Chapter 93 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (34)
Far from the emperor’s watchful eye, the two men were as free as birds soaring in the sky and fish leaping in the vast ocean. Investigating corrupt officials was not something that could be accomplished overnight, so they took their time, traveling leisurely as if they were on a countryside excursion, enjoying the carefree journey.
Xiao Bobao, after being silenced by Yu Chenyi’s gesture, finally figured things out. She had originated from the Upper Realm, which made her particularly sensitive to others from the same place.
Now it all made sense—why she had felt an irresistible urge to bind herself to Bai Mo the moment she saw him, and why Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi shared such a deep connection from their past lives. So, in the end, they were all from the same “nest.”
With that realization, Xiao Bobao no longer worried about what would happen to her little snow ferret once she returned to the Upper Realm. After all, they would still be able to see each other frequently.
Since the two were essentially on a government-funded honeymoon, Xiao Bobao wisely chose to keep a low profile, staying silent and out of their way. Ha! This had nothing to do with her.
Meanwhile, the emperor had intended to use this situation to keep Minister Bai and Censor Yu in check. However, instead of restraining them, he had unknowingly granted them complete freedom.
Now, both families were indeed behaving “obediently“—so much so that it seemed excessive. They had become the type that would only move if given a direct push, a stark contrast to their previous eagerness to advise the ruler. This shift in attitude emboldened the prime minister, who grew increasingly arrogant.
Whenever questioned, the two senior officials would respond with: “This minister is too dull-witted. Your Majesty, please give clear instructions.”
This left the emperor so frustrated that he had no desire to continue the conversation.
If he had all the answers, why would he need his ministers in the first place?
Were Minister Bai and Censor Yu truly incompetent? Not at all. They were simply disheartened by the emperor’s tactics. A single decree from him could have resolved the matter—after all, who would dare question an imperial edict? Yet, the emperor deliberately sought scapegoats, wanting to shift the prime minister’s resentment onto them.
They weren’t foolish. Given the Third Prince’s character, aiding him and the emperor wouldn’t bring them any benefits. On the contrary, it could cost them their entire families.
The mere thought of the Third Prince’s vile intentions toward Bai Mo made Minister Bai seethe with murderous rage. His youngest son wasn’t just the apple of Madam Bai’s eye; he was also Minister Bai’s most cherished treasure. If the Third Prince were to succeed in his schemes—even if he merely wanted Bai Mo as a concubine in his rear court—it would still ruin him completely.
Compared to Yu Chenyi, Lan Gaoyi was utterly disgraced, as if he had been thrown into the mud.
The Third Prince had been born into nobility, doted on by both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, who lavished him with everything he could ever desire. Yet, despite such an upbringing, he turned out worse than commoners outside the palace.
After Bai Mo revealed everything to Minister Bai, the Emperor still expected him to assist the Third Prince in gaining power? Impossible. Not a chance. Minister Bai wouldn’t even consider it. In fact, the only reason he hadn’t actively sabotaged the prince was out of loyalty to the throne.
What the Emperor didn’t know was that Minister Bai was already contemplating resignation. Serving a ruler was like living beside a tiger.
In the past, rewards and punishments had coexisted, but the Emperor’s stubborn refusal to abandon the Third Prince meant that, in the future, punishment would be the only certainty. As cunning as the prince was, there would be no benefits—only disaster.
Minister Bai and Censor Yu, both seasoned political veterans, understood the Emperor’s true intentions all too well. At present, Minister Bai was in the most dangerous position. Even if he tried to keep a low profile, countless eyes were still on him. He held the post of Minister of Justice, his eldest son guarded the border, and his youngest son was soon to be married into the Yu family.
The Yu family, despite having only Censor Yu as its sole court official, had deep scholarly roots spanning centuries, earning a reputation known across the land. Even in the event of a regime change, any new emperor seeking to win over the scholarly class would be hesitant to make an enemy of the Yu family. However, things had now taken a different turn.
Once Yu Chenyi and Bai Mo were married, the Bai and Yu families would hold both prestige and power—a coveted alliance that many factions wished to draw to their side, while rival groups viewed them as a threat.
The Bai family became the Yu family’s spear, while the Yu family was the Bai family’s shield—a formidable partnership that invited both admiration and envy. Even the Emperor himself was no exception. Though both Minister Bai and Censor Yu had always been loyal, human hearts were fickle. Who could guarantee they wouldn’t develop ambitions of their own?
