When Zhao Shuhua emerged from Chong Zheng Palace, her face was somewhat pale. She paused to gaze at the sky above, yet her eyes held no trace of fear. A cold smile played on her lips as she thought of Yan Huai’s expression moments ago. Though it was both expected and infuriating, she took a deep breath to suppress her anger.

At that moment, Feng Lingsu approached from the distance, accompanied by her servants. She wore a celestial blue palace gown adorned with vivid crabapple flower patterns on the hem. Despite it being late autumn, Feng Lingsu carried the radiance of spring, appearing both vibrant and delicate—only a woman basking in favor could maintain such unfading beauty.

As Zhao Shuhua watched Feng Lingsu approach, her eyes held neither jealousy nor hatred. She felt only pity for such a fool as Feng Lingsu.

“This humble consort pays respects to the Empress—” Before Zhao Shuhua could respond, Feng Lingsu straightened up with a bright smile. “Was the Empress visiting His Majesty? How strange—the Empress rarely visits Chong Zheng Palace. What wind brought you here today?”

Feng Lingsu had come to witness the spectacle after hearing the news. Though Zhao Shuhua managed the inner palace and served as the mother figure of the nation, she never brought prepared dishes to Yan Huai like other consorts did to curry the Emperor’s favor. As Empress, she held the power and prestige of Kun Ning Palace with righteous authority, leaving such acts of favor-currying to lower-ranking consorts.

Feng Lingsu felt both proud of the Emperor’s favor and intensely jealous of Zhao Shuhua. She knew she could never ascend to the position of Empress, and the Emperor’s favor was all she could grasp. Yet even then, she wasn’t sure how long she could hold onto it. It was said that capturing the Emperor’s heart was paramount in the inner palace, but no matter how well Yan Huai treated her, she always felt his heart would never truly belong to any woman.

Yet how captivating was a man who held the world in his heart, especially when he was the ruler of all under heaven?

Feng Lingsu’s smile grew brighter. “What did the Empress bring for His Majesty?”

Zhao Shuhua’s pity only deepened. Different perspectives led to different thoughts, and this ornately dressed woman before her was too foolish to think such words could provoke her anger.

“Bringing food and drink to His Majesty is the duty of the Noble Consort. This Empress hasn’t the time for such things. However… Noble Consort, you shouldn’t focus solely on His Majesty. Prince Cheng is no longer young and is now married. By right, he should conduct himself with more propriety. Yet his eagerness for merit has made him rash—truly disappointing.”

Feng Lingsu’s face burned with shame, her smile vanishing. Unlike Zhao Shuhua, she had no father who was a Grand General to support her, nor did she understand court affairs. The Empress personally guided the Crown Prince, who even now sought her counsel in matters of state. But Prince Cheng had grown impatient with discussing court matters with his mother years ago. When faced with the Empress’s sudden reproach, Feng Lingsu didn’t know how to respond. Was the Empress’s anger related to the Imperial Punishment Office?

She quickly regained her composure, realizing that the Empress’s anger suggested things weren’t in her favor.

“Your Majesty, this humble consort doesn’t understand your meaning. Prince Cheng has attended court with His Majesty for many years and lately has been so occupied with court affairs that he hasn’t even had time to pay his respects to me. May I ask if he has somehow offended the Empress? If so, this consort will certainly have him come to apologize.”

Zhao Shuhua gave a slight cold smile. How could she maintain her position as the mother figure of the nation if she had Prince Yan Qi come to apologize to her? The court was the court, and the inner palace was the inner palace. If she didn’t understand such boundaries, how could the Emperor have allowed her to sit securely in this position for so many years?

Zhao Shuhua wasn’t angered by Feng Lingsu’s strategic retreat. “That’s something you should ask Prince Cheng yourself.”

Glancing at the food box carried by Feng Lingsu’s servant, Zhao Shuhua asked with a smile, “What have you prepared for His Majesty?”

Feng Lingsu immediately brightened. “Osmanthus sugar-steamed chestnut cake. This season’s delicacies shouldn’t go to waste. His Majesty has a sweet tooth, and when I mentioned it yesterday, he didn’t refuse. So today, I prepared some to bring to him.”

Zhao Shuhua’s lips curved slightly. “Very good, Sister is always so thoughtful.”

The previous tension dissipated instantly. Zhao Shuhua suddenly regarded Feng Lingsu with a deeply tolerant gaze before quickly withdrawing it. With a lift of her chin, Feng Lingsu hastily stepped aside, and Zhao Shuhua departed with her attendants.

Feng Lingsu felt somewhat bewildered, but knowing that Yan Huai’s summons to Zhao Shuhua couldn’t have been for anything good, her mood improved. With Chong Zheng Palace so near, Feng Lingsu took the food box herself and gracefully approached its main entrance. The eunuchs outside eagerly welcomed her upon seeing her arrival. Feng Lingsu smiled, knowing she was the only one in the entire palace who could so openly bring food to the Emperor, just like a common wife might do for her husband. She believed no one loved Yan Huai more than she did.

In this regard, Zhao Shuhua could never match her. Though Zhao Shuhua might not care about this point, Feng Lingsu considered herself noble and deeply passionate, making her particularly enchanting within these deep palace walls.

…

Upon returning to Kun Ning Palace, Zhao Shuhua immediately ordered, “Summon Wan Xi.”

A servant acknowledged and left, soon returning with a small, thin eunuch.

Wan Xi knelt on the ground, his face somewhat pale as he paid his respects.

Zhao Shuhua sighed. “This Empress will send people to care for your mother, and your sister will be married into an official family. From now on, I ensure their prosperity and wealth.”

Wan Xi’s body trembled, and he kowtowed heavily, the sound echoing through the empty main hall of Kun Ning Palace.

