Chapter 71 If Jin can't beat me, why don't I join him?

Hanyuan Hall

This was the first time Lu Yinyue had been summoned by Emperor Xuanpei since the start of the talent selection process.

At this moment, the Emperor was sitting at the head of the table, and judging from the noise, it seemed that he was looking through the things she had presented.

From Lu Yinyue's angle, she could only see Emperor Xuanpei's black dragon robe with dragon and cloud patterns. The golden dragons hidden in the auspicious clouds looked as if they were about to fly out at any moment.

The hall was very quiet at the moment, so quiet that all one's senses became exceptionally sharp.

Even though the chill of spring had long since passed and summer had arrived, Lu Yinyue, kneeling on the golden bricks inside the palace, felt increasingly cold, perhaps because of the setting sun.

It was so cold it felt like the chill was seeping into every crevice of my bones.

The coldness seemed to mock her, even her body seemed to resist—her entry into the palace was a mistake, and her kneeling here today was an even greater joke.

Clearing the name of the Jiang family was something Lu Yinyue had been thinking about day and night.

But when that day came unexpectedly, she seemed to have become an outsider.

The "rectification" that should have been initiated by her has already been done by someone else before her.

No one cared what her plans were, no one paid attention to what her ideas were, and no one waited for her to start planning or for her to call for a start.

It was as if all of Jiang's affairs had absolutely nothing to do with her.

But she was clearly a member of the Jiang family... If she hadn't entered the palace, she probably wouldn't have even had this last chance to clarify her identity.

"Lu Yinyue?"

A voice from above, devoid of any discernible emotion, suddenly came from above, and Lu Yinyue couldn't help but shiver.

"Your concubine is here."

Emperor Xuanpei, seated at the head of the table, seemed not to hear her, but simply called her name again, "Lu Yinyue".

Just as Lu Yinyue was about to respond instinctively, she suddenly stopped. She raised her head and met a pair of sharp and cold eyes that looked down at her from above.

"I am guilty."

Lu Yinyue suddenly realized what was happening. She knelt down and kowtowed, her voice filled with panic and helplessness.

"Your Majesty, I truly did not intend to deceive you."

"But I was only five years old at the time, too young to understand. I was swept away without any warning, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late..."

Lu Yinyue's words sounded pitiful, but the image of Azhu immediately popped into Emperor Xuanpei's mind.

Emperor Xuanpei didn't care at all how helpless Lu Yinyue had been back then, nor did he care about the evidence or petitions on the table.

In this world, the "reasoning" in reasoning is not important at all; what matters is the word "reasoning".

The matter of clearing Jiang's name was ultimately nothing more than a "good show" to make his Azhu's name legitimate and respectable.

To put it bluntly, even if Jiang was truly guilty back then, she can be "washed clean" this time.

Emperor Xuanpei only cared about Azhu.

He didn't ask about Jiang's various affairs, nor did he ask about the authenticity of the evidence; he only asked about A-Zhu.

"You say you are the sixth daughter of the Jiang family, but the one who is now taking your place is the maid who used to serve you?"

"Yes," Lu Yinyue nodded in response.

Emperor Xuanpei slowly squeezed the thumb ring in his hand.

“You keep saying that she took your place... Back when Lady Jiang was convicted, you were just a young child.”

"If she's going to replace you, she must be around your age. How old could she be? Would she know clearly what she's going to do?"

Lu Yinyue was speechless for a moment.

After all, a five-year-old child simply cannot understand any grand principles you preach about loyalty, courage, and righteousness.

If a child of this age is suddenly arrested and locked up, they will probably keep crying and making a fuss, and will not honestly accept their new identity.

"Your Majesty..."

"Lu Yinyue, you requested an audience without cause, yet you presented me with these dubious items to deceive and mock me. Do you perhaps think that the crime of deceiving the emperor is nothing more than a mere joke?"

Emperor Xuanpei's voice was not loud.

But his indifferent gaze looking down at you, and the coldness in his expression as he spoke each word, felt like a heavy stone weighing down on you, making it impossible to lift your head.

Lu Yinyue, who had no affection for Emperor Xuanpei whatsoever, found her teeth chattering involuntarily. In her fear, all she could think about was how to explain herself.

"Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you... Back then, it was my wet nurse, Madam Qian, who made the maid Daya take the blame."

"Qian Shi is... she is Da Ya's biological mother."

"Da Ya always listens to her."

Emperor Xuanpei looked at the longevity lock on the table, and the sudden, heart-wrenching sense of absurdity made him clench his fists tightly.

To date, being associated with the Jiang family has not been a good thing.

If there weren't other hidden reasons, the noble lady of the Lu family would never have gotten involved in such murky waters... In fact, in Emperor Xuanpei's eyes, Lu Yinyue's current behavior can only be described as impulsive and foolish.

But it is precisely this utterly pointless folly that makes the whole thing seem all the more believable.

Grand Secretary Wen was still working hard to eliminate "powerful families and factions" in the previous dynasty. At this critical juncture, he would never instruct someone to use such a foolish move that is of no benefit to the overall situation and would needlessly arouse suspicion and resentment.

"Lu Yinyue."

“When Consort Jiang came to serve before the Emperor, everything was thoroughly investigated—she had already injured her head while she was still in the Imperial Prison, yet you still dare to shamelessly claim that she remembered some of Lady Qian’s instructions?”

Emperor Xuanpei appeared to be the type to deny everything at the slightest hint of doubt.

Hearing that Emperor Xuanpei knew so many details, Lu Yinyue bit her lip, but in the end dared not hide anything.

"Your Majesty, I swear I'm not lying. Back then, to get her imprisoned in her place, it was Qian who hit her on the head... so, so..."

So they could take advantage of her forgetting the past and make her take the blame while she was injured. As a result, her injuries were slow to heal, which damaged her health and left her with chronic illnesses.

Therefore, all the members of the Jiang family could commit suicide in the brothel, but she was the only one left alive.

It's not that I can't bear to part with it, it's that I don't care.

They didn't care how the young and naive A-Zhu would cope with her future, or whether she would survive in the brothel, or whether she would be bullied in the future.

She has been burdened with infamy for so many years, a reputation that is not hers.

She never tasted the sweetness, but unwittingly accepted the bitter fruit of Jiang's actions... She suffered countless grievances and endured endless hardship.

The hard times are finally coming to an end.

But someone told him that everything his Ah Zhu had was not hers, and that she had to give it back. Why should she?

On what grounds?!

"Your Majesty..." Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei remained silent for a long time, fearing that Emperor Xuanpei would not believe Lu Yinyue, she quickly added: "If Consort Jiang and I have never met before, I certainly do not know her."

“But Consort Jiang has a red mole on the side of her lower back.”

It really is true... even this red mole, which Emperor Xuanpei kissed deeply countless times in moments of passion.

"She has never been able to eat fermented bean curd since she was a child."

It's true... Ah Zhu would vomit even if he only tasted a little bit.

"Because she used to run around the village as a child, she fell from a tree and injured the inside of her right leg, leaving a scar..."

"Enough!"

Emperor Xuanpei, who had crushed the longevity lock, did not want to hear Lu Yinyue mention Azhu even a little bit more.

He ordered someone to take Lu Yinyue away and keep her under strict guard, and then sent someone on horseback to Songyang to investigate the matter in detail. Afterwards, he got up and went directly to Guanju Palace.

The guards protecting Guanju Palace naturally wouldn't stop Emperor Xuanpei.

He strode into the hall, and the palace servants who were serving him hurriedly came out to bow to him.

Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei had arrived suddenly, with a cold and gloomy face and a gloomy aura that seemed to be about to bring a storm, Qingliu and Lüfu, who were kneeling and paying their respects, did not move aside. Instead, they gritted their teeth and blocked Emperor Xuanpei, kowtowing and pleading repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, our Empress is truly unwell. We beg Your Majesty to grant us mercy."

Green Lotus also knelt down and begged with tears in her eyes.

"These days, Her Majesty has been very depressed, her period has been irregular, and she has really been lacking in energy..."

"Your Majesty."

Qingliu kowtowed repeatedly: "It was due to my carelessness that Your Highness suffered a miscarriage... Please, in consideration of Your Highness's devoted service to you, summon the imperial physician to diagnose the condition."

San Cai and Sixi kowtowed one after another, all kneeling and begging Emperor Xuan Pei to grant them mercy.

