Jiuxi

Chapter 1048 Extra 12 [Reluctant]

Defei Ye Zhen was 23 years old at the time.

She is lucky.

Her father, Ye Yuan, was only a seventh-rank doctor of the Five Classics in the Imperial Academy six years ago. Unexpectedly, his luck turned one day. In the only harem selection in this dynasty so far, Ye Zhen passed multiple rounds of selection smoothly and became one of the seventy-six candidates for the selection.

Although she was not outstanding in appearance, she was favored by Lin Xi and Wang Chulong because of her graceful and dignified personality. Therefore, she was the first to appear in front of Lu Chen on the day of the final selection.

Thanks to this opportunity, Ye Zhen was eventually conferred the title of Defei, one of the four concubines.

At first, everyone in the palace was optimistic about her, thinking that she would be able to surpass Concubine Hui Wen Lingrong, who seemed to have only a natural beauty, and become a capable assistant to Lin Xi and Wang Chulong.

Because of this, Ye Yuan's father became more powerful because of his daughter. In just a few years, he was promoted from a Doctor of the Five Classics to a fourth-rank Shaoqing of the Imperial Household Department. Although the Ye family was not a top-notch family in the capital, because of Ye Zhen's existence, all the powerful and wealthy people would give the Ye family some respect.

This is the most typical example of one person's success bringing prosperity to everyone around him.

The concubines had suspected many people before, and most of them felt that Wen Lingrong was the most suspicious. After all, she was young, beautiful, and charming, and was often favored by Lu Chen. She gave birth to a pair of children in succession, which made her even more honored. There was no guarantee that she would not have impure thoughts because of this.

When Ye Zhen stood up, even Lin Xi was very surprised.

The hall was deathly silent.

Lin Xi looked at the young and panicked children, and whispered to Lu Chen, "Why don't we let the little ones go back first?"

"Let them watch. Since you are born in heaven, you will have to face these things sooner or later. There is no need to hide it."

Lu Chen's words calmed the atmosphere. He looked at Ye Zhen, who was standing there with a cold aura, and said slowly, "I told you that it was just an accident."

Ye Zhen's expression finally changed, with a hint of sadness in his coldness.

In the years since Lu Chen founded the country and proclaimed himself emperor, the Qin Dynasty has maintained an upward momentum of development. The first five-year plan was successfully completed, and the government and the people were thriving.

The world sincerely believed that he was the true dragon emperor that everyone hoped for, not only because of his achievements in civil and military affairs, but also because of the prosperity of his royal family's descendants seemed to serve as evidence of this.

From Crown Prince Lu Jiusi to the youngest Princess Lu Yuming, fourteen princes and four princesses all grew up safely after they were born without any death. It is difficult to find similar examples even if you search through all the history books. This is almost a miracle in this era.

Even Xue Nanting, a former Qi official and scholar in the Guanzheng Palace, sometimes couldn't help but sigh secretly that this was fate.

However, there are always exceptions.

In the third year of Datong, the third year after Ye Zhen entered the palace, she finally became pregnant.

This was supposed to be a happy event worthy of celebration. Ye Zhen had imagined more than once the beautiful future of having children around her. However, accidents happen. When she was more than five months pregnant, she unfortunately suffered a miscarriage due to an accident.

Lu Chen was furious about this, and for the first time made the palace people feel the terrifying power of heaven, but this ultimately could not save the baby in Ye Zhen's belly.

What made Lu Chen even more worried was that according to the diagnosis of Xue Zhong, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Physicians, it would be difficult for Ye Zhen to get pregnant again.

He could only let Xue Zhong keep these words to himself and try his best to show care for Ye Zhen.

After the miscarriage, Ye Zhen fell into grief and depression for a long time. She was completely unable to assist Lin Xi and Wang Chulong in handling palace affairs. The duties that originally belonged to her were gradually taken over temporarily by Wen Lingrong.

Lu Chen had counselled her several times, but it was impossible for him to focus all his energy on the harem. After all, he had to govern such a vast dynasty.

"Accident?"

