She was just a beauty. Even if the emperor protected her, if these concubines really wanted to kill her, it would only be a matter of words.

There was no need for Yu Yan to say all this to her, but before the two of them got down to business, she made it sound like she had no choice. She didn't enter the palace deliberately to compete for their favor, but she had no choice but to do so.

What's more, she even said that she was deliberately making things difficult for her and there was nothing she could do?

Haha, she was showing weakness to her, but who was Qiu Zhen, how could she be fooled like this?

"Your Majesty, please accept my greeting. Yu Yan knows that there is no turning back once you enter the palace. Yu Yan knows very well the position of Your Majesty in the Emperor's heart, and she knows even more clearly that the reason why the Emperor fell in love with me was all because of this face."

"In fact, the emperor has no feelings for me at all. I just followed my master's instructions and came to the palace to treat the emperor. I never thought that the result would be like this. I beg you to save me. If you can help me..."

At this point, if Qiu Zhen still didn't know what she wanted to say, it would be a waste of her years in the harem. Her face immediately changed and she shouted loudly.

"How dare you, Yu Yan, as a concubine, to have such thoughts? Do you know that with just this one sentence, the emperor can kill you, and even your master and your fellow apprentices will not be able to escape!"

Yu Yan's beautiful face was filled with tears because of Qiu Zhen's words.

"My queen, Yu Yan knows this, too. But Yu Yan has no choice. She cannot die. I know the fate of concubines who commit suicide. So I cannot die, but I dare not offend the emperor, for fear that he will be angry and implicate Yu Yan's master."

"If I had not been desperate, I would not be kneeling here to beg for help, Your Majesty. What virtue and ability did Yu Yan have to be favored by the Emperor?"

What a pitiful look she looks. Even though Qiu Zhen is watching here, he is moved by Yu Yan, the crying white lotus. But, so what?

As a concubine of the emperor, how could she help another concubine escape?

If the emperor knew about this, not only would the status she had accumulated over the years collapse, but even Yu Yan, the little white lotus, would be reduced to ashes.

This deal was too bad, but she was not stupid enough to gamble the rest of her life on this woman.

"Whatever you want, I don't care, and I can't control it. Since you know why the emperor likes you, you should serve the emperor well and stop having those wrong thoughts. Otherwise, listen to my advice, your end will be miserable, very miserable!"

"Don't I have any other options?"

Qiu Zhen curled his lips and said, "The second way? Huh, where do you think this is? There is a second way? Didn't you just say it yourself? Once you enter this harem, it's like shooting an arrow and there's no turning back. There's no way to turn back."

"Since you can't turn back, you can only go one way to the end. I can now give you another way. Although there are countless concubines in this harem, only I can protect your life. What do you think? Do you want to consider following me?"

If she did have the intention of warning her when she first brought her here, then now, after listening to what this woman said, she suddenly changed her mind. It would be a pity if she didn't use a woman like this for her own benefit.

Mu Han was right. Killing her would be far less effective than using her, especially this face. Even though she hated it so much that she wanted to scratch it, she had to endure it compared to the consequences.

"Follow the Empress? Haha, Empress Zhenfei, you think too highly of me. What virtue and ability do I have to deserve your favor? I am alone in the harem. I don't have a family with a strong background, and I don't have enough scheming. What can a servant like me bring to the Empress?"

"Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you can't do it in the future. If you follow me, I don't mind teaching you a lesson now."

"Future? Madam, are you sure that I still have a future?"

"Yu Yan, how wonderful your life can be depends only on yourself. If you rely on others, you will never succeed."

"There is a limit to what I can do to help you. If you don't want to live, I won't waste my time here."

"If you still want to live well, perhaps we can unite as one."

As for how to use her, that would require long-term planning. Right now, the most important thing is to control her.

"My lady, can Yu Yan trust you?"

Qiu Zhen's eyes were stern, "Can you still trust others now?"

Yu Yan's mind was shocked, and she lowered her eyes subconsciously: "Your servant, you have no choice, right?"

