At the end of the rockery lay a long flight of stairs. At the bottom of these stairs now lay a woman, beneath whom had already formed large patches of blood. Shen Miao and her two maids were startled and went forward to examine her, only to discover with shock that the woman was Consort Jin.

Consort Jin was clutching her abdomen, her face covered in sweat and as pale as paper. She was curled into a ball, moaning in pain. When Shen Miao looked up, she could see long scrape marks on the staircase, clearly showing that Lu Jin had just tumbled down these stairs.

Seeing Shen Miao, Lu Jin struggled to extend her hand and only managed to utter two words: “Save me.” Then she fainted.

Ba Jiao asked, “Madam, this…”

“Call someone,” Shen Miao frowned and said, “She is, after all, carrying an imperial child. Besides, if word gets out that we ignored someone in mortal danger, it would only harm Prince Rui’s reputation.” Although she was reluctant to get involved in such sordid affairs, she didn’t want Prince Rui’s household to gain a bad name.

Ba Jiao nodded in agreement and hurried away. Hui Xiang looked around and shook her head, “No one else is here.”

“They’ve already fled,” Shen Miao’s eyes narrowing. “Anyone bold enough to harm someone so openly in the palace must be quite daring.” She looked again at the barely breathing Consort Jin on the ground and sighed. Shen Miao had seen women miscarry in the palace before, and from Consort Jin’s condition, the child in her womb was likely beyond saving. Shen Miao felt no sympathy for Lu Jin, but only pitied the unborn child – if it hadn’t been conceived in Lu Jin’s womb, how could it have met such a calamity before even being born? Thinking of children, Shen Miao suddenly recalled the young man’s face she had glimpsed earlier in the grove. Her heart contracted abruptly. If that was truly Fu Ming, why would he not wish to see her? And if it wasn’t Fu Ming… how could he look so identical to him?

Shen Miao thought to herself that there were only so many people coming and going in the palace. Once the matter with Lu Jin was resolved, she would request permission from Empress Xiande or Xie Jingxing to find that young man. She couldn’t believe it was just her imagination; she was perfectly clear-headed.

The people Ba Jiao summoned arrived quickly, and seeing Consort Jin’s condition, they were all startled. Although Emperor Yongle didn’t seem particularly concerned about the pregnant Consort Jin, she was still carrying the Emperor’s first child. In her current state, anyone with eyes could see that the child couldn’t be saved.

Without much discussion, these people quickly transported Consort Jin to Jinghua Palace, called for imperial physicians, and sent people to inform Emperor Yongle and Empress Xiande. Since Shen Miao was the first to discover Consort Jin, whether she was involved or not, she couldn’t avoid being implicated and had to stay.

Hui Xiang felt uneasy. Palace affairs were always complicated, especially when involving an imperial heir. The worst part was that Shen Miao had been dragged into it. Hui Xiang even suspected this might be a conspiracy.

Emperor Yongle and Empress Xiande arrived quickly, but Shen Miao noticed that Xie Jingxing was absent, his whereabouts unknown. She had wanted to discuss Fu Ming with him, but now that would have to wait.

After Emperor Yongle arrived, he only questioned the people nearby. At the time, Consort Jin didn’t have even a single palace maid with her, otherwise, she wouldn’t have fallen down the stairs without anyone to support her and wouldn’t have had to seek help from Shen Miao. Empress Xiande frowned and asked, “Wasn’t Consort Jin speaking with Miss Ye in Jinghua Palace? Why did she go to the Imperial Garden? And where is Miss Ye now?”

She didn’t suspect Shen Miao at all.

Shen Miao was somewhat surprised, but before she could speak, a short, startled cry suddenly came from inside the room. Immediately afterward, several maids ran out from the sleeping quarters of Jinghua Palace, knelt before Empress Xiande and Emperor Yongle, and repeatedly kowtowed.

The imperial physician walked out, wiped his brow, and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, this old official is incompetent. Consort Jin has… passed away.”

The room fell silent.

