On a rainy spring day, Wei Kai, the eldest son of the Wei family, put away his umbrella, lifted his robe, and entered a tavern. A waiter had been waiting outside the tavern, and he led Wei Kai into an elegant house.
Wei Kai raised his eyes and saw a stove with golden flames and wisps of green smoke. Yan Shang was sitting there brewing tea.
Yan Shang smiled and invited Wei Kai to sit down, poured tea for him, and said, "I have not been feeling well recently and cannot drink alcohol. Although I am in a wine shop, I can only serve you tea. Please forgive me, my dear."
Wei Kai doesn't care.
He observed Yan Shang. He had no friendship with Yan Shang, and it was all because of Qilang from the Wei family who was in between.
But Wei Qilang Wei Shu is a special case of the Wei family. He is not sociable and keeps to himself. He has never helped Yan Shang and Wei Kai to connect. Fortunately, Yan Shang is good at making friends, and Wei Kai is willing to make friends with Yan Erlang, who is now powerful in the court, so he came to attend Yan Shang's banquet.
After three cups of tea and some chats about the current affairs of the court, Yan Shang slowly talked about his intention to cooperate with the Wei family. Compared with Wei Shu, Wei Kai is the one who truly represents the attitude of the Luoyang Wei family. Yan Shang cooperated with Wei Kai because he had offended the aristocratic family recently when he investigated Beili.
But aristocratic families are not immune.
He was suppressing the Hai family and had the support of his teacher Liu family, but he still needed one more supporter.
Wei Kai refused as he expected: "Since Yan Erlang is on good terms with my seventh brother, he should know that my Wei family never gets involved in these factional disputes. Yan Erlang has found the wrong person."
Yan Shang asked back, "Never getting involved in party disputes, keeping to oneself, and not offending anyone, doesn't that mean offending everyone? If the Wei family really didn't stand for anyone, it wouldn't have lasted this long. The aristocratic families are reshuffled, and when someone goes down, someone else will take over. I'll tell you the truth, in the Beili incident, the Hai family will definitely be the first to come forward. Beili involves too many people, and if there's no one leading the aristocratic families and no one to stabilize the situation, and the aristocratic families panic, how can the Wei family stay out of it?"
Wei Kai listened to the sound of raindrops under the corridor and said slowly after a while: "You want to suppress the noble families, but you seek cooperation from them. If the world knew about it, the Wei family would be criticized and accused of having no integrity."
Yan Shang: "Who said I want to suppress the aristocratic families?"
Wei Kai was startled and his eyelids twitched slightly.
Yan Shang: "When a poor family first establishes itself, it all depends on the support of others. It has only been more than 20 years since the previous emperor began the imperial examination, and the ministers of one generation have not yet been replaced. A child has just been trained to the age to take the imperial examination. The poor family has a shallow foundation. Those who can participate in the imperial examination nowadays are mostly from the rich and powerful in the village. Even for me, it is because my father was a Jinshi and my family in Lingnan was not poor, so I had the opportunity to study.
"So I promoted education and opened private schools because I wanted more people to study and to get rid of the traces of control by the aristocratic families. Before the path of further education and the path of imperial examinations were truly popularized to all the people, it would be useless to go against the aristocratic families. Even in the imperial examinations, the number of people selected by the aristocratic families was more than that of the poor families... It was not because the court favored the aristocratic families, but because the channels and centuries of heritage controlled by the aristocratic families were indeed enough to easily train outstanding disciples.
"The talents cultivated by the aristocratic families are both talented in literature and martial arts, and have broad minds and aspirations. However, the students from poor families who have studied for more than ten or even dozens of years can only study. The gap between the two is so big, how can it be eliminated in just ten or twenty years?
"The late emperor was eager to destroy the noble families and support the poor. But the late emperor was too impatient... This is not something that can be accomplished in just a dozen or twenty years. This may require the efforts of several generations of emperors, and it may not be resolved in decades. To govern the world in just a few decades, it may all depend on the noble families. Although I support the poor, I also know that I cannot destroy the noble families.
"Both sides are from scholarly backgrounds, so the fight is not yet to the point of life and death."
