Chapter 623: Phoenix Trap (11)

Consort Liang was sent back to Chengxiang Hall. She hadn’t slept yet when she was informed about the emperor going over to Imperial Concubine Wei’s hall.

Consort Liang had always appeared virtuous and easygoing, but her expression now instantly turned spiteful. She summoned her trusted handmaid in a low voice.

Consort Liang’s voice took on an especially sombre tone.

“How did Fourth Prince act today?”

Her handmaid didn’t hide anything. “Replying to Consort Liang, at that time, Fourth Prince didn’t have any reaction at all.”

“He just watched as my son was dragged away?”

Her handmaid didn’t reply, which was a silent confirmation to her question.

Consort Liang suddenly knocked over everything on the table beside her. The teacup and snacks all rolled down to the floor, making a loud clattering sound.

Consort Liang began to rave like mad. “That little bastard! How dare he?! How dare he do that to my son, Ah-Sheng?! Sister, why did you give birth to such an ungrateful bastard?!”

None of the maidservants in Chengxiang Hall dared to speak because Consort Liang really seemed like a lunatic.

Imperial Concubine Wei hadn’t expected the emperor to come over so late at night. She quickly ordered her attendants to make preparations.

The emperor had exploded in anger today at Wanmin Hall, and afterwards, he had severely punished the crown prince. Yet, he had still remembered her at this time. Thus, it was quite evident that she held a special place in his heart.

When the emperor came over, Imperial Concubine Wei served him very attentively.

It was already very late at night and the emperor was clearly exhausted, so they just washed up and prepared to sleep.

While wearing a loose nightgown, Imperial Concubine Wei began to massage the emperor as they reclined on the large bed.

The emperor would occasionally open his eyes to look at the woman in front of him, but once he closed his eyes, another beautiful smiling face would appear in his mind.

Imperial Concubine Wei was undeniably the person who resembled Ye Xun the most within the entire imperial harem.

This was the reason the emperor would come to spend the night at Imperial Concubine Wei’s place whenever he felt troubled. It was also the real reason he favoured her the most.

Imperial Concubine Wei was a skilled masseuse. She had specially taken lessons from the palace’s most expert senior servants.

The emperor was already getting old, so he wasn’t very concerned about sex. His only intention was to have a proper night’s sleep every time he came over to Imperial Concubine Wei’s hall. In order to please the emperor, Imperial Concubine Wei would often give him massages to help relax his muscles.

Imperial Concubine Wei was deep in her thoughts while she was massaging him.

The crown prince had lost favor now. She also understood that the emperor could no longer tolerate Second Prince. The second prince didn’t show any sense of responsibility that he should’ve had as the crown prince. The emperor couldn’t really pass that esteemed position to a son like him.

She only had a daughter, Princess Leyao, and she didn’t have a son. Even if she wanted a son, the emperor’s self-control had improved as he got older. There hadn’t been any birth announcements from his concubines for many years.

It was only for a short moment, but numerous thoughts had flashed through Imperial Concubine Wei’s mind.

She thought about what her sister, Wei Fengzi, had told her when she visited the palace.

Her gaze instantly became determined. She should just sell a favour to the emperor during this critical moment, since there was no hope of a son for her anyways. There was also no true love within the inner palace.

Imperial Concubine Wei wasn’t a complete fool. After all these years, of course she had realised that she was only a substitute for someone else that the Emperor wanted in the past.

The emperor was lying in bed wearing his imperial yellow robe as Imperial Concubine Wei massaged him. Her soft voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

“Your Majesty, do you remember Older Sister Ye?”

As soon as Imperial Concubine Wei asked that question, the emperor abruptly sat up and looked at her with a dangerous look in his eyes.

Imperial Concubine Wei’s pale neck was instantly grasped by the emperor’s large hand.

The emperor was well-trained in both brains and brawn. Imperial Concubine Wei’s neck was already bruised with just one move.

“What did you just say?”

Imperial Concubine Wei stared into the emperor’s eyes. She knew without a doubt that if the emperor was dissatisfied with her next words, then she would be carried out as a corpse.

A thin layer of cold sweat emerged on Imperial Concubine Wei’s back. Her eyelashes quivered when she blinked. She took a moment to steady her emotions before answering in a shaky voice, “Your… Your Majesty, although Sister Ye has already passed away, she left a child for you…”

The emperor suddenly narrowed his eyes.

What! Ah-Xun was pregnant with his child that year!

They actually had a child!

His Ah-Xun had left a child for him!

“Tell me! If you dare to hide anything, you should know the result!”

Imperial Concubine Wei’s entire body trembled. She didn’t dare to hide anything as she said, “Older Sister Ye’s child is… Honoured Lady Jinyi…”

Jinyi?

Chu Lian?

House Ying’s Sixth Miss?

He Yanwen’s third daughter-in-law?!

That child who had cooked for him that day at Prince Wei’s Estate?

The emperor was stunned to the core!

Chu Lian’s face immediately emerged in his mind. Even though the emperor had only seen Chu Lian a couple times, he could actually remember Chu Lian’s face very clearly at this moment.

He instantly connected all the cluttered clues in his mind.

The emperor recalled the first time he had seen Chu Lian. At that time, he had felt that her face looked familiar. They didn’t meet again for nearly half a year. When he saw her again at Prince Wei’s Estate, he had mistaken Chu Lian for Duanjia.

If she was telling the truth, then these facts could all be properly explained.

Chu Lian’s mother, Ye Xun, was a distant relative of the Ye family. She could be considered loosely related to Princess Wei as her cousin.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia turned out to be cousins, then there was a reasonable explanation for their similarity in looks.

After reaching this conclusion, the emperor unconsciously loosened his grasp.

Once he released his hand, Imperial Concubine Wei started coughing violently while holding her neck. The emperor had almost strangled her to death…