A’wu lay weakly on the couch, having been there for a long time.
Occasionally, a maid would come to inquire about her, but she would just wave her hand feebly, signaling for them to leave.
Her mind kept replaying the events of the past.
Originally, she had been kept by the Crown Prince in the Huancui Garden.
Though she might not have particularly liked it, her days were comfortable.
She had hoped that one day the Crown Prince would give her a proper status, or if he grew tired of her, he would pay her off and send her away.
Either way, it would have been a good life for her.
But that fateful night during the Double Ninth Festival, she was called out and thrust into a formal occasion.
The exalted Emperor didn’t even glance at her and publicly reprimanded the Crown Prince, clearly disapproving of her.
In that moment, under the scrutiny of the crowd, she realized the Emperor was the supreme ruler, holding the power of life and death over everyone, while she was merely an insignificant ant that could be disposed of at will.
She knelt there, begging for even the lowly status of a concubine by the Crown Prince’s side, but even that was denied.
Under the dazzling lights and amidst the splendid attire, she didn’t dare lift her head, let alone look at the Emperor’s face, so she naturally couldn’t recognize him.
As for him, he must have already formed a bias against her, disliking this “seductress” who had bewitched his son.
Without even a glance, he dismissed her as “unworthy of the stage.”
How could she have imagined that one day this dignified and majestic Emperor would hold her in his arms and indulge in her?
And he probably couldn’t have imagined that the woman he didn’t even want to look at would end up in his embrace, submitting to him!
Again and again, over these past two days, he had been so unrestrained, taking her so many times that she could barely stand when she got off the couch!
A’wu wanted to say, he was shameless!
But she bit her lip, trembling, unable to speak.
She was just an ordinary woman from the streets.
Two years ago, the highest official she had ever seen was the village head!
As for the Emperor of the Great Hui Kingdom, he was like a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, a celestial being flying in the heavens, something she knew existed but couldn’t possibly imagine.
How could she dare call him shameless?
He was the Emperor of Great Hui!
But now, she has become involved with such a person.
The key point was… he wasn’t just the Emperor of Great Hui; he was also the Crown Prince’s father.
Just a few days ago, she had clearly been the Crown Prince’s concubine, and the Crown Prince had held her in his arms, treasuring her like a precious gem, never satisfied.
The Crown Prince called him “Father,” always with a tone of reverence and affection, clearly holding him in the highest regard in his heart.
And yet, she had climbed into this “Father’s” bed.
As a father, he had more to offer than his son, perhaps due to age and experience, and he had more skill, almost making A’wu unable to resist.
A’wu closed her eyes, the sensations he had given her still lingering in her mind.
How he had firmly and slowly parted her, how she had trembled as she accepted him, and then-
Just thinking about it made her whole body tremble uncontrollably.
The male organ that had brought her pleasure was the Emperor’s, the Crown Prince’s father’s!
She thought of the Crown Prince’s gentle and sincere eyes, that person who had once been a little child, a crying baby, born from that very Emperor.
Now, she was intimately familiar with the Crown Prince’s origin, familiar with his majestic father, even more so than the Crown Prince himself, and she had thoroughly tasted his essence.
She had actually slept with the Crown Prince’s father…
How utterly shameless and scandalous!
A’wu’s body trembled uncontrollably.
She couldn’t comprehend how she had ended up in such a situation, and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.
What should she do, what should she do…
Would she be condemned for eternity?
She was indeed unworthy, her behavior was improper, she was lowly and shameless!
How could she face living in this world?
Should she end her life to preserve her chastity?
How should she die?
She looked around, but there didn’t seem to be any good options—perhaps a three-foot white silk rope.
She tremblingly pulled out a piece of brocade from the couch, twisted it into a rope, and then searched the room for a beam.
But the room was high and spacious, and the beams were too high.
Even after moving a chair and standing on it, she still couldn’t reach it.
She jumped futilely a few times, accidentally falling off the chair and hurting her feet.
Furious, she sat there holding her feet, tears streaming down her face.
She had once been a pure and good woman, a virtuous and kind lady.
Who could have imagined she would go through so much-first with Lu Yunjian, then with the Crown Prince, and now with the Crown Prince’s own father!
She had read books as a child and knew that there were women who had served both father and son emperors, leaving a significant mark in history.
But those women were consorts, concubines, even empresses-unlike her, who had no prospects.
Even after climbing into the beds of the Crown Prince and the Emperor, she could only be a nameless concubine.
After much thought, A’wu knew she couldn’t escape the reputation of a seductress who had bewitched the Emperor.
She would likely be recorded in history as a “temptress,” a “siren”!
A’wu finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a loud wail.
A maid heard the noise and cautiously came to ask, but A’wu ignored her, covering her face and crying bitterly.
She hadn’t meant for this to happen; she didn’t know anything.
She had only hoped to find a man to rely on, but somehow ended up being taken by a man she had only met once!
But… she had nothing except her body.
Who could have imagined she would fall so low?
Her mother was dead, her father was missing, and her brother’s whereabouts were unknown.
What could she do?
No man was reliable, and now who could she turn to for justice?
Outside the door, the maids and eunuchs listened to the heart-wrenching sobs of the woman inside.
They looked at each other, all feeling uneasy.
Everyone knew that the woman inside was the new favorite of Emperor Jingxi, and Futai had specifically instructed them to serve her well.
But now she was crying, trembling as if she had suffered a great injustice.
What should they do?
They looked at each other, and one of them finally whispered,
“I’ll go and inform Eunuch Fu.”
The others nodded cautiously,
“Go, quickly.”
A’wu didn’t know about the distress of the maids and eunuchs.
She sat by the window, wiping her tears.
After crying for a while, the initial shock subsided, and she blinked her teary eyes, thinking about her current situation.
There was no turning back now.
She had already been intimate with the old Emperor, and there was no way to pretend it hadn’t happened.
In truth, the old Emperor was handsome, with a noble and imposing presence.
Before this, A’wu had been somewhat captivated by his dignified and majestic aura.
Although she had been with two men before, neither could compare to this one.
He exuded a mature, steady male charm, both domineering and gentle, seemingly indifferent yet somewhat accommodating, which had somewhat intrigued her.
But now, all those illusions had vanished, and only one word lingered in A’wu’s mind: old.
He was the Crown Prince’s father-of course he was old!
Old Emperor!
Old!
Old!
After gritting her teeth and cursing him as “old,” A’wu suddenly deflated.
Tearfully, she thought to herself that the old Emperor probably didn’t know her identity at first.
He had saved her from the hot springs, perhaps misunderstanding something, and by chance, they had become intimate.
He must have been infatuated with her body, but so what?
She now saw clearly that in their eyes, someone of her status was unworthy of any serious consideration; she was just a pretty plaything.
He could be infatuated with her, or he could be infatuated with someone else.
He was the Emperor, with a harem of three thousand concubines.
Any of them would do, and every year there were new selections!
If he found out that she had been his own son’s woman-that “unworthy” person he had dismissed with a sneer he would surely be furious!
What would he do?