Ye Zhen smiled sadly, lowered her head and said, "Maybe."

Lu Chen's sword-like brows finally frowned.

He looked at the usually dignified and graceful face, which had now become cold and indifferent, like a strange woman who had never left a trace in his heart.

After a moment, he slowly asked, "Because you have no offspring, you want to use this method to retaliate against me?"

Ye Zhen seemed to be reminiscing about the past, and her tone gradually became vague: "Your Majesty, in the past year or so, although you have not forgotten me and have visited Xiuhua Palace several times, I only hope that you can stay a little longer, but every time you just sit for a while and leave, and you don't even want to take a second look at the banquet I carefully prepared. I know that your majesty is busy with state affairs, and I dare not resent it. I just want to help you with some trivial matters, but such a wish cannot be fulfilled."

Lu Chen shook his head in disappointment.

Ye Zhen continued, "I still remember when I entered the palace, your majesty was kind and caring to me, and the Empress and the Imperial Concubine treated me like a sister. I thought I was one of the happiest women in the world. But suddenly, the situation changed. I was no longer in your majesty's eyes, and I was even more ominous in the eyes of the palace people. The once sunny and happy life turned into a miserable one. I don't even know what I did wrong."

Clear tears slowly fell from her eyes.

The miscarriage was a double blow to her both physically and psychologically. The most crucial thing was that the situation in the harem of this dynasty was somewhat special. All the concubines could give birth smoothly as long as they became pregnant, and none of the princes and princesses died young. She was the only exception.

As she said, this made her feel from the bottom of her heart that she was an unlucky person.

In addition, after her miscarriage, the palace affairs she was in charge of were replaced by Wen Lingrong, which made her even more anxious and depressed, and the pent-up grief and resentment in her heart grew day by day.

Even though Lu Chen and Lin Xi were very strict in managing the palace, they could not eliminate the evil thoughts of bullying the weak in people's hearts. Under the influence of various factors, Ye Zhen would inevitably become more and more sensitive. Perhaps just a harmless look from a palace servant would make her feel sad and angry.

Looking at the emperor who was no longer hiding his disappointment, Ye Zhen said in a sad voice: "Your Majesty, do I hope to have a miscarriage? Is this really my fault?"

"It's certainly not your fault that you had a miscarriage."

Lu Chen laughed at himself, and then said, "So you have resentment and hatred in your heart, which has accumulated over time and you can't extricate yourself, so you secretly weave such a conspiracy to retaliate against me, right? But I don't quite understand. I can understand that you hate me, but how have the Queen, Imperial Noble Consort, and Li Noble Consort treated you badly? Why did you count them and the children in your plan? You should know very well that although the Queen is in charge of the harem, it was me who asked her to stop arranging palace affairs for you."

Ye Zhen lowered his head slightly and said softly: "Your Majesty, why do you care about these things now?"

Lin Xi looked at this Defei who made her feel so unfamiliar. She was naturally angry, but also a little confused.

No one doesn't want a perfect life, but how can there be so much perfection in reality?

Even though Lu Chen and she have been trying hard to maintain a harmonious atmosphere in the Heavenly Family, how can they peek into everyone's true state of mind, and how can they make everyone peaceful, happy and satisfied?

In the imperial courts of every dynasty, there are countless tragedies like Ye Zhen's, and there are also many who are crazier and more pointless than her.

Li Bingxue had a stern expression. She had always been a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment. Although she could understand Ye Zhen's suffering, it could not be an excuse for her to plot against others. Regardless of whether she had taken Lu Chen and the Li family into account, such behavior was unforgivable.

As for the princes and princesses, most of them could understand Ye Zhen's state of mind, but the older ones could not help but feel unreal and panicked.

This magnificent palace was ultimately unable to avoid similar darkness.

After a long silence, Lu Chen looked up at Ye Zhen, who looked determined to die, and said expressionlessly, "I told you before when I went to Xiuhua Palace that the miscarriage was not your fault. You just need to take care of your health in the future. Therefore, I asked the Queen to relieve you of the palace affairs in charge so that you can rest without distractions. You will definitely be able to conceive my child in the future. Your miscarriage was certainly an accident, but it was also related to your previous long-term fatigue. After all, it was because of your weak body that the fetus was unstable."

