Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

Cui Jinxi gave a slightly forced smile. "Thank you for your concern, Father-in-law. I'm doing quite well here."

That's true. Apart from having few people to talk to and not being able to leave, everything else is fine. With Su Peisheng's extra care, her food and supplies are almost the same as before.

The only thing to worry about is whether I can save my own life.

Su Peisheng saw the worry in her eyes, sighed and comforted her, "Don't worry, the reason I let you come with me that day was to save your life."

Upon hearing this, Cui Jinxi felt relieved. "I will never forget your great kindness, Father-in-law."

"We don't need to talk about these foreign things between us."

Su Peisheng waved his hand, then slightly raised his chin and pointed to a small eunuch not far away, "If there is anything important in the future, just have Xiaobai pass on a message to me. I will definitely help if I can."

Cui Jinxi followed his gaze and memorized the name of the eunuch, Xiaobai.

"Yes, I've got it."

While the two were talking, the bedchamber maids had already tidied up for Madam Yun.

Su Peisheng dared not delay and immediately invited her into a sedan chair, heading to Jiuzhou Qingyan in seclusion.

When they arrived, the emperor was standing outside the main hall, dressed in a bright red wedding robe.

As soon as the sedan chair landed, a palace maid immediately brought out a large red flower tied with silk.

The emperor coughed lightly, smiled, and grasped the ribbon at one end of the large red flower, while the other end was handed to Lady Yun in the sedan chair.

Yun's pupils dilated, her shock mixed with a hint of doubt. She secretly raised her eyes to look at the emperor through the thin veil of the sedan chair, and saw that he was also wearing a bright red wedding robe. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable fear.

Lady Yun raised her trembling hand and took the red silk from the palace maid, holding it tightly.

The thin curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and the emperor looked at Lady Yun, who was dressed in wedding attire and wearing the wedding jewelry of Empress Chun Yuan, with infatuation in his eyes.

Wanwan——

If Wanwan were still alive, the day he crowned her as empress would have been their second grand wedding.

"Madam, please alight from the sedan chair." Su Peisheng bowed respectfully and reached out to help Madam Yun.

The emperor suddenly came to his senses, raised his hand to shove Su Peisheng aside, and extended his hand toward the Yun family.

Yun clenched her teeth, suppressing the shame and fear in her heart, and lowered her head to place her hand in the emperor's palm.

Her fingers recoiled as soon as they touched the heat of the emperor's palm, but the emperor did not give her a chance to back down. He clenched his fist and firmly imprisoned her hand in his palm.

Yun bit her lower lip, forcibly stopping herself from pulling her hand away, and followed the force from the emperor's hand as she stepped out of the sedan chair.

Under the dim, pale yellow light, Yun's appearance was more clearly reflected in the emperor's eyes. Although she did not have the delicate beauty of the young concubines, the passage of time had sculpted Yun into a unique charm, a kind of beauty that none of the concubines in the palace possessed.

The emperor's lips curled into a smile. Countless times in the dead of night, his Wanwan appeared in his dreams in this way.

Yun felt a chill run down her spine under the emperor's gaze, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

The humiliation of being a wife but having to submit to another man, and the shame of being a mother but having to have an affair with her daughter and husband, reached their peak at this moment.

Not only was Yun's body trembling, but even her jaw was trembling unconsciously. Her bright eyes were filled with tears, but she dared not let them fall, and could only force the tears back with all her might.

The emperor was lost in his memories and did not notice Yun's momentary loss of composure. He smiled and said to himself, "Let's go. I will certainly not wrong you."

He turned and headed into the palace. Lady Yun followed a step behind, being led into the bedchamber by the emperor with a red silk ribbon, looking quite like a newlywed couple entering their bridal chamber.

Su Peisheng and the others stood on either side with their heads bowed and eyes lowered, not daring to glance at them.

After the two entered the inner room, Su Peisheng straightened up and went to close the door.

Xia Zi cleverly stepped forward and took the whisk from Su Peisheng's arms. "Master, you've worked hard. Your disciple will guard here. You should go and rest for a while."