Wei Kai listened quietly. A family that has survived for more than a hundred years has a long-term vision and will naturally not block the rise of the poor. But Yan Shang still surprised him.
Before he came, he knew that this person was good at speaking and was wary of Yan Shang. But Yan Shang's words still touched Wei Kai, who represented the family - who doesn't like to be praised for their outstanding talents? Who doesn't like to be praised for the integrity of their family?
What's more, Yan Erlang was so sincere and opened his heart to him.
Wei Kai somewhat understood why Yan Shang's actions were always so aggressive. Everyone in the court was wary of him, but many ministers couldn't help but like Yan Shang.
Wei Kai said: "It seems that they want to win together, not to suppress any party."
Yan Shang smiled bitterly: "When I was young, I used radical means, and I am afraid that people will be afraid of me. I hope that when you go back this time, you can tell the family that I am not trying to destroy the family this time. It's just that the Hai family, which is on good terms with the eunuchs, cannot survive. Liu Wenji is accumulating money and land, and he is rampant. His greed is growing day by day. The family that associates with him cannot survive."
Wei Kai: "I heard that you and Liu Wenji are from the same hometown and old friends. Why don't you cooperate with the eunuchs, but cooperate with us instead?"
Yan Shang: "Because scholars naturally have the same stance, no matter how fiercely the nobles and the poor fight each other, once they face the eunuchs, they will definitely unite against the same enemy. If they want to get rid of the eunuchs, the nobles and the poor can cooperate at any time, but the opportunity to use Beili to reshuffle the three parties is rare."
Wei Kai said coldly: "Reshuffle of the three parties? I can see that the noble families are reshuffling, and I can also see that Liu Wenji's power is damaged by losing the Hai family, but won't the poor family become more powerful because of your actions? Why can't I see that this matter will restrain the poor family?
"As Yan Erlang becomes more powerful and prestigious, the poor will become more arrogant. We can't stand being suppressed by the poor."
Yan Shang said: "When this matter is over, I will resign."
Wei Kai was silent for a moment, then he understood.
If Yan Shang resigned, the poor family would lose their leader and would naturally have to settle down for a while. Or if they lost Yan Shang's control, the poor family would become arrogant... But if they lost Yan Shang's control and the princess's support, how could the poor family have the confidence to be arrogant in front of the noble families?
Wei Kai stared at Yan Shang deeply and said, "I thought you represented the poor, but it turns out you don't support them?"
Yan Shang smiled but did not answer, turning his head to look at the drizzle outside. He did not lean on anyone, he leaned on the justice in his heart. He did not know right from wrong, but only wanted to have a clear conscience.
After a detailed discussion with Yan Shang, Wei Kai politely said that he would think about it after returning home. After returning home, Wei Kai discussed the cooperation with Yan Shang with the Wei clan members in Chang'an. Only Wei Shu did not come. Wei Kai knew that his younger brother was angry with him because of the matter of Concubine Zhao Ling, so he did not take it seriously.
Everyone discussed Yan Shang's behavior, and Uncle Wei Kai asked about Yan Shang.
Wei Kai thought for a while and said, "He doesn't look like an ordinary minister, but more like the prime minister of the dynasty."
Like a prime minister, he wants to coordinate the overall situation.
The Wei family thought about it, and the next day they took Yan Shang's words to communicate with the major families, excluding the Zhao family and the Hai family.
-----
The Hai family was clearly forced by Yan Shang to mess with Beili, but the Hai family obviously did not want to offend Yan Shang, nor did they want to offend the noble families. The Hai family was complacent, watching the fight between Yan Shang and the noble families over Beili. When the poor family was suppressed, or the noble family was suppressed, the winners would be the eunuchs. And the Hai family, representing the noble families and making friends with the eunuchs, was a good opportunity to return to the ranks of the noble families.
Everything seems to be under their control.
Just as the beautiful lady Hai in the palace thought.
Lady Huo was weak and pitiful, and the emperor was heartbroken by her miscarriage. She cried in front of the emperor, who was already overwhelmed by the conflict between the court officials and the noble families. When he returned to the inner palace and saw his beauty so pitiful, his sympathy as a man arose, and he wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly.
