The Chen Prince was blocked behind Eunuch Li and a crowd of Imperial Guards, pointing at Wen Yu and hoarsely roaring: “This Liang woman clearly intends to commit regicide! Why don’t you seize her quickly!”

Tongque protected Wen Yu in front, shouting: “I’d like to see who dares! My Princess came with all of Great Liang for this marriage alliance. Your Chen Kingdom repeatedly oppresses my mistress—do you think the mighty soldiers within our Bairen Pass are made of paper? If my Princess’s letters are not sent out from the royal court every month, you can all see whether the Chen army entering the pass can still obtain next month’s provisions!”

The Imperial Guards were stopped by these words and didn’t dare act rashly for a moment.

Suddenly, the sound of armor moving came from the Imperial Guards surrounding the hall outside. Before long, Jiang Yu in brilliant armor with a long sword at his waist strode inside. Seeing him, Eunuch Li looked as if seeing a savior and hastily called: “Commander Jiang, quickly come resolve this!”

Jiang Yu held the position of Imperial Guard Commander, had distinguished military achievements, and with that additional relationship to the Empress Dowager, enjoyed the privilege of wearing his sword before the throne.

Before coming, he had roughly heard about Wen Yu drawing her sword and killing someone before the hall. After cupping his fists toward the Chen Prince, he turned to Wen Yu: “Please, Your Highness, first put down the sword in your hand.”

Wen Yu glanced at Jiang Yu. Her cold white fingertips were still stained with blood, but she complied readily by loosening her hand and letting the sword clatter to the ground.

Hearing that metallic “clang” of the weapon hitting the floor, the Chen Prince—the blood spatters on his face still reeking with a fishy smell—thinking of Wen Yu’s earlier sword strike without even blinking, couldn’t help but feel lingering fear. He pointed at Wen Yu with outward strength masking inner weakness: “Quickly seize her!”

Jiang Yu cupped his fists toward Wen Yu: “Your Highness, pardon the offense.”

Tongque and all the Azure Cloud Guards firmly protected Wen Yu in the very center, showing no intention of retreating.

The blood on the side of Wen Yu’s face looked demonic. With a half-smile, she looked at Jiang Yu: “His Majesty and Commander Jiang intend to punish this palace for killing a slave who showed no respect for law and superiors?”

Jiang Yu bowed with cupped fists: “Without permission, no blade may be seen before the throne. Even if the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he bears the same guilt as common people. Please, Your Highness, understand.”

Seeing Wen Yu no longer held a weapon and the entire great hall was already surrounded by Imperial Guards like an iron barrel, the Chen Prince—certain there was no longer any threat to his life—shoved aside Eunuch Li and the Imperial Guards blocking him. He laughed coldly at Wen Yu: “Drawing a blade before the throne is a capital crime warranting execution of nine familial relations! This Prince will see just how long you, Wen woman of Liang, can remain arrogant!”

Hearing this, the smile at the corner of Wen Yu’s mouth became even more obvious, but her pair of eyes were as if covered with frost and snow. Just looking at someone so calmly could make them feel the cold intent within. She said: “How unfortunate—this palace is now Chen Kingdom’s Queen Consort. This palace’s nine familial relations naturally also include His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Chen Kingdom’s laws are impartially iron-faced. This palace would like to see how this capital crime of executing nine familial relations will ultimately be determined.”

The Chen Prince was unexpectedly blocked by these words. His eyes full of sinister intent stared at Wen Yu, yet he couldn’t respond with another word.

Wen Yu smiled as she looked at him and continued: “Depose the Queen Consort? Then His Majesty should quickly draft an imperial edict, announce it to the world, and have it sent by fast horse to my Great Liang.”

The Chen Prince’s expression became even uglier. Eunuch Li and Jiang Yu looked at each other uncertainly for a moment, not knowing how to resolve matters that had reached this situation.

