Princess Shanyang was silent for a long time before she slowly spoke: "My mother died early, and it was the Empress Dowager who always took me by her side, so even after I got married, I often went to the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager..."

Time went back to the summer of 20 years ago, when Shanyang was still a princess. Because she was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager, she often went to the palace to stay even when she was pregnant. She liked luxury and her pomp was even more exaggerated than that of the favored concubines. Therefore, many people in the palace disliked her, but because she was favored by the Empress Dowager, they did not dare to do anything to her.

Shanyang liked beautiful women, regardless of gender or sexual desire, and just liked beautiful appearance. She could be said to be the president of the Appearance Association in ancient times. The most beautiful lady in the palace at that time was none other than Lady Hongye, the mother of the King of Wei. Lady Hongye's maiden name was Yu Yinran. She was originally a commoner's daughter. She was chosen to enter the palace because of her beauty and gentleness

. She was favored for more than 20 years. Lady Hongye liked to be quiet, so her residence was in the most remote place in the west. Shanyang went to the palace to meet the empress dowager, and often went to Lady Hongye's palace to sit. Time favored beauty and never left a trace on her face. Instead, it only left a softer temperament, and her beauty was precipitated into a pot of aged wine, exuding a mellow and intoxicating fragrance.

That day, Shanyang also stayed in the palace for a while. He was disturbed by the heat and the troubles of pregnancy. He remembered that there was a forest where Lady Hongye lived, so he thought about visiting her. She liked Madam Hongye, so she gave up the grand ceremony and just took a sedan chair to Mengxi Palace where Madam Hongye lived.

When Shanyang arrived at Mengxi Palace, she found that the palace maids and eunuchs were not there. She knew the palace was full of mischief and was worried that something had happened to Madam Hongye, so she asked the palace maids and eunuchs to wait aside and quietly entered Mengxi Palace.

Mengxi Palace was originally just a palace for viewing flowers. Later, Madam Hongye liked it and slightly changed it to a sleeping palace, but the layout of Mengxi Palace was still preserved, with winding paths separated by layers of flowers and trees. Shanyang often came to Mengxi Palace and was very familiar with it, so she took a shortcut. However, when she was close to Mengxi Palace, she suddenly heard a man's roar and a woman's low cry.

Shanyang was already a married woman, so she naturally knew what this meant. She was shocked and angry, but she had a little sympathy for the beauty, so she didn't make a sound, but quietly went around to the back of Madam Hongye's bedroom, where there was a slightly higher pavilion, which happened to be able to see the inside of the bedroom.

However, when Shanyang climbed up the pavilion and looked at the bedroom, she was suddenly stunned.

The thin gauze fluttered in the bedroom, and the man's strong back could be vaguely seen. She could not see Madam Hongye's face, but only a slender white arm stretched out from the gauze curtain, and the fingers like spring onions loosely held a jade wine glass. The man was deeply in love, and he stretched out his arms, extending along the white arm to the palm, and brushed the wine glass on the ground, and then interlocked with the jade fingers, black and white, hard and soft, like a bright dance.

Shanyang was awakened by the sound of the wine glass falling to the ground. She covered her lips, and tears of fear appeared in her eyes. Even if he was arrogant in the palace, Shanyang knew the limits of advance and retreat better than anyone else. It was because of this that she was so scared when she saw the back of the man.

Even though only her back and arms were exposed, the dragon robe on the ground and the jade ring on the man's hand had already made her recognize the man's identity.

This was her father, the current emperor Wu De.

Shanyang had no memory of how she left. She climbed onto the sedan chair in a daze and urged everyone to go back quickly. The palace maids thought she had a heat stroke because the sun was too hot, so they did not dare to delay any longer and quickly returned to the Ci Ning Palace where the empress dowager lived.

