SFL Chapter 55

Many present were aware of Sun Yanrou’s original identity. After all, when she was the Crown Princess and in charge of the Phoenix Seal, she attended every banquet she managed. 

Now, no one has exposed her identity because she is not unique. Those young Crown Princesses had remarried long ago, and many knew about it. 

However, none of them had any relationship with the emperor. After all, one was the concubine of the previous emperor, and the other was the concubine of the current emperor. What was there between them to make people feel strange?

Sun Yanrou’s words directly made the Empress Dowager’s face darken. For the sake of Yun Jingli’s reputation, the Empress Dowager directly asked Sun Yanrou to explain in front of everyone what relationship she had with the emperor.

It wasn’t until then that Sun Yanrou realized belatedly that she had let slip. Not to mention those outsiders, even Sun’s father and mother dared not recognize Sun Yanrou at this time.

Having been in the palace for many years, her parents’ impression of her still remained when she was unmarried years ago.

Back then, Sun Yanrou had neither the ambition nor the absurdity she has now.

“Yes, that’s also what we want to know. When did I have children with you?” Yun Jingli’s face appeared curious, but it made some intuitively sharp officials tremble.

However, when these words fell into Sun Yanrou’s ears, she declined, which was also the most unbearable for her, because all her confidence came from Yun Jingli, the emperor.

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten that you let the Empress stay alone in her chamber for me?” Sun Yanrou said.

The officials’ wives looked at the twins in Yun Jingli and the Empress Dowager’s arms. If staying alone in the chamber could bring a pair of twins, they would also want to stay.

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten that you killed the Empress for me and cut off your own heirs to save me?” Sun Yanrou asked with a glimmer of hope.

As long as the emperor could remember these, her safety would be guaranteed.

Sun Yanrou did not doubt the sincerity of the Emperor in her previous life, so she tried to find the shadow of the previous generation from Yun Jingli.

“Your Majesty, it was the Wang family. The Wang family poisoned me to avenge Wang Huijun. Shortly after my death, Your Majesty also died of depression. Now that I have been blessed by heaven and given a chance to start over, I ask Your Majesty to execute the treacherous ministers and eradicate the evil lineage.” Sun Yanrou directly concluded Wang Huijun’s identity.

Yun Jingli’s eyes grew cold. “Sun, are you so delusional that your mind is muddled? What qualifications do you have to be compared to the Empress?”

“Your Majesty!” Sun Yanrou’s voice was sharp. Having enjoyed the supreme favor of the emperor, Yun Jingli’s slightest rebuke could make her lose control.

The civil and military officials also thought Sun Yanrou was a bit crazy. Killing the Empress, having children with the Crown Princess, cutting off his own heirs for the Crown Princess, and accompanying her in life and death—how could the world revolve around her alone?

The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, felt more relaxed as she listened. Setting aside other matters, she was sure that her son was not that kind of person. Although the emperor doted on the Empress, he never neglected state affairs. The Empress Dowager knew Yun Jingli’s self-confidence very well and knew that Yun Jingli simply didn’t care about Sun Yanrou.

As for the civil and military officials, who were even more deeply touched, they couldn’t imagine that the emperor, who was so majestic and stern in court, would break through the norms of the world for a woman, willing to live and die for her, and even sacrifice his heirs for her. They simply didn’t believe it.

The more Sun Yanrou spoke, the more surreal it sounded to others. Could those things she mentioned really be done by their emperor?

So when they heard Sun Yanrou say that the Wang family harmed her and the illegitimate child born to her and the emperor, they felt a strange sense of agreement.

“The root cause of your children’s lifelong suffering lies with you as parents. He should never have been born in the first place. If the emperor had not cut off his heirs, he would never have had the chance to ascend the throne.”

Look at all these things, every single one benefits Sun Yanrou. And you say it’s not nonsense?

“Sun Qing, it seems that your daughter is dreaming and confused, unable to distinguish between dreams and reality,” Yun Jingli said to Sun’s father.

Although this was unpleasant to hear, Sun’s father wholeheartedly agreed. Wasn’t it confusion? Otherwise, how could she have such wild fantasies?

“Your Majesty, it is the fault of the old minister for failing to teach his daughter properly,” Sun’s father said, kneeling down.

Seeing her father kneel down, Sun Yanrou suddenly felt a sense of betrayal. Looking at her mother, she could see the same lack of recognition for her words. As for the Wang family she accused, their faces showed none of the initial distress.

The most important thing was that Yun Jingli, the emperor, didn’t believe her. He didn’t believe what she was saying.

“No, you are not the emperor, you definitely are not the emperor. The emperor wouldn’t treat me like this, he wouldn’t!” Sun Yanrou looked at Yun Jingli, starting to deny him.

Because if she didn’t deny him, she would have to deny herself.

Having experienced it personally, how could she think that dream was false? Although the end of the dream was her tragic fate, before that, everything in the dream was so enjoyable to her.

The reason she insisted so much was to change the final imperfect detail.

“It seems she’s gone mad,” an official subconsciously shook his head.

Sun’s father and mother were both horrified, but they also breathed a sigh of relief. It was better for her to be mad than sane. If Sun Yanrou was still sane, the Sun family would be in trouble.