The eldest prince actually poisoned the medicine used by Concubine Huo, causing her to miscarry. No one would blame a child, let alone a prince. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Chunhua. They thought that Chunhua must have said something in front of the eldest prince, which made a child take a risk.
Mu Wanyao wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly. The emperor hesitated, but finally agreed despite Lady Huo's tears.
Chunhua asked to see the princess, but the princess refused to see her; she asked to see the queen, but the queen reprimanded her and asked her to confess. She was separated from her son, and the palace servants did not allow her to see the eldest prince to prevent her from instigating him. Chunhua was desperate and went to ask Liu Wenji, the popular man in the palace, for help.
She was a concubine, but she was so humble. She cried in front of Liu Wenji, complaining about being abandoned, worrying about her son, and saying that she had never harmed Lady Huo. Someone must have framed her, but she could not find any evidence.
Liu Wenji was dressed in a bamboo green robe, with a white face and no beard, and a tall figure. Standing in the deep palace of Concubine Xian late at night, he did not look like a eunuch, but rather like a young man having a tryst with her.
He looked at the girl who had once made him love her so much with strange and complicated eyes.
She was still beautiful and gentle, but she was also very strange... She asked him for help with tears in her eyes, which made him feel heartbroken and at the same time gave him a violent pleasure.
He stared at her, and could no longer find any trace of the maid who had looked back and smiled at him. She was the emperor's concubine and the mother of the eldest prince, but she was not Liu Wenji's woman.
Liu Wenji said in a strange tone: "You asked me to help you? Why do you ask me to help you?"
Chunhua lowered her head, feeling ashamed and crying silently.
Liu Wenji was both happy and cold-hearted. He walked towards her with a cold face. All the people in the palace were sent out by Chunhua, and the gauze curtains were flying. The oppressive momentum he walked towards her made Chunhua afraid. Chunhua retreated step by step, and finally leaned against the golden pillar, with no way to retreat.
She was frightened and panicked, yet she had to muster up her courage.
She said, "I beg you to help me!"
Liu Wenji grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. She was pale, obviously upset by his outrageous behavior, so he looked at her sadistically, scratching her chin with his knuckles, almost drawing blood from her chin.
Liu Wenji said angrily, "You are devoted to your princess. When you entered the Prince of Jin's Mansion for her, did you ever think that she would abandon you one day? From the beginning to the end, I was the only one who never gave up on you! Only me! But you come to beg me today... Why don't you go and beg your princess? Why don't you ask her why she uses you as a pawn?"
Chunhua closed her eyes and said with difficulty in a trembling voice: "Your Highness must have his own considerations. Maybe Your Highness thinks that Lady Huo is more useful than me..."
Liu Wenji interrupted: "But you were still abandoned!"
Chunhua had nothing to say.
Liu Wenji looked down at the woman who had once haunted his dreams. He wondered why he had liked her so much before. She was just an ordinary palace woman, shallow, weak, pitiful, and humble... Liu Wenji murmured: "Why do you think I will help you?"
Chunhua whispered: "If you help me... I will do whatever you want."
Liu Wenji was stunned. He didn't react at first, but he saw her face flushed, and his fingers pinching her chin could feel the heat of her skin. He stared at her for a moment. After several years in the deep palace, he understood what she meant in an instant... She could do whatever he wanted.
Liu Wenji taunted, "Is it okay to go to bed?"
Chunhua was silent.
Liu Wenji: "Why, do you think I don't have that ability and look down on me?"
Chunhua suddenly raised her head, her breathing quickened: "I have never looked at you like that! You are no worse than others, you just have a bad fate, I..."
Liu Wenji was afraid to see her eyes that were as warm as spring water and as bright as starlight. He pushed her away: "Don't look at me like that! The look in your eyes makes me want to dig out your eyeballs..."
Chunhua was stunned.
He pushed her to the ground with great force, and she looked up at him in confusion. She saw the sinister look in his eyes, and suddenly felt that her decision tonight was wrong. She shouldn't have asked for help from an old lover who had changed beyond recognition. He humiliated her and looked down on her, and she felt that she looked down on him in the same way.
