novelGoddess of the Harem (Epilogue)
| ← Ch.185 | Ch.187 → |
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Yan Yunuo only learned the news that Lu Muxun and Yan Yuqing had been arrested the next morning. At the same time, news that Xu Bingyue had been favored by His Majesty because of her merits in reporting began to circulate in the Shangfu Bureau and that she has been transferred to the centre palace as his Chief Maid.
Blu: Yuqian Shangyi (御前尚仪) is the Emperor's personal female official, who follows the Emperor to court. This position is the same as the position of the Chief Eunuch. It is not to be underestimated and must not be offended. (Source: Baidu) /// Basically, in this story, she's on equal grounds as Wang Yi.
The Chief Maid was the Emperor's personal palace maid and the highest-ranking female official in the back palace. From a little palace maid of the Shangfu Bureau to the Emperor's personal maid, this was simply reaching the sky in a single bound!
Before Xu Bingyue left, all the sycophantic opportunistic people in the Shangfu Bureau surrounded her with smiles on their faces, flattering and fawning on her.
Xu Bingyue always smiled in the face of everyone's infatuation. When she took her entourage and arrogantly strut out of the gates of the Shangfu Bureau, she saw Yan Yunuo who had just returned from the Imperial Hospital after inquiring for news. The two of them could be described as enemies meeting on a narrow road.
"Xu Bingyue! You are simply too much! You framed Imperial Physician Lu and Yuqing! It must be you! I want to take you to the Emperor and report!"
At this time, Yan Yunuo had already seen Xu Bingyue's true face. Seeing her being proud of herself, she couldn't help but rush over agitatedly. But before she could reach Xu Bingyue, she was stopped by the two lower-rank maids behind Xu Bingyue: "Audacious slave, you actually dare to speak rudely to Chief Maid Xu! Do you know the consequences?"
Yes, now that Xu Bingyue was Chief Maid Xu, her status was half a level higher than that of Liao Siyi.
This was called rising to the sky in one night.
Yan Yunuo was stopped by two court ladies and her hands were also restrained. Seeing her look anxious and helpless, Xu Bingyue smiled happily: "Yan Yunuo, you want to hit me again? Hmph, just because you want to hit me? Someone come, slap her for me!"
"Pa pa!" "Pa pa!"
The loud slaps were endless and with the maids moving to surround them, both sides of Yan Yunuo's face were red and swollen from the slaps and red blood gradually oozed out from the corners of her mouth.
"Alright."
Xu Bingyue made a gesture and walked towards Yan Yunuo step-by-step. She chuckled, raised her hand, and pinched Yan Yunuo's chin with her slender fingers: "Yan Yunuo, are you worthy to fight with me? You made Big Brother Chen hate me, so I will let your Imperial Physician Lu die without a burial place."
Xu Bingyue couldn't help leaning against Yan Yunuo's ear and whispering in a low voice: "By the way, I forgot to tell you. It is said that His Royal Highness Rui Wang has been released from the Imperial Clan Court by the Emperor. I have also heard that Rui Wang's injury this time is very serious. I am afraid that he has no hope of having another heir in his life. Do you think he will care about Su Wan's life or death after he comes out?"
Rui Wang is out? And he will never have another heir in his life?
Hearing Xu Bingyue's words, Yan Yunuo's mind suddenly remembered the child in Yan Yuqing's stomach. That was... Rui Wang's child!
If she asked His Royal Highness Rui Wang, will Rui Wang help?
Suddenly, this ridiculous idea suddenly popped up in Yunuo's mind and it could no longer be extinguished. She was going to ask Rui Wang for help. Rui Wang would definitely save them for Yuqing...
Yan Yunuo still thought too kindly of the people in this world.
After she expended a lot of effort to go to Rui Wang's mansion to meet Rui Wang and even personally told Dongfang Li about Yan Yuqing and Lu Muxun, Dongfang Li smilingly promised Yan Yunuo that he would try his best to rescue the two people.
However, a few days later, the news of Yan Yuqing's sudden illness and death suddenly came from the Imperial Clan Court and along with the news that spread throughout the palace, there was also a letter in blood written by Yan Yuqing herself. In the bloody letter, she admitted that she was having an affair with Imperial Physician Lu, admitting that she was too ashamed to face the Emperor and that even death would be too good for her.... .
Yan Yuqing is dead?
