Chapter 86 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (27)
This kind of sound was nothing unfamiliar to Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi, who were already a married couple. However, in this instance, there was far more pain than pleasure.
This was the Third Prince’s palace. The prince himself was in the backroom with the young eunuch—there was no reason for such noises to come from the front chamber. If there was someone in there, wouldn’t that mean someone was committing debauchery right within the imperial palace?
Since Bai Mo disliked the male lead of this world, anything that could humiliate him instantly piqued his interest. Without a second thought, he tossed aside his earlier curiosity about the eunuch’s tools and eagerly pulled Yu Chenyi along to peek through the window.
Inside the gauzy curtains, shadows overlapped—there were even more people than Bai Mo had expected. The system, Xiao Bobao, had been too distracted by Bai Mo’s sudden change of focus and failed to scan the situation in time. By the time it realized the error, Bai Mo had already seen what was happening.
It was the female lead—Wei Yuyan!
The moment the boy recognized her face, his eyes widened in shock.
Whoa~ The female lead really knows how to have fun! Forget just cheating on the male lead—she’s wearing multiple green hats at once!
For some reason, Bai Mo suddenly recalled a phrase he had once seen on the internet:
“Love is a light… but the green glare makes you panic~”
Peeping was wrong, of course, and watching a live spring palace wasn’t exactly enjoyable either. Just as Yu Chenyi was about to take Bai Mo away, Wei Yuyan turned toward the window. She reached out, her delicate features twisted in pain, her lips moving in a silent plea.
Help me.
Yu Chenyi, save me.
Wei Yuyan rolled out from the light curtains, revealing her skin—bruised, mottled with purple and blue. But Yu Chenyi was faster. He swiftly covered Bai Mo’s eyes before he could make out the exact words of her plea.
However, Xiao Bobao saw everything. Seeing the female lead in such a miserable state, a flicker of pity flashed through its heart. But in the next instant, it forced itself to look away. Wei Yuyan was not worth saving. Her suffering was nothing but the consequence of her own actions. If Bai Mo hadn’t come into this world, the original host’s fate would have been far worse than what Wei Yuyan was experiencing now.
Why should they save her? On what grounds did she deserve help? Just days ago, she had been relentless in her attempts to frame Bai Mo.
With Xiao Bobao choosing inaction and Yu Chenyi remaining unmoved, they silently watched as Wei Yuyan was dragged back inside by several men. Her expression turned utterly despairing, the last glimmer of hope in her eyes fading—only to be replaced by seething hatred.
Hatred?
When she was trying to harm Mo Mo, what would have happened if Mo Mo had been just a little dumber? If there had been no one around to save him?
Yu Chenyi had never forgiven Lan Gaoyi and Wei Yuyan for their betrayal and cruelty toward Bai Mo. He didn’t talk about it, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t act.
The moment Lan Gaoyi had sent his men to a brothel, Yu Chenyi’s people had already been lying in wait—with a carefully selected group of ‘entertainers.’
What of being the Prime Minister’s daughter? What of being the Third Prince? Whoever wronged his Mo Mo would pay double in return.
“Mo Mo, let’s go.”
Yu Chenyi’s voice was gentle, but as he shielded Bai Mo and turned away, he shut the window—closing off the last shred of hope for Wei Yuyan.
Anyone capable of seizing an army and overthrowing an empire was no gentle soul.
For the first time, Xiao Bobao saw Yu Chenyi’s ruthless side, completely shattering its previous perception of him as merely soft-hearted and easygoing. It quietly shut its mouth, not daring to make a sound.
…
The following morning, the Grand Empress Dowager’s personal attendant was sent to summon Wei Yuyan. However, upon arriving at the grand palace hall, she found not a single guard stationed outside. Annoyed, she barged in—only to discover the night guards unconscious, scattered across the floor.
The Third Prince was nowhere to be found in the main hall. As she ventured deeper inside, several panicked figures suddenly emerged—clothes disheveled, scrambling to flee the moment they saw someone enter.
“Stop right there! Guards! Seize them!”
They weren’t eunuchs. They were strange men, hastily making their escape, clearly unwilling to be seen. It was highly likely they were responsible for whatever had happened here.