With all this noise outside, Ah Zhu should be awake by now.

She had just walked out in a daze when she saw palace servants kneeling and pleading with tears streaming down their faces, and Emperor Xuanpei standing there with an inscrutable expression.

Ah Zhu looked bewildered and somewhat stunned—what was going on?

Or did something suddenly happen that she didn't know about?

Should she kneel down and beg for mercy first?

While A-Zhu was lost in a jumble of thoughts, Emperor Xuanpei walked towards her.

"A-Zhu..."

Judging from Emperor Xuanpei's expression, it wasn't that she had done anything wrong.

Ah Zhu was immediately relieved.

She was about to rush towards Emperor Xuanpei with a joyful expression, but Emperor Xuanpei's expression changed and he quickly stepped forward and pressed her down.

"Your Majesty?"

Emperor Xuanpei picked up Azhu in his arms.

"It's also because I've been confused. I've been so busy these past few days that I've neglected to take his pulse."

A-Zhu: ? ? ?

Every time Imperial Physician Geng came, it seemed like he would have made a wasted trip if he didn't leave something behind.

Food laced with medicine is never tasty, and you even have to watch over it when you use it. Ah Zhu really didn't want to see the imperial physician again out of nowhere.

"Your Majesty."

Ah Zhu replied earnestly, "This concubine absolutely did not eat any raw or cold fruits."

"I haven't been coughing these past few days, and I've been drinking the soup..."

"I know." Emperor Xuanpei smiled and gently patted Azhu's hand. "Our Azhu is very well-behaved. I'll just have the imperial physician check her pulse to put my mind at ease."

Ah Zhu could only nod.

While waiting for the imperial physician to arrive, thinking about how Emperor Xuanpei had suddenly barged in for no reason, and how he had frightened Qingliu and the others into kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly... Azhu slowly snuggled into Emperor Xuanpei's arms.

"Your Majesty."

"But because of Jiang... has she encountered some trouble?"

Emperor Xuanpei glanced at Azhu, then subconsciously looked at her waist and abdomen.

Emperor Xuanpei, who was always decisive and swift in action, hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin.

Seeing Emperor Xuanpei's unusually hesitant expression, Azhu felt her heart swaying.

"Your Majesty."

Ah Zhu clung close to Emperor Xuanpei and said softly, "Your Majesty, please keep me safe and sound in Guanju Palace."

"While I am safe and sound, I cannot help but feel some concern and worry for Your Majesty."

She gently reached out and smoothed Emperor Xuanpei's furrowed brows, then leaned closer, her soft, sweet touch gently landing on his lips.

"I am a useless concubine, but I still can't help but want to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Azhu sat in Emperor Xuanpei's lap, reaching out to cling to his neck, his image clearly reflected in her round eyes.

"I have never cared about those messy rumors and gossip outside."

"I don't want to hear anything from them."

"Your Majesty, I only care about what you say."

"The only person in this world who is good to me is His Majesty."

"Your word is as good as gold; your promises are priceless, and you have never lied to me..."

"Your Majesty is the only one in this world, and I only believe in Your Majesty."

"As long as Your Majesty is here, as long as you don't abandon your concubine, even if it's a sea of ​​swords and fire, your concubine dares to brave it."

In this palace, talking about trust is like a naive and laughable joke.

But his Ah Zhu was different.

Her trust was as beautiful as the first snowflakes falling gently in winter, incomparably beautiful yet extremely fragile, requiring painstaking care to protect.

No matter how much effort it took, Emperor Xuanpei still wanted it.

He coveted everything about Ah Zhu with an insatiable greed; he wanted all of her... at any cost.

“A-Zhu”.

"The palace servants in your palace guessed that you are pregnant again, and fearing that I would harm you, they knelt down and cried and begged."

Ah Zhu stared blankly down at her stomach, then subconsciously reached out and touched it.

Emperor Xuanpei kissed her temple and said softly, "If it is true, then it would be the most joyous occasion."

"If fate has not brought us together... there is still a long future ahead, and I will always be by your side."

Having already experienced the bitterness of "empty joy," A-Zhu slowly nodded and withdrew her hand.

“A-Zhu”.

