Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid not.” The eunuch replied as he knelt. “The Fourteenth Prince fell from his horse. His right leg was trampled into pulp by the horse and can’t be healed anymore. His left leg is broken. It can barely be treated, but I’m afraid it still won’t be able to bear weight.”

The Emperor asked coldly, “So you’re saying Fourteen won’t be able to stand up for the rest of his life?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The eunuch answered carefully. “The imperial physicians say the Fourteenth Prince likely won’t be able to walk. He can only move around in a wheelchair.”

“He practiced martial arts since he was young. He grew up on horseback.” The Emperor fixed the eunuch with an icy stare. “How could an accident like this happen?”

“Your Majesty!” The eunuch’s voice trembled. “The Fourteenth Prince drinks himself senseless every day. If he doesn’t get alcohol, he won’t stop making trouble. No one had a choice, so they could only get him alcohol.”

“Enough.” The Emperor waved a hand. “Have the imperial physicians treat him properly. Use whatever medicines are needed.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The eunuch hurriedly kowtowed. “This servant takes his leave!”

He got up and quickly withdrew from the Imperial Study. The Emperor fell silent for a long time. Then he gave his order evenly: “Don’t let this news be passed into Kang Shou Palace. The Empress Dowager needs to rest and recover.

Don’t disturb her peace.”

“Yes!” Su Pei Sheng replied respectfully.

“How has the Empress Dowager been lately?” The Emperor paused, then asked, “Have the palace servants been attentive?”

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is well.” Su Pei Sheng hesitated slightly. “I heard she curses people every day, until she curses herself tired.”

“…”

The Emperor’s face darkened in an instant. He didn’t need to ask to know who the Empress Dowager was cursing. The softness that had just surfaced vanished at once, replaced by cold indifference. He immediately picked up the memorials and began reviewing them.

Su Pei Sheng shrank back, not daring to disturb the Emperor’s work again. Yong Shou Palace.

“Master, this won’t do!” Xiao Hu Zi said. “The Emperor almost softened again. If he can soften once, he can soften a second time. If you don’t think of a way, Master, sooner or later the Emperor will let the Empress Dowager out. Once she’s out, the first thing she’ll do is come after you and the dragon-phoenix twins.”

“Then we cut off the Emperor’s last bit of longing.” Li Si Qi instructed, “Send the Emperor a dream. Let him learn the real cause of Empress Chun Yuan’s death, and the truth behind the miscarriages among the harem consorts. Let him see how the Empress Dowager covered for everything the Empress did, again and again. And remember to have the Emperor’s spy at Fourteen’s manor discover this as well – Fourteen’s eldest son is learning the art of kingship, and Fourteen has personally written the four characters ‘????’ in his own hand.”

“Master, that move is ruthless!” Xiao Hu Zi couldn’t help saying. “Once the Emperor finds out, he’ll go crazy.”

“Good. I want him to go crazy.” Li Si Qi sneered. “I want him to know just how much his own imperial mother can’t stand him. She’d rather he have no heirs. She’d rather he hand the throne to the son Madam Uya loves most. Only when the Emperor realizes that will he stop softening. Only then will he protect his own son properly. In the original story, he only cared about protecting his woman and didn’t care whether his son lived or died. I will not allow that to happen again.”

“That probably won’t happen again.” Xiao Hu Zi laughed. “The Emperor’s impression of Zhen Huan isn’t as perfect as in the original story. He won’t abandon everyone for her, and he definitely won’t forgive her if he learns she’s cheating.”

“Not necessarily.” Li Si Qi replied. “Once he starts remembering how wonderful Empress Chun Yuan was, that dog emperor will dote on Zhen Huan like crazy. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see. Oh, right – Zhen Huan and that Guo Zi Li have been so lovey-dovey for so long. Have they rolled around together yet?”

“Wow, Master, you even care about that?” Xiao Hu Zi yelped. “Are we going to catch them in the-” “What are you thinking?” Li Si Qi cut him off. “I just want to know whether Zhen Huan dares to cheat on that dog emperor, that’s all.”

“Heh heh, Master really knows Zhen Huan.” Xiao Hu Zi laughed. “Zhen Huan and Prince Guo really couldn’t help themselves. They became true husband and wife.”

“Oh.” Li Si Qi wasn’t surprised at all. “Looks like that dog emperor really broke Zhen Huan’s heart. Look at our main heroine – she couldn’t help finding herself another husband.”

Xiao Hu Zi asked curiously, “Master, how do you plan to deal with her?”

“Why would I deal with her?” Li Si Qi raised an eyebrow. “Plenty of people know her weakness. Someone will deal with her. I just need to kick her while she’s down at the right moment and make her even more miserable.”

“Master really knows how to play.” Xiao Hu Zi suddenly remembered something else. “Oh, right – the Emperor isn’t planning to tell the Empress Dowager about Fourteen’s broken leg. Master, should we have someone pass the news to the Empress Dowager?”

“Not yet.” Li Si Qi narrowed her eyes. “We’ll tell her at the right time. Some things have an unexpected effect at the crucial moment. It might even become the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

“Understood.”

… Days passed one by one. The Emperor did not enter the harem. The consorts continued living their quiet days. On this day, Zhen Huan received another special signal.

Her mood immediately lifted. After night fell, under Huan Bi’s cover, Zhen Huan went to Jiang Xue Pavilion. This place sat in a corner of the Imperial Garden, where patrolling guards never came. The moment Zhen Huan arrived, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

Breathing in his scent, the two of them burned like dry tinder and raging fire, wishing they could tumble into each other at once. Ever since the Emperor returned to the palace, they hadn’t met again. Now that they finally had, they couldn’t control themselves. They fumbled for a long while before they finally stopped, panting.

“Huan’er, have you been well lately?” Prince Guo’s voice held a trace of guilt. “I haven’t had a chance to come see you these days. I was afraid you were living badly.”

“Yun Li, I’m fine.” Zhen Huan leaned against him, a sweet smile on her face. “No one notices me. I don’t have anything else to trouble my heart, and I can miss you more.”

“I worry about you.” Prince Guo held her tightly and murmured softly. “I don’t want you to suffer. I know life is hard in the harem when you’re not favored. Most of all, your rank is too low – anyone can bully you. Huan’er, if possible, I hope you can climb to a high position. Then the people around me can be used for you. You won’t have to humble yourself to greet other consorts and concubines.”

“Yun Li, do you mean you want me to be favored?” Zhen Huan froze for a moment.

She clearly hadn’t expected him to bring this up himself.

“Huan’er!” Prince Guo’s voice trembled, his face full of blame and guilt. “If I could, I would take you far away from the palace, find a place where no one knows us, and live out our lives properly. That’s my greatest wish. But…”

Prince Guo’s eyes reddened, his heart filled with reluctance and jealousy. “You can’t just leave. You wouldn’t bear to drag your family into it, right? If we run away no matter the consequences, my imperial brother will never spare everyone in your Zhen household.

Huan’er, what do you think we should do?”

“We…” Zhen Huan, whose head had been full of love, finally remembered her parents.

When she thought of her whole family being executed because of her, her mind finally returned a little. She couldn’t bear to lose the man in front of her, and she also couldn’t bear to implicate her parents. She murmured, “Yun Li, what do we do?”