The Emperor didn’t even look up. “Since it’s a gift from my imperial brother, then simply grant her the rank of Zhaoyi and place her in the harem.”

Madam Lü smiled, bowing gracefully in thanks, then holding up the wine pot, gently poured wine into the Emperor’s cup.

“Come, this official offers Imperial Brother a toast.”

Anything given to His Majesty naturally had to be tested first, so the eunuch beside him drank it down first. After waiting a good while, there seemed to be no reaction at all.

So Yuwen Jie tilted his head back and drank as well, then continued the meal.

The Empress Dowager chattered on, asking Prince Xi endlessly about matters in his fiefdom, and Prince Xi answered leisurely—the meal dragged on for quite a long time. Once he’d finished eating, he sat off to the side waiting, and sitting there, gradually began to feel that something was off.

It was bitterly cold weather; though the hall had charcoal braziers burning, why did he feel so hot?

Frowning slightly, the Emperor had a bad feeling, and hurriedly glanced toward the eunuch who’d tested the wine earlier.

The eunuch looked utterly bewildered, appearing completely normal, not a trace of anything wrong. Which meant the wine itself should have been fine.

“Your Majesty.” Madam Lü approached, offering him a scented handkerchief. “You seem a bit warm—shall this servant help you go rest?”

The Empress Dowager and Prince Xi, who had been chatting, both looked over, and Prince Xi laughed. “It’s getting late too. Tonight would be a fine time for Imperial Brother to favor the newly appointed Zhaoyi.”

Her slender hand rested on his arm; Yuwen Jie shook it off irritably, his face darkening as he stood and said to the Empress Dowager, “This son will take his leave, then.”

“Mm.” The Empress Dowager nodded, glanced at Madam Lü, and said to him, “It is your imperial brother’s thoughtful gesture, after all. Treat her well.”

Fists clenched, the Emperor nodded and headed out. Madam Lü hurriedly lifted her skirts to follow.

“To Yangxin Hall.”

Eunuch Qin startled. “Didn’t the Empress Dowager say…”

“Send her to Wanbao Hall.” Boarding the imperial carriage, the Emperor didn’t spare Madam Lü so much as another glance, simply waving a hand for people to take her away.

Madam Lü stood frozen in place, her face full of shock, and a touch of grievance too, turning to ask Eunuch Qin, “Do I really seem so unlikeable?”

Eunuch Qin said awkwardly, “Your Highness is of exceptional beauty—it’s only that His Majesty’s mood isn’t good today. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Madam Lü said nothing, watching the Emperor’s procession recede into the distance, and let out a soft sigh.

Hua Chun was sleeping soundly when suddenly her chin was seized in a grip, and then someone forced her jaw apart fiercely, a tongue plunging in, kissing her so deeply she nearly suffocated.

Startled awake, she was about to struggle when she found herself looking into the Emperor’s fathomlessly dark eyes.

Eyes full of question marks, Hua Chun could feel his hand unabashedly slipping inside her clothes, his whole body pressing down on top of her. Unable to help feeling a bit frightened, she pushed against him for a long while before finally getting him off her. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” His voice was thick with a heavy nasal quality; Yuwen Jie braced both hands on either side of her body, careful not to press against her belly, his head restlessly nuzzling against her ear. “I asked the imperial physician. He said after three months, as long as we’re gentle, it’s still possible to be intimate.”

What? Hua Chun startled, her face flushing red down to her neck, and she looked up seriously at the man on top of her. “Don’t you think doing this in front of the child is a bit much? It’ll teach the kid bad habits! Prenatal education matters!”

“Mm.” He gave a low murmur of acknowledgment, his breathing growing heavier, mouth closing over her earlobe, hand not stopping, moving directly to cup her chest.

It seemed he hadn’t taken in a word she’d said.

Stirred by his touch, Hua Chun found herself growing aroused too; after struggling a bit longer, she gave up resisting and honestly went along with his movements, to keep him from getting too worked up and hurting the child by accident.

Her skin scorching hot—one touch and she knew something wasn’t right. Between gasps, she couldn’t help asking him, “Were you drugged?”

The Emperor didn’t answer, his eyes holding something like moonlight, dark and bright at once, a tenderness in them deep enough to drown her, making her completely forget what she’d even been saying.

Since Madam Wan’s death, they hadn’t been this close in what felt like forever.

Unable to help a soft sigh, she reached out and embraced him, feeling his scorching body, slowly stroking his back, soothing him like calming down an agitated beast, letting him gradually settle.

Though not entirely in his right mind, the Emperor still forced himself to hold back, bit by bit letting Hua Chun help him work through the fever burning through his whole body.

“Honestly…” Utterly exhausted, Hua Chun pulled the blanket over, covering both herself and the Emperor, muttering something before quickly drifting off to sleep.

Yuwen Jie turned his head, watching her sleeping face. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a thin veil of light over her profile—beautiful beyond words.

Having seen countless beauties, he’d still never found anyone lovelier than her, which really was strange indeed—could Hua Jinghua, so dashing and unrestrained as a man, be this stunning as a woman too? And still manage to find someone like him who treated her so well? Was every good thing in the world destined to fall into her lap?

Lips curving slightly, the Emperor pressed a kiss to her forehead, then closed his own eyes too.

The Emperor hadn’t favored Madam Lü after all—he’d gone to Consort De’s side instead.

Hearing this news, Prince Xi sighed, turning to say to the Empress Dowager, “You see, Imperial Brother still isn’t willing to grow close to this son. Every time I go to great trouble to find a beauty and send her to the palace, she never earns Imperial Brother’s favor.”

