Chapter 101: Her Origins...

She... a child?

“Why are you all trying to kill me?”

With the last of her consciousness, Qiao Qingyun asked. The leader of the black-clad men, rarely having seen such a beauty, felt a rare pang of pity.

“Don’t blame me either. General Qiao helped the princess and saved you, but you are the child of the previous dynasty’s remnants. The princess was burned to death by the empress, and you cannot escape the same fate.”

“By order of the empress, all those related to the previous dynasty are to be killed without mercy.”

The empress?

Qiao Qingyun let out a bitter laugh, recalling how the empress always acted so affectionate whenever they met. She found it hard to believe.

Indeed, in the imperial harem, most were skilled at playing roles.

And then there was Yuan Rou’s constant warnings—clearly, Yuan Rou knew something but couldn’t say it outright, repeatedly cautioning him not to fall in love with Yuan Zaichun.

“Such an empress, such a crown prince,” the woman sighed, finally losing consciousness.

“Boss, shall we finish her off with one more strike?”

The leader of the black-clad men considered, then nodded. “Alright.”

At that moment, a sudden burst of imperial guards in splendid uniforms charged in, surrounding Qiao Qingyun to protect her.

“Is this the princess?”

“The investigation confirms it. Take her back to the emperor!”

“Yes!”

The imperial guards’ eyes glowed red as they slaughtered all the unprepared black-clad men, then carried Qiao Qingyun swiftly toward the palace.

Barely moments later, Zhong Shi, accompanied by Feng Ke and others, arrived at the forest.

“Wait! There’s blood!”

Zhong Shi smelled the coppery scent and looked down to see black-clad men lying dead around, with a pool of blood in the center.

“Ah! Miss... Miss, will you be alright?”

“No way. Qingyun has always been blessed with great fortune. She’s survived so many times; she won’t die now!”

Feng Ke quickly interrupted Qing Luo’s worried words, fearing she might jinx it.

Qing Luo curled her lips silently, anxiously scanning the surroundings.

The entire night passed with the Crown Prince’s residence nearly driven mad. Zhong Shi dispatched most of his guards desperately searching.

Yet, after a full day, there was no sign of her—as if she had vanished into thin air.

“Young master, if she was attacked by so many black-clad men, there’s no chance she survived.”

“Indeed. Those black-clad men looked rigorously trained…”

Several guards lowered their heads, speaking cautiously. Hong Ying had long known about this and anxiously led people in the search.

“If you can’t find her, don’t come back.”

Zhong Shi’s eyes were bloodshot from sleeplessness. If only he had stopped Qiao Qingyun from going yesterday, would the outcome have been different?

“Hiss…”

Inside the palace, within the Purple Orchid Hall, Qiao Qingyun’s eyes fluttered open. Her whole body ached fiercely. Seeing the magnificent decorations, she momentarily lost herself.

“What the... am I dead?”

“Qingyun?”

As Qiao Qingyun muttered to herself, a voice called beside her. Turning, she saw the emperor sitting nearby.

“Your Majesty? For the emperor… hiss.”

The woman gasped, attempting to stand and bow, but moving caused her wounds to ache sharply, draining her face of color. Alarmed, the emperor quickly pressed her back onto the bed.

“Don’t move, don’t move. Good child, you’ve suffered. General Qiao protected you even unto death.”

Huh?

Qiao Qingyun was bewildered. What kind of story was this? What nonsense was being said?

“Heh, Your Majesty, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

She gave an awkward laugh. The emperor’s eyes welled with tears as he rubbed them and smiled bitterly.

“You are the daughter of my sister, you are my princess.”

“Ah?”

Qiao Qingyun nearly bit her tongue. How could this be such a drastic reversal?

Yesterday, she was being hunted down; today, she had suddenly become a princess?

“Your Majesty, are you sure?”

She still couldn’t believe it. After all, the empress had tried every means to kill her. Who knew what the emperor’s true intentions were?

Yet the emperor looked sincere and glanced at the maid beside him.

“Hurry and call Princess Qingyun.”

“Yes, greetings to Princess Qingyun.”

Qiao Qingyun’s name came from her mother, Princess Qingyun, and now the title had been passed to her.

Confused and dazed, Qiao Qingyun had unintentionally become a princess, and the investiture ceremony had already concluded.

The emperor sat beside the bed.

“Qingyun, yesterday, the imperial physician Li reported that your child…”

“Didn’t make it, right? I know.”

Qiao Qingyun smiled faintly, as if it all made perfect sense. But the emperor was filled with guilt.

“If only I had found you sooner, you wouldn’t have had to suffer.”

“Your Majesty’s uncle has tried his best, but my father didn’t want to be discovered, so he hid very well.”

Qiao Qingyun felt helpless about the emperor’s affection. She didn’t know how to face her so-called uncle but held a deep grudge over her biological mother’s death.

One thing was certain: the empress was definitely no good.

“Now that you have returned, I will surely issue a general amnesty throughout the land!”

The emperor was about to issue the decree, but Qiao Qingyun stopped him after much persuasion.

However, the emperor was not willing to relent and soon summoned Yuan Zaichun and Bu Shenglian.

Even Yuan Zaichun himself did not understand why this time he was summoned to his late aunt’s palace.

“Pay respects to the father emperor.”

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Both knelt down, while Qiao Qingyun sat behind a screen. The emperor glared coldly at Yuan Zaichun and Bu Shenglian, snorting.

“Hmph! Now you even refuse to obey me. I said this woman must never marry you. She has been married once already; how could she be a concubine again? Even as a secondary concubine, it’s impossible!”

Yuan Zaichun was stunned and glanced at Bu Shenglian, about to argue, but the emperor cut him off.

“I already know about the problems between you and Qiao Qingyun. She was pregnant, and you cast her out of the mansion. Since that’s the case, I will have you propose to her again!”

“Your Majesty…”

Bu Shenglian was about to resist, but Qiao Qingyun emerged from behind the screen, dressed in pajamas, looking so fragile it seemed a breeze could topple her.

“Uncle Emperor.”

That simple greeting rendered Yuan Zaichun and Bu Shenglian dumbfounded.

What was going on?

“Qingyun, why are you out? You’re still not well; you shouldn’t be wandering about for at least a month.”

The emperor treated Qiao Qingyun like a precious treasure, afraid of losing her.

The woman smiled coyly.

“I’m not that fragile. Uncle, from the start, the relationship between His Highness and I was a mistake. Now that the child is gone and I know my true identity…”