Chapter 263: Chapter 260 Pregnant_2
Hatred flashed across Feng Shu’s face before she lowered her eyes to conceal it. Lin Yushu said, "My grandfather passed away at midnight. Before his death, he held my hand and said, ’Yushu, you must persuade His Majesty to be a good emperor.’ I didn’t dare tell my grandfather that he had lost his mind, that he couldn’t be a good emperor, and I couldn’t persuade him either. My aunt, uncle, cousin all died on a rainy night. My grandfather couldn’t rest in peace. My family fragmented, my relatives passed one after another. Second Miss... no, Elder Cousin’s Wife, you must cherish yourself. On Huangquan Road, Elder Cousin will surely wait for you. But not today, not tomorrow, it will be far, far into the future. He hopes that you can stand in for him, and watch Qing Mei and Zhixu avenge themselves in the Capital City."
Feng Shu slowly raised her gaze and looked at Lin Yushu, not understanding what she was saying. Qing Mei and Zhixu killing their way back to the Capital City — what good could come of it?
You are Yanyang’s Empress, and your husband is their enemy.
Feng Shu seemed lost, her emotions despondent. Lin Yushu rose, moved to sit beside her, and clasped Feng Shu’s cold hand. "I was born into the Lin Family, raised in luxury since childhood, groomed to be either the mistress of a estate or Empress of a nation. Three generations of Empresses have emerged from the Lin Family, all from prominent clans. Since I was young, I adhered strictly to propriety, not daring to step out of line. I understood that enjoying the prestige the Lin Family granted me meant bearing the burden of the family’s future and hopes. When Father asked me to marry the Crown Prince, I agreed. I knew my life would be confined to the deep palace, like a caged bird. I’ve always envied you. Elder Cousin said that when you were eleven, you traveled the world — exploring, trading, learning martial arts, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He said you were lively, humorous, the best girl in the world. When he spoke of you, his demeanor was gentle, as if you were standing right before him. I have always been curious about what kind of woman you must be to win Elder Cousin’s heart. I’ve always wanted to be friends with you. I know we could be great friends."
Feng Shu pulled her hand away from Lin Yushu. "Did you come here on his behalf to persuade me?"
"Yes!" Lin Yushu replied without hesitation.
"How painstakingly thoughtful!" Feng Shu mocked, pointing to a corner of the room with a dazed look. "Xie Zhang isn’t dead. I can still see him. He’s standing over there, smiling at us."
Lin Yushu smiled faintly. "Is that so? Then, may Elder Cousin’s Wife send my regards to Elder Cousin. He must be reluctant to leave you behind; his soul refuses to depart. Only those deeply in love can see the spirits of their beloved."
Every word Lin Yushu uttered scraped at Feng Shu’s heart, reminiscent of the Crown Prince’s enraged, frenzied words at her ear that day: "Do you know why I destroyed the Marquis Mansion? It’s because of you! At the palace banquet, I told you not to marry Xie Zhang. You are mine. But you refused to listen; you insisted on marrying him. Fine, since you stubbornly wanted to marry him, I’ll make you separated by life and death, torn apart forever. Your life, whether it’s minutes or decades, will belong to me!"
"Your Majesty, please leave. I need to rest now," Feng Shu said coldly.
All those vile words, they were unnecessary for her to hear.
Yuwen Jing’s deeds had nothing to do with Lin Yushu!
"He loves you, I know."
Lin Yushu’s tone was far too calm. Feng Shu was utterly shocked. "You..."
"When I married him, I truly wanted to love him — to be a good Crown Princess Consort, and eventually a good Empress. Even when he cried out your name at night, even when I saw him secretly keeping your portrait, I still wanted to be a good Crown Princess Consort, to be his good wife." Lin Yushu reminisced about those dark days. "Elder Cousin’s Wife, noble women seldom have the fortune to marry the person they truly love. We mostly follow our parents’ orders or the matchmaker’s arrangements, living our lives as best as we can. In the rear chambers, our greatest reliance is our husbands, especially if they’re the Crown Prince. I pretended not to know about his feelings for you — you two grew up as childhood sweethearts, with you blossoming into a beauty who could captivate nations. His devotion to you only proves his good taste. So I could only faithfully serve him, hoping that over time, I might earn just a fraction of his affection. I never imagined he would descend into madness, killing loyal ministers, annihilating the Marquis Mansion, and seizing a court official’s wife. I heard what he said to you that day, blaming everything on you."
Lin Yushu spoke with heartache. "You must be crumbling under the guilt. If it were me, I too would crumble, would want nothing more than to end my life and put an end to it all. But Elder Cousin’s Wife, you must not believe him. The Marquis Mansion’s downfall is not because of you — it’s all because of his ruthless ambition. He couldn’t tolerate the Marquis Mansion’s unrivaled achievements overshadowing him. He imprisoned you in Yongning Palace because he’s greedy, tied to the dreams of lost youth. His insatiable desire, none of it is your fault."
Tears streamed down Feng Shu’s face as she broke into heart-wrenching sobs. Yuwen Jing’s words were akin to daggers piercing her heart. Every time she thought about how the Marquis Mansion was destroyed because of her, she wished she could kill herself a thousand times, ten thousand times. If she had known the Crown Prince would go to such lengths, she would never have married Xie Zhang. She would have chosen a life of solitude and repentance — a lonely existence under the lamplight of ancient temples.
If only Xie Zhang could live.
If only he could live!
She would do anything.
Even if she had to falsely tell Xie Zhang that she was deeply in love with the Crown Prince, that she was willing to enter the Eastern Palace as a concubine — as long as Xie Zhang could live well, as long as the Marquis Mansion could remain whole, she truly would have accepted!
But hindsight costs a lifetime. She tormented herself like a madwoman, but it was futile.
The Crown Prince used her family’s lives to threaten her, leaving her unable to live nor die — agony in its most brutal form!
Feng Shu trusted no one, but hearing Lin Yushu’s words, she couldn’t help but cry, wishing she could pour out all her grief, hatred, and regret in one overwhelming release. Her cries were so intense they could tear her soul apart, leaving anyone who heard them in tears.
At the peak of her emotional outburst, a sudden, dull pain came from her abdomen, followed by a wave of gut-wrenching nausea. Feng Shu pushed Lin Yushu aside and leaned over, dry heaving.
She hadn’t eaten for two days and expelled nothing but bitterness.
"Feng Shu..." Lin Yushu hurried to support her. Feng Shu vomited until the world spun and bile came out, before fainting entirely. Lin Yushu looked at her in shock and placed a hand on her wrist.
Moments later, Lin Yushu’s complexion changed dramatically!
"Someone come..." Lin Yushu’s lips trembled. Qiushui entered. "Your Majesty, what has happened?"
"Fetch the Imperial Physician..." Lin Yushu’s voice quivered faintly. "Only Zhang Lingzheng should come!"
"Yes!"