The Emperor was displeased. The one who fell in the water was his woman, yet even if Yuwen Changqing was rushing to save her, running so fast was still quite irritating. So he abandoned the sedan chair he was originally going to take. The Emperor followed the Great General in a quick walk, remarkably managing to look quite graceful rather than disheveled.

Baoshan felt her vision blur for a moment, and then everyone had disappeared.

Yuwen Changqing was in such haste because he already felt quite guilty toward Consort Yan. Having an opportunity to atone, naturally he should run faster. Gu Chaobei’s urgency was of course because Yan’er was still carrying a ball!

By the time they rushed to Taiye Lake, several palace attendants had already pulled both Imperial Concubine Fu and Lady Gao ashore in a flurry of activity. Shen Guiyan was last. For some reason she refused to let anyone rescue her, yet her body was floating on the water’s surface. Having soaked in the water for so long, she still wouldn’t come up.

“Your Ladyship, what’s wrong?” Consort Hua stood on the shore, her expression appearing quite anxious as she looked at the water. “Quickly come up!”

Shen Guiyan feigned dizziness, floating in the water for quite a while without any movement.

She had miscalculated one thing—her clothing was originally loose and flowing, but once she fell in the water it all clung to her body. If she went ashore now, how could she hide this six or seven month belly?

Not going up, wouldn’t go up even if it killed her!

“Oh my, Noble Consort must be suffering from water dizziness?” Imperial Concubine Fu was soaked through, collapsed sitting on the shore. She didn’t attend to her own appearance first but instead looked at Shen Guiyan, saying: “This is terrible! If Noble Consort has any mishap, who among you can take responsibility? Why aren’t you rescuing her quickly?”

Consort Hua laughed coldly. “If punishment is to be given, it should be to those who shared the boat. Imperial Concubine Fu should worry about herself first.”

Imperial Concubine Fu ignored her. From the corner of her eye she glimpsed the bright yellow figure approaching from the distance and hastily reached out to pull Shen Guiyan.

“Yan’er!” Gu Chaobei was truly enraged. He stepped forward and went right into the lake himself. Regardless of how the surrounding palace attendants shrieked, he went straight toward Shen Guiyan.

Scooping her up in one motion, her body was ice cold. The Emperor’s face darkened, his entire being emanating a murderous aura. “Bring a cloak!”

Yuwen Changqing directly unfastened his outer robe. As soon as the Emperor carried Shen Guiyan to shore, he draped it over her.

Shen Guiyan hastily covered her belly first, then coughed up two mouthfuls of lake water and smiled with difficulty. “Many thanks, Your Maj—”

“Returning to the palace.” Gu Chaobei’s face was cold. Without saying another word, he carried Shen Guiyan and left. Yuwen Changqing followed close behind, and Baoshan hurriedly followed as well.

Three palace ladies had fallen in the water. Gu Chaobei only saw Shen Guiyan. He didn’t spare even a glance for Imperial Concubine Fu and Lady Gao beside her.

Consort Hua raised her eyebrows slightly. Only after the Emperor’s figure disappeared did she smile at Imperial Concubine Fu. “You see? What did this palace tell you? No matter who it is, no one can squeeze Shen Guiyan out of His Majesty’s heart.”

Imperial Concubine Fu wasn’t angry. She accepted the cloak a maid brought and draped it on, slowly standing up. “Indeed, in His Majesty’s heart, Consort Yan is most important. Younger sister here wishes elder sister good fortune.”

Consort Hua froze. What did this have to do with her? If there was to be displaced anger, shouldn’t it be directed at Imperial Concubine Fu?

Imperial Concubine Fu, supported by Wanqing’s hand, simply left. Lady Gao was also taken by palace attendants to Yonghe Palace.

After bathing and changing clothes, once her whole body was warm, Shen Guiyan sat properly across from Gu Chaobei.

The Emperor’s expression was very unpleasant. He pressed his lips together and looked at her for a long while before speaking. “Why did you want to go boating on the lake?”

