The Han Dynasty Empress is a Ghost | Chapter 73 | An Unexpected Rebirth | Novela.app

The two of them concealed their forms and quietly slipped into Huicao Hall. After searching the grounds, they failed to find Lady Xing. Ajiao had no choice but to lead Yunhe to see Liu Run and Liu Bo first. The two children were already awake, reciting their lessons while washing up. Liu Run would lead with a line, and Liu Bo would follow. "That is the fifth son, Liu Bo. The girl beside him is his elder sister of the same mother, Liu Run." "This Liu Run is from our Reincarnation Department." Yunhe noticed the character for 'Punishment' etched upon Liu Run’s forehead as well. "Indeed. She was part of the earlier experiments with the Reincarnation Platform. I wonder where Lady Xing has gone?" "Let’s go look for her. We have nothing but time," Yunhe said, pulling Ajiao toward the door. Ajiao caught his arm. "Let’s ask Liu Run." As she approached, Yunhe cast a spell, allowing Liu Run to see them. Liu Run froze, stunned to see Ajiao again. "Ajiao? Why have you come to the mortal realm? And who is this?" "We are here on business, it’s hard to explain. I only want to ask—is Lady Xing pregnant? Where is she?" "She is." Liu Run’s expression darkened slightly as she cast a subtle glance at Liu Bo. "She has gone to Jiaofang Hall to pay her respects to the Empress." Yunhe pulled Ajiao away immediately. "Good, good. Let’s go find her." "Wait!" Liu Run tried to call out to them. "Princess?" a palace attendant asked in confusion. "It’s nothing. Is breakfast ready?" "It is, Your Highness," the attendant replied respectfully. Yunhe hurriedly dragged Ajiao back toward Jiaofang Hall. Midway there, they spotted Lady Xing being carried in a palanquin. Her figure did not yet show any outward signs of pregnancy. Yunhe performed an inspection and found that she was indeed with child. He grinned. "I’m going in. Look out for yourself!" With that, he transformed into a streak of golden light and plunged into Lady Xing’s womb. Ajiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. She considered finding Liu Run to arrange a palace identity for herself so she could remain at Huicao Hall. Just as she was about to head back, Yunhe came flying back out with a sharp *whoosh*. "What’s wrong?" Ajiao stepped forward, concerned. "It’s a girl!" Yunhe’s face was twisted with dissatisfaction. "Pfft!" Ajiao couldn't help but laugh. "A girl is fine. Just make do with it." Yunhe’s eyebrows shot up. "Not a chance. We’re looking again. I want to be a man. I’ve been a man for hundreds of years; I’m not reincarnating as a woman." Ajiao quickly tried to soothe him. "Alright, alright, we’ll keep looking." She pulled him along. "We’ll check them one by one. No rush, no rush." Only then did Yunhe follow her, grumbling under his breath. However, they searched until the afternoon, and not a single other pregnant woman was found in the palace. Ajiao and Yunhe sat dejectedly atop the roof of Xuanshi Hall. Yunhe sighed incessantly. "Why don't you go back to Lady Xing?" Ajiao suggested cautiously. "If we wait, it might be a long time. I heard earlier that a new batch of *Jiarenzi* will be entering the palace soon. Perhaps there will be more opportunities then." "Fine, we’ll wait a bit longer," Yunhe said, looking utterly reluctant. Ajiao let out a slow breath. Yunhe turned back to her and asked, "Once I reincarnate, what identity do you plan to take? Since I have to wait anyway, let’s get you settled first!" "Do I have to reincarnate too? Start as a baby?" Ajiao’s face fell. "Not necessarily. I can find someone who is about to die. Just as their soul is about to depart, I can tuck you inside. However, this spell has a restriction for me—I can only perform it once every three months." "I see. Then we must choose carefully. It’s best to pick someone close to the Emperor, someone who can speak with him. That way, it will be easier to look after you later." Ajiao took this as a matter of course. "Someone close?" Yunhe mused. "Who would that be?" "I don't really recognize the people around Liu Che anymore. The only one I know is Yang Deyi and his two apprentices. But I doubt we’ll find one of them near death." Ajiao rubbed her chin. *Surely I won't have to become a eunuch? That would be far too difficult.* Yunhe stood up. "Let me see... who is the closest..." As he spoke, a brilliant light swirled in his eyes, and his pupils turned gold. A moment later, he shouted, "Found one! Quick, quick, quick!" "Eh?" Ajiao was startled. "Wait, wait—" Before she could finish, she vanished from the spot. Yunhe clapped his hands. "Tsk, tsk. Why don't I ever get such perfect timing?" *** "Haa..." Ajiao felt a man buried against her neck, his breath heavy and ragged. Her vision had just cleared from the sudden darkness, only for her to find her limbs weak and powerless. She gasped for air, her eyes instantly turning red with fury. She was no sheltered maiden; she knew exactly what kind of situation she was in. The man seemed to have recovered. As he rose from her, Ajiao couldn't help but let out a low moan. Liu Che! *How is it? How is this identity? Close enough for you?* Yunhe’s jubilant voice echoed in her mind. Ajiao screamed back in her head: *I meant close as in a confidant! Not THIS kind of close!* Yunhe paused, then yelled back: *He’s plenty close!* Ajiao felt her blood boil and surge upward. