Reborn Before My Husband Ascends the Throne

Chapter 2

The emperor left in a mess.

Ye Suijin looked at his retreating figure and twitched her mouth, but couldn't force a smile.

The previous conversation had already exhausted her remaining strength.

She collapsed limply and let her life force slowly drain away.

In a daze, she saw Duan Jin again.

The man in his thirties, with great military achievements and high status, yet bent down with his forehead touching the pearls on her shoes.

"Master, A-Jin is going to battle."

"This time, I may not be able to return. Master, please take care."

"Wu Shi is already pregnant. If I don't come back, please take care of it, Master."

...

...

Wait, what did he say?

Did he say to "take care of" her?

She had too many things to worry about back then.

She had to fight for food, supplies, and so many other things for him at court.

In all these matters, Wu Shi, a woman without status or position, was truly negligible. She only thought of his safety and overlooked something?

Ye Suijin suddenly woke up, not knowing how long she had slept or lost consciousness. Covered in cold sweat.

When she opened her mouth, her voice was hoarse: "Come, come!"

The palace maid hurried up: "Your Majesty?"

Ye Suijin asked: "Where is Wu Shi?"

There were many women surnamed Wu in the world, and many imperial concubines surnamed Wu. But when the Empress called directly "Wu Shi" without reference, there was only one Wu Shi.

"Madam Duan?" the maid replied. "She is at the General's residence."

Ye Suijin looked up: "What Madam Duan?"

Since when did Wu Shi become Madam Duan? Who allowed her to be Madam Duan?

Duan Jin had never given her any status or position.

Ye Suijin suddenly came to her senses. She didn't know how long she had slept or lost consciousness. With cold sweat all over.

When she opened her mouth, her voice was hoarse: "Come, come!"

The palace maid hurried up: "Your Majesty?"

Ye Suijin asked: "Where is Wu Shi?"

There were many women surnamed Wu in the world, and many imperial concubines surnamed Wu. But when the Empress called directly "Wu Shi" without reference, there was only one Wu Shi.

"Madam Duan?" the maid replied. "She is at the General's residence."

Ye Suijin looked up: "What Madam Duan?"

Since when did Wu Shi become Madam Duan? Who allowed her to be Madam Duan?

Duan Jin had never given her any status or position.

"It was conferred by His Majesty," the maid said. "After the General's grand funeral..."

Ye Suijin couldn't breathe, her mind also slowed down. After two breaths, she finally digested the information.

Of course, Zhao Jingwen was good at these superficial gestures to win people's hearts. This was very much his style.

"I want to see Wu Shi!" she gritted her teeth.

The maid was surprised: "Now?"

It was already midnight, and the palace gates were locked.

The Empress...no longer had the strength to open that lock.

Ye Suijin's mind gradually cleared up.

"Go, tell Zhao Jingwen that I want to see Wu Shi for the last time," she said.

Wu Shi was now considered Duan Jin's widow. She said so, and presumably the Emperor would not refuse, he would decree to open the palace gates specially.

After all, he still had a reputation for deep conjugal love with the Empress to write in the history books.

The maid obeyed and left.

Ye Suijin gathered her strength for a long time, propping herself up with effort: "Come...prepare for me..."

She didn't have much time left.

She had to complete A-Jin's entrustment in her last bit of time and strength.

When Wu Shi was brought to the Inner Palace, everything was ready.

As soon as she entered the door, she was grabbed.

Wu Shi, who had come to see the Empress for the last time with a full heart, was horrified: "Your Majesty?"

The Empress sat on the phoenix throne, her ink-black pupils like an abyss, staring at the young woman's face.

The palace maids were familiar with Wu Shi, so they were not surprised. But if someone who had never seen her before saw her and the Empress at the same time, they would surely be greatly shocked––Wu Shi's face was astonishingly similar to the Empress!

It was just like the Empress' look when she was young.

Wu Shi was also famous for this reason.

Only the palace maids were more familiar with the Empress, so they could see that beyond the similarities, this woman did not have the aura of the Empress in her brows and eyes.

Resemblance was only superficial after all.

But this was already very disgusting.

Because she was a lowly singing girl.

She was the one the Emperor had happily brought in front of the Empress: "Look what I found?"

The Empress was disgusted at that time.

Because of Wu Shi's low status, she was doomed to only be a plaything for men. No matter which man played with Wu Shi, it was almost like playing with the Empress.

She had no shortage of opponents at court. These men may not have shown it on the surface, but may not have been without such vulgar thoughts in private.