Shen Guiyan felt a chill down her back and lowered her eyes. “Just a momentary whim…”

“I don’t believe you would do things without such careful consideration.” Gu Chaobei half-narrowed his eyes. “Knowing full well the rear palace hasn’t been peaceful recently, why did you still put yourself in danger?”

Shen Guiyan opened her mouth, not knowing how to answer. Could she really say she wanted to take the initiative? He would probably get angry.

Seeing her silence, Gu Chaobei grew even angrier. Without another word he stood up and headed for the door. “Zhuiyun, go investigate what exactly happened today.”

“Yes.” Zhuiyun acknowledged and was about to leave when Lady Gao, who had changed clothes, stepped forward. “This concubine knows. This concubine was on the boat today.”

Gu Chaobei was taken aback. He hadn’t seen Gao Jinxiu more than twice and was somewhat unfamiliar. “You are?”

“This concubine is Lady Gao, Jinxiu.” Lady Gao curtsied. “Residing in Yeiting Palace.”

Gu Chaobei remembered now—she was a Lady he had never favored.

“Speak then.”

Gao Jinxiu nodded. Seeing Shen Guiyan had come to the doorway, she slowly recounted the matter of Imperial Concubine Fu’s invitation today.

Shen Guiyan looked at Lady Gao, thinking that even if she said Imperial Concubine Fu had schemed to frame Consort Hua, given Imperial Concubine Fu’s position, His Majesty probably wouldn’t pursue it.

However, Lady Gao said: “That boatman rowed the boat to the lake’s center then sabotaged it and fled. If palace attendants hadn’t rescued them in time, both Imperial Concubine Fu and Noble Consort Yan would have perished in the lake’s center. The one plotting behind the scenes is truly vicious in intent.”

She didn’t mention the words Imperial Concubine Fu had said to them. In fact, the implication of her words pointed toward Consort Hua.

Gu Chaobei was stunned.

Lady Gao curtsied. “This concubine is merely a consort in the rear palace waiting to leave the palace. This concubine would certainly not lie.”

Recalling long ago when Consort Xi was still present, she too had told him to be careful of Consort Hua.

Once upon a time Baihe had been kind and good. Why be careful? Was it because she wore heavier palace makeup, wielded palace authority, or because her heart had changed?

Gu Chaobei stood at the doorway, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Zhuiyun.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“On my behalf, have the Internal Affairs Bureau transmit an edict: Consort Hua has acted above her station. Demote her to Concubine Hua and move her to the side hall of Huaqing Palace.”

Shen Guiyan was startled. “Your Majesty?”

Based solely on Lady Gao’s few words, he directly demoted Consort Hua?

“Yes!” Zhuiyun acknowledged and left. Gu Chaobei turned around, pulled Shen Guiyan into the room, and closed the door.

“No matter what exactly happened today, Baihe should rest properly now.” Gu Chaobei closed his eyes. “Her ambitions are too great. Sooner or later they will devour her. From the beginning it was my fault. I shouldn’t have given her hope.”

Shen Guiyan looked at Gu Chaobei’s expression and asked curiously: “In Your Majesty’s heart, what is Consort Hua?”

“A friend.” The Emperor said softly: “She’s the same as Shuixian and Baihu—all friends who helped me along the way. If she likes playing in the rear palace, I won’t stop her. Your days are boring anyway, just consider it letting them perform operas for you to watch.”

“But if thoughts have already turned toward you, then it must stop.” Gu Chaobei said: “She’s no longer the Baihe she used to be.”

Shen Guiyan froze, looking at Gu Chaobei’s eyes that showed not a ripple of emotion, and pressed her lips together slightly.

“As for you, tonight you’ll copy ‘Heaven is vast, Earth is vast, but His Majesty is vastest’ one hundred times. Only after you show it to me may you sleep.” His tone shifting, Gu Chaobei reached out and pinched her nose bridge. “For frightening me today.”