Thus, the Emperor had to keep Bai Mo and Yu Chenyi firmly under his control. Whatever Minister Bai and Censor Yu planned to do, they would first have to weigh their options carefully.
And indeed, this strategy proved highly effective. Neither Minister Bai nor Censor Yu dared to make any suspicious moves. However, the Emperor might have overplayed his hand—they were now too obedient, to the point of absurdity. They wouldn’t even pick up on subtle hints.
The Emperor, wanting to maintain his reputation as a virtuous ruler, couldn’t openly say, “You must deal with the Prime Minister.” That would make it obvious he was intentionally suppressing his own officials. After all, he had no solid evidence of treason or rebellion against the Prime Minister—just suspicions.
He wanted to reclaim power but didn’t want to be seen as a tyrant.
…
Ever since the Prime Minister confirmed that his concubine was carrying a baby boy, his ambitions had started stirring. With his daughter, Wei Yuyan, now married into the royal family, he saw the perfect opportunity.
As long as Wei Yuyan became pregnant, he had the means and ability to pull off a “switched-at-birth” scheme. When the Emperor eventually passed the throne to the Third Prince, he could then have the prince eliminated, making his own son the new ruler of Jin. At that point, he himself would become the most powerful man in the kingdom.
Unbeknownst to the Prime Minister, the Empress Dowager had successfully hidden the disgraceful affair between Wei Yuyan and Lan Gaoyi. Even while the Third Prince was under house arrest, the Prime Minister continued to build up his influence, suppressing any other princes who might threaten his succession.
Reports from his spies in the Imperial Academy of Medicine confirmed that the Emperor’s health was already deteriorating—his outward strength was merely a facade. With the ongoing power struggle among the princes, the Emperor would undoubtedly be physically and mentally exhausted, making his death only a matter of time. Or, when the moment was right, the Prime Minister could simply “help” the Emperor reach his end sooner.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s wife had already grown disillusioned with him. She had formed a secret alliance with the Empress Dowager, all for the sake of Wei Yuyan.
The Prime Minister’s residence was now fully committed to securing the Third Prince’s ascension. However, upon learning of the Prime Minister’s personal ambitions, his wife outwardly played along while inwardly holding him in utter contempt.
The next emperor had to be her daughter’s child—no one else’s. A mere concubine dreaming of becoming the Empress Dowager? Ridiculous.
Once Wei Yuyan’s health had improved, the Empress Dowager sent her back to the Third Prince’s residence. By that time, the Third Prince had already been thoroughly crushed by Yu Chenyi, leaving him in a dazed, imbecilic state—perfectly aligning with the Prime Minister’s wife’s plans.
She wanted Wei Yuyan to conceive as soon as possible and even procured a secret fertility drug to aid the process. Lan Gaoyi’s intelligence was irrelevant—his seed was all that mattered.
Wei Yuyan, however, felt nothing but disgust at the thought of sleeping with Lan Gaoyi. Clutching the fertility drug given to her by the Prime Minister’s wife, she stared at the drooling fool before her and suddenly felt an overwhelming nausea. Covering her mouth, she retched.
She knew her own body well. It had been over a month since her wedding night—a nightmare she wished she could erase. She had always been precise with her cycles, yet her period had not come. Now, with the nausea, fatigue, and dizziness, she was almost certain—she was already pregnant.
At that realization, a wave of despair washed over her. She wanted to die. That night… that wretched night…
But she couldn’t.
Heaven had given her a second chance—not to repeat her past mistakes, but to change her fate.
And now, her enemy stood before her—a drooling, brainless fool.
A sudden burst of laughter erupted from her lips, tears streaming down her face.
“Hahahahahaha… Lan Gaoyi! Lan Gaoyi! Look at you now! YOU have finally fallen!”
Her voice, filled with hatred and madness, echoed eerily through the dark palace chambers, sending chills down the spine of anyone who might have heard.
But no one did.
All the palace maids and eunuchs had been sent away at her command—giving her the perfect opportunity to ruin Lan Gaoyi completely.
“I don’t know who the father of this child is, but it is definitely not you. However, his mother will only ever be me. My child will ascend to the most prestigious position, while you… Since you don’t wish to live as a human, then don’t be one at all.”
