After Entering The Abusive Novel, I Became The Empress - chapter 14

The next day, the leaves outside the window rustled faintly in the wind.

“Lu Jingchuan.”

Qin Yuqing lay flat on her bed, turning her head toward the world outside. She spotted a bird with broken wings struggling to climb to the treetop, only to fall into the abyss.

“These three assassination attempts—have you noticed anything?”

Lu Jingchuan walked out from behind the screen and sat down at her bedside, placing a letter beside her hand. “I found out.”

Qin Yuqing didn’t reach for the envelope. “There’s a bird outside with broken wings.”

“What?” Lu Jingchuan glanced toward the window but saw nothing.

“Nothing.” Her gaze shifted back to him. “I’m a patient now, so I’ll trouble young General Lu to read it aloud for me.”

Lu Jingchuan sighed, opened the envelope, and pulled out the paper. His voice, clear and cold like a mountain spring, echoed in the room:

“The first and second assassination attempts were ordered by His Majesty, intended to—”

“Expose my movements, right? So others could intercept me.” Qin Yuqing cut him off with a cold laugh, sighing helplessly. “Perhaps… that’s just how the imperial family works.”

“And the third time—who do you think it was?” She pressed down her emotions. After all, this wasn’t her home. In the modern world, she had parents who loved her, and she intended to return there.

“I can’t guess. It isn’t written here.” Lu Jingchuan’s answer was blunt.

Qin Yuqing arched a brow, finding amusement in it. “Can’t guess—or don’t dare to?”

He stayed silent. But sometimes, silence itself was an answer.

She studied his still-youthful face carefully, committing it to memory. “You’ll have to make a choice.”

“I already have.” His dark eyes reflected only her figure. “I choose you.”

“Liar,” she murmured softly, then shifted the subject with practiced ease. “Do you know Park Qinghe?”

In the original book, the relationship between the Parks and Lus wasn’t mentioned. But judging from Park Qinghe’s reaction to the Lu family, and his familiarity when speaking of Lu Jingchuan, it was clear the two were close.

“We’ve known each other since childhood. Our fathers were acquainted early on.”

As she expected. A theory grew firmer in Qin Yuqing’s mind — this world was indeed The Empress, but perhaps from a discarded draft, or even just the earliest outline.

“The third attempt… was him?” Lu Jingchuan’s ever-steady tone finally cracked with a trace of shock, his words hesitant.

Qin Yuqing nodded slightly and told him everything that had happened, including the matter of the privately minted coins.

“How did you know?” Lu Jingchuan asked the same question as Park Qinghe had. Truly, like brothers.

Before she could answer, he added, “No need to tell me. That’s your trump card.”

“Fine. When the time is right, I’ll let you know.” This time Qin Yuqing smiled genuinely. In truth, she still hadn’t figured out how to explain the system — it was beyond reason, after all.

Park Qinghe was straightforward to a fault, and indifferent toward matters beyond the Park family. He wouldn’t dig deeper into her words.

But Lu Jingchuan was different. He clearly knew something was off about her, yet chose to turn a blind eye, pretending to know nothing.

“The flower-viewing at Mount Wen is about to begin.” From her window overlooking the cliff, Qin Yuqing saw carriages rolling in.

She thought for a moment, then reminded him for safety’s sake: “Don’t forget what you promised me.”

Lu Jingchuan nodded, pulling another envelope from his robes. He almost handed it to her, then remembered her words and instead read it aloud obediently.

Qin Yuqing mostly listened quietly, only interrupting with a few puzzled questions.

“So you’re saying, in the past three years’ imperial examinations, the top scorer was…?”

“No one investigated?”

“This time the supervising examiner is the Crown Prince, and the reviewing official is the Second Prince? That intense?”

A knock at the door interrupted them. Qin Yuqing and Lu Jingchuan finalized their strategy — perhaps this time, she wouldn’t need to fight for it. Someone else might do the work for her.

“Your Highness, Eunuch Zhang is waiting outside,” Chuntao called.

Qin Yuqing glanced at Lu Jingchuan, then at the cliff beyond the window — her meaning clear: time for him to leave.

“There’s a cliff out there,” he said coldly as he stood.

“I know.” Her fox-like eyes curved mischievously, her tone playful. “This is the princess’s boudoir, and I just rejected your marriage proposal. Surely young General Lu isn’t thinking of forcing matters now that the imperial betrothal failed?”

His face flushed crimson again. Without another word, he vaulted out the window, one hand gripping the eaves as he swung up to the roof.

“Eunuch Zhang, I’m unwell and can’t rise to greet you,” Qin Yuqing called. Zhang served at the emperor’s side — not someone to offend lightly.

“No matter. As long as the princess is well, this old servant will wait outside,” he replied with a smile.

Right then, Chuntao pushed in something resembling a wheelchair. Scratching her head shyly, she said, “Time was short… I hope the princess won’t mind.”

Qin Yuqing shook her head, resting her hand on Chuntao’s as she carefully sat.

Chuntao spread a blanket over her legs and draped a cloak across her shoulders. “Princess, you never care for yourself. Once this is over, you must stay in the palace and truly rest, no more running about.”

