Chapter 540: Chapter 540: We won’t leave; we want to share your good fortune Chapter 540: Chapter 540: We won’t leave; we want to share your good fortune Wang Yingluo’s face was extremely unsightly.

She keenly knew what the men of Xiaoxi Village were like, those people were rotten to the core, including her own brothers and cousins.

The reason she became the darling of the group was that she had hypnotism at her disposal; she made the people of Xiaoxi Village believe she was a lucky star, capable of bringing fortune to the village.

Especially her family, who had been brainwashed by her for a whole three years, hence they were obedient to her words and treasured her like a precious gem.

But when she followed Jun Yuyan to the Capital City, she abandoned them without a second thought.

She didn’t want anyone holding her back, even if she was once the darling of the group, it had only been in a small village; without hypnotism, she likely would have been tied up in the house like other women, with no dignity like a dog.

If it weren’t for seizing the chance to become Jun Yuyan’s life-saving benefactor, why else would she have endured that place for three long years?

Towards these people, she felt a profound sense of loathing and disdain, as well as deep contempt.

Their eyes couldn’t hide their greed, constantly shifting between the Imperial Study Room and Murong Jiu’s face, such a disgraceful demeanor embarrassed Wang Yingluo, and she felt that Murong Jiu’s faint smile was mocking her.

Wang Yingluo said coldly, “Since Her Majesty the Empress’s soup has been delivered, it’s time to leave, isn’t it? I haven’t seen my brothers for many days and wish to catch up with them, so I won’t see out Her Majesty the Empress.”

Before Murong Jiu could say anything, Wang Yingluo’s eldest brother scolded, “Yingluo, how can you speak to Her Majesty the Empress like that? Her Majesty is so kind to us, and she looks like a celestial being, her presence here makes it feel as if we’re in paradise, why rush her to leave!”

The second brother added, “Exactly, Yingluo, you’re really out of line. You’re in the presence of Her Majesty the Empress, for heaven’s sake. You, being merely the Emperor’s woman and just a concubine, how can you be so disrespectful to the Empress!?”

Upon hearing these words, Wang Yingluo almost suffocated.

Ultimately, these country folks were crude and stupid; they looked down on women, yet were submissive to power, deep in their hearts they saw the Empress as the mother of the nation, unapproachable, yet they still eyed her beauty with concealed lecherous greed.

In their hearts, they also believed her to be just a village girl who had climbed up to reach the Emperor, and therefore should be reverential towards the Empress.

But Wang Yingluo possessed a modern soul; she had never thought of the Emperor and Empress of feudal times as unapproachable, she was determined to become the most noble woman in the world.

Clenching her fists in secret, Wang Yingluo suppressed the fury and suspicion in her heart, and was about to speak when she heard Murong Jiu quietly laughing and saying:
“Miss Wang sometimes truly lacks manners. I didn’t expect her brothers to be so sensible. I am somewhat surprised. It’s no wonder His Majesty is willing to grant you official titles. From now on, you are also nobility of the Capital City. Remember to bring your family to the Capital to enjoy the good fortune when the time comes.”

The brothers were ecstatic, “Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!”

Wang Yingluo’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the Emperor, having dealt with urgent matters, strode in.

The brothers quickly knelt and paid their respects, and seeing the Emperor’s amiable attitude, they became overzealous. Her eldest brother even dared to address the Emperor as “Brother-in-law, Your Majesty!”

Wang Yingluo chastised in a stern voice, “Eldest brother, you are too impolite! Even the Empress’s brothers wouldn’t dare to call His Majesty ‘brother-in-law,’ let alone I still lack the status. How could you be so rash in your address!”

She feared this appellation would reach the Empress Dowager and the ministers’ ears, and that their spittle alone could drown her.

She hadn’t become Empress yet and had to keep a low profile to avoid a bad reputation.

She could already see the corner of the Empress’s mouth lifting.

At that moment, Wang Yingluo even harbored murderous thoughts.

She wanted to wipe out the entire Xiaoxi Village.

“They’ve just arrived and don’t understand the proper etiquette, so there’s no need to be overly harsh,” Jun Yuyan spoke slowly, then turned to Murong Jiu, “Does the Empress have anything else to say?”

“Your Majesty has been working too hard to improve the governance; I have specially brought you some medicinal soup,” she responded.

Jun Yuyan nodded indifferently.

Murong Jiu’s lips tightened slightly, and then she tactfully excused herself.

Jun Yuyan looked at Wang Yingluo, “You and your brothers haven’t seen each other for days. I will leave you for a while, so you can catch up. I will come back later.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Wang Yingluo was solely focused on how to convince her three older brothers to go back voluntarily, so she completely ignored that Murong Jiu and Jun Yuyan had left the Imperial Study Room one after the other.

Once the Emperor left, the eunuchs and palace maids also exited, and Wang Yingluo’s three brothers immediately started walking around the Imperial Study Room, touching this and looking at that, acting as if they’d never seen anything of the kind before.

With a serious expression on her face, Wang Yingluo hadn’t yet figured out what to say when her eldest brother suddenly turned around.

“Why the long face? Are you not welcoming us? We followed your advice and didn’t come to Capital City to find you, worried that you might be mistreated in the palace. But to our surprise, you seem to be receiving such fine treatment! You enjoy good food and drink in the palace and you’ve forgotten your own family, haven’t you?”

Hearing him speak like this, Wang Yingluo knew that the hypnotism no longer worked.

Hypnotism is like brainwashing; it requires frequent reinforcement to be truly convincing.

She had been away from Xiaoxi Village, they had harbored resentment and thus came to question her.

With that in mind, she immediately showed a look of grievance.

“Is this what you really think of me? You have no idea how malicious the Empress is. I can’t be pleased enough to see you all; how could I possibly forget you? But I face harassment and traps every day, both the Empress and the Empress Dowager look down upon my background. I wanted to secure my position before I brought you over, but look at my head…”

Only then did the three of them notice the bandages wrapped around her head.

Wang Yingluo ground her teeth in secret frustration; if they truly cared for her, how could they not have noticed the injury on her head?

She had seen Murong Jiu’s brothers, and whether it was their gaze or body language, both were filled with concern and care, incomparable to her own situation.

“What happened to you?”

“It’s all because the Empress framed me. I only gained the Emperor’s trust by showing my willingness to die. This is a merciless harem, where a single misstep leads to continuous errors. Just a few days ago, a trusted eunuch by my side was killed by the Empress.”

This statement truly frightened them.

Being beheaded was no joke.

The eldest brother said, “Yingluo, we came to help you. You are all alone, without support. Now that we are officials, aren’t we a strong backbone for you?”

Having left the deep mountains, they naturally couldn’t bear to leave this enchanting, colorful world. Returning was out of the question.

Wang Yingluo bit her lip and said, “You should go back. You are too naive, and I fear you will be framed and harmed, and it will be too late for regrets.”

“Yingluo, to be honest with you, we can’t go back. Many people from Xiaoxi Village are dead, their heads chopped off by the soldiers. Xiaoxi Village is haunted every day now; we definitely can’t return to that cursed place.”

“What did you say?!”

Wang Yingluo raised her voice in disbelief.