Minister Huang instinctively felt something was off about the Crown Prince, though he couldn’t quite say what felt wrong. But having all the unmarried female relatives in his household entered into the register simply wouldn’t do.

After all, once this list was submitted, the women on it couldn’t discuss marriage prospects or meet potential suitors until they received a definite response. If the Crown Prince dragged this out for a year or two, it would completely delay his daughters’ marriageable years.

Seeing Minister Huang’s alarm, Ministers He and Luo secretly felt fortunate they had been a step slower earlier.

After Wan Xiao stopped writing, Shen Qianyu said, “If in the coming days any other ministers wish to send female relatives from their households into the Eastern Palace, just inform Wan Xiao. This palace will have Dong Chang record the female relatives in their households. The ministers needn’t worry.”

“This humble minister understands.”

The three ministers’ expressions weren’t very good. Seeing this, Shen Qianyu waved his hand grandly, having someone organize the register to present before the Empress, paying them no further attention.

Things having reached this point, the three had nothing more to say. After mumbling for a while, they withdrew from the Eastern Palace.

The Empress had truly gone mad with grief for quite some time after the First Prince’s death. All day in her chambers, she either sent letters to her maternal clan or ordered Xun You to find opportunities to take the Crown Prince’s life.

At first, the Empress’s maternal clan would reply once or twice, but now the messages she sent all sank like stones in the sea without any response.

The Empress’s features twisted grotesquely as she grabbed palace officials and shrieked incessantly.

“Did my father receive this palace’s oral decree?”

“If he received it, why hasn’t he sent anyone to this palace?”

“A bunch of useless fools, all useless fools.”

Her bright red nails clawed toward the palace maid before her. The maid, frightened, instinctively dodged backward, which only made the Empress even more furious.

“You dare dodge?”

The Empress glared with fierce brows and blood-red eyes, staring fixedly at the palace maid. Just as she was about to strike, Xun You entered the hall, presenting the consort selection list Shen Qianyu had submitted for her review.

“Your Majesty, please examine this.”

Only upon seeing Xun You did the Empress regain a trace of reason. Forcefully suppressing the inexplicable rage churning in her heart, she took it and said, “What is this thing?”

“The list for selecting consorts that the Eastern Palace’s Crown Prince submitted.”

The Empress laughed coldly. “He’s quite fortunate, actually managing to survive until today.”

Having said this, she raised her hand and violently snatched the list. Xun You’s hand hurt—the Empress’s nails had scratched five bright red bloody marks. He lowered his eyes and retreated to the side, not daring to speak.

Years ago when word spread through the palace that the Crown Prince had recovered from his illness, the Empress had sent him to the Eastern Palace to test the waters. But thinking back now, from the moment he stepped into the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince had calculated every single step.

Thinking about it now, the Crown Prince controlled Dong Chang and must have known everyone in the palace inside and out. Knowing he had always been fastidious about cleanliness, that person deliberately made the Eastern Palace stink unbearably to make him thoroughly disgusted.

The bedding was also deliberately made filthy with all sorts of foul substances. Seeing it, he had felt such revulsion that he didn’t want to look at it even once, much less touch it himself.

Thinking about it now, if the Eastern Palace truly neglected the Crown Prince to such an extent, then why would there be a clay brazier burning on the table? Could it have been for making tea for the Crown Prince to drink?

That clay brazier was clearly placed there for him to use in testing the Crown Prince.

How could a cripple possess such penetrating cunning? The truth was that their entire group had underestimated the enemy and been deceived by the Crown Prince for years.

That person occupied the advantageous position at every turn, anticipating his every action and thought. Truly remarkable.

Xun You glanced at the wounds on his hand and snorted coldly in his heart.

So be it. This was what he owed the Empress anyway.

The Empress was angry with him. If he didn’t let her vent, it would likely add to their troubles in the future.

Placing his hands behind his back, Xun You remained silent.

Seeing his reaction, the Empress also felt her behavior had been somewhat excessive. After summoning a nearby palace maid to treat his wounds, she opened the register and looked through it one by one.

A moment later, she laughed coldly. “What a hypocrite seeking fame and fishing for reputation.”

“The Crown Prince is rather clever.”

The Empress casually handed the register to Xun You. “Though he has nothing to his name, he knows how to use his reputation to seek benefits for himself.”

