Because the Emperor had glanced at her a few extra times, that woman convinced herself the Emperor had taken a fancy to her.
Taking advantage of Imperial Concubine Chun's pregnancy, she would often whisper in her ear that concubines in the imperial court, in order to secure their favored status, would give their maids to the Emperor during their pregnancies.
Imperial Concubine Chun simply thought she was being caring and didn't take it to heart.
Instead, the woman ended up harboring resentment against Imperial Concubine Chun.
Hearing her daughter's inner voice, Imperial Concubine Chun's gaze instantly turned sharp. She looked at Dongyou, her grip tightening slightly around the baby.
Su Mianmian was so anxious she almost blurted it out.
[I desperately want to give my beauty mother a hint, but right now I'm just a human infant and can't speak at all. How on earth can I get her to find the evidence?]
According to the plot, tomorrow her blind father would bring people to accuse her mother.
If her birth mother was framed, she would also be treated as a demonic spawn, unable to escape death either.
Su Mianmian whimpered softly, [I'm sorry, beauty mother, I can't protect you.]
By the time her cultivation recovered, goodness knows how many years it would take; the grass on her grave would probably have grown several feet high.
Noticing Imperial Concubine Chun's icy gaze, Dongyou couldn't help shivering. Could it be that the Consort had found out?
Impossible. She was the Consort's personal maid; if the Consort suspected anyone, she would never suspect her.
Reaching this conclusion, Dongyou calmed down, a trace of ambition flashing in her eyes.
Imperial Concubine Chun, you mustn't blame me. Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost—everyone wants to climb higher. Since you are jealous of my beauty and won't let me serve the Emperor, don't blame me for making a move against you.
Imperial Concubine Chun had indeed never suspected Dongyou, but she trusted her own daughter's words even more.
Right then and there, she sent Dongyou away on an errand.
Imperial Concubine Chun called Xiyou to her side.
This girl's entire family had been saved by her, and she had served by her side with utmost devotion. The only maid she could truly trust now was Xiyou.
She whispered a few instructions in Xiyou's ear. Xiyou wore a look of utter disbelief, but still honestly set about doing as she was told.
Having arranged everything, Imperial Concubine Chun softened her voice and scooped her freshly cleaned precious daughter back into her arms.
"My little darling, don't be afraid. Mother will protect you forever."
Though she didn't understand why her daughter knew these things, a mother's instinct made her instinctively choose to believe her child.
As for her own daughter, no matter how unusual compared to ordinary people, a mother would never be afraid.
Imperial Concubine Chun unfastened her clothes and personally began to nurse Su Mianmian.
Su Mianmian was moved to floods of tears. Although it was a bit embarrassing, she was starving and couldn't care less, so she latched on and drank deeply. While feeding, she was still worrying away: in the original novel, because of her daughter's death, Imperial Concubine Chun suffered a devastating blow to body and mind, and when faced with false accusations, she had simply lacked the heart to defend herself.
As a result, that blind tyrant directly banished her mother to the Cold Palace.
Her mother was already mentally and physically exhausted, and coupled with this blow, she passed away before long.
And her grandfather, the Old General who had fought in battles all his life, upon learning of his daughter's unjust death, was overwhelmed by grief and fury, and soon followed his daughter to the grave.
What Su Mianmian respected most were these great heroes who guarded their country, and thinking of the Old General's fate, she felt an even greater surge of bitter hatred.
After eating her fill, Su Mianmian fought hard against sleep, but an infant's body was too fragile, and a few seconds later she drifted off into a daze.
Watching her precious daughter sleep so sweetly, Imperial Concubine Chun felt her heart warm immensely, and she gently patted the darling in her arms, soothing her softly.
Su Mianmian was woken up by a sharp female voice.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a woman dressed in pale red palace attire with a seductive figure striding toward them. Walking in with her was a man wearing a bright yellow imperial robe and a crown.
Consort Shu raised her voice, glaring viciously at Imperial Concubine Chun.
"Imperial Concubine Chun, how dare you illicitly couple with a high official and even give birth to this monstrosity! You are truly audacious!"
Her gaze then flickered toward the baby at the side, growing even more venomous.
Little mongrel, you certainly have a stubborn life.
Living changes nothing though—you're still going to die today.
She and Imperial Concubine Chun had entered the palace together; Imperial Concubine Chun had become the head of the four imperial consorts, while she was merely bestowed the title of Consort Shu.
How could she possibly endure this?
Imperial Concubine Chun didn't even look at her, bowing unperturbedly to the Emperor standing at the front.
"Your Majesty, Your concubine has never done such a thing."
Consort Shu sneered, pulling out some letters and flinging them onto the ground. "Your letters of illicit congress with another man are right here. Do you still intend to quibble?"
Dongyou hurried forward and dropped to her knees.
"Your Ladyship, you might as well just confess! This maid saw with her own eyes you and the grand academician carrying on illicitly. Now that it's been exposed, stop struggling."
Seeing this, Consort Shu grew even more triumphant.
"With both human witnesses and physical evidence present, what else do you have to say?"
