When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

Tan You had gone out to sea, leaving only Chen Xi and An Wen in the capital. Chen Xi herself was swamped with work, but no matter how busy she was, she still hadn’t forgotten to search for Chen Cui.

Even after enduring the turmoil of those chaotic years, Chen Xi didn’t believe that someone as selfish and self-serving as Chen Cui could be living poorly. The great irony was that it was usually the upright and principled who ended up living unsatisfying lives.

Meanwhile, the selfish and self-serving ones thrived. It was, one had to admit, a profound irony.

But Chen Xi was the emperor now. When she wanted to find someone, they would be found. Her intelligence network spanned the entire nation. Even if Chen Cui was a woman of the inner quarters, hidden away deep in some family compound, she could still be located. It would just take more time.

After more than a year of searching, one afternoon, as Chen Xi was reviewing memorials, Liu Fu entered and spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty, we’ve found Chen Cui. She is outside now."

The hand with which Chen Xi held her brush froze, and a drop of ink fell onto the memorial, leaving a vermilion dot. Composing herself, Chen Xi placed the brush in its washer, then looked at Liu Fu. "Summon An Wen and Chen Xing. There are matters that must be brought to a close."

"And also, invite several of the clan elders, the Clan Leader, and the clan matrons to come."

Liu Fu bowed low. "Yes, Your Majesty. This old servant will go at once."

Soon, An Wen and Chen Xing, pulled from their duties at the Ministry of War and the hospital, arrived at the Diligent Governance Hall. Kneeling in the very center of the hall was a woman of about thirty-five or thirty-six.

The woman was dressed in expensive clothes, her skin fair and her fingers slender, without a single callus from hard work. It was clear she had been well-kept and pampered for many years.

An Wen glanced at her, his expression puzzled. He knew the name Chen Cui, but how would he know what she looked like? Thus, having been summoned so hastily to the Diligent Governance Hall, he was utterly baffled.

It was the same for Chen Xing. She had only been three years old when Tan You had taken her in, and she didn’t remember anything from before then. So, upon seeing Chen Cui, she merely sat quietly to one side, completely unconcerned with the unfolding events.

The Clan Leader, Chen Tianshui, and the clan elders also arrived at the Diligent Governance Hall soon after. After Chen Xi ascended the throne, she hadn’t lavished rewards upon her clan members. Since they all came from a background of old farmers, becoming wealthy and idle was the best choice for them.

On a typical day, everyone was very low-key. Despite being imperial relatives, they all strictly minded their words and actions.

This kept things much purer. So, being suddenly summoned into the palace by Chen Xi, the clan elders couldn’t help but feel it was strange. Chen Tianshui’s wife, Auntie Cuihua, stared at Chen Xi for a long while before suddenly exclaiming, "My dear, isn’t that Chen Cui?"

Chen Tianshui and the other clan elders also recognized Chen Cui. Third Grandpa even walked closer, studying her for a long moment before saying with a tremor in his voice, "It is indeed her."

Now that everyone was present, Chen Xi closed her eyes. She carefully studied An Wen’s face, then compared it to Chen Cui’s features. After a long moment, she said regretfully, "You and Chen Cui... you don’t resemble each other in the slightest."

"He wouldn’t, since she’s not his birth mother," a voice suddenly called out. Chen Xi’s expression flickered. Chen Xing, who had been sitting to one side, immediately got up and trotted toward the entrance of the hall.

The sound of Tan You’s voice suppressed some of the violent rage in Chen Xi’s heart, but the sight of Chen Cui still made her slam her hand on the desk in fury. Chen Cui cringed in fear, wishing she could find a corner to disappear into.

An Wen, however, was stunned as if struck by lightning. He took two quick steps to stand before Chen Cui, then bent over slightly, his gaze sweeping over her face inch by inch. After a long time, he finally looked away, but the fists hanging at his sides were clenched tighter and tighter.

He was completely oblivious to the stir caused by Tan You’s return.

Soon, Chen Xing entered the Diligent Governance Hall, arm-in-arm with Tan You. Behind Tan You, Chen Yue led in a bound middle-aged man of about forty, as well as a young man around the same age as An Wen.

The middle-aged man was dressed in silks and brocades, wore a gold ring on his hand, and looked ostentatiously wealthy. But his eyes were shifty, and one could tell at a glance that he was a fickle person, not someone to be trusted.

The young man beside him, however, bore a striking resemblance to Chen Cui. An Wen, on the other hand, looked remarkably like this middle-aged man.

Liu Fu was the first to bow, and then with a great RUSTLE, a wide swath of people in the hall knelt. "Greetings, Great Matron."

Tan You took a few steps forward to help the clan elders to their feet. "No need for these empty formalities. Third Grandpa, esteemed elders, you kneeling to me like this... you’ll shorten my life."

When Chen Xi took the throne, Tan You’s status naturally rose with the tide, making her the Emperor Emeritus. However, Tan You herself disliked this title, preferring that everyone address her as Great Matron.

Chen Xi stood behind the desk, her eyes locked on Tan You. After a long moment, the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile as she said softly, "Mother, you’re back."

Tan You looked back at her, a smile playing on her lips. "Don’t smile if you don’t feel like it. If you have to wear a mask even in front of family, life becomes far too bleak."

Chen Xi clenched her fists. She stared at the middle-aged man for a long while before her gaze finally fell upon An Wen. "So there was a reason you two don’t look alike. You’re actually Qi Yaosong’s son."

Chen Xi was no fool; seeing An Wen and Qi Yaosong together made the truth of the matter clear at a glance. Chen Cui, slumped on the ground, shook her head frantically, and Qi Yaosong looked as if he was about to speak up in protest.

But before he could, Chen Yue kicked him and Qi Chen squarely in the back of their knees. "Kneel!"

The two of them staggered from the kick and collapsed wretchedly to their knees before Chen Xi and An Wen.

Tan You chuckled lightly. "Not so slow on the uptake. Let Qi Yaosong tell the truth himself."

She said this as she sat down in a nearby chair. When she looked at Qi Yaosong again, Tan You’s tone became chilling. "If you tell a single lie, I will have one of Qi Chen’s hands broken. We’ll just see how many times he can withstand that, won’t we?"

Qi Yaosong trembled. "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty! This commoner... this commoner would never dare to hide anything..."

Chen Yue rebuked him impatiently, "Less nonsense. Stop dawdling."

Qi Yaosong knew this matter would not be settled peacefully. He wanted to say something, but he opened and closed his mouth without a single word coming out.

Tan You propped her head on her hand, watching him with a mocking gaze. When he remained silent for several breaths, she gave Chen Yue a meaningful look. Chen Yue, ever perceptive, immediately grabbed Qi Chen’s arm. With a forceful twist, she elicited a scream from him that sounded like a pig being slaughtered.

"AHH, it hurts! Father, save me! Mother, it hurts so much!"

Chen Cui’s heart ached for her son. She shuffled forward on her knees to get to Qi Chen’s side. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Qi Chen is your younger cousin! He has the Chen family’s blood in him... How... how can you be so cruel to him?"

Tears of pain flew from Qi Chen’s eyes, but as soon as he heard he was the emperor’s cousin, his howls of pain immediately stopped. A look of delight even surfaced on his face.

Chen Xi glanced at Chen Cui. "And what about An Wen? Is he not a member of the Chen family?"

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