The Azure Cloud Guards led by Tongque all stared menacingly at Jiang Yu and the Imperial Guards, clearly meaning that if they dared truly move against Wen Yu, they would fight them to the death.

In the end, it was still the shrewd and smooth Eunuch Li who came out laughing to smooth things over: “Aiya, what words is the Queen Consort speaking! It’s merely quarreling with His Majesty and killing a slave—how can you speak of it so seriously…”

Wen Yu didn’t respond to Eunuch Li’s words. Her phoenix eyes lifted slightly to look at Jiang Yu: “I trouble Commander Jiang to inform me—should this palace now go to the heavenly prison to await the edict deposing the queen consort, or return to Zhaohua Palace to wait?”

Jiang Yu had originally wanted to maintain the dignity of Chen Kingdom’s royal family by controlling Wen Yu, then waiting for the Chen Prince and Empress Dowager’s side to speak. But once Wen Yu’s words about deposing the queen consort came out, any further action from him would undoubtedly be tacitly acknowledging Wen Yu’s words.

Although he had long witnessed Wen Yu’s methods, experiencing again today what it meant to be caught in a dilemma, his handsome, refined face couldn’t help but show discomfort. He deeply cupped his fists toward Wen Yu: “This general dares not.”

Since he had made such a concession, naturally the Imperial Guards below also didn’t dare continue pointing their sword tips at Wen Yu. They all sheathed their swords and cupped their fists.

Seeing this scene, the Chen Prince was so angry his face twitched.

Wen Yu turned around. The wide skirt embroidered with complex hidden patterns folded slightly at her feet. That gaze looking toward the Chen Prince was ice-cold and indifferent: “Then this palace will first return to Zhaohua Palace to confine myself, waiting for His Majesty to depose the queen consort and then execute this palace’s nine familial relations.”

As she turned and walked toward outside the hall, that skirt hem with dark flowing radiance faintly floating within trailed long behind her. The Imperial Guards blocking Zhanghua Hall’s entrance didn’t dare obstruct and spontaneously made way.

Tongque and the others straightened their backs, closely following Wen Yu. They helped up the collapsed Imperial Physician Fang and left the great hall as if no one else existed.

Watching the departing backs of the group, the Chen Prince was so angry he grabbed porcelain cups and implements from the table and smashed them wildly, his eyes blood-red as he said hatefully: “Rebellious! Rebellious! Using deposing the queen consort to threaten this Prince—does she really think this Prince is afraid of her?”

Eunuch Li tried to stop the Chen Prince from smashing things, yet also feared touching the Chen Prince’s sore spot and didn’t dare truly obstruct. He could only make a show of blocking while shouting: “Aiya, Your Majesty, be careful not to hurt yourself…”

Jiang Yu then led the Imperial Guards in kneeling on one knee in the great hall, asking the Chen Prince for punishment: “It was this general and others who failed in protection. Please, Your Majesty, impose punishment.”

After the Chen Prince smashed the last piece of porcelain in his hand beside Jiang Yu’s feet, staring at that handsome, refined face, he suddenly laughed coldly: “Impose punishment? How would this Prince dare! It’s not like this Prince doesn’t know the Empress Dowager’s and your Jiang family’s schemes. Otherwise, why would the Empress Dowager have you go receive the bride? You and that Liang woman…”

“Your Majesty, speak cautiously!” Jiang Yu suddenly interrupted the Chen Prince. That voice was extremely cold and extremely heavy. His eyes also became especially sharp and cold, faintly revealing hints of discomfort and humiliation.

The Chen Prince was stopped by that shout and fell silent for a moment.

But Jiang Yu, after closing his eyes, maintained his half-kneeling posture and lowered his head even more, saying: “Failing to protect Your Majesty adequately is this general’s dereliction of duty. This general will go down and accept punishment on his own.”

Having said this, he also left the great hall directly.

Looking at the wide-open hall doors and the remaining Imperial Guards, the Chen Prince suddenly became furious beyond measure. However, there was nothing left on the desk for him to smash. He could only kick over the dragon desk with one foot, scaring the eunuchs and that beautiful person beside him into fearfully dodging.

