In the blink of an eye, the Empress Dowager’s birthday arrived. Several days earlier, the Emperor had issued an edict commanding officials of third rank and above, scholars, imperial princes, and princes consort to enter the palace with their family members. That evening, all who had received invitations entered the palace city early to wait. As soon as darkness fell, people began taking their designated seats.
Li Weiyang glanced around—the entire palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments. Lamps and candles were lit everywhere, and every corner of the hall was magnificently adorned. Even the palace maids who moved between different seats serving tea and carrying fruit platters wore colorful robes, appearing resplendent with gold and jade. After Li Weiyang took her seat, she heard drums and music play in unison, while various delicacies and fine wines flowed like water.
A trace of mockery appeared on Jiang Yuelan’s calm face, while Sun Yanjun said in a low voice, “Looking at the scene inside the palace, it hasn’t been affected by the earthquake in the slightest!”
Li Weiyang watched the scene of singing and dancing in peaceful times, a cold smile suppressed in her eyes, yet she didn’t open her mouth to say a word. In the eyes of those in power, what did the common people’s suffering amount to? Since the granaries had already been opened to distribute grain, and people had already been dispatched for disaster relief, the Emperor could naturally celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday with peace of mind. Moreover, having just repelled the five hundred thousand troops from the Northern Desert, the Emperor’s mood was probably excellent at this moment. Who would dare to step forward at this time to reproach him for being too extravagant and wasteful?
The Empress Dowager sat in her elevated seat, looking down at everyone from her high position, her face wearing a smile. The Emperor and Empress accompanied her on one side, while the favored Consort Lian sat on the other side with her large belly, looking radiant and slightly plump, yet her pregnancy had not affected her beauty in the slightest.
Li Weiyang and Consort Lian’s eyes met for a moment, and she nodded slightly at her. Only then did Consort Lian feel relieved, gently and obediently accompanying the Emperor’s side, looking like an ordinary consort. Unfortunately, her extraordinary beauty and her prominently protruding belly destined her to become the focus of everyone’s attention.
At this moment, the Crown Prince stood up, first raising his cup to wish the Empress Dowager good fortune, longevity, and peace, then said, “This time, Consort Jiang has specially prepared a gift for the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager please view it.”
The Empress Dowager glanced at Imperial Concubine Jiang, who stood beside the Crown Prince with a dignified smile, and smiled, saying, “Oh, I wonder what kind of gift it is?”
Li Weiyang also looked at the Crown Prince and Jiang Lan. Everyone else’s gifts had been sent to the palace in advance, yet Imperial Concubine Jiang was being so unconventional—so high-profile, which didn’t fit her usual style. She lowered her head, concealing the trace of a smile at the corner of her lips.
The Crown Prince clapped his hands, and then dozens of palace maids and eunuchs filed in one after another, carrying in several hundred pots of peony flowers, instantly drawing exclamations from everyone in the great hall. The green leaves were verdant and fresh, making the red, purple, and yellow peony petals appear even more delicate and alluring. Even sitting at a distance, Li Weiyang could smell the waves of peony fragrance—rich and aromatic, almost intoxicating.
Everyone marveled in amazement. Even the Ninth Princess exclaimed, “These several hundred pots of peonies almost contain all the peony varieties. Some rare varieties even surpass the peonies in the Imperial Garden! Transporting so many peony flowers to the capital must have required tremendous effort!”
The Emperor’s expression darkened slightly. Yes, after all, it was a troubled time. Holding this birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager had already drawn countless private criticisms, but the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet combined with the Northern Desert army’s retreat made him feel it should be held grandly and lavishly, which would help completely dispel the country’s recent bad fortune. But while he himself could be this extravagant, he didn’t necessarily allow others to be so extravagant!
Imperial Concubine Jiang said softly, “Princess, I’ve long heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager loves peony flowers, so starting three years ago, I gradually asked people to select some outstanding varieties and transport them to the capital, then carefully cultivated them. Only slowly was I able to gather so many varieties, thinking that when the opportunity arose, I could present them for the Empress Dowager to admire.”
She had started preparing three years ago—no wonder there had been no news in the capital of the Crown Prince’s residence extensively collecting peony flowers. One or two pots per month was really not excessive, but instead showed distinctive filial piety. The Emperor’s expression quickly relaxed. The Empress Dowager beside him asked, “Now is not the season for peonies to bloom. How did you manage this?” Although it was now spring and ordinary flowers had bloomed quite a bit, peonies had not yet reached their flowering season. To make so many peonies bloom, an ordinary hothouse would absolutely not suffice.
