Volume One, Chapter Two: She Wants to Bear His Child

Before her death, she learned the entire truth.

It turned out her husband was deliberately killed by the emperor; reinforcements were delayed for three whole days, and he died of exhaustion!

Yet she had bound herself to the very murderer of her husband—how could she not hate him?

Fortunately, fate granted her a second chance, sending her back to the eve of entering the palace.

The first thing she did was seek out Huo Chi.

She intended to bear his child.

Huo Chi hailed from the Huo clan of Linxi.

In Linxi, the head of the Huo family was known as the King of Linxi.

Though Huo Chi’s origins were dishonorable, he used ruthless methods to push aside several legitimate elder brothers and rose to become the third master of the Huo family, second only to the patriarch.

She knew that within a year, the head of the Huo family would mysteriously die.

Huo Chi would then reveal the true nature lurking beneath his calm and gentle exterior—he would eliminate all the legitimate sons of the Huo family, and even their mothers would meet grim ends.

Afterward, he would extend his influence to the capital, suppressing the other two powerful noble families wherever he went.

Two years later, even the emperor would have to avoid crossing him.

Back then, she had died filled with hatred; otherwise, she would have witnessed the emperor being forced to abdicate in favor of the fifth prince born to a Huo woman.

Given this second chance, Pei Yueshu would never squander herself again.

The Marquis of Yu’s mansion was draped in white banners; both the master and the servants wore mourning clothes.

When a red lacquered coffin was carried in by twelve pallbearers, everyone in the mansion wept bitterly.

“My son!”

Lady Yu broke free from the maid’s grasp and nearly fell, her head almost striking the coffin of Yu Hechuan.

Relatives and servants rushed to stop her, but she collapsed in front of the coffin, sobbing uncontrollably, preventing the coffin from moving further inside.

The Marquis of Yu, tears streaming down his face, hurried to have her escorted back to her room.

Several young ladies and masters of the house quickly wiped their faces and comforted her, finally helping her to leave.

The coffin was successfully placed in the main hall.

Pei Yueshu stood by the side gate, her face pale and weak.

She had witnessed such a scene once before in her past life.

Back then, she was still naïve enough to believe she could see Hechuan one last time, only to open the coffin lid and find nothing inside but a set of his clothes.

Her husband’s remains were gone.

She swayed and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

“Heavens! The young mistress has fainted!” Iris and several other maids hurriedly helped her up.

“Take the young mistress to her room and summon a doctor.”

Lady Yu, overwhelmed with grief, left the scene.

Now, only the Marquis of Yu could oversee the household affairs.

He was heartbroken but had to attend to the guests coming to pay respects.

In just a few hours, the sorrow aged him several years.

At that moment, a herald’s announcement silenced the cries inside.

“The emperor has arrived—”

The Marquis of Yu quickly composed himself, donning his official attire, and led the household outside to welcome the emperor.

“Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty. I, your servant, failed in my duties before you. I hope Your Majesty will not hold it against me,” the Marquis choked out.

Yu Hechuan was his eldest son, his greatest hope, yet he had died so mysteriously.

Though he harbored resentment toward the royal family, he dared not show it.

“Please rise, Marquis,” said the Tianxi Emperor, dressed plainly, personally helping the Marquis to his feet.

The Marquis tried to avoid eye contact, but the young emperor grasped his wrist firmly.

“Marquis, no need for formalities. I’ve merely come to see Hechuan.”

The Tianxi Emperor sighed and strode into the ancestral hall, pulling the Marquis along.

Outside, officials and nobles whispered among themselves.

The emperor’s personal attendance at the memorial signaled his great regard for the Yu family.

With Hechuan’s life weighing on the emperor’s conscience, the Yu clan would never fall from grace in this dynasty.

The emperor stood tall inside the hall, seeing everyone clearly.

He halted the customary bows and silently lit three incense sticks, having the eunuch Hu Guangfu offer the rites on his behalf.

“It is a pity that Hechuan died so young. Truly a loss for our Great Jin,” the emperor murmured.

“If my son could hear Your Majesty’s words, he would rest in peace,” said the Marquis.

Many others were expected to come to pay respects, and since the emperor showed no sign of leaving, the Marquis personally led him away.

“Why didn’t I see the Marquis’s wife and the young mistress just now?” the emperor asked casually.

“My son’s death was too much for his mother to bear. Yueshu was already deeply grieved days ago and caught a chill from the rain when she went out. I had them return to their own courtyard to rest,” the Marquis explained.

“Caught a chill in the rain?”

The emperor’s faint smile carried a hint of reproach, as if blaming the household for not taking better care of her.

The Marquis’s body trembled slightly, suddenly understanding why the emperor had come in person—and why so many generals sent his refined son to the battlefield.

“It was due to my negligence and that of my wife…”

His lips trembled with anger, yet before the ruler of the realm, he dared not show it.

Instead, he ingratiated himself.

“Yueshu and Hechuan grew up together, their bond was deep. Her momentary despair is understandable and not their fault.”

The emperor’s unguarded use of such intimate terms struck the Marquis like thunder.

Was he no longer pretending?

“How is she now? Have you summoned the imperial physician? No matter—I shall see for myself.”

Concern flickered across the emperor’s face as he awaited the Marquis’s lead.

“Your Majesty… Yueshu fainted from grief but should still be asleep. I have already summoned a doctor to care for her.”

“Very well. I have many affairs to attend to, so I will return to the palace. Please take good care of her,” the emperor said with a deliberate emphasis on “take good care.”

“Yes, Your servant will obey,” came the reply.

After seeing the emperor off, the Marquis’s anger nearly overwhelmed him.

He gripped his trusted aide’s hand tightly, ordering him to discreetly investigate something immediately.

Night fell, and the Bright Moon Residence had long since extinguished its lights.

Pei Yueshu feigned unconsciousness today, not yet ready to face that man.

In her past life, she had cried bitterly at the ancestral hall and fainted, supported by Xiao Xuanyu.

At the time, she had believed his kindness was genuine.

Ha, how naïve she had been.

She rose and returned to the side chamber where she stayed yesterday, driving away the servants from the courtyard so no one would disturb her.

These few days were enough for Huo Chi to uncover the palace’s secrets.

He must have discovered that Yu Hechuan’s death was indeed the emperor’s doing, and understood the real reason the emperor wanted her to enter the palace.

Moreover, with her experiences from her previous life, Pei Yueshu had fully discerned his wolfish ambition.

Huo Chi seemed to harbor enmity toward the Xiao royal family, making his betrayal inevitable.

If he intended to overthrow the Xiao clan, what could be faster or more effective than sending his own child into the palace?

That was why he came last night.

And why he would come again tonight.