As Yan Yuqing's older sister, Yan Yunuo rushed to the Imperial Clan Court to collect the corpse, but what she got was an unrecognizable corpse, which was not Yan Yuqing.
After all, Yan Yunuo was someone who was very familiar with Yan Yuqing. At this time, even if she was stupid, she still understood some things——
Yan Yuqing faked her death and everything was naturally arranged by Rui Wang.
And she "confessed" before "dying" in order to substantiate Lu Muxun's crimes, so that he would never be able to clear his name. After all, Lu Muxun was someone in the know. If he was forced to a dead end, he would expose the relationship between Rui Wang and Yan Yuqing to the Emperor. Then Rui Wang would definitely be implicated, and now, the guilty Yan Yuqing made a move first before he could and soon there was another "death without evidence". Now Lu Muxun can't clear his name no matter how many mouths he had. And even if Yan Yunuo reacted now and ran to the Emperor to tell the whole truth, the Emperor would never believe her.
This trick was really done thoroughly!
She thought of Lu Muxun who was driven to a desperate situation and of Su Wan who was also imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court and could not defend herself.
Yan Yunuo felt extremely powerless ——
Why were good people not rewarded?
What did they do wrong to suffer such injustice?
At this moment, without the help of Chen Shengbei in the original plot and also having lost Lu Muxun's protection and even not favored by the infatuated Emperor, Dongfang Yao. In this world, the now alone and weak Yan Yunuo finally fully experienced the darkness and ruthlessness of the back palace......
After Xu Bingyue came to power, she began to use the power in her hands to continuously eradicate dissidents. She first framed Liao Siyi of the Shangfu Bureau, then eliminated all the people in the Shangfu Bureau who were good friends with Yan Yunuo one after another and switched them with her confidants. Then, in this way, Yan Yunuo's life in the Shangfu Bureau can be described as being difficult.
Her lover was framed and the only good sister who treated her sincerely was also in prison. She - who had always been unyielding in the back palace - was incapable of doing anything, suffering everywhere. Yan Yunuo's indomitable heart, dedicated to doing good, finally began to collapse under this cruel reality——
"Why? Why are the Heavens so unfair?"
In the dark night, she stood on the empty road and shouted feebly.
Tomorrow was the day Lu Muxun and Su Wan were to be executed, but Yan Yunuo can't do anything. She could only watch as the people who treated her the best and loved her most leave her.... .
Sometimes, letting a person see reality clearly would not necessarily make her understand.
Let her be a player in the game and watch as everyone around her gets framed and leave her one by one. Not only was she powerless from the beginning to the end, but she also made things worse.
This was the most cruel punishment.
The current Yan Yunuo was full of despair for this world and herself...
"You want to know why?"
A cold voice suddenly came from behind Yan Yunuo.
Yan Yunuo turned around in panic and saw Wang Yi standing behind her with a bright palace lantern, and the elegant man standing in front of Wang Yi was the current Emperor, Dongfang Yao!
"Your Majesty!"
Yan Yunuo immediately knelt down on the ground and said anxiously: "Your Majesty is insightful and wise! Imperial Physician Lu and Su Wan have been wronged, begging Your Majesty to see clearly!"
Yan Yunuo didn't have many chances to meet the Emperor, she knew that this was her first and last chance.
"I know they were wronged."
Su Rui lowered her eyes and looked at Yan Yunuo on the ground coldly: "There is no need for senseless kindness in the back palace. That kindness is just ignorant stupidity."
Seeing Yan Yunuo's shocked expression, Su Rui sneered and then slowly said: "Su Wan clearly knew that Beauty Yan made a mistake, but insisted on bearing the punishment for her, then she should accept the punishment she fought for. As for you and Lu Muxun, you know that Beauty Yan had a bastard. This was a good opportunity for you to save Su Wan and make a great contribution. But why did you two give up? For those ridiculous feelings of sisterhood? Yan Yunuo, have you forgotten that you were not Yan Yuqing's elder sister at all? She never regarded you as her older sister! You missed the best chance to rescue Su Wan for someone who never regarded you as a sister, and let Lu Muxun fall into a situation that he cannot free himself from. Do you now feel disgusted by such a kind 'you'?"
Disgusted?
You should hate yourself as much as you want because you let other innocent people suffer from your mistakes.... .
Hearing Su Rui's words, Yan Yunuo knelt there with a blank face ——
Is ignorant kindness just stupid?
