This memory was etched into Yun Wan’s heart, something she would never forget even in death.
Five years ago, shortly after Lu Fenglan’s funeral, Yun Wan seized an opportunity to confide her plans to the old matriarch. She reasoned that while the old lady had never favored her, with her son now dead, there was little use keeping a widow in the household. Surely, the old woman wouldn’t object. And if she did, Yun Wan would find another way.
That day, no one stood guard at Cixin Hall, so no one announced Yun Wan’s arrival. As she approached the room alone, she overheard a chilling conversation:
“That Yun family girl has the face of a temptress. Women like her are never content. Rather than risk her bringing shame to my son by straying in the future, it’s better to have her gone.”
“They were a loving couple, so I’m sure my son would be pleased in the afterlife. We’ll tell outsiders she was so heartbroken, so consumed by grief, that she chose to follow him in death.”
“Then, Madam, what should this servant do?”
“Poison is the surest method. Here’s how you’ll do it…”
“…”
The old woman wanted her dead.
At that moment, Yun Wan felt as if she had plunged into an icy abyss, her entire body frozen with terror.
From that day on, Yun Wan lived in fear, plagued by nightmares of the old woman’s hateful face. She tested every bite of food with a silver needle, refusing to eat unless she confirmed it was safe. She took only small portions, afraid that the poison might be something undetectable—eating less might spare her life if it came to that.
Days of terror and starvation wore her down until she collapsed.
When she awoke, she learned she was pregnant.
The old matriarch’s attitude shifted dramatically. Suddenly, she was warm and solicitous, urging Yun Wan to rest well and bear the child safely.
Yun Wan realized the baby in her womb had saved her life.
Shock, relief—but most of all, hatred.
Hatred for the old woman, for the Lu family, for Lu Fenglan.
She hated the old woman’s cruelty, hated the Lu estate for being a den of predators, hated Lu Fenglan for his weakness, for never offering her even a shred of protection.
Didn’t he, as her son, know what kind of woman his mother was?
Perhaps sensing Yun Wan’s awareness, the old woman reverted to her usual disdain, showing warmth only to Sui.
Neither spoke of it, but both knew the truth.
“That vile old hag!”
Emperor Jingxuan roared, his face dark with fury, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
The woman he cherished above all else—that wretched crone had dared plot to poison her.
If not for little Sui, his beloved would have been lost to him.
The mere thought sent a chill through his heart. He gripped Yun Wan’s hand tightly, as if to reassure himself she was truly there.
Yun Wan, startled by his outburst—especially the crude insult from someone of his stature—stared at him in disbelief.
Noticing her reaction, Emperor Jingxuan arched a brow and smirked. “Did I frighten you, my love?”
“I spent many years in the northern frontier, as you know. The army is full of rough, uncouth men. Being too refined wouldn’t have won their respect.”
His princely status had already set him apart; maintaining aristocratic airs in the barracks would have made earning military merits even harder.
What he didn’t mention was how he’d once adopted the soldiers’ rough speech, cursing freely to blend in.
Emperor Jingxuan interlaced his fingers with Yun Wan’s, holding her hand firmly. With a low chuckle, he added, “I’m no refined scholar or noble gentleman. Too late for regrets now, my love.”
Yun Wan laughed softly. “I was only going to say, please don’t swear in front of Sui. I’d hate for him to pick up such language.”
A child his age shouldn’t learn vulgar words.
Emperor Jingxuan nodded. “Naturally! I understand the importance of setting a proper example. You needn’t worry.”
His expression softened. “You’ve suffered so much these years.”
Injured as he was, he couldn’t pull her into his arms. Instead, he gazed at her, eyes filled with tenderness and guilt.
All this time, she had endured hardships he never knew.
Yun Wan shook her head. “Sui was a very well-behaved child. Even in the womb, he hardly troubled me.”
She had seen other pregnant women suffer constant nausea, but Yun Wan experienced none of that. The baby was so quiet she sometimes doubted the physician’s diagnosis—had she even been pregnant at all?
Only when her belly grew, and she felt the faintest movements beneath her fingertips, as if the child were greeting her, did she relax.
A gentle smile touched her lips. “Back then, people said he was a child sent to repay kindness.”
And it was true—Sui’s arrival had saved her life.
Emperor Jingxuan imagined Yun Wan during her pregnancy, feeling both regret and warmth. “You’ve raised our child well.”
Only he and Yun Wan could have produced such a bright, gentle boy. The thought filled him with pride, momentarily dulling the pain of his wounds.
Yun Wan smiled, then asked curiously, “But how did Your Majesty confirm the truth?”
Emperor Jingxuan didn’t hide it. “I had men investigate. After Lu Fenglan’s death, his wet nurse returned to her hometown. She’d always harbored doubts about Sui’s parentage.”
A brief message arrived by carrier pigeon, followed days later by a detailed letter from Xuan Liu, laying out the full story.
Hearing about the wet nurse, Yun Wan understood. “Her leaving had something to do with me.”
The wet nurse was the old woman’s spy, assigned to Yun Wan and Lu Fenglan’s household after their marriage—ostensibly to serve, but in truth, to monitor their private affairs.
The old woman feared Yun Wan would seduce her son into excess, ruining his health.
To avoid suspicion, Yun Wan let the wet nurse believe serving her was a dead end. When the woman asked to return to Cixin Hall, Yun Wan agreed readily.
Then, through subtle maneuvering, Yun Wan ensured the wet nurse faced ostracism and mistakes in the old woman’s household, losing favor until she was forced to leave the Lu estate.
On the day the woman departed, disheartened, Yun Wan secretly sent her silver. The wet nurse wept with gratitude.
Emperor Jingxuan recalled Xuan Liu’s later report—under interrogation, the wet nurse had confessed her lingering suspicions. Her gratitude toward Yun Wan had likely spared her harsher treatment.
“That old hag treated you so cruelly. How would you like to deal with her?”
His voice was icy, his smile sharp as a winter blade.
Before Yun Wan could answer, rapid footsteps pattered at the chamber entrance, followed by Sui’s cheerful voice:
“Mother! Your Majesty! I’m here!”
Freshly bathed and sweet-smelling, the boy rushed into Yun Wan’s arms for a hug before clambering onto the bed.
Curious, he tilted his head. “Your Majesty, who’s the ‘vile old hag’?”
Emperor Jingxuan froze.
Then he met Yun Wan’s reproachful gaze.