Ye Zhen was silent.

The emperor did say so, but the fact she saw was that she was no longer favored by the emperor, and her power over palace affairs was taken away from her. Xiuhua Palace had changed from its original festive and peaceful state to a deserted place. What was the use of those superficial consolations?
Seeing this, Lu Chen asked, "Do you think I am just trying to please you just to maintain harmony in the harem?"

Ye Zhen still didn't answer, but it was obvious that she did think so.

Lu Chen sneered, "Ye Zhen, am I such a man in your eyes? I have risen from humble beginnings to the top, so when will I have to rely on deceiving my women to do things?"

Ye Zhen shook her head and denied, "How dare I be so rebellious?"

Lu Chen drank the wine in his glass with a slightly tired look, and said softly: "After your miscarriage, Xue Zhong privately reported to me that your body was severely damaged by the miscarriage, and it is very likely that you will not be able to get pregnant again in the future. He told me that if I still want you to get pregnant, you must rest well for at least two to three years."

These words exploded in Ye Zhen's mind like a bolt from the blue.

Lu Chen continued, "I thought you were a smart woman, but now it seems you are extremely stupid. Even if you don't believe my promise, are the supplements and medicinal materials sent to Xiuhua Palace in the past two years also fake? No matter how busy I am, I will try my best to make time to visit Xiuhua Palace. In your opinion, this is just a formality? Ye Zhen, what do you think of me? Why do I have to act like this in front of you?!"

Ye Zhen's thin body trembled slightly.

She came to the front of the throne, knelt down, and asked in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, why don't you tell me the truth?"

Lu Chen looked at her coldly and did not answer.

At this moment, Wang Chulong, who had remained silent from beginning to end, finally spoke up: "You were in grief for a long time after your miscarriage. If His Majesty had told you that you would most likely not be able to have children again in the future, I'm afraid you would have died long ago."

This is a true statement.

In Ye Zhen's condition at that time, she definitely could not withstand such a blow.

Ye Zhen glanced at Wang Chulong, who had a stern expression, and said with a sad smile: "If I had known this would happen, I would have ended my life right then."

Now she has fully understood that the emperor actually has no intention of banishing her to the cold palace. Although he has not been very caring towards her in the past two years, considering that she entered the palace later and the emperor did not have the same deep feelings for her as those others, it is not easy to achieve this.

It was because she hadn't changed her mind, and coupled with some rumors she heard and the private complaints of some people around her, she eventually embarked on this path of no return that harmed both herself and others.

Thinking of this, Ye Zhen kowtowed to Lu Chen and said, "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I have committed such an unforgivable crime. There is no room for excuses. I only ask for death."

After a short silence, Lu Chen asked, "Do you admit that you were the one who planned the Jinxiu Tower case, and that people like Hu Qingyan and Fu Lang were also under your orders?" Ye Zhen bowed his head to the ground and said with guilt, "Yes."

Lu Chen did not comment, tapping the table lightly with his fingers.

In the midst of a solemn silence, Lin Xi stood up and bowed to Lu Chen, saying, "Your Majesty, Concubine De was wrong, but it was also my fault that I failed to relieve her mental illness in time, causing her to go into a dead end and do something that angered Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to consider that this is her first offense and that she went astray because of the pain of miscarriage, and forgive her death penalty."

The other concubines and children also stood up and pleaded for mercy.

Lu Chen still looked at Ye Zhen who was kneeling there in misery, and said slowly: "Ye Zhen, I want to ask you, is there any conspiracy in this matter?"

Ye Zhen bowed her head and said, "Your Majesty, I have no accomplices. Hu Qingyan and Fu Lang were both acting under my orders."

At this time, Zhong Ming, the chief eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the people in Xiuhua Palace and the Ye family of Cuipingfang have all been detained for questioning."

Ye Zhen's thin shoulders shook violently.

After hearing what Zhong Ming said, Lin Xi stopped begging for mercy. She knew very well that once her husband made a decision, no one could change it.