After watching Wan Xi for a moment, Zhao Shuhua waved her hand. “Prince Cheng awaits you at the Imperial Punishment Office. Go.”

Wan Xi kowtowed three more times, rising steadily but stumbling slightly as he backed away. As he turned to leave, his silhouette was lonely yet resolute. Zhao Shuhua watched his figure disappear through the doorway, lost in thought for a long while. A senior palace maid stepped forward and asked, “Your Majesty, is this sufficient?”

Zhao Shuhua nodded, her expression completely certain.

She never trusted anyone lightly, and when she employed someone, she always held their vital weakness in her grasp. In her position, though she wielded considerable power, there remained things beyond her control. Her task was to understand everything within her grasp down to the smallest detail.

This included her children.

“What is Fifth Princess doing?” Zhao Shuhua suddenly asked.

The senior palace maid quickly responded, “Still in Jing Ning Palace, she’s started eating, but appears listless.”

Zhao Shuhua rose, “I will go see her.”

The Empress, accompanied by two palace maids, arrived quietly at Yan Zhen’s chambers.

The attending matrons saw the Empress and immediately fell to their knees, covering the ground. Though Yan Zhen knew her mother had arrived, she sat rigidly, her gaze fixed on the yellowing cherry blossom leaves outside the window, her expression wooden and cold.

The once pampered flower of the royal family, coddled in the Emperor and Empress’s palms, was now covered in frost from within, ready to wither at any moment. Though winter hadn’t arrived, Zhao Shuhua felt ice forming in her heart.

“Everyone withdraw—”

The matrons departed in unison. These palace veterans hadn’t hesitated to bind Yan Zhen when she had her outburst—something her previous servants couldn’t have done.

Zhao Shuhua stepped closer, her voice gentle, “Zhen’er…”

Yan Zhen remained motionless. Zhao Shuhua sighed and sat beside her. “If possible, I wouldn’t have chosen this way to teach you the rules of this world. I suddenly regret my past indulgence. Zhen’er, you may blame me. You feel I’ve betrayed you. I don’t ask for forgiveness. I want you to remember that even someone as close as your mother can’t be fully trusted—how much less should you entrust your true heart to others.”

Yan Zhen’s eyelashes trembled. Zhao Shuhua’s tone grew desolate, “These days, I have nightmares. Northern Wei is harsh, and its palace is even more intricate and complex. I dream of you being framed, of the Tuoba Crown Prince treating you coldly, of you suffering miserably in the Cold Palace. I… Zhen’er, you must become strong. You must become like me… no, you need not be exactly like me. If possible, I hope the Tuoba Crown Prince treats you well, and hope you find joy in Northern Wei.”

Tears suddenly appeared in Yan Zhen’s eyes. She could never be as ruthless as Zhao Shuhua, so even while hating her mother intensely, she was still moved by her words. She felt utterly powerless, unable to resist Zhao Shuhua or anyone else.

Zhao Shuhua raised her hand to wipe away the tears, but before she could, Yan Zhen instinctively withdrew.

Zhao Shuhua was startled momentarily, then smiled, “Yes, that’s right. Learn to guard against everyone. True sincerity is rare in the palace. Even behind gentle faces and kind intentions lie cruel purposes. You’re doing right.”

Yan Zhen suddenly turned her head, her wet eyes glaring furiously at Zhao Shuhua. Before fifteen, she had lived in a honeyed jar, surrounded by protective armor. After fifteen, her mother personally removed the barriers before her eyes, revealing all the swords behind that armor, then told her, “See? Your innocence is laughable.” Her hands, which only wanted to pick flowers, were forcibly given a sword. Her mother told her, you must quickly become strong, you must fight!

Yan Zhen felt utterly humiliated and helpless. The confidence of heaven’s favored daughter had been drained away. Her sword-holding hands trembled as she felt both angry and afraid, like an ephemeral mayfly in a violent storm, as if heaven and earth were collapsing.

If anyone but Yan Zhen had looked at her this way, Zhao Shuhua wouldn’t have been moved. But this was Yan Zhen, her most beloved daughter. The rare softness in her being was wounded by her daughter’s gaze, and her heart ached. “Zhen’er, don’t hold onto any hope, don’t think of begging anyone. Your brother faces great difficulty, and your father… won’t soften his heart. Zhen’er, I have no choice. If you still trust me even slightly, start pulling yourself together now. You have so much to learn. I only regret not teaching you earlier…”

Yan Zhen’s tears fell, but she quickly wiped them away, shaking her head. “Brother wouldn’t use me as a bargaining chip. Father loves me most. From beginning to end, this was all your scheme alone. Mother, you want to control me and brother, use brother to control the royal family and Great Zhou. You don’t love Father, and Father doesn’t love you. Mother, your heart knows no love, and you want everyone to be like you. But Mother, are you truly happy? I truly pity you—”

No one wants to be pitied, especially not by their daughter.

Zhao Shuhua’s blood surged, and she could no longer maintain her composure.

Her lips pressed into a sharp line, her eyes contracting as if pricked by needles. After a long moment, she slowly stood. “From today, I will arrange for the people who will accompany you to Northern Wei to enter Jing Ning Palace. You must become familiar with them, and win them over. Stop presenting yourself as a willful, spoiled princess—that won’t do your future any good.”

After speaking, Zhao Shuhua turned and walked out, proud yet slowly.

Outside, the bright daylight stung her eyes. She closed them briefly, then opened them again, finally feeling warmth return to her limbs. Looking back once, Zhao Shuhua strode out of Jing Ning Palace’s gates.

Yan Zhen sat alone by the window, silently weeping, quickly wiping away her tears. She stared blankly in the direction Zhao Shuhua had left, the last glimmer of light in her eyes completely fading away.