Why did Sun Yanrou have such dreams and talk such nonsense? Stripping away the layers of deception, it was clear that she was intent on vying for the position of Empress Dowager and even plotting against the Crown Prince.

If these thoughts were proven, the Sun family would face retaliation from the Wang family.

“Take her away,” the little Crown Prince in Yun Jingli’s arms was awakened. Yun Jingli didn’t want to watch this farce anymore. Nothing was more important than soothing the child now.

The emperor left with the Crown Prince, and the Empress Dowager also left with the princess. Before leaving, Yun Jingli did not say how to deal with Sun Yanrou. Sun Yanrou tried to reach out and grab Yun Jingli when she saw him leaving, wanting him to return the emperor who was willing to give everything for her. However, before she could get close to Yun Jingli, she was stopped by the guards.

From being frightened at first to being indifferent now, in the hearts of the people, Sun Yanrou had become nothing more than a clown.

The ‘former’ Concubines, however, were chilled to the bone, knowing that Sun Yanrou had gone mad.

Although they had similar thoughts before, they had not acted on them.

Now that the emperor had made it clear that he was not interested and with this scene in the court, it was easy to imagine Sun Yanrou’s future fate.

“She probably didn’t expect that her scheming against us back then actually saved us in time, preventing us from following in her footsteps,” sighed the ‘former’ Concubines.

Although their current lives were not entirely satisfactory, happiness is relative. With Sun Yanrou as a cautionary tale, they had begun to appreciate that their lives after marriage were actually quite good.

With the mocking eyes of the crowd, the Sun family hurriedly left the palace with the still noisy Sun Yanrou. Meanwhile, Yun Jingli sent the child back to Wang Huijun.

The commotion in the main hall was not small, and Wang Huijun had known about it early on. Unlike those who only found Sun Yanrou’s words absurd, Wang Huijun felt that what Sun Yanrou said might be true.

If Yun Jingli hadn’t arrived halfway, with the emperor’s calculating nature, after she knew the truth, she might not hesitate to kill her to keep it secret.

And the woman he wanted to be pure and virtuous was undoubtedly the noble Consort Sun.

Their identities destined that the child could not be accepted by the world, but if the child’s identity as the emperor’s only heir was revealed, even if the courtiers were unwilling, they could only accept it grudgingly.

And the Wang family would take the opportunity to become powerful, destined to clash with the new emperor…

What Wang Huijun was most worried about was that Yun Jingli would hold a grudge against the Wang family.

After Yun Jingli returned, Wang Huijun had already composed herself and began subtly probing Yun Jingli to see his attitude toward the Wang family.

Seeing through Wang Huijun’s thoughts, Yun Jingli directly brought up the issue, smiling as he said, “I know what you want to ask, but you don’t need to worry about this. Only an incompetent emperor would be unable to control those below him. If he is incompetent, it is only natural to let those below him who are capable take charge.”

“What are you talking about?” Wang Huijun felt that Yun Jingli’s words were too rebellious, even more so than the Wang family.

“I just want to tell you, don’t attach too much importance to the identity of the emperor. It’s not that important to me, at least not as important as you and the children are to me.”

Wang Huijun was shocked to hear this. She said, “Don’t you think your words are eerily similar to those of the previous emperor? The previous emperor also gave up his life and kingdom for Sun Yanrou, just like you.”

Yun Jingli disagreed, saying, “How can it be the same? In my eyes, being an emperor is just a job that anyone can do. Even if I were to leave, I would find a qualified successor for it, rather than, like the previous emperor, abandoning all responsibilities.”

There’s a big difference between having a sense of responsibility and being irresponsible in ‘loving a beauty but not the kingdom.’

“The way Your Majesty is now is fine.” At least she didn’t have to struggle anymore.

Why would the Wang family oppose? Most of the reason lies with the former emperor and Sun Yanrou.

The blood they share has nothing to do with the Wang family. Coupled with the fact that the Wang family killed Sun Yanrou, it’s unlikely they would get along well with that child.

But the little Crown Prince is different. He carries the blood of the Wang family. Unless the Wang family goes insane, and with Yun Jingli’s early passing, the Wang family can only serve as ministers for life.

The feeling of working under one’s own people and working under enemies cannot be the same. After recovering from the full moon banquet, the Wang family sent gifts to the little Crown Prince and Princess in the palace, trying not to create any grievances between Wang Huijun and the Wang family.

Wang Huijun naturally wouldn’t blame her own family. Setting aside the fact that she gave birth to the Crown Prince, the Wang family no longer has that ambition. Even in Sun Yanrou’s dream, the new emperor was not her child. What’s wrong with the Wang family seizing the throne? If the Wang family doesn’t seize the throne, it will be the Wang family members who die in the end.

“Empress, I heard that she has gone mad now,” said a female member of the Wang family with a smile.

Who else could it be but Sun Yanrou?

It must be said that Sun Yanrou, with her own efforts, made the Wang family remember her, which can be considered a kind of skill.

Yun Jingli did not issue any orders regarding Sun Yanrou. Even if the head of the Wang family was shocked and angry, he would not lower himself to deal with Sun Yanrou, a woman. He only dealt with Sun’s father in political issues.

With countless eyes watching, Sun’s father couldn’t bring himself to kill his daughter. But for Sun Yanrou, being alive now is more painful than being dead.