The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Consort Rou was quite pleased.

But her face showed a cautious expression: ”Jiulang, you aren’t really going to depose the Empress, are you? After all, the Empress hasn’t done anything wrong. She loves you so much. If you deposed her, she’d surely be heartbroken.”

In truth, Consort Rou was inwardly hoping for the Empress’s deposition. The Empress only claimed her position thanks to her family’s status. If the Gao family fell, she wouldn’t be able to act so arrogantly anymore.

Consort Rou had even imagined how she would later go to the Cold Palace to humiliate Anning after the Empress was deposed and sent there.

”No matter how much she loves me, I dislike her. Seeing her makes me feel disgusted. Besides, she’s long since been impure. It’s only due to the Gao family’s power that I have to tolerate her now.”

Emperor Kang He was utterly revolted at the thought of Anning.

Clearly, he was the one who had others impersonate her to deceive Anning, yet he believed it was all Anning’s fault, that Anning had betrayed him.

Consort Rou also thought of these things and purposely said, ”Your Majesty is so kind-hearted and generous, but someone like the Empress, who has affairs with others, indeed goes too far.”

She touched her belly and said, ”Jiulang, I’m getting older, and in a few more years, I might not be able to bear children for you.”

Emperor Kang He felt terribly sorry for her.

He embraced Consort Rou, trying to comfort her: ”Bear with it a little longer. I promise, within two years, I’ll make you Empress, and then you can have as many children as you want.”

”Jiulang.”

Consort Rou called out sweetly, her voice full of sugary affection.

Xiao Yuan stayed at Anning’s place until just before dawn before getting out of bed.

When he got up, Anning was reluctant, holding onto Xiao Yuan’s waist and lingering there for a while.

Xiao Yuan smiled and kissed Anning on the cheek: ”What, you don’t want to part?”

Anning nodded: ”Who knows when I’ll see you again.”

Seeing Anning’s aggrieved expression made Xiao Yuan feel tender. He hugged Anning, ”Don’t worry, it will be soon.”

Knowing the time was late, Xiao Yuan let go reluctantly and turned to leave.

Anning watched Xiao Yuan leave, sat quietly for a while, then turned and went back to bed to sleep.

Today, Lu You, the Deputy Commander of the Hidden Guards, came to pick up Xiao Yuan.

Normally, Hei Ling, the Commander of the Hidden Guards, would escort Xiao Yuan. It was unclear what happened today that caused Lu You to be the one bringing Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan was led out from Changle Palace through a secret passage by Lu You.

In the past, Xiao Yuan would have quietly followed, draped in a black cloak, head down, not saying a word.

But today, he was different. As they reached the end of the secret passage, he suddenly spoke: ”We probably don’t have much time left, do we?”

Lu You was taken aback.

He didn’t respond but instead opened the door to a dark room, letting Xiao Yuan in.

Xiao Yuan entered without resistance, obediently stepping inside.

The door to the dark room closed behind him, locked from the outside, leaving Xiao Yuan in utter darkness once more.

The darkness was not the main issue, rather it was the fact that, apart from Xiao Yuan, there wasn’t even a rat in the room.

Staying in this perpetual darkness, with no sense of time passing, utterly alone, the loneliness alone could drive a person insane.

This body’s former occupant survived by recalling Anning’s every movement, living off every word she said and every smile she offered; otherwise, he might have lost his mind long ago.

Indeed, the former occupant of Xiao Yuan’s body loved Anning madly.

From the moment he first saw this noble lady of the Gao family, he fell in love, and with each interaction, his love grew deeper. By now, the former occupant no longer knew the extent of his love for Anning.

He wanted to help Anning, but had no way to do so.

He himself was not free, unaware of how much longer he could live, and thus unable to help that poor woman.

Yet he was unwilling to accept this, feeling disdain for Emperor Kang He’s character, thinking someone so treacherous and foolish had no right to be emperor, but he was unable to resist.

The former occupant dared not tell Gao Anning these things either.

He knew if Gao Anning remained ignorant, she could survive longer, but if she knew about the Emperor’s use of a double, she might not live much longer.

The former occupant once contemplated escape, had one chance to do so.

But before he left, he thought again of Gao Anning, and couldn’t bring himself to go.

He feared that after he left, Emperor Kang He would find another double. Each time he thought of that possibility, the former occupant felt such heartache he couldn’t breathe. He thought, if I have to die, then dying with the person I love wouldn’t be a wasted life.

The former occupant had always wished to become Anning’s true husband, to protect her from harm, and ideally, to overthrow Emperor Kang He, making him feel what it’s like to be confined in a small dark room.

When Xiao Yuan entered this body, he embraced these wishes.

He promised to help the former occupant fulfill his wishes, and only then did the former occupant completely disappear.

Once inside the small dark room, Xiao Yuan lay down on the bed to rest his eyes.

Meanwhile, Lu You locked the door to the dark room and turned to leave.

After a few steps, Lu You was startled.

What Xiao Yuan had said earlier was cryptic, so Lu You hadn’t taken it to heart.

But now he suddenly understood what Xiao Yuan meant.

The fact that Emperor Kang He employed a double to sleep with his wife couldn’t be revealed, or how would the people of the nation view him? How would the ministers in court perceive him? Emperor Kang He might end up as the most mocked emperor in history, becoming a laughingstock.

Thus, no matter what the future held, Empress Gao and Xiao Yuan couldn’t be allowed to live.

Their deaths were all but assured.

So how could the Hidden Guards who knew of this survive?

It seemed likely he, Hei Ling, and any Hidden Guard that had come into contact with Xiao Yuan would be executed. If Emperor Kang He was more ruthless, he might even command a complete purge and replacement of the Hidden Guards.

Thinking of this, Lu You felt a sudden, unspeakable grief and resentment.

Lu You was different from Hei Ling.

Hei Ling was fiercely loyal to Emperor Kang He, ready to die for him.

However, Lu You wasn’t as loyal as Hei Ling.

His role as the Deputy Commander of the Hidden Guards was merely for survival. He lacked any fervent loyalty to the emperor or the nation. Though he acted loyal, he truly wasn’t prepared to forsake everything for Emperor Kang He.

Moreover, Lu You had recently fallen in love with a woman.

The Hidden Guards, all orphans, were meant to serve the emperor without ties, having no family burdens or relatives to worry about, making it easier to sacrifice their lives when necessary.

Lu You was the same.

He was an orphan, picked up from an orphanage by the former commander of the Hidden Guards. Raised under rigorous training, he grew up to become one of them, gaining commendations and slowly rising to the position of Deputy Commander.

Yet, against all odds, someone as cold-blooded as him had met a woman he fell hopelessly in love with.

The woman was an Oiran from Chunfeng Building. Though labeled as an Oiran, she was nearing obsolescence as Chunfeng Building prepared new talent, soon to push Hongyu to receive clients.

It was at this time that Lu You met Hongyu and gradually fell for her.

He had decided to find a way to buy her freedom, get her settled somewhere, and eventually find a path to escape the life himself, to enjoy a peaceful life with Hongyu in some serene, beautiful place.

Lu You didn’t want to die; he wished to live a good life with Hongyu.