That's how men are.

When they cannot defeat a woman in other ways, they fantasize even more about declaring victory through entering and possessing her.

Such a victory seemed to have endless pleasure.

At that time, Ye Suijin really wanted to slap the Emperor in the face and slap his malicious smiling face to pieces.

In fact, the best way to deal with it at that time was to order Wu Shi's death.

But a small frightened singing girl was so innocent, after all it was a life.

In the end, it was the gleeful Emperor watching the fun who came up with a solution.

"Grant her to A-Jin," he said. "A-Jin is not young anymore, yet he still refuses to take a wife. He must have someone who knows hot and cold around."

The corner of the Emperor's mouth held ridicule and malice, almost openly accusing her and Duan Jin of being "indecent".

There were indeed some rumors about her and A-Jin in the court and public, made it sound scandalous.

Ye Suijin was upright and unafraid of gossip, she never cared.

More importantly, under the strong power, those rumors only dared to spread in the shadows. To mind them would seem like there was something to it.

The Emperor's proposal was also disgusting, but Ye Suijin didn't have a better solution either.

Even keeping Wu Shi by her side, it would not be difficult for a palace maid to disappear in the deep palace. Not to mention the Emperor was also in the palace.

If the Emperor favored her, it would be even more disgusting.

Among several disgusting options, Ye Suijin could only choose the lightest one.

"Let A-Jin decide for himself," she said. "If he is willing to take her, give her to him."

Duan Jin was unmarried and wifeless to this day. Ye Suijin naturally hoped that he could have a wife and concubines, and start his own family. But she didn't want to force him either.

She just didn't expect that when Duan Jin came to the palace and saw Wu Shi, he would stop and gaze at her.

There was even a gentle smile at the corner of his lips.

His eyes were also gentle, and nostalgic.

When Ye Suijin said she would grant Wu Shi to him, he readily accepted without any reluctance.

Later, there were words that General Duan Jin doted on Wu Shi.

Ye Suijin called him to her: "If you really like her, I'll recognize her as a sworn sister, sworn daughter, give her a background, and properly make her your wife."

But Duan Jin said: "She is not worthy."

Ye Suijin said: "Then make her a proper concubine. In case there is a child in the future, at least give the child a status. It's better than the birth mother being a singing girl."

A child's mother always needed a status, otherwise it would be unsightly for the child. At least give her the status of a concubine, better than the birth mother being a singing girl.

But Duan Jin said: "Don't worry about me, Master."

Although he was a man of high status and power, in front of her he was always like the youth at Ye Manor who held her horse and banner.

Many years had passed, the people of Ye Manor were long gone, either dead, or had become the Emperor's people. Only on him was it as if the words "Ye Manor" were branded, never to be washed away or stripped off.

The old guards and generals from those days had long changed their address and called her "Your Majesty".

Only he still called her "Master" —

"I won't change how I address you."

"To A-Jin, you'll always be Master."

"I won't change."

The memories suddenly scattered, and Wu Shi's frightened yet forcefully calm face was before her eyes.

Ye Suijin reached out, the palace maid quickly supported her. Holding the maid's hand, she walked step by step to stand towering over Wu Shi, looking down at this woman who resembled her.

"Whose child is Duan Lin?"

When Duan Jin went on the expedition, she had just become pregnant. Duan Jin was away on the expedition for two years, and the child was already one year old.

She naturally favored Duan Jin's son, and personally bestowed the name Duan Lin — Duan Jin's son.

Wu Shi's struggling stopped abruptly.

"He's, of course, of course the General's child!" She cried, tears rolling down her face like pearls. "Me and Lin'er are the General's only thoughts left in this world."

Not bad for a singing girl, excellent in singing, acting and performing.

Ye Suijin raised her hand, and a palace maid came up and gripped Wu Shi's jaw, while another palace maid held a long-necked porcelain bottle that looked like white jade.

It was easy to imagine what was in the porcelain bottle.

Wu Shi's eyes nearly bulged out.

She still couldn't believe the Empress would kill her. Nominally, she was the mother of Duan Jin's son.

How could the Empress kill the mother of Duan Jin's son!

"A-Jin himself was an orphan. He had the most compassion for children without fathers or mothers," the Empress calmly stated her overlooked discovery. "If the child was his, before going to battle he would have entrusted you to me. Even if he said nothing, he would be at ease, because I was still here."

"But what he finally entrusted me to 'take care of' was you."

