I won't say in a perfect world, but in a better world Chenbi would have come to the Forbidden City either knowing or being misled that- even if she were miserable there- her son was alive a well; she would have found a friend in Yingluo and the two would have been so close that Chenbi would probably be the only one to care for her when Mingyu died because, with or without Chenbi's interference, Mingyu was going to die within the year with that needle so close to her heart. In a better world, Yingluo would have found a way to allow Chenbi to see her son again and perhaps gotten him housed somewhere close so that Chenbi could ensure he was being treated well.