Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 62

I lowered my gaze and tried to speak in a steady voice.

“I was foolish and did not understand what Your Majesty meant.”

“Don’t understand?” His Majesty’s tone was almost gentle. “Lying in front of me is a crime of deceiving the emperor.”

“I truly didn’t understand…”

He lifted my chin higher. “Then use your eyes to take a closer look at what I mean.”

My eyes…

I saw myself, clad in prison clothes with disheveled hair. The executioner, as vicious as a rakshasa, raised his butcher’s knife high above me. Then I saw my grandfather and two uncles. Though I had once resented my grandfather, the next moment, his head rolled to my feet, his gray hair and beard stained with blood, dirt, and mud. My uncles and other elders — once blurred faces in His Majesty’s eyes — were all beheaded in a flash of the blade. The Duke’s Mansion lay in ruins, scorched by fire. The women and children in the family were captured — some sold as prostitutes and maids in the music halls, others sent to the palace as slaves like Chang Yu…

Chang Yu… He was hastily buried in some unmarked grave, only to have his remains dug up, his bones crushed, and his ashes scattered. My aunt’s coffin had been sent to the Mangshan Imperial Mausoleum, but the underground palace gates were opened once more. She was stripped of her concubine’s ritual objects and reburied in a thin coffin with commoner rites…

Then, in the blink of an eye, I saw a different scene altogether.

I wore a long gown, a phoenix crown, and a phoenix cap, hidden behind a pearl curtain. My grandfather stood proudly at the forefront of the court, a duke and prime minister brimming with vigor and vitality. My uncles, brothers, cousins, and fourth cousins — Brother Zhongshu among them — were all clad in purple and red, standing tall among the court officials. The death row prisoners on the execution ground were now replaced by Prince Yong and his rebellious followers — officials who had harbored evil intentions, embezzled funds, or formed cliques for personal gain.

His Majesty sat above all in his throne, and the ministers and citizens knelt at his feet, shouting “Long live the Emperor!” Their voices stretched from the Purple Palace to the palace gates, from the imperial city to Luoyang, the capital, and throughout the entire empire. The mountains and rivers were clean, and the people submitted in peace.

His Majesty loosened his grip, and I immediately lost the strength to support myself, collapsing to the ground.

He was the emperor, the ruler of a nation. With a single word, he could decide the fate of myself, those around me, and even those long gone. I had no power to resist him.

I once wondered why the “Mojin” poisonous insect existed. It weakened people, endangered their lives, and forced them to endure endless visions of wicked thoughts and evil deeds, living in torment and despair. Why go to such lengths to preserve and cultivate such a thing?

Yu Chongrui had warned me that ambitious figures like Prince Yong would try to kill me if they knew of my existence, so I must never reveal it.

But what Yu Chongrui hadn’t told me was that in the eyes of those in power, I was a rare and invaluable tool. They had to keep me firmly in their grasp and exploit me — or else destroy me.

“Do you understand now?” His Majesty stood above me, looking down from his lofty position.

“Your servant understands…” I slowly turned, curled up, and knelt at his feet. “Your servant is willing to serve Your Majesty and sacrifice his life for you.”

“Good child, you are truly sensible.” His Majesty smiled with satisfaction. “Think about it — if the late emperor had someone like you assisting him, he wouldn’t have fallen victim to Prince Yong’s schemes. The nation wouldn’t have been torn apart by war and strife, and the people wouldn’t have suffered so greatly. From now on, there will be no more traitors or rebels, no more treacherous villains in the court. Everyone will be loyal to the emperor and the country, and the land will be at peace. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Was it really that wonderful? If so, why hadn’t my aunt — who assisted His Majesty for so many years — been able to achieve that?

“Of course,” His Majesty added, “this depends on your wholehearted loyalty and your refusal to seek personal gain.”

I knelt on the ground and said, “Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Everyone in the world is loyal to Your Majesty, including me.”

“Loyalty isn’t proven by words alone,” His Majesty said coldly. “How can you make me believe you?”

Surrendering and pleading for mercy wasn’t enough — I had to also prove my loyalty. But how?

“I can swear an oath,” I suggested.

“If oaths were enough, what use would there be for anything else?” His Majesty sneered. “Prince Yong once swore bold and heroic loyalty to the late emperor — only to draw his sword against him.”

I looked up at him and asked, “Then… what does Your Majesty wish for me to do?”

His Majesty smiled with relief. “What a smart and obedient child. Get up now.”

He returned to his desk and sat down, allowing me to kneel by his side so he could speak to me whenever he wished.

“Let’s do a little test.” He pointed to the door of the hall. “Did you see those people outside when you entered?”

I nodded.

“Can you tell what they were thinking?”

I hesitated for a moment before replying, “I was nervous and rushed when I arrived… I didn’t have time to look closely.”

“Each of them has their own agenda,” he sighed. “These are the problems your aunt left behind. She’s too soft-hearted. She always says, ‘If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; if a person is too meticulous, they will have no followers.’ She believed minor mistakes and selfish thoughts among servants weren’t worth punishing. So she turned a blind eye, even pleading for them and covering for them, fearing I might punish them too harshly.”

That was indeed my aunt’s way — so tolerant and kind to others.

I felt a pang of sadness.

His Majesty continued, “These people betrayed her kindness. Today, you will identify which among them are loyal and which are deceitful and selfish.”