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot. Liu Che was startled by the woman’s sudden hemorrhage. He got out of bed, threw his outer robe over his shoulders, and shouted, "Yang Deyi!" Yang Deyi, who had been guarding the door, hurried in at his master’s call, followed by maidservants carrying hot water. "Your Majesty, you... Oh, heavens, what happened?" Yang Deyi cried out when he saw the woman collapsed on the bed, covered in blood. Liu Che’s face was dark as thunder. He gave a cold command: "Dress me. We are returning to the palace." Yang Deyi dared not ask more. He hurriedly wrung out a cloth to give Liu Che a cursory wipe before helping him into his robes. Once dressed, Liu Che walked out without looking back. Yang Deyi glanced at the woman on the bed, sighed, and walked over to cover her with a quilt before rushing to catch up with the Emperor. As they turned a corner outside the room, they encountered the Grand Princess, Liu Ying. "Brother, today I..." Liu Che interrupted her impatiently. "Sister, go see for yourself. It is rare for me to be in the mood to leave the palace, only for it to be ruined like this." Spitting blood—whether from anger, illness, or even poison—had sent Liu Che’s relatively pleasant mood plummeting to rock bottom. "Wan'er, she..." Liu Ying faltered. Yang Deyi gestured behind Liu Che, pointing toward the room. A moment later, Liu Ying resumed her gentle smile. "It was my poor arrangement today. When Your Majesty is in better spirits another day, please come to the manor again. I shall call for a carriage..." "No need." Liu Che walked toward the exit. Liu Ying’s expression shifted for a split second before returning to normal. "Your Majesty." Wei Qing approached from a side path, leading Wei Yuan. Seeing that Wei Qing looked unwell, Liu Che slowed his pace. "I heard your health has been poor lately. I shall have the Imperial Physician come to examine you. I have matters to attend to, so I will not stay for dinner." Wei Qing bowed. "I thank Your Majesty for your concern. I shall see Your Majesty out." As the monarch and his official headed for the gate, Wei Yuan gave a huff and glared at the following Liu Ying before turning toward the inner rooms. Liu Che remained silent all the way to the front courtyard. Wei Qing finally sensed something was wrong. "Your Majesty, Wan'er..." Liu Ying stepped forward and took Wei Qing’s arm, smiling. "Wan'er is merely resting in the rear courtyard. How would His Majesty know of her?" Hearing this, Wei Qing looked at Liu Che. Seeing the Emperor board his carriage directly, he knew something must have happened. He could only suppress his words and respectfully see the Emperor off. Once the imperial carriage had disappeared into the distance, Wei Qing pried Liu Ying’s hand off his arm. Suppressing his rage, he asked, "When did you arrange this?" Liu Ying smiled. "Only these past few days. I thought that since this was His Majesty’s first visit to the Marquis’s manor in two years, I should entertain him well. I didn't expect..." Her face, too, clouded with irritation. "Wan'er, she—" Liu Ying cut him off. "Since His Majesty did not take Wan'er back to the palace, you should not mention it again, lest you incur his displeasure. That girl... I even had a governess teach her well. She was fine when she was toasting His Majesty and helping him inside. He liked her then. Why did he suddenly become angry?" She began to walk back. Suddenly, Wei Yuan’s maid came running up in a panic. "My Lord! Something has happened! The sixth Miss Chen has been poisoned!" *** Ajiao woke up in a daze. She saw Yunhe crouching by her bedside with a miserable expression. Seeing her wake, Yunhe spoke first. "What happened? Why are you still here after Liu Che left?" Ajiao felt a throbbing headache at his words. After a long while, she opened her eyes to survey her surroundings. They looked familiar. "Lord Yunhe, do you know where this is?" Yunhe looked dejected. "The Chen Manor. The place where you were before your reincarnation." Ajiao: "?!!!" What was going on? "Yunhe, let me see a mirror." Ajiao struggled to sit up. Everything hurt—her head, her throat, and her lower body. With a wave of Yunhe’s hand, the bronze mirror from the dressing table flew over. Ajiao sucked in a sharp breath. She did indeed recognize the person in the mirror. Chen Wan. The sixth daughter of the Chen family, and the cousin of her "cheap" father, Chen Yang. Ajiao had Yunhe put the mirror back. She was bewildered. "How could Chen Wan be with Liu Che... like that? I remember she’s sixteen this year, isn't she? Wasn't she betrothed? She was already engaged before I died." Wei Yuan had told her—taking advantage of Ajiao being titled Lady Huikang and with Wei Qing acting as matchmaker, the Chen family had betrothed Chen Wan to the second son of some Marquis. It was considered a step up in status, so the wedding date had been set early. "Miss?" A maid walked in. Seeing Ajiao propped up, she hurried over to help her lie back down while calling out to the hallway, "The sixth Miss is awake!" Ajiao had no choice but to lie down. Seeing this, Yunhe shrank into the corner at the foot of the bed. "Don't look at me! She was the only one near Liu Che who was about to die!" With that, he turned his head toward the wall. *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 刑容华 | Lady Xing / Ronghua Xing | A concubine of Liu Che. | | 刘润 | Liu Run | A princess, daughter of Lady Xing. | | 刘髆 | Liu Bo | Fifth son of Liu Che. | | 惠草殿 | Huicao Hall | The residence of Lady Xing. | | 容华 | Ronghua | A rank for imperial concubines. | | 家人子 | Jiarenzi | Palace maidens/candidates for the Emperor's favor. | | 陈莞 | Chen Wan | The sixth daughter of the Chen family; the body Ajiao inhabits. | | 刘迎 | Liu Ying | The Grand Princess (Elder Princess), sister of Liu Che. | | 君侯 | Junhou | Lord/Marquis; a respectful address for Wei Qing. | | 陈阳 | Chen Yang | Ajiao's father in her previous mortal life. |