The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

The night was quiet and profound.

In the dimly lit prison, a chilling wind seeped in through the cracks, carrying a bone-chilling cold. In the surrounding cells, a small number of prisoners were held, each with a vacant stare, dressed in rags, and looking withered.

At the far end of the prison, the occasional crack of a whip could be heard, mixed with the intermittent smell of blood and faint breathing, adding an eerie touch to the quiet cell.

A woman in a bright red formal suit sat upright in a grand chair, looking at the scene before her. On her delicate oval face was a lifelike plum blossom, and her eyeliner extended across her forehead. Her beautiful eyes, with their overly long corners, carried a hint of haughtiness and nobility.

Her eyes were smiling, completely unaffected by the bloodied man before her. Her long, slender, fair hand covered her lips as she watched the tortured man with admiration. Her eyes flashed with ruthlessness at times, and at other times with an unusual beauty, completely out of place in this scene.

"Why are you so stubborn, sister? Wouldn't it be better to just admit it? This torture is making things so difficult for me. You're making things so hard for me, and now that I'm pregnant, the Emperor will resent you even more. Why do you have to suffer like this?"

Suddenly, the woman sighed, seemingly feeling sorry for the person in front of her. However, she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

The person hanging on the cross slowly raised his head, let out a mocking laugh, and his eyes were full of disdain:

"Admit what? Admit that the Queen of the country had an affair with someone else? Admit that you cuckolded the Emperor? Yue Leyun, do you think everyone is like you, a promiscuous slut?!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he was whipped by the eunuch beside him.

"How dare you be so disrespectful to Her Majesty the Empress!"

The Empress? Ah, so she's already the Empress. No wonder she's wearing such a bright red Empress's robe so conspicuously.

She looked indifferently at the arrogant woman in front of her. This woman was once her most trusted friend, but she was also the culprit who caused her family to be destroyed, her to be imprisoned, and her to be branded with a reputation for infidelity.

"Yue Leyun, you will die a horrible death."

Yue Leyun smiled and said disdainfully, "Whether I die a terrible death or not is none of your concern, sister. But rest assured, sister, I am a woman of noble character and broad-mindedness. I will not hold a grudge over matters between us sisters. I will certainly take care of your affairs after your death and the two children you leave behind."

Qiu Lingyu suddenly looked up, her overly bright eyes filled with a bone-chilling hatred, and the scabs on her face immediately burst open, oozing bright red blood.

Feeling she had won back a bit, Yue Leyun said smugly:

"Although Li'er is not my biological child, she is still the Emperor's flesh and blood. Sister, you can rest assured that I will treat her as my own child and will certainly bestow upon her the title of princess. As for the prince you lost, he is now the eldest son of my Yue family, who is favored by all. He will naturally enjoy a lifetime of honor and favor."

Qiu Lingyu stared wide-eyed in shock, her dry throat unable to utter a sound. Her lost child...

"Oh, by the way, let me tell you, the Emperor also knows about this."

If her previous words had caused her immense heartache, then this latest statement was like a bolt from the blue, piercing straight to her soul. The light in her eyes suddenly dimmed, her hands involuntarily clenched tightly, and a hint of mockery flashed across her eyes.

It was him! The man who had captured her heart from the first moment she saw him, the man she had followed without hesitation, even betraying everything to be with.