A blush appeared on Jiang Lan’s beautiful face, as if from embarrassment, and she said, “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I placed all the peonies in a hothouse, then ordered craftsmen to fire transparent glazed tiles to replace the roof. I also had charcoal fires lit in the hothouse, calculating the time for the flowers to bloom, either increasing or decreasing the charcoal fires, which is how I managed to have them bloom just before and after the Empress Dowager’s birthday. These peonies in the great hall can be displayed for at most half a period, then must be moved back to the hothouse. If the Empress Dowager still wishes to admire them, they can be moved to the Imperial Garden in the palace, but brocade curtains must be hung around them, and charcoal fires lit nearby—only then can the peonies resist the cold and bloom as magnificently as before.”
Everyone couldn’t help but marvel. Calculating the peonies’ blooming date and condition, increasing and decreasing the charcoal fires—such meticulous thinking was truly exquisite. This Imperial Concubine Jiang was really good at applying her efforts, actually preparing for the Empress Dowager’s preferences from three years ago, deliberately waiting until now to bring it out.
Sun Yanjun said in a low voice, “Not long ago she lost a close relative. How can she still have such a smiling face? She’s truly heartless.”
Li Weiyang glanced at Jiang Lan, but said, “Since she has already married into the imperial family, she has no more connection to her natal family. Even if close relatives die, she cannot observe mourning, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the imperial family. Today, since she came to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday, she naturally must have a face full of smiling radiance. Should she come with a mourning face instead? Wouldn’t that be slapping the Empress Dowager’s face? This is precisely why her endurance is stronger than others’.”
Sun Yanjun looked at Li Weiyang with surprise, then sighed. Indeed, once married into the imperial family, if one wore mourning hemp and filial piety, it would be equivalent to cursing the imperial family. Ordinary daughters who married out could still observe mourning for their parents, but in this Great Li dynasty, women who married into the imperial family absolutely could not. In a certain sense, this was absolutely the extinction of human ethics.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Consort Jiang has indeed put in considerable effort, but I heard that when Seventh Brother returned from the Northern Desert this time, he also brought back a gift for the Empress Dowager. Why not bring it out for everyone to admire?”
He was clearly doing this deliberately. Tuoba Yu went to fight a war, not to select gifts. How could he have specifically brought back a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager from the Northern Desert? This was obviously deliberately making things difficult for someone. Li Weiyang raised her eyebrows—she wanted to see whether Tuoba Yu knew how to respond.
At this moment, Tuoba Yu stood up, his handsome face showing no trace of anger, but only smiles as he said, “Consort Jiang’s thoughtfulness is truly rare. I did bring back a gift, but compared to her thoughtfulness, it seems too shabby. I’m almost embarrassed to bring it out.”
Everyone burst into laughter at this, and the atmosphere became lively. Ordinarily, Tuoba Yu would only focus on fighting wars and wouldn’t think to prepare gifts at all. This time, even Li Weiyang felt curious, not knowing what gift Tuoba Yu had brought back along with his war campaign.
Tuoba Yu smiled and said, “This time when I passed through the Northern Desert, the Northern Desert people fled in panic, instead leaving behind their specialty fire liquor. This wine has always been renowned throughout the world, but only the Northern Desert imperial family could enjoy it exclusively. This time I brought back several hundred jars from the Northern Desert, enough for everyone to enjoy.”
Li Weiyang couldn’t help but laugh. Tuoba Yu was joking, yet not joking. Looking at the Emperor on the platform, he was clearly greatly pleased as he said, “Have it brought up.”
Thus, Tuoba Yu ordered people to distribute the fire liquor to everyone. As soon as this wine was carried into the great hall, it released a clear and intense fragrance that instantly overpowered the rich and aromatic peony flowers. The Crown Prince’s expression immediately became somewhat stiff, then he smiled and said, “Seventh Brother, dismissing everyone with just these few jars of wine—isn’t that too casual?”
Tuoba Yu seemed to have anticipated he would say this, merely smiling. That smile at this moment looked confident and very charming: “Empress Dowager, when I reached the border this time, because the common people were spared from the flames of war, they were extremely grateful for Father Emperor’s and the Empress Dowager’s protection, so they specifically asked me to bring back gifts and traveled thousands of miles to present them in the capital.”
When the Emperor heard that these were gifts sent by the common people at the border, he immediately became interested, saying, “To send gifts to me from such a distance—I wonder what they are! Bring them all up!”
