As the two were speaking, Ying Chu suddenly thought of an extremely urgent matter. He looked at Empress Pei and said probingly, “Your Majesty, don’t forget there’s still one key figure in this affair.”
Empress Pei’s eyes sharpened as she said flatly, “You mean Consort Lian?”
Ying Chu answered seriously, “Exactly—this humble minister speaks of precisely this woman. Your Majesty knows that this Consort Lian possesses heavenly beauty and distinguished origins. With just a few tricks she’s gripped the Crown Prince’s heart tightly. If we don’t take precautions early, I fear she’ll sow discord between Your Highness and Your Majesty before the Crown Prince, creating a rift in your mother-son relationship. When that happens, the situation will be beyond control!”
Empress Pei looked at Ying Chu and frowned: “So according to you, what should be done?”
Ying Chu’s gaze revealed a trace of cold light as he said mercilessly, “Naturally, eliminate her!”
Empress Pei smiled slightly: “Don’t you still have Tuoba Xu in your hands?”
Ying Chu shook his head and sighed gently: “Unfortunately, this humble minister just learned that Tuoba Xu is not Consort Lian’s biological son. She’d already switched children on the road. This humble minister was careless and was thus deceived by her. The so-called Tuoba Xu now in our hands is just an ordinary farmer’s son, completely useless, and cannot be used to threaten Consort Lian.”
Empress Pei’s brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed as she smiled faintly: “I truly didn’t expect this Consort Lian would also have such scheming.”
Ying Chu lowered his head and said flatly, “She’s Li Weiyang’s ally, so naturally she wouldn’t be stupid. Precisely because of this, we cannot leave such a woman by the Crown Prince’s side. This humble minister wishes to request Your Majesty’s permission to use my own methods to eliminate this woman.”
Empress Pei’s smile deepened: “I recall you already made a move? But you were blocked by the Crown Prince. What methods do you have now?”
Hearing this, Ying Chu wasn’t worried: “This humble minister initially underestimated this woman, but won’t do so again. Direct confrontation will only damage the friendship between Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince. We can only strike from the side. For instance, from the Crown Princess…”
Empress Pei raised her eyebrows, quietly watching Ying Chu: “You’re right. The Crown Princess is a good chess piece. Fine, I approve. Go handle it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty can rest assured. This humble minister will certainly handle it beautifully!” Ying Chu concealed the barely perceptible cold smile at his lips, then slowly withdrew.
Empress Pei watched Ying Chu leave, her expression slowly settling. The close female official beside her said softly, “Your Majesty, Lord Ying’s action…”
Before she could finish, Empress Pei glanced at her with a seeming smile: “Ying Chu is utterly loyal to me. His work has always been reassuring. It’s just that his relationship with the Crown Prince has never been very harmonious. I know you’re worried that I overly favor Ying Chu and thus am at odds with the Crown Prince. But after all, he’s my most capable confidant. Would you have me expel Ying Chu simply because the Crown Prince is displeased?”
The female official quickly lowered her head: “This servant wouldn’t dare. Surely Your Majesty has deep meaning!”
Empress Pei stood up. The train of her long dress was embroidered with phoenix tails in pure gold thread, gleaming brilliantly at this moment. She sighed gently: “If the Crown Prince were as capable as Ying Chu, I wouldn’t need to be so cold toward him. Killing people is such a simple matter, yet he can’t even handle this well.”
At Duke Qi’s mansion, Wang Zijin personally came to visit. Li Weiyang invited her to the seat of honor as Zhao Yue presented a cup of tea. Wang Zijin quickly accepted it and smiled: “Coming today, you won’t think me rash, will you, Jia’er?”
Li Weiyang smiled: “I’m the one being rude. I should have sent you an invitation long ago, Miss Wang.”
Hearing this, Wang Zijin’s smile deepened as she shook her head with a smile: “Speaking of invitations, I’ve sent you several, yet I never saw you attend once.”
Li Weiyang’s face remained impassive: “You know I usually don’t enjoy those gatherings.”
