Consort Pei looked at Prince Xuan with frenzied, blood-red eyes.

Prince Xuan said calmly, “The Crown Princess is also twenty years old this year. How is it that you never gave a thought to what the Crown Princess ought to do?”

Consort Pei was briefly taken aback. Why should she give any thought to what Yan Yunning ought to do?

What did Yan Yunning have to do with her?

“Strip Consort Pei of her rank and cast her into the cold palace. Reduce her to a commoner.” Prince Xuan concealed the disgust in his eyes.

“This servant obeys the decree.” Eunuch Feng bowed in acknowledgment.

“Your Majesty, it was you who had Eunuch Feng tell this consort that the child in Consort Wu’s womb would be adopted into this consort’s name — you deceived this consort into coming to Consort Wu’s bedchamber. This consort is at fault — but after so many years together, please tell this consort what to correct, and this consort will change. Why must you scheme against this consort in such a manner?”

Consort Pei’s heart grew cold.

“This sovereign gave you a chance.” A flash of regret crossed Prince Xuan’s eyes. “The first time you used pastries to harm the Crown Princess, this sovereign chose not to pursue the matter, since the Crown Princess suffered no lasting harm. But then you sent the potted plant to the Crown Princess, and today you sent beggars to harm her again. How could this sovereign still tolerate you?”

“This sovereign is sparing your life — you ought to thank this sovereign for that. Otherwise, if Yuyu were to learn that you had repeatedly harmed his Crown Princess, your life would already be forfeit.”

Though he was dissatisfied with the Yan girl’s jealous nature, the child in her womb was Yuyu’s first child — and he would allow no one to harm it.

Whether it was an imperial granddaughter or an imperial grandson, that child was Xuanzhao’s treasure — it was his treasure.

To allow someone who harbored constant intentions to harm the Yan girl to remain in the palace — even if that person had the Prime Minister behind her — was something he would absolutely never tolerate.

In his entire life, he had never been made to suffer in silence. Consort Pei was not someone he needed to flatter, and she was certainly not someone he needed to endure while she ran rampant in the palace.

Consort Wu’s child had come at just the right moment.

It was Xuanzhao’s second “imperial son.” Harming an imperial son was a grave crime — with such a charge, in punishing Consort Pei, not a single court official would dare utter a word of objection.

Even the Prime Minister Pei would not dare plead on her behalf, for everyone knew how long he had longed for this “imperial child,” and how deeply he “valued” this “imperial child” — after all, he had bestowed upon this “imperial child” the title of Imperial Crown Brother.

If Consort Wu had not been carrying this “imperial child,” matters truly would have been harder to resolve. He could have seized Consort Pei’s hired men directly and used that to punish Consort Pei — but with the Crown Princess unharmed, the Prime Minister would not relent, and he wouldn’t be able to silence that group of court officials either.

But if he turned the scheme against its maker — rescuing the Yan girl before Consort Pei’s hired men could harm her — that would absolutely not do. Would that not be utterly humiliating? Better to simply have people quietly deal with Consort Pei in secret.

As for Consort Wu, who had carried a guard’s child behind his back — even in being disposed of, her existence had to serve its maximum purpose. It was a fitting opportunity to send a warning to that old schemer of a Prime Minister.

He was the sovereign. Before handling any matter, he always had to consider whether there was still any value to be extracted — and if there was even the smallest bit, he would see it exploited to the fullest.

“Your Majesty… you schemed against both this consort and Consort Wu. Do you have any conscience at all?” Consort Pei could no longer hold back her cry.

She had made mistakes — but all these years… she had stood by His Majesty’s side for so many years… she could not accept that His Majesty would scheme against her so coldly.

His Majesty had known of her plan all along — Yan Yunning was never truly in danger — and yet His Majesty had sent her Tongtong to…

All these years, she had never once held a place in His Majesty’s heart…

Otherwise, he would not have schemed against her so…

Prince Xuan set down his teacup and gave a cold, dispassionate laugh. “Scheme? My beloved consort — care to guess how this sovereign came to hold Prince Xuan’s position? Was it like Yuyu — appointed Crown Prince from the very moment of birth?”

“Or was it like Yuyu — sitting securely on the throne without fighting or contending for it?”