Shanyang was terrified and told her wet nurse about it. Her wet nurse's surname was Huang. It was this wet nurse Huang who planned Shanyang's leap from a princess who lost her mother to the empress dowager's beloved granddaughter. After hearing what Shanyang said, Huang was also scared to death. After all, if this palace scandal spread, not only would Madam Hongye lose her reputation, but also Emperor Wude and King Wei would lose their reputations. Even the late emperor who had long passed away would be implicated.

Huang advised Shanyang to kill someone to silence him and then leave the palace as soon as possible. She did so immediately. However, after leaving the palace, she was in a state of panic. In the end, her child was born prematurely, and only one of the two sons survived, Ge Hui.

After Shanyang finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair with eyes full of sadness, and went on to say: "Madam Hongye's affair could not be concealed after all. Many people were implicated at that time, and many people have heard about it. But later, King Wei rebelled and killed a group of officials and related families. Then the matter was gradually buried in the dust and no longer mentioned."

Rong Zhen's brows were tightly wrinkled. His father had doted on him since he was a child, and he also admired his father who had made outstanding military achievements. Now, listening to Shanyang talking about this past event, he felt mixed emotions in his heart.

However, this emotion could only trouble Rong Zhen for a short time. He soon came to his senses and asked, "What do my mother and the Song family have to do with this?"

Shanyang chuckled, "You probably haven't seen Madam Hongye, have you?" She stood up and said with a sigh, "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, and Concubine Jin looks about 70% similar to her. If not, how could Concubine Jin be favored and become the fastest promoted concubine?"

Rong Zhen stood up suddenly, his tone suddenly became cold, "So?"

"So?" Shanyang walked over slowly, looking at Rong Zhen with pity, "When my father lost his beloved, his emotions were unbalanced, and he used Concubine Jin as a substitute. He even wanted to make her the empress and you the crown prince. Tell me, in this situation, how could the crown prince of the Eastern Palace at that time keep his position?"

Rong Zhen's fingers slowly curled up in his palms, and a bone-chilling coldness froze his heart and lungs. Even so, he still asked very calmly: "If that's the case, he should have cut off the roots and killed me."

"Of course he wanted to!" Shanyang suddenly chuckled. "You were just a child at that time, but you were already crowned the King of Chu. Apart from the King of Zhao and the King of Wei, you had the highest status among the princes. However, the King of Zhao was my father's uncle and had fought with him in the army for many years. The King of Wei had made great contributions in recovering the southern barbarians and being an envoy to various countries. You had done nothing, but you were crowned with these two. It's obvious that Father favors you. If you were Rong Qi, what would you do? "Shan Yang said, "Unfortunately, he failed. Although he succeeded in forcing the emperor to abdicate, he was controlled by the Xuanjia Guards. Father knew that the situation was over, so he could only force him to swear never to lay a hand on you before passing the throne to him. He was confined by his legitimate status and could not bear to be cruel, which led to the current hidden danger. Nineteenth brother , am I right?"

Rong Zhen ignored her last sentence and asked in return: "How did you know these secrets?"

Shanyang's face was flustered for a moment, but soon calmed down: "I have my own channels. If you don't believe it, you can go and check it out."

Rong Zhen shook his head: "I believe it." However, before Shanyang could feel relieved, he changed the subject and said, "It is precisely because I believe it that I am even more confused. The events of the year were so far-reaching that even many families who were slightly related were implicated, and you know a lot about it. Now you still live in the princess's mansion in glory, and you can tell me these old stories, even the horrifying inside stories. Who is standing behind Sister Shanyang?"

Shanyang took a step back uneasily and opened his mouth: "I..."

"Let's take a step back. Even if you can erase what happened back then and no one knows about it, but I controlled you and you said it so readily. Do you think it's possible that there was no premeditation or instigation on your part, Sister Shanyang?"

Shanyang's face turned pale. She clasped her hands together nervously, but she was speechless and couldn't say anything for a long time.

Rongzhen's eyes were emotionless, he just stared at Shanyang quietly.