Wang Zijin’s smile was a few degrees warmer than before: “This I naturally know.” Then she stood up and bowed gracefully: “Elder sister, forgive younger sister’s rashness. For the wrongs I committed in the past, please forgive me. Please don’t keep them in your heart.”
Li Weiyang froze and quickly helped her up, saying softly, “Miss Wang, please rise quickly. You humble me too much.”
Wang Zijin’s face suddenly paled: “I grew up in the mountains from childhood, always looking down on others, proud and self-important, always thinking no woman in the world could surpass me. I looked down on the devious ways you excelled at, viewing them as lowly things. But after experiencing so much now, I can finally understand. Jia’er, you truly surpass me ten thousand times! This time I’ve come sincerely to apologize. If you won’t accept this courtesy, it clearly means you don’t wish to befriend me. In the future I won’t dare visit again!”
Zhao Yue, watching this scene from the side, couldn’t help but understand—Wang Zijin was indeed a clever character. Before everyone she’d formed an alliance between the Wang family and Li Weiyang, and now behind their backs she came alone to apologize to Li Weiyang and gain her favor. This woman’s scheming ran quite deep.
Li Weiyang naturally understood this too, but heard Wang Zijin’s sincerity this time. She quickly smiled: “Fine, I’m afraid of you. Please get up first.”
Seeing Li Weiyang had none of the impetuousness of young people and appeared calm and reserved, Wang Zijin couldn’t help but take even more note in her heart. She smiled: “Then stop calling me Miss Wang this and Miss Wang that—just call me Zijin.”
Li Weiyang thought to herself that though Wang Zijin’s mind was somewhat narrow, she was an interesting person. Allying with her, if used properly, would be mutually beneficial. But controlling her wouldn’t be easy. Thinking of this, she’d already changed to a more intimate form of address: “Zijin, don’t be so formal. I don’t deserve it!”
Wang Zijin hesitated before sitting down: “Jia’er, I heard you were attacked at your mansion last night.”
Li Weiyang smiled slightly: “It happened suddenly. I didn’t expect word to spread so quickly.”
Wang Zijin quickly said, “Jia’er, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t send people to watch Duke Qi’s mansion. It’s just that last night’s commotion was too large—all the neighboring households already know.”
“There are no walls without cracks in the world. I had no intention of concealing it.” Li Weiyang clearly didn’t care. “That’s right, last night there was indeed an assassin who wanted to kill me. Fortunately, the guards at Duke Qi’s mansion aren’t made of straw—they didn’t let him get away with anything.”
Only then did Wang Zijin nod, her face showing a gentle smile: “In that case, from now on Jia’er must be more careful and not let anyone find an opening!”
Li Weiyang also smiled faintly: “Naturally. Thank you for your concern.”
Wang Zijin then remembered something: “Yesterday another matter occurred, regarding that Ying Chu…”
Li Weiyang’s eyes remained bright and cheerful: “You also know about Ying Chu being thrown into the moat?”
Seeing Li Weiyang mention this matter without any reaction, as if it had nothing to do with her, Wang Zijin couldn’t help but be shocked: “Exactly! Last night he was clearly thrown into the moat, and was already a dead man. Why this morning did he swagger into the palace again?”
The Wang family’s secret agents were truly extraordinary. Li Weiyang lowered her eyes, a faint smile curving up: “Not only that—the person who tried to kill me yesterday was also him.”
Wang Zijin heard that voice as cool and piercing as ice and snow, and said in shock: “How is that possible?”
Li Weiyang’s face showed a kind of ruthless coldness. She instructed Zhao Yue: “Fetch that hidden weapon for Zijin to see.”
Zhao Yue immediately responded and quickly retrieved the hidden weapon taken from the guard yesterday for Wang Zijin to see. Wang Zijin glanced at it and her expression immediately grew grave: “This hidden weapon seems to carry severe poison.”
Li Weiyang’s expression paused slightly: “It does carry severe poison. Anyone who touches it has their face completely ruined, skin rotting. Even the best physicians are powerless—in a matter of moments, they die a terrible death.”
