How could there possibly be a woman in the Yangxin Palace?

The people serving inside had always been eunuchs – how could there be a woman?

Consort Kang suddenly turned around, staring at the half-closed vermillion lacquered gate with shock and uncertainty.

“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship?”

Zhao Quansheng called several times before Consort Kang came to her senses, her tone carrying panic she herself hadn’t noticed: “Zhao, Eunuch Zhao, who is inside?”

Zhao Quansheng maintained his indifferent tone: “Little Luzi is inside.”

Little Luzi was the name of a young eunuch.

That wasn’t right. Though Little Luzi’s voice sounded somewhat shrill and might be mistaken for a woman’s at first hearing, it was fundamentally different from the voice she had just heard.

Moreover, that voice definitely wasn’t Princess Yongjia’s.

Furthermore, standing here she could hear it clearly, which meant that person’s voice must have been quite loud.

Would Little Luzi dare to speak so loudly?

Even though Princess Yongjia was close to Emperor Delong, she wouldn’t be so presumptuous.

Who could it be?

As Consort Kang was about to ask more questions, Zhao Quansheng said: “Your Ladyship, you should return now.”

Seeing the sharp look in Zhao Quansheng’s eyes, Consort Kang couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. She hastily forced a smile: “This servant will leave immediately.”

Walking along the path, Consort Kang stopped several times, lost in thought.

Who could it be?

That woman – who exactly was she?

She searched through all the imperial consorts she knew in her mind, but couldn’t recall who the owner of that voice might be.

Suddenly, she remembered something Consort Lian had once mentioned mysteriously.

Consort Lian had said that Emperor Delong often secretly visited Empress Wen.

At the time, Consort Kang had scoffed at this.

Would Emperor Delong need to secretly visit his own empress?

Besides, Empress Wen was already over fifty years old. Even if she had been devastatingly beautiful in her youth, surely not even her beautiful skin remained now.

With teenage consorts available for his favor, was Emperor Delong foolish or what, that he would secretly visit an old woman?

But now, Consort Kang inexplicably recalled this matter.

As she walked, she suddenly stopped.

After thinking for a while, she turned around and headed toward the Empress’s Fenglai Palace.

Fenglai Palace wasn’t too far from Yangxin Palace, but due to its unique geographical location and specially designed walls and railings, ordinary people had no particular need to pass by Fenglai Palace.

Therefore, Fenglai Palace appeared somewhat desolate and cold.

Consort Kang stood behind a cluster of trees, concentrating as she examined the palace before her eyes.

Red walls and vermillion tiles, carved railings and jade structures – it wasn’t very different from Delin Palace and the other second-rank consorts’ palaces.

If there was any real difference, it was that Fenglai Palace had been built after Emperor Delong ascended the throne, while Delin Palace and other palaces had existed since the previous dynasty and were continuously renovated during this reign.

Consort Kang watched for a long while before finally returning dispirited.

She couldn’t even enter Fenglai Palace!

Unless the Empress summoned someone, no one could enter.

Over all these years, the Empress had received people so rarely that Consort Kang had only seen her from afar twice.

Once, Empress Wen had sat very far away, and they couldn’t see her features at all. Even when Empress Wen spoke, she spoke to the aunts beside her, then had the aunts relay the message.

Another time, though Empress Wen sat closer, she wore a veil. This made all the consorts and female relatives tremble with fear, terrified that a gust of wind might lift Empress Wen’s veil – if that happened, these people would probably meet their doom.

Everyone wasn’t foolish. For Empress Wen to be so mysterious, either her face was unbearably ugly, or she harbored some very strange secret.

In any case, regardless of which situation it was, once Empress Wen’s face was exposed, Emperor Delong would surely fly into a rage and go on a killing spree.

It was said that thirty years ago, Emperor Delong had killed many people because of Empress Wen.

After more than thirty years had passed, people gradually forgot past events and rarely mentioned Empress Wen.