"In that case, what's your answer?"

Qiu Zhen suddenly stepped forward and looked at her sternly.

Under her burning gaze, Yu Yan gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, I agree, but Madam, you must promise me one thing."

"You said," Since she has already promised her, what does a small condition mean to her?

"In the future cooperation, if Yu Yan is unwilling to do something, I hope Your Majesty will not force me to do it."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhen couldn't help but laugh at herself: "Why? Do you think that once you enter the palace, you can still be as clean as before? Even if I am not here, if you want to survive, you must do something that you cannot accept. This is the cruelty of the harem, do you understand?"

"Even if that's the case, I hope that I can figure it out on my own, rather than being used, coerced or bribed by the Empress!"

Qiu Zhen glanced at her with disdain, "Okay, so what if I agree to your request? I accept this condition!"

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam. Since you have agreed, I will also promise you that from now on, we will prosper together and suffer together!"

Qiu Zhen was quite satisfied with her ability to know the current situation. He helped her up personally and looked at her face which somewhat resembled Mu Qianluo. Behind her smile was a heart that couldn't be colder.

"Well, if we prosper together, we all prosper, and if we suffer together, we all suffer!"

Mu Han, who was standing behind the two of them, looked coldly at this new ally with a look of ice in his eyes.

Qiu Zhen, ah Qiu Zhen, from today on, you will be an indispensable chess piece in our Zihuang Palace's road to revenge.

In your eyes, you are taking advantage of her.

But the fact is, we are the ones who are using you. Whether you can get out of this road of no return depends on your ability, Qiu Zhen.

As for Yu Yan, judging from her somewhat real and fake performance just now, her training over the years has been quite effective. However, this is just the beginning, and the real challenges are still to come.

Especially for today's "Lotus", how Yu Yan is going to get past Wei Yuchen is probably not something that can be fooled by just a few simple words at the banquet.

After the lotus viewing banquet, Qiu Zhen returned to Yongning Palace. Mu Han walked up to her calmly and made her a cup of tea.

"My lady, are you really going to cooperate with Yu Meiren? Is she trustworthy?"

Qiu Zhen stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup with a serious look. The green leaves in the white porcelain cup showed a bright green color, which was particularly beautiful.

However, she was not in the mood to appreciate these. All that came to her mind was the song that Jade Beauty played and sang. She pursed her lips, held the teacup, and looked up thoughtfully.

"Mu Han, do you think ghosts exist in this world? Can a person have a spirit after death? Or, can a person be reborn?"

Mu Han's heart skipped a beat. If it weren't for Shangguan Qingxi, she might have answered without hesitation, "That's impossible."

However, Shangguan Qingxi's rebirth made her hesitate for a moment, just a moment, and then Qiu Zhen saw it.

"You believe it, don't you?"

Mu Han suddenly raised his head and said calmly: "Your Majesty, why do you say that? Do you think it is possible for the late queen to be reborn?"

When Mu Han said this, his heart ached, but the person who brought up this possibility laughed at himself.

"Hehe, how is this possible? If Du Yunge is really reborn, why hasn't she come yet?"

When she said this, her voice suddenly stopped, and she couldn't say any more words. Even she stood up suddenly.

Mu Han was startled by her sudden action, but when he saw her face suddenly turn pale, he had a bad feeling in his heart.

"My lady, what's wrong with you?"

When Qiu Zhen heard her call like that, her hands trembled and the boiling hot tea scalded her so much that she put the cup down immediately. Looking at the broken teacup on the ground, she heard the calls of other palace maids outside the door.

"Your Highness, Your Highness Zhenfei, what's wrong with you?"

Mu Han's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked up and replied, "It's okay, I just accidentally knocked over the teacup. Make another cup of hot tea."

"Yes, Aunt Mu."

After the palace maid left, Mu Han hurriedly took out the handkerchief from his sleeve, dipped it in some cold water, and gently wiped the back of Qiu Zhen's hand.

"My lady, you are so distraught, what happened?"