Tuoba Yu had anticipated the Emperor would be interested. He clapped his hands, and everyone saw a huge iron rack being carried up. The upper part of the iron rack was completely dismantled, with iron forks holding more than ten plump lambs, all roasted to a golden color. The Crown Prince sneered coldly, “Such a gift can be sent up—it’s truly too crude.”
But the Emperor glared at him coldly and said loudly, “When the common people send a goose feather from a thousand miles away, the gift is light but the sentiment is heavy! Someone, present the mutton.”
The Crown Prince was rebuked for no reason, but suddenly realized the Emperor was happy about the smooth progress of the Northern Desert campaign. Seeing that the common people had sent gifts from thousands of miles away, even if they sent a handful of dirt, the Emperor would feel it was the people’s gratitude and reverence for him. Yet he had chosen this moment to pour cold water on the Emperor. No wonder he was stabbed with a remark for no reason. Seeing the Emperor’s cold gaze, his body shuddered, and he no longer dared to say more.
The eunuchs immediately cut a piece of the best meat, placed it on a golden plate, and sent it up. The Emperor personally tasted a bite under everyone’s gaze. Everyone stared intently at the changes in his expression, then heard the Emperor say with great delight, “In these several decades, this is the first time I have tasted such delicious food. It’s truly delicious. Distribute the mutton.”
Soon, Li Weiyang also received a piece of roasted mutton. She usually didn’t like eating mutton because it was too gamey, but seeing the mutton dripping with oil and flames, looking very plump and delicious, she just tasted one bite and was immediately greatly surprised. This taste was actually completely different from the ordinary roasted mutton in the capital—not only was there not the slightest gamey taste, but it was also extraordinarily fresh, delicious, and crispy.
Looking at the gifts, what Tuoba Yu sent appeared inferior to those flourishing peonies, but in actual significance, it far exceeded them. Everyone present understood this in their hearts. The Crown Prince’s expression therefore became even more gloomy. He looked at Tuoba Zhen, only to see the other party sitting calmly drinking wine with a bland expression, as if completely unaware of everything happening on the scene. He steeled his heart, stood up, stepped forward, and said, “Father Emperor, your son has something to report.”
The Emperor chewed the mutton in his mouth, raised his head to look at the Crown Prince, not knowing why he was behaving so solemnly while his expression was so serious. Had something bad happened?
Consort Lian lowered her eyes slightly, as if completely unaware of the approaching danger.
Imperial Concubine Jiang sneered coldly, looking at the people in the hall with varying expressions, finally settling on Li Weiyang’s face. She thought to herself that when Consort Lian fell, she would naturally implicate many people, including Li Weiyang of course—none of them would escape. Li Weiyang was right—she didn’t care at all about the deaths of those Jiang family members, because they deserved to die! When she struggled desperately in the Crown Prince’s residence, not a single person was willing to help her. On the contrary, they even joined forces with Tuoba Zhen behind the scenes, plotting something. She wasn’t a fool and wouldn’t be led by the nose by them! But likewise, she would never forgive Li Weiyang, because this woman actually dared to humiliate her to her face and poke her sore spot. She absolutely, absolutely would make her pay a bloody price!
The Emperor frowned and said, “If you have something to say, speak freely.”
The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and said loudly and solemnly, “Three days ago, a woman suddenly blocked your son’s procession, saying she had a tremendous grievance and asking me to redress it.”
The Emperor’s frown deepened. This Crown Prince was truly too ignorant. In this kind of occasion, did he want to publicly redress someone’s grievance? He glanced at the Empress Dowager and saw that her face also showed some displeasure. He couldn’t help but say, “Such matters should naturally be handed over to the Capital Magistrate to resolve. As Crown Prince, you should focus more on governmental affairs and not overstep your authority.”
The Emperor’s words clearly blamed the Crown Prince. For a ruler, one naturally didn’t need to manage every trivial matter. For the Crown Prince to mention grievances at such a grand occasion was obviously inappropriate. That the Empress Dowager hadn’t become angry publicly was already a form of grace. If he still didn’t know his place and continued speaking, both the Emperor and Empress Dowager would likely blame him. But things had already reached this point—the Crown Prince had no way out. He steeled his heart and said loudly, “Your son naturally knows this matter shouldn’t be discussed here, but without Father Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and all the ministers as witnesses, the Capital Magistrate would absolutely not have the courage to judge this case.”
The Emperor’s expression darkened. The more he looked at the Crown Prince, the less he could suppress the anger that had been weighing on his heart. But hearing these words, he couldn’t help exchanging a glance with the Empress Dowager. What kind of case couldn’t even the Capital Magistrate handle?
