mesbooks Chapter 181 Doll
Chapter 181 Doll
A month passed in a flash, and when the seventh princess was one month old, Yan Wan finally had her canonization ceremony as Consort Ling.
Yongshou Palace was decorated with lights and was extremely lively.
Yan Wan, dressed in gorgeous imperial concubine's attire, sat dignified and elegantly in the center of the palace, accepting everyone's worship.
Many concubines in the harem came to congratulate, and even the emperor took time out of his busy schedule to come and personally accompany Yan Wan to participate in this grand enthronement ceremony.
After all the noise and bustle faded away, Yan Wan, dressed in her luxurious imperial concubine's attire, stood quietly before the large bronze mirror. Her exquisite attire shone brightly under the light, but at this moment, her face showed no trace of joy.
She just stared at herself in the mirror quietly, especially at her dark eyes. In those deep eyes, there was no warmth, but a coldness at the bottom, as if it were ice that had not melted for a thousand years.
Finally, after ten years, she finally climbed to the position of imperial concubine.
But...after giving birth to a princess, he appointed her as a royal concubine. Did the emperor do this because he loved her?
Perhaps it was because of her obedience, or because of his love for her, but these only accounted for a small part.
Perhaps because of her obedience, she always carefully catered to the emperor's wishes and never dared to disobey him in the slightest.
Or perhaps it was his fondness for her, that special feeling that seemed particularly precious in this deep harem. However, these only accounted for a small part, not the main reason.
The biggest reason?
Yan Wan pondered over it, and soon she grasped the key. Perhaps the Emperor feared the Empress and was using her to divide her power? In this complex harem power struggle, the Emperor needed a pawn to balance the forces. And she, coincidentally, was the perfect candidate. The Emperor personally bestowed upon her the title of Imperial Concubine, a gesture seemingly of favor, but in reality, it concealed a deep political conspiracy.
Using this noble concubine to check and balance the harem is indeed a heavy price to pay.
Having lived through two lifetimes, Yan Wan is indeed the person who best understands the emperor's thoughts. She has experienced the ups and downs of life and seen through the wickedness of human hearts.
She is well aware of the emperor's suspicion and cruelty, as well as his obsession with power. In the ever-changing harem, she relies on this understanding of the emperor to survive cautiously and strive to gain a place for herself.
Ruyi was the emperor's bedmate, and the two had lived together for over twenty years, starting in the former residence. Anyone would break out in a cold sweat when the emperor looked back and discovered that his closest eunuch was colluding with the empress.
The emperor did this, firstly, to have someone to restrain the queen, and secondly, because Ruyi was not capable enough, the emperor needed someone more capable and better in control to help him manage the harem.
Obviously, Yanwan, who has always been helpless and like a floating duckweed, is his best choice.
She was born in the Han Army Banner. She had neither a distinguished family background nor talented father and brother. She only had a vampire mother and a useless brother.
Her status was so low that she was not even eligible for the imperial selection and could only be a little palace maid.
If she had not been noticed by me in the Imperial Garden back then, she would have been away from Qixiang Palace by now, or she would have married a peddler and lived a mediocre and wasted life after leaving the palace at the age of 15.
Burdened by her husband and countless children, she could not escape that lowly class no matter how hard she tried throughout her life.
He didn't even bother to suspect a woman who had no one to rely on and could only rely on him to survive.
If the emperor likes her, he can give her the most unique favor in the harem. If the emperor dislikes her, he can take back everything without hesitation.
So even if Yan Wan was reborn, she would still live cautiously.
The emperor, the supreme ruler, determined the fate of everyone in the harem with his preferences. When the emperor liked a woman, he could freely grant her the most unique favor in the harem.
He could reward her with countless treasures, give her endless glory, and let her call the shots in the harem.
However, when the emperor despised her, he could take it all back without hesitation. The favor she once had vanished in an instant, like a beautiful bubble bursting. He could withdraw her rewards, strip her of her honor, and bring her down from the clouds to the bottom of the valley.
Therefore, even if Yan Wan was reborn, she would still live cautiously. She knew the emperor's mood swings and understood the fragility and unreliability of his favor.
She dared not slack off or relax for a moment. Every step she took was like walking on thin ice.
Because she knew that in this harem, the slightest mistake would lead to eternal damnation. In her next life, she didn't want to repeat the same mistakes, nor did she want to experience the pain and suffering she had experienced before.
Therefore, she can only live cautiously and try her best to protect everything she has.
She wanted to take advantage of the emperor's inattention and secretly become the irreplaceable person by his side and in his heart.
By the time the emperor realized what was happening, she was already irreplaceable.
The world is bustling with people seeking profit, and the world is bustling with people seeking profit.
The two of them just took what they needed, which was very fair. There was no love between them, let alone true love.
Meanwhile, Princess Hejing also embarked on her journey back to the palace. She rode in a magnificent carriage, flanked by guards and maids, as she slowly made her way to the familiar and majestic imperial palace. Princess Hejing possessed a noble demeanor and a dignified countenance, her eyes revealing an innate dignity and pride.
He Jing was a legitimate princess, of unparalleled status. Her mother was Empress Fucha, which added to her endless glory. Moreover, she was Empress Fucha's only surviving child, which made her position in the emperor's heart even more special.
For many years, the emperor felt indebted to her.
Due to various reasons, the emperor was unable to give her enough companionship and love, so when facing Princess Hejing, the emperor always tried his best to make up for it. Because of this, the emperor could be said to be responsive to her every request.