“Passed away?” Empress Xiande was the one who spoke. “How could Consort Jin have passed away?”

The old physician bowed and explained, “Since Consort Jin became pregnant, she has been taking supplements daily, which was already excessive for the child. Her body was unnaturally vigorous. Today’s fall was too severe; the child couldn’t be saved. Consort Jin was overly frightened and lost too much blood, so…”

Shen Miao felt an indescribable emotion. Lu Jin was certainly foolish, but dying today with the belief that her unborn child would be the future crown prince was perhaps the greatest blow to her – this might have been the fatal cause of her “excessive fright.”

Emperor Yongle’s face revealed neither joy nor sorrow; he showed no delight, nor did he grieve. Empress Xiande, however, spoke sternly, “How could Consort Jin suddenly fall when she was perfectly fine? And where were her palace maids?”

The palace maids of Jinghua Palace quickly knelt and said, “The Consort was talking with Miss Ye in the palace earlier. She suddenly mentioned wanting to walk in the Imperial Garden. The Consort disliked having us maids follow her, and we dared not disobey her orders. But later, neither Miss Lu nor the Consort returned. When we next saw the Consort, she was being brought back by the Prince’s wife.”

The palace maid was as sharp-tongued as Consort Jin herself, skillfully shifting blame away from herself without leaving a trace. However, since Consort Jin had come to harm, her maids would inevitably be held accountable regardless.

Empress Xiande showed no suspicion of Shen Miao and immediately asked, “Where is Miss Ye? Someone, bring Miss Ye here!”

Matters concerning imperial sons and grandsons were always significant, especially when occurring in the inner palace. As the mistress of the six palaces, Empress Xiande naturally had to investigate thoroughly. Emperor Yongle said nothing, allowing Empress Xiande to give orders. From the incident until now, he had shown little emotional reaction, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

Shen Miao was wondering where Xie Jingxing had gone at such a crucial moment, while also considering possible scenarios. If it was Madam Mei who killed Lu Jin – but that made no sense at all. Even if Madam Mei had entered the palace to probe for information from Lu Jin, she wouldn’t need to kill her. Besides, Madam Mei wasn’t the type to act personally. Although she was ruthless, most of the time she had others do her dirty work, ultimately getting what she wanted while remaining spotless. If Madam Mei truly wanted to kill Lu Jin, she wouldn’t use such a foolish method. Everyone knew she had gone out with Consort Jin; once Consort Jin was in trouble, wouldn’t she be the first suspect?

This left Shen Miao puzzled.

Everyone in Jinghua Palace was lost in their thoughts when suddenly a woman’s frantic voice came from behind: “Consort Jin!”

Shen Miao turned to see Madam Mei being escorted in by several guards. Her expression showed panic, but even more so confusion and disbelief. She took two steps forward but was stopped by Empress Xiande’s guards. Empress Xiande looked at her coldly and said, “Miss Ye, where did you go, and why have you only just arrived? Before her death, Consort Jin went to the Imperial Garden with you. How is it that when Consort Jin met with misfortune, you were nowhere to be seen?” Her words were accusatory, clearly demanding an explanation. Empress Xiande, who usually appeared calm and gentle, now spoke sharply, showing the demeanor of a true empress, making Madam Mei shrink back.

Shen Miao coldly observed her.

Madam Mei lowered her head in apparent disbelief, as if recalling what had happened. She said, “Your subject was speaking with Consort Jin in Jinghua Palace earlier. Consort Jin mentioned that the weather outside was pleasant and she wanted to enjoy the breeze. Consort Jin’s maids were going to accompany us, but Consort Jin felt that too many people would be inconvenient. Besides, we were only walking in the Imperial Garden and there wouldn’t be any danger. With your subject beside her, there was no need for anyone else.”

Upon hearing this, those present had varying expressions.

Lu Jin had always been arrogant, and her pregnancy had made her even more unreasonable. Perhaps Lu Jin was uncomfortable seeing Madam Mei’s beauty, or for some other reason, but in any case, she had Madam Mei accompany her. Lu Jin intended to treat Madam Mei like a servant, which is why she didn’t call her palace maids – she wanted to make things difficult for Madam Mei. This was indeed consistent with Consort Jin’s character.