“Or perhaps like Yuyu — raised as an heir from the moment he was born?”

Prince Xuan narrowed his eyes and said with a cold smile, “None of the above. Had this sovereign not fought and contended, how could this position ever have come to this sovereign?”

He had no fear that the maidservants and eunuchs might overhear — scheming had been the least remarkable of what he had done to seize power back then.

Yuyu’s heart was far purer than his own had been. Yuyu had never been through what he had — and so Yuyu was able to devote his entire heart to the Yan girl. Had Yuyu been in his position, where would he have found the heart to fixate entirely on one woman? He had lavished his favor only on those who could help him ascend to power.

Consort Pei hung her head, tears falling drop by drop.

His Majesty was utterly heartless. In his eyes, there was only power. True feeling — the companionship of so many years — none of it mattered to him.

Prince Xuan brushed his sleeve aside, glanced at the unconscious Consort Wu, and said in an even tone, “Consort Wu suffered harm at Consort Pei’s hands, leading to a miscarriage. Upon waking, she was unable to come to terms with her loss, and passed away from illness within a few days.”

“This servant understands.” Eunuch Feng nodded.

Consort Pei threw her head back and laughed — to have risen to this position, His Majesty’s heart was ruthless indeed!

This entire performance had cost her Tongtong dearly…

Her poor Tongtong — what was to become of her from now on…

As long as she still drew breath, she would one day have her revenge…

She would take revenge by targeting the person His Majesty treasured most…

——

The following morning.

Word spread through the palace that Consort Pei had caused Consort Wu’s miscarriage. Prince Xuan was furious and punished Consort Pei. Consort Wu was confined to her bed and unable to rise — and the Prime Minister, too, was placed under house arrest.

By the time Yan Yunning learned of this news, it was already noon.

After returning the night before, she had felt deeply exhausted, and so had indulged in extra sleep, not waking until noon.

And at this very moment, in the Prime Minister’s residence, the Prime Minister’s wife — who had learned first thing that morning of Consort Pei’s demotion to commoner status — was holding Pei Shu Tong in her arms and comforting her.

“Tongtong, it’s Mother’s fault. Mother should never have sent you to find Shuluo — Mother is sorry to you.” The Prime Minister’s wife’s voice was choked with tears.

Tongtong had only returned in the early hours of this morning, looking utterly disheveled. She would not speak a word about what had happened, and no matter how many servants the master of the house had sent out to search through the night, none had found her.

After Tongtong returned, she hadn’t dared press her with more questions. The master had now been implicated by Consort Pei and placed under house arrest; Consort Pei had been stripped of her rank; and Tongtong was in this state. In a single night, the Prime Minister’s residence seemed… as though it could never be what it once was.

And Consort Pei — why had she gone and harmed the imperial son in Consort Wu’s womb? That scourge of a Consort Pei had brought ruin upon their Prime Minister’s residence.

Pei Shu Tong leaned against the Prime Minister’s wife’s shoulder, aggrieved and on the verge of tears. Those revolting beggars hadn’t actually done anything to her — they had only given her a harsh verbal warning — but it had nearly enraged her to death.

She was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, a person of distinguished status, and yet that pack of beggars had confined her to a dilapidated hovel and refused to let her leave.

Never in all her life had she been made to stay in a place so rundown!

“Tongtong, it’s alright — don’t be afraid.” The Prime Minister’s wife patted Pei Shu Tong’s back gently in comfort.

“Mother, Shu Tong is afraid the Crown Prince will come to know of this.” Pei Shu Tong said, her voice threaded with tears.

Though nothing had actually happened, what would the Crown Prince think?

The Prime Minister’s wife was momentarily stunned. Tongtong was so fixated on the Crown Prince — and she bore a great deal of responsibility for that.

She should never have told Tongtong that her future husband would be the Crown Prince, and urged her to learn proper conduct so as not to displease him at the Crown Prince’s residence.

“Mother, Elder Sister — Shu Rou would like to go out of the residence for a while.” Pei Shu Rou, who had been waiting outside the side chamber for some time, could no longer hold back and stepped inside to say a word.

The Prime Minister’s wife had no energy to bother with her, and waved her hand dismissively, signaling her to leave.

Pei Shu Rou curled the corner of her lips. “Shu Rou takes her leave.”