Watching his actions, Song Yuning lowered her eyes to hide the contempt within them.

That brief spark of romantic affection she had felt for Emperor Wenhui had probably dissipated amid these contemptible minor details.

A hidden pain throbbed in her abdomen. Song Yuning picked up some pickled bamboo shoots and placed them on the small white porcelain dish in front of Emperor Wenhui.

“It’s touching that you still remember what I favor.”

Song Yuning smiled faintly. “When Qianbai was just born, Your Majesty doted on him greatly, holding him in your arms all day. You never paid any attention to that saying about holding grandsons but not sons. Back then, even when Your Majesty wanted to eat these pickled bamboo shoots, you would restrain yourself, saying you feared the alcohol smell on your body would make Qianbai uncomfortable.”

Emperor Wenhui’s eyes softened as he heaved a long sigh. “I truly wanted to let Qianbai…”

“Forget it, forget it. Let’s not speak of this.”

Song Yuning stroked her lower abdomen, seeming to be in pain. She raised her head, about to speak, when suddenly she spat out a mouthful of dark brownish blood with a splutter.

“You…”

Emperor Wenhui was greatly shocked. Just as he was about to have someone summon the imperial physician, sudden sharp pain struck his abdomen, making him bend over violently.

“Your Majesty!”

The attending eunuch in the room stepped forward. Seeing Emperor Wenhui suddenly collapse to the ground, he hurriedly went to summon the imperial physician. From the shadows emerged a hunched figure. He walked to Emperor Wenhui’s side, pulled out a ceramic bottle two fingers wide from his robes, poured out a red pill, and placed it in Emperor Wenhui’s mouth.

Seeing this, Song Yuning felt immense hatred in her heart. She knew that if today’s attempt failed, it would inevitably implicate Song Wan and the Song residence. She couldn’t help but speak in despair. “Your Majesty, come with this consort. Don’t commit such a monstrous wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

Emperor Wenhui narrowed his eyes, which were full of vicious malice.

Song Yuning said, “In Qianbai’s heart, Your Majesty is an enlightened ruler for the ages. He respects and reveres you. To him, Your Majesty is a sage emperor and wise king, the loving father who held him in his arms from childhood.”

“This consort doesn’t want you to destroy the image of the towering father emperor in Qianbai’s heart.”

As she spoke, Song Yuning vomited out large mouthfuls of fresh blood.

Wan’er was a child she had raised. How could she not see through her every action and understand what thoughts she harbored? But regicide was no easy matter. If Wan’er failed, Emperor Wenhui would certainly be enraged and put her to death, and would also implicate the entire Song clan.

But she herself was different. After all, there was some measure of husband-wife affection between the two of them, and moreover there was Qianbai between them. Furthermore, Emperor Wenhui cared about his reputation and wouldn’t want this kind of matter known to everyone.

Even if she died today, he would quietly find some excuse to cover it up, just as he had handled the Empress and Consort Jiang.

Song Yuning looked at Emperor Wenhui and murmured in a low voice, “Qianbai has already suffered enough. This consort cannot let Your Majesty destroy the father in his heart.”

She had been by Emperor Wenhui’s side for over ten years but had never seen this old eunuch before today, nor did she know that Emperor Wenhui possessed such life-saving measures.

Emperor Wenhui said, “How did you learn of the Nanqing matter?”

Song Yuning laughed bitterly. “You sent Jiang Man out of the palace. You could hide it from this consort for a time, but how could you hide it from this consort for a lifetime?”

Emperor Wenhui narrowed his eyes slightly, his pair of murky old eyes full of scrutiny.

For Shen Qianbai’s sake, he had always treated Song Yuning differently, yet never expected she would harbor such vicious thoughts.

Blood and tears streamed down Song Yuning’s face, her eyes full of earnest pleading.

Looking at her, Emperor Wenhui finally sighed. “I have always respected loving mothers, and you have always been sincere toward Qianbai.”

“What a pity my own mother consort was not like this. From childhood she taught me to hide my capabilities and bide my time, to seek advantage and avoid harm, which is why I developed such a temperament.”

Staggering to his feet, he looked down at Song Yuning from above. “After Qianbai was injured, you never forced him to compete with the Crown Prince for position. I am very gratified by this.”