Chunhua's hands and heart were shaking, and the blood in her body was freezing. She was shivering, thinking that all this was too absurd and wrong.
She suddenly said, "Go away, and pretend I didn't say anything tonight."
She was going to question the princess! She was going to beg the princess!
Asking the princess is better than anything else...
Liu Wenji looked down indifferently, and saw her regret. His face was ferocious for a moment, and his muscles trembled because of the ferocity, and the haze passed through his eyes. He felt unfair and sneered: "You have already made me despise you and disgusted me! Now you are not worthy of me... You are a concubine who said to an eunuch 'I will do whatever you want' behind the emperor's back. You are already dirty!"
Spring flowers are like being placed in an ice cave.
She was so angry that her fingers were shaking as she pointed outside the palace. She said in a trembling voice: "Get out! Get out of here——"
Liu Wenji sneered, turned around and walked out of the palace. He walked so fast, as if he could abandon all emotions without mercy. Emotions are obstacles and are useless to him. He gave up on himself because of Chunhua, and was deposed because of helping Chunniang...
What did he do wrong!
It was all because of his excessive emotions and sympathy... He didn't understand, he had never succeeded in the imperial examinations in the past, but he was in the mood to like a girl, to sympathize with a girl, to run after Prince Jin's carriage, and to beg the girl to look back at him.
It's all false.
Only power matters most.
Chunhua is so stupid, she is indeed a concubine who has been spoiled in the deep palace. She thought Mu Wanyao had abandoned her, so she came to beg her...but now she is nowhere to be found! Mu Wanyao wanted to get the beauty of the Hai family, not Chunhua at all.
Even Mu Wanyao wanted to see Liu Wenzhi's attitude.
See if he is going to kick someone when he is down, or give him a hand.
Can Chunhua become Liu Wenzhi's weak spot?
This is what Mu Wanyao wants to see!
Mu Wanyao, the cold princess, Yan Shang, the hypocritical man with great power... They have all changed, playing with people's hearts and power as they please. They want to abandon Chunhua and use Chunhua as a pawn... If I help Chunhua, wouldn't that give Mu Wanyao the handle?
Then Mu Wanyao would always hold the evidence against him - having an affair with the concubine.
Confirm old feelings.
Either Chunhua dies or Liu Wenji dies. Liu Wenji will never let himself die, but if Chunhua dies... why would Liu Wenji help Chunhua?
Hateful Mu Wan Yao!
Liu Wenji suddenly stopped, standing under the sycamore tree with an unpleasant look on his face, and suddenly turned back to look at Concubine Xian's palace. The eunuchs following behind him lowered their heads, not daring to ask what happened to the eunuch at Concubine Xian's place and why he was so upset.
Liu Wenzhi stared at Chunhua's harem, at the dark palace - her face came to his mind again.
She looked back at him and smiled slightly. She stood under the simple corridor of the Yan family, graceful and elegant, her smile as gentle as a spring stream.
Liu Wenzhi closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and forced his cheeks to tighten - the more he couldn't get her, the more he missed her!
He is in a high position and has great power, why would he be obsessed with a woman!
Liu Wenji's face was gloomy. He suddenly turned around and strode towards the palace he had left behind. He shouted away the eunuchs who followed him, and his robe sleeves fluttered as he walked. He was clearly walking towards her, but he was gloomy and solemn. He no longer had the excitement and blushing mood when he saw her.
Chunhua was sitting on the ground crying, wiping her tears and hugging her knees, feeling pathetic and pitiful. She heard footsteps, raised her head with tearful eyes, and saw Liu Wenji coming back.
Before she could scold him, he squatted down, pinched her cheeks and kissed her.
Chunhua was shocked, her face flushed, and her whole body was stiff with fear. She pushed him and hit him, she was so scared. She opened her mouth and bit him, asking this hypocritical villain to let her go.
Liu Wenzhi finally let her go, and he pressed his fingertips on the blood beads on her red lips that were bitten.
He still looked ugly.
But he said nonchalantly: "Okay, I'll help you this time. I'm going to hell anyway... Chunhua, you go to hell with me."
-----
Liu Wenzhi's defection caught Hai Meiren in the palace off guard.