Her heart softening, Shen Guiyan gentled her expression, wrapped her arms around Gu Chaobei’s waist, and sighed deeply. “As you command.”

Imperial Concubine Fu successfully used His Majesty’s anger to have Consort Hua demoted to Concubine Hua. Concubine Hua knelt outside the Imperial Study requesting an audience with the Emperor, but after half a shichen still couldn’t see him.

The authority to coordinate the six palaces returned once more to Shen Guiyan’s hands. In the entire imperial palace, Imperial Concubine Fu’s final opponent was now only Shen Guiyan.

Shen Guiyan’s reputation among the common people was already very poor. The outcome seemed to have almost no suspense left. But at this time, something rather crucial happened.

National Preceptor Yun Sihai returned.

The National Preceptor was a good friend of the Late Emperor. Long ago he’d been given the idle position of National Preceptor because that person loved fortune-telling and was versed in astronomy and geography. However, ever since the Late Emperor passed away, that National Preceptor had wandered the four seas.

He had once prophesied three matters: first, that if Lady Wen became empress, the court would surely fall into chaos; second, that a certain year’s great drought would claim a thousand lives. Both these matters came to pass, accurate without the slightest error. But the third matter was known only to the Late Emperor.

Now that he’d returned, he did nothing else. The first thing he did was go see the Emperor and say: “This old monk wishes to see Noble Consort Yan.”

Gu Chaobei looked at this monk-like person before him and at one point thought he was a fraud. But Dowager Consort Nian was extremely respectful toward him. Without a word she personally led him to the rear palace.

Shen Guiyan was in the midst of embroidering tiger-head shoes when without warning a bald head appeared before her.

“Great calamity at the hairpin ceremony, great joy at twenty, great sorrow with white hair.” This baldy smiled at her, revealing eight shining front teeth. “Aiya, long time no see!”

The needle pricked her own finger. Shen Guiyan stared blankly at the person before her, hearing these twelve characters like being struck by lightning.

Dowager Consort Nian was somewhat surprised. “The National Preceptor knows Consort Yan?”

Yun Sihai smiled cheerfully. “Indeed, we met once when she was small.”

Then he turned his head to ask her: “Did this old monk’s first prediction come true or not?”

Shen Guiyan was dumbfounded. She stared at this crazy, eccentric monk for a long while before coming to her senses.

His appearance hadn’t changed at all—just like when he saw her that year at the back gate of the Shen residence, smiling cheerfully, crazy and eccentric, saying on one hand that her fate was exceptional while on the other giving her these twelve characters.

Lucky that she loved reading books as a child and had a good memory, otherwise growing up she’d have long forgotten.

“…Master.” Shen Guiyan rose and curtsied, looking at Dowager Consort Nian with confusion.

Dowager Consort Nian entered and gently took her hand. “The National Preceptor said he returned because he has important matters to attend to, yet came directly to your place. This dowager also doesn’t understand.”

Shen Guiyan looked again at Yun Sihai. The latter said cheerfully: “This old monk returned to block a calamity. If I don’t block this evil spirit not of my era for you, the fortunes this old monk tells next won’t be accurate. Aiya, can’t smash my own reputation!”

She couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. Were all superior people abnormal? Shen Guiyan smiled and humored him perfunctorily. That old monk, without another word, pulled her along and left.

Both Gu Chaobei and Shen Guiyan were dragged by Yun Sihai to the Temple of Heaven. All the civil and military officials, including Shen Hanlu, were also summoned.

“I’ve heard our dynasty has a great priestess who can hear the voice of Heaven and Man.” The old monk said cheerfully: “Unfortunately, this old monk can too, and my cultivation is even more profound, my calligraphy even more beautiful. Everyone please look.”

As his words fell, he took a mouthful of water and sprayed it onto a scroll of white paper.

Everyone was stunned. They crowded over to look. Written on the white paper was: “Heaven’s will has changed. Establishing an empress is inauspicious.”

The calligraphy was indeed far more beautiful than Shen Hanlu’s.

