Feng Jiu’er saw no reason to discuss anything related to the Ninth Imperial Uncle with Leng Yue.

If there was something to be said, Emperor Ji would tell her himself — what need was there for Leng Yue?

But now that she was already here, it wasn’t as though Feng Jiu’er could simply throw her out. So she leaned back against the headboard and looked at her. “Say what you came to say. It’s late — the sooner you’ve said your piece, the sooner we can both get some sleep.”

Leng Yue knew perfectly well she was being dismissed, but having come tonight, she wasn’t about to leave so easily.

“You know the Lord’s true identity, don’t you?” This was something she had learned from Emperor Ji as well.

Feng Jiu’er’s fingers tightened ever so slightly. Surely this matter, this important — even Leng Yue knew about it?

And yet this Leng Yue — Feng Jiu’er felt not an ounce of confidence that she was a trustworthy person.

“I’m not sure what you mean. Are you referring to the fact that the Ninth Imperial Uncle is your Lord?”

Leng Yue gave a cold, impatient snort. “Are you probing me or something? Do you think the Lord’s secrets are kept from me? I have known since childhood that the Lord is destined to be Emperor one day.”

“Leng Yue, speaking such words carelessly could bring a death sentence down upon the Ninth Imperial Uncle. I hope you’ll be more careful with your tongue.”

Feng Jiu’er felt a slight chill in her heart. She hadn’t thought they would truly have let Leng Yue know of this.

The matter was of the utmost gravity. Given Leng Yue’s nature — could she really keep the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s secret? Jiu’er found herself deeply uneasy.

Though, if Leng Yue had truly been taken in by Emperor Ji since childhood and was as close to him as a daughter, then it wasn’t really so strange for her to know.

Leng Yue’s smile carried a note of disdain. “There is no one here but the two of us. Who are you putting on an act for?”

She had no interest in watching Feng Jiu’er’s reactions. In any case, Emperor Ji had said Feng Jiu’er already knew. So tonight, it was better to get straight to the point.

“Since you know the Lord’s identity, you should also know that the Lord absolutely cannot take only one woman in the future.”

Feng Jiu’er said nothing, but a chill crept into her heart.

Ah, yes — how had she forgotten? He was the crown prince of the previous dynasty. If the restoration succeeded, there was a nine in ten chance he would become Emperor. And throughout all of history, which Emperor had not kept a harem of thousands? Even if three thousand was an exaggeration, it was truly impossible for there to be only one.

Not three thousand, at least three hundred. Not three hundred, at least thirty — and that was putting it conservatively.

She had never thought about any of this. Now that Leng Yue had raised it, her heart went cold.

Even if the restoration failed, the Ninth Imperial Uncle was the eldest legitimate son of the Di Imperial bloodline — noble-born and of the highest lineage. For the sake of ensuring the Di Imperial Family had heirs, Emperor Ji, Ye Luosha, and every supporter of the Di Imperial house would never allow the Ninth Imperial Uncle to have only one woman.

He would have to have many women. He would have to sire many sons to carry on the Di Imperial bloodline.

This was not a question of whether or not the Ninth Imperial Uncle was fickle-hearted. It was, as she had just thought when facing Mu Mu, simply the thinking of the age.

Could a single person — herself — truly overturn all of that?

A thousand conflicting feelings swirled in Feng Jiu’er’s heart, but her face remained perfectly calm. At least, Leng Yue could read nothing unusual in her expression — a far cry from the despair and anguish Leng Yue had imagined. The distance between that expectation and what she actually saw was immeasurable.

What was this Feng Jiu’er thinking, really?

“You came here just to tell me this? What does it accomplish?”

Jiu’er looked at her evenly.

“Feng Jiu’er — are you truly telling me you don’t care?” Leng Yue refused to let it go. How could she not be in agony?

Now that Mu Mu was visibly recovering, this Feng Jiu’er had no more usefulness left!

Better if she broke down in suffering and left immediately, never to return.

And yet here she was, looking so perfectly composed. Was she truly unaffected — had she already prepared herself long ago?

Or was it that in Feng Jiu’er’s heart, she didn’t care how many women the Lord had, so long as she became Empress?

No. The position of Empress belonged to her, Leng Yue. What right did this woman have to it?

“My foster father said that my fate brings prosperity to my husband and flourishing to the nation. Foster father even promised me that when the Lord becomes Emperor, I will be made Empress without fail.”

“Oh,” Feng Jiu’er responded mildly, sounding entirely uninterested in everything being said.

“Feng Jiu’er — I said my foster father has promised that I will be the Lord’s principal wife, the future Empress. Are you truly not even angry?”

“And then what? You provoke me into losing my temper, then goad me into striking you, after which you run outside and claim I tried to kill you — and have Emperor Ji and Ye Luosha drive me away?”

Feng Jiu’er gave a yawn, drowsy. “Leng Yue, how many more times do you intend to rely on this same tired trick? Your lack of intelligence is honestly astounding.”

“You—” Leng Yue’s face flushed crimson with fury in an instant. This wretched woman — how could she see through her plan so completely!

“Feng Jiu’er, don’t get too smug. In any case, everything I said just now is the truth. In the future, the Lord’s principal wife will only ever be me. And you — at best, you’ll be a favored concubine. A favored consort at the very most.”

On this point, at least, Leng Yue felt she had some grounds for confidence. After all, Ye Luosha didn’t like her, and Emperor Ji wasn’t particularly fond of her either.

What was more, Emperor Ji was her own foster father — if he wasn’t going to stand on her side, then whose?

“And especially since you once had an engagement with Nanmen Xu — that caused quite a stir. Even if the betrothal was dissolved, you are still a woman who was once engaged to another man.”

“A woman like that — how could she ever be the mother of a nation? You have no right to stand above all under heaven.”

“Is that so?” Feng Jiu’er lay back against the bed. “As long as the Ninth Imperial Uncle wants me, that’s enough. If he wants me, then I have the right.”

“So you have been coveting the Empress’s position all along!” Leng Yue was seething — she hadn’t expected this shameless woman to brazenly admit to it all!

“You want it yourself, so why demand others not want it? I do want to be Empress, and I’m the type who can actually become one. What can you do with that information, even after I’ve told you?”

As for what the future would actually hold, Feng Jiu’er didn’t know. Nor did she particularly want to become Empress — the title meant nothing to her as a symbol of glory.

On the contrary, the position of Empress was a shackle. A burden.

An Empress had to stand as an example of virtue and grace to all under heaven. And to do that, she could not squabble with the consorts over the Emperor’s affections.

Yet she could not tolerate even a single grain of sand in her eye — not one consort, not one concubine, none of them were she willing to permit. Which meant she absolutely could not stand by and watch her husband spread his grace equally among all women.

So she was not suited to be Empress, and she had no desire to be Empress.

And yet the Ninth Imperial Uncle might very well become Emperor one day… Her heart grew restless at the thought, and she had no wish to see Leng Yue looking so pleased with herself.

She pulled her blanket over herself and said coolly: “The Ninth Imperial Uncle loves me, so he will certainly listen to me. Once I reach Phoenix City, I’ll have the Ninth Imperial Uncle drive you away. You’re welcome to test whether he’ll listen to me or not.”