Chapter 302 The Dignified Empress Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 1) Because of necessity...
Because he needed more time to cultivate, Lin You didn't choose a difficult task this time. He only chose the most basic task and entered the tenth world.
This is still an ancient world; judging from the direction of the mission objective, they are still living in the palace.
Lin You concealed her figure, flying towards the mission objective while simultaneously checking the world's storyline:
This is a feudal society without spiritual power or demons. Lin You's mission target, Ye Yunhua, is the daughter of the current Grand General of the State, and also the wife whom the current emperor married when he was still the crown prince.
Because of her father's military power, Ye Yunhua was already the designated candidate for Crown Princess from the day she was born.
Even before she could walk, she was taught etiquette and manners by the palace maids. Every move she made was strictly taught. Her father and mother often told her to learn the rules well and not to bring shame to the Ye family.
At the age of fifteen, based on the political situation at court, she married the twenty-three-year-old crown prince. After the marriage, she and the crown prince treated each other with respect, but she watched helplessly as the crown prince's harem became more and more lively. She also had to be virtuous and do her best to take care of all the concubines.
She thought of herself as a robot programmed with rules and etiquette, only able to do things according to the set pattern, and that's how twenty years passed.
When the crown prince ascended the throne, she became the mistress of the harem, and she had two sons and a daughter.
But life remained largely unchanged, with her husband going through the motions, a multitude of concubines requiring her care, and children who had been taken away from her at a young age and taught only to treat her with politeness.
Ye Yunhua had no way to complain to her parents. When she was a child, she was locked up for a month by her father for mentioning that the rules were too tiring. Every day, she listened to her mother crying about how the Ye family was now too powerful and difficult to be suspected by the royal family, and how she had to make no mistakes.
She couldn't compete for favor with the concubines. As the empress, she had to be a model of virtue and grace, and she also had to take good care of every concubine and their children. Any negligence would be considered a failure to manage properly.
She couldn't confide in her husband, who was the emperor. He needed a dignified, elegant, generous, and virtuous empress. This empress didn't need to have her own thoughts; as long as she followed the rules, he would give her the respect due to an empress.
To outsiders, she was the happiest woman in the world. Her father and brothers held high positions and were able to support her. She was respected by the emperor, and no concubine had ever dared to be disrespectful to her.
With two sons and a daughter, and the eldest son being personally taught by the emperor, it was a clear announcement to the world that he was the future crown prince.
Ye Yunhua was unhappy. Every day felt suffocating, like a puppet on strings. One ordinary night, she lay down as usual, but never woke up again.
But this woman, whom no one cared about before, had her death disrupt the balance of the court. The emperor once again became suspicious of the General of the State, and the Ye family also felt that the emperor had killed their daughter.
The harem descended into chaos. With Ye Yunhua gone, everyone wanted to vie for the position of Empress, and no one wanted anyone else to compete for it. Underhanded tactics became increasingly common, and princes, princesses, and even concubines began to perish one after another.
The court and the harem were thrown into complete chaos after Ye Yunhua's youngest son, the Sixth Prince, died suddenly after eating pastries that Consort Xian had given to Consort Qing.
The General Zhenguo, who already harbored suspicions about the emperor, became even more enraged. The emperor, in turn, grew even more wary of him because of his anger. The conflict escalated until both sides suffered heavy losses, the country was devastated, the people were displaced, and life became unbearable.
The mission of this world is to help Ye Yunhua find hope for survival and to stop the turmoil in this country.
Lin You arrived on the very night Ye Yunhua died. The Empress was found dead from poisoning the next day. The Emperor and the General Zhenguo searched the entire palace but found no trace of the poisoner.
The palace was quiet at night. Ye Yunhua lay peacefully on the bed, dismissing the palace servants as she had done for twenty years. Then she took off her bracelet and was about to put one of the beads in her mouth.
Lin You arrived at that moment. Before she could even show herself, she reached out and grabbed Ye Yunhua's wrist.
The feeling of being suddenly touched by an unseen person at the bedside late at night and having your hand held down is actually quite terrifying, but Ye Yunhua on the bed didn't even move.
Looking into her calm, lifeless eyes, Lin You didn't ask her why she was so upset, nor did she ask if she had thought about what would happen to the world after her death. She simply said softly:
"I can take you away from here to see the outside world and live the life you want. Will you come with me?"
Ye Yunhua, who had been silent since Lin You appeared, finally reacted. To increase the credibility of her words, Lin You slowly revealed herself.
She is still dressed in the attire of the immortal cultivation world. Although it is different from the common Taoist robe, it still gives off a sense of otherworldly elegance.
Perhaps it was because of her unusual way of appearing that Ye Yunhua's eyes finally focused. "Taking me away won't be so easy."
Having heard so many of Li Tianle's bluffs in the previous world, Lin You had learned a thing or two and quickly created a new persona for herself:
“I am a fortune teller. I was passing by this place and observed the celestial phenomena at night. I saw that the young lady’s fate was unstable and involved many things, so I came to offer some advice.”