Wang Zijin’s face turned ugly. She kept staring at that hidden weapon as if remembering something. She couldn’t help but say to Li Weiyang: “Jia’er, don’t blame me for not reminding you. This Ying Chu is proficient in dark arts and excels at harming people. This poison probably isn’t something ordinary people can cure. You absolutely must not fall into his trap!”
Li Weiyang waved her hand and Zhao Yue took the tray away. Only then did she say softly: “I will naturally be more careful.”
Wang Zijin’s brow didn’t relax because of this. She’d connected the two incidents of playing dead and assassination together and shook her head: “So Ying Chu deliberately played dead just to make you let down your guard.”
Li Weiyang smiled: “Talking with clever people is much more comfortable. That’s right, everything Ying Chu did was to lure me in. When a person is pleased with themselves, they always easily relax their vigilance. But he didn’t expect I’d made some preparations early. After all, there’s no perfect plan in this world. How could I relax my guard without personally confirming he was truly dead? Don’t you agree?”
Wang Zijin sighed gently: “This Ying Chu is truly a formidable character! No wonder so many people have wanted him dead all these years, yet he lives just fine. But if we want to eliminate Empress Pei, the first target we need to remove is her right and left hands. But exactly what should we do to succeed?”
Li Weiyang smiled gently: “On this point, we must greatly depend on His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Wang Zijin’s expression changed dramatically: “The Crown Prince? Are you truly confident?” Looking at Li Weiyang, she shook her head again. “It’s not that I don’t know what you’re plotting. I’m just afraid this time won’t be so easy. His Highness the Crown Prince already killed Ying Chu once. Getting him to make a second move will be very difficult.”
Li Weiyang smiled: “Zijin, I want to ask you a question.”
Wang Zijin froze, looking at Li Weiyang: “What question?”
Li Weiyang said flatly: “I’ve heard that cats are afraid of chili peppers. How can you make a cat eat chili peppers?”
Wang Zijin thought for a moment, then answered: “Force the chili pepper into the cat’s mouth. If it won’t eat, use something sharp to stab it in.”
Li Weiyang laughed: “Though this method is effective, it’s too crude!”
Wang Zijin thought again for a moment: “Then it’s not difficult. Lock up the cat for three days until it’s unbearably hungry, then wrap the chili pepper in meat. If the cat is very hungry, it will swallow everything whole and naturally won’t notice how spicy the chili is.”
Li Weiyang’s smile deepened: “The method is better, but it’s still just deception—not very clever. Any stratagem should make people willing participants.”
Wang Zijin looked at Li Weiyang, her face showing puzzlement. Now she couldn’t think of any good ideas.
Li Weiyang gently picked up her teacup and took a sip, then frowned and said to Zhao Yue: “This tea is really poorly brewed—quite discourteous to such an honored guest as Zijin!” Finishing, she stood and smiled: “If Zijin doesn’t mind, I’ll personally brew tea for you.”
Wang Zijin readily agreed and followed Li Weiyang to the courtyard. Maids had already brought fresh dew water. Li Weiyang accepted it and slowly poured it into a purple clay teapot, placed the teapot on a brazier, added plenty of silver charcoal to make the fire burn hotter. Then with quick, deft movements she took out an exquisite purple clay tea tray shaped like a lotus flower, placed two cups on it, took out a mortar and placed the tea cake in it to gently pound and grind it fine, personally sifted it with an extremely fine sieve, then used a tea spoon to gently pour the tea leaves into the teapot.
Wang Zijin only saw the water on the small brazier bubbling out air bubbles. Then Li Weiyang used bamboo tongs to slowly stir, gradually bringing it to a boil. The tea color was rich, with a cluster of fine foam in the middle, then forming a strange peony petal shape, like scattered stars and bright moon, clear and comfortable, waves of fragrance assailing the nose. Li Weiyang poured seven times in succession before the great work was complete. Finally she used a tea spoon to divide the tea into the cups, set them on a small table and handed one to Wang Zijin: “Try it.”