The attendant’s mind raced, filling in the blanks with her own assumptions. Determined to uncover the truth, she stepped into the very room from which those men had fled.
Moments later—
A piercing scream shattered the silence, echoing all the way to the roof.
The Third Prince’s newlywed concubine, Wei Yuyan, lay completely unclothed, her body covered in unmistakable marks.
The senior maid beside the Empress Dowager’s entourage scowled and barked, “If you don’t want to die, keep your mouth shut.”
Unlike the palace maids who were panicking, this seasoned attendant’s mind raced through countless calculations. This incident must not be leaked. It was not just a matter of royal reputation—this concerned the Third Prince’s standing as well. If he couldn’t even manage his household properly, how could he possibly handle the affairs of the state? What a joke!
“Hurry and find the Third Prince.” The senior maid calmly gave her orders, unaware that an even greater disaster was about to unfold.
The Emperor had arrived.
Following behind him was Yu Chenyi, who had been summoned to the palace that day.
Since Yu Chenyi and Bai Mo had already been married for some time, it was time to assign him an official role. A man of such talent should not be left idle.
Though the Emperor had received reports about the state of affairs beyond the palace, he remained skeptical—what if the reports were deliberately falsified by the Prime Minister’s faction?
Thus, he intended to send Yu Chenyi out as his eyes and ears, ensuring he had a trusted informant beyond the imperial walls.
Among all his sons, few were truly competent; only the Third Prince was barely acceptable. Before dispatching Yu Chenyi, the Emperor wanted him to establish a good rapport with the Third Prince and, at the same time, reinforce their father-son bond—lest his son be lured by the Prime Minister’s tempting bait.
If the Empress Dowager’s attendant could enter without hindrance, then naturally, the Emperor could as well.
However, unlike the attendant, the Emperor had come specifically to find the Third Prince. Completely bypassing the chaotic scene involving Wei Yuyan, he went straight to Lan Gaoyi—only to be greeted by a sight that made him wish he had never set foot inside.
His most favored heir—the son he had placed his hopes on—was curled up, stark naked, in the arms of a eunuch. Their backs faced the doorway, leaving little to the imagination.
The Emperor was not inclined toward such preferences himself, but he had seen enough to recognize what was happening. His fury exploded.
“You disgraceful wretch! What are you doing?!”
His voice was so loud that dust fell from the rafters.
Everyone who had followed him into the room immediately lowered their heads. Even Yu Chenyi, who had been dragged here against his will, dropped his gaze to the floor. His fingers trembled slightly, betraying his nerves. Exposing a royal scandal—who knew if he would walk away from this unscathed?
The Head Eunuch, who had served the Emperor for decades, was quick-witted and immediately ordered everyone out. Even Yu Chenyi was politely ushered away—since the Emperor held him in high regard, the eunuch was relatively courteous toward him.
The others, however, were not so lucky. After a round of reprimands, they were strictly forbidden from wandering about or speaking of what they had witnessed. They would await the Emperor’s orders.
The fortunate ones might have their tongues cut out and be sent to work in the Laundry Bureau or other menial posts.
As for the unlucky ones… today would be the last day they saw the sun.
No one wanted to die.
As soon as the Head Eunuch entered the hall, the doomed servants outside let out muffled cries of despair. Even so, they dared not wail too loudly—crying was forbidden in the palace. They were mere slaves, with no right to openly express their emotions.
Yu Chenyi lowered his gaze and remained silent.
From inside the hall, the Emperor’s furious roars echoed intermittently, accompanied by the sound of objects shattering against the floor. The louder the commotion grew, the less secure the lives of those outside became.
Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a group of attendants sent by the senior maid arrived. Seeing that both the Emperor and the Head Eunuch were inside, they assumed the trembling eunuchs standing outside were originally part of the Third Prince’s personal staff.
The fact that all the other servants had collapsed, leaving only these few unscathed, suggested something alarming—but they dared not dwell on it. Instead, they escorted the survivors back to the senior maid and reported to the Empress Dowager.