At the same time, the aristocratic families took sides, with the Hai family and the Zhao family standing on opposite sides of the aristocratic families. Because of Wei Shu's protection, the Zhao family was not completely targeted, but the Hai family was forced to become a sacrifice. Yan Shang cleaned up Beili and investigated the officials who often went to Beili. Among them were not only children of aristocratic families, but also children of poor families.
Of course, there are more aristocratic families.
This time, the noble families headed by the Liu family and the Wei family cooperated. The noble families with ambiguous attitudes made do with it. The Hai family was surrounded by the Dali Temple and the Zongzheng Temple because of the murder of the prince.
Liu Wenji testified that Hai Meiren had murdered the prince. He betrayed his alliance with the Hai family and chose to join forces with the Han family and Mu Wanyao. With his help, Huo Meiren's abortion was resolved.
The emperor was originally hesitant, not knowing who to help, but Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao made the choice for him. He breathed a sigh of relief and immediately questioned Hai.
Concubine Hai in the palace never thought that Liu Wenzhi would forge evidence even though she did nothing. Apart from speaking a few words to Chunhua, how could she have ever touched Concubine Huo?
Mu Wanyao, the emperor, and Liu Wenzhi held a trial. Chunhua knelt on the ground and told herself how she was instigated by Lady Hai and how much Lady Hai looked down on Lady Huo.
Lady Huo dragged her frail body and stood behind Mu Wan. She received the support of the princess. She held her heart in tears and sobbed into the emperor's arms: "Lady Hai, how can you be so cruel? You even killed a child who is not yet formed... Yes, your family has always liked to murder princes. Your family..."
The beauty collapsed and screamed, "Nonsense! Nonsense! I would never dare to murder the prince! I would never dare!"
She burst into tears, knelt down and threw herself towards the emperor, hugged the emperor's thighs, raised her face and cried like rain: "How dare I harm the prince? Your Majesty, how dare I? We, the Hai family, bear such a crime. We returned to Chang'an to clear ourselves of the crime and the prejudice of the world against us!
"Before, we killed the prince and our family was exiled. The noble families looked down on us. Since then, my family's children have not been able to learn orthodox classics. Without the classics passed down from generation to generation, they are not part of the mainstream.
"We live in a remote area, with no chance of being recognized by the Central Plains, and all our children's careers have been cut off. Just because you killed the prince!
"I will not say who was wrong about what happened back then, the world has already made its judgment! I just want to speak up for my Hai family... We have been punished enough, we want to return to Chang'an, we want to be among the noble families again! This time we have been appreciated by His Majesty and returned to Chang'an, how could we murder the prince again and repeat the same mistakes?
"Your Majesty, please understand! I would never harm the prince! It's Concubine Xian! It's clearly Concubine Xian!"
The beauty Hai knelt on the ground, crying like a pear blossom in the rain. All the concubines sighed and even the queen sighed, feeling sorry for her. The emperor wanted to end the matter, but the beauty Hai was so excited that he hesitated for a moment. He looked at Chunhua with suspicion, and Mu Wanyao took a step forward.
Mu Wan shook his head and stared at Hai Meiren, saying sternly: "You murdered my second brother back then, and you thought being exiled for more than ten years was a punishment? Do you still feel that you have been wronged? His Majesty's grace is all over the world, who doesn't know his kindness? His Majesty wants you to come back to pardon your sins, but you are ungrateful and are trying to murder the prince again. How could I not know what you are thinking?
"Why would you murder the prince? Of course you would murder the prince! Because you're afraid that I'll take control of the government. You just want to give birth to a child and use the child to tie up Your Majesty! You entered the palace at the same time as Concubine Huo, and Concubine Huo gave birth to the heir before you. You're worried that your position will be lost!
"The Hai family has shown favor to your majesty, so they want to use the prince to get closer! You took advantage of your majesty's tolerance towards you and provoked your majesty again and again! Thanks to Eunuch Liu for having made an early decision and guarding against you... But you still succeeded!"
The beauty screamed, "It's not like that! The evidence is fake! Ah, I see, you want to protect the maid who once walked out of your yard... Your Majesty, she has selfish motives! The princess has selfish motives!"
