Chapter 133 Yu'er complains, looking wronged and pitiful...
Even if that person was her Feng Qing, Yu'er was still unwilling.
"If I weren't a citizen of Wu Kingdom, would His Majesty consider me?" he asked, his eyes brimming with tears.
Yuan Yan: "Maybe."
Yu'er didn't speak. After a long while, he gave a soft "hmm" and buried his head in her arms.
Whether Yuan Yan's words are true or not, her words are enough.
...
In the mid-autumn season, the eldest daughter of the emperor was born.
Emperor Yuan Yan granted a general amnesty and bestowed the name Yi upon his eldest daughter.
This is a fairly robust child, with strong limbs and a loud cry.
Shortly after her birth, Yuan Yan's slowly increasing power suddenly surged, reaching 87.35%.
[Congratulations, host! You have given birth to a smart and healthy little princess! Your power level has increased once again!]
[Achievement Acquired: Succession of the Nation, Reward: 8000 Achievement Points.] The system announced happily.
Days passed by.
As the little princess grew up, her skin became smooth and her eyes became bright and round, like ripe grapes.
She wasn't shy at all. She would smile whenever she saw someone in Yuan Yan's arms; her laughter was clear and loud, making her look incredibly adorable.
Yuan Yan entrusted her to Yang Lingyi. Yang Lingyi was a gentle and meticulous person, and she took care of the little princess with utmost care, doing many things herself.
Emperor Yuan Yan had complete confidence in Yang Lingyi, his virtuous and capable wife. After the birth of his princess, he devoted more of his energy to political affairs.
She expanded the scale of the imperial examinations, increased the number of candidates selected to attract talent, and weakened the power of the aristocratic families; she ordered Du Heng and others to continue to improve the laws and regulations and further rectify official corruption.
When Yuan Yi was four years old, Yuan Yan launched an attack on the Wu Kingdom, citing frequent attacks on the border people.
Upon learning that Yuan Yan intended to start a war, the rulers and ministers of Wu Kingdom were greatly alarmed.
After several years of recuperation and development, the Phoenix Kingdom's granaries are overflowing, its army is strong and its power is growing stronger.
Compared to the current Phoenix Kingdom, the Wu Kingdom's chances of winning seem slim.
Back when Yuan Yan was still the King of Qin, he was constrained both internally and externally, yet he was still able to seize the two states of Wu.
Now that she holds great power, she is working diligently to develop the Phoenix Kingdom into a powerful and prosperous nation. If war were to break out again, wouldn't she be able to directly seize the capital of the Wu Kingdom and annex it?
The faces of the people of Wu Kingdom were shrouded in worry and gloom, with no confidence in their own country's army.
...
Not long after, He Jia and the others in the Phoenix Palace also learned of the news.
After the initial shock, He Jia became completely flustered.
He grabbed the arm of the palace servant beside him, his nails digging unconsciously into the servant's flesh. "You're lying! The two countries have been at peace recently, why would His Majesty suddenly attack Wu Kingdom?"
The palace servant immediately turned pale with pain, breaking out in a cold sweat, but dared not utter the slightest cry of pain.
"Young Master, Young Master, the enemy dares not deceive us. The news of the war between the two countries is already known both inside and outside the palace," the palace servant said in a panic.
He Jia felt as if struck by lightning. After repeatedly questioning the palace servants and learning some details from them, she finally regained a sliver of her rationality.
The eunuch also advised, "Your Highness, please pull yourself together. Wu Kingdom is in a critical situation right now. If we wait for the Phoenix Army to breach the border, we will be in danger. Your Highness is the only one who can save Wu Kingdom now, so you should act calmly."
Upon hearing this, He Jia felt as if he had been doused with cold water. He wanted to request an audience with His Majesty, but stopped after taking only a few steps.
He knew in his heart that he was not favored by His Majesty and had been out of favor for the past few years.
During this time, he watched helplessly as that vile woman Yu'er, relying on His Majesty's favor, was promoted to an equal rank and flaunted her power in front of him... He Jia felt resentful and hated Yu'er to the core.
But no matter how he dressed up to curry favor, His Majesty always treated him indifferently.
He Jia could no longer bear this neglect. After a long period of setbacks, he finally realized that he was not favored by His Majesty and had no hope of gaining favor.
So they had no choice but to settle for second best and chose the best-looking and most obedient younger brother from among the concubines, keeping him firmly under their control to compete for favor and try to take away Yu'er's affection.
He Jia ordered his servants to dress up elaborately, creating opportunities for him to appear before the Emperor.
After He Jia's arrangements, His Majesty did indeed visit the concubine, but he did not show her the favor He Jia had hoped for. His interest waned after only a few days.
Now, Hejia's plan to use his concubines to suppress Yu'er and the other ministers also failed.
Now he has no favor to speak of before His Majesty. Pleading for his motherland involves politics, and if things go wrong, he might not only fail to save his motherland, but also risk his own life.
With her father-in-law's guidance, Hejia finally figured things out. If she wanted to ask His Majesty for mercy, she could only go to find Yu'er.
"Seventh Imperial Brother."
He Jia arrived at Yu'er's palace and awkwardly asked him to plead with His Majesty to help his motherland out of her predicament.
When Yu'er heard this, she was lying lazily on the couch, her hand resting on the edge of the couch, watching the palace maid apply balsam juice to her.
"I didn't hear what you were saying, Your Majesty," Yu'er said absentmindedly.
He Jia suppressed his anger and repeated it again.
"So why should I get involved in this mess? What good would it do me?" Yu'er switched fingers, still not looking up, but the corners of her mouth remained upturned.
"Tuoba Yu'er!"
