Chapter 45: Bound to the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 45 Cannon Fodder Little Imperial Consort (45)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Weiyang Palace Main Hall

"Imperial Concubine Xi, this servant knows you've been wronged, but these are all imperial edicts personally issued by His Majesty, and the edict is still here; this servant is merely a messenger servant, so Your Ladyship, please stop making things difficult for this servant."

Now His Majesty only has you temporarily stay in Weiyang Palace; without an imperial decree you may not go out or receive visitors, and this is also for your own good.

Put yourself in His Majesty's place; don't make things too difficult for him, just bear with it for now."

Zhang Bu Kai Kou, squeezed by idle talk, could only open his mouth, while Shen Yao felt slap after slap on her face:...

Hah

Shen Yao lowered her eyes and closed them, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the anger rising in her heart.

Shen Yao kept a cold face, reached out to take that bright yellow imperial edict held up before her that was especially glaring, and at the same time told the eunuchs who came to deliver the edict to leave quickly.

Eyesore, truly an eyesore!

What is all this? A few days ago she herself had confidently declared that she had done nothing in this matter, and Xiao Yanchen would absolutely not drag Weiyang Palace into it.

But as soon as she turned around, Xiao Yanchen had issued her a blatant confinement edict, and even specially arranged for a eunuch with an unfamiliar face to come deliver it.

Hmph!

Good! Truly very good!

Xiao Yanchen, Your Majesty, what exactly do you mean? Could she also be one link in the other side's plan?

Shen Yao wanted to curse in her heart, but on the surface she looked completely calm.

However, the effect of a cold face was still quite frightening; Qiu Yue, who had run over to send people away, dared not step forward to approach her mistress.

Qiu Yue:... Family, who understands? Her mistress's aura is too strong; she's afraid in her heart.

"Your Ladyship, this servant will help you into the hall."

Qiu Yue wanted to speak but stopped several times, and finally opened her mouth to speak the words on her lips with difficulty.

There was no choice; she couldn't just watch her mistress stand motionless outside the hall.

Early in the morning, the weather was still cold.

Shen Yao silently glanced at Qiu Yue, then handed the imperial edict in her hand to the other person, "Put it back in the room; this palace will just take a walk in the small courtyard."

Rather than go back and continue to brood, she might as well find an opportunity to vent her anger.

Shen Yao looked at the lush small courtyard before her, ignoring Qiu Yue's expression, and walked away alone.

The wind blew, carrying away the heat rising from her body, and also fluttered the brocade satin on her palace attire.

Her mind clearer than ever before, Shen Yao called out the system in her mind, "What were you just about to say?"

Just as those eunuchs delivering the edict left, the system wanted to speak.

But at that time Shen Yao had no interest, so she didn't bother to pay attention.

Now that she had calmed down, Shen Yao felt she should pump the system for information.

Including Xiao Yanchen, everyone knew she was absolutely innocent in this matter, so why in the end was Weiyang Palace still sealed, and why did she also have to be confined together?

The system spoke, "Host, this matter is actually His Majesty's scheme."

"Given the degree of His Majesty's care for the host, the host will definitely pass through this matter safely."

Shen Yao's expression was disdainful, her gaze mocking, "First slap a face, then give a sweet date; ha, give me that 'painstaking strategy'—what good is it?"

Was she someone who fell for that?!

Shen Yao was famously one who took softness but not hardness; Xiao Yanchen thought that by showing painstaking care he could make Shen Yao learn the whole truth and sympathize—hah! Purely talking in one's sleep.

"Without you saying it, I also understand that this matter definitely involves a very large scope."

The reason Weiyang Palace was sealed, and I was confined along with it, is entirely because Imperial Consort Sun and her son were not qualified enough as bait."

Xiao Yanchen needs a bigger bait to make those people outside the palace willingly walk into the trap."

As long as they fall into the trap Xiao Yanchen has set, then these people will all be thoroughly liquidated by Xiao Yanchen."

What painstaking care? Xiao Yanchen from beginning to end has regarded imperial authority as the most important thing to himself.

Shen Yao and the few children are not much different from Sun Churuo and her son.

Could it be that, being objects alike, we still need to distinguish who is precious and who is cheap?

However, they are all the same kind of thing—things that can be discarded at any time; really arguing about these, what's the difference from the fool of 'fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps'?

Shen Yao did not feel cold-hearted; she was just once again having her bottom line refreshed by the heart of an emperor.

After all, among those who can sit on the throne, who has a truly soft heart and deep feelings?

The system, full of melons it had been holding in, was scared by Shen Yao's output and almost couldn't keep up with the conversation.

System:... No, no, wrong; the melons it ate from the Front Court and Taiji Hall weren't like this!

The system wanted to explain, good grief, it was just an artificial intelligence; did they have to give it such a high difficulty?

