[Galetron]
[Alma S.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]
[Lily J.] [Suong D.] [Tessy Ivy O.] [Ziana K.-P.]
[Anasi G.] [Passerby] [Xena]
[Nevy] [Roxanne C.]
[Debra W] [Kiiayame] [Smurfinbatik]
[kuroneko_chan] [Michelle K.]
[Ava C.] [Leeyue] [Manon] [Sophia W.] [Tionna M.] [Val Nes]
After more than half a month of "recuperation," Shangguan Yan had already recovered enough to stand and walk on her own. However, in order to maintain the appearance of frailty, she deliberately chose to enter the imperial palace in a wheelchair.
She went to the Emperor’s bedchamber to wait.
Strangely enough, the palace attendants did not permit her to enter.
She was the legitimate Third Princess, the cherished daughter who, even after being deposed, could still lie comfortably in the Emperor’s chamber. So how dare they stop her from entering?
Sitting in her wheelchair, Shangguan Yan looked calmly at the young eunuch before her and asked, “What is your name? I don’t recall seeing you before.”
The young eunuch smiled and replied, “This servant’s name is Huanxi. I was just recently assigned here.”
“Where is Zhang Dequan?” Shangguan Yan asked.
Huanxi smiled again and said, “Grand Eunuch Zhang was caught having an illicit affair with a palace maid. He fled overnight. Now, Chief Eunuch Yu attends to His Majesty.”
Shangguan Yan frowned slightly. “Which Chief Eunuch Yu?”
Huanxi replied, “Chief Eunuch Yu Changpo.”
The name sounded somewhat familiar. He had previously served before the Emperor, but he had never been particularly favored.
Why was he promoted?
“And what about Little Zhao?” She asked again.
Huanxi sighed. “Little Zhao was close to Grand Eunuch Zhang, so he was implicated in the scandal and punished. He was reassigned to the laundry service.”
Shangguan Yan continued asking about several other palace attendants who had once held favor before the Emperor, but the answers were all the same; they had been implicated in the scandal and punished.
Such things were not uncommon in the harem, but coupled with the fact that she was being barred from entering, it became rather unusual.
After all, whether the attendants were new or old, they should have heard that she had recently been highly favored.
Shangguan Yan’s tone remained indifferent as she said, “You are keeping me outside. Are you not afraid that my imperial father will blame you when he returns?”
Kneeling, Huanxi respectfully replied, “This is His Majesty’s command. No one is allowed to enter without permission. This servant is merely following orders. This humble servant asks for Your Highness’s understanding.”
In the end, Shangguan Yan was unable to see the Emperor. When she went to Zhonghe Hall to meet him after court, she was also turned away.
Shangguan Yan was utterly baffled. “What on earth is that old man up to? Could Imperial Consort Wang and the others have betrayed me? No, that doesn’t make sense. I don’t fear death, but they certainly do.”
With lingering doubts, Shangguan Yan left the imperial palace.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Gu Jiao finished her duties at the military camp and rode the Black Wind King back to the Duke An Estate.
Xiao Heng had gone to pick up Little Jing Kong.
Gu Chengfeng and Gu Yan relayed the situation to her.
The moment Gu Jiao heard that the Emperor had met with trouble in the cold palace, she immediately understood that what was meant to happen had finally arrived.
In her dream, the Emperor had also fallen victim to Imperial Noble Consort Han’s scheme in the cold palace, and the one who carried it out was An Hun. Under the manipulation of Imperial Noble Consort Han and the Han Family, Great Yan plunged into a civil strife even more devastating than the one fifteen years ago.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the states of Jin and Liang launched an invasion against Great Yan.
Caught between internal turmoil and external threats, Great Yan suffered a catastrophic blow, losing twelve cities and countless elite noble warriors.
Mu Qingchen—killed in battle!
Taoist Qingfeng—killed in battle!
Seventh Young Master Xuanyuan—killed in battle!
The Xuanyuan army, already weakened from three years of internal war, could no longer turn the tide. In the end, the entire army was annihilated!
