Chapter 9: Restoring the Original Empress Zhu’s Memory! Extremely Urgent

Feng Changye only wetted his lips with the tea before putting the cup back on the table.

He asked Zhu Wuhuan again, “The dagger was right within your reach. Why didn’t you take it and threaten me into issuing a decree to spare your Zhu family?”

Zhu Wuhuan looked up in surprise, just in time to meet Feng Changye’s handsome eyes.

At that moment, she finally understood what had been wrong earlier.

So it turned out that the dagger had been deliberately placed in the tea room by Feng Changye, deliberately for her to see!

【My heavens, what a black-hearted, devious tyrant!】

【Good thing I’m not the original empress! If it were the original empress here—who hated the tyrant to the bone—seeing a dagger within reach, even if she guessed it was a trap, in order to save the Zhu family, she would still take the risk!】

【And in that case, wouldn’t she have fallen right into the tyrant’s scheme?】

Zhu Wuhuan’s conversation with the system took only a few seconds.

She lifted her gaze to meet the scheming, black-hearted tyrant’s eyes and answered his question with complete frankness—

“Your Majesty’s words are laughable. My Zhu family is loyal and upright, every one of us devoted to our ruler and country. How could we ever raise a dagger to threaten the emperor?”

Feng Changye, who had just been cursed as a black-hearted, devious dog tyrant, remained indifferent and perfunctorily played along: “Oh? Even if I were to kill your whole family?”

“Yes!”

Zhu Wuhuan spoke the heartfelt words of the loyal Zhu family.

“If Your Majesty wrongly kills our Zhu family today, even if we die, history will one day clear our names. But if the Zhu family were to rebel and threaten the throne, even if we escaped the capital to live in hiding, history would still condemn us with harsh judgment. Therefore, the Zhu family would rather die under Your Majesty’s blade than ever commit regicide or rebellion!”

After finishing, she sighed inwardly.

The Zhu family’s loyalty was genuine, but such loyalty was far too foolish.

What could ever be more important than life itself?

She took a step back and respectfully bowed.

“Your Majesty, the Zhu family’s loyalty can be testified by Heaven and Earth. Please grant the Zhu family a chance to clear our unjust name!”

Feng Changye’s mood improved slightly.

He was quite satisfied with Zhu Wuhuan’s cooperation.

Today, he had deliberately placed a dagger in the tea room.

He wanted to test this transmigrated woman—would she, with a weapon in hand, attempt to kill him, the emperor?

If she refrained, he could use the opportunity to pardon the Zhu family.

And now, things were proceeding just as he had planned.

Although this transmigrated woman had a heaven-defying system that encouraged her to “get rid of the tyrant and become empress,” at least for now, she had no intention of killing him.

He faintly curled his lips, a hint of pleasure glinting in his eyes.

“Even though there was an opportunity to threaten me, the empress never once considered it. Truly, I see the Zhu family’s loyalty in you.”

Seizing the chance, his long fingers grasped the brush, and with flowing strokes he wrote an imperial decree, handing it to Zhu Wuhuan.

“Take it. I hereby pardon your Zhu family from the death sentence.”

“However, though the death penalty may be spared, punishment is unavoidable.”

“As for Zhu Huaining’s alleged treason and defection, the matter has yet to be concluded. The Zhu family shall be confined in the General’s Mansion as hostages.”

“If Zhu Huaining truly has defected and leads the Xiyuan tribes to invade my Great Ning territory, I will sacrifice the entire Zhu family to the army banner!”

Zhu Wuhuan raised both hands, respectfully accepting the decree passed to her by Feng Changye.

“Your concubine, on behalf of the entire Zhu family, kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty’s grace!”

Feng Changye gave a light acknowledgment.

“Return to Changle Palace and prepare yourself. I will order the Imperial Guards to escort you to the General’s Mansion to announce the decree. You must be back in the palace before nightfall.”

Hearing she could leave the palace, Zhu Wuhuan’s eyes lit up instantly.

But hearing she had to return before dark, she felt disappointed again.

Sigh.

This damned tyrant—calling it an escort of the empress, but wasn’t it really surveillance?

With so many eyes on her, how could she possibly escape the capital?

After giving thanks, Zhu Wuhuan rose and left the Hall of Supreme Harmony, carrying the decree back to Changle Palace.

Feng Changye watched her departing back, the corners of his thin lips slightly curved.

Still thinking of escaping the capital, are you?

Don’t you want to get rid of me, the tyrant, and be empress yourself, hmm?

…

Zhu Wuhuan returned to Changle Palace in the imperial carriage.

All the way, she fiddled with the decree, her expression slightly dazed.

She asked inwardly, 【System, I didn’t even do anything, yet the mission to save the Zhu family has already been completed?】

The system’s usually cold voice carried a trace of delight: 【Yes. Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Ten points have been credited!】

Zhu Wuhuan turned her head back toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

【This tyrant was far too cooperative, wasn’t he? Just like that, he lightly pardoned the Zhu family? Didn’t history record him as violent, cruel, stubborn, and arbitrary? Why do I feel… he’s actually not so bad?】

The system remained silent.

Indeed, something about this tyrant seemed off.

Judging from his words and actions, he didn’t seem like a tyrant at all!

With doubt in their hearts, woman and system returned to Changle Palace.

The once-empty palace now had a pretty young palace maid kneeling at the entrance to greet her.

“Your Highness!”

“……” Zhu Wuhuan looked up at the tearful, excited little girl. Suddenly, her fingers clenched, and her relaxed mood instantly vanished!

Damn it!

She didn’t have the original’s memories—she didn’t know who this girl was!

Not just this girl—later, when she returned to the Zhu family, she wouldn’t recognize Empress Zhu’s parents, siblings, or anyone!

How was she supposed to deal with those “relatives”?

She quickly called out to the system in her mind!

【System, is there any way for me to obtain the original body’s memories? Hurry, this is extremely urgent!】

The system answered with calm composure.

【The host can spend fifty points to purchase a Recollection Pill. In the blink of an eye, you can relive the original empress’s past and gain all her memories.】

Zhu Wuhuan instinctively cursed it.

【I only earn ten points per mission, and you’re charging me fifty! You black-hearted thing, why don’t you just rob me?】

The system remained steady.

【All products of the system are guaranteed premium. The Recollection Pill is powerful—covering everything from the classics and military strategies Empress Zhu studied, to whom she befriended or made enemies with. Even matters forgotten by Empress Zhu herself will be made clear to the host. So, do you want it?】

What else could Zhu Wuhuan do?

Expensive or not, she had to grit her teeth and buy it!

Otherwise, when she returned to the General’s Mansion and called her eldest sister-in-law “second sister-in-law” and hugged her second brother calling him “big brother,” wouldn’t the Zhu family think she’d gone insane?

She gritted her teeth fiercely, 【I want it!】

The system gleefully sold her a Recollection Pill worth twenty points for fifty points.

【The host currently has only ten points. After buying this pill, the host owes the system forty points. Please complete more missions to repay the debt quickly!】

【Oh, screw you!】

Zhu Wuhuan’s heart ached terribly as she clenched the little pill that appeared in her palm out of nowhere, then looked at the palace maid at the door.