When Lin Qingge mentioned Lin Moyuan, she suddenly remembered something extremely important.
"Sister Ningyue, you had physical intimacy with Lin Moyuan, so is Mo'er truly your child with Lin Moyuan?"
Uncertain which word displeased Leng Ningyue, her brows furrowed tightly, and she coldly stated:
"When I first transmigrated here, it seemed the original owner of this body still had consciousness. As soon as I entered this body, I was forcefully suppressed by the original owner.
Although there was a brief moment of clarity afterward, I was soon submerged into endless darkness again.
Therefore, it wasn't me who had physical intimacy with Lin Moyuan, but the original owner."
Feeling that it didn't make a difference who it was, Lin Qingge didn't understand why the other party was so persistent and asked somewhat strangely:
"Since Lin Zimo was born to you, Sister Ningyue, why did he become the son of my cheap elder brother?"
"I'm not entirely clear on what happened in between. Although I have the memories from before Shangguan Wan'er, my memories for the years after the incident seem to be locked away. I've tried several times but couldn't pry them open."
"Sister Ningyue, you're much stronger than me. At least you have the original owner's memories. Unlike me, who relied on deception. Fortunately, I was alone when I transmigrated.
However, based on the current situation, Mo'er's birth is related to Prime Minister Shangguan, or rather, his concubine Madam Xiahou.
And Madam Xiahou also has a daughter with Prime Minister Shangguan..."
Lin Qingge's eyes suddenly lit up as she spoke, "Sister Ningyue, neither you nor I know what happened, but there's someone who definitely knows!"
Leng Ningyue, who had also thought of something, raised an eyebrow. "You mean that imposter?"
"Exactly!"
Relying on Leng Ningyue's status as Empress and the assistance of Nanny Yu, Lin Qingge and the two of them smoothly arrived at the imperial prison.
Here, they saw the woman who had been shouting in the hall that she was the Empress.
"If I remember correctly, your name should be Shangguan Yuyan?"
The woman called Shangguan Yuyan by Leng Ningyue looked up, and upon seeing them, her expression instantly turned ferocious.
"Shangguan Wan'er, are you satisfied now?
I should have known. I plotted against you, so how could you be so kind as to hand over the position of Crown Princess to me? It turns out this was all your plan!
Were you waiting for this day to personally watch me fall from grace into the mud in my pathetic state?"
Lin Qingge and Leng Ningyue exchanged surprised glances.
Lin Qingge then signaled to Leng Ningyue. The latter, understanding, nodded and questioned:
"Shangguan Yuyan, was it you who instigated Tang Wan'er to drug me back then?"
Perhaps due to the drastic fall from Empress to prisoner, or the immense blow of being betrayed by her own father, Prime Minister Shangguan, Shangguan Wan'er adopted a defiant attitude and admitted:
"Yes!
Not only did I instigate Tang Wan'er, but I even prepared the medicine for you personally, my dear sister!
Who told you that you were too ostentatious in daily life, always putting on a high and mighty attitude towards everyone, provoking others' displeasure.
If not for that, how could little sister have this opportunity?
It's a pity, though, that the man I prepared for you back then was an ugly, decrepit old man with eighteen concubines in his household.
Who would have thought you'd have such good luck, and with a random grab, you caught His Highness the Crown Prince who happened to be passing by!
It truly makes little sister so jealous!"
"Perhaps he was a delicacy in your eyes, but he might be mere garbage in others'.
Also, don't call me sister. By age, you are half a year older than me."
...
Suffering a critical blow, Shangguan Yuyan's mouth twitched fiercely, and she then became hysterical:
"Shangguan Wan'er, you gave away the position of Crown Princess because you looked down on His Highness the Crown Prince?
Since you were willing to disfigure yourself to give me the position of Crown Princess, why did you come back?
I know!
It must be because you, this vain woman, thought that His Highness the Crown Prince at the time had no hope of inheriting the throne!
Now that you see His Highness the Crown Prince has successfully ascended the throne, you've come running back, wanting to reap the benefits and covet the position of Empress!
Hmph!
Dream on!
The position of Empress is mine!
When the Emperor sees your true colors, he will surely remember my kindness and will undoubtedly welcome me back into the harem!"
"Shangguan Yuyan, I'm not interested in the position of Empress. I just want to ask you, where is my child?"
"You mean that brat?
Although Father, out of consideration for you being his daughter as well, grudgingly spared your life.
However, that brat absolutely cannot be kept!"
Hearing that overly matter-of-fact tone, Lin Qingge couldn't help but interject:
"A child is innocent; it's a life nonetheless. Since you usurped Shangguan Wan'er's identity, why didn't you raise her son as well?"
"If that brat were kept, wouldn't my Imperial Son then have no chance at the position of Crown Prince?
Moreover, if I had to face the child of someone I disliked every day, who knows if one day I might accidentally strangle the child and reveal myself.
Oh right, I heard from my mother that you gave birth to a boy, and quite a chubby one at that.
However, he was drowned by my mother personally in a basin of water right after he was born!
Because she found the corpse inauspicious, my mother showed extra grace and allowed the wet nurse to take the dead infant away for disposal."
"Damn you!"
Lin Qingge was instantly enraged upon hearing this.
She pulled a hairpin from Leng Ningyue's head, quickly unlocked the prison door, and proceeded to beat the person inside.
Even though he wasn't her cheap elder brother's biological son, as long as she connected the infant in the water basin with Lin Zimo, she felt like killing the person before her!
That was the little child she had painstakingly raised since transmigrating here. Even without a blood relation, he was her only remaining family in this world.
How could these insane people do such a thing?!
"Alright, killing her would only dirty your hands.
Furthermore, for someone like this, death is a release. Living an ugly life is the true torment."
After speaking, Leng Ningyue pulled Lin Qingge out of the prison.
"Hmph, you're lucky!"
Lin Qingge spat, relocked the door, and then followed Leng Ningyue out of the imperial prison.
As she left, Leng Ningyue glanced back at the nondescript wall.
Upon returning to Yongshou Palace, Leng Ningyue did not pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Instead, she went to the secluded room, took out a bundle from a cabinet, and said with a smile:
"Actually, besides securing the support of the Great Xia royal family, I also put forth two additional conditions as atonement for you."