The Empress Dowager laughed softly. “Don’t overthink it. The Emperor isn’t deliberately targeting you.”

“This son doesn’t wish to overthink it either.” Yuwen Xi shook his head. “But with it happening time and again, this son genuinely can’t find any other explanation. You see—all the other princes have stationed their troops near the capital’s outskirts this time; only this son is required to garrison outside Yanjing entirely. Anyone looking at this would assume this son and Imperial Brother are at odds.”

“Your imperial brother feels you’ve brought too many men.” The Empress Dowager said. “You could have brought just a few thousand into the capital, and I’m sure your imperial brother wouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s too late to say that now.” Prince Xi sighed. “The garrison locations have all already been arranged. This son says this not to have Mother go beg anything on his behalf—it’s just that it feels somewhat sad, that’s all.”

As he spoke, he gazed wistfully out the window. “Given how much Imperial Brother seems to resent this son, the day of stripping away my fiefdom’s power probably isn’t far off either.”

“How could that be.” The Empress Dowager shook her head. “No matter how much power gets stripped away, it won’t reach you.”

She was still here, after all.

Seeming to want to say more but holding back, Prince Xi looked as though he’d suffered countless grievances, and finally only nodded with quiet restraint. “This son understands.”

Watching his unhappy expression, the Empress Dowager’s mood grew heavy too. Once Prince Xi had left, the Empress Dowager said, “Yuejian, contact someone in the Ministry of War. Think of a way to bring Prince Xi’s men into Yanjing.”

Yuejian panicked. “Empress Dowager!”

How could such a thing be done? All the garrisoned troops were stationed at the capital’s outskirts—how could a prince’s troops possibly be allowed into the capital itself?

“Just do it discreetly.” The Empress Dowager said. “Can five thousand men really turn the world upside down? This palace just wants to give Xi’er some comfort.”

“…” Taking a deep breath, Yuejian said, “This servant will try her best.”

With the Empress Dowager’s handwritten order in hand, was there even any need to “try”? The people at the Ministry of War were more than happy to secretly help make it happen.

“Your Highness.” Qing Niao frowned. “Chancellor Tang and Lord Lü request an audience.”

Hua Chun started, thinking she’d misheard. “Who?”

“His Majesty was summoned to Huiming Hall by the Empress Dowager today and hasn’t come out yet. The two lords seem to have urgent business, so they can only seek an audience with you.”

I see, Hua Chun nodded, and threw on a robe to head to Zichen Hall.

Chancellor Tang and Lü Sanbian had both heard rumors, and had privately speculated that Consort De was Chancellor Hua, but given how significant the matter was, neither had breathed a word of it. Now, with urgent business at hand, both naturally thought of her first.

“What’s happened?” Hua Chun entered, sat down behind the screen partition, and asked them.

Tang Yue and Lü Sanbian both bowed in respect, then said, “This official has received word that the Empress Dowager has secretly issued a decree, having the Ministry of War, under the pretext of reinforcing the capital’s guard, bring five thousand of Prince Xi’s troops into Yanjing. The matter is urgent, so this official wished to report it to His Majesty.”

But since His Majesty was with the Empress Dowager, and after waiting a long while he still hadn’t emerged, they had no choice but to come find Consort De.

Hua Chun clicked her tongue—she’d seen mothers scheme against their sons before, but never one quite this ruthless. She was starting to wonder if Yuwen Jie was even the Empress Dowager’s biological son—how could she do something like this?

“This matter definitely cannot be brought out into the open.” After thinking it over, Hua Chun said, “The Ministry of War moving troops was something His Majesty arranged early on. If they want to use that as a pretext, then simply alter the imperial decree—say that Yanjing’s guard is already sufficient, no need to move troops.”

Tang Yue looked somewhat shocked toward the screen. “…Just do it directly, like that?”

“What else then? Wait around for them to bring Prince Xi’s men in?” Hua Chun said. “His Majesty isn’t here, so this palace will take charge and stamp the imperial seal. You two can just consider it as though His Majesty stamped it himself—by the time he returns and finds out, he’ll agree with it anyway.”

As she spoke, she rose with practiced ease, went to fetch the imperial seal, stamped it onto a blank sheet of paper, and had Qing Niao hand it over to them.

Both men were high officials at court, but neither had ever witnessed the bearing of the former Chancellor Hua, so at Consort De’s boldness in making such decisions on His Majesty’s behalf, both men’s hearts were in their throats as they took the blank paper. Lü Sanbian went aside to draft the decree, while Tang Yue’s hands trembled somewhat.

Noticing the two men’s unease, Hua Chun shook her head. “Chancellor Tang, being Chancellor means having a Chancellor’s resolve. You’re not merely a tool that follows the Emperor’s every word—you must use your own abilities to the fullest to help the Emperor accomplish what he wishes to do. There are many methods and approaches; you simply need to choose ones that won’t harm His Majesty’s interests.”

Startled slightly, Tang Yue looked up, his expression complicated. “My father once told this official to humbly study under Chancellor Hua, to become as loyal and devoted a chancellor as he was through the ages—it’s a pity this official never had the chance to meet Chancellor Hua in person. Today… this official thanks Your Highness.”

Hua Chun paused, thought for a moment before remembering—Tang Yue was Grand Tutor Tang’s son, the very elder statesman she’d once gone to see off, who’d said he would repay her someday. She hadn’t expected the chance to actually come.

“No need for thanks. You gentlemen serving His Majesty loyally is already a blessing for Great Liang.” She said. “Both of you are men of genuine talent and learning—should you encounter further problems, I trust you’ll be able to find solutions. No need to trouble His Majesty over every little thing.”

It was also, in a way, lightening Yuwen Jie’s burden.