In her dream, the Emperor had been imprisoned by Imperial Noble Consort Han six years later. She hadn’t expected it to happen so much earlier in reality.
Gu Jiao fixed her gaze on Xiao Heng and solemnly said, “The Emperor is no longer the same Emperor as before.”
Xiao Heng’s expression turned serious. “What do you mean?”
Gu Jiao did not explain how she knew but simply told him everything she had seen in her dream. “He has been replaced.”
The man who had taken the Emperor’s place was carefully selected by An Hun under Han shi’s orders. Not only did he bear a striking resemblance to the Emperor, but he had also meticulously trained to imitate his voice and habits.
Apart from An Hun, this was the greatest trump card Han shi possessed.
That day, when An Hun left the outer city, he must have gone to meet this man.
Xiao Heng did not question how Gu Jiao obtained this information. He trusted her, completely and unreservedly, and he would never force her to reveal anything she was unwilling to say.
“I never imagined that Imperial Noble Consort Han still had such a hidden move.” His expression was grim. “Then what about the real Emperor?”
Gu Jiao said, “The real Emperor is not dead.”
Han shi ultimately could not bear to kill him and merely had him imprisoned.
At this moment, Han shi had no idea that in three months, the Emperor would fall gravely ill and die in a lightless underground cellar.
In the end, she would still lose him.
And that would be the true beginning of the nightmare. Without the Emperor to restrain Han shi, she and the Han Family would launch an all-out rebellion.
“We must rescue the Emperor.” Gu Jiao said.
Actually, even if Gu Jiao hadn’t mentioned what happened in her dream, Xiao Heng would still have understood; the Emperor must not fall into Han shi’s hands.
They had long since torn all pretenses with the Han Family. If the Han Family were to gain control over the Emperor’s power, the first target they would deal with would undoubtedly be them.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng returned to the Imperial Advisor’s Hall in the Duke Estate’s carriage.
When Shangguan Yan heard that the Emperor had been schemed against by Imperial Noble Consort Han, she showed little reaction.
When she further learned that the Emperor sitting on the throne in court was actually a fake, she remained largely unfazed.
However, the moment she heard Gu Jiao ask her where the dog hole in the cold palace was, she immediately exploded!
“What are you trying to do?!”
Gu Jiao answered honestly, “Snatch the Emperor back.”
Shangguan Yan’s expression darkened instantly. “No! It’s too dangerous!”
She was absolutely unwilling to let her dear daughter-in-law risk her life for that scumbag of a father who had exterminated her mother’s entire clan!
Back then, he was the one who insisted on establishing marriage ties with the Han Family, the one who elevated the ten great noble families to join forces in wiping out the Xuanyuan Family. And now? He was suffering the consequences of his own actions!
Xiao Heng said, “But if the fake Emperor were to issue an imperial decree to depose JiaoJiao, that would also be very dangerous.”
Shangguan Yan frowned.
Given Han shi’s venomous nature, she was indeed capable of doing such a thing.
The fake Emperor had just ascended the throne, and outsiders would not be able to notice any discrepancies. However, the impostor himself would undoubtedly feel some degree of insecurity. Because of that, in the early stages, he was unlikely to take actions that were drastically different from the real Emperor’s usual behavior, such as targeting her and “Shangguan Qing.”
But as for others, it was hard to say.
Shangguan Yan had her son bring over paper and a brush, then sketched a map of the cold palace for Gu Jiao. “Gu Chengfeng went there last time, but he only reached the outside of the dog hole and didn’t go in. After you crawl through here, you’ll still need to bypass Imperial Consort Wan’s quarters before reaching Han shi’s courtyard. But are you sure she really hid the Emperor in the cold palace?”
“The information Little Nine obtained won’t be wrong.” Gu Jiao replied calmly.
“Oh, that bird.” Shangguan Yan no longer had any doubts.
Xiao Heng gave Gu Jiao a deep look but chose not to expose her.
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In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don’t abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn’t finished his lines yet though…
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