Chapter 38: Obsessed

Liu Li prided herself on having no brain for power struggles. It was already quite good that she could think of letting Liu Che hear Tian Fen's rebellious remarks with his own ears.

Seeing Liu Li's little face wrinkled in deep thought, A Jiao pondered for a moment before saying: "Tian Fen definitely won't say such things now. Since Liu Che is suspicious, we will investigate in front of him, so he won't doubt the results of the investigation."

"That seems like a good method!" Liu Li nodded: "It's best to have someone he trusts investigate."

At this very moment, A Jiao and Liu Li thought of one person at the same time: Zhang Tang of the Tingwei Office. Zhang Tang had always been upright and incorruptible, and he was deeply trusted by Liu Che. If it were investigated by Zhang Tang, Liu Che would at least believe more than half of it.

No sooner said than done. The next day, A Jiao specifically summoned Zhang Tang to Xuanshi Hall in front of Liu Che and gave him the order: "A few days ago, Prime Minister Tian reported to me that Guan Fu was running rampant in his hometown of Yingchuan, and the people were suffering. I order you to investigate clearly, find out Guan Fu's evil deeds one by one, and report to me."

Zhang Tang agreed immediately.

After Zhang Tang left, Liu Che walked out from the back hall. He was holding his belly, supporting his lower back with one hand, and his walking movements carried a hint of frailty; it was quite convincing.

"Why arrange for Zhang Tang to investigate Guan Fu?"

Guan Fu had also served as an official in the court when he was young. When the late Emperor was still alive, he even served as the Prime Minister of the Dai State. Later, because he committed a crime and lost his official position, he had been idle at home.

A Jiao glanced at him and gave a reason: "Didn't Prime Minister Tian say that Guan Fu was bullying the people in his hometown? I arranged for Zhang Tang to investigate clearly. If it is true, then he will be directly convicted."

Liu Che didn't know yet that the beginning of everything was caused by the conflict between Tian Fen and Guan Fu, so he didn't doubt anything when he heard A Jiao say this, and even praised: "A Jiao is quite thoughtful."

A Jiao smiled: "Right, the Empress Dowager's birthday is coming, this is her Ai Fu year (50 years old), it is only right to prepare a birthday banquet for her."

Hearing that A Jiao actually still remembered his mother's birthday, Liu Che couldn't help but feel tenderness surging in his heart: "Naturally, it must be prepared well."

After a pause, he said: "However, my body is probably not convenient to work hard for Mother's birthday banquet now, I need to find a helper to help me together."

A Jiao nodded: "You can, you..."

Before she finished speaking, she heard Liu Che say: "Let Zifu help me. She has merits for giving birth to the Imperial Eldest Son, and after Mother's birthday banquet is over, give her a reward."

After hearing this, A Jiao pursed her lips slightly and raised an eyebrow to ask: "What reward do you intend to give her?" Now Wei Zifu's status in Weiyang Palace was the eighth-rank Lady, second only to the Empress.

It was mainly because there were very few people in Liu Che's harem at this time, and the harem system of the Qin Dynasty was followed. The Emperor's wife was called Empress, and the concubines were all called Ladies. Those women living in the Yongxiang were lower-level concubines.

Later, when Emperor Wu of Han's harem expanded, he specifically bestowed titles on the women in the harem, such as Jieyu, Kang E, etc.

After being reminded by A Jiao, Liu Che also realized that Wei Zifu could no longer be rewarded, so he thought for a while and said: "Then enfeoff her younger brother Wei Qing as Grand Master of the Palace, with a salary of two thousand shi."

Can't enfeoff the sister, so give the brother an official title? A Jiao blinked her eyes, but had no opinion: "Okay, draft the edict yourself, and issue it after the Empress Dowager's birthday."

Liu Che nodded slightly. He looked at the desk and whispered: "A Jiao, come and help me grind the ink."

A Jiao curled her lips and said unhappily: "I will summon Su Wen to grind the ink for you."

Liu Che took her expression into his eyes. He only felt that A Jiao was acting spoiled with him, so he didn't force it anymore, and while picking up the inkstone to slowly grind the ink, he said: "How can you and I let outsiders see us like this."

A Jiao remained indifferent.