He himself continued smashing books and porcelain from the nearby curio shelf, smashing while cursing almost maniacally: “Rebellious! Rebellious! Every single one of them is rebellious! Is this world still this Prince’s world? Hasn’t it long been the Jiang family’s world?”

Having finished speaking, he laughed crazily and maniacally again.

Imperial Guards and eunuchs knelt across the floor. Everyone only treated themselves as deaf and blind, never having heard these words, not daring to look at the emperor’s loss of composure.

After the Chen Prince finished smashing everything in the hall that could be smashed, sitting disheveled with scattered hair and disordered robes amid the complete mess, he finally saw the beautiful person cowering at the bottom of the steps, tears about to fall. Suddenly, something crazy and obsessive ignited in his eyes. He laughed savagely while extending his hand toward that beautiful person: “Beloved consort, come here.”

Large areas of the beautiful person’s collarbone and shoulder blades were exposed outside her garments. Seeing the Chen Prince’s extended hand and that smile, her body was already unconsciously trembling, yet she could only forcibly squeeze out a pleasing, charming smile and, as before, slowly crawl toward the Chen Prince using both hands and feet.

Eunuch Li, watching the hall’s mess and absurdity, gave his godson eunuchs meaningful looks, having them first surround the Chen Prince, coax him, and be at his disposal. He himself quietly withdrew from the great hall and went to Lingxi Palace where the Empress Dowager resided.

—

Returning to Zhaohua Palace, Wen Yu ordered people to reset Imperial Physician Fang’s dislocated jaw and asked him: “Why did the Chen Prince suddenly summon you?”

Imperial Physician Fang had once again walked through death’s door. His hands and feet were still cold. He answered bewilderedly and miserably: “This humble subject doesn’t know. This humble subject was just performing duties as usual at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Who knew Zhanghua Hall would suddenly send someone to summon this humble subject, saying His Majesty’s body was unwell and ordering this humble subject to go treat him…”

Speaking to this point, Imperial Physician Fang couldn’t help but cry again: “If Your Highness hadn’t arrived in time, this humble subject’s life would probably already be in the King of Hell’s hands…”

Seeing no useful information could be obtained from Imperial Physician Fang, Wen Yu surmised it should only be that the Chen Prince and Empress Dowager Jiang’s side wanted to kill Imperial Physician Fang to establish authority for those Internal Affairs Bureau eunuchs, while also showing everyone in the Chen Prince’s palace what fate awaited those who pledged allegiance to her, Wen Yu.

However, when confronting the Chen Prince in Zhanghua Hall, she deliberately used the fact that Imperial Physician Fang was “bestowed” upon her by Empress Dowager Jiang to counter the Chen Prince. Looking at the Chen Prince’s appearance, he seemed quite at odds with Empress Dowager Jiang. Even the matter of attacking Imperial Physician Fang—he hadn’t coordinated with Empress Dowager Jiang beforehand.

Doubts arose again in Wen Yu’s heart. She said to Imperial Physician Fang: “You were also frightened today. Go down first.”

The still-shaken Imperial Physician Fang then withdrew.

Tongque presented Wen Yu with a cup of tea, saying worriedly: “Although we saved Imperial Physician Fang, with the Mid-Autumn banquet imminent and you, Princess, confining yourself to Zhaohua Palace, what will happen with the palace banquet then?”

Wen Yu didn’t respond. Outside the hall already came the Azure Cloud Guards’ announcement: “Princess, Miss Zhaobai has returned.”

Wen Yu nodded, indicating to let her in.

Zhaobai, hand on the long sword at her waist, quickly strode into the hall. Having roughly heard about what happened at Zhanghua Hall during her return journey, her eyes were remarkably sharp and fierce. Seeing Wen Yu safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief, then cupped her fists and bowed: “This slave is ashamed. Those Internal Affairs Bureau eunuchs played tricks and delayed some time. The secret account books have been transferred.”