Wei Yuyan pulled out the medicine given to her by the Prime Minister’s wife, pried open Lan Gaoyi’s mouth, and forced the liquid down his throat. It was a sterilization drug—one that the Prime Minister’s wife had instructed her to administer only after confirming her own pregnancy. With only one child as the heir, the mother’s status would remain unshakable. This was the lesson she had learned after becoming completely disillusioned with the Prime Minister.
Wei Yuyan laughed and cried at the same time, appearing utterly deranged.
…
Outside, the night-watch maid judged that enough time had passed and started making her way back. However, before she even entered the chamber, she was met with the piercing screams of a woman, so chilling that it sounded like a ghost wailing in the night. The eerie sound made her knees go weak with fear, yet she dared not retreat—if something happened to the Third Prince, everyone serving in this residence would be executed.
Summoning all her courage, she stepped inside.
What she saw made her blood run cold.
The Third Prince lay on the bed, his hands and feet bound, while a concubine straddled him, forcing some kind of liquid down his throat.
The young maid was terrified beyond words. She immediately covered her mouth to suppress a scream, stepping backward as quietly as possible. If Wei Yuyan—now completely unhinged—discovered that she had witnessed this, she might not live to see another day.
…
Two months later, the Third Prince’s concubine was diagnosed with pregnancy.
The Empress Dowager, however, showed no emotion—neither joy nor sorrow. She simply ordered the imperial physician to verify the exact time of conception.
Of course, the physician had long been bribed by the Prime Minister and dutifully reported that Wei Yuyan had been pregnant for less than two months—meaning she had conceived after returning to the Third Prince’s residence.
In other words, the child was not a bastard.
The Empress Dowager bestowed some standard prenatal medicines as a reward but expressed no particular joy. Given her deep affection for the Third Prince, shouldn’t she have been pleased that he now had an heir? Her thoughts were truly unfathomable.
Releasing Wei Yuyan back to the Third Prince’s residence was merely part of a transaction between the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister’s wife. Since the child carried imperial blood, it might as well be born. Once the Third Prince recovered and ascended the throne, Wei Yuyan could simply “die suddenly from illness.”
The Emperor’s attitude was just as indifferent. However, unlike the Empress Dowager, his coldness stemmed from his disdain for anything related to the Prime Minister.
Even if the child in Wei Yuyan’s womb was his own grandchild, it did nothing to quell his revulsion. The imperial bloodline was already plentiful—one more or less made no difference.
A child born of a Wei family woman? Unacceptable. If there was blame to be assigned, then let it be for the misfortune of having Wei family blood.
Thus, the Emperor gave the order: “Dispose of it.”
…
The most delighted parties were none other than the Prime Minister and his wife. Both believed their ambitions were now within reach, while simultaneously deceiving each other with false camaraderie.
With each person harboring their own hidden agenda, the capital became a brewing storm of political intrigue.
However, none of this affected the carefree “honeymoon travelers.”
Whenever they entered a town, they stayed at an inn, immersing themselves in local customs. If they didn’t reach a city in time, they camped beneath the vast night sky, marveling at the brilliant stars.
Sometimes, they drew their swords to uphold justice. Other times, they helped the poor and needy. Every good deed they performed earned them merit.
Xiao Bobao was so thrilled that she could barely stop grinning. Even when she had to assist in their ruse by pretending to be a mystical seer and producing magical tools, she happily complied. What were mere exchangeable points compared to the vast amount of merit she was accumulating? She had struck the ultimate jackpot.
With the imperial decree granting them the authority of imperial envoys, Yu Chenyi and Bai Mo traveled unhindered on their path of chivalry and righteousness. Even when confronted by corrupt authorities, they crushed tyranny with greater power.
Thus, they not only flawlessly completed the mission assigned by the Emperor but also gained widespread fame and accumulated even more merit.
By the time the Emperor realized that their reputation among the people had skyrocketed, he was filled with both joy and regret.
Joyful—because they had helped eliminate many of the Prime Minister’s hidden agents.
Regretful—because they had grown far too influential.
Now, he found the Bai and Yu families even more displeasing than before.
Minister Bai and Censor Yu were relentlessly suppressed, drawing sympathy from their fellow court officials. However, neither of them showed any anger. Instead, they recognized this as an opportunity—a perfect chance to retire from officialdom and relinquish all their powers.
The Emperor, momentarily pleased by their decision, readily approved their request.
Yet, as they were about to depart the capital, regret set in—with their absence, the scholars and intellectuals no longer had a unifying force, allowing the Prime Minister to win them over.
As a result, the Prime Minister’s power reached an unprecedented peak.