Wang Zijin hadn’t expected Li Weiyang to also be skilled in tea arts. She smiled and accepted the teacup. First she smelled the tea’s waves of fragrance, then drank a small mouthful and held it in her mouth. Immediately she felt a fresh sensation rise straight to her chest and lungs. After swallowing the mouthful of tea, it immediately dispersed through her limbs. She felt her heart warming slightly and couldn’t help but praise: “Good tea! I never imagined you, Jia’er, would have such skills.”
Li Weiyang smiled gently: “In the past I loved brewing tea, though back then it was mostly to please people. Now I no longer have that frame of mind.”
Wang Zijin trembled, then looked at her: “I’m not skilled in tea arts, but I can drink tea and wouldn’t casually praise people. Learning tea isn’t about how long you study, but about the state of mind. My master once told me I was a person of small mind who absolutely couldn’t taste a magnanimous realm. I never expected that today I could drink such tea here with you—this shows your bearing is lofty and magnificent. Just as Master said, you’re a person with great breadth of mind!”
She wasn’t broad-minded at all, but rather counted every grievance carefully. Li Weiyang naturally didn’t believe these excessive compliments and laughed instead: “Zijin, you praise me too much!”
At this moment Wang Zijin couldn’t help but continue asking: “Earlier you mentioned making a cat eat chili peppers—if it were you, what would you do?”
Now Wang Zijin very much wanted to know this answer, because she felt the gap between herself and Li Weiyang was very large. So large it was hard to bear.
Li Weiyang smiled: “The best method is to rub the chili pepper on the cat’s rear end. When it feels the burning sensation, it will lick off the chili pepper itself and feel excited about doing so. This way, completely transforming passive to active—isn’t that good?”
Wang Zijin, hearing this, froze for a full half-day and couldn’t say a word for a long while. She carefully thought through Li Weiyang’s words, then lowered her head to look at this beautifully colored tea, and finally sighed: “In the past my master taught me how to set up schemes. I always wanted to know what method was most clever. You’re right—using forceful means and deception aren’t clever at all. Best is to make people willingly walk into your scheme. It seems I’ve truly lost!” Saying this, she set down the tea cup, solemnly bowed to Li Weiyang and said: “From now on I won’t commit acts of betrayal against you. I hope our cooperation can last long.”
Li Weiyang looked at her and just smiled gently. She never believed in eternal friends. The more slowly one spoke now, the more decisively one would betray later. But she just helped Wang Zijin up, her smile warm: “I naturally trust you. I hope that after everything succeeds, we can still sit together and taste tea.”
Wang Zijin looked at that bowl of tea and seemed to show a faint bitter smile, saying softly: “Since the purpose has been achieved, I should go. If you have any plans to deal with Ying Chu, I’ll coordinate at any time.”
Li Weiyang nodded flatly: “Since Zijin insists on leaving, I won’t keep you. Take care. I won’t see you out.”
Watching Wang Zijin depart, Zhao Yue stepped forward and said to Li Weiyang: “Miss, what you did today—was it to intimidate her?”
Li Weiyang’s smile was ordinary: “Wang Zijin is a very clever woman, but clever people all have an arrogant flaw. I just hope she knows the principle of people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. Only by making her completely convinced will she thoroughly stand on my side. You could say it’s intimidation—after all, I still need the Wang family’s power. At critical moments they can lend assistance and let me win even more beautifully!” Saying this, her face showed a smile.
In the afternoon, Li Weiyang was resting in her room when Zhao Yue hurriedly entered and handed her a slip of paper.
Li Weiyang glanced at it, her eyes slightly condensing: “It’s Leng Lian. She wants me to meet now.”
Zhao Yue froze: “Now? Didn’t we say unless it’s necessary, not to meet easily?”
Li Weiyang laughed lightly: “It seems she’s encountered major trouble!”