Qin Yuqing usually hated being nagged — except by one person. In the modern world, her best friend had scolded her the same way, saying she worked herself too hard for her projects, never resting properly.

Chuntao’s voice was uncannily similar.

Thinking of this, Qin Yuqing smiled and deflected as she always had: “I know, I know. I won’t sneak off again.”

“Hah, the way you said that — anyone can tell you’re teasing me.”

“You—hurry and push me out. Don’t keep Eunuch Zhang waiting.” Qin Yuqing tapped Chuntao’s forehead indulgently.

“Yes, princess.” Chuntao chuckled sheepishly, wheeling her out.

The contraption, though ugly, was sturdy and comfortable enough.

“Oh dear, what’s happened to you, princess?” Eunuch Zhang frowned as he led the way. “By His Majesty’s order, you needn’t perform formal courtesies until you’ve healed.”

“Then I thank Father Emperor in advance.” Qin Yuqing wore her harmless smile once more and probed cautiously: “Does Eunuch Zhang know what I’ve been through on the way here?”

“The moment news of the assassination reached the palace, His Majesty flew into a rage,” Zhang replied smoothly. “Had I known you would be attacked, I would’ve given my life to stop it. But don’t worry, His Majesty will see the matter thoroughly investigated.”

His words were watertight.

“Really?” Qin Yuqing thought darkly. More likely, that cheap father of hers would cover it up instead.

“Of course. His Majesty dotes on his princesses above all.”

“A great honor indeed,” she said lightly.

They soon reached the main hall. Because of her injuries and the delay, she was the last to arrive.

At once, she spotted Lu Jingchuan seated beside his father, face composed as he listened, eyes softened with rare warmth.

“So this is our sixth sister?” A man in dark green robes, no more than twenty-something, smiled at her.

Though this was a flower-viewing, most officials still wore formal attire. Even Lu Jingchuan had changed. But this man needed no such dress. And that false smile…

This must be the Second Prince, Qin Junyi — examiner for this year’s imperial examinations.

“Second Brother.” Qin Yuqing smiled, pointing to her legs. “I need rest these days, so I won’t bow.”

“We’re family, no need for such formalities,” Qin Junyi replied, warm and refined, exactly as the book had described him — gentle as jade.

You’d never guess he was the very man who would later collude with Lu Zhongxin to betray the nation.

“Second Brother jests. One mustn’t forget proper courtesies.” If it’s acting you want, I can act too.

“This year, I’m the examiner. But can Sixth Sister’s health recover in time for the exams?”

Before she could answer, another man arrived, clad in light yellow. Around the same age as Qin Junyi, he grinned broadly. “Second Brother, of course Sixth Sister will recover in time. As her elder brother, you should be wishing her well, shouldn’t you?”

Light yellow — only the Crown Prince could wear that. Qin Youqian.

But in the book, the emperor was weak and incompetent. This prince didn’t seem like someone who would openly challenge the Second Prince.

Then again, plenty of characters had already collapsed from their original settings. One more wouldn’t matter.

Still, in the novel, Crown Prince Qin Youqian’s end was truly disgraceful — literally ugly in death.

“How could I not care? I worry for Sixth Sister. Don’t tease me, Your Highness,” Qin Junyi replied smoothly. “After all, it’s rare to be assigned examiner, and by coincidence, our eldest brother was appointed as supervisor this year. As elder brothers, we only hope Sixth Sister might see us at our best. Isn’t that right, Crown Prince?”

“Then what, Second Brother? The rest of our sisters aren’t allowed to watch?” A sweet, clear voice cut in — Qin Qinqin, Fourth Princess.

“Fourth Sister.” Qin Yuqing smiled warmly. “I’ve missed you.”

“When did you two become so close?” Qin Junyi asked softly.

“None of your business,” Qin Qinqin shot back coldly.

In the novel, she had aligned herself with the Crown Prince from the start — he was, after all, her full brother. And his greatest rival was Qin Junyi.

It seemed the first open clash between them would indeed occur during this exam.

Qin Yuqing watched quietly from the side. The fiercer their conflict, the more she could sit back and reap the benefits. After all, there was still a much bigger fish she needed to hook.

“Crown Prince, Second Brother, Fourth Sister,” she said, recalling the attack at Mount Wen. Park Qinghe’s attitude had been clear — the mastermind was royalty. But likely he didn’t know which one.

Judging from his contempt for the princesses, the one who’d put a price on her head probably wasn’t among them.

“At Mount Wen, I was attacked. Do you know who tried to kill me?” Qin Yuqing’s eyes reddened at will, her head lowering in helplessness as she gripped her blanket. Her already frail body looked all the more fragile. “It was the Parks who tried to assassinate me.”

“How could it be the Parks?” Qin Youqian’s shock looked genuine.

“Weren’t they already purged by the authorities? Could there be survivors?” Qin Junyi’s choice of words displeased her, but at least he seemed unaware.

“Which Park was it? Tell me and I’ll avenge you,” Qin Qinqin blurted out, her reaction overdone. A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes — not toward Qin Yuqing, but at the mention of the Parks.

Oh?

From their reactions…

Could it be that Qin Qinqin and Park Qinghe…

…had something going on?