Qiu Zhen ignored the fact that the back of her hand was already red and grabbed Mu Han's hand. There was a hint of fear in her anxious eyes. It was probably true fear, and even her voice was trembling.

"Mu, Mu Han, is it possible that all the 'Du Zi Ming Sue' operations against the imperial court are being carried out by a person who has been reborn?"

"Is there? Tell me, is there any possibility?"

Because of nervousness, anxiety and fear, Qiu Zhen's body has begun to tremble.

Her beautiful eyes were wide open with earnestness. She grasped Mu Han's hand and held it tightly, as if a person was grasping a life-saving straw in an icy lake. Mu Han's hand was hurt by her holding.

But what frightened her even more was Qiu Zhen's words. She didn't expect that she could reveal the secret with just one sentence.

But how could she possibly agree with her?

"My lady, are you tired? Why do you want to be like this? Rebirth? How can there be a person who is reborn in this world?"

"That's impossible. Besides, it's been twelve years since this happened."

However, before Mu Han could finish her denial, Qiu Zhen couldn't help but interrupt her in a sharp voice.

"It's because twelve years have passed, Mu Han. Why was there nothing happening in those twelve years? Why did so many things suddenly happen after twelve years?"

"Twelve years, this is a reincarnation, this is a mature reincarnation!"

Mu Han frowned slightly, then calmly pulled out his painfully pinched arm.

"Your Majesty, please don't be too sensitive about the 'Du Zi'. Even the Emperor can't find out who is behind this. What's the point of us making random guesses here?"

"Maybe the other party is the remnant of those gang members? The circle behind this is really too big. No matter how you calculate, it can't be blamed on Rebirth. Your Majesty, you are really too sensitive!"

Qiu Zhen's eyes turned red and she shook her head vigorously, "No, it's not that I'm sensitive. Mu Han, do you remember what happened that night?"

"Yes, you don't know, but I do. I know which words others know and which words others don't. I clearly remember that there are some things that only Du Yunge and I know, but how did that person know it?"

"How could she know that? And she chose to seek revenge on me in this way? Mu Han, have you ever thought about it?"

Amid Qiu Zhen’s sharp voice and panicked look, she didn’t notice that Mu Han’s mouth twitched a few times.

If the little magpie was here, he would probably punch Qiu Zhen in the face: "Fuck you, why are you so smart?"

Then he blew on his aching fist seriously and said, "hiss" How can this woman be so shameless?

But all this is just imagination. In fact, Mu Han really wants to follow the little magpie and do this.

But, she had to calm her down first. She had no choice but to sell herself.

"My queen, how could you forget again that there is still a maid named Liuying who is missing beside the late queen?"

"Since she is a personal maid and the most capable assistant to the late queen, it shouldn't be surprising if she knows, right?"

Qiu Zhen turned around blankly, "Wait, you, you said Liuying?"

"Yes, it's Liuying. Didn't you tell me that Liuying is not only good at martial arts, but also very skilled in it? On the day of the accident, Liuying was not by Du Yunge's side, right?"

"Then, this..., these things, is it very likely that this Liuying did it?"

Well, Liuying is me, and I am also Muhan. Unfortunately, you, Qiu Zhen, cannot imagine now that the person standing in front of you is the Liuying who disappeared without a trace.

If you knew it in the future, what kind of wonderful expression would you have?

It's really worth looking forward to.

"Yes, yes, yes, there is also Liuying, there is another Liuying. I am so confused. How could I forget Liuying? You are right. As Du Yunge's personal maid, Liuying is likely to know many things that others don't know."

"Especially, the time when Liuying disappeared was too coincidental."

When Qiu Zhen thought of this, her stiff body softened instantly. She staggered and fell to the ground. Mu Han wanted to help her up, but she waved him away.

"Don't worry about me, Mu Han, go down, I want to be alone."

Seeing this, Mu Han did not force himself, but still did his duty diligently.

"My lady, now that times have changed, you should not worry too much. After all, we should look forward instead of staying in the shadow of the past."

