Han Lingxi walked into the town and happened to see a group of people gathered around something. Han Lingxi went over and found that Lu Haoran was teaching some local thugs a lesson.
Han Lingxi overheard the conversations around her and learned that these people were always harassing Tong Mengzhi's mother, Tong Lan. Lu Haoran, who was accompanying Tong Mengzhi home for a visit, happened to witness this and taught them a lesson.
Han Lingxi peeked through the crack at the pitiful woman. To be chosen by the emperor, Tong Lan must be very beautiful, with a delicate and frail appearance that evoked pity. No wonder Tong Mengzhi looked so pure; it turned out she inherited that beauty from her.
Having memories of her past life, Han Lingxi certainly didn't think she was really that harmless; she was a very formidable woman.
Tong Lan was just a little orphan girl from a small town who lost both her parents. She used her looks to roam among cultivators with high cultivation levels and nobles with high status, bewitching them. Finally, she went to the capital and used a carefully planned chance encounter to make the emperor fall deeply in love with her.
After being brought to the palace, Tong Lan soon gave birth to Princess Xia Mengzhi. A year later, she gave birth to her son Xia Wenzhi. After giving birth to her son, she began to dream of becoming the Empress Dowager and wanted her son to become the next emperor.
The crown prince at the time was born to the empress, and his succession to the throne was legitimate. Therefore, she wanted the crown prince to die, so that the throne could only be inherited by her son.
Tong Lan plotted to poison the Crown Prince, and her plan was perfect. However, the Crown Prince's uncle, a powerful cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage, came to visit him that day. He noticed the poison in the cup and saw through Tong Lan's scheme. The Empress's maternal family was a long-established and powerful clan, which even the royal family had to be wary of. Therefore, although the Emperor wanted to protect Tong Lan, he could not withstand the pressure from the united forces of the powerful clans and had no choice but to punish Tong Lan.
In the end, the emperor couldn't bear to kill the woman he loved, so he let Tong Lan take Xia Mengzhi and Xia Wenzhi away and let them change their names and live among the common people. The emperor knew that even if the children were left behind, the empress would not let them go, so he simply let Tong Lan take them with her.
This is why Tong Mengzhi is so unwilling to accept it. She knows she is a noble princess, yet she lives such a life. Tong Lan also tells her that one day she will become a princess again, so Tong Mengzhi has an obsession with becoming a princess.
In reality, Tong Mengzhi's idea was just a dream. The emperor's health was deteriorating, while the empress's maternal family remained powerful. The crown prince's succession to the throne was a foregone conclusion, and the three of them—the mother and her sons—would never have a chance to rise in the ranks.
In her previous life, if it weren't for her fear of Lu Haoran's potential, and the fact that the old emperor, though nearing the end of his life, was still alive and well and always protected Tong Mengzhi, her desire to be recognized by the royal family would have been nothing but a pipe dream.
Tong Lan's scheming nature remained unchanged, and when she used it on Lu Haoran, who was always chivalrous and righteous, he was naturally powerless to resist.
In his previous life, after Lu Haoran helped the mother and son, he was warmly received by Tong Lan. Tong Lan's elegant and refined demeanor reminded Lu Haoran of his deceased mother, so he felt closer to her. Tong Lan also took meticulous care of Lu Haoran, which made him feel grateful. Therefore, when Tong Mengzhi later revealed her identity and wanted to be recognized by the royal family, Lu Haoran helped her without hesitation.
This book was first published on Canghai Literature Network. Please do not reproduce it!
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