely recovered…”

When this matter was mentioned, the palace maid seemed quite happy. Qin Shaoan's heart sank. He knew perfectly well what he and his two children had done over the years, and Ye Yunhua's previous state was the normal one.

A person with pent-up emotions cannot recover suddenly for no reason. Even if they can let go, it will take some time to adjust. She has not recovered; in fact, she has become more serious.

Qin Shaoan finally understood that her previous actions regarding the Ye family were not due to bias towards the royal family, but rather because she no longer cared about the Ye family at all.

Under the emperor's orders, the imperial physicians took turns examining "Ye Yunhua's" pulse, but found nothing wrong. In the end, Qin Shaoan could only find a similar record in an ancient book:

Emotional distress, stemming from prolonged emotional stagnation without outward expression, gradually depletes the Qi of the heart and spleen, causing the mind and spirit to lack nourishment from Qi and blood, resulting in suppressed emotions. While seemingly without illness, this is in fact a hidden depletion of emotions.

Gu Shi watched as the three members of the Qin family, father and sons, cautiously surrounded a puppet of "Ye Yunhua," looking regretful. While feeling somewhat relieved, he also told the real Ye Yunhua about it.

Now that Gu Shi has successfully contacted headquarters, he is no longer alone and helpless in supporting the world. Whether Ye Yunhua chooses to continue traveling the world or return to be the empress, it is up to her to decide.

Ye Yunhua, who was leading Ye Yi'an to catch crabs on the beach, received a message from someone claiming to be a customer service representative of the "Golden Finger" app. She simply smiled in relief, and the aura of rules emanating from her became even stronger.

Gu Shi, sensing the increasingly perfect rules of the world, excitedly ran to Lin You and howled, only to be scolded back by Lin You with a single sentence:

"You can already sense the aura of the rules, and you're still just sitting here watching the show?! Hurry up and take this opportunity to cultivate and achieve enlightenment!"

Much later, when Ye Yunhua took over as the new Heavenly Dao, Gu Shi was finally able to leave this place, restore all the functions of the system page, and continue his mission.

At this time, the previously chaotic atmosphere on the company's internal employee forum had been rectified, and Lin You's story of winning without lifting a finger as a cannon fodder rescue system was used as a typical example.

Gu Shi read it many times before he realized that the colleague described above as simple, kind, gentle, and focused on boosting the performance of his task targets, was actually the same person as the big shot he knew who was good at both cultivating immortality and technology, and who was an all-rounder who urged him to cultivate every day.

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Author's Note: I originally intended to write one chapter if it was under 6,000 words, but it kept getting longer and longer, so I ended up posting it as two chapters together...

There's still the final ending to come; I'll try to get it done by tomorrow. [Cat emoji]