“Later, as Consort Jin and I were walking in the garden, Consort Jin suddenly said she felt cold and asked me to find her a silk shawl. That shawl wasn’t in Jinghua Palace but in a small residence of a talented lady. I’m not very familiar with the palace pathways, so finding that residence took quite some time. When I finally got the shawl, Empress’s guards came looking for me, saying Consort Jin had met with misfortune.” Madam Mei knelt and said, “When your subject left, Consort Jin was still perfectly fine. Whatever happened in between, your subject truly does not know.” She suddenly seemed to remember something and added, “If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, you can send someone to find that talented lady in the small residence. She can testify for your subject that I was there to get a shawl from her. If I went to get a shawl, how could I possibly have harmed Consort Jin?”

Empress Xiande frowned.

Everyone knew Consort Jin’s temperament all too well. Sending Madam Mei as a servant to fetch a shawl from far away while out walking was entirely in keeping with Consort Jin’s usual tactics.

Empress Xiande said, “Tao Guniang, take some people to that talented lady’s residence and get a clear explanation. If there are any lies, punishment will be severe.”

Madam Mei quickly added, “That talented lady’s surname is Cao.”

Tao Guniang accepted the order and left.

The room immediately fell into a stalemate again. Madam Mei knelt on the ground, her delicate body trembling, her face full of grievance. When she smiled, she was as charming as a cat, capable of completely bewitching someone. Now, silently crying, appearing frightened, she looked pitiful and vulnerable. Her misty eyes and shuddering shoulders, also cat-like, evoked sympathy and made one want to embrace her. The spot where she knelt was in a rather subtle position – if Emperor Yongle looked down, he could see her beautiful profile and fragile form.

Empress Xiande observed all this and curled her lips in a manner that was neither smiling nor not smiling. Shen Miao watched with amazement, finally understanding why she had lost to Madam Mei in her previous life. Even in such a tense situation, Madam Mei was still relentlessly using her beauty to bewitch hearts. Shen Miao loved Fu Xiuyi by silently giving, clumsily trading her precious possessions for his benefit. But when Madam Mei wanted someone – it would be more accurate to say when Madam Mei desired someone – she displayed her most beautiful self, enticing them to give to her, trading their precious possessions for her. However… Shen Miao glanced at Emperor Yongle. Madam Mei’s scheme was likely to fail, as Emperor Yongle hadn’t even looked her way once.

The two Xie brothers were like two iron plates – beauty alone was insufficient. Besides, Emperor Yongle seemed to care even less about female beauty than Xie Jingxing did.

But before Tao Guniang returned, people from the Lu family arrived.

Both Lord and Lady Lu had come. With the child in Consort Jin’s womb gone and Consort Jin herself dead, the ones most likely to be furious, apart from the now-departed Consort Jin herself, would be the Lu family. Lu Zhengchun angrily brought Lady Lu to Jinghua Palace; the palace servants couldn’t even stop them, and Emperor Yongle didn’t bother to intervene. Lady Lu immediately sat on the ground, crying, lamenting her poor daughter.

Shen Miao watched Lady Lu’s performance as if observing a jumping clown. If she truly cared for her daughter, why wasn’t her first act upon entering the palace to view Lu Jin’s body, to see her daughter one last time? She suspected that grieving for her daughter was false; what Lady Lu truly mourned was the dragon seed that Lu Jin had finally managed to conceive.

Lu Zhengchun, who naturally had a fierce demeanor, now had a stern face and an aggressive manner that made him seem like a demon from hell. One got the impression that, were the circumstances different, he might even commit the crime of regicide.

He said, “Your Majesty, Jinger and the dragon seed in her womb have both been murdered. This matter is of great significance. I raised Jinger to this age, and I hope Your Majesty will sympathize with my love for my daughter and give me an explanation.”