Because Empress Wen kept such a low profile and rarely saw people – it was said that even the Crown Princess had only met her a few times.

Her maternal family was also extremely low-key.

If not for the Crown Prince occasionally asserting his presence, the women of the Great Zhou would almost forget that the Great Zhou Dynasty had an empress.

As the Empress, Empress Wen couldn’t serve as the mother figure for the nation, which inevitably led to imperial censors memorializing the throne, requesting that Empress Wen be demoted.

Emperor Delong would withhold these memorials without issuing any response, simply ignoring them in various ways.

Over time, gradually no one bothered to pursue this matter anymore.

After all, Empress Wen had committed no wrongdoing – if she preferred to stay in the deep palace, let her stay there.

Returning to Huanyun Palace, Consort Kang remained in a daze, completely forgetting her original intention of seeking out Emperor Delong. Her mind was occupied entirely with matters concerning Empress Wen.

Before long, she heard palace maids speaking at the entrance, followed by steady footsteps.

Emperor Delong had arrived!

Consort Kang stared blankly at the screen, lost in thought, until Emperor Delong came around it. Only then did she wake as if from a dream: “Your Majesty!”

Emperor Delong made a “hmm” sound and sat down on the kang near the window: “Zhao Quansheng has told me everything. What matter do you have?”

Consort Kang steadied her mind: “Your Majesty, this servant has a matter for which she would like Your Majesty’s guidance.”

“Speak.”

It was still his usual indifferent tone, but to Consort Kang’s ears, it distinctly felt different.

Consort Kang felt as if she had discovered some secret of Emperor Delong’s. Her heart beat wildly, almost leaping out of her chest.

She picked up a cup of tea and took a gentle sip, striving to steady her mind: “Your Majesty, there are currently rumors in the capital, claiming that Fu’an cannot… cannot engage in conjugal relations.”

Emperor Delong looked at Consort Kang with profound eyes: “I know. Since you yourself call them rumors, as long as Fu’an bears a child or two in the future, the rumors will collapse on their own. What is there to worry about?”

“But…”

Emperor Delong’s gaze turned sharp.

Consort Kang immediately found herself unable to speak.

“If you have time, you’d better think carefully about selecting a princess consort for the Imperial Prince – someone pure-hearted, dignified, and magnanimous.”

Consort Kang broke out in cold sweat, but Fu’an was also her daughter – how could she watch her be troubled by rumors?

“Your Majesty…”

“Before the marriage, did you forget what I said?”

Consort Kang cried from grievance. She didn’t care anymore – even if Emperor Delong disliked her, she couldn’t worry about so much.

“Your Majesty, Fu’an…”

“She chose Liu Junqing herself. I thought that if you truly care for her, you would teach her how to cope, rather than being driven to complete helplessness. If I smooth over this matter today, what about in the future?”

Consort Kang was stunned.

How could she not understand this reasoning? But while principles were easy to comprehend, emotional barriers were hard to overcome.

This was her biological daughter – she couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Your Majesty, this servant knows this puts Your Majesty in a difficult position, but whenever this servant thinks of Fu’an washing her face with tears, this servant feels as if knives are cutting the flesh from her heart. Your Majesty, tell me, what kind of person could be so vicious as to use such methods?”

Consort Kang didn’t dare extend the topic further, such as mentioning how this would damage the imperial family’s dignity.

Emperor Delong was extremely shrewd – no one could successfully slander others before him.

Previously, Consort Kang had thought that Consort De deeply enjoyed imperial favor and could slander others before Emperor Delong.

But now, Consort Kang felt that Consort De was merely a screen Emperor Delong used to conceal his true feelings.

No matter what Consort Kang said, Emperor Delong only gave a few brief instructions before leaving.

Consort Kang collapsed weakly on the kang, cold sweat soaking her back.

He hadn’t come to see her at all – he had come to see how much she suspected!