FBC -Chapter 306 Fake

The Consort Yu sat in a daze for a long while.

“She wouldn’t dare harm my son? Then who—who is it?”

Duan Yu?

Impossible. When he favored her, it had been sincere.

He had said he liked her gentleness and obedience, liked her intelligence and wit, and that if it weren’t for the Empress’s face, he would have made her the principal wife.

Could it all have been a lie?

The Consort Yu shouted, shaking the wooden bars with all her strength, her voice hoarse from screaming: “Your Majesty! I want to see Your Majesty! Someone! I must see Your Majesty!”

The jailer, irritated, stomped on the hand she was clutching to the bars. The pain made her scream and let go.

The jailer spat and sneered: “You want to see the King? I can’t even see him myself. Keep shouting and you’ll die right here!”

The Consort Yu ignored her hand pain and lunged forward again. “I beg you, let me see His Majesty! If I see him, I’ll be reinstated as concubine. I’ll reward you handsomely!”

The jailer sneered, turned, and soon returned with a basin of cold water, dumping it on her.

“Ah!”

The Consort Yu screamed and curled up, but the entire basin soaked her.

In the dead of winter, the cell was damp and cold. She was wearing only a thin garment, and now, drenched, she froze instantly.

The jailer mocked, “The princess consort said, if you don’t behave, you’ll die here. If you want to live, tell the truth honestly. Want to see the King? Dream on!”

The Consort Yu hugged herself tightly, but the biting cold gradually made her lose consciousness.

Before everything went black, a sliver of awareness remained—she didn’t want to die.

She needed to find out from Duan Yu where her son had gone.

When she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself lying on a bed, covered with blankets.

She suddenly sat up and realized she was still imprisoned—just in a different room.

The conditions were better than before: she wore a cotton robe, had bedding, and even a chamber pot.

The jailer sitting outside got up and left as soon as she woke.

Soon, Zhao Luoxuan appeared in the cell.

The Consort Yu stared at her in shock.

The jailer brought a grand chair, and a maid laid a soft cushion. Zhao Luoxuan sat upright.

“Do you want to live?”

The Consort Yu frantically nodded, threw off the blanket, and scrambled toward the cell door.

She kowtowed deeply toward Zhao Luoxuan three times.

When she tried to speak, no sound came out—her throat was hoarse.

Zhao Luoxuan nodded, expressionless: “Want to stay alive? Easy. Trade what you know. Write down the names of all your spies in the harem, not a single one missing. If I find even one out, you die with them.”

The Consort Yu nodded vigorously.

A maid handed the jailer paper, ink, and brush, and the jailer set it on the table.

Shaking, the Consort Yu picked up the brush and wrote one name after another.

Zhao Luoxuan glanced at the list, smiling faintly: “Think carefully if you’ve missed anyone. I’ll interrogate these first. If they reveal new names, your life won’t be safe.”

She handed the list to the maid and turned to leave.

The Consort Yu clutched the bars, shaking violently.

The jailer was about to kick her, but Zhao Luoxuan raised a hand to stop him and looked back at her.

“Don’t you believe Duan Qi isn’t your son?”

The Consort Yu shook her head violently, her eyes hollow and desperate.

Zhao Luoxuan remained ruthless. She had seen the state of the cold palace, where many fought to the death with the empress.

Her mother had told her: without ruthlessness, anyone who entered would perish.

“The wet nurse with Duan Qi isn’t your son’s nurse—she belongs to the Duke Yong’s household. She took him from birth and accompanied him to Juzhou, then into the palace.”

The Consort Yu nearly fainted.

Yet she still didn’t believe it, staring at Zhao Luoxuan with unwavering eyes.

Zhao Luoxuan smiled faintly: “Do you know why His Majesty brought Duan Qi to Dali and why he registered him under my name?”

The Consort Yu nodded hard.

“Because Duan Qi’s mother is Gu Hua’s elder sister, and his father is His Majesty’s cousin—the only bloodline of the Queen Dowager’s nephew.”

The Consort Yu’s eyes widened in terror, pounding her chest.

“As for your son… you’d have to ask His Majesty.”

Zhao Luoxuan finished and left.

That night, all the Consort Yu’s servants and over ten others across the palace were arrested and tortured. If any of them revealed accomplices, her life could be spared.