Shen Hanlu stood beside Scholar Fu, her expression rather unpleasant. That crazy monk said: “The troops are almost at Jingzhou, yet the entire capital is selecting some empress. If this continues, the capital’s city gates will be blown apart by others.”

“Audacious!” Scholar Fu immediately roared angrily: “You madman, what are you saying? The realm is peaceful and prosperous. Where would troops come from…”

“Your Majesty.” Yun Sihai produced a map with red markings: “This old monk returned all the way from Zhengzhou. Along the route, in every place there were people disguised as commoners migrating in large scale. Has Your Majesty asked National Uncle Wen’s troops—how many have returned triumphant to the capital?”

Gu Chaobei froze and frowned. Yuwen Changqing also grew suspicious in his heart. Why had he received no word of this?

Shen Guiwu stood to one side, the military tally still lying quietly in his sleeve.

The map depicted a large group of people’s migration direction—approximately over a hundred thousand people, heading toward the capital from all directions. One could say they were fleeing northern drought, but there were also large numbers of people coming from the south.

Shen Guiyan instinctively looked toward her own older brother. Shen Guiwu pressed his lips together, lowered his eyes, and said nothing.

Gu Chaobei felt chilled throughout his body. He grabbed the National Preceptor and headed straight for the Imperial Study. The remaining people looked at each other in dismay. Some followed after him, while others turned and ran straight out of the palace.

Shen Hanlu, hearing those words, patted her chest and stood even more firmly beside Scholar Fu. The Emperor was too young. The ginger is still spicier when old. With National Uncle Wen’s army pressing on the borders, even the throne should change hands.

“Second Brother.” Shen Guiyan called out to stop Shen Guiwu who wanted to leave, and walked with him to a secluded place. “What’s going on?”

Shen Guiwu said in a low voice: “National Uncle Wen has long harbored rebellious intentions. From the time I entered his command, it could be seen.”

Her heart tightened. Shen Guiyan’s eyes widened. “Then Elder Brother, you…”

“Don’t worry.” Shen Guiwu laughed lightly. “Originally when coming to the capital I wasn’t quite certain how to make my choice. After meeting His Majesty, Second Brother has a plan in his heart.”

Clenching her hands tighter, Shen Guiyan felt somewhat panicked. “The Wen family’s power in the capital is difficult to eliminate. Even if we close the capital’s gates, there will be Wen family people who open the doors from inside. What should we do?”

“The previous court has the Emperor, the rear palace still has you.” Shen Guiwu said: “Selecting an empress was just National Uncle Wen’s smokescreen. He knows the Emperor’s heart belongs to you and would expend effort on this matter, so he bribed the great priestess. But His Majesty is cleverer than he thought, and moreover, there’s the suddenly appearing National Preceptor helping.”

“But Yan’er, you should properly help your husband now.”

Shen Guiyan raised her eyes. The entire world seemed to suddenly fall into chaos.

National Uncle Wen harbored treasonous intentions. Large numbers of soldiers were coming toward the capital from various places. The matter of selecting an empress was shelved. Fortunately, the capital’s common people had already gained quite a few benefits from the officials. Even if there was war chaos, they still had traveling funds to escape.

The Emperor, the Dowager Consort, and some trusted confidants shut themselves in the Imperial Study for three shichen. Shen Guiyan, supported by Baoshan’s hand, walked along the rear palace pathways, her gaze confused.

“Mistress?” Baoshan called out to her with some concern.

Her vision gradually clearing, Shen Guiyan took a deep breath and touched her belly. “Baoshan, please have Concubine Xu come to the palace for a visit.”

She didn’t know why, but in moments of bewilderment and helplessness, the first person she would think of was Xu Mengdie—probably because she knew everything and could always give her advice to solve problems.

Baoshan acknowledged and left. Shen Guiyan continued walking forward. After walking a while, having thought things through, she unfastened the cloak from her body.

Without the cloak’s concealment, the loose skirt beneath faintly revealed the protruding belly.

“Summon an imperial physician for this palace.”