"What the Queen said makes sense. I originally thought that if you were only plotting against a few princes and it didn't cause any serious consequences, I could spare your life."

Lu Chen stood up and said quietly, "However, you allowed Hu Qingyan to commit so many murders in Jinxiu Tower, causing so many poor women to suffer a miserable fate without light of day. I cannot turn a blind eye to this. They are also human beings, and they are the treasures of their respective parents. If there were no such sudden disaster, they would become someone else's wife and mother in the future and enjoy a peaceful and tranquil life."

"Your Majesty, it is not a pity for me to die."

Ye Zhen kowtowed again.

Lu Chen said no more and just waved to Zhong Ming.

Ye Zhen stood up and left, with a hint of attachment in her eyes, but more of relief.

The atmosphere in the hall was particularly depressing.

Lu Chen looked around at everyone and said calmly, "Go back and think about this matter carefully."

Led by Lin Xi, all the concubines, princes and princesses saluted in unison and then walked out of Qionghua Garden with extremely complicated emotions.

……

Half an hour later, Lu Chen brought Lu Jiusi to summon more than ten important officials, briefly explained the inside story of the Jinxiu Tower case, and decided on a corresponding disposal plan before returning to the harem again.

He asked Lu Jiusi to go back to Kunning Palace to accompany his mother, but he turned and went to Yiku Palace in the west.

When they arrived at the back hall, they saw the Fourth Prince Lu Jing kneeling obediently, while Lu Xinyi stood aside with a conflicted look on her face. It was obvious that this was Wang Chulong's punishment, and she did not dare to plead for her fourth brother.

Lu Chen reached out and rubbed Lu Xinyi's hair, and without asking anyone to pass on the message, he continued walking forward to Wang Chulong's bedroom.

Jinshu was the only one guarding the corridor here. When he saw Lu Chen coming, he immediately bowed respectfully.

Lu Chen walked into the hall and around the screen, and saw Wang Chulong lying on her side on the couch, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He sighed softly, came to sit beside the couch, raised his hand and stroked her cheek.

The tentacles were wet, they were Wang Chulong's tears.

"Don't be too sad."

Lu Chen comforted her with gentle words.

Wang Chulong sat up slowly, her beautiful eyes were slightly swollen. Looking at her husband's pitying eyes, she couldn't help but throw herself into his arms, crying without restraint.

She had never felt such grief in sixteen years.

Lu Chen hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "You are the smartest woman in the world. You should understand that greed is the only way to overcome difficulties. We can't calm down all hidden dangers by repeatedly admonishing you. From the beginning to the end, I have never doubted you, because you are my wife, who has accompanied me through so many ups and downs over the years and helped me through so many difficulties. I believe in you as much as I believe in myself."

"Husband..."

Wang Chulong was almost heartbroken.

Hearing this somewhat unfamiliar title, Lu Chen was in a trance for a moment.

Wang Chulong attached great importance to etiquette, and after being promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, she was unwilling to make even the slightest mistake, so he had not heard her address him like this for several years.

"Be good, cry for a while if you want to, don't keep it in your heart."

Lu Chen patted her back gently, his tone becoming softer.

After a long time, Wang Chulong calmed down a little. She snuggled in Lu Chen's arms and said, "Although I have rarely returned home to visit my relatives in the past few years, I have never slacked off. I often asked Jinshu to send letters to warn them not to push their luck and not to have any delusions. But they promised very well, but they couldn't let go of the position of crown prince in their hearts. They even secretly wove such a conspiracy. After all, I was born in the Wang family of Zhailin. After something like this happened, how can I continue to stay with my husband?"

"Nonsense!"

Lu Chen patted her hand gently and said seriously, "You are you, and the Wang family is the Wang family. What does their stupidity have to do with you? You are my wife, do you still want to turn your elbow outward and take the blame for the Wang family?"

Wang Chulong looked up at him and said in a sad voice: "My husband knows that I don't have such thoughts, but--"

"No just."

Lu Chen interrupted her and said, "It has nothing to do with you."