“I don’t want to hurt Qianbai’s heart. Today I’ll leave you with an intact corpse.”

The young eunuch from earlier stepped forward to help Emperor Wenhui up, while the hunched old man had already disappeared without a trace. But Song Yuning knew he must be constantly guarding Emperor Wenhui’s side to protect his safety.

Two people entered from outside the hall. They wrapped Song Yuning in bedding and carried her out of Zhaohui Hall where Emperor Wenhui resided.

Only when they reached a secluded part of the palace at Ganquan Well did the two men stop.

One of them set Song Yuning down and forced a pill into her mouth.

“Your Ladyship was too impulsive today. This matter should have been approached gradually.”

Song Yuning’s entire body was soaked with sweat. Now, stimulated by the cold wind, she couldn’t help but shiver violently. “Even if the imperial edict were issued immediately, mobilizing and dispatching troops in court would still require three to five days. For the edict to reach Shaanxi and for the six sons of the Ming family to dispatch troops to the Suo River would take another ten days or so. Border matters cannot be delayed—how can I afford to approach this gradually?”

She couldn’t bear to see the Crown Prince defeated in battle, leaving Wan’er widowed again, nor did she want Qianbai to inherit the realm Emperor Wenhui left behind.

If Nanqing truly broke through the Suo River and passed through Shaanxi, how would her Qianbai deal with that devastation? Would he become a weak and incompetent, cowering ruler like his father, or would he risk himself on the battlefield like the Crown Prince?

Therefore, this stumbling block that was Shen Congyi must die, and must die quickly!

“Yuning has a favor to ask…”

Song Wan sat in Laiyi Pavilion, constantly discussing with Zhao Nanzhang about tomorrow’s palace gate opening. The two were busy working when Heng Zhi quietly stepped forward to say that a Eunuch Yuan from outside was requesting an audience.

“Yuan? Eunuch Yuan from Zhongyang Palace?”

Song Wan was somewhat surprised. Before she entered the palace, her father had said if she had any difficulties, she could seek him out. After brief consideration, Song Wan walked out of Laiyi Pavilion.

“Song Chenghui.”

Yuan Rong looked at Song Wan and in an indifferent tone informed her of today’s matter—how Song Yuning had attempted but failed to poison Emperor Wenhui to death. He also mentioned the red pill and the deeply hidden old eunuch. After explaining everything, Yuan Rong wanted to leave but was stopped by Song Wan.

“How is my aunt now?”

“Her life is not in danger. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

“Where is she?”

“A safe place.”

Seeing that Yuan Rong was unwilling to say much more to her, Song Wan frowned and said in a low voice, “Before entering the palace, Father said that if I encountered difficulties in the palace, I could seek Eunuch Yuan’s help.”

“This servant did indeed receive kindness from Minister Song in earlier years and did promise to help him once.”

Hearing that he had no intention of involving himself in palace chaos, Song Wan clutched her handkerchief and curtseyed slightly to Yuan Rong. “For today’s matter, I thank you on my father’s behalf.”

“No need for courtesy.”

Having no intention of staying longer, Yuan Rong quickly left Laiyi Pavilion after speaking.

Zhao Nanzhang emerged from behind the screen, grasping Song Wan’s hand with worry. “Even Noble Consort Yun failed to poison him to death, so what about us…”

The plan they had formulated earlier was to have someone put poison in Emperor Wenhui’s meals. Now it seemed this method was completely unfeasible.

Song Wan clenched her fists, her heart in turmoil.

She worried about the Crown Prince, worried about her aunt, and also feared that tomorrow when the palace gates opened and all officials went to court, not a single person would know about the Suo River matter.

Yet who would have known that tonight, she was far from the only one whose heart was troubled and who couldn’t sleep.

Shen Qianbai stood at the palace gate for a long time, unable to decide whether he should leave the palace to find Song Lan’an.

The eunuch who had served him since childhood, seeing his master make no move, said timidly, “Master…”

Shen Qianbai raised his eyes—beneath the silver mask was a pair of bright and clear eyes.

The eunuch shrank back, stammering, “Master, if… if the Crown Prince cannot return, the throne—this realm—will be yours.”