A sound that sounded like crying and laughing escaped from Shanyang's lips. Shanyang covered her face with her hands and said slowly after a long time: "You are talking about..."

She asked uncertainly: "If I tell it, can you keep Huier's matter a secret for me? I only have this one son in this life. If someone finds out... I'm afraid I won't be able to survive..."

Rongzhen just said: "That depends on the sincerity of Sister Shanyang."

Shanyang seemed to have made up her mind, and said: "Okay, I'll tell you. There was indeed someone who instructed me afterwards..."

"That man... is the King of Wei. He is not dead."

As the sun was setting, Shanyang sat on a chair and stared blankly at the sunset taking away the last rays of light in the courtyard. The sound of the bell of Fengguo Temple could be heard in the distance . The gentle spring breeze blew through the branches, stirring up the tender new buds on them. Everything seemed so peaceful and distant.

But soon this atmosphere was broken by a person.

The person was wearing a black cloak, with only half of his chin exposed.

Seeing this shadow, Shanyang's expression seemed to become extremely scared. Such a strange shadow appeared in the princess's mansion, but no one came to ask about it. This really didn't seem like the princess's mansion, which was usually heavily guarded.

The man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and low: "How did it go?"

Shanyang looked at his shadow and smiled bitterly: "As you wish." She looked at the shadow as if she was looking at a nightmare that she would never wake up from, and then she called out the other party's identity in a low voice.

"Seventh Uncle."

The seventh uncle Shanyang was talking about was none other than Rong You, the King of Wei who had rebelled and fled Baiquan Mountain. But he seemed to have not heard what Shanyang said, and still asked: "Shanyang, you are lucky to have so many more days, but you still haven't become smarter?" Shanyang

knelt at his feet, rolling and crawling, crying and begging in a low voice: "I did everything you said, please, spare my son!"

Rong You Half squatting, she bent her slender fingers, lifted Shanyang's chin, and replied very calmly: "What did he say?"

Shanyang shook his head blankly: "No... nothing."

Rong You sighed: "Shanyang, you know I have a short patience."

There was fear in Shanyang's eyes, and she said in a trembling voice: "I... I was wrong, he saw something, I... I told him your identity."

"Very good, now you're a good girl." Rong You patted Shanyang's head with satisfaction, and was about to stand up, but was grabbed by Shanyang's sleeve.

Shanyang looked at him pleadingly: "I have told him, I have done what I should do, you...you have to fulfill your promise and let Hui'er go..."

A faint laugh came from the tent. Rong You brushed away Shanyang's hand and said lightly: "That's your fault, Shanyang, what's the use of you begging me?"

Shanyang's tears flowed more fiercely. She crawled on her knees a few steps, hugged Rong You's legs and said: "I know you can cure my Hui'er. It was you who let Hui'er get infected with this strange disease. You..."

Rong You sighed with pity: "You are getting more and more confused. His disease You committed this crime to pay for your mother's sins. You should pray to Buddha and God..." He seemed to remember something and said thoughtfully, "I heard that you go to Fengguo Temple every year to hold a prayer ceremony for the dead, but it seems to be of no use after all these years?"

Shanyang opened his mouth and whispered, "I am praying for Madam Hongye's soul. I hope she can ascend to heaven soon and forgive the mistakes I made when I was young and ignorant..."

Rong You's body seemed to tense up a little, and soon he chuckled again, "What qualifications do you have to ask her? If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have died!"

"But she seduced my father!" Shanyang's emotions also became a little excited, "I just did what I should do!"

"Heh..." Rong You sneered, "She is chaste and virtuous. If Rong Xiu hadn't been attracted by her beauty, how could she have ended up like this?!" He suddenly lowered his head and grabbed Shanyang's chin tightly, and this action caused his hat to fall off, revealing half of his burned face.

Shanyang was frightened by this scene and could no longer speak.

"Shanyang, all these disasters are caused by you, and your atonement is far from enough..."