The Empress Dowager obviously still valued the Crown Prince somewhat. She sighed lightly and said, “Since the Crown Prince has said this, then speak completely.”
The Crown Prince finally gathered enough courage and said loudly, “That woman is suing none other than the Consort Lian before us, who carries the dragon heir and is greatly favored!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was shocked. Everyone thought, why must something happen at every banquet? At these imperial family banquets, everyone practically had to attend with their heads on the line—one misstep and they’d be implicated! Everyone’s gazes turned toward Consort Lian, only to see her face show bewildered, innocent, and shocked expressions as she said in astonishment, “Crown Prince, what do you mean by this?”
The Crown Prince looked at her coldly, his gaze becoming even more venomous when it fell on her belly: “Father Emperor, that woman claims she is the real Leng Youlian, with genuine identity and registration, and this Consort Lian before us has actually assumed her identity!”
Li Weiyang watched this drama with cold eyes, shaking her head lightly. Consort Lian’s identity had always been a problem that would eventually implicate everything. Perhaps sooner, perhaps later, but from the very beginning, she had anticipated this day. She glanced across and her gaze happened to meet Tuoba Zhen’s.
Tuoba Zhen stared into her eyes and smiled. It was a mysterious and sinister smile that sent chills down one’s spine.
He wanted to kill her. She lowered her eyes. This time, he showed no mercy whatsoever. If the Crown Prince proved Consort Lian’s true identity, then her so-called rescue of the Emperor last time would become a joke. She had concealed her identity to come to the Emperor’s side—her fundamental purpose must have been to avenge the Murong clan. Without thinking, one knew that Zhou Dashou and the Seventh Prince Tuoba Yu were the ones who pushed Consort Lian to the Emperor’s side. What fate awaited them? And what about Li Weiyang? Of course she couldn’t escape either, because those people would find ways to connect Consort Lian with her. By then they would always have methods to make Consort Lian tell the truth. Previously Consort Lian might have had no weaknesses, but now she was pregnant and about to become a mother. To protect her child, she would say anything. Even if they made her admit that Li Weiyang was also involved in this conspiracy—this was Tuoba Zhen’s purpose.
What a cruel and ruthless man. Once he truly made up his mind, he wanted to put her in a deadly situation. Li Weiyang couldn’t help but sigh again. No matter how she avoided it, he wouldn’t let her go. Because he had set his sights on her, and she was unwilling to submit to him, so he was also filled with hatred toward her. If he couldn’t have her, he’d rather destroy her. These imperial family members were each more terrifying than the last.
The Empress Dowager was completely stunned. She looked at Consort Lian beside her, who also wore a baffled expression, and said, “If she’s not Leng Youlian, then who would she be?”
The Crown Prince, under everyone’s gaze, seemed to have found a kind of power—a power to defeat his opponent and put them in a deadly situation. He said loudly, “Father Emperor, do you still remember the Murong clan that assassinated you initially? Consort Lian is the princess of the Murong clan, Murong Xin!”
Both the Emperor and Empress Dowager were shocked. They looked at Consort Lian’s face, and a trace of uncertain suspicion immediately appeared.
Consort Lian stood up, the expression on her face cold as if frozen with a thick layer of ice, yet two streams of tears quickly flowed from beneath her eye sockets, trailing down to her chin. Her eyes filled with grief and resentment: “Your Majesty, your concubine truly doesn’t know where I offended the Crown Prince to suffer such wrongful accusation!”
The Emperor looked at Consort Lian, suddenly remembering what happened yesterday. In fact, his health hadn’t been very good recently. The previous two days he had been bedridden with illness, with Consort Lian constantly attending him. Although she was pregnant, she never rested or handed the responsibility of caring for him to others. Even when he was asleep, she liked to sit beside him in companionship, which warmed and moved his heart.
But yesterday at dusk, when he woke up, he saw Consort Lian alone with reddened eyes. At the time he couldn’t help but say, “Consort Lian, what’s wrong?”
Consort Lian’s expression at the time was so fearful, nervous, anxious, and uneasy. She seemed still deeply immersed in thought, actually murmuring aloud: “It’s the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince he…”
His mind thundered with a loud crash at the time. He sat up abruptly, shouting with all his strength in fury, “What did you say? What about the Crown Prince?”
Consort Lian’s expression became even more distressed, tears also welling up in her eyes: “Your Majesty, I, I…”
“Speak quickly! What did the Crown Prince do?!” People who are ill are always especially sensitive. Moreover, with Consort Lian looking like this, he couldn’t help but imagine what the Crown Prince had done!