Emperor Xuanpei gently called out to Azhu, holding her tightly as if he wanted to wrap his entire body around her and support her.

"I had calmed down and didn't want to cause you any worry at this critical juncture."

"But I don't want to lie to you either."

"I don't want you to suffer injustice without knowing why, or even to suddenly hear those messy rumors from other people..."

That's just how strange things are in this world.

The more you try to hide something, the more likely you are to be unable to.

There are still quite a few people in the palace who wish they could get rid of A-Zhu... Rather than having others fan the flames and use underhanded tricks, Emperor Xuanpei would rather tell A-Zhu himself slowly.

"I have already ordered a thorough investigation into this matter, and besides, you need to be careful with your health now."

"I will take care of everything, A-Zhu, you don't need to worry too much."

Ah Zhu tensed up and slowly nodded.

Emperor Xuanpei stroked Azhu's back and said softly, "Azhu, how much do you still remember about the Jiang family?"

A-Zhu didn't ask why, but tried hard to recall carefully, and then slowly told everything she could think of.

When Emperor Xuanpei heard Ah Zhu's extremely vague description, he paused.

"A-Zhu, do you still remember your wet nurse... Qian Shi?"

Emperor Xuanpei wouldn't ask such a "nobody" for no reason.

Having already sensed something was amiss, A-Zhu didn't want to show any extreme reaction.

Even though she tried to remain calm, tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it.

Ah Zhu simply frowned slightly, and the tears fell uncontrollably in a flash.

"Your Majesty, I feel I should remember it."

"But I...can't remember."

Emperor Xuanpei covered Azhu's head and pressed it into his arms.

He subconsciously reached out and rubbed the spot on her head where she had been hit, until a warm patch slowly spread across his chest.

It was A-Zhu crying, his A-Zhu crying silently, the little A-Zhu who was abandoned in his childhood with a heart full of fear and nowhere to turn... was also crying.

They abandoned Azhu.

He found it, so it's his now.

There are some things that Emperor Xuanpei no longer wants to know.

He just rubbed Ah Zhu's head.

"A-Zhu, do you want to remember?"

Ah Zhu slowly shook her head.

She closed her eyes but couldn't stop the tears; all those past memories turned into two muffled words choked between sobs.

"In no mood."

It's better not to want to...

Ah Zhu is completely his now, in the past, now, and in the future.

Emperor Xuanpei patted Azhu's back repeatedly.

"A-Zhu, is it your wish to vindicate the Jiang family?"

This time, A-Zhu did not hesitate either.

"yes."

"When I entered the palace, my name was Jiang Zhu. From the very beginning, I have always been a 'sinful slave' and a 'remnant' of the Jiang family."

Emperor Xuanpei nodded.

"I understand."

“A-Zhu, from now on you are no longer a sinner or a remnant of the family. You are Jiang Zhu, a meritorious official who has vindicated the Jiang clan.”

*

outside the palace

The imperial physicians, Cao and Geng, who wished they could sprout wings and fly to Guanju Palace, arrived long ago.

But who is Eunuch Chen?

He had been involved in many of the "grand dramas" orchestrated by the Emperor and the Empress, so why would he be so hasty in taking a confinement order seriously?

Seeing the expressions of the palace servants and hearing the faint sounds of conversation from the inner hall, Eunuch Chen did not go in to disturb them. He simply waited outside the hall with the two imperial physicians, his expression calm and composed.

Only after hearing Emperor Xuanpei's order to fetch water did he enter the palace and report to the emperor that the imperial physician had arrived.

After Ah Zhu had composed herself and composed herself after crying, the two imperial physicians were led into the inner palace.

......

In such a public setting, Emperor Xuanpei went directly to Guanju Palace, and naturally made no attempt to conceal the fact that he had summoned the imperial physician.

Ah, it's nothing more than Jiang Shi starting to think of ways to regain the emperor's favor.

Using illness to beg for sympathy is truly not surprising at all.

Inside Kunning Palace, Empress Wang, feeling uneasy and her eyelids twitching, did not allow Wang Xihui to return to Chonglian Palace. Instead, she prepared a side hall for her to stay in temporarily.

Hearing the news that the emperor had gone to Guanju Palace and even summoned the imperial physician, Empress Wang was not surprised at all.