The Empress Dowager's birthday was at the end of the third month, and one month of preparation time was just right. If it weren't for his body being inconvenient, Liu Che would have liked to personally celebrate his mother's Ai Fu year birthday.

After breakfast in the morning, the Great Changqiu organized the harem affairs and handed them over to Liu Che to manage. Since sending away those beauties in the Yongxiang, the harem had become much quieter, and even the affairs had become fewer.

He had been Empress for several months and had managed the harem in an orderly manner.

After Liu Che simply checked the accounts, he summoned the Great Changqiu and asked: "Why are the expenses of this Lanlin Hall so high? It's even more than Jiaofang Hall."

The Great Changqiu glanced at Liu Che and hurriedly said: "Little Lord, the one living in Lanlin Hall is Wang Meiren. She is already eight months pregnant, and the palace dares not neglect her."

Liu Che then remembered that he still had a pregnant concubine. If the Great Changqiu hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten.

This Wang Meiren... was the woman who designed to frame A Li and Wei Zifu for falling into the water, right? It was clearly more than five months ago, but Liu Che felt as if a long time had passed.

Because Wang Meiren said she was pregnant, she was left with her life. He didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, she was already eight months pregnant. Thinking of this, Liu Che asked: "How is the child in her belly? Is she seeing an imperial physician for pulse diagnosis on time?" Since Liu Che became pregnant, he had been summoning imperial physicians for pulse diagnosis every few days.

As if he wasn't pregnant with a child, but a golden nugget.

The Great Changqiu said: "Little Lord, rest assured, Wang Meiren has been confined to Lanlin Hall by the Emperor to focus on nurturing the fetus, and the child is very healthy."

Hearing the Great Changqiu say this, Liu Che nodded: "Hmm, since that's the case, you arrange more people to go over and serve carefully; absolutely do not let the accident of Lady Wei happen again."

The Great Changqiu hurriedly said yes.

Fuqu outside walked in and reported: "Little Lord, Lady Wei has arrived, do you need to summon her over?"

Liu Che heard this, nodded slightly: "Summon her." And then said to the Great Changqiu: "You go and busy yourself with your affairs."

The Great Changqiu bowed and retreated: "Understood."

Wei Zifu received the notice from the Great Changqiu that the Empress wanted her to assist in preparing for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, and only felt it was unbelievable.

After all, the former Empress had treated her as a thorn in her side, and now she actually needed her help; it was simply like a joke. But now she was just a concubine and could not disobey any order from the Empress.

So she could only come.

The carriage stopped in front of Jiaofang Hall. The imperial carriage of the Emperor and Empress could not be driven into Jiaofang Hall, so she had to walk the remaining distance herself.

Xia Ling carefully helped her mistress down. Wei Zifu looked up at the towering and solemn palace in front of her, and her gaze gradually became ethereal.

After twists and turns, she actually returned here again.

Jiaofang Hall, this palace she knew too well. She lived here for thirty-eight years and was the virtuous Empress in the eyes of the world for thirty-eight years.

In the end, what did she get?

Her son was forced to commit suicide, her daughter was cut in half, and Liu Che, this ruthless man, actually wouldn't even let go of his great-grandson who was still in swaddling clothes!

It wasn't until she heard people say that her Ju'er was forced to die outside, and Liu Che even sent people to kill the Crown Prince's lineage, that she saw clearly that the person beside her pillow was such a cold-blooded and ruthless person.

She had followed Liu Che since the second year of Jianyuan, lived in the Imperial Harem and was forgotten by him, and also enjoyed great favor and gave birth to three daughters and one son for him. In the end, he even deposed Empress Chen Jiao and enfeoffed her as Empress.

She went from a dancing girl to the most noble Empress of the Great Han. She thought that everything represented that he had her in his heart.

She and Liu Che had been together for nearly fifty years, even though there were more beauties in Weiyang Palace later. He rarely came to Jiaofang Hall, but no woman had ever been able to shake her position as Empress.

She thought that as long as she waited for him to pass away, and their son inherited the throne, the person who would finally be in the same mausoleum as him would also be her.

What Wang Meiren, Beauty Li, and that Jieyu Zhao, how could they compare to her?