"My magical skills are also quite advanced. If you wish, I can use a puppet to replace you and live in this palace, while you can leave with me and find the life you desire."
Lin You took out the newly drawn item, "Substitute Doll". This thing is not complicated. It is just that the appearance is relatively realistic and you can set the appearance, personality and behavior of the puppet doll.
The doll combines the puppetry techniques of the cultivation world with the AI system of the modern world. Once its behavior and personality are set, it will continue to live in place of the original body according to the settings.
These substitute dolls are widely used to save the female protagonists in tragic novels. They are a small prop that the eldest sister, Lin Nan, never leaves behind. This is the first time Lin You has used one.
Fortunately, it was easy to use. After confirming that Ye Yunhua was leaving, Lin You took a drop of her blood from her finger and placed it on the "substitute doll's" forehead.
"You can set up its daily routines according to your needs, transfer your memories, and then it will take over your life, and then we can leave."
Ye Yunhua closed her eyes and started setting it up without hesitation. Lin You thought it would take her a long time, but she finished setting it up in less than an hour.
After the setup was completed, the "substitute doll" transformed into Ye Yunhua's appearance, lying on the bed, even her sleeping posture was exactly the same as hers.
If someone else saw someone just like themselves taking their place, they would probably be terrified.
Ye Yunhua felt no fear whatsoever; her eyes were filled only with hope for the future. She covered her mouth, squatted on the ground, and wept with joy, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
Lin You had already set up a soundproof barrier when she came in, so Ye Yunhua's crying wouldn't disturb anything; on the contrary, it would help her obviously abnormal mental state.
The mission of this world is to save Ye Yunhua and this country. It doesn't say that Ye Yunhua has to stay and become the empress. This "substitute doll" is just right.
Ye Yunhua cried for a while, trying to control herself, then looked at Lin You, her voice still choked and hoarse, "I know where the patrols are the least, how we leave."
Lin You couldn't help but fall silent. Ye Yunhua had been thinking about escaping, and then, after observing the guards little by little for an unknown amount of time, she finally found a suitable way to leave.
She knew which path she could take to escape to the life she had longed for, but she still chose not to leave and instead chose another path.
Because a country can have an empress who dies of illness, but it will not accept an empress who runs away. If she really leaves, who knows how many people will die.
“No need, we won’t take the ground route.” Lin You extended her hand to Ye Yunhua, who readily accepted it.
Lin You pulled her and flew out of the window, soaring higher and higher until they were no longer in the palace.
Standing on a flying sword that gleamed with a soft light, Ye Yunhua looked up at the starry sky above, where countless stars shone brightly. As she watched the imperial palace being easily left behind, tears welled up in her eyes once more.
She has finally broken free from the cage that had confined her for half her life, and the ease and freedom she feels have an unrealistic absurdity.
It was as if everything was a dream, and that once she woke up, she would return to that suffocating cage.
"Don't be afraid, we're out now. Sign the contract, and I'll show you a different world." Lin You passed the contract to Ye Yunhua, who signed it without hesitation.
The reason she was so decisive was not because she trusted Lin You, but because she simply didn't care about her own life, death, or future.
Seeing that Ye Yunhua was still in a daze, Lin You cast another spell on her, and her nightgown, which she wore even while sleeping, was transformed into a knight-errant's outfit.
Even her hairstyle had changed to a high ponytail tied with ribbons. Following Lin You's instructions, Ye Yunhua looked at the mirror next to her. Her appearance in the mirror had also changed by three points, and she had gained a more heroic and dashing look.
Let alone strangers, even her biological parents and husband, the emperor, probably wouldn't think that she is the same person as the former empress.
Ye Yunhua curiously pinched her face, feeling the clear texture. There were no signs of makeup; she had indeed encountered a very powerful sorcerer.
"Where do you want to go, Jiangnan or the northern desert?" Lin You asked casually. Someone like her, who had no interest in life, was better off thinking about simpler things.
"Let's go to Jiangnan." Before Ye Yunhua could react, her mouth had already spoken before her brain could process it, her tone filled with unprecedented anticipation. She paused for a moment, then couldn't help but purse her lips.
Lin You's flying sword was very fast. Although it took her half the night to fly, they had already landed on the streets of Jiangnan when the sky began to lighten.
She changed into an outfit similar to Ye Yunhua's, and the image of a swordsman was not uncommon in the misty Jiangnan region. Ye Yunhua felt a little awkward at first, but quickly learned Lin You's movements and postures and adapted to her new identity.
As dawn broke, many breakfast stalls had already opened. Lin You whispered to Ye Yunhua how to tell which stall was clean and hygienic, and which one tasted better.
Ye Yunhua tentatively chose a crispy radish pancake. Fresh radish was shredded, seasoned, coated in batter, and deep-fried. The pancake was steaming hot when she took a bite and almost burned her tongue.
Lin You handed her a bowl of osmanthus sweet porridge. The soft and sticky glutinous rice porridge was drizzled with sweet osmanthus sauce. One bite was filled with the gentle fragrance of osmanthus.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Cat emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