Thin bamboo blinds hung by the window. Sunlight penetrated from outside, casting striped shadows of light on the sandalwood desk. Wen Yu’s ink-green landscape-colored magnificent robe had not yet been changed. When holding the cup with one hand, her wide sleeve hung down, revealing a section of well-proportioned forearm. Bathed in thin sunlight, it was dazzlingly white, as if divine.

She herself was completely unaware of this. Her slender fingertips lightly tapped the cup lid, her voice clear and crisp: “It’s not your fault. The Empress Dowager made the move of killing Imperial Physician Fang—she must have been on guard against me early on. If I had obtained the Internal Affairs Bureau’s secret account books so easily, wouldn’t the Empress Dowager’s decades of management in the palace become a joke?”

Zhaobai said: “You protected Imperial Physician Fang. Those Internal Affairs Bureau eunuchs will inevitably feel endangered. They fear thoroughly offending the Empress Dowager and don’t dare directly hand over the secret account books to you. But they also fear you’ll expose the Internal Affairs Bureau’s rotten accounts and make them scapegoats. Later, they’ll inevitably continue coming to curry favor with you.”

After Wen Yu finished her tea, putting down the teacup, she said: “The Internal Affairs Bureau is already a dead end.”

Hearing this, Zhaobai looked thoughtful. Tongque heard confusedly and couldn’t help but ask: “Princess, what do you mean by this?”

Wen Yu said: “Given Empress Dowager Jiang’s temperament, she absolutely cannot tolerate those Internal Affairs Bureau people eating from two households.”

Only then did Tongque have a sudden realization, but then became somewhat worried: “At this critical juncture, whoever is elevated to the Internal Affairs Bureau will definitely be on the Empress Dowager’s side. With them causing trouble, how will you handle the Mid-Autumn palace banquet…”

Before finishing her words, Tongque slapped her own head hard and said cheerfully: “Look at this brain of mine! No wonder you, Princess, declared in Zhanghua Hall that you would confine yourself—turns out you had already anticipated the Empress Dowager would reinstall people in the Internal Affairs Bureau and threw out this hot potato of the Mid-Autumn palace banquet in advance!”

Wen Yu said: “Send people to watch those Internal Affairs Bureau people. If the Empress Dowager wants to eliminate future troubles forever, she won’t be merciful to them.”

Zhaobai heard the hidden meaning in Wen Yu’s words and said: “Before this slave returned, I already ordered people to secretly watch the Internal Affairs Bureau. If there’s any unusual movement, no matter what, we’ll preserve one living witness.”

For Empress Dowager Jiang, people no longer of use to her who had also been exposed to many dark secrets of her and the Jiang family—naturally only in death would they keep silent forever.

Those Internal Affairs Bureau eunuchs usually feared the Empress Dowager and Jiang family’s authority. When their lives were truly in danger, they wouldn’t fail to implicate the Empress Dowager.

Wen Yu didn’t expect to completely overthrow the Empress Dowager using these Internal Affairs Bureau people, but since she couldn’t obtain the secret account books, creating more trouble for her and the Jiang family was also acceptable.

Zhaobai handled matters reliably. Since she had already made thorough arrangements, Wen Yu just nodded and asked again: “That beautiful person in Zhanghua Hall today—which palace consort is she?”

Tongque replied with a complex expression: “She’s Noble Consort Li from Xinyu Palace.”

Before today, she had always thought that Noble Consort Li of Xinyu Palace, whose beauty was renowned far and wide, was someone who bewitched and deluded the ruler with fox-like charms.

But after personally witnessing how the Chen Prince treated this supposedly favored consort from rumors, Tongque couldn’t quite describe what she felt in her heart. She only felt that the consort most favored in the rear palace shouldn’t be like that.

Wen Yu said: “Also place several pairs of eyes in Xinyu Palace.”

