Mrs. Qiao was still terrified. Just thinking about how she had seen kings who would cut off people's heads at the drop of a hat made her hands tremble uncontrollably.
Qiao Zhen knew perfectly well that it was impossible to change Ye Shangzhou's image in the hearts of the people with just a few words, so she did not try to whitewash him.
The guards carried a large box and placed it in the courtyard. After the gate closed, Qiao Zhen laboriously opened the lid of the box, which was full of copper coins. "Mother, the Emperor treats me very well, so you don't need to worry about me. There are also these copper coins, which should be worth a hundred taels. Last time I left in a hurry, I only brought silver with me, so now you don't have to find a place to sell that silver."
In this dynasty, gold and silver could only be used to make jewelry or sold directly; copper coins were the common currency. However, Qiao's mother was just a family from a small village, and if she were to sell the gold and silver, she would inevitably have to explain where the gold and silver came from.
When Qiao's mother saw the box full of copper coins, her eyes widened in shock. She gasped, "Daughter, quick, pinch your mother so she can see if it's real!"
Qiao Zhen pinched the flesh on her mother's arm with two fingers and suddenly twisted it, "Does it hurt?"
"It hurts! It's true!" Qiao's mother grabbed a handful of copper coins, her greedy expression mirroring Qiao Zhen's—a cruel reality that was hard to accept. "My daughter is the queen, hahaha!"
Afraid that her mother would be too happy to think straight, Qiao Zhen tugged at her mother's sleeve, held up two fingers, and tentatively asked, "Mother, how many fingers do you think this is?"
Qiao's mother playfully patted Qiao Zhen's arm, "Oh dear, my silly daughter, there are two of them."
Qiao Zhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Man Qiao and his elder brother were in a rather predicament. They were harvesting rice in the fields when they were abruptly pulled back by those people who said things like "congratulations" and "good fortune" that left them bewildered. Both of them returned to the Qiao family courtyard with furrowed brows, surrounded by the villagers.
There were armed guards standing at the entrance of the Qiao family's courtyard, so Old Man Qiao could only shout from outside, "Grandma Liang! Open the door for me! Grandma Liang?"
Upon hearing the sound, Qiao's mother looked anxiously at Qiao Zhen, "Daughter, your father is outside the door!"
Qiao Zhen opened the door and let Qiao's father and brother in. Qiao Ayun and the original owner's second uncle and aunt followed behind Qiao's father with shameless smiles. Qiao Zhen gave them a meaningful look a few times and then tacitly allowed them to come in.
If they can recognize their place and behave themselves, Qiao Zhen doesn't mind letting her parents take advantage of them. But if they are arrogant and unrealistic, then Qiao Zhen will have no choice but to do something they will never forget, such as caning them.
Aunt Qiao's face scrunched up with a wide grin, especially when she saw the huge box of copper coins in the yard. Her smile grew even more eager, and the greed in her eyes was blatant. Her gluttonous manner was truly disgusting. "Niece, you are now the Queen, and it's all thanks to us that you were allowed to enter the palace in place of A-Yun. Don't you think you should thank us?"
Qiao Zhen chuckled inwardly, but on the surface she wore a grateful expression and said in a very soft tone, "I really have to thank my second uncle and second aunt. If it weren't for my second uncle and second aunt joining forces with the village chief to let me go to the palace in place of A-Yun, how could I be sitting in the position of empress today?"
Aunt Qiao was overjoyed.
Qiao Zhen did not disappoint her second aunt's expectations. Her smile was faint. "For both reason and sentiment, we should thank our second uncle and aunt. Why don't I take the liberty of bringing our second aunt and A-Yun into the palace to be nannies or palace maids? Whether they are punished or enjoy gold and silver treasures, let fate decide."
Aunt Qiao was dumbfounded. "W-what? My niece, Ah Zhen, you can't be ungrateful!"
Qiao Zhen sneered, "What kind of favor are you asking me to repay? Is it the favor of sending me to the Night Palace as a maid, or the favor of sending me to the palace as the Empress?" She pressed on, "I earned this position by enduring beatings and needle pricks, risking my life every day. If Second Aunt still has any kinship ties, she should keep her distance from me instead of shamelessly asking for favors."
Just as Aunt Qiao was about to threaten Qiao Zhen with crying, making a scene, and even hanging herself, Qiao Zhen said, "In the three years I've been in the palace, I've learned a lot not only how to serve others, but also how to be beaten and acupunctured. If you, Aunt Qiao, want to cause trouble in front of me, you might as well try to taste the taste of losing your head."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ayun became even more enraged, displaying a resentful expression as if Qiao Zhen had stolen her wealth and status. "If the Emperor knew how heartless and ungrateful you were, I wonder if you could still keep your position as Empress?!"
Qiao Zhen looked at Qiao Ayun with the pitying gaze one might give a fool, "Cousin, you really love to joke. Who doesn't know that the current emperor murdered his father and usurped the throne? If we're talking about heartlessness and ruthlessness, the emperor is number one, which only makes me seem more affectionate and righteous. Besides, even if you are my cousin, you have absolutely no right to offend me." She shouted sharply, "Guards! Drag her away and give her twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others."
Old Man Qiao immediately advised, "Ah Zhen, they're just asking for a reward, you don't have to be so cruel."
Qiao Zhen retorted, "Father, if it weren't for your daughter's good fortune, I would have been a corpse in a mass grave long ago, devoured by wolves or wild dogs without anyone knowing." She pointed to Aunt Qiao and Qiao Ayun, "I can forgive Uncle, but the two of them are undeniably culpable. What goes around comes around; they sowed evil seeds and now they must reap the consequences. If they were allowed to escape this time, what would they do in the future? Can you guarantee it, Father? I am now the Empress, enjoying endless wealth and glory, but serving the Emperor is like walking on thin ice. Our entire family's lives are in my hands. If they do something to displease the Emperor, it won't just be a matter of being flogged; it will be a matter of the whole family losing their heads!"
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