“The Crown Prince… ah, no, the Crown Prince was improper… I happened to see, Your Majesty, I, no, your concubine didn’t see it on purpose…” Consort Lian’s lips squirmed, clumsy and stiff. She wanted to cover it up, looking as if she wanted to exonerate the Crown Prince, but no matter how hard she tried, she seemed unable to speak.
No need to ask further—the Emperor understood in his heart. He said angrily, “What did that beast do!”
Consort Lian’s face showed even more unease, yet she still revealed everything: “The Crown Prince and the newly entered Beauty Zhang, they… they… your concubine just passed by unintentionally… accidentally saw… the Crown Prince will probably bear a grudge against your concubine. Your Majesty must save your concubine! Your concubine fears that having discovered this matter, one day the Crown Prince will kill me to silence me!”
The Crown Prince and Beauty Zhang?! That soft, weak, incomparably beautiful new favorite Beauty Zhang?! The Emperor’s mind seemed to explode all at once.
In fact, Consort Lian wasn’t wrongly accusing Beauty Zhang, because before entering the palace, Zhang had indeed had a relationship with the Crown Prince. Even after entering the palace, the two still occasionally had some contact, but that wasn’t an affair—it was the Crown Prince using Beauty Zhang to extract information from the Emperor. Simply put, Beauty Zhang was just a spy the Crown Prince sent to the Emperor’s side, no different from ordinary agents. The only difference was that she was a beauty, and moreover, after Consort Lian became pregnant and couldn’t serve in the bedchamber, she became the new favorite replacing her. Such a woman actually had illicit relations with the Crown Prince and was caught in the act by Consort Lian—how could the Emperor not be furious?! So he pounded his chest with his fist, shouting in grief and indignation, “Beast! Worse than an animal! How can such a beast be entrusted with great affairs?!” Then he shouted toward outside the hall, “Someone!”
At the time, Consort Lian cried and pleaded, saying, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is the future heir. If he confronts your concubine publicly, your concubine cannot produce concrete evidence, because apart from the palace maids by your concubine’s side, no one else saw this matter. No one can prove it for your concubine! Others will only think your concubine is deliberately slandering him out of jealousy toward Beauty Zhang. But Your Majesty knows your concubine—how could I be someone who harbors resentment due to competing for favor?! The Crown Prince has already threatened your concubine that if even a single word is told to Your Majesty, he will definitely take your concubine’s life! If Your Majesty summons the Crown Prince, it will be the moment of your concubine’s death!”
After his rage, the Emperor gradually calmed down. Indeed, there was no evidence for this matter, so the Crown Prince couldn’t be convicted. Instead, it would allow him to accuse Consort Lian in return. Looking at the tearful beauty before him, he believed her, because since entering the palace, Consort Lian had never done a single evil deed or shown any jealousy. Instead, she had magnanimously recommended quite a few beauties to the Emperor. Moreover, she was already one of the Four Consorts and carried the dragon heir—the insignificant Beauty Zhang couldn’t be her enemy at all… Therefore, the Crown Prince must truly be colluding with that Zhang woman without doubt.
After thinking it over, the Emperor didn’t want to immediately replace the heir apparent. Without concrete evidence, and with the Empress Dowager’s birthday approaching, nothing could happen at this time. So he ultimately followed Consort Lian’s words and didn’t pursue the Crown Prince, merely ordering people to quietly monitor that Beauty Zhang. Sure enough, they discovered contact between her and the Crown Prince, which further confirmed the Crown Prince’s guilt. Not only that, but the Emperor’s heart had already conceived the thought of deposing the Crown Prince—it just hadn’t been put into action yet.
Originally today’s atmosphere had been so good that the Emperor had almost forgotten the rage and displeasure from several days ago. But with Consort Lian’s statement, he suddenly remembered everything. Yes, the Crown Prince, having been caught by Consort Lian in his shameful act, feared she would report it and tried various methods to threaten her. It seemed this time the Crown Prince wanted Consort Lian’s life… His gaze swept across the Crown Prince’s face, becoming increasingly cold.
This son was truly too foolish! First having an affair with a consort from his father’s harem, then wanting Consort Lian’s life—truly audacious beyond measure.
Sun Yanjun’s eyes slowly filled with fear. She gripped Li Weiyang’s hand and said quietly, “What… what’s happening?” She felt that something bad was about to occur.
Li Weiyang gently patted her hand and said in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid. It’s fine.”
Sun Yanjun looked at Li Weiyang. For some reason, whenever she saw her with such a calm and composed appearance, her heart would naturally settle down. Perhaps the other person just had this magical power that could make people feel she had the ability to solve any problem.