Previously, she had disdained grasping the Chen Prince’s movements, but after today’s incident, she increasingly felt both the Chen Prince and Empress Dowager were somewhat strange.

However, Zhanghua Hall where the Chen Prince resided was personally guarded by Imperial Guard Commander Jiang Yu. Today, she had ordered the Azure Cloud Guards to create a disturbance and draw Jiang Yu away before successfully leading people into the great hall. This person was shrewd and difficult to deal with, and was also the Empress Dowager’s nephew. If she planted informants in Zhanghua Hall, she would inevitably fail to hide it from him and Empress Dowager Jiang—it might even backfire.

Conversely, Xinyu Palace was Noble Consort Li’s palace. Its guards were not as strict as Zhanghua Hall, and the Chen Prince frequently went there. Sending people to watch Xinyu Palace—she could always discover more of the Chen Prince’s secrets.

—

Lingxi Palace.

After hearing Eunuch Li’s report, when Empress Dowager Jiang’s thumb moved the bodhi prayer beads, she used too much force and finally broke the string. The bodhi beads rolled across the floor.

Eunuch Li was scared into fearfully prostrating on the ground, shouting: “Empress Dowager, please calm your anger!”

Empress Dowager Jiang raised her eyes. Even after years of Buddhist recitation, she still couldn’t hide the suppressed anger in her brows and eyes at this moment: “This is what you told this dowager—that everything was arranged?”

Eunuch Li said miserably: “That Fang Qisheng’s elderly mother, wife, and children were all taken to the craftsmen’s camp in the Queen Consort’s dowry. This old slave couldn’t obtain people to threaten him! Poisoning—he himself is a physician and is extremely cautious about anything entering his mouth. Sending assassins—he has experts secretly protecting him… This old slave has tried every method possible. Today when the Queen Consort summoned those traitorous Internal Affairs Bureau wretches, you sent this old slave an urgent message. This old slave had no choice and took a desperate risk, wanting to have His Majesty kill that ungrateful Fang Qisheng…”

Empress Dowager Jiang’s voice suddenly rose a degree: “How dare you!”

Eunuch Li lowered his body even more, his mouth continuously shouting “Empress Dowager, please calm your anger.”

Empress Dowager Jiang said hatefully: “To eliminate one Fang Qisheng, you actually dared leak matters concerning His Majesty?”

Eunuch Li hastily said: “How would this old slave dare? This old slave merely joined hands with Imperial Physician Han beside His Majesty to stage a show, making His Majesty mistakenly believe Fang Qisheng saw the prescription Imperial Physician Han went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to obtain for His Majesty. Only then did His Majesty fly into a rage wanting to kill Fang Qisheng!”

Hearing these words, Empress Dowager Jiang’s expression finally improved somewhat. Supported by her close attendant nanny, she sat back on the couch, coldly looking down at Eunuch Li kneeling on the ground: “Li Demao, these years you’ve regressed more and more, unable to handle even such small matters properly.”

Eunuch Li’s forehead knocked the ground. His eyes changed, but the words he spoke still only begged for mercy and admitted guilt: “Your Highness, you know this slave is just stupid beyond salvation. If not for Empress Dowager’s support, how could this slave have today in the palace…”

This flattery managed to soothe the Empress Dowager somewhat. When receiving the tea presented by the close attendant nanny, she only set it down heavily on the low table with lingering resentment: “That Liang woman is calculating! Using one Fang Qisheng, she actually wants this dowager to sever this arm of the Internal Affairs Bureau!”

Eunuch Li prostrated on the ground, not daring to respond again. The nanny beside them advised a few words before Empress Dowager Jiang said coldly: “Let her be pleased for this moment. This dowager wants to see how she’ll handle the Mid-Autumn palace banquet two days from now!”

Just then, a palace servant came from outside to report:

“Report to the Empress Dowager—someone has come from Zhaohua Palace.”

Empress Dowager Jiang half-raised her eyelids: “What matter?”