Shen Miao almost laughed out loud. Listen to Lu Zhengchun’s words – it was as if he had come to hold Emperor Yongle accountable. Was such an arrogant attitude merely because he was Emperor Xiaowu’s confidant, or had he never truly respected Emperor Yongle from the beginning? Disloyal subjects reveal their disrespect for the emperor in their words and actions.

Emperor Yongle spoke flatly, “Imperial sons and grandsons are matters of great importance. General Lu reminding me is unnecessary.”

Lu Zhengchun was taken aback. In the past, Emperor Yongle had always treated him with some courtesy, but now he showed no consideration at all. He knew the imperial family had begun to move against the Lu family, and he had thought that with Consort Jin’s pregnancy, the Lu family would gain leverage. Now, with everything falling apart, he was naturally furious. But he could no longer openly confront Emperor Yongle as he once did. The once young boy had become an emperor, with even more cunning than he had imagined, and the Lu family’s power was already waning.

There are people in this world who bully the weak and fear the strong. If you are tough with them, they become tougher; if you are tougher still, they back down. Lu Jin was like this, and so was Lu Zhengchun.

Lady Lu had just finished crying and looked at Shen Miao, asking, “When my Jinger was harmed, you were present. Did you see the culprit?”

Shen Miao shook her head.

Lu Zhengchun harshly said, “When you were there, Jinger could still speak, which means the person had just acted. How could you not have seen them?”

Before Shen Miao could respond, Emperor Yongle spoke first, “The Prince’s wife merely happened to pass by; not seeing the culprit is not a crime. General Lu, instead of investigating the real culprit, you blame the wrong person. Your concern has clouded your judgment.”

Shen Miao hadn’t expected Emperor Yongle to speak up for her, knowing that he had always looked down on her.

Lu Zhengchun sneered, “Your Majesty, in this world, there are plenty of thieves who cry ‘stop thief.'”

Empress Xiande frowned, “The Prince’s wife would not do such a thing. I am willing to vouch for her as Empress.”

With both Emperor Yongle and Empress Xiande speaking for Shen Miao, Lu Zhengchun couldn’t say much more. He smiled, though his smile was quite vicious.

Shen Miao said, “Although I was there when Consort Jin was injured, Miss Ye was with Consort Jin the entire time before the incident. General Lu might as well ask her.” Who wouldn’t know how to redirect trouble? This whole affair was Madam Mei’s doing, and Shen Miao had no intention of taking the blame for her.

Lu Zhengchun looked at Madam Mei kneeling on the ground, his eyes flashing with a glint of shrewdness, but he said nothing.

Shen Miao understood clearly. This Lu Zhengchun, though appearing to be a brute, had his cunning. With the imperial family now encircling the Lu family, the situation growing more tense by the day, he naturally wanted to find an ally. The Ye family would be perfect. But Ye Mao was even more cunning than he was, and the Ye family still hadn’t decided which side to take. Lu Zhengchun naturally hoped the Ye family would stand with him. After all, his daughter and grandchild were already dead; future matters were more important. Comparatively, he was less willing to offend a potential ally for the sake of the dead.

Families at the center of power are capable of sacrificing even their children. Sons might still merit some consideration, but daughters hardly needed to be looked after – they would eventually belong to another family anyway.

As Shen Miao was thinking this, a man dressed as a guard approached, walking directly to Emperor Yongle and saying, “Your Majesty, someone claims to have seen the culprit who pushed Consort Jin down the stairs.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. Before Emperor Yongle and Empress Xiande could speak, Lu Zhengchun had already asked, “Who is it? Did they identify the culprit?”

Lady Lu quickly pressed her hands together, exclaiming painfully, “Heaven is just! We can finally find the person who killed my Jinger. When I find that person, I will make them pay blood for blood!”

The Lu family’s dramatic display was truly excessive. Emperor Yongle coldly ordered, “Bring them in.”

Shen Miao instinctively looked at Madam Mei on the ground.

