Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Su Nuannuan raised her head and looked towards the palace gate. There stood a graceful woman in noble palace attire, smiling. The woman had a beautiful face, and a simple silver hairpin adorned her hair.

"This concubine greets Consort Zhuang!" When Consort Chen saw Su Nuannuan looking at her, she quickly took a few steps forward and then gracefully bowed, her movements skillful and dignified.

Su Nuannuan looked at the unfamiliar VIP in front of her with some hesitation and asked, "Who are you...?"

Consort Chen, still smiling, softly asked, "Does Your Majesty not remember me?"

Su Nuannuan shook her head in confusion, indicating that she really had no recollection of it.

Seeing this, Consort Chen couldn't help but show a hint of sadness, and slowly said, "Several years have passed since we parted, and you've actually forgotten your younger sister." Her words were full of loss and sorrow.

Seeing this, Su Nuannuan hurriedly explained, "That's not the case. Ever since I gave birth, my health has been poor, and I've even suffered from some aftereffects. My memory has also become increasingly worse, and I can't remember many things from the past." After saying this, she sighed softly.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside. It turned out that Yaoqin had heard the commotion and hurriedly came out from the small kitchen next door. When she saw Consort Chen, she was taken aback for a moment, then immediately curtsied and said respectfully, "This servant greets Consort Chen."

Consort Chen turned her gaze to Yaoqin, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before smiling and asking, "You actually recognize me?"

"Replying to Your Excellency, it is my duty to know the ladies of the harem," Yaoqin replied softly, bowing slightly with a respectful expression.

Su Nuannuan looked Chen Guiren up and down, and seeing that she was all alone, she couldn't help but feel suspicious and asked, "Chen Guiren, why are there no maids accompanying you when you travel? Has something happened?"

Upon hearing Su Nuannuan's question, Consort Chen smiled slightly, bowed, and said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, I am new here and not yet familiar with the palace rules, so I did not bring any maids with me. I hope Your Highness will not take offense."

At this moment, Yaoqin, who was standing nearby, quickly lowered her voice and reminded Su Nuannuan, "Your Majesty, why don't you invite Consort Chen into the inner palace first to talk?"

"Oh dear, look at my memory! Quickly, please have Consort Chen come with me into the inner palace." With that, Su Nuannuan walked towards the inner palace.

After entering the inner hall, Su Nuannuan invited Consort Chen to sit with her on the small couch.

Before long, Yaoqin quickly brought over the tea.

Consort Chen's gaze fell upon the exquisite teacup before her, lingering there for a long time, as if trying to see through the years past through this small teacup.

After a long silence, she finally slowly raised her head, parted her lips slightly, and murmured as if her voice came from a distant place, "Does Your Majesty still remember someone named Chen Fangyi?"

These simple words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up ripples in Su Nuannuan's heart.

She was taken aback at first, then involuntarily murmured the name softly: "Chen Fangyi..." At the same time, her thoughts surged like a tidal wave, frantically searching for every memory of this person deep in her mind.

Just then, a hazy, blurry image flashed through Su Nuannuan's mind like lightning. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and a look of surprise appeared on her previously calm face. She looked at Consort Chen in disbelief, her tone filled with astonishment and doubt, and asked, "Are you Chen Fangyi, the legitimate daughter of Prefect Chen of Qingzhou back then?"

When Consort Chen saw that Su Nuannuan had actually remembered her, a smile appeared on her face, and she nodded slightly to indicate her agreement.

However, Su Nuannuan's questions remained unanswered. She frowned, her face full of suspicion, and continued to press, "But I remember clearly, weren't you already married and someone else's wife? How come you're here in this deep palace again?"

Faced with Su Nuannuan's questioning, Chen Fangyi's face instantly turned ashen. She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and suddenly, without warning, stood up and knelt straight down on the ground. Her movement was so resolute that her knees made a crisp sound as they struck the hard floor tiles. Then, with her hands on the ground and her forehead pressed against the cold floor, Chen Fangyi pleaded in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please save my mother!"

"Get up quickly, don't kneel like this. Let's sit down and talk it out slowly. I clearly remember that I sent you a generous dowry before, so why did you come to the palace unharmed?" Su Nuannuan moved her lotus steps lightly, stretched out her slender hand, and carefully helped Consort Chen up, asking softly with concern.

Consort Chen slowly stood up, gave a slight curtsy, and softly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have accepted all the dowry Your Majesty sent, and I am deeply grateful. It's just a pity... I was ultimately unable to marry as I wished." As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them.

"Why is that?" Su Nuannuan asked with a look of surprise.

Consort Chen took a deep breath, steadied herself, and continued, "Originally, my fiancé and I were engaged, and the wedding was approaching. But fate had other plans; my fiancé tragically died on the battlefield, and we are now separated by death. Since then, I have been branded as a 'husband-killer.' In order to advance his own career, my father cruelly forced me to become the second wife of a minister in the capital. Not to mention that the minister is old enough to be my grandfather, how could I bear such humiliation?" At this point, Consort Chen was already in tears.

Su Nuannuan frowned and said indignantly, "How dare Prefect Chen treat you like this? It's simply too much!"

Consort Chen wiped away her tears and said with a bitter smile, "Your Majesty, you don't know this, but in Father's eyes, my mother, who is the daughter of a merchant, is of low status and has not been able to give him a son to rely on. Therefore, he naturally has no scruples."

However, he never thought that if it weren't for the financial support and connections of his mother's family, how could he have risen to the high position of prefect of a prefecture with his own meager talents?

Later, the concubine was truly driven to desperation and had no choice but to think of entering the palace. The concubine nervously explained the pros and cons to her father, and after much persuasion, he finally agreed to her idea.

But who could have foreseen that just yesterday, he would send someone to threaten the concubine, saying that if she didn't speak well of him to the Emperor, he would harm her mother!

At this point, Consort Chen's voice was already trembling with tears, which welled up in her eyes as if they might spill over at any moment. She continued, choking back sobs, "But Your Majesty, please think of it. The Emperor is so high and mighty; how could someone of my lowly status possibly influence him? I am truly at my wit's end, which is why I have dared to come to Your Majesty today for help. I beg Your Majesty to help me and save my mother!" As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Chen knelt heavily on the ground again, her forehead pressed against the earth, looking utterly pitiful.

After listening to Consort Chen's tearful account, Su Nuannuan frowned, utterly speechless at the despicable behavior of Prefect Chen. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked, "I recall, didn't your mother have a legitimate son?"