Chapter 6: The Emperor Cannot Save
The Empress returned to the inner palace, her smile warmer and the light in her eyes infinitely softer.
“I’ve given all the orders. These are all the imperial chefs’ specialties. Younger sister-in-law, you must enjoy them thoroughly later.”
Lin Yue’s eyes brightened instantly, and she nodded eagerly.
In her previous life, she ran a hotel. Although it wasn’t very large, it was well-known locally and often hosted company dinners and banquets. Business had always been good.
She was constantly seeking innovation, hoping to add new dishes to the menu.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the chance to taste that bowl of wild mushroom soup.
“Thank you, Sister-in-law. If there are any dishes I like, could I have the imperial chefs write down the recipes for me?”
[This might come in handy when I open a tavern after leaving the palace.]
The Empress laughed cheerfully, “Of course. If they can’t write it down properly, have them go to the prince’s residence and learn from the chefs there before coming back.”
Lin Yue responded happily, “Thank you so much, Sister-in-law. You’re truly kind.”
[Wuwuwu, I will definitely help you cure the Crown Prince and the imperial grandson. I won’t let the tragedy that befell the Duke of Jin’s residence happen again.]
The Empress, just having breathed a sigh of relief, was puzzled.
[Why would there be a massacre at the Duke of Jin’s residence? The Emperor has always trusted her family. Could it be the future ascendant, Xiao Huaiching?]
Looking up at Lin Yue, the Empress wished she would elaborate. If it really was Xiao Huaiching, she wouldn’t hesitate to strike first.
But Lin Yue simply gave her a big smile and looked delighted.
The Empress was speechless.
Outside the hall, the sound of palace attendants bowing echoed—it was the Emperor’s arrival.
The Empress immediately went out to greet him.
Lin Yue quickly rose and, looking at the steady and unshakable Empress Dowager, asked, “Mother, should I go too?”
The Empress Dowager smiled, “If you want to go, then go. If not, stay with me. The Emperor won’t say anything.”
Lin Yue sighed, “Then I’ll go.”
[Just because I have the Empress Dowager as my mother-in-law doesn’t mean I can ignore the Emperor. By the way, what did the Emperor who was driven to death by his own son look like?]
The Empress Dowager was stunned.
[The Emperor now has five sons. Which one rebelled?]
As the Emperor and Empress reached the door, they overheard the voices and were even more startled.
The Empress caught on quickly—it was Lin Yue’s thoughts—and quietly made a mental note of the crucial information.
The Emperor was utterly bewildered. Were they talking about the previous dynasty’s Emperor?
---
“Mother,” the Emperor stepped forward to greet the Empress Dowager.
Lin Yue quickly stepped aside but couldn’t help sneaking a glance at the Emperor.
[The Emperor is so tall, so handsome. Though his face looks a bit swollen—probably from sleepless nights—it doesn’t diminish his beauty at all. And those eyes, deep and bright, radiate wisdom. Truly, he is the ruler of the world.]
[It’s a pity that such a gentle, wise, and benevolent monarch was eventually forced to abdicate by his own son, dying with regret and unrest.]
The Empress Dowager was speechless.
The Empress was speechless.
The Emperor was stunned—!!!
[Did he just hear Lin Yue’s thoughts? Is she some sort of evil spirit? But she doesn’t seem like one.]
Just as Xiao Jingxian was suspicious, Lin Yue’s thoughts echoed again.
[System, can I save the Emperor’s life? Would the accumulated merit allow me to ascend directly?]
System: [In theory, yes, but the Emperor is very difficult to save.]
Lin Yue: [Why?]
Xiao Jingxian’s eyes widened: [Yes, I want to know too.]
System: [Because the Emperor’s fate is tied to the nation’s fortune. Heaven decrees that the national fortune must decline for twenty years. This is beyond human control.]
Lin Yue: [Wow, that’s blatant bullying of the Emperor. The Crown Prince, the princes, and the imperial grandsons can be saved, but not him. Though he is Emperor, he’s still a human life. We can’t be so biased!]