I trusted my aunt. If she forgave these people, it meant their wrongdoings weren’t serious, and their circumstances were pitiable. If I singled out a few minor offenders…

Just as I was thinking this, His Majesty suddenly shot me a sharp glance.

“These are all people your aunt pleaded for,” he warned. “I know what each of them has done. You must look carefully and tell the truth.”

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I bowed my head and said, “I would never dare lie to Your Majesty.”

This was a test for me — not for the palace servants.

His Majesty summoned Eunuch Li and ordered him to bring the people in. Over twenty of them knelt on the floor in three rows.

His Majesty addressed them calmly:

“I recently set aside the memorial regarding Jiangnan’s silk production replacing farming with mulberry trees. Today, the Third Prince submitted an essay titled ‘Encouraging Farming,’ emphasizing that grain is the foundation of the nation. Who leaked my plans? Who was planted among you to spy on me? Confess now, and I will forgive you, promote you one rank, and reward you with 100 taels of silver.”

No one spoke.

“See?” His Majesty murmured to me. “I gave them a chance, yet they still chose loyalty to their master over me, their emperor. Now… it’s your turn.”

I whispered, “The third from the left in the front row, the second from the left in the middle row — both are Noble Consort Chu’s people. The first from the right in the back row was placed here by her brother.”

His Majesty asked, “And who peeked at the memorial?”

I gritted my teeth and remained silent.

His Majesty signaled to a young eunuch, who called in a golden-armored guard. The guard dragged the three accused individuals forward.

The second eunuch in the middle row clung to the guard’s armor and cried out, “Your Majesty, please have mercy! It wasn’t me—it was Zhang Xi! He peeked at the memorial and informed the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor’s questions for the Third Prince had nothing to do with us!”

“Grand Tutor, haha, very good.” His Majesty turned to me. “Next time, you’d better speak before they confess.”

He ordered the guards to release the young eunuch and arrest Zhang Xi instead. When an older palace maid saw the young eunuch escape punishment, she immediately shouted, “I can testify too! I know many of Noble Consort Chu’s evil deeds. I’m willing to make amends with my confession. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!”

His Majesty ordered the guards to take her aside for questioning, then turned back to me. “What about the others? Besides Noble Consort Chu’s spies and the Grand Tutor’s informants, are there any more?”

Cold sweat soaked my back. “The second from the right in the front row was promoted by Concubine Su; the third from the right in the middle row was favored by the Grand Commandant; the first from the left in the back row was delivering messages to both Zheng Baolin and Sun Cairen.”

Zheng Baolin and Sun Cairen… I couldn’t even recall what they looked like. What schemes could those overlooked concubines possibly have? At most, they were just trying to learn His Majesty’s preferences and habits, hoping for a chance to regain favor.

His Majesty seemed unimpressed. “Zheng Baolin, Sun Cairen… insignificant ants.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Drag them out and kill them on the spot.”

The maid screamed for mercy, but there was no one left to betray in exchange for her life. The crying ended abruptly outside the hall, swallowed by silence.

The remaining palace servants knelt trembling, too frightened to make a sound.

My own hands shook as well. I clenched them tightly inside my sleeves, barely able to steady myself.

His Majesty’s cold gaze swept over the kneeling figures before turning back to me. Suddenly, he smiled. “The Imperial Consort really kept a lot from me.”

I looked up in surprise, only to see that smug smile again — the expression of someone who believed he had everything under control.

He had tricked me again, and I had fallen into his trap.

I could read minds, yet I still didn’t understand people. Against those who manipulated hearts for a living, I was like a child wielding a blade too heavy to manage — vulnerable and defenseless.

“Aunt…” My voice trembled with powerless sorrow. “She was loyal to Your Majesty.”

Otherwise, why would she have trusted him with such a dangerous secret? Why would she have stayed by his side for over twenty years, sacrificing her life and fortune?

His Majesty sneered coldly. “She was too soft-hearted, deceived and exploited by traitors.”

Then he turned his gaze to the frightened servants groveling before him. “Is this her loyalty? Harboring the remnants of the Yongwang Party, protecting them, being so close to a eunuch — is that her loyalty? When I ordered the eunuch’s death, she distanced herself from me. Was that loyalty? She could have redeemed herself by exposing the rebel remnants, yet she left the palace under the pretense of arranging your marriage and committed suicide. Loyalty? After more than a decade of a barren marriage, I doubt she had any loyalty left. She probably gave her heart to someone else long ago! I’ve already shown her enough mercy by not pursuing it further!”

So that’s why Aunt took her own life…

Chang Yu’s father had been one of Yongwang’s subordinates, but Chang Yu himself had been just an infant when the rebellion happened. How could he be considered a rebel remnant? For over a decade, Aunt had likely been nothing more than a tool — a pawn to watch over others and manipulate minds on His Majesty’s behalf. Yet she endured without betraying him.

She had no warmth in her home, no children, no future. Chang Yu had been her only comfort in the palace — and even that was taken from her. Forced to accuse others, to turn against those who might have been as innocent as Chang Yu, she chose instead to end her life.

The night before she left, Aunt told me:His Majesty won’t tolerate the slightest secret or hint of disloyalty.

I looked up at the emperor beside me — the man revered by all, powerful and ruthless, who controlled the lives and deaths of countless souls.

My aunt had been driven to her death by this man.