Chapter 209:

“My beloved Lady Hui, why don’t you take a guess why you’ve never been pregnant? Even during those periods when you received frequent favors, you still showed no sign of pregnancy. Why do you think that is?”

As Emperor Jing spoke these words, Fu Jinyao stared at him in disbelief.

“Your Majesty, what have you done? Did you give me medicine?”

The emperor laughed, “If I had given you medicine, do you think you would still be here today?”

Fu Jinyao was confused but deeply hurt, “Why? Why would you do this?”

Emperor Jing moved away from her and sat back onto the couch.

“Do you know why I moved you to Zhuxuan when you became pregnant? Why even when you were promoted, I never considered moving you to a different palace? None of the concubines who lived in Zhuxuan ever bore children.”

Fu Jinyao never expected Zhuxuan itself to be the problem. But she had only just become pregnant then. Why would the emperor do this? Why?!

“Your Majesty, why did you do this? Why?! At that time, I was already pregnant. Yes, my pregnancy became weaker and weaker. It was Zhuxuan, wasn’t it? Zhuxuan was the problem, wasn’t it?”

Emperor Jing looked at her, speaking slowly and deliberately, “The materials used to construct the bamboo houses in Zhuxuan were soaked in medicinal substances for forty-nine days. Even the lush bamboo plants were repeatedly watered with medicinal solutions. This medicine poses no harm to men, but for women, it’s extremely detrimental. It not only prevents pregnancy but also increases the likelihood of miscarriage. Oh, and it can also cause mental weakness.”

Though Emperor Jing spoke slowly, Fu Jinyao felt as if she had been splashed with a bucket of icy water.

Her voice trembled, “Why? Why? Why would you do something like this? Why wouldn’t you let this child live? Why wouldn’t you let my child live?”

Emperor Jing looked at her and smiled. At this moment, Fu Jinyao found that smile terrifying.

Still speaking slowly, Emperor Jing said, “You asked why? Fu Jinyao, how could you be so foolish? Don’t you think I don’t know anything? Do you think I’m a fool?”

“Your Majesty, what do you know?” Fu Jinyao asked, trembling, unable to believe it.

“You’re afraid to face it, so I’ll tell you. I know everything, everyone knows. It was you—you killed your own elder sister, my beloved Empress Hui Xian, Fu Jinxiu. Your sister treated you so well, yet you killed her. How could I allow you to have another child? I must ensure that the Fu family fully supports Yu’er. In my eyes, he is my eldest son, and Fu Jinxiu surpasses you in both intelligence and character.”

Hearing the truth, Fu Jinyao collapsed to the ground. She never expected such shocking revelations today.

This was their first heart-to-heart conversation, yet it turned out to be the most brutal one.

“For Yan Yu, for Yan Yu, so you deliberately placed me in Zhuxuan and wouldn’t let me keep my child?”

Emperor Jing admitted, “Yes. The late emperor once placed his favored concubine in Zhuxuan to maintain balance. I found you most suitable for that place. I didn’t want your child, but did you truly want it? Don’t forget, you yourself killed him. If it weren’t for Chancellor Fu and Fu Jinyu, do you think I wouldn’t have executed you? I despise you, you wicked woman.”

Pausing, Emperor Jing continued, “I don’t want to say more, out of the remaining affection for the Fu family and for Fu Jinxiu’s sake. I also don’t want Yu’er to know that his beloved mother was killed by his dear aunt.”

“Your Majesty, have you never loved me even a little? Not even a little? Were all those past displays of affection merely pretense?” Fu Jinyao, at this moment, still obsessed over whether the emperor loved her.

In her mind, this was the most important issue, the most significant matter.

“I must have been blind to love someone like you. No one would love a woman with such a wicked heart.”

At this point, Fu Jinyao felt utterly devastated.

Before she could respond, a clear voice came from the doorway: “Father.”

Fu Jinyao didn’t expect Yan Yu to be standing there.

After calling out, Yan Yu entered, looking at the collapsed Fu Jinyao, tears streaming down his small face.

“Yu’er, why are you here?” Emperor Jing’s expression changed, clearly not expecting his son to be at the door.

Yan Yu didn’t look at Emperor Jing, only staring at Fu Jinyao.

“I knew it, you’re a bad woman, a bad woman. Grandmother said to stay far away from you and never have any contact. It turns out she feared you might harm me. If you could kill my mother, you could kill me too. You really are a bad woman, a truly bad woman.”

Yan Yu rambled, repeating himself, tears continuously flowing down his small face.

“Thud,” Yan Yu knelt down, staring straight at Emperor Jing, “I beg Your Majesty to severely punish Lady Hui for my mother’s sake.”

“I’m your aunt!” Fu Jinyao desperately tried to reason.