Instead of getting angry and cursing Ah Zhu for his despicable and vile methods as she used to, she looked at Wang Xihui with an expression of knowing certainty.

Empress Wang even had the leisure to speculate.

"Do you think His Majesty might use some excuse to release Lady Jiang directly?"

Wang Xihui had only been in the palace for a short time, unlike Empress Wang who had entered the palace much earlier and was deeply aware of Emperor Xuanpei's seemingly "possessed" changes.

After being frightened and calming down for a while, Wang Xihui regained her rationality.

She was only half-believing and half-doubting Empress Wang's claims of being "possessed by evil spirits," or rather, mostly disbelieving them.

"Your Majesty, everyone in the palace can see clearly that Lady Jiang is using illness to beg for mercy."

Wang Xihui, who wanted to dispel Empress Wang's "belief in ghosts and gods," paused and said very rationally, "The matter of the Jiang family is still unresolved."

"Now that things have escalated to the point where everyone knows about it, whether it's the ongoing disputes over the previous dynasty or the gossip of the people... it won't be easy to let this matter go. Jiang Shi shouldn't leave Guanju Palace so easily."

Honestly, Wang Xihui's clear and logical way of speaking is very persuasive.

Just as Empress Wang's "reason" began to be pulled back, Huiyue hurriedly entered the palace.

"Your Majesty, Guanju Palace..."

Empress Wang suddenly stood up. She couldn't suppress her secret anticipation and subconsciously asked, "How is Guanju Palace? Has His Majesty punished her?"

Huiyue opened her mouth, but didn't dare to say anything for a moment.

Wang Xihui helped Empress Wang sit down again. She looked at Huiyue and said, "Tell me slowly, what exactly is happening at Guanju Palace?"

Huiyue's voice became a little softer.

"Replying to Lady Liang, His Majesty just summoned Imperial Physician Cao and Imperial Physician Cao to Guanju Palace. Consort Jiang, Consort Jiang... is pregnant, she is more than a month along."

With a "thud," even Empress Wang could hear the sound of her heartfelt expectations being smashed to pieces.

After standing there in a daze for a while, Empress Wang suddenly shook her head and laughed, muttering, "What did I say? Look what I said!"

Empress Wang stared wide-eyed at Wang Xihui.

She gripped Wang Xihui's hand and shook it, saying with great excitement, "So, I was right after all!!"

"This is really getting more and more bizarre... It's really starting to look more and more like it."

Empress Wang nodded to herself, "I'm afraid there will be more trouble. I don't want to get involved in any bloodshed."

Wang Xihui, who had been speaking eloquently, was now speechless due to this disastrous coincidence.

But on second thought, regardless of whether it's true or not, it's a good thing that Empress Wang is wary of the "evil" and is willing to sit quietly and not take any further action.

What matters is Empress Wang's position as Empress and her role in the Eastern Palace; nothing else is important.

Wang Xihui stopped arguing with Empress Wang and instead went along with her words: "These things are truly frightening; just thinking about them makes me feel uneasy."

Empress Wang's expression was strangely calm.

"With the child in her belly, Consort Jiang won't fall."

No matter the circumstances, there is absolutely no reason for the palace to punish a concubine who is pregnant with the emperor's child.

There are just too many variables during the ten months of pregnancy.

Emperor Xuanpei was already acting strangely as if he were "possessed" when facing Lady Jiang.

If a pregnant "favored concubine" were to kneel on the ground, crying and begging in such a sorry and pitiful state, who could remain unmoved?

“Xihui, go to the manor and say something... step forward and do Jiang Shi a favor, even if it comes at a price.”

Empress Wang said very seriously, "There is no deep-seated hatred between me and Consort Jiang."

"The massacre of the Jiang family back then had nothing to do with our Wang family... I'm helping her out, just to settle all grudges."

For the Empress, facing off against a "favored concubine" whose foundation is unstable is inherently a matter of hurting the enemy eight hundred while injuring herself a thousand.

Seeing that Empress Wang had come to her senses, Wang Xihui nodded repeatedly and agreed without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will go to the residence to deliver the message first thing tomorrow morning."

......

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Author's Note: Empress Wang: If you can't beat them, join them... Don't come and harm me, you "weirdos".