But she never thought that a groundless witchcraft disaster would push her and her descendants into such an irredeemable abyss.

Even the Wei clan was implicated, either dead or injured.

At the end of the matter, he didn't even want to see her, only letting the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Commander of the Capital Guard come to take away her Empress seal and ribbon.

This man, he was truly heartless and ungrateful.

Why wait for him to issue a decree to execute her?

Wei Zifu finally chose to end her life with white silk.

It was said that people who hanged themselves would turn into vengeful ghosts. Wei Zifu thought, if she became a vengeful ghost, she must find Liu Che for revenge. But she didn't expect that she didn't become a vengeful ghost, but turned into her younger self.

At that time, the pain in her body made her unable to think. When she was in confinement, she slowly teased out the situation from her personal maid Xia Ling.

She had actually returned to the fourth year of Yuanguang.

At first, Wei Zifu thought she was dreaming, but the pain caused by giving birth reminded her that everything before her was real, and she was still alive.

Living in the fourth year of Yuanguang.

But when the wet nurse brought the child she had just given birth to for her to see, Wei Zifu was astonished. Why did she give birth to her son Liu Ju in the fourth year of Yuanguang?

Wei Zifu's character was originally intelligent and introverted, and she didn't show her shock on her face. After seeing the child, she lay down alone, her mind gradually recalling some memories about the present.

After she received all the previous memories, Wei Zifu opened her eyes suddenly, and the expression in her eyes could no longer be described as shocked.

This fourth year of Yuanguang seemed to have become a bit different.

The Empress Chen Ajiao of today actually had a child?! And she, who should have had three daughters, now only had two, and her third child had become a son!

How did it become like this? Was there a problem somewhere?

Wei Zifu couldn't understand why this fourth year of Yuanguang was so different from the memory, as if it were a completely different world.

She stayed in the room for a month of confinement and thought for a month. From the initial shock, she slowly guessed whether someone was reborn like her, so changes occurred.

Who would it be?

Was it Liu Che or Chen Ajiao?

It should be Chen Ajiao, because the Chen Ajiao of this world was very different from before. She seemed to have become smart and no longer quarreled with Liu Che, so she regained Liu Che's favor?

Thinking of this, Wei Zifu sneered and closed her eyes, hot tears overflowing from the corners of her eyes. She used to think that Liu Che liked gentle, considerate, and understanding women, so for the ten years she followed him at the beginning, she always maintained a gentle and kind appearance.

At that time, he did indeed dote on her and love her, and even neglected the Empress at that time for her.

But after she became Empress, the beauties Liu Che took into the harem were not gentle and kind.

Wang Meiren had an arrogant temperament, Beauty Li was bold and stubborn, and even Jieyu Zhao, who was favored by him in the end, had a fiery temper. And the temperaments of these beauties were all exactly the same as the current Empress Chen.

The person who deposed the Empress back then was him, but later he missed her in that way; it was truly ridiculous.

"Princess, be careful, watch your step." The palace maid's voice woke up the distracted Wei Zifu. Wei Zifu composed herself and saw a little girl in a dark blue deep robe running toward her.

When the girl saw her from afar, she slowly stopped, her beautiful black glass-like eyes looking straight at her, seemingly carrying some scrutiny.

Was this Liu Che and Chen Ajiao's daughter? Wei Zifu looked at Liu Li and only felt that the little girl before her seemed a bit too exquisite, and she was also better looking than children of the same age.

"Is Lady Wei coming to Jiaofang Hall to find Mother?" Liu Li asked softly.

Wei Zifu subconsciously frowned, then remembered that she was not the Empress at this time, and the little princess before her was the legitimate princess of the Great Han Empress, so she should pay respects to her.

"Yes, the Empress asked me to help her prepare for the Empress Dowager's birthday." Wei Zifu answered Liu Li's question with her head lowered.

"Mother should be in the Wan Ge, just ahead." Liu Li very considerately pointed the way for her.

Wei Zifu knew where Jiaofang Hall was even if she closed her eyes, after all, she lived here for thirty-eight years. However, at this time, she could only pretend that she knew nothing and thanked Liu Li softly: "Thank you, Princess, for pointing the way."

Liu Li nodded: "Then you go over, I won't disturb you."

