Chapter 18: The Captured Imperial Prince of the Enemy Country’s Canary 5

Lin Muqing knew that Chen Zhaoyi was General Chen’s daughter. General Chen often accompanied Yuan Ming in battles, but she didn’t know how she ended up staying at the palace.

Lin Muqing followed Concubine Chen into her palace.

The splendid Hui Palace was filled with beautiful, fragrant red peonies, vibrant and eye-catching.

She sat in a pavilion, and after the palace maid served tea, she left. The two maids stood outside, and Concubine Chen sizeably observed Lin Muqing for a long time.

“Is your injury serious?”

“Your Majesty came just in time; it’s not serious,” Lin Muqing replied, touching her finger.

She thought to herself that it was indeed Concubine Chen who had called the emperor back under the pretense of being the imperial concubine.

Concubine Chen smiled, “Sister is not beating around the bush; I’m just a bit mischievous. I fell off a horse and got kicked in the abdomen. The imperial doctor said I can no longer bear children, and I really need a child. Sister, in the palace and even in the entire Northern Qi…”

“Concubine Hui, are you suggesting that I give him a child?” Lin Muqing was somewhat taken aback, immediately realizing. However, she didn’t quite understand; having a child meant fighting for favor, but it also meant fighting for the throne.

Concubine Chen wore a gracious smile: “Sister is really smart; I won’t treat you unfairly. If you give birth to a child in the palace, I can’t protect him.”

“Your Majesty is currently quite taken with me; it’s only temporary. Taking this opportunity to conceive a child is crucial. The child would belong to me, and I can protect him with General Chen as my shield.”

“But why choose me?” Lin Muqing said, wary of the sudden pressure.

Concubine Chen’s gaze flickered slightly as she saw Lin Muqing’s hesitation.

“Because Your Majesty likes you very much now.”

Lin Muqing pressed on, “What about last night? Did Concubine Hui know that I had just been favored by His Majesty?”

Concubine Chen lowered her eyes; if she hadn’t helped Lin Muqing, it was uncertain whether she would still be alive today. Without her help, Lin Muqing would have already perished, and finding someone to bear children would be impossible.

Concubine Chen was hard-pressed to change anything; her family was one family, and the emperor remained a powerful emperor. She wished to place hope on someone from the previous emperor’s era who had connections with the emperor, as she felt that having a child wouldn’t endanger the Chen family’s grip on the throne.

She now believed that Lin Muqing was secure, yet still didn’t want the empress’s position reinstated.

“Does my sister agree?”

Concubine Chen’s expression hardened as her voice hinted at menace.

Lin Muqing shook her head, unyieldingly stating, “I decline. I want a child who must grow up by my side.”

Concubine Chen was enraged, visibly upset that anyone dared to refuse her. “Don’t forget who helped you yesterday; without that assistance, you’d now be a corpse.”

Lin Muqing scrutinized Concubine Chen closely, thinking to the system: “System, this Concubine Chen doesn’t seem to be genuine, right? How does she know that the original owner is dead?”

[Forget it, if she keeps rambling, just take a gun and shoot her. How dare she try to steal our child?]

Lin Muqing stood up, ready to leave, “Why doesn’t sister ask the imperial doctor for me? Whether I survive or not is my own matter.”

“I won’t take credit.”

“You’re right; I didn’t consider it fully.” Concubine Chen’s smile returned as she blocked Lin Muqing’s path, handing her some tea, “Since you refuse, I won’t press you. Let’s drink this tea before you leave.”

Lin Muqing took the tea, hesitated for a moment, then drank it all.

“Your tea is fine; I’ll take my leave now.”

Concubine Chen responded, her tone reluctant. “If you ever change your mind, do come to find me.”

“There won’t be a second time.” Lin Muqing replied firmly as she turned to leave.

Watching Lin Muqing’s departing figure, Concubine Chen began to smile faintly, noting that something was different.

What Lin Muqing had, others might not possess.

…

On the way back, Lin Muqing suddenly felt dizzy. The maids, Yue Yu and Liu, were alarmed and rushed to stabilize her.

“Yue Yu, quickly call someone!”

In the distance, Eunuch Qin was approaching with some healing salve.

Flustered, Yue Yu ran to him.

“Greetings, Eunuch Qin. The mistress suddenly fainted; should we call for the imperial physician?”

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Qin hurried over, “What happened on your way back?”

With him came another eunuch who could sense urgency and called for the physician.

“The mistress suddenly fainted. Could it be that the toxins from yesterday weren’t cleared?” Liu conjectured, not able to think of another reason.

Eunuch Qin instructed, “First, take Lin Shuyi back to Shuyu Palace.”

Yue Yu carried Lin Muqing back.

Once back at Shuyu Palace, the physician had already been waiting.

As Lin Muqing fainted, she communicated with the system.

“This Concubine Chen initially seems gentle and graceful, but she is actually a poison scorpion, giving me sterilization medicine.”

[One antidote should sort this out; let’s make sure she pays the price for her misdeeds.]

The antidote hadn’t been taken yet.

Yuan Ming arrived, hearing the physician express regret.

“Lin Shuyi drank poisonous tea last night, injuring her womb; today she’s had several cold medicinal herbs, and I fear that she may never bear children.”

Yuan Ming’s expression turned complex, and deep within, there was a hint of pain.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Come here.” Yuan Ming beckoned to Yue Yu, asking, “Where did Lin Shuyi just go?”