The emperor would agree without hesitation to any request made by Princess Hejing, just to make her feel her father's love and care.
The emperor was deeply concerned about her from the moment she left for the palace. He immediately ordered his men to carefully select a site in the capital and begin building a palace for the princess.
For so many years, she and Yan Wan had been exchanging letters. When she knew that Ruyi had ascended the throne, her eyes were filled with resentment.
If she had not forced her to marry a Mongolian woman, the Empress Dowager would not have become so exhausted that she fell into the water and eventually died on the way to the east.
The Empress Dowager devoted her entire life to the position of Empress and never slacked off, but she never expected that Ruyi would take advantage of her in the end.
How could she not hate him? Over the years, time had flown by quietly, the years had changed, but the correspondence between her and Yan Wan had never stopped.
Letter after letter maintained the special bond between them over the long years. Amidst the ever-changing turmoil in the harem, they always confided in each other and supported each other through these letters.
However, the moment she learned that Ruyi had ascended to the throne, her eyes were instantly filled with resentment. That resentment, like a raging fire, danced and raged in her eyes. A surge of resentment and resentment surged in her heart, as if millions of ants were gnawing at her inner core.
If Ruyi had not come to her and forced her to marry far away in Mongolia, the Empress Dowager would not have become so mentally exhausted and fallen into endless pain and confusion.
Because of this incident, the Empress Dowager was worried and uneasy all day long, and eventually fell into the water. That accident also became a turning point in the Empress Dowager's fate, and she died with hatred on the way to her eastern tour.
The Empress Dowager dedicated her entire life to the position of Empress, always working diligently and never slacking off. She devoted all her efforts to the glory of her family, the favor of the Emperor, and the stability of the harem.
However, she never expected that Ruyi would take advantage of the situation. With her own tricks and schemes, Ruyi ascended to the throne step by step, taking away the glory and status that originally belonged to the Empress Dowager.
How could she not hate him? How could she not blame him?
In her opinion, Ruyi was trying her best to facilitate her marriage in order to seize the throne. The Empress Dowager had been resentful of her when she was alive, but she didn't know anything else back then. On her deathbed, the Empress Dowager recommended Consort Chun as the best candidate for Empress to the Emperor.
I don't know what means she used to climb to the throne of queen.
In Hejing's heart, no one was worthy of the position of queen except Empress Fucha.
The first thing she did after paying her respects to the emperor was to go to Yongshou Palace to see Yan Wan.
"Greetings to your Majesty."
"Princess Hejing, please get up quickly. There's no need for these empty formalities between us. I've been looking forward to this day for years, and finally the time has come for us to meet..."
How could Yan Wan dare to accept her gift?
As soon as He Jing made the slightest movement, Yan Wan quickly reached out to stop her from bowing.
After the two met, they exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Yan Wan dismissed her attendants and started a private conversation with Princess Hejing.
Seeing that everyone in the palace had been cleared out, He Jing couldn't wait to ask, "Your Highness, you said back then that you would do your best to investigate the truth behind my Royal Mother's death. After all these years, have you found any clues?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Wan frowned and said with some embarrassment, "Princess, now that you have finally returned to the capital and have a young prince, why don't you let go of the past and live your life in peace? I have indeed found some things over the years, but they involve the secrets of the royal family, so I won't disclose them unless it is absolutely necessary..."
"The Empress Dowager passed away with hatred in her heart. How can I live a peaceful and happy life? All these years, I have been thinking about revenge for the Empress Dowager. If you have any clues, please tell me directly. I will consider the right and wrong."
Seeing Yan Wan hesitating, Princess He Jing guessed that there was something going on. She didn't have time to discuss that with Yan Wan, so she went straight to the point and vowed to find out the truth about the Queen's death.
Yan Wan looked flustered, her words hesitant, her expression clearly revealing something unspeakable. Princess He Jing, ever so clever and perceptive, guessed at the mere sight of her that something must be going on. Her cold gaze fixed on Yan Wan, as if to see through her thoughts.
Princess Hejing was extremely anxious at this moment. She had no time to discuss trivial matters with Yanwan. She had only one thought in her mind, which was to learn the truth about the Queen's death.
Hearing her words, Yan Wan couldn't help but sigh. She stood up, took out a small box from the cabinet and placed it in front of Princess Hejing.
"This is?"
"Princess, once you open it, you'll find out who murdered the Queen."
Seeing the box, Princess Hejing's heart began to beat like a drum. The truth about the Empress's death, which she had sought for so many years, was right before her eyes. With bated breath and trembling hands, she opened the box before her.
Inside was a small rag doll.
At first glance, the materials and workmanship of the doll are both good, but the condition looks very worn, and it must be an old item from more than ten years ago.
"this?"
Yan Wan personally took out a small knife, picked up the fabric of the doll, and revealed the stuffing inside.
Ordinary dolls are filled with cotton, but this doll is half cotton and half catkins.
“Is this reed fluff?”
He Jing frowned and stared at the exposed reed flowers.
Yan Wan nodded, tears in her eyes, and spoke with great resentment.
"During the Eastern Tour, I was not feeling well, so I asked the Empress to stay in the Forbidden City to recuperate. Therefore, I didn't find out what happened during that Eastern Tour. After much investigation over the years, I finally found this doll. It is the real murderer who killed the Second Prince...