“The women on this list…”

Seeing this, Xun You frowned. “These crippled and disabled ones, those with hidden illnesses and serious diseases—what does the Crown Prince mean by this?”

“What does he mean? Nothing more than wanting to gain a reputation for virtuous sagacity to deceive those foolish ministers in court and the common people of the realm.”

The Empress opened her bloodshot eyes, her expression venomous. “This palace will grant his wish. When the harem is full of old, weak, sick, and disabled women with no beauties, we’ll see if he’ll have the lustful courage to lose virtue and abandon proper conduct!”

She didn’t believe there was a man in this world who didn’t value desire and lust after beauty.

Extending her hand, a nearby palace maid quickly handed her brush and ink.

After carefully examining the list and annotations, the Empress smiled maliciously as she made several marks before throwing the register on the floor.

“Take it to the Crown Prince. Let this palace see whether he can truly go to such lengths for the sake of reputation.”

Xun You picked up the register and quickly glanced at it. He saw six people had been selected. The two Crown Prince’s Consorts were clearly the Shang family’s legitimate daughter over thirty years old plagued by serious illness, and the御史’s only daughter born with black-red birthmarks on her face but a gentle temperament.

The remaining four Crown Prince’s Concubines were either physically disabled, or had been in mourning successively and were half a decade older than the Crown Prince. Two others were famously ugly in the capital with obese figures.

Seeing this, Xun You frowned slightly. These six people were far too obvious.

The Empress’s intentions were clear as day. Once this register was released, it would certainly enrage the court ministers.

He raised his head, about to offer consolation, when he saw the Empress with disheveled hair and beast-like eyes, devoid of any trace of reason.

Xun You paused and swallowed back the words in his mouth.

The First Prince was already dead. The Empress had already been abandoned by her maternal clan. When her maternal clan demanded that the Empress send clan daughters into the Eastern Palace, she had already gone mad.

Whether or not she would now be impeached by court officials simply didn’t matter to her anymore.

Already at the end of her rope, what did she have left to care about?

“This servant understands.”

Xun You bowed and withdrew.

Once the Empress’s decree was issued, it indeed sparked backlash in the court. Several ministers jointly submitted memorials, and the censors launched overwhelming attacks on the Empress, irritating Emperor Wenhui to no end.

Shen Qianyu, on the other hand, went about each day as if nothing had happened, his face full of gentle smiles. If he encountered any elderly minister feeling indignant on his behalf, he would listen carefully and offer soft consolation.

After several days of this, everyone in court grew angry at the Empress for her lack of virtue, and even the Empress’s maternal clan was implicated.

The Empress’s eldest sister-in-law tried multiple times to enter the palace for an audience but was refused each time.

This matter caused an uproar for over half a month, until Emperor Wenhui, unable to withstand the ministers’ criticisms, had no choice but to go to the Empress’s chambers to warn her to restrain herself somewhat.

Looking at the Empress who had long since lost her reason and grown increasingly deranged, Emperor Wenhui frowned deeply and rebuked her for lacking the virtue befitting her position.

“So what if my virtue doesn’t befit my position? Could you possibly depose me as Empress?”

“Shen Congyi, do you have the courage?”

The Empress walked barefoot on the thick carpet, pointing at Emperor Wenhui and cursing loudly. “You coward! Chi’er was cruelly murdered, and did you, as his father, ever ask even once?”

“You clearly know Qianchi was harmed by the Crown Prince, yet just for a few flattering words, a few baseless descriptions for the historical records, you lightly let it pass. Are you even human?”

“Among all the princes back then, you were the most cowardly and incompetent. But when I married down to you, how did you swear and promise to me?”

The Empress’s maternal clan was powerful. If Emperor Wenhui hadn’t sworn oaths back then, vowing there would be rewards after ascending to power, how could she have married him?

If he hadn’t coaxed her daily with sweet words after marriage, how could she have willingly mobilized her entire clan’s power to help him eliminate the last two princes—the Seventeenth and Nineteenth?

“Without this palace’s maternal clan, could you have your current position?”

“Back then you knelt and swore an oath, vowing you would definitely let this palace’s Chi’er ascend the throne as Emperor. Who knew it was all lies to deceive this palace.”

The Empress overturned the lamp stand hanging palace lanterns, laughing maniacally. “Shen Congyi, you who break oaths and betray agreements will not die well!”