Li Weiyang could imagine what trouble Leng Lian had encountered. Ying Chu wasn’t dead—the first person he’d want to eliminate would be Leng Lian. He absolutely wouldn’t allow Leng Lian to remain by the Crown Prince’s side, so now Leng Lian couldn’t sit still! Of course this was an excellent opportunity Li Weiyang definitely wouldn’t miss. So she indeed kept the appointment. In that temple’s private room, she smoothly met Consort Lian, whose face was full of panic and unease.
As soon as Consort Lian saw her, she immediately stepped forward, her voice almost hoarse, her heart in complete chaos, at a loss, as if not knowing what to say.
Li Weiyang quickly helped her up: “What’s wrong with you?”
Leng Lian’s body trembled as if extremely frightened. Tears flowed from her eyes as she grabbed Li Weiyang’s hand and wouldn’t let go: “My death is imminent, Jia’er. You must save me!”
Li Weiyang looked at her, her gaze showing understanding: “Leng Lian, are you afraid Ying Chu will settle accounts with you?” Having once incited the Crown Prince to kill Ying Chu and failed, Leng Lian’s terror could well be imagined. Now she was even more afraid than last time.
Leng Lian gripped Li Weiyang’s wrist tightly, almost leaving blue marks: “The Crown Prince couldn’t kill him! Jia’er, you don’t know how terrifying that person is. The methods he used against my guards were simply horrifying! I’ve never seen such a frightening person. This strike missed—he’ll definitely want my life!”
Li Weiyang smiled gently, helped Leng Lian sit down beside her, gently wiped away her tears, and instructed Zhao Yue to fetch a cup of hot tea and place it in her hands. Only then did she say flatly: “Leng Lian, you’ve weathered so many storms. When the country was destroyed and family ruined, you didn’t fall. When Tuoba Zhen forced you to the brink and exposed your identity, you didn’t fall. When Tuoba Yu framed and resented you, you didn’t fall! Now facing a small Ying Chu, a minion by the Empress’s side—can you not bear it?”
Leng Lian’s teeth chattered, clearly frightened to the extreme. She looked at Li Weiyang: “But, but you don’t know how terrifying he is!”
Li Weiyang gently patted the back of her hand: “I naturally know he’s terrifying. But so what? Have we lost all these years?”
Hearing this sentence, Leng Lian seemed to suddenly recover some composure. Then, at Li Weiyang’s indication, she drank a mouthful of tea. Feeling that warm sensation dispel some of the chill in her heart, only then did she raise her head: “So what should I do now?”
Li Weiyang smiled, looking at her: “I heard you’re already pregnant?”
Leng Lian froze, then said uneasily: “Actually I’m not certain myself… it’s just that my monthly cycle hasn’t come. It’s probably true.”
Li Weiyang laughed: “Whether true or false, isn’t this the best life-preserving charm?”
Relying on an unborn child to preserve life—how could it be so easy! Leng Lian shook her head desperately: “I fear the Crown Prince can’t protect me either. This Ying Chu will kill me sooner or later!”
Li Weiyang, seeing she was terrified to the extreme, quietly withdrew her serious expression and became serene and gentle: “It’s not so easy. You’re someone the Crown Prince favors. Right now he and the Crown Prince are like fire and water—naturally he won’t blatantly eliminate you. The most important method is to borrow a blade to kill. You can similarly use this blade to turn disaster into fortune!”
Leng Lian was shocked, looking at Li Weiyang: “What method do you have?”
Li Weiyang smiled: “The opportunity will come soon. You must seize it well.”
Leng Lian quickly nodded: “Fine. I’ll do everything according to your instructions.”
Li Weiyang’s voice was low, her eyes deep: “Your blessings are profound, with divine spirits assisting you. No matter how Ying Chu wants to kill you, you’ll have heaven’s protection.”
Leng Lian’s heart had been in chaos, but hearing this one sentence suddenly settled down. She looked at Li Weiyang, her expression showing a trace of trust. Though Ying Chu was a ruthless character, Li Weiyang also always had one foot in the gates of hell, absolutely not inferior to him. Perhaps relying on her, she could at least preserve this life.