"Host, what you said is a bit extreme; the system heard roughly from beside Taiji Hall, His Majesty's meaning"

"His Majesty's meaning is to use the pretext of sealing the palace and confinement to protect me, to protect the physical and mental safety of me and the children."

Shen Yao interrupted the system before it finished speaking, smiling as she took up the latter part.

System:... Good grief, guessed again.

The system no longer struggled, "Host, you already know all this, why do you still feel His Majesty is using you?"

Does this count as using? The system didn't understand, but according to its data analysis, this was clearly protection.

Shen Yao shook her head, her gaze drifting toward the distance, "System, you're lucky you're not human."

System:... Why does it feel like I'm being scolded? I'm not even human to begin with.

"Humans are very complex contradictory beings; you don't have the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, so you can't understand."

Just as said before, the system can calculate anything that doesn't require emotion using its own abilities, but only one thing—it cannot figure out the human heart.

What Xiao Yanchen said sounded nice, claiming he wanted to protect them, mother and child, but why didn't he communicate with her beforehand? Why did he have to act unilaterally? Why did he have to choose a method that hinted to everyone outside the palace?

Upon closer examination, Xiao Yanchen's words were full of logical bugs and made no sense at all.

Shen Yao had experienced various worlds and was psychologically mature beyond maturity; did she need Xiao Yanchen to use such an awkward method to protect her?

"If you encounter this kind of thing again, system, just treat it as entertainment, choose to eat melons and watch the show, don't take it too seriously," otherwise it would make the system seem very stupid.

Shen Yao felt the system was, after all, her long-term partner, and the system's bad reputation still affected her, after all, although Shen Yao boasted she wasn't smart enough, she refused to be pua'd by all kinds of people.

Xiao Yanchen tried to use this method to exchange for her gratitude and understanding—that was daydreaming!

The big shots all go for their own interests; before tearing faces, you're good, I'm good, everyone's good, if you like it, gather together to act a play, flirting and lovey-dovey with one another.

But after touching core interests, everyone still needs a clear train of thought.

Like right now, Xiao Yanchen using Shen Yao is true, then don't blame Shen Yao for giving him a taste of his own medicine in the future.

Anyway, the big shots all make a living by their own abilities; when one day Shen Yao grows old and loses her beauty and no longer receives imperial favor, perhaps she will become the next Wei Jingyi.

These are all uncertain matters; how much the present and future will change can only be known when time truly arrives.

The news that Weiyang Palace was sealed and Imperial Concubine Xi was imprisoned spread, directly detonating the entire imperial harem.

Xiao Yanchen was initially worried he acted too fast, and people inside and outside the palace would suspect him.

What he never expected was that those people were even more anxious than him.

Facing Weiyang Palace suddenly losing imperial favor, they not only didn't suspect Xiao Yanchen of meddling, but kept sending slander to urge Xiao Yanchen to quickly dispose of the Weiyang Palace faction.

A few children are young and can be kept, but an adult like Shen Yao, ayo, already "evidence is conclusive," keeping her in hand is waiting for the New Year?

Crackle crackle crackle crackle—

Xiao Yanchen received memorials like snowflakes in Taiji Hall.

Among these memorials, without exception, no matter what they said at the beginning, they would all turn to the matters of Weiyang Palace and the Shen Family.

Yes, these ministers all understood the principle of hitting a snake at the seventh inch, and cutting grass must remove the roots.

Including the Shen Family, who had always been a nobody outside the palace, was on their list for handling.

The reason was also simple; although currently they couldn't see the Shen Family producing another Shen Yao.

But after all, the Shen Family was Shen Yao's maternal family; Shen Yao had been greatly favored for many years, and Imperial Concubine Xi had five imperial heirs by her side; if the Shen Family wasn't suppressed, what if they linked up with Imperial Concubine Xi in the palace?

Besides, they also worried that once Imperial Concubine Xi in the palace fell, the Shen Family outside the palace would take the opportunity to take revenge on them.

Blood is thicker than water, broken bones still connect; this era's constraints on women were indeed strong, but this also showed that clan power was far greater than imagined.

Otherwise why would the Emperor at every turn order the execution of three clans or nine clans?

Wasn't he afraid of subsequent troubles? Behind these harsh orders were all lessons written in blood and tears.

It was just that the ministers got indignant quickly, but Xiao Yanchen's side held high and put down lightly, not directly convicting Shen Yao of Weiyang Palace, but also not saying Shen Yao was innocent.

Just hanging there hesitantly, neither advancing nor retreating.

The anxious ministers:... Anxious! Even more anxious!

During this period, the slaves arranged by Xiao Yanchen to investigate discovered new evidence pointing to Weiyang Palace again.

