The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

"Why did Yanzhen suddenly think of asking this?" Xie Yuzhen looked at the helplessness revealed in the depths of Princess Zi Cheng'an's pupils.

Her voice was still gentle and soft, and she sighed softly, "I've seen you busy these days, but always worried. So, is this what you're thinking about?"

Hear the words.

Princess Cheng'an's nose suddenly felt sore: "Did Concubine Deng...really do something bad?"

"From the moment you stopped calling her Mother Consort and started calling her Mother Consort Deng, Yanzhen, you probably already have the answer in your heart, right?"

The blood-red sun sank again and again in the sky until it completely fell off the cliff, leaving only a dim red sky that was gradually swallowed up by the night.

At the bottom of the corridor of the palace, two women in palace dress stared at each other for a long time in silence, as the sound of the wind gradually faded.

A tear slid slowly down Lu Yanzhen's cheek. She sobbed suddenly and frantically wiped the cold tears from her face with her sleeves. But the tears kept flowing. The more she tried to wipe them away, the more they soaked through her clothes, leaving an extremely eye-catching water mark.

Xie Yuzhen just stared at the Princess Cheng'an who had lost her composure for a few seconds, and then turned his gaze to a wind chime hanging under the eaves: "People cannot choose their past, they can only choose their future."

"But I..." The more Lu Yanzhen wanted to calm down, the more he choked up, "Why...why didn't you ever let me know..."

"Yes, if I knew, she would have one more enemy, right?"

"She didn't want me to choose a future that would be hostile to her, so she kept it from me... She killed my mother. Even if she was the daughter of the Duke of Ying, even if she was the biological mother of the prince, she still had to pay with her life..."

"How could she be willing to die? She...she still has so many things to accomplish, how could she be willing to die, ha! Hahahaha..."

The desolate and mournful laughter echoed in the night sky.

Princess Cheng An paused in laughter and murmured in a low voice: "...but why did she raise me? Why did she raise me to be a..."

Her voice was already half hoarse, and at this moment, it sounded like an owl crying in the dark night: "Wouldn't it be better for me to be like my second brother, ignorant of the world, only knowing how to have fun and enjoy myself, and follow her lead?"

"Are you confident that I will never find out the truth, or are you confident that even if I...even if I find out, I won't be able to let go of my feelings for her...I won't be able to break free of her control?"

“Why…why…”

She was trembling all over and her steps were unsteady.

He hugged himself tightly with both hands and bent his waist, as if the inside of his body was suffering from great pain.

Then, Lu Yanzhen slowly squatted down, curled himself up into a ball, and sobbed and whimpered.

It's like a puppy that can't find its home or owner.

Xie Yuzhen looked at her, moved his steps to walk over, then squatted down and put his hand on Lu Yanzhen's shoulder: "You really always followed her lead and did not break her control."

The action was warm, but the words were as sharp as a knife.

Princess Cheng An hiccuped from choking, and raised her head with swollen eyes: "...Mother?"

Her sadness was interrupted for a moment. At this moment, the images that flashed through Princess Cheng'an's mind the most were how she followed her adoptive mother's instructions and tried hard to support her brother, the Second Prince, who was a burden to her.

A trace of embarrassment and shame suddenly rose in my heart, followed by doubly sorrow.

"Yanzhen, don't cry yet. Think about it. If your other sisters were in your position today, what would they do?"

The tears that Lu Yanzhen had been suppressing seeped out from the corners of her eyes again. She didn't bother to wipe them away: "They are different from me. In the past... they have never experienced those female officials serving as concubines. If they had experienced it, they might not grow up to be what they are now. There is no need to assume anything."

"Then put them up there as they are now."

Lu Yan really didn't understand, but she really needed something else to distract herself from her overly depressed and confused mood: "If it's... Second sister, she will definitely do everything to avenge Concubine Shu; if it's Third sister, she..."

Lu Yanzhen didn't know what to say for a moment.

She was not actually very familiar with Princess Fengning. She only knew that she was quiet and well-behaved, spending her days with books. However, Lu Yanzhen also knew that Princess Fengning had mercilessly punished the prince consort some time ago. After hesitating for a moment, she said uncertainly, "Third sister should also choose revenge."

"Fourth sister...she...I can't see through her mind." Lu Yanzhen looked at the woman beside him, and a flash of inspiration flashed through his mind, "If she knew about Liu...No, she knew."

"Mother, do you know?"

Xie Yuzhen nodded: "Of course I know. As the queen, how could I forget to care for these children who have lost their mothers in the palace?"

Whether it was the eldest prince, the third prince, or the fourth princess, Xie Yuzhen took care of them all equally.

Just as Prince Gong once complained to Xie Yi - they saw Xie Yuzhen much more often than they saw the emperor.

"Then what do you think?" Princess Cheng'an seemed to have grasped something and asked anxiously, "Aren't you afraid that Fourth Sister will bear a grudge against you?"

"Although Liu Shuyi's death was her own fault,...how can one be reasonable when hating someone?"

Xie Yuzhen patted Princess Cheng'an on the shoulder and said, "When Baohui was a little more understanding, I told her the whole story. I am not afraid that she will bear a grudge and seek revenge. Perhaps Sister Deng also thought so in the past. You are all too young, especially you, Yanzhen. Among your brothers and sisters, your thoughts are so obvious that I can see through them at a glance."

"Of course, you are not the only heir to the throne with a simple mind, but there is no one else like you who is as trustworthy, self-reliant, and even a little foolish."

“You are a very controlled person.”

"With a little training, I can turn you into what I need you to be."

Xie Yuzhen smiled, but his words were extremely cold: "Sister Deng must have noticed your potential, so she deliberately trained you to be what you are now. If she hadn't died, but had really achieved her ambition, then it wouldn't matter whether you would have realized the truth about your mother's death or not."

"You won't even be able to be so conflicted and cry."