Now Leng Lian deeply regretted becoming involved in this struggle, but regretting now was too late. The one who agreed to Ying Chu wanting to gamble for an opportunity was her, the one who used Li Weiyang’s hand to approach the Crown Prince was also her, the one enjoying wealth and honor unwilling to easily leave was still her. Now she had to bear the consequences—no one could receive heaven’s favor for no reason! She understood this point too well, so she had no choice but to agree to Li Weiyang’s conditions. After slight hesitation: “What should I do now?”
Li Weiyang smiled: “If the enemy doesn’t move, you don’t move. Wait.”
This word “wait,” like a sharp blade edge, stabbed into Leng Lian’s heart. She looked at her. Li Weiyang showed no retreat, meeting her gaze, her eyes deep and unfathomable. Leng Lian didn’t speak for a long while, finally just nodding.
The next day, as soon as the Crown Prince left the palace, a guard already rushed up urgently and very anxiously: “Your Highness, Miss Leng has been taken away by the Crown Princess!”
Hearing this sentence, the Crown Prince flew into a rage. He turned and immediately spurred his horse, charging all the way back to the Crown Prince’s mansion. Hurrying through the gates, he saw the Crown Princess ordering people to whip Leng Lian. His heart and soul were devastated. For a moment he roared: “Stop!”
The Crown Princess froze, forcibly suppressing her heart’s anger: “Your Highness, how can you keep such a seductive woman by your side?”
Since the Crown Prince became infatuated with Leng Lian, let alone the Crown Princess—even other favored concubines had all been cast aside. The blame lay in Leng Lian being too beautiful, her methods too formidable, bewitching the Crown Prince until his soul scattered. How could this not cause the Crown Princess’s heart to produce intense resentment? Unfortunately the Crown Prince was usually very careful, making it hard to discover this woman in the villa. If Ying Chu hadn’t revealed the information, the Crown Princess would probably still be wondering why the Crown Prince almost never came to the mansion. She’d sent people to capture Leng Lian precisely to secretly execute her. But she hadn’t expected Leng Lian’s sharp tongue—before anything happened, she’d already provoked the Crown Princess’s anger, which was why she’d ordered her whipped! For the Crown Princess this wasn’t difficult. Those favored wives and concubines in the mansion, no matter what, couldn’t openly oppose her because she was the legitimate consort. Even the Crown Prince had to give her some face.
At this moment the Crown Prince quickly stepped forward, yanked the whip from the guard’s hand, then tightly embraced Leng Lian. Leng Lian’s heart secretly rejoiced—the person she’d arranged had indeed reported timely. But her face was deathly pale as if about to expire, her barely breathing appearance making the Crown Prince extremely furious! The Crown Prince’s heart was ice cold, but he suddenly smelled a bloody scent. He looked down and only then discovered Leng Lian’s lower body bleeding continuously, her entire skirt dyed red with blood.
The Crown Prince thought of Leng Lian’s pregnancy and his face instantly turned pale. Looking at her breathing again, it seemed almost nonexistent. The Crown Prince quickly lifted her and was about to order someone to fetch a physician. The Crown Princess, seeing he completely disregarded her, felt fury surge up. Unable to care about anything else, she took three steps to block the Crown Prince: “Such a seductive woman—how can Your Highness keep her by your side? Your Highness, this woman’s identity is very delicate. Please consider the larger picture and don’t keep her by your side, lest you invite tremendous disaster!”
The Crown Prince’s heart trembled as he roared: “It’s none of your business. Get out of my way!”