Mu Wanyao remained unmoved and faced the emperor.
The emperor looked at Liu Wenji, then at Mu Wanyao, and finally at Concubine Huo and Concubine Hai.
Lady Hai knew that she was betrayed by Liu Wenji, which meant that the Hai family was abandoned. She was panicked, knowing that her support was gone, so she cried even harder, hugged the emperor's legs, and asked the emperor to see her weakness and forgive her for the sake of her service.
When the emperor saw the tears of the beauty Hai, he thought of the beauty's tenderness in countless nights. He had never been able to help with the affairs of the court, and could only rely on the beauties in the harem for comfort. When he was drunk by the court officials like a grandson, Hai's sweet voice and how many times she held him in her arms to comfort him.
They have imagined countless times that one day they would be able to trample those ministers under their feet and do whatever they want freely.
For a moment, the emperor softened his heart and pleaded with Mu Wanyao: "Yaoyao, Hai is just a woman, what does she know? The palace maids must have taken advantage of her. I can be her guarantor, she is very kind..."
Mu Wanyao interrupted the emperor's muttering: "Your Majesty, it is your offspring that are being harmed! If you don't mind, what can I say?"
The emperor was stunned and was about to be delighted when Liu Wenji said indifferently, "If the ministers knew that Your Majesty had let Hai Meiren go, they would come to see Your Majesty."
The emperor suddenly became weak.
He was afraid of those powerful prime ministers, afraid of their endless nagging. He was not free as an emperor - he stopped looking at the beauty in the sea, and angrily threw his sleeves: "It's up to you! Anyway, you can do whatever you want!"
The beauty cried: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty——"
Her Majesty walked away in a huff. Mu Wanyao paused, winked, and asked Lady Huo to follow and comfort the emperor. Mu Wanyao certainly couldn't act like she was comforting the emperor, but didn't the emperor like gentleness? Lady Hai was gentle enough, and Lady Huo was born an actress, so she was more observant.
-----
The emperor was not idle for long. Yan Shang asked to see him because he was dealing with the Beili incident. Yan Shang wanted to restrict the court officials from entering and leaving Beili at will, saying that the officials would reveal too many things if they were drunk. If the enemy's spies knew about it, the country would be destroyed.
The emperor was first persuaded by Mu Wan and then by Yan Shang's request.
He knew that Yan Shang and the family seemed to have reconciled subtly, which made him furious, and he said, "Why don't you just close Beili! No one should go to Beili, so that everyone will be clean!"
Yan Shang said in a gentle voice, "Beili cannot be closed. Personally, I actually want to close Beili. I have always disliked such a place of debauchery. However, Beili is the most prosperous symbol of Chang'an, and it is one of the representatives of Chang'an's prosperity in the surrounding countries. Officials cannot openly visit prostitutes, which is already a restriction. If it is too much, the public will have a big backlash, which is not a good thing."
The emperor sneered: "What Yan Erlang said really makes sense."
I still don't understand what you said.
The emperor said: "So, you have solved the problem of the noble family, your wife has killed Hai Meiren, your humble family will dominate, and the noble family will listen to you. Yan Erlang is now in a good position. I will give you my throne!"
Normally, since he was so sarcastic, Yan Shang should have apologized with fear and trepidation, saying that he had interfered too much and that he would restrain his wife. Yan Shang should have knelt down and confessed his guilt, and should have appealed to the emperor. When Yan Shang had almost appeased the emperor and the emperor was in a good mood, he would give him a sweet treat.
Between the king and his subjects, this pattern was already very familiar to each other.
But this time, it seems different.
The emperor did not wait for Yan Shang to take off his crown and kneel. Yan Shang stood tall with his sleeves hanging down, stared at the emperor for a long while, and said: "The poor will not dominate because of this, your majesty can rest assured."
The emperor looked at him.
Yan Shang said: "I am not in good health, and I want to resign and return to Lingnan to recuperate. Her Royal Highness the Princess will leave with me, and Your Majesty can rest assured that the poor will not dominate because of this."
The emperor was stunned.