Su Peisheng felt relieved. "Alright, I'll do my job well. I'm going to take a break. My arms and legs are almost useless from running around all day."

There was no other way; Madam Yun's matter couldn't be made public, and he didn't trust anyone else to go. If word got out, he would be the first to suffer.

Even for the sake of his own safety, Su Peisheng dared not let his guard down.

Inside the palace, the emperor led Lady Yun step by step toward the bedside.

Today, the emperor's bedroom was decorated with extra festive cheer. The bed curtains and gauze curtains had all been changed to bright red, and double happiness paper-cuts symbolizing great joy were pasted on the windowsill ornaments. The dragon and phoenix wedding candles that Zhen Huan once had were also there, as were the wedding curtains. There was also a pot of nuptial wine and a plate of steamed buns for having children on the small table next to the bed.

The emperor was even more pleased by the festive scene in the hall. He took the lead and sat down by the bed. Just as he was about to invite Lady Yun to sit down as well, he...

Lady Yun suddenly knelt down before the emperor.

The emperor's interest was largely dampened by this kneeling.

"emperor."

Seeing the emperor's face suddenly darken, Lady Yun spoke tremblingly, "This humble woman wishes to ask Your Majesty for a favor."

The emperor stared at Lady Yun expressionlessly, his displeasure growing steadily.

He sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, leaning forward and looking at Yun Shi with an extremely imposing air.

Yun felt a chill run through her body and shrank back, lowering her eyes and no longer daring to look at the emperor.

Seeing Yun's reaction, the emperor chuckled ambiguously, then casually tossed the red silk in his hand in front of her.

When Yun heard his laughter, it was as if she had been whipped hard, and her soul, heart, and body ached all at once.

The red silk that was suddenly thrown into view now seemed to have turned into a blood-stained monster, filling Yun with great fear.

The emperor remained silent, and Lady Yun was so frightened that she could not speak. For a moment, only Lady Yun's heavy breathing could be heard in the room.

After a long silence, the emperor finally spoke: "Speak!"

His voice was indifferent, making it difficult to discern his emotions.

Upon hearing this, Yun was overjoyed at the prospect of escaping a desperate situation, but fear still lingered in her mind, and she spoke tremblingly: "This humble woman begs Your Majesty to spare Huan'er's life."

That was her eldest daughter, whom she had carried for ten months and given birth to with great difficulty; the child to whom she had poured countless efforts and hopes.

The emperor leaned forward, reached out and hooked Yun's chin, stroking it for a moment as if petting a pet, then narrowed his eyes and said sarcastically, "Trying to negotiate with me?"

Yun wanted to shake her head in denial, but she couldn't move her chin because he was holding it. She could only reply cautiously, "This humble woman dares not. This humble woman only begs Your Majesty to spare his birth mother's life for the sake of the imperial heir."

The emperor's eyes flickered, and after a long pause, he said calmly, "I grant your permission."

It's just that we're sparing Zhen's life, but how she'll live is anyone's guess.

Yun understood the unspoken meaning behind his words, but as long as she could save her life, there was still hope.

She looked grateful, and although she was afraid, she still managed a smile. "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

The emperor chuckled lightly, "This form of address needs to be changed."

Yun's smile immediately froze, but she had no choice but to smile as well. "Yes, Your Majesty."

She did not refer to herself as a "concubine" because she was self-aware.

Although the emperor might favor her, he would never grant her a formal status.

After tonight, there will be no more Zhen Yunshi in the world, only a plaything trapped beside the emperor, unable to see the light of day.

Yun lowered her eyelids to hide the complex expression in her eyes and took the initiative to fulfill her obligations.

She gritted her teeth, slowly stood up, and in front of the emperor, unbuttoned her clothes. As her outer and inner garments fell away, she revealed a large red mandarin duck-patterned bodice covering her rounded chest, along with her plump, fair waist and arms.

The emperor sat on the edge of the bed and did not stop her. Instead, he watched with great interest. Only when Yun undressed and pressed herself against him did he slowly stand up and spread his arms.