She had overlooked it until today when she finally grasped the implication of his words.

Perhaps deep down, she still believed that Duan Jin would truly love a woman who resembled her, at least dote on her.

And a woman loved by Duan Jin would surely not betray him.

After all, how many men in the world could compare with A-Jin.

...

She was terribly wrong.

Wu Shi trembled like a sieve but refused to speak.

Ye Suijin raised her hand again.

The palace maid increased her grip, prying open Wu Shi's mouth. The other palace maid uncorked the porcelain bottle, poised to pour.

Wu Shi was terrified! She fiercely bit the palace maid's hand!

The maid withdrew her hand. Wu Shi broke free from the grip on her jaw and struggled to shout: "You can't kill me!"

"My son is the current Prince!"

"I'm the Prince's mother!"

"Who dares kill me!"

The palace maids about to step forward again froze.

And Ye Suijin closed her eyes!

Everything was as she had imagined.

Perhaps when the Emperor first brought Wu Shi to her, it was to sicken her like this today.

The country had been established for a long time, and the rules were increasingly strict.

The scene of her and the Emperor jointly participating in court affairs in the early days could no longer be maintained. She was pushed back to the inner palace by the civil officials.

She and Duan Jin also could not meet freely like before.

After all, there were more than just her in the inner palace, and they had to guard against anyone pinning an "defiling the inner palace" reputation on A-Jin. Sacrificing a few women could bring Duan Jin down, it was simply a windfall.

So it became a natural thing that the obscure Wu Shi often got summoned to the palace.

Although she had no status, she was after all someone close to Duan Jin. Ye Suijin wanted to care for Duan Jin's daily life, and it was best to look for her.

Had the Emperor waited for this day for a long time?

Waiting for the day she discovered the truth and was sickened by it. He also sickened Duan Jin at the same time.

Duan Jin must have endured it for a long time, since he knew everything.

Yet he said nothing.

Ye Suijin opened her eyes, Wu Shi still struggling. Without her command, the palace maids did not dare act on their own.

Every palace maid present was absolutely loyal to her.

Although she had been forced by the court officials to retreat back to the harem, she could still gain the loyalty of some.

She slowly spoke: "Clear the way for the General."

With her command, the palace maids no longer hesitated. They held Wu Shi's jaw, and poured the poison down her throat.

Wu Shi whimpered and struggled to no avail. When the maids released their grips, she rolled to the ground.

The maids supported Ye Suijin as she stepped back, guarding against the dying woman lashing out to harm them.

But after finishing this last task of tying up loose ends for Duan Jin, Ye Suijin could no longer hold herself up. She only managed two steps back before collapsing into the arms of the maids.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

The maids crowded around, calling to her.

Ye Suijin struggled to regain some clarity from the hazy consciousness. She waved her hand for the maids to step back, so she could see Wu Shi rolling on the ground.

Wu Shi was dying, but before death, Ye Suijin had to witness it with her own eyes.

Blood poured from all of Wu Shi's orifices as she writhed in agony.

"You two...husband and wife..." With final hatred in her eyes, Wu Shi's voice was barely a whisper. Her outstretched hand seemed to want to scratch the Empress's face. "So terribly...ruthless..."

As she approached death, her vision blurred. She saw the General's face again.

How gentle the General's gaze was when looking upon her in the palace.

But it all changed when he brought her back to his estate.

"If you dare flirt with any man while wearing that face," he said, "I will kill you."

"Do not fawn over me."

"Do not try to seduce with your songs and dances."

"While wearing that face, live properly in this estate. Do not do anything vulgar."

The General was completely unlike the Emperor.

How the Emperor loved to see her act vulgar!

The more vulgar she acted, the more delighted the Emperor's laughter became.

That laughter frightened her, though she would not admit it.

But a woman like her, her only path in life was to rely on men.

If the General had wanted her, even against the Emperor, she might have been willing to die a heroine, sacrificing her chastity to be remembered.

But the General did not want her.

Oh General.

General, your heart is so hard...

When the Emperor hurried into the Imperial Harem again, he saw the two dead women.

The maids kowtowed in unison: "The Empress has passed away. Please grant us leave to accompany our mistress in death."

The Emperor stared blankly at Ye Suijin's body, feeling weak.

He staggered back a step, and sat down on the threshold like a peasant, leaning against a pillar, stunned. One leg bent, the other splayed. All imperial manner gone.

After a long while, he waved his hand: "Do as you wish."

At this moment, he was once again Zhao Gou'er.