Return of the Pearl

Jianjia Palace

Xiao Yun fell into the abyss of a dream. In that dream, the Queen Mother and many concubines pointed at her, their eyes full of disgust and contempt. They even spoke coldly and badly to the child in Xiao Yun's belly. Those vicious words pierced Xiao Yun's heart like sharp blades.

Suddenly, Xiao Yun woke up from the nightmare. Her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, which rolled down like beads with broken strings. Her face was frighteningly pale, like a piece of white paper, and her body was shaking involuntarily, as if she was still deeply trapped in that terrible nightmare.

Xiao Yun murmured, "No, don't hurt my child..." Her voice trembled, full of fear and helplessness. It was an instinct derived from motherhood, and it was her most sincere protection and worry for her child.

At this moment, Xiao Yun's clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and the wet feeling made her extremely uncomfortable. Her heartbeat was as violent as a drum, as if it was about to burst out of her chest. She gasped for breath, trying to calm herself down, but the fear brought by the nightmare followed her like a shadow and took a long time to dissipate.

Qianlong was sitting at the desk in the outer room, concentrating on reading the book in his hands. The room was quiet and silent. Suddenly, he heard Yun'er's terrified cry. His heart tightened suddenly, and he immediately stood up and walked quickly into the inner room.

Yun'er's face was as pale as the snow in the cold winter, without a trace of blood. Her originally bright eyes were now covered with a shadow of fear. Her body was trembling slightly, and she was as fragile and helpless as a fallen leaf in the wind.

Qianlong was extremely anxious. He rushed to Yun'er's side in two steps and held her tightly in his arms without hesitation. His movements were gentle but firm, as if he wanted to merge Yun'er into his body and give her endless warmth and comfort.

Qianlong lowered his head, gazing at Yun'er with a loving gaze, and said gently, "Don't be afraid, Yun'er. I'm here. I've found those who framed you and have dealt with them properly. No one will dare to harm you or our child again. Don't worry."

After hearing Qianlong's words, Xiao Yun's fear eased a little. She clung to Qianlong's clothes tightly, as if it was her last resort. Her voice still trembled, "Have you found everything?"

Qianlong nodded solemnly, a determined glint in his eyes. "They have all been found, and I have already issued an order to severely punish them one by one. I will never show mercy to those who dare to hurt you!"

Xiao Yun did not ask how Qianlong dealt with those people. In her heart, as long as those people were found, she would feel relieved. She leaned her head in Qianlong's arms, feeling his warmth and strength, and prayed silently in her heart, hoping that the future days would be peaceful and there would be no more fear and harm.

The horrific appearance of Concubine Shu was like a bloody painting, deeply engraved in the memories of the concubines, making them feel the emperor's cruelty and ruthlessness. This scene was like a sharp blade, piercing their hearts and causing their attitude towards the emperor to change drastically.

From then on, many concubines gave up the idea of vying for favor. They gradually realized that Concubine Xian was the one the emperor loved the most. In the eyes of the emperor, none of them could compete with her. No matter how hard they tried, they would not have a chance of winning. In this case, it would be better for them to guard their own little world peacefully, live an ordinary life, count the tiles in the palace, appreciate the gorgeous flowers, and look at the beautiful scenery. At least they could save their lives.

But there are some people who just won't give up and always want to fight to the death to try to fight for it. The lofty phoenix throne is like an attractive magnet, attracting everyone's heart. Once they are lucky enough to get it, the glory and wealth will come like a tide, and they will enjoy it endlessly. However, the risks involved are self-evident. If you are not careful, you may be doomed. But driven by desire, some people are still willing to take risks, even if the chances are slim, they are unwilling to give up easily.

Yonghe Palace

Yongqi's temper became more and more violent, like a barrel of explosives that could be ignited at any time, and his paranoid nature became more and more prominent.

When he heard the sad news that Concubine Shu was sentenced to death, his heart was like a huge wave stirred up by a strong wind, surging endlessly and difficult to calm down. He thought to himself that now was undoubtedly a rare opportunity, and he should spend more time with the other princes.

After all, they were all people who shared the same suffering. In this deep palace, everyone had their own difficulties and sorrows. Thinking of this, a glimmer of determination flashed in Yongqi's eyes, as if he saw a glimmer of hope faintly flashing in the distant future.

Zhongcuigong

When the three brothers Yongsheng, Yongxuan and Yongyan heard that their mother was sentenced to death and died on the spot, and even her innocent body was cruelly torn apart and eaten by wild dogs, they felt as if their hearts were pierced by thousands of extremely sharp blades at the same time. The excruciating pain almost suffocated them, and the grief and anger were like a surging tide, swallowing them up completely in an instant with the force of a tidal wave.

Yongxuan's eyes turned blood red with anger, his chest heaved violently, as if there was a volcano about to erupt surging inside, his teeth were clenched tightly, making a crunching sound, his hands were clenched into fists, veins bulged, and it seemed that he could erupt at any time and destroy everything.

His heart was filled with endless resentment. He wanted to rush into the Yangxin Palace and confront the almighty Emperor, asking him why he could be so cruel and do such a brutal thing to his mother. His mind kept replaying his mother's voice, her smile, her gentle words, her loving eyes. Now, they had all turned to nothing, vanished from this world forever. How could he not be angry? How could he not hate her?

Yongsheng and Yongyan held tightly onto Yongxuan, who was nearly out of control. Their faces were filled with pain and helplessness. Yongsheng's brows were tightly furrowed into a deep "chuan" character, his eyes filled with sadness and despair. He understood that his mother was gone, and anything he did now would be of no avail, but might instead bring even greater disaster to the three brothers.

Yongyan's tears welled up in his eyes, rolling down like pearls from a broken string. His heart was filled with conflict and struggle. On one hand, he felt deep sorrow for his mother, and on the other, he felt deep worry for his brother...