The palace servant presented a memorial and a brocade box, answering fearfully: “The Queen Consort ordered someone to send a letter requesting self-deposition as queen consort and the phoenix seal. She also said… she also sent a copy of the deposition letter to Grand Censor Jiao in the front court. Before the decree for deposing the queen consort comes down, the Queen Consort will confine herself to Zhaohua Palace and cannot continue managing the Mid-Autumn palace banquet. Therefore, she is also returning the phoenix seal to you.”

Empress Dowager Jiang felt a surge of malevolent energy rush straight to her head. After recovering, she could only shout in shock and anger: “Absurd!”

If Wen Yu had only spoken harsh words, saying she would confine herself and no longer handle the palace banquet, that would have been fine. She could painlessly bestow some gifts, have subordinates bring a few comforting words, and forcibly gloss over the matter.

But Wen Yu requesting self-deposition as queen consort and drafting letters to send to the front court—this couldn’t be settled peacefully just within the rear palace.

Tomorrow at morning court, the officials would inevitably pursue this matter further, seeking “justice” for her, the Liang woman.

Although the Jiang family was at the height of power in court, they hadn’t yet reached the point where one family’s word was law.

The conservative royalist faction had always been dissatisfied with the external relatives’ great power. These years they frequently picked at the Jiang family’s faults. If not for the Chen Prince’s absurd conduct and unpopularity after ascending the throne, the Jiang family’s hold on power wouldn’t have been so smooth.

Sometimes Empress Dowager Jiang herself couldn’t distinguish whether she felt fortunate or pained that her son was like this.

But regardless, Wen Yu—this new queen consort representing all of Great Liang’s interests—requesting self-deposition just one month after the grand wedding, while the war situation in Liang lands was also pressing—even for the sake of Liang lands’ interests, the court officials would inevitably do their utmost to favor Wen Yu.

All her calculations, the layers of difficulties she had set for Wen Yu—at this moment, they had undoubtedly all become jokes.

Moreover, as early as that first time when Wen Yu’s letter breaking off the engagement was sent to the royal court, she had already experienced Wen Yu’s lion’s wide-open mouth. At the wedding ceremony too, she had used this as a threat without giving Chen Kingdom’s royal family any face.

After this commotion, who knew how many benefits the other party would demand before willing to let it go.

The more Empress Dowager Jiang thought about it, the more she felt that malevolent energy blocking her heart caused piercing pain. However, in front of Eunuch Li and that reporting palace maid, she couldn’t lose composure and face. She could only force herself to say: “Enough. This dowager understands. All of you, withdraw.”

The young palace maid reporting naturally didn’t dare linger and quickly curtsied and withdrew. Eunuch Li got up from the ground to take his leave. When reaching the hall door, his eyes clearly showed something unusual.

With no outsiders remaining in the hall, only then did Empress Dowager Jiang angrily collapse on the couch. Palace servants surrounded her—those rubbing her chest to help her breathe properly did so, those feeding water did so, those fanning did so. Yet Empress Dowager Jiang still couldn’t catch that breath.

The old nanny serving closely was Empress Dowager Jiang’s confidant and advised: “Your Highness, don’t anger yourself and harm your body.”

Empress Dowager Jiang said hatefully through gasps: “That Liang woman… goes too far!”

The old nanny knew some words couldn’t be heard by subordinates. She made a gesture for the palace servants attending the Empress Dowager to withdraw first.

Only then did the Empress Dowager grip tightly the remaining half-string of bodhi beads in her hand: “We must quickly obtain leverage over the Liang woman. His Majesty also can’t keep avoiding Zhaohua Palace forever. At the Mid-Autumn banquet, proceed according to the original plan.”

The old nanny was obviously somewhat hesitant: “I fear on the young general’s side…”

The Empress Dowager wearily closed both eyes. Her full head of jeweled ornaments couldn’t conceal the white hair at her temples. Her tone was unprecedentedly cold and hard: “It’s not up to him!”