At the same time, the Third Prince Xiao Jin, who was bedridden with illness, finally exhausted his last breath and passed away.

Sun Churuo, who had always stayed by the Third Prince's side to care for him, couldn't hold on and directly fainted.

Under the imperial physicians' treatment, the first thing Sun Churuo did when she opened her eyes was run to Xiao Yanchen's side and kneel, begging Xiao Yanchen to avenge her son.

"Your Majesty, Jin'er died unjustly; please, Your Majesty, seek justice for us, mother and child."

Sun Churuo cried with tears and rain; where did she still have her former dignity and grace? Not to mention makeup and attire, just her complexion and expression looked as if she had aged several years overnight.

Indeed, once a person encounters setbacks, their whole body emits a dejected aura.

Sun Churuo was exactly like this now; without Xiao Jin, her life had directly lost more than half its meaning.

Sun Churuo couldn't accept Xiao Jin leaving her, and even less could she accept the Emperor's indifferent attitude toward Xiao Jin's death.

After begging the Emperor in vain, Sun Churuo laughed shrilly, then turned and ran away.

The Emperor watched Sun Churuo's crying and acting performance the whole time, his brow furrowed, and he could hardly bear it.

"Have someone watch Imperial Consort Sun; after she wakes up, send her to Changle Palace to rest quietly.

Also, regarding the Third Prince, have the Imperial Household Department arrange the funeral rites as soon as possible, and bury him in peace."

Xiao Yanchen stood in the hall, looking at the screen leading to the inner room, and finally left quickly.

Xiao Jin, his third son; he should have thought earlier that this kind of ending would happen; he didn't need to grieve for a child who should have died long ago.

On the other side, Sun Churuo, who had already run out, had a blank mind; she didn't know where she should go, nor what she should do.

Subconsciously following her body's primal reaction, she shook off the slaves closely following behind her.

When Sun Churuo regained her senses again, she was already standing at the doorway of Weiyang Palace.

Weiyang Palace?

She lifted her stiff neck; the sour sensation traveled from her neck and shoulders throughout her whole body.

Sun Churuo suddenly smiled, then reached out and pretended to smooth her overly messy hair.

Mm, she was about to meet an old acquaintance; she had to tidy herself up properly.

Ayo, if she had known she was coming to see someone, she shouldn't have run out in such a hurry; now her clothes were disheveled and her makeup a mess—truly losing confidence before even speaking.

Squeak—

The heavy palace gate was pushed open a crack, and Sun Churuo walked in.

Her eyes looked forward to everything in the small courtyard; she thought to herself that this was different from what she had expected.

She thought the confined Shen Yao was faring poorly; the small courtyard should have been thick with fallen leaves and overgrown with wild grass.

She did not expect Weiyang Palace's small courtyard to be clean and tidy, with palace servants' figures sweeping about — not a trace of a down-and-out appearance.

This — is this the real Weiyang Palace?

"This servant greets Imperial Concubine Sun," a palace servant carrying a broom, upon seeing Sun Churuo and recognizing her identity, hurriedly saluted and asked after her well-being, "Imperial Concubine Sun, His Majesty has issued an edict: Imperial Concubine Xi may not leave without an imperial summons and may not receive outside guests. Please do not make things difficult for this servant; depart at once."

Sun Churuo, having finished listening, looked coolly at the servant before her.

"Finished speaking? If you're done, leave. Who this palace wishes to see is not for you to manage. Step aside!"

A sudden surge of anger rose in her heart; Sun Churuo could not help raising her voice.

Her tone not only frightened the palace servant blocking her into uselessness, but also startled Shen Yao lying in the bedchamber.

Someone is coming over?!

Who is shouting loudly in her Weiyang Palace, and after being confined for several days, who else could enter?

Shen Yao rose, put on her shoes, and walked out; before she reached the doorway, she was stopped by Qiu Yue coming in to meet her.

"Your Highness, it is Imperial Consort Sun; her complexion is poor. This servant fears seeing her will be disadvantageous to you."

Qiu Yue turned her body to the side, conveniently blocking the view from outside.

Shen Yao, hearing this, glanced at Qiu Yue. "Imperial Consort Sun's complexion is very poor?"

Qiu Yue nodded heavily, thinking to herself that Imperial Consort Sun's appearance was just as if she had just experienced some heartbreaking matter — could it be that the Third Prince was gone? Wasn't it said the situation was stable, with an imperial physician present, so it should be possible to delay for a stretch of time?

It is truly not Qiu Yue's fault for guessing wildly; since Weiyang Palace was sealed, no one goes out.

Apart from the Imperial Kitchen delivering meals daily, for safety's sake they have not used a single information channel.

The mistress and servant pair can be said to know nothing of the current harem situation; how could they know that Qiu Yue's subconscious guess had actually hit the mark?