Qiu Zhen raised her head in surprise, and when her slightly cold eyes met Mu Han's sincere eyes, she gradually showed signs of melting: "Mu Han, thank you."

Mu Han nodded slightly, stood up and left, watching her back disappear at the door. The last bit of strength in Qiu Zhen's body was completely drained. She could no longer hold on and fell completely to the cold ground.

Staring straight at the beams of the hall and smelling the scent of sandalwood in the air, Qiu Zhen's eyes once again appeared with Yu Yan's familiar face.

"Really? Is it just a coincidence? Yu Yan, Yu Yan, who on earth are you?"

In fact, even now, Qiu Zhen is still full of doubts about Yu Yan.

For no other reason than that she sang in a tone that no one else could.

It has been twelve years, twelve years. Ever since Du Yunge left, no one has been able to play this piece of music completely.

But this person not only sang it word for word, but even the intonation was so close to the original.

Could it be that such a coincidence is also attributed to Liuying?

If there are too many coincidences, is it still a coincidence?

At this moment, Qiu Zhen's inner conflict was no less than that of Wei Yuchen in the Qinzheng Hall at that time.

Because what came to Wei Yuchen's mind was not only the song, but also the painting.

Du Yunge was like a shadow, always lingering in his heart, making him unable to calm down.

Even the most basic work was occasionally disturbed by the three words "Du Yunge".

When drops of ink as big as beans fell on the memorial and completely blurred the characters, he came to his senses belatedly.

But after a short while, my concentration was disturbed again.

This happened several times. Wei Yuchen felt annoyed and threw away his brush in anger, then stood up suddenly.

Liu Shi hurriedly followed and said, "Your Majesty, where are you going?"

The three cold words "Bai Yuxuan" made Liu Shi pause instantly. Bai Yuxuan?

Isn’t this the residence of the newly-enthroned Jade Beauty?

The Emperor had just held a lotus-viewing banquet for Lady Yu, so how come he couldn't sit down after only an hour?

Could it be that this beautiful lady is really so favored by the emperor?

Or..., how Jade Beauty performed today?

While thinking about it, Liu Shi no longer dared to underestimate him and immediately chased after him.

Perhaps it was because Wei Yuchen's expression was too gloomy that even Liu Shi couldn't guess what he meant.

Since you are going to Baiyuxuan, why do you look so embarrassed?

People who don’t know would think that this beautiful lady has offended the emperor!

With mixed feelings, Liu Shi watched the emperor enter Baiyuxuan. Just as he was about to follow him in, he heard Wei Yuchen shouting, "Get out!"

The emperor was furious and everyone in the courtyard was shocked. No one dared to stay any longer and they all ran out with their heads down.

As for the beautiful lady Yu in Baiyuxuan, when she walked out of the inner room upon hearing the news and saw Wei Yuchen standing in front of the painting with his hands behind his back, she was slightly startled and stammered.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?"

Wei Yuchen suddenly turned around, grabbed her jaw accurately, and approached her with a gloomy look: "Tell me, who are you?"

Yu Yan met his eyes that were as deep as ink, and her heart suddenly sank: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am Yu Yan!"

Wei Yuchen pinched her chin hard, feeling the delicate and smooth touch under his fingers, and a sinister smile suddenly appeared on her handsome face.

"Yu Yan? Are you really just Yu Yan?"

Yu Yan's heart was shocked, but there was an inexplicable doubt in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I don't understand what you are saying. If I am not Yu Yan, who else could I be?"

"Your Majesty, do you not trust Yu Yan? Then why do you still keep Yu Yan?"

"If the king wants his subjects to die, they have to die. Yu Yan knows that her life is worthless, but her body and hair are given by her parents. How can it be said that it is Yu Yan's name?"

"I have had this since I was born. Your Majesty now wants me to tell you another name. I am incompetent and I really don't understand what Your Majesty means. Please forgive me!"

Because Wei Yuchen had not restrained the strength in his hands, his face had turned terribly pale when she finished speaking.