Chapter 4: 4.第4章 入宫2

“Thank you for your praise, Empress Dowager.” As she lifted her eyes, she saw the hatred in Zhuang Ying's eyes flash by in an instant.

Zhuang Ying's voice suddenly turned somber: "It is a pity... that one has invested in the wrong person and followed the wrong master."

As expected! Yue Xiyan gave an understanding smile: "Thank you for your compassion, Empress Dowager!"

Zhuang Ying was momentarily speechless. Then, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes as she spoke with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, the inner palace cannot be without a master for even a single day. In my view, let Princess Xiyan be this Empress. This can both demonstrate that Chiyan values Licuan's peace offering, and let the world know that the Emperor of Chiyan is magnanimous, broad-minded, and forgiving—not holding a grudge against the Yue family's betrayal, but instead granting them such great honor."

"I shall follow Mother's arrangements!" Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with the Zhuang family, the bond between mother and son was deep; he was still willing to be a filial son...

Zhuang Ying was Qin Yihan's biological mother. Setting aside the fact that the Zhuang family's influence as maternal relatives was currently immense and powerful, this single connection alone was enough to prove her weight. Moreover, it was merely the position of Empress that she was deciding upon. The waters of the inner palace were deep; a small fish or shrimp that wasn't eaten would eventually drown itself.

However, Zhuang Ying's decision to seat Yue Xiyan in the position of Empress was absolutely ill-intentioned.

Because ever since Qin Yihan ascended the throne, no one had survived more than three months in the Phoenix position. It was like a curse; to this day, not a single Empress had lived past three months! Even the most beloved daughter of the current Prime Minister could not escape this misfortune! Once the three months were up, the King of Hell came to collect the soul!

There were rumors that the Emperor had a "hard fate" that cursed his wives. Therefore, unlike the harem struggles of previous dynasties, the position of Empress in the Chiyan Imperial Palace was something everyone feared. The person who truly held the actual power of the inner palace was the Empress Dowager's niece—Consort Yun, Zhuang Yayun.

Yue Xiyan understood that this was yet another unavoidable struggle within the harem. While others scrambled for this position, the scene in the Chiyan Imperial Palace was quite different. That position was dreaded by all, because so far, no one had broken that curse.

The Empress Dowager wanted to drive her to her death; her heart was perhaps a bit too impatient.

"Truly, fierce women come from desolate lands. This is too much! How can that old hag of the Zhuang family be so ruthless?"

Lan Xueqing's hair seemed to bristle with rage, her eyes wide. Her distinctive features were currently "distorted" into a clump due to her anger, looking quite terrifying. Her entire face flushed red, as if she were about to explode from fury. She waved the imperial decree in her hands in a frantic, angry manner, looking as if she might devour someone.

Even Mu Ya, who was always known for her "good temper," was truly angry now. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her chest heaved violently as if it were about to burst. Her small face was also flushed red with anger; she gnashed her teeth with a furious expression, her cheeks bulging like an erupting volcano.

Yes, they were very angry.

Unfortunately, the person involved was acting as if nothing were wrong, sipping tea and reading a book alone. She maintained an air of calm composure and indifference.

Mu Ya roared with the intensity of someone "giving their all until death," "My eldest lady, how can you be so calm?" It was truly a case of the eunuch being more anxious than the Emperor.

The girl, whose eyes hid profound mysteries, slowly set down her warm teacup and the book in her hand, giving a graceful smile: "Otherwise, what else could I do?"

Indeed, given Yue Xiyan's status, her circumstances left her with no choice.

Without waiting for the two to say anything more, Yue Xiyan continued, "Do you truly believe that such a coincidence exists in this world? The 'three-month soul-collecting' is nothing more than a smokescreen. The Zhuang family already holds overwhelming power; naturally, this Empress position cannot be easily given to Zhuang Yayun. Han Huang has truly played the Empress Dowager for a fool; I am merely one of his chess pieces. However, rest assured, since he has accepted me as his Empress, he will not let me die easily."

She still had great use to him.

The power of the inner palace would change hands sooner or later; he naturally would not allow the Zhuang family to make all the decisions.

"Han Huang's filial piety is known to all under heaven. Yet, no one expected that he was also secretly opposing the interference of maternal relatives and preparing to..."

Meeting Lan Xueqing's shocked expression, Yue Xiyan rarely showed a playful side, teasingly saying, "The Buddha says: it cannot be spoken of, it cannot be spoken of!"

The ancients once said: *May I never be born into a royal family in any lifetime.* The imperial family is complex and volatile; one may spend a lifetime exerting mental and physical effort and still not achieve a peaceful end. And as a chess piece, one's life is even more likely to end prematurely. However, she still had things to do; she could not die yet.

Hearing Yue Xiyan's analysis, the two naturally felt much more at ease.

Seeing the smile fade from Yue Xiyan's face and her cheeks turning deathly pale from the cold, Lan Xueqing hurried to apply acupuncture. She shot a glare at the person who made her heart ache and complained, "Are you a fool? You knew Ji Nuohan's wine was poisonous, yet you still drank it!" Her words carried clear reproach.

"If I hadn't drunk it, the one suffering would be..." At this point, a hint of sorrow and tenderness surfaced in her expression.

Looking at her infatuated manner, Lan Xueqing shouted in frustration, "Yue Xiyan, you are such an idiot!"

At a time like this, was she still worrying about her precious brother? If that man cared for her, how could he bear to let her be like this? When would she learn to look out for herself? This idiot!

Lan Xueqing viewed Yue Xiyan as a biological sister. After learning about the bond between the siblings, even though that man was her own fiancé, she couldn't help but feel heartache for the girl.

In her view, Yue Mumulin was too stuck in tradition. If two people loved each other, why care about the eyes of the world? If he truly held Yue Xiyan in his heart, he would have taken her far away long ago. How could it have led to this current predicament where they are caught between a rock and a hard place?

Yue Xiyan said understandingly, "Ji Nuohan knows that the Cold Poison is a poison that even your Medical Immortal Valley cannot cure. He also calculated that you would definitely come. As long as you are here, my life is not in danger. You can completely rely on the Lan family's Golden Needle Acupoint Technique to keep me alive until I, as his chess piece, help him complete his great cause. Only then can the poison in my brother's body be completely neutralized. And likewise, how could someone as despicable as him let us go so easily? He used the same method to threaten my brother."

Poor siblings—knowing it was a trap, yet having to jump in willingly for each other's sake.

Yue Mumulin had also been poisoned by Ji Nuohan. Unlike her, his poison required him to take one royal secret medicine every month to suppress it. Otherwise, once it flared up, it would cause a bone-piercing, heart-stabbing pain.

To ensure Yue Mumulin could take a royal secret medicine every month to suppress the poison, she had compromised; she had resolutely stepped onto the path of a political marriage. And yet, while seeing her off, Ji Nuohan had toasted her with a cup of poisoned wine...