He Jia was surprised by his reaction and his face turned ugly. If it were according to his previous temperament, he would probably have already gotten angry and punished Yu'er.
However, the situation was beyond his control, and he needed Yu'er's help, so he had to suppress the words of rebuke that were about to come out.
"Aren't you even a little bit anxious when your motherland is in danger?"
Yu'er curled her fingers and blew on them, admiring her bright red and beautiful nails: "No rush, I've already married into the Phoenix Kingdom, so even if the Wu Kingdom really disappears, it has nothing to do with me."
"You are, after all, the royal son of Wu Kingdom, yet you say such things... Your mother has raised you for nothing all these years!" He Jia's eyes grew increasingly gloomy as she watched his nonchalant actions.
"Tch, say whatever you want." A mocking smile appeared on Tuoba Yu'er's beautiful face.
If being abandoned in a side hall for many years counts as being raised, then he truly owes his mother the debt.
However, the debt of gratitude for giving birth and raising children is not endless.
Even if he was born with a lot of debt, the amount of dirty work he did for the Dark Pavilion for so long was enough to offset it.
He Jia was thoroughly enraged by Yu'er's attitude, and his tone became laced with a subtle threat.
"You are so cold-blooded and unfilial, refusing to help your motherland in its time of need."
"Aren't you afraid that in the Empress's wrath, even your father's remains will not find peace?"
He Jia hinted to Yu'er that if she refused to do as he said, her deceased, lowly father would be dug up and his body dumped in the wilderness, even if he was already dead.
After he said this, he thought Yu'er would be terrified.
To everyone's surprise, Yu'er inexplicably burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha..." Yu'er covered her mouth as if she had heard a hilarious joke, her eyes crinkling, her shoulders shaking as she laughed until her stomach hurt.
"Shut up, what are you laughing at!" He Jia was shocked by Yu'er's unusual behavior and asked in surprise and uncertainty.
Yu'er stopped laughing after a while, stood up from the couch, and walked to He Jia.
“I laugh at your utter stupidity. You know nothing and yet you’re using this to threaten me.”
"I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, my father is not dead... He left Wugong a long time ago. If you really want to dig up the grave, you might as well give it a try. I'm also curious about what's buried in that grave."
I wonder if the Empress Dowager's people will be furious when they open the coffin and find only some old clothes and tattered garments inside.
Looking at He Jia's suddenly changed expression, Yu'er felt a surge of indescribable pleasure once again.
"You mean that lowly wretch escaped from the palace... How is that possible!"
With the Wugong Palace heavily guarded, how could Yu'er and her son possibly escape?
He Jia found it hard to believe, and even suspected that Yu'er had gone mad from the shock and was talking nonsense.
He wanted to continue questioning her, but then he saw Yu'er suddenly change her expression, biting her lip and looking aggrieved.
"..."
The change in expression was so rapid that He Jia immediately sensed something, her body stiffened slightly, and she turned around.
Behind him, Yuan Yan had entered with a group of close attendants and palace servants at some point.
She waved her hand to silence the palace servants, and then stared at the two of them with an inscrutable expression.
Because He Jia was so shocked, he didn't hear a sound at all.
"Your Majesty!" The moment Yu'er saw Yuan Yan, it was as if she had instantly found someone to support her.
Ignoring the gazes of the palace servants around him, he suddenly pounced into Yuan Yan's arms, grabbed her sleeve, and began to complain.
"Your Majesty, listen! My elder brother is insulting my father, who is a lowly barbarian."
"It was one thing for him to bully me alone in the past, but now he even dares to humiliate my deceased father in front of me... I beg Your Majesty to do me justice, sob sob..."
In front of Yuan Yan, Yu'er pretended to be obedient and aggrieved, making herself sound incredibly pitiful.
That bastard did it on purpose!
Just moments ago, she had been arrogant and aloof, but now that His Majesty has arrived, she looks as if she has suffered all kinds of humiliation and is pitiful.
Who are you trying to fool with this shameless act?!
He Jia was so angry at those words that she was trembling. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she wished she could devour Yu'er alive.
The system, watching the spectacle unfold, commented: "Tsk tsk, host, your pet has been bullied."
"After watching for so long, don't you understand Tuoba Yu'er? With his personality, I'm afraid no one in this palace can bully him."
Yuan Yan, with his keen insight, could guess three-tenths of the situation just by looking at the scene before him. And upon hearing Yu'er's complaint, he knew perfectly well what had happened.
Knowing that Yu'er and her elder brother had always been at odds, even though Yu'er looked aggrieved at the moment, it was actually someone who was suffering the most.
But that didn't stop her from acting alongside Yu'er.
"Tuoba Shaoqing, is this true?" Yuan Yan turned to look in He Jia's direction after hearing Yu'er's words.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean it. It was my younger brother who..." He Jia was halfway through defending himself when he suddenly realized something.
He originally wanted to say that Yu'er had provoked him first, which led to the argument, and that he hadn't intentionally started the fight.
But when He Jia thought about the real reason for their argument—that he had forced Yu'er to plead for their motherland—he suddenly fell silent.
Interference in politics by the imperial harem is a major taboo. Furthermore, he was a prince of the Wu Kingdom, a position of considerable precariousness.
If His Majesty were to find out what he had done, he would surely meet a bad end.
Looking at Yuan Yan's dignified and cold eyes, He Jia finally regretted arriving too late.
"...Your Majesty, I lost my composure for a moment and spoke without thinking. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
He swallowed back all his self-defenses, and fearfully kowtowed under Yu'er's smug gaze, his hatred for Yu'er growing ever stronger.
However, Yu'er was not so kind as to let He Jia go.
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