"On the contrary, they have always been very cautious and careful with ordinary people and have never harmed innocent people."

"And those so-called confidants of mine all came to power after the Du family's massacre. Most of them have hunted down families related to the Du family..."

Having said that, how could Qiu Zhen not understand the truth?

She looked at him nervously, her voice trembling slightly, "Your Majesty, are you suspicious of something?"

Wei Yuchen looked at Qiu Zhen calmly, "Why did you send a woman who looks so much like her and has the same personality as her at this time?"

"Zhen'er, you and I have been through hardships together to get to where we are now. Do you think I am the kind of person who can be easily deceived?"

Of course not. Not only that, you are also an emperor who is extremely defensive, cautious and suspicious.

She thought he had walked into the shadow brought by 'Du Yunge', but she didn't expect that he could still be so organized until now.

He really deserves to be the iron-blooded and cold king of the past. For him, killing people means cutting the grass at its roots.

But looking at it now, it is obvious that he did not completely eradicate the problem back then, otherwise, why would there be revenge today?

revenge?

When he thought of this word, Qiu Zhen's expression suddenly became ugly, "What did the emperor find out?"

Wei Yuchen frowned slightly, "Not yet. It's because everything seems too perfect, so perfect that I have no choice but to follow the other party's intentions. It's not that I haven't investigated, but the results of the investigation are very normal."

"It's so normal that it seems as if everything that happened today was destined. Tell me, which remnant survived?"

Qiu Zhen looked at Wei Yuchen in bewilderment, "Your Majesty, there must have been several thousand people who died in that massacre, right?"

"More than 30 families were wiped out. Those who were directly or indirectly related to the Siyou Kingdom and the Du family, and those who did not obey Your Majesty in the past, were basically all killed in that battle, whether they were adults or children. How can we investigate this?"

Precisely because there are too many people, it is difficult to trace even the source, especially since the demise of the Du family. Those who have foresight ran as far as they could. Who knows if there was any deception among them?

But the reality is that revenge against the Wei family seems to have really begun.

What excited her the most was that the emperor's attitude towards Yu Yan was obviously not as rumored in the harem.

He confined her in Baiyuxuan. Did he not want her to contact the outside world?

Mu Han, who was standing by, was very skilled in martial arts, so he heard everything clearly. On his expressionless face, there was a hint of contempt at the corner of his mouth.

Unexpectedly, Yu Yan is just like this. Fortunately, this person has become a discarded pawn.

Moreover, Wei Yuchen underestimated the power of their Zihuang Palace. Did he think they really thought he could be deceived by Yu Yan?

Haha, the real big boss is not with her, and the current series of revenge against the Wei family is just the opening scene.

The real excitement is still to come. Wei Yuchen, Wei Yuchen, can you withstand such crazy revenge?

How could Wei Yuchen not know the drastic measures he had used back then?

But he did not regret it. Let me ask you, which emperor in history did not sit on the throne by stepping on the corpses of others?

Since ancient times, politics has been the beginning of killing, and he is no exception.

In particular, he would never allow women to interfere in his government affairs. Du Yunge was just the beginning, and the women who appeared later would definitely not become the second Du Yunge.

Because he would not give any of them such an opportunity.

Yu Yan...

When Wei Yuchen slowly murmured the name of this person, Qiu Zhen gently said: "How does the emperor plan to deal with her?"

Wei Yuchen said calmly, "It depends on her own luck. I can't help her. I will add fuel to the fire when necessary, because this is what she should be able to bear when she is ready to step into the palace."

"Including the baby in her belly?" Qiu Zhen was very smart and immediately understood what Wei Yuchen meant. However, the child made her a little wary.

Wei Yuchen glanced at Qiu Zhen coldly, "Don't think that I don't know what happened in the harem. What have you done over the years, and what have they done, do you really think I don't know?"

Qiu Zhen's expression suddenly changed, and the teapot in his hand fell heavily to the ground as his hand softened. The scalding hot tea immediately poured out from the cracked pot.

Qiu Zhen was caught off guard and was splashed all over. She groaned from the heat and knelt down in panic, not knowing how to start.

She could sense that, although Wei Yuchen had a blank expression on his face at that time, he must have resented or hated her for what she had done in the past.

This time, Wei Yuchen did not help her up. Instead, he put down the teacup, stood up, and glanced down at her condescendingly.

"Women, it's best not to be too smart. The more self-righteous you are, the faster you will die. Survival of the fittest, flattering the powerful and trampling on the weak, will always be the survival rule of the harem."

"I will not care about this, nor can I care about it. As the highest authority in the harem, I don't want you to be blinded by jealousy. What to do and what not to do should also be determined according to the current situation. As for you women, you only need to show your value. Do you understand?"

It was said so clearly, how could she not understand?

She nodded vigorously and responded with a trembling voice, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

After Wei Yuchen left in a huff, Qiu Zhenru sat on the ground like a daze, not moving for a long time.

What kept echoing in her mind was Wei Yuchen's words, 'A woman only needs to be useful'. So, she is no exception, right?

At this moment, Qiu Zhen had no idea how to deal with Wei Yuchen's sudden warning.