While Yan Yunuo was at a loss, Su Rui waved his hand suddenly. Wang Yi immediately understood and took out a stack of letters from his arms and gently threw it on the limestone ground in front of Yan Yunuo.
"This is a correspondence between Yan Yuqing and Xu Bingyue. Now, these two people are thinking about how to kill you every day. If you continue to be a kind fool, then I will fulfill your wishes and let you and Lu Muxun as well as Su Wan die together!" At the end of his speech, Su Rui's tone was cold and frightening.
This is......
Yan Yunuo looked at the papers messily scattered on the ground. She recognized Yan Yuqing's handwriting.
Seeing Xu Bingyue and Yan Yuqing constantly planning how to kill her in their letters, Yan Yunuo's eyes gradually changed——
How can she die? She could not die, but not because she was afraid of death.
She hasn't rescued Lu Muxun and Su Wan, so she cannot die, she must not die!
"Begging His Majesty to show this slave the right path!"
In fact, Yan Yunuo was just too kind and wasn't truly stupid. She was able to conclude that His Majesty was implying something. It was only because of this that Yan Yunuo would say such a thing right at this moment.
She knew that when the Emperor said all of these things to her, he was definitely not just trying to laugh at how stupid she was.
"Zhen can suspend the sentences of Lu Muxun and Su Wan."
Seeing that Yunuo was finally enlightened, Su Rui couldn't help but smile: "Don't stay at the Shangfu Bureau anymore. From tomorrow on, you will serve Concubine Liang. Her time is running out. If you handle matters for her well, she will help you fulfill all your wishes."
A Court Lady was not Concubine Liang's opponent at all, and staying by Concubine Liang's side, Su Rui feels that Yan Yunuo will definitely be trained and taught by Concubine Liang to be much more "smarter" than she is now...
"Slave obeys His Majesty's orders!"
Yan Yunuo immediately kowtowed her head to thank him and when she raised her head again, she saw the shadows of the Emperor and Steward Wang——
If the harem was destined to be a dog eat dog place, then she couldn't just sit and wait for others to eat her, she must not!
Yan Yunuo's gaze gradually became firm and her mind finally began changing in this cold night ——
Some people will burst out with unlimited potential when they've been driven to a dead end.
And for some other people, they can only arouse the power hidden within themselves only when the person they care about was in a desperate situation for the sake of that person.
Yan Yunuo was such a person, boundless despair would make her strong.
...
Winter left and spring arrived. When Yan Yunuo entered Xiuning Palace, she was quickly placed into an important position by Concubine Liang. Although Concubine Liang's body gradually improved, the chronic poison in her body could never be removed, which resulted in her lifespan also becoming shorter.
Sensing that her life will come to an end soon, Concubine Liang taught Yan Yunuo more seriously. She wanted to teach this woman who dared not even kill a chicken to be a cold-blooded woman who would not even blink when she killed a person. This process was indeed very difficult, but it made Liang Fei feel a sense of achievement——
She was dying, but she will create a scourge with her own hands to make trouble in this harem instead of her.
At this time, Yan Yunuo had experienced so many things. She was no longer as simple as she was at that time. She would do whatever Concubine Liang taught.
She swore from the bottom of her heart that she will definitely rescue Su Wan and Lu Muxun—
For the next half of her life, it was up to her to protect them.... .
When another autumn arrived, Su Wan, who was still "isolated" in the Imperial Clan Court, suddenly received the news that the mission was completed.
This surprised Su Wan for a while. She always felt that it would take at least more than a year for Yan Yunuo to completely transform. She didn't expect it to be completed so soon?
This day was an ordinary and busy day for most people in the imperial city, but for Yan Yunuo, it was a very meaningful day.
In the punishment hall of the palace, the blood all over the floor exuded a pungent smell. Xu Bingyue fell in a pool of blood, her body covered with scars. She fiercely glared at the person in front of her: "Yan Yunuo, you b*tch! It was you who hurt me!! It was you!"
"Heh."
Yan Yunuo knelt down gently, ignoring the bright red color on her sapphire blue palace gown: "How could it be me? It was not me who gave the secret letters between you and Rui Wang's mansion to the Emperor."
Could it be...
Could it be her?
When Xu Bingyue heard Yan Yunuo's words, her eyes were full of doubt: "No, it must be you! Is there even any meaning in lying right now?"
"Oh, Xu Bingyue, you have been oh so clever this whole time, so why are you suddenly confused now?"