Zhao Luoxuan brewed warm tea and talked with the maids.

One maid entered: “Princess Consort, His Majesty went to see the Consort Bai tonight.”

Zhao Luoxuan showed no emotion: “Good.”

She slowly rubbed her lower abdomen, her thoughts tangled, gradually understanding her mother’s teachings.

Consort Bai served Duan Yu while gossiping about the harem’s perception of Zhao Luoxuan’s cold-bloodedness.

“After all, the Consort Yu was sent by the Empress of Daliang. Isn’t this a slap in her face? People say the Princess Consort did it deliberately to show her mother.”

Duan Yu, noticing Zhao Luoxuan’s iron resolve, smiled: “I wasn’t wrong about her—she’s formidable.”

The Consort Bai saw the smile on his face wasn’t fake.

“I agree, Your Highness. She uprooted the Consort Yu’s hard-earned foundation in just a moment. People used to think the Princess Consort was a delicate, weak princess.”

Duan Yu changed into a white night robe, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “She sacrificed her title to marry far away for Qi Jun, built a large farm, helped Gu Hua establish an academy… Tell me, how could she be weak?”

The Consort Bai grew more cautious. Zhao Luoxuan’s status in Duan Yu’s heart was so high.

But…

Zhao Luoxuan had told her that if she bore a legitimate prince, she’d request permission to leave Dali.

She had been shocked at the time.

Zhao Luoxuan had also said that only she could succeed as Princess Consort, which was why Duan Yu favored her.

During her two months of pregnancy, she even delegated many harem affairs to the Consort Bai under the pretense of resting.

The Consort Bai still didn’t understand—didn’t Zhao Luoxuan worry her legitimate son couldn’t inherit the throne?

Duan Yu held her hand: “Learn from her. After all, a princess educated by the Empress of Daliang surpasses you in vision and knowledge.”

The Consort Bai nodded respectfully: “Yes, I will learn diligently from the Princess Consort.”

Yet she wondered: Does His Majesty know the Princess Consort wants to leave the palace? Strange couple.

In any case, if Zhao Luoxuan left the palace and the Consort Yu was removed, only the Consort Bai could fill the position of Princess Consort—a good thing for her.

Three days later, over fifty spies planted by the Consort Yu were uncovered.

The Consort Yu was brought to the main hall where Zhao Luoxuan handled affairs. Duan Yu was there as well.

She could barely speak, kowtowing to Duan Yu.

Her hoarse voice begged, “Your Majesty, I’ve been loyal… I haven’t harmed the Princess Consort…”

Zhao Luoxuan interrupted: “Yu Qing, in prison I’ve made it clear—if you hide a single name, your death is certain. Today isn’t for you to protest your innocence. You’ve wanted to see His Majesty; this is your last wish.”

She stood and bowed to Duan Yu: “Your Majesty, I take my leave.”

Duan Yu stopped her: “You don’t need to leave. Everyone else, step back.”

All the maids and attendants left, and the doors closed gently.

Duan Yu pressed Zhao Luoxuan into the chair, turning coldly toward Yu Qing.

“You want to ask about your son? He is dead—strangled at birth.”

Yu Qing’s face turned ashen. “Your Majesty, he is Your blood! He didn’t do anything wrong—why did he have to die?”

“Because he is not my son.”

Both Yu Qing and Zhao Luoxuan were stunned.

Yu Qing shook her head violently. “Your Majesty, I didn’t wrong you! Who slandered me?”

She glared at Zhao Luoxuan, her eyes fierce: “It was you! It must have been you! Your mother and brother didn’t trust you, so you vented your anger on me!”

Zhao Luoxuan was speechless: “It’s not related to me.”

Duan Yu said coldly: “Indeed, it has nothing to do with the Princess Consort. I didn’t touch you; the one you slept with was a guard—and he was your spy.”

Zhao Luoxuan was dumbfounded.

Yu Qing collapsed to the floor, muttering: “Impossible… my son is a prince… a prince!”

Watching the pale, silent Yu Qing dragged away, Zhao Luoxuan turned to Duan Yu.

“Your Majesty, is it true?”

Duan Yu took her hands in his large palms: “True. You are my first woman. The Consort Bai, you favor is second.”

Zhao Luoxuan’s heart skipped.

But… why?