Saying this, she gently lifted her skirt and continued to walk forward. When passing by Wei Zifu, she even deliberately stayed a little further away.

As long as she didn't touch Wei Zifu, she wouldn't unlock her favorability, so it didn't matter even if the favorability was negative. Liu Li felt that she was really a little clever ghost.

Wei Zifu subconsciously cast her gaze on Liu Li's back, and she frowned again. How did Chen Ajiao educate her daughter? Since she is a legitimate princess, she doesn't pay attention to her demeanor at all, and her walking posture is no different from a man. (Noble women need to pay attention to their demeanor; walking should be calm.)

"Lady Wei, walk faster, the Little Lord is still waiting for you." The palace maid leading the way urged.

Wei Zifu then turned her head and followed the palace maid to continue walking forward.

Inside the Wan Ge, Liu Che flipped through the preparations for the Grand Empress Dowager Dou's birthday banquet in the past. He wanted to hold a banquet for his mother with a scale not inferior to the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday banquet back then.

Fuqu opened the door and led Wei Zifu into the room: "Little Lord, Lady Wei has arrived."

Hearing this, Liu Che looked up slightly at Wei Zifu who walked in from outside the door. Her attire was very simple, and there were no ornaments on her head. Her black hair hung down to her waist, which was very beautiful.

Back in the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, the first time Liu Che saw Wei Zifu, he was attracted by her beautiful hair.

"Seen the Empress." Wei Zifu lowered her head and paid respects to A Jiao. After such a long time, seeing "Chen Ajiao" again, Wei Zifu was a bit dazed, as if the Chen Ajiao in her memory had always been as bright and noble as the one before her.

She seemed... not to have changed at all.

Liu Che smiled: "Zifu, no need for formalities."

Hearing "Chen Ajiao" call her like this, Wei Zifu was stunned for a moment. She looked up at the Empress before her, unable to guess "Chen Ajiao's" thoughts for a while.

The Chen Ajiao in her memory was someone who wrote her joys and sorrows on her face, and the one before her actually made her unable to understand; was she really reborn like herself?

Wei Zifu restrained her expression and said softly: "Thank you, Little Lord."

Liu Che handed the bamboo slip in his hand to Wei Zifu: "You take a look at this, it is the record of the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday banquet back then. I intend to hold the birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager according to this standard."

Wei Zifu stepped forward to take the bamboo slip handed by "Chen Ajiao." Her gaze caught sight of "Chen Ajiao's" belly, which was already nearly five months along, and her gaze sank.

The Chen Ajiao of this world not only already had a daughter, but was even pregnant with one in her belly. If this child was an imperial son, then what should her Ju'er do?

Her Ju'er was established as Crown Prince when he was seven years old. He had been studying diligently since he was a child. When he grew up, Liu Che liked to go on tours, so he left Ju'er in Chang'an to supervise the country. If it weren't for Liu Che living too long, Ju'er would have long since become the Son of Heaven.

Liu Che didn't see Wei Zifu take the bamboo slip in his hand for a long time, couldn't help but look up at her, but saw her staring at his belly in a daze.

In an instant, as a "mother" protecting her cub, Liu Che raised his sleeve to cover his belly, and his eyes also sank: "Lady Wei, what are you looking at?"

Wei Zifu came back to her senses. She hurriedly moved her gaze away and took the bamboo slip from the Empress's hand with both hands: "Your concubine was just thinking about what the Grand Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was like back then."

In the third year when Wei Zifu became Empress, the Empress Dowager passed away, so Wei Zifu, who was once Empress, did not have the opportunity to organize such a birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager.

At this time, Liu Che was obviously unhappy because of Wei Zifu's actions. However, because Wei Zifu had no other actions, coupled with her gentle and kind image in the past, Liu Che didn't care anymore and just said: "There are records on the bamboo slip; you will know after reading it carefully."

"Understood."

"My body is inconvenient now, so the matter of the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet may need to trouble Lady Wei to manage more. If this matter is handled well, not only will I reward you, but the Emperor will also reward you."

Wei Zifu didn't expect that "Chen Ajiao" would really hand over the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to her, instead of having other thoughts. Why was the reborn Chen Ajiao not hating her as much as before?