Madam Mei was kneeling, her back slightly hunched, appearing genuinely grieved and helpless. However, Shen Miao noticed her hands. Long sleeves covered her palms, exposing only her fingertips. Her slender fingers were truly as beautiful as tender spring onions, but her left thumb and index finger were formed into a circle, gently rubbing against each other.

Having dealt with Madam Mei her entire life, Shen Miao naturally knew what each of her gestures meant. This particular movement was all too familiar to Shen Miao – Madam Mei would unconsciously make this gesture when her scheme was about to succeed.

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat. Was the witness part of Madam Mei’s plan? Was she about to achieve her goal? Or perhaps Lu Jin’s death was truly connected to Madam Mei? But why?

Then, from outside came a sound like “zhi ling zhi ling,” reminiscent of wheels rolling on the ground. Shen Miao narrowed her eyes slightly and looked toward the doorway.

A maid was pushing someone in.

The person sat in a chair with wheels, a blanket covering their knees, hands placed neatly on top. He seemed unable to walk, and the wheeled chair allowed the maid to push him forward effortlessly.

As he came closer, they could see clearly – he appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, with delicate, refined features. He was a young man wearing an ivory-colored robe, seemingly shy, but with a faint hint of alarm in his gaze.

Shen Miao stood frozen in place, almost turned to stone. Her eyes instantly filled with hot tears that nearly fell.

Fu Ming!

Time suddenly rewound, and she could almost see, through this handsome young man in the wheelchair, that young boy in the deep palace halls, wearing a bright yellow robe, holding a large bunch of red plum blossoms, smiling at her both pleadingly and considerately, saying: “Mother, I saw the plum trees in the courtyard blooming and climbed up to cut a large bunch. If Mother sees these red plums in her room every day, her heart will be content, and her illness will soon be cured.”

He had said, “Although my sister is gone, I will always stay by Mother’s side.”

He had said, “Mother, don’t worry. I will study well under my tutor. When I become stronger in the future, no one will dare to bully Mother.”

Now, that handsome, delicate young man was being pushed toward Madam Mei, softly calling out, “Elder Sister.”

Shen Miao’s eyes widened.

He was… the crippled young master of the Ye family, born to a concubine but registered under Madam Ye’s name – Ye Hongguang.

A member of the Ye family?

The servant pushed Ye Hongguang forward. Ye Hongguang addressed Emperor Yongle, appearing nervous, as if unsure where to put his hands and feet in the presence of the Great Liang’s monarch. He said, “Hongguang greets Your Majesty. Please forgive Hongguang for not being able to perform a proper courtesy due to his disabled legs.”

Emperor Yongle waved his hand dismissively.

Ye Hongguang seemed to be facing so many people for the first time and was somewhat afraid. He instinctively manipulated the mechanism on his chair, moving closer to Madam Mei.

Seeing this, Shen Miao’s gaze froze.

How could Fu Ming have such an intimate demeanor with Madam Mei? From the depths of her heart, she suddenly felt an impulse to pull Fu Ming away from Madam Mei. But she couldn’t… she and Fu Ming were now strangers.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense, for even Ye Hongguang noticed it. He glanced in her direction, his look somewhat curious. Seeing Shen Miao staring at him without blinking, he lowered his head as if frightened, fidgeting uneasily with the edge of the blanket on his knees.

“Young Master Ye?” Lu Zhengchun frowned and asked, “You saw the person who killed Jinger?”

Ye Hongguang seemed startled and, seeing Lu Zhengchun’s fierce appearance, was frightened. He looked to Madam Mei for help. Every time he looked at Madam Mei with those dependent eyes, Shen Miao felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.

Empress Xiande spoke kindly, “Hongguang, you say you saw the person who pushed Consort Jin. Is this true?”

Empress Xiande seemed to have a good impression of Ye Hongguang, speaking much more gently. Ye Hongguang looked at Empress Xiande and appeared less afraid. He nodded.

“Then, who was it?” Empress Xiande asked.