Li Weiyang’s gaze fell on the Crown Prince, seeing him become increasingly imposing: “Empress Dowager, please summon the woman who filed the complaint to the hall!”
The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell on the Emperor, with an inquiring expression. The Emperor sneered and said, “Mother Empress, since the Crown Prince is so impartial, let that woman come to the hall. I would like to see how Consort Lian stole her identity and how she infiltrated the palace!”
Tuoba Yu watched coldly, saying nothing, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.
Leng Youlian had been instructed by the Crown Prince to wait in a side hall. Only now was she brought up. When she reached the main hall and saw so many high-ranking officials and nobles gathered together, especially with Murong Xin conspicuously present, she couldn’t help but cry out and faint. After being urgently revived, she just stood there woodenly in a daze, her face deathly pale, legs trembling, clearly frightened badly.
The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Lian and said slowly, “Consort Lian, do you recognize this person?”
Consort Lian glanced at her and couldn’t help but frown, saying, “She is your concubine’s maidservant. Originally, because she was fleeing from famine, she stayed at the Leng family for a period of time. Your concubine saw she was helpless and alone, so I took her in. But later, after your concubine’s parents both passed away, the Leng family could no longer support too many servants. Your concubine then sold the residence, gave her some traveling money, and let her make her own living. But I never expected we would meet again today.”
The Crown Prince nodded, saying, “Very good. At least Consort Lian hasn’t denied knowing this woman publicly. Since that’s the case, Leng, repeat what you said that day so His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and everyone can hear clearly.”
Leng repeatedly kowtowed, not daring to comply. The Emperor looked at her coldly, then looked at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince said, “With Father Emperor and the Empress Dowager to uphold justice for you, speak freely.”
Leng lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s, repeating her scripted lines. The Crown Prince shouted sternly, “Louder!” Leng was startled and quickly repeated everything she had said in the study at full volume.
Tuoba Zhen sneered coldly. Consort Lian, Tuoba Yu, Li Weiyang—none of you can escape. Even if Consort Lian’s guilt couldn’t be proven today, the seed of doubt had already been planted in the Emperor’s heart!
Consort Lian became furious, pointing at Leng and saying, “Ajie, how dare you slander me!” The Empress Dowager stopped her, saying, “Don’t discuss right or wrong. It’s not too late to refute after hearing everything.”
Leng was frightened pale by Consort Lian, barely managing to finish speaking. The Empress Dowager frowned, thinking of that assassination attempt, and her expression became unfriendly. Toward all those who tried to harm her son, she would become very stern and terrifying. At this moment, not a trace of her previous kind and pleasant expression remained on her face: “Consort Lian! What is your explanation!”
Consort Lian’s face streamed with tears, looking completely unexpected as she defended herself: “Empress Dowager, this woman’s real name is Ajie. She was a maidservant by your concubine’s side. However, after your concubine entered the palace, she tried to attach herself to your concubine but couldn’t find a way due to the strict palace prohibitions. Your concubine only learned of this matter recently when the palace’s Grand Eunuch Wang Jin mentioned it. If the Empress Dowager doesn’t believe it, she can investigate and see whether your concubine is lying.”
The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned. When had Leng actually run to the palace gate to find Consort Lian? And been refused? Looking at Leng, he saw her face indeed showed a guilty expression. He couldn’t help but feel secretly annoyed. It seemed this woman had been greedy for more, wanting to first extort from Consort Lian but unable to see her, which was why she turned to Tuoba Zhen! His heart filled with some trepidation as he quickly said, “Consort Lian, how do you know she came to attach herself to you? Couldn’t it be that she knew you had assumed her identity and wanted to find out the truth?!”
Consort Lian hurriedly said, “Empress Dowager, please discern clearly—your concubine originally came from humble origins. Having suddenly achieved wealth and status, this woman could not attach herself and therefore harbored resentment. For some reason she was also deceived by the Crown Prince, which is why she distorted the truth and spoke maliciously. Her words cannot be trusted at all!”
Leng immediately defended herself: “Originally, Consort Lian served as a princess of the Murong clan. From her food and expenses to her temperament and habits, this slave knows everything clearly. If the Empress Dowager doesn’t believe it, you can carefully question this slave! Many things—even His Majesty doesn’t know them!”
Consort Lian immediately sneered and said, “You naturally understand my living habits very well. You probably even know exactly where the birthmarks on my body are, but this is all because you stayed by my side and know these things—what’s strange about that?” She seemed very anxious and worried, even forgetting her self-reference.