Caught between the Emperor in front and the Empress Dowager behind—both of whom held the power to decide their fate—the already shaken palace servants finally snapped. As the attendants attempted to drag them away, they burst into cries of desperation, pleading, sobbing, and begging for mercy.
Among those present, the only person of any standing was Yu Chenyi, who had just been appointed as the Emperor’s Imperial Commissioner.
“Lord Yu, save us! Lord Yu, we don’t want to die…”
The palace servants called out to him, one after another, making it impossible for the arriving attendants to ignore Yu Chenyi’s presence.
With his usual composed and refined demeanor, Yu Chenyi stepped forward and stopped the first palace servant from being dragged away.
“Sir, please show mercy,” he said evenly. “We were all summoned here by the Emperor himself. His Majesty is currently speaking with the Third Prince inside. What are you attempting to do?”
His voice was calm, unprovoked by the eunuch’s sudden move to seize people. Instead, he gently reminded them of an undeniable fact: These individuals belonged to the Emperor’s retinue. Neither the Third Prince nor anyone else had the authority to bypass the Emperor’s judgment and handle them as they pleased.
The eunuchs from the Empress Dowager’s palace were not ignorant of this reasoning. Realizing their mistake, they quickly released the captives and respectfully apologized to Yu Chenyi.
Though they were uncertain of his exact rank, the fact that the Emperor’s own attendants referred to him as “Lord Yu” was enough to indicate that he was not someone they could afford to offend.
“Forgive us, Lord Yu,” one of the eunuchs said deferentially. “We were merely carrying out the Empress Dowager’s orders to summon the concubine. However, due to an… unexpected situation, the senior maid sent us to notify the Third Prince. We assumed these servants were meant to attend to him, and their failure to do so led to this misunderstanding.”
The eunuch was no fool. By invoking the Empress Dowager’s authority, he subtly warned Yu Chenyi that punishing them would not be a simple matter.
Yu Chenyi smiled slightly, unfazed.
“Then, may I ask you to wait a moment, Sir Eunuch? The Emperor instructed us to remain here until he has finished. We dare not leave without his permission.”
No matter how powerful the Empress Dowager was, she was not above the Emperor.
The eunuchs from Cining Palace, realizing that the situation here would not be resolved anytime soon, sent someone to report to the senior maid but refrained from saying anything more.
They dared not speak, nor were they allowed to.
Little did they know that the true mastermind behind this entire scheme was currently being berated by the Emperor, while the accomplice who had fanned the flames stood calmly to the side, receiving the silent gratitude of the palace servants.
Yu Chenyi had shielded them from the eunuchs of Cining Palace, giving them a sliver of hope. The Emperor favored Yu Chenyi greatly, and if Yu Chenyi were to plead on their behalf, they might just escape this unwarranted disaster.
Inside the hall, the commotion was deafening. No one knew how much time had passed before the Head Eunuch emerged, looking utterly disheveled. When the Emperor flew into a rage, even someone as high-ranking as him was not spared from the fallout.
“Be sharp now,” he ordered. “You—go summon the imperial physician. The rest of you, follow me inside.”
As the Head Eunuch assigned tasks, the eunuchs from Cining Palace quickly stepped forward to deliver their report. He merely nodded in acknowledgment, offering no further comment. The fewer people who knew what had transpired inside, the better.
“I understand. You may return now. I will personally report this to His Majesty,” he said, waving them away before turning to Yu Chenyi with a completely different demeanor.
“Lord Yu, I must trouble you to wait here a moment. His Majesty will be out shortly. The weather has been stiflingly hot lately, yet none of you thought to fetch a chair for Lord Yu?”
The first part of his statement was directed at Yu Chenyi, while the latter was a scolding for the inattentive palace servants. The Head Eunuch understood the Emperor’s temperament well—given His Majesty’s deep favor for Yu Chenyi, it was highly unlikely that the young official would face any punishment. Instead, he hoped Yu Chenyi could help ease the Emperor’s fury before it affected his health.
There was no need for further explanation. A word to the wise was enough.
Yu Chenyi immediately grasped the implication and nodded. “It is a minister’s duty to share His Majesty’s burdens,” he replied, subtly signaling his agreement.