Yan Yunuo gently leaned against Xu Bingyue's ear and whispered: "I told Yan Yuqing that Concubine Liang will be promoted to Empress after a while, and Concubine Liang, who is in poor health, will adopt an imperial son under her name because she cannot bear children. Yan Yuqing can only betray you for her son."
In fact, Yan Yuqing's life at Rui Wang's Mansion was not easy. Dongfang Li didn't really like her. The only reason he expended a lot of effort to save her was only for the child in her womb. Now the child has been taken away by Dongfang Li. Dongfang Li had long become bored with Yan Yuqing, especially when he thought that his current circumstances were because of this woman, Dongfang Li even had the urge to kill her.
Therefore, Yan Yuqing's days in Rui Wang's Mansion were actually worse than death. Right at this time, Yan Yunuo, who was heavily relied on in Xiuning Palace, once again extended a helping hand to her.
Yan Yuqing had always thought that Yan Yunuo was still the innocent and kind person back then, and so she naturally believed her words.
Thinking of being separated from her child and thinking of Dongfang Li's betrayal, Yan Yuqing straightforwardly went all in. She forged the correspondence between Xu Bingyue and Dongfang Li and stamped it with the seal of the Rui Wangfu, and then handed over all the "evidence" to Yan Yunuo.... .
"Yan Yunuo, you really changed."
Hearing Yan Yunuo's words, Xu Bingyue raised her eyes to look at the familiar face in front of her. She was still that same person in front of her, but her eyes no longer had the familiar warmth from back then.
"People will change. I was forced to change because of you guys."
Now if Yan Yunuo's experience was written into a book, it could definitely be called 《A Goddess's Counterattack》.
After saying this, Yan Yunuo slowly stood up and turned away coldly: "Steward Wang said that he will send her on her way today and let her die. Hurry up!"
After speaking, Yan Yunuo left without looking back.
"Yan Yunuo! You won't have a good death!"
"Yan Yunuo, even if Lu Muxun comes out, he won't like you anymore!"
...
From behind her, Xu Bingyue's curses became increasingly vicious. Yan Yunuo came out of the punishment hall with her expression unchanged. The autumn sun shone on Yan Yunuo's face. Yan Yunuo thought of this time last year in a daze. She met Lu Muxun for the first time in the Imperial Hospital——
Muxun, Xiao Wan.
I did it.
Tomorrow, I can pick you both up from the Imperial Clan Court.
Perhaps, the current me will make you both feel sick and disgusted, but for the things I want to protect, I - Yan Yunuo - will never regret......
The next day, the autumn air was brisk and the sky was blue.
Yan Yunuo was dressed in a neat and clean palace uniform, quietly waiting at the gates of the Imperial Clan Court.
As the doors slowly opened, the two familiar figures finally slowly appeared in front of her.
Yan Yunuo stood there and didn't move. At this time, her mood was excited and beside that there was only endless panic.
She thought of how kind Su Wan was and how gentle Lu Muxun was. Her current self was not worthy of being Su Wan's sister, let alone being loved by Lu Muxun.... .
"Yunuo."
Seeing that Yunuo hadn't moved an inch, Lu Muxun stepped forward and suddenly embraced her in his arms.
In fact, Wang Yi would report to Su Wan whatever she did in the palace every day and Su Wan would chat with Lu Muxun every other day.
Yan Yunuo thought they didn't know anything, but in fact, they already knew.... .
Seeing the two people hugging each other under the light of the sun, Su Wan quietly walked aside.
If someone came to pick her up right now, would it look like the happy ending in a TVB drama?
Su Wan was just thinking about it. She knew that Su Rui had already transferred Chen Shengbei away from the capital. His Majesty the Emperor would not give any exes the slightest chance to counterattack.... .
It's time to leave.
In this world, Su Wan had always lived like a Goddess (Saint), but this world also allowed her to see a lot of things that she has not seen before in other worlds——
Was the human heart good or evil?
Is there really no reward for doing good deeds?
In fact, this was just like loyalty and filial piety. Foolish loyalty and filial piety will only make things worse. As long as each of us abided by our principles and had a clear conscience then it will be fine...
"Xiao Wan."
The familiar figure blocked out the light from the sea of clouds as he softly called her name, with a gentle expression as always.
Su Wan turned around in surprise and raised her lips gracefully in the direction of the sound...
| ← Ch. 185 | Ch. 187 → |