Сoncubinе Меi stаrеd fixedly аt Нan Yan, whо met her gаzе withоut thе slightеst wаver. Cоncubine Mei, on the оthеr hand, fеlt somеwhаt unеаsy. Shе wаs wеll аwаre оf Han Yan's саpаbilities—indeed, rеscuing her frоm this plaсе nоw wоuld bе еffоrtless. But thеrе was nо suсh thing аs a frеe lunсh. Sinсe Hаn Yаn's offеr was so genеrous, what, then, wаs thе сonditiоn she demandеd?
"Whаt dоes Fоurth Мiss wаnt mе tо dо?" Cоnсubine Мei sеt aside hеr hesitаtiоn, hеr eхрrеssiоn turning serious. At this mоment, she had alreаdy made uр her mind: as lоng as shе сould lеave this wretched place, there would be hope. Since Han Yan had the ability, she must seize the opportunity. As for what came later, there was no need to rush—things could be taken slowly.
"My biological father is not Zhuang Shiyang," Han Yan stated.
Concubine Mei was startled. She had not yet learned to conceal her emotions and was far weaker in this regard compared to the Zhou sisters. The look of shock on her face was instantly captured by Han Yan. A chill ran through Han Yan's heart—indeed, Concubine Mei's reaction seemed to confirm many things.
"You..." Concubine Mei was utterly speechless, only gazing at Han Yan with a mix of fear and alarm.
"Concubine Mei should know who my biological father is? Or rather, what is my true identity?" Han Yan asked unhurriedly.
Zhuo Qi was somewhat surprised, not expecting Han Yan to inquire so openly in his presence. What he didn't know was that Han Yan saw no need to hide this matter. What did it matter if Zhuo Qi learned of her origins? After all, Zhuo Qi was not part of the Great Dynasty's court, and there were no complex interests at stake between them.
Concubine Mei shook her head. "I don't know."
Han Yan gave her no chance to continue, saying, "In that case, the deal is off. Let's go." With that, she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Concubine Mei hurriedly called out. She hadn't expected Han Yan to turn away so decisively. When Han Yan posed the question, Concubine Mei had hesitated—this matter was of great importance and not something she could casually reveal. She had guarded this secret for years to protect herself and avoid trouble. Now, she was being asked to trade this secret for her freedom, a difficult choice on both sides. Concubine Mei had intended to buy time to reconsider, perhaps even hoping Han Yan's impatience might lead to better terms. She never imagined Han Yan would give up so readily. This was completely different from what Concubine Mei had anticipated, leaving her no time to react before she hastily stopped Han Yan.
With her back turned to Concubine Mei, Han Yan smiled faintly. She knew exactly what Concubine Mei was scheming. However, if Concubine Mei thought she could use the information she held to gain the upper hand, she was sorely mistaken. Han Yan would not allow herself to be at a disadvantage in this transaction, for once she weakened, the other party would only grow stronger, making it far more difficult to uncover the truth later. Right now, Concubine Mei needed her—she was Concubine Mei's only hope. Concubine Mei would not easily let this opportunity slip away. By targeting her weakness, how could Concubine Mei not take the bait?Zhuo Qi watched from the side, marveling inwardly. If Han Yan were to go into business, she would likely thrive spectacularly. With her sharp mind, her grasp of others' psychology, and her subtle yet effective coercion—so subtle that the other party wouldn't even realize it, instead feeling they had struck a great bargain—she was truly formidable.
Han Yan turned around, puzzled. "Concubine Mei, since you claim not to know, there's no point in making this deal. Why did you call me over? Unless you do know—then what exactly do you want?"
Concubine Mei knew there was no room left for negotiation. Bargaining with Han Yan was unwise, as this young girl held her fate entirely in her hands. Though she was unwilling, furious, and nearly driven mad, she couldn't afford to jeopardize her own future hopes. So she said, "I misspoke, Fourth Miss. I do know about this matter."
"Knowing about it makes things easier," Han Yan said, sitting down on the other side of the bars. "There's plenty of time. These jail guards won't wake for another three hours. You can take your time explaining."
"I'll tell you," Concubine Mei stared at Han Yan, "but you must ensure I can leave here and live well." She still felt uneasy, perhaps because this stroke of luck had come too suddenly, making it hard for her to believe.
"Naturally," Han Yan replied, looking at her. "I'll also give you a sum of silver. It may not be much, but it will be enough to keep you clothed and fed for several years."
"Fourth Miss is indeed straightforward," Concubine Mei smiled, a smile that carried a hint of her former charm, faintly recalling the beauty she once possessed.
"But that depends on whether what you say is valuable," Han Yan said slowly. "If I find you lying, the deal is off. Concubine Mei should know that I am particularly skilled at discerning whether someone is telling the truth." She applied pressure gradually, stirring a flicker of panic in Concubine Mei's heart, which extinguished her last thought of deception. So she began to speak slowly, and from Concubine Mei's mouth, Han Yan learned a shocking secret—one that concerned her entire life and would alter her future destiny.
Han Yan's mother, Wang Shi, had once been a beautiful young woman, naive about the ways of the world. In the capital, she was renowned for her talent, gentle demeanor, and beauty. Coming from a respectable family, she naturally had countless suitors vying for her hand. Yet, Wang Shi's heart had always belonged to one person—her childhood sweetheart, the Donghou Prince.
The Donghou Prince was arrogant and unconventional, someone even the old Donghou Prince couldn't control. However, he himself possessed boundless talent and a keen intuition in political affairs, earning the deep appreciation of the late emperor. Moreover, the old Donghou Prince and the late emperor had been comrades-in-arms who fought side by side to secure the empire, so the late emperor had always turned a blind eye to the Donghou Prince's actions.The Donghou Prince had done many unconventional things in his life, but the most shocking and scandalous was probably marrying a woman from the jianghu to be his princess consort. At that time, the imperial court and the jianghu were absolutely opposed to each other. The Donghou Prince came from an illustrious family, so naturally, he was expected to marry a woman of outstanding character and status. Although Wang Shi’s family background was also quite good, rumors circulated that the Donghou Prince would definitely marry a princess. Thus, Wang Shi quietly buried her feelings of admiration in her heart. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the Donghou Prince ultimately married a woman of unknown origins from the jianghu.
This jianghu woman’s background remained a mystery, but the Donghou Prince called her: Xiao Qiao.
When the Donghou Prince and Xiao Qiao married, many opposed it, including the old Donghou Prince and the late emperor. The late emperor wanted to marry his own daughter to him, but the Donghou Prince firmly refused. In front of the entire world, he made a vow: in this life, he would have only Xiao Qiao as his wife, taking no principal wife and keeping no concubines.
Hearing this, Concubine Mei sneered disdainfully, “It’s nothing but sweet talk. How can a man’s vow be taken seriously?” After saying this, she glanced meaningfully at Han Yan. In Concubine Mei’s mind, Han Yan was also someone to whom Fu Yunxi had made a vow. Back then, because of this, all the women in the capital envied and resented Han Yan. But what was her fate now? Wasn’t she driven out of the Xuan Qing Prince’s Mansion, forced to watch as Fu Yunxi married a princess from another country?
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