Seeing Emperor Jing’s expression and Yan Yu’s, she suddenly understood—Emperor Jing had never intended to spare her.

“I, your humble concubine, only wish to ask one question.”

“Speak.”

Looking at Fu Jinyao’s expression of complete despair, Emperor Jing showed no pity.

“Your Majesty, do you love Shen Layue?”

Emperor Jing hadn’t expected this final question. Looking at Shen Layue, who still lay motionless and unresponsive, he gently touched her delicate face, his gaze softening.

A slight smile appeared on his lips, “Deeply.”

Perhaps it was precisely this word that caused Layue to stir slightly, even glancing at him.

Seeing her gaze, Emperor Jing knew she wasn’t completely unresponsive, so he smiled.

He helped her sit up and pulled her into his arms.

“I myself don’t know exactly when I started loving Xiaoyue—loving her vivacity, her kindness, her mischievousness… loving everything about her.”

Hearing Emperor Jing’s confession, Layue looked up at him.

There was a trace of confusion in her eyes.

Watching the couple’s affectionate exchange and Yan Yu’s hateful gaze, Fu Jinyao could no longer bear it. Quietly standing up, she pulled out the weapon she had prepared earlier.

She swiftly stabbed toward Shen Layue, her movements fierce, “What I can’t have, no one else shall either. Shen Layue, die—”

Although Layue’s body was weak, she wasn’t completely immobile. However, due to Fu Jinyao’s quick action and her own weakness, she couldn’t dodge in time. Emperor Jing had been speaking to Layue with his head lowered.

Unprepared, he saw Fu Jinyao rushing toward them. It was too late to dodge. Emperor Jing turned and blocked the attack himself, the blade piercing his shoulder.

Feeling the pain, Emperor Jing kicked back, sending Fu Jinyao crashing down.

At the commotion, Lai Xi rushed in from the doorway.

In no time, Lai Xi subdued Lady Hui.

The young Yan Yu had just experienced a terrifying moment.

“Waaah—” he cried loudly.

Repeatedly shouting, “Lady Hui tried to kill Father—”

Layue never expected that at the critical moment, he would shield her. Thinking back to the words she had vaguely heard during those days, she suddenly realized—he had even disbanded the harem for her.

“Hurry—call the imperial physician. Yes, Cuiwen, call Cuiwen here—”

Cuiwen arrived faster than the physicians, quickly bandaging Emperor Jing’s wound. Seeing the emperor’s wound continuously bleeding, Layue wept.

Her lips trembled, “Why? Why did you do this? You’re the Son of Heaven; how could you risk yourself like this?”

“Why do you think?” Emperor Jing didn’t avoid her gaze, looking tenderly at her and asking.

Fu Jinyao wasn’t punished immediately. She was held down, watching the tender scene between the two with fury. However, her mouth was gagged, and she could only glare at them with burning eyes.

Layue didn’t care about her gaze, reaching out to touch the emperor’s face, “Your Majesty likes me.”

Emperor Jing smiled, asking, “Yes, I like you. I like you very much. So much that I would risk my own safety. And you? Do you like me the same way?”

Layue looked at him quietly, unmoving.

At the moment he said “deeply love,” when he confessed his feelings, when he unhesitatingly shielded her, Layue felt as if she had suddenly come back to life. The past bitterness and conflicts weren’t the entirety of life. She had been too anxious, too calculating, too worried, constantly feeding herself negative thoughts, so she was afraid to take another step forward, fearing hurt and disappointment.

But now that she knew he loved her wholeheartedly, willing to risk his life for her, willing to disband the harem, she suddenly released her long-buried heart.

She loved him. She truly loved him!

Although after her rebirth, she had repeatedly told herself not to love, in reality, she did love him deeply.

If there were no feelings at all, why would she risk her life to save him? All previous excuses now seemed laughable.

In the past, she had been a coward.

“I like Your Majesty too. Very, very much.” Hearing her words, Emperor Jing excitedly grasped her hand.

They gazed at each other for a long time before finally smiling at one another.

Although they had taken many detours, even losing a child.

But fortunately, they discovered their feelings for each other. It’s not too late to realize this now, is it?

“I’m so happy, happy that Yue’er likes me, truly likes me.” Joyfully, Emperor Jing held her in his arms.

As they embraced, Emperor Jing glanced at Fu Jinyao, his eyes darkening slightly.

Actually, he had never been careless.

He clearly understood Fu Jinyao’s nature. She had always been impulsive, and living in Zhuxuan, affected by the medicine, made her even more visibly irritable. He had long decided she wouldn’t give up easily. Today’s outcome was the best possible conclusion.

A small wound in exchange for Layue’s awakening, her genuine feelings, for a true bond with Yu’er, even for a new beginning for the Fu family, and the court’s silence. Indeed, it was worth it, wasn’t it?