He was confused and angry for a moment: "What? How can you leave? If you leave, what should I do? Who will help me? You are the prime minister appointed by the late emperor. Are you blaming me for not giving you the position of prime minister directly? Are you blackmailing me, Yan Suchen?"
Yan Shang looked at him.
He sighed, exhausted.
This man is not reliable.
This man is cowardly, suspicious, incompetent, narrow-minded, self-willed, sticky and stingy... He is not reliable, so it is better to keep him in your arms.
Yan Shang bowed to the emperor and said helplessly: "How dare I threaten Your Majesty? Does Your Majesty really think of me like this? There are so many people who can help Your Majesty. I have recommended many people to Your Majesty... It's just that Your Majesty doesn't use them. Your Majesty doesn't trust me. What else can I do?"
"I resigned from my post because of poor health, not because I have any complaints against Your Majesty."
-----
Deep in the palace, after the incident with the beauty Hai, Mu Wanyao finally met Chunhua.
Chunhua still can't believe that Mu Wanyao would treat her like this. She talks about her feelings for the princess and wonders why the princess would help Concubine Huo to harm her.
If it weren't for Liu Wenji...
Mu Wan shook his head coldly: "If not Liu Wenji, what?"
Chunhua was silent. She suddenly remembered the deal between her and Liu Wenji, and she couldn't say anything in front of the princess's icy gaze.
Mu Wan shook her head indifferently: "Is this how you see me?"
Chunhua bit her lip: "I don't want to think that His Highness is so cruel to me, but His Highness would rather send another beauty to His Majesty than make an arrangement with me, and now he treats me as an abandoned child..."
Mu Wanyao: "Why don't you want to? I don't need you because you were not the gift I chose for King Jin? I didn't want to send you away. Your character was not tailor-made for His Majesty... Chunhua, I never arranged for you to do anything for His Majesty.
"I chose someone more suitable. You are not that person."
Chunhua's voice was slightly hurried: "But this time, this time... if Liu Wenji hadn't stood up, His Majesty would really have gotten rid of me! Because I have no power, because I was abandoned by His Majesty, I am useless!"
Mu Wan shook her head and said calmly, "So what? Is being abandoned by His Majesty a bad thing?"
Chunhua was stunned.
The two stood in the curved corridor on the lake, looking at the lotus buds in the pond. Willow catkins flew onto her shoulders. Mu Wan turned to her with a quiet look: "I couldn't decide your fate before, so you were forced to leave me and become the woman of King Jin. Now I have the ability to bring you out... I can make you abandoned, but I also have a way to make you alive and out of the harem.
"I can take you out of that world, but you don't want to come out anymore, do you?"
Chunhua stared blankly at his beautiful princess.
After a long while, she said with difficulty: "I am already married and I have a son, how can I go out..."
I smile at you in the evening.
She said, “So, you don’t want to come out.”
She walked towards Chunhua and stood in front of her. Chunhua always acted like a maid and was always humble when facing her. Muwan looked at her, and she instinctively lowered her head to let the princess look at her. But Chunhua then remembered that she was already Concubine Xian, and it seemed unnecessary to be so humble in front of the princess.
Then she raised her head.
Mu Wanyao observed her changes and laughed: "Vulgar."
Chunhua was stunned: "What?"
Mu Wanyao stretched out his hand and placed his cold fingers on her cheek. He looked at her, gazing at how the once spiritual maid had been forced to become a vulgar vase.
Mu Wanyao: "Chunhua, I have harmed you. If you were still my maid, staying by my side, I could train you carefully. But now you are too far away from me, trapped in the backyard, shuttling between the queen, the emperor, and the eldest prince all day long.
"You are no longer the maid who accompanied me back from the battle against the Wuman. Your heart has been worn out in the past ten years of life in the harem. You no longer have scrutiny, dreams, or any ideas of your own. You are trapped in the harem, losing yourself, and becoming any ordinary, featureless, resentful woman in this world, waiting for your husband to look back at you.
"I feel like I ruined you and hurt you. But you may still be happy with your life. I wanted to pull you out, but you have already given up.
"I'll give you one more chance. Are you willing to leave the harem with me? I have a way to give you a new life and show you new things. But do you have the courage to follow me?"
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