Although she was glad that he didn't really love Yu Yan, his last words made her think of herself naturally.

Utilize, utilize, why utilize again? Just utilize?

Could it be that in his mind, these women are just for use?

For a moment, Qiu Zhen even felt that he was able to survive until now because he was still useful.

The small garden was very quiet, so quiet that it was frightening.

It was already the scorching hottest day of late June, but Qiu Zhen could not feel the heat at all. Instead, she felt her heart growing colder and colder, so cold that it almost suffocated her.

"My queen, are you okay?" After an unknown amount of time, a pair of warm hands covered her stiff shoulders and pushed them gently.

Qiu Zhen opened her lifeless eyes and looked blankly at Mu Han who appeared beside her.

As her gaze focused, she suddenly grabbed Mu Han's hand, as if she had found support, and asked urgently.

"Mu Han, tell me, what do I mean in the emperor's heart? What do I mean?"

As the saying goes, there is always something hateful about a pitiful person, and similarly, there is always something pitiful about a hateful person.

At this moment, Mu Han felt a little sympathy for this woman.

She didn't expect that Wei Yuchen's heart could be so ruthless that he didn't even take Yu Yan, a substitute, seriously. So what about Qiu Zhen?

What kind of position does this woman who has done almost all the bad things for him hold in his heart?

Mu Han couldn't explain the matter of love, and she didn't understand why he always doted on her.

But the only thing she could see through was that there was absolutely no so-called love in his treatment of Qiu Zhen. Rather than love, it was more like they were two grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

Just like what he said before he left, she believed that what Qiu Zhen was struggling with at the moment must be that sentence.

So, as her most capable subordinate, how should she analyze this matter with her?

For a moment, Mu Han was also a little confused. She looked at Qiu Zhen and shook her head slightly: "My lady, I dare not speak nonsense."

Qiu Zhen looked at her with deep eyes, forcing her to look into his eyes, and then held her hand tightly.

"What? Even you don't want to tell me the truth? I order you now to tell me, tell me with your mindset as a bystander."

"What exactly does he mean? Mu Han, I beg you, please let me see it more clearly, okay?"

Qiu Zhen knew that in the entire harem, perhaps the only person who could tell her the truth was Mu Han.

"My lady, please get up first. The ground is cold."

With Mu Han's hand, Qiu Zhen was supported by her to a stone bench nearby.

Then, she took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and looked up at Qiu Zhen: "Your Majesty, do you really want to hear the truth from me?"

Qiu Zhen nodded, more resolute than ever before: "Just tell me, I promise I won't hold you responsible."

Mu Han thought for a moment, took a long breath, and then looked at Qiu Zhen with deep eyes: "Thanks to your trust, I know all your past. I am also the only person in the harem who knows you well, except for the emperor."

"So, since Your Majesty asked me this, I dare not fool you. In fact, I know very well that Your Majesty already has some ideas in her mind. But you just want to hear what I, a bystander, have to say, right?"

Qiu Zhen did not deny it, but just looked far ahead. Seeing this, Mu Han did not hesitate and continued.

"My lady, in my opinion, the only person the emperor loved from beginning to end was the late queen."

After these words were spoken, Qiu Zhen's eyes dimmed obviously, but she didn't seem surprised at all. Obviously, she was also very aware of this.

"No matter how many things he did to offend the Queen, in his heart, there was only the late Queen for all these years."

Qiu Zhen smiled self-deprecatingly. How could she not know how important Du Yunge was in his heart?

"It is precisely because of his guilt towards her that the position of Queen has remained vacant, because he has always felt that no one can replace her position in his heart."

When Qiu Zhen heard this, his eyes suddenly changed and he looked at Mu Han like a knife.

Mu Han was not afraid. He opened his big, clear eyes and looked straight at Qiu Zhen.

When Qiu Zhen saw her pure eyes, he immediately felt a sense of pity.

Gradually, the cold light quietly faded away and turned into a self-deprecating smile: "Don't worry about me, just continue talking."

"I can't tell you what the emperor's attitude is towards the queen. To be honest, I think the things that happened between the queen and the emperor in the past should be the key point that the emperor doesn't want to be known by outsiders."

"Logically speaking, the emperor should not have spared your life after the Mu family was wiped out. After all, you are also stained with the blood of the Du family. Whether you admit it or not, this is an indisputable fact."

Having said that, Mu Han glanced at Qiu Zhen’s slightly pale cheek and pointed out mercilessly.

"But the emperor not only did not burn his bridges, but also showed great favor to you. In the harem, he gave you almost everything he could except the position of queen."

"Although you are not the queen, the power you hold is almost the same as that of the queen. No woman in the harem can replace you."

"Even no matter how you deal with these women, the emperor has never been dissatisfied with you..."

"Next, regarding the treatment of Yu Yan, I originally thought that the emperor was really deceived by her, but I didn't expect that the emperor saw it more clearly than any of us."

"Your Majesty, I feel that in the heart of the Emperor, he cares more about the power and the country in his hands than women like you."

"No matter whether the child is dead or alive, and no matter who Yu Yan is, the only thing he cares about from the beginning to the end is the power in his hands."