Wei Zifu couldn't understand, but when she saw "Chen Ajiao" carefully protecting her belly, she seemed to understand everything. After a woman has a child, she will become very different.

It seems "Chen Ajiao" also knows that if the child in her belly is an imperial son, then with Chen Ajiao's status as Empress, her child will definitely be the Crown Prince in the future.

But the one who should be Crown Prince is clearly her Ju'er. Her Ju'er was gentle and cautious, and all the ministers at that time praised him. He would definitely be a benevolent and harmonious monarch after succeeding to the throne. How did it become that her Ju'er had nothing in this world?

Not only did he lose his status as the legitimate eldest son, but even the position of Crown Prince would be lost.

"Take the things back and read them." Liu Che supported his waist and stood up with the help of the palace maid beside him, his expression somewhat tired: "I am a bit tired, let's leave it at that for today. Come and report to me after you have studied it thoroughly, and then I will discuss it with you."

Such a style was like the Son of Heaven giving tasks to the ministers below.

Wei Zifu responded: "Understood."

The two left the Wan Ge one after another. Liu Che walked in front, as if thinking of something, and asked: "How is Ju'er recently?" The Imperial Eldest Son had been born for more than a month, and Liu Che hadn't gone to see him. Now that the child's mother was here, he asked casually.

Wei Zifu replied: "Ju'er is taken care of by a wet nurse, and his body is healthy and well."

Liu Che curled his lips slowly: "That's good, wait until I give birth to the child in my belly, then I will go to visit him." Liu Che found that he had now completely accepted the fact that he was about to give birth to a child.

From the initial urgent hope that he could swap back with A Jiao, to now he basically had no hope. He actually secretly asked several alchemists, but these alchemists were all people with false names and knew nothing, which made him want to kill.

He also thought about telling his mother about the fact that he and A Jiao had swapped identities, but after careful consideration, he felt that this matter could not be told to his mother.

In fact, since Grandmother passed away, he knew that his mother wanted to imitate the Grand Empress Dowager to establish prestige in the court. Mother wanted to support Tian Fen, so he had to let his uncle Tian Fen be Prime Minister. For the sake of his mother, he adopted all the suggestions and requests Tian Fen had made to him.

Now the Tian family had risen, and the limelight had covered the former Dou family. No one knows a mother better than a son; Liu Che only feared that when his mother knew he and A Jiao couldn't swap back, she would find a way to get rid of A Jiao who had become him. And he himself could only stare at A Jiao's identity and be controlled by his mother.

Liu Che would rather let A Jiao, who had become him, master the government affairs; at least in the eyes of others, the Son of Heaven was still Liu Che.

"I won't send you off, Fuqu, you arrange for people to prepare a carriage to send Lady Wei back." Liu Che gave Fuqu an order, then turned and prepared to return to the bedroom.

Wei Zifu tilted her head slightly, looking at "Chen Ajiao's" belly with her peripheral vision, and a trace of madness gradually emerged in the bottom of her eyes.

She knew that the stumbling block for Ju'er to become Crown Prince now was the child in the Empress's belly. If this child died prematurely and could not be born, then could her Ju'er become Crown Prince again?

When Ju'er gradually gained prestige in the court, she would kill the Liu Che of this world again, so that no one could take away the throne that belonged to Ju'er.

At this very moment, in Wei Zifu's mind, there seemed to be a voice frantically clamoring: "Push her, push her hard, don't let her give birth to this child."

Wei Zifu felt her heart jump to her throat, and her hands were also trembling. Seeing "Chen Ajiao's" back getting further and further away from her, she was so nervous that her throat was dry.

At this time, as long as she pretended to trip accidentally and then bumped into "Chen Ajiao's" belly. Afterward, even if Liu Che held her accountable, she could pretend she was pushed by someone beside her.

She could frame Xia Ling, who would take the blame for her; after all, she was the sister of her sweetheart. ===== CHAPTER 39 =====

At this time, as long as she pretended to trip accidentally and then bumped into "Chen Ajiao's" stomach. Even if Liu Che held her accountable later, she could pretend that she was pushed by someone beside her.

She could frame Xia Ling; she would take the blame for her, after all, she was the sister of her beloved.