Seeing this, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but feel joy in his heart. He vaguely felt that Consort Lian had been pushed to a dead end by him! He immediately said loudly, “Father Emperor, what this Leng says is absolutely not nonsense. According to her, Consort Lian is the Murong princess. Before her father emperor died, he shouted loudly that even if only one daughter of the Murong clan remained, she would destroy the Tuoba clan’s realm! That’s why she assumed Leng Youlian’s identity and deliberately entered the palace to accompany you, Father Emperor. Her true purpose is to destroy our country! If Father Emperor doesn’t believe it, Leng has already said that Consort Lian has a seven-star dark lotus mark on her waist—that is the Murong family’s imperial clan emblem. Although Murong Xin entered the palace, she absolutely wouldn’t remove that mark, because only special medicinal water can make that mark appear. If Father Emperor and the Empress Dowager don’t believe it, you can verify it!”
Consort Lian’s face became deathly pale. She was almost sobbing uncontrollably: “Your Majesty, you understand clearly in your heart why the Crown Prince is framing your concubine. If you don’t believe your concubine, I might as well dash my head against the palace steps and die!”
The Empress Dowager frowned and said, “What are you doing? Those who don’t know the truth will only think you’re committing suicide out of guilt!”
Zhou Dashou stood up at this moment and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, Consort Lian is a celestial being who took mortal form, a fairy sent by the Heavenly Emperor to Your Majesty’s side. Now she has been inexplicably slandered and truly suffered a tremendous injustice. Since they keep insisting that Consort Lian is a remnant of the Murong imperial family, why not have the female officials withdraw to verify thoroughly and see if there’s any way to make Consort Lian’s identity clear for all to see!”
The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows and looked at Consort Lian, saying, “What do you think?”
Consort Lian no longer sought death, only streaming with tears as she said, “Your concubine is willing to try to prove my innocence.” Consort Lian followed the female officials behind the screen, and the imperial physicians also followed in. If such a hidden mark truly existed, the imperial physicians would naturally have methods to make it appear.
But when Tuoba Zhen saw Consort Lian agree so readily to the verification, his expression changed slightly. He couldn’t help but look at Li Weiyang across from him, his gaze carrying a trace of inquiry. Had the other side already prepared defenses?
Li Weiyang smiled slightly at him, then turned her eyes away. For this point, she really had to thank Jiang Yuelan’s advance warning. If she hadn’t told Consort Lian to find a way to remove the mark on her waist beforehand, today’s matter would truly be very troublesome. Each country’s imperial family had some unknown customs to varying degrees. For instance, the Murong clan—all their children had to have seven-star lotus flower tattoos on hidden parts of their bodies. Using medicinal water would make them appear. If Consort Lian had been caught today, everything would be irreversible.
Sure enough, when Consort Lian emerged, the imperial physician also said loudly, “Reporting to Your Majesty, there is no so-called seven-star dark lotus mark on Consort Lian’s body.”
As soon as these words were spoken, not only Leng’s expression changed, but even the Crown Prince’s face changed, turning iron-blue, then pale. Immediately after, Tuoba Yu stood up and said loudly, “The Crown Prince has a witness, yet this witness’s testimony is full of contradictions and seems to be concealing something. Moreover, there is no Murong imperial mark on Consort Lian’s body. Which is true and which is false is very difficult to say.”
The Crown Prince raised his head. Whether from miscalculation or anger, his eyes were already bloodshot, almost ready to erupt. Tuoba Zhen hurriedly stopped him with his eyes, then said first, “I wonder what views Seventh Brother has?”
Tuoba Yu’s face was handsome and cold: “If the Empress Dowager still has doubts, we naturally also have witnesses!”
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly and said, “Good. Summon them.”
The two witnesses brought up this time shocked people. The older one was a boy, about seven or eight years old. The younger one was a girl, only four or five years old, clutching the boy’s hand tightly, her pair of bright black eyes full of panic. The people escorting them were tall palace guards, which made them appear even more small and weak. When Leng saw them, her face immediately turned deathly pale. Crying, she tried to rush toward them, but was grabbed by a guard nearby: “How dare you be so disrespectful before His Majesty!”
Leng gave up. She could only prostrate on the ground, constantly looking at her pair of young children, trying hard to appear as if nothing was wrong, yet tears streamed continuously.
The Empress Dowager ordered Leng to be silenced, then said, “Seventh Prince, what is the meaning of this?”
Tuoba Yu answered, “Summoning these witnesses is to prove that this woman accusing Consort Lian’s identity is actually lying! If you don’t believe it, the Empress Dowager can question these two children!”