"After all, only when you become an emperor can you have as many women and children as you want."

"On the contrary, the throne of the emperor is not something that can be obtained just by wishing for it. How difficult is the process of winning the throne?"

"He is now in his prime, the princes and princesses are still young, and the future is still far away. He will not waste his so-called time on women and children."

"Instead, he has always been keeping an eye on his own country. As long as the harem moves forward smoothly and nothing goes wrong, he can tolerate it."

"But it was not the case in the previous dynasty. Your Majesty has also seen that the current Du character's death has caused the emperor to lose too many of his confidants."

"Do you think he would care about a mere woman more than his own kingdom?"

"Also, most of the women who can exist in this harem and are favored have connections with the previous dynasty."

"Because the emperor wants to use the relatives of these women, he must favor a certain woman. If there is only one exception among them, it is only the queen."

"But, what exactly is hidden behind this? I dare not speak rashly for the time being. This is all I can say. If Your Majesty thinks that I have said this too much, then please grant me death!"

Mu Han's words made Qiu Zhen laugh and cry. "Grant death? How could I possibly grant you death? Did you say something wrong? No, you are not wrong. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find someone like you who cares about me in every way and is willing to tell the truth."

"I'm not stupid. I know that although you are a bit venomous, your starting point is all for me. Just for this reason, I have no right to question you!"

"Mu Han, thank you for your sincere and honest words."

In fact, Qiu Zhen herself thought so in her heart, but she just didn't want to face it. Now that Mu Han pointed it out to her in person, she couldn't help but curl her lips in self-mockery.

"Yes, women like us are just dispensable to the emperor. Du Yunge, haha, Du Yunge is probably the only woman he can remember in his heart, but, so what?"

"In the end, didn't he die in his own hands?"

"Whether he loves her or regrets her, I don't want to ask. I only know that the emperor has no heart. He has no heart at all."

"You don't know why I exist, haha, but I know it very well in my heart. Don't you know that the higher you stand, the harder you fall?"

"From Yu Yan, I almost see my own future, Mu Han, maybe this is the so-called karma!"

"People really can't be too complacent, and can't do too many bad things. Haha, I believe it won't be long before it will be my turn..."

Qiu Zhen's words shocked Mu Han, and he suddenly looked up at her: "What do you mean, Madam?"

"What do you mean? As you said, my head is just hanging on the top of my head. As long as Wei Yuchen needs it, it will fall down sooner or later."

Mu Han was shocked by Qiu Zhen's outspokenness today, and was even more surprised at her clear mind, especially, she could remain so calm when talking about life and death.

I have to sigh that love can really make a person crazy, but it can also make a person calm.

Wei Yuchen's words today really irritated her. Otherwise, how could she look at this matter so calmly?

"My queen, you..." Qiu Zhen suddenly raised her hand to stop Mu Han from asking, "Okay, I'm fine. Not only that, I have to thank you for making my mind clearer. I was stupid before and didn't want to face it directly. Now, I can basically understand the value of my existence."

"It's good this way. If this day really comes in the future, I won't be confused and helpless all of a sudden."

"Alright, let's end this matter here. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Mu Han, you should just keep this to yourself!"

"Yes, your majesty." Mu Han lowered his eyes and nodded, and couldn't help but look at her with pity in his heart.

This Qiu Zhen seemed to love that man more than she imagined. Only love without regrets could create today's uncomplaining dedication, right?

"Then how does your Majesty plan to deal with Yu Yan?"

Qiu Zhen regained her former bright and fierce self in a flash: "Since she wants this child, let her have it. Only by giving birth to a child can she be bound. Notice that no one is allowed to embarrass her. From today on, this Yu Yan is under my protection."

Mu Han was not surprised by Qiu Zhen's decision, and nodded in understanding, "Yes, I will definitely pass on the order."

Qiu Zhen pinched her brows and nodded tiredly, "I am tired, help me down to rest."

After settling Qiu Zhen, Mu Han knew all the concubines in the harem, conveyed Qiu Zhen's intention, and indirectly conveyed that this was the emperor's intention. He believed that with the emperor and so many people watching at the same time, no one would be stupid enough to run into the gun.

Yu Yan was deeply moved when she learned that Qiu Zhen had sent people to various palaces to inform them of this matter for her.

He originally wanted to come to Yongning Palace to pay his respects to Qiu Zhen and express his gratitude, but was stopped by Mu Han.

"My beauty is pregnant, so please don't travel too much. Don't worry, with our queen here, the little prince will be born safely. I hope my beauty will take care of herself. Goodbye."

After Mu Han left, the polite smile on Yu Yan's face froze at her lips for a moment.

She almost subconsciously looked at Dong'er beside her: "Tell me, what do they mean?"

Dong'er glanced at her coldly, "Can't you see this? It's just what it means on the surface. Concubine Zhen personally came out to guarantee your child and warned all the concubines in the palace. How could the emperor not know?"

"Perhaps this was the emperor's instruction. It shows that the emperor is well aware of the bloodshed in the harem and specifically wants to protect this child."

"With Concubine Zhen and the Emperor here, your child will most likely be saved."

"Then the only thing you can do next is to take good care of the baby."