Wang Chulong felt relieved and shook her head, "Ye Zhen...she died because of the Wang family's scheme."

Lu Chen couldn't help but remain silent.

After a moment, he said softly, "Although Ye Zhen was used by others, the most important thing is that she already has a demon in her heart. If it weren't for this reason, those people would not be able to persuade her to do such a thing even if they were eloquent. What I said before was not false. If it weren't for the 17 lives lost in Jinxiu Tower, I could give her another chance, but after such a tragedy, I can't do anything about it."

Wang Chulong looked gloomy. She barely straightened her clothes, sat up and asked, "When did my husband discover the strangeness here?"

"At first I didn't think about the Wang family, because Lu Jing was also involved. Logically speaking, even if the Wang family didn't care about Changle's safety, they wouldn't let Lu Jing get involved. After all, this is their hope for the position of crown prince."

Lu Chen kindly smoothed her hair and continued, "Later, I re-examined the details of the whole incident and suddenly realized that I had thought too simply. The Jinxiu Tower case was a series of schemes, and the people behind the scenes were actually taking one step at a time. If Jiusi had uncovered this, the Lin family and the Li family would have planted the root of the fight, and the people behind the scenes would not have to resort to any tricks, because their biggest goal was to make Jiusi and Lu Chen fight so that Lu Jing could reap the benefits."

"But they didn't expect that the crown prince was not there that day, and only Changle was present, so they wanted to take the situation a step further and involve the second prince through Hu Qingyan's mouth."

Wang Chulong sniffed and said with disgust, "Even if my husband suspects Jing'er, they still have a backup plan, which is to let Ye Zhen take all the blame, so as to dispel my husband's suspicion of Jing'er. After all, Jing'er is also a victim in this way."

"Yes, this situation is indeed not simple."

Lu Chen said coldly: "It would be best if Jiusi and Lu Chen could compete with each other. Even if it fails, they think it can avoid implicating Lu Jing. Compared with the risks involved, the huge benefits once the goal is achieved are enough for them to try to do this."

"A bunch of wishful bastards who thought they could get away with such a despicable scheme."

There was a hint of murderous intent in Wang Chulong's eyes.

Lu Chen held her cold hand and said slowly, "There is no perfect conspiracy in this world. The Ye family has been unknown for nearly a hundred years. They are just an ordinary family in Guanghua Prefecture. Their ancestors have never produced high-ranking officials above the third rank. How could they have the capital to train such loyal warriors as Hu Qingyan and Fu Lang? Hu Qingyan knew Ye Zhen in his early years. Even if he is the kind of infatuated person who is not afraid of death, how could Fu Lang, a Jinshi with a bright future, be willing to hang himself?"

Wang Chulong nodded gently and said, "There must be someone arranged by the Wang family around Ye Zhen, who often whispers in her ears, otherwise she wouldn't have so much resentment."

"That's how it should be."

Lu Chen kissed her on the cheek and said gently, "Alright, even though you are an extremely noble imperial concubine, you cannot control other people's hearts or decide what they will do. I didn't come to see you these days because I didn't want you to be in a dilemma. In the final analysis, this matter was my negligence. I originally thought that I would tell the children about my idea when they were older, but now it seems that I can't delay it any longer."

"Husband."

Wang Chulong stared at him blankly and asked again, "Why have you never doubted me?"

Lu Chen held her in his arms and whispered, "There are always some things worth holding on to in life, such as trust in you. I know your worries. You are afraid that I will become a cold-blooded emperor, afraid that I will no longer be willing to step into the Yikun Palace, afraid that I will only have the throne in my eyes and heart. This is human nature, and I will not blame you. It's just... Chu Long, you should know your husband's ambitions better than others."

Wang Chulong's heart, which was scarred by her family's betrayal, finally settled down. She leaned against his chest and said, "I know you just want to see the people living on this land live a better life."

Lu Chen smiled slightly.

The next moment, Wang Chulong said softly but firmly: "Husband, don't let them go."

"Ah."

Lu Chen stroked her shoulder gently, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

(End of this chapter)