Ye Hongguang kept his head down, seemingly timid, hesitating for a long time before raising his head again. He looked in Shen Miao’s direction, his gaze falling on her. Then, Ye Hongguang slowly raised his hand, pointed at Shen Miao, and softly said, “It was her.”

Shen Miao felt as if struck by lightning.

Empress Xiande’s expression changed, and she asked sternly, “Hongguang, do you know that if you lie, it is the crime of deceiving the Emperor, punishable by beheading?”

Emperor Yongle also coldly asked, “Are you certain you saw clearly?”

The imperial couple’s attitude clearly showed they didn’t believe Ye Hongguang’s words. Ye Hongguang appeared very timid, but under the pressure from the imperial couple, he became even more resolute. He looked at Shen Miao and affirmed, “It was this lady.”

Shen Miao staggered back a step, hardly able to believe her ears. “This lady” – Fu Ming would refer to her as “this lady.” Her son was now beside her enemy, helping her enemy accuse her!

How absurd!

This reaction, in the eyes of others, seemed to confirm her guilt.

Lu Zhengchun narrowed his eyes and, without another word, reached out to grab Shen Miao, attempting to drag her over despite the people around. Ba Jiao and Hui Xiang immediately stood protectively in front of Shen Miao. No one had expected Lu Zhengchun to act so suddenly; the guards hurried to protect Empress Xiande and Emperor Yongle first. Emperor Yongle shouted, “Lu Zhengchun, you dare raise your hand in Jinghua Palace? Are you rebelling?”

Lu Zhengchun, while grappling with Ba Jiao and Hui Xiang, loudly proclaimed, “Your Majesty, my Lu family has lost Jinger, and now the murderer stands before us. Allow this old man to avenge his daughter’s death before you punish me for my crime. Even if this were known throughout the realm, I believe the common people would say I did right!”

This Lu Zhengchun was truly unreasonable. Emperor Yongle’s face turned ashen with anger.

Ba Jiao and Hui Xiang had to be mindful of their status and Shen Miao’s safety, while Lu Zhengchun’s every move was vicious, all lethal techniques. The two women were about to be overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Shen Miao stood with her gaze fixed on Ye Hongguang beside Madam Mei. Ye Hongguang seemed to avoid her gaze, unwilling to look at Shen Miao, instead whispering something to Madam Mei.

Just then, Lu Zhengchun’s legs suddenly gave way, and he fell to his knees. No one saw clearly what had happened, but there was a “plop” sound as two golden ingots dropped to the ground.

Lu Zhengchun clutched his knee as he collapsed.

A calm voice sounded from outside.

“In my absence, any stray cat or dog dares to bully my woman?”

Even more arrogant and domineering than Lu Zhengchun, the anger in that calm voice was evident to all.

Xie Jingxing appeared at the doorway, still holding a golden ingot in his hand. He had just used it to injure Lu Zhengchun’s knee.

He strode to Shen Miao’s side and, seeing her pale expression, thought she was frightened, which made him even more furious. He turned to look at Lu Zhengchun, who was being helped up by his subordinates, and spoke coldly, “Lord Lu, do you have some grievance against this prince?”

His appearance was handsome, his tone calm, yet it sent chills down one’s spine.

Lu Zhengchun refused to back down. Though angered that Xie Jingxing had humiliated him, he still had the upper hand. He said, “Jinger has been murdered. The Ye family’s young master saw with his own eyes that it was Shen Miao who did it. This old man avenging his daughter is perfectly justified!”

“The Ye family’s young master?” Xie Jingxing’s gaze swept around the room, settling on Ye Hongguang in the wheelchair.

He slowly approached Ye Hongguang, looking down at him from above.

Xie Jingxing was naturally an intimidating person. With his gaze fixed on him, Ye Hongguang felt uncomfortable and avoided eye contact.

Xie Jingxing looked at him with a sardonic smile, “Which eye did you see her kill someone with?”

Without waiting for Ye Hongguang to answer, Xie Jingxing added flatly, “Whichever eye you saw it with, I’ll gouge that eye out.”