The Emperor stood in silence, uttering not a word, yet emanating an imposing aura of natural authority.
He looked at Imperial Concubine Chun, his handsome eyes full of suspicion.
Imperial Concubine Chun knew he wouldn't believe her, but seeing the Emperor's gaze, she still couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness.
[So this is that blind tyrant,] Su Mianmian muttered indignantly.
[This appearance... isn't bad at all. The face of a celestial being, majestic and imposing, but how can this brain be even dumber than a pig!]
The Emperor was just about to flare up in anger when he suddenly heard a babyish, milky little voice.
Who was speaking?
Could he be experiencing auditory hallucinations?
It's all the fault of those old fossils presenting so many memorials every day, asking whether he's eaten, whether he's slept, whether he's rested well—they really have too much time on their hands. Tomorrow at court, he was going to give them a thorough tongue-lashing!
His gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing unostentatiously on the infant held in the palace maid's arms.
Hiding his astonishment, he spoke up: "Imperial Concubine Chun, you claim you've done nothing. Do you have evidence to prove your innocence?"
[Prove what innocence? Those letters were forged by that woman Dongyou; my mother knows nothing about them at all.]
[I honestly don't know whether this tyrant has too little faith in his own abilities or far too much faith in his minister's.]
[You toil away in the palace day and night, and if you couldn't even manage to get me with child, my mother goes home for a single visit and somehow manages to conceive me with someone else?]
What on earth was he thinking? Su Mianmian waved her little fists in fury, wanting to give that tyrant a sound thrashing.
The Emperor was nearly driven to death's door by her inner voice. He could now confirm that the one making the noise was this newborn infant.
He wasn't actually scared; he had been through battlefields and witnessed countless grand scenes—he wasn't about to be frightened by a little girl's inner voice.
It was just that this little girl spoke with such utter shamelessness.
Imperial Concubine Chun had been feeling gloomy, but hearing this, she was almost amused into laughing out loud. Remembering the solemnity of the occasion, she managed to hold it in.
"Your concubine does have evidence. Xiyou, bring it forward."
Imperial Concubine Chun took the letters from Xiyou's hands and handed them to the Emperor.
"Please take a look, Your Majesty. These were all searched out from this girl Dongyou's room. She forged Your concubine's handwriting and framed Your concubine. I beg Your Majesty to make the decision for me."
When Dongyou saw the letters, her legs turned to jelly with fright, and she knelt on the ground, stammering and unable to utter a word.
Consort Shu was equally alarmed at the sight.
Her plan should have been flawless.
Once Imperial Concubine Chun gave birth to a stillborn child, her mind would inevitably be in utter chaos. If she exposed Imperial Concubine Chun at that moment, the woman would definitely be powerless to explain.
Consort Shu's eyes involuntarily turned to the infant still in the swaddling clothes, her gaze gradually growing venomous.
It was all this little bint ruining her good plans.
"Your Majesty, you must not be deceived by her! A woman like Imperial Concubine Chun who commits adultery ought to be drowned in a pig cage and her entire clan executed!"
Having finished reading the letters in his hand and connecting them with the child's inner voice, the Emperor reached a verdict.
A pair of cold, sharp eyes turned toward Consort Shu. "Are you teaching Us how to do our job?"
"Your concubine wouldn't dare!"
Startled by his fierce look, Consort Shu shivered and instantly shut her mouth.
The Emperor's gaze fell upon Dongyou, who was shaking like a sieve. He said calmly, "A servant who betrays her master—drag her out and beat her to death."
"No, Your Majesty, spare my life!" Dongyou tried to cling to his legs, but was pinned firmly to the floor by the eunuchs.
"Imperial Concubine Chun, this maid was wrong! Please save me!"
Imperial Concubine Chun watched quietly as she was dragged away, remaining tight-lipped.
The Emperor strode toward the maid holding Su Mianmian, his peach-blossom eyes falling upon the baby daughter in the swaddling clothes.
Su Mianmian glared at him. [What are you looking at? Never seen such a pretty kid before?]
Although the tyrant hadn't banished her mother to the Cold Palace like in the original book, because of the novel's descriptions, her impression of this tyrant wasn't very good.
[My mother is truly brilliant, finding evidence so quickly. Unlike this big tyrant, who is so stupid he almost believed the slander of treacherous people and misunderstood my mother.]
Being called stupid for the first time in his life, the Emperor grew somewhat angry.
Besides, this girl kept calling him a tyrant left and right. Although he might be a bit suspicious, selfish, and hot-tempered... cough, cough, he was still a pretty good emperor, wasn't he?
The air pressure surrounding the Emperor dropped frighteningly low. Feeling a wave of chilliness, Su Mianmian couldn't help shrinking her neck.
[This big tyrant—he wouldn't still suspect I'm not his biological child and want to butcher me, would he?]
[Mom! Help! Daddy is going to butcher me, I'm so scared! Come protect the throne! Save this baby!]
The Tyrant: ? !
Could this girl be out of her mind?
When did We ever say We were going to kill her???
Utterly reversing heaven and earth!