System: [But that’s the reality.]
Lin Yue: [So based on your logic, the story must continue. Soon after Xiao Jingyun and Xu Changdong suffer a great defeat, the Emperor loses his closest allies, is manipulated by Mu Lixin, and is ultimately driven to death by his own son.]
System: [You can save Xiao Jingyun, Xu Changdong, even the hundred thousand soldiers at the border, but the Emperor is under Heaven’s jurisdiction. He’s like the male lead—you can’t kill him now.]
Lin Yue’s eyes narrowed sharply: [Can’t kill him? Then can I at least cripple him?]
System: [...]
The Emperor’s face was grave, wondering why he couldn’t be saved. He didn’t want to die so unjustly.
Who was the male lead? Could it be that he would become Emperor in the end?
He was deeply troubled but no longer afraid that he could hear others’ thoughts.
He glanced at the Empress Dowager and Empress—they seemed unaffected, probably unable to hear.
So the daunting task of saving his life and the nation’s fortune would have to fall on him alone.
“This must be my younger sister-in-law, right?”
---
“You should come to the palace often when you have the time. We’re family. Now that Jingyun is away at war, your sister-in-law and I must take good care of you. So, if you need anything, just say the word.”
The Empress quickly added, “Yes, don’t be formal with Sister-in-law. Although we’re all royal daughters-in-law, we’re also sisters-in-law.”
The Empress Dowager smiled, “Exactly. Family should live in harmony and always consider each other.”
Lin Yue smiled, “I used to be a foolish daughter-in-law, only thinking to wait at the prince’s residence for his return. From now on, I will visit the palace often to see Mother, keep Sister-in-law company, and pay respects to my elder brother.”
[Since the male lead can’t be killed, I should focus on resolving the royal family’s internal strife as soon as possible, accumulate enough merit, and leave without stirring up more trouble.]
Lin Yue was happily thinking this, completely unaware of the fleeting gloom in the eyes of the others.
Empress Dowager: [Don’t be so heartless—take me with you.]
Empress: [I’ll kill Xiao Huaiching; you stay.]
Emperor: [The male lead, huh... Once he finds out who it is, he’ll strike first!]
Throughout the meal, Lin Yue was the only one enjoying it thoroughly.
However, it had nothing to do with running a tavern—the dishes were too time-consuming, laborious, and expensive to serve commercially.
For example, “Celestial Bird Fortune” was made from swan, “Palace Gate Flying Wild Goose” used real wild goose, “Osmanthus Silverfish” from Taihu silverfish, and dishes like “Phoenix Roll from Mount Pu,” “Reviving Dead Wood,” “Golden Phoenix with Dragon Embryo,” and so on—just looking at them felt extravagant, let alone selling them in a tavern.
So Lin Yue freely indulged in the feast without asking about recipes.
After the meal, everyone sat down for tea.
Seeing that the Emperor was reluctant to leave, the Empress Dowager took Lin Yue back to Shoukang Palace.
The Empress wanted Lin Yue to stay at Fengyi Palace but, constrained by her status as the mother of the nation, she could not arbitrarily keep women in the palace. She had no choice but to watch the Empress Dowager take Lin Yue away.
Leaning by the door, she looked wistfully at the Emperor and said, “If younger sister-in-law had a place in the palace, I could accompany her at night.”
Hearing this, the Emperor immediately said, “Isn’t there a Songyue Hall outside the Empress Dowager’s palace? Jingyun used to stay there when he came to the palace. From now on, let younger sister-in-law stay there.”
That way, he could even dig a secret passage through the back rockery to eavesdrop, hoping to overhear something that might turn the fate of Great Wei around.
The Empress’s eyes lit up and she agreed at once, “Yes, that was Prince Ding’s residence in the palace. I’m sure the Empress Dowager will be pleased too.”
The couple was instantly in agreement. The Empress ordered someone to prepare Songyue Hall, planning to stay with Lin Yue that very night.
The Emperor’s gaze flickered slightly as he thought about whether he could clear the secret passage tonight... perhaps he should inspect the site first.