In fact, the moment he saw these two children, Tuoba Zhen’s expression suddenly changed, becoming faintly pale. When he had found Leng with great difficulty, he had no way to persuade her to come forward and testify according to his instructions. Because Leng was just a woman of short-sighted vision with no lofty ideals, only hoping to support her whole family well. To make her agree, Tuoba Zhen promised her a large sum of money—more than she could earn in several lifetimes. With this money, she, her husband who was a minor military officer, and their children would never suffer again. He lured her to come to the Crown Prince’s residence, and because she wasn’t eloquent, he even had someone help her organize her testimony for her to memorize, so she could recite everything step by step before His Majesty. Although it was the truth, it was indeed truth that had been embellished by Tuoba Zhen.
However, Leng wasn’t stupid after all. Having stayed by Murong Xin’s side, she naturally knew these imperial clan members were best at turning ruthless and ungrateful. So she kept a card up her sleeve, deliberately having her husband secretly hide this pair of children. No matter how much Tuoba Zhen pressed her, she refused to reveal their whereabouts, fearing they would fall into Tuoba Zhen’s hands. By then, he would use these children to threaten her into testifying and refuse to pay the promised large sum.
One could say Leng still had some cunning—she knew not to trust the person before her too much. Unfortunately, she underestimated Tuoba Zhen. Very quickly, he sent people to find this pair of children…
At this moment, Tuoba Zhen, who had calculated everything, found his fingers trembling faintly. As he gripped his wine cup, his eyes revealed a trace of coldness.
He was nervous. Whenever he was nervous, his lips would tremble slightly, but at the same time, the smile on his face would appear increasingly composed. Li Weiyang sneered. It seemed he knew what had happened.
Sure enough, she heard Tuoba Yu say coldly, “Aming, Ayu, tell your mother properly what exactly happened and where your father has gone?”
Ayu burst into tears with a wail. Aming’s eyes showed painful expression as large teardrops fell, crying loudly toward Leng, “Mother, Father was killed! Father was killed! It was this brother who saved me and my sister!” Though young, he spoke very articulately. Although choking with sobs, he was very clear.
So clear it couldn’t be clearer. In this instant, Leng’s expression became incomparably fearful. She suddenly looked toward Tuoba Zhen, because she had already realized what he had done. He had actually tried to hunt down her husband and children! No, or perhaps he wanted to capture them, control them, to prevent her from any act of betrayal, but instead caused her husband’s death!
Leng guessed correctly. Tuoba Zhen’s original purpose was to capture her family members, to control her firmly in his grasp. Of course, it was also for the need to eliminate all future troubles afterward. But the people he sent were discovered early by Tuoba Yu. To avoid revealing information, his people killed Leng’s husband first, but the children disappeared into the forest… Tuoba Zhen had thought these two children were already dead, never expecting the other side had actually found these two fortunate children from hunters’ hands… How was this possible? Why were these two children still alive! And even in Tuoba Yu’s grasp!
Tuoba Yu shouted sternly, “Don’t you understand yet? The person behind buying you off to slander Consort Lian wanted to kill your husband and children to silence them. Now, will you still cover up the evidence for him?!”
Leng was shocked, her expression incomparably panicked. Looking at her pair of children, she almost fainted from heartbreak. She subconsciously raised her head to glance at Consort Lian, seeing a few tears appear in her eyes. Leng remembered how Murong Xin had treated her with kindness and care initially, then thought how she had betrayed her old mistress for gold and silver. Afterward, her husband was killed because of her greed… Grief welled up from within, and she broke down crying.
Throughout the hall flowed her crying voice, that shrill sound unbearable to hear.
Li Weiyang shook her head lightly. Consort Lian hadn’t murdered Leng’s parents. On the contrary, she had quietly taken them away and supported them. But how had Leng repaid her? Such human hearts were truly chilling! If Li Minde hadn’t discovered these two children’s whereabouts early on and promptly delivered them into Tuoba Yu’s hands, even these two children would have been killed by Tuoba Zhen to silence them.
After eliminating Consort Lian, Tuoba Zhen absolutely didn’t plan to leave Leng alive. Needless to say, even the Emperor wouldn’t leave Leng alive… She had long been destined for death, yet she had been blinded by money. Relying on a bit of cleverness, she actually thought she could negotiate business with Tuoba Zhen…
The entire hall was silent. That Leng suddenly shrieked, “It was the Third Prince! The Prince bought me off to give false testimony! He gave me one hundred taels of gold and fabricated those words for me to say! Everything was done by him!”