The Crown Princess laughed coldly: “Your Highness is the nation’s heir. How would I dare control you? But His Majesty isn’t as easy to talk to as this subject wife. If this matter reaches the palace, Father Emperor and Mother Empress will blame me for poor attendance!”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “You needn’t use Father Emperor and Mother Empress to pressure me at every turn. Fine, I’ll satisfy your wish and tell you everything! I like this woman, very much like her. Right now she’s even carrying my child! I was originally very much looking forward to this child’s birth, but now the child is gone and her own life hangs in the balance! Are you satisfied with this result? Who knew that you, an inner-palace woman, usually so gentle and weak with a magnanimous appearance, could be so vicious at critical moments! Now my son has been killed by you. If you feel it’s not enough, feel free to enter the palace and tell Mother Empress. See if she’ll end my life too over a few provocations! If not, tell Father Emperor—let him depose me as Crown Prince and see if you can still be Crown Princess!” The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, his eyes splitting with rage as he advanced step by step toward the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess, seeing the Crown Prince’s cold eyes, felt waves of chilling cold pass through her heart, almost freezing her entire body. She couldn’t help but retreat step by step: “Your Highness, don’t be like this. This subject wife… this subject wife absolutely had no intention to harm anyone. I didn’t know she was pregnant!”
The Crown Prince laughed loudly: “What a ‘no intention to harm’! You killed my son with your own hands!”
The Crown Princess, seeing his expression, was shocked beyond measure. She’d never seen the Crown Prince so infatuated with a woman that he’d openly confront her! She shook her head frantically: “It’s not my fault. I didn’t want to harm her. It was that Ying Chu who…”
Better she hadn’t spoken—speaking only stirred up thousand-foot waves in the Crown Prince’s heart! The Crown Prince said sternly: “Very good! You colluded with that Ying Chu to take my beloved’s life! Just wait—if anything happens to Leng Lian, see how I deal with you both!” Saying this, he laughed coldly, embraced Leng Lian and swept his sleeves to leave.
The Crown Princess extended trembling hands wanting to grab his sleeve but came up empty. Suddenly a cold wind blew through the air. The color drained from her face as her throat made several sounds of pleading, but overcome with fury, she collapsed in one fell swoop. Concubine Lu on the side, seeing this scene, only now revealed herself. Her heart gave a cold laugh as she turned and gently instructed: “Quickly help the Crown Princess into her room!”
The Crown Prince’s mansion was in complete chaos—truly quite lively.
After the Crown Prince sent Leng Lian back to the villa and specially requested a physician to examine her, unfortunately Leng Lian still miscarried because of this. The Crown Prince was extremely furious, almost wanting to drag that Crown Princess here and dismember her. Just then Leng Lian woke up. She neither took medicine nor spoke. The Crown Prince, looking at her, felt extremely pained and said softly in a changed voice: “Xiao Lian.”
Leng Lian didn’t move. She closed her eyes as a teardrop fell from her cheek. Her voice trembled: “Your Highness, my child… I’ve failed you. It’s all because of my poor origins… I’ve implicated you.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t help but feel heartache. He hadn’t expected that even now Leng Lian still thought of his dignity. He was moved: “It’s my fault. I couldn’t protect you well.”
Leng Lian closed her eyes, her voice like a gossamer thread: “No, I overestimated myself! To dare betray Ying Chu—if I’d known it would be like this, I might as well have died at his hands.” Her tears kept flowing, flowing onto the Crown Prince’s body, flowing to the bottom of his heart. The Crown Prince at this moment was already extremely enraged. He rarely gave his heart to anyone, but Leng Lian somehow always perceived his thoughts and became the person closest to him. At this moment, seeing Leng Lian injured by the Crown Princess and Ying Chu, he gritted his teeth and said with hatred: “What a Ying Chu! I absolutely won’t forgive him!”
But Leng Lian’s tears could no longer be suppressed, flowing down quietly again.
Sunlight shot in from the window, illuminating that pale, beautiful face. Her long lashes trembled slightly as a teardrop reflected seven-colored flowing light in the sunshine. Such beauty, such gentleness, yet suffering such harm. The Crown Prince simply hated to the extreme… secretly swearing to dismember Ying Chu!
Since this incident occurred, the Crown Prince could no longer leave Leng Lian alone in the villa. He dispatched many guards to firmly protect this villa, staying by Leng Lian’s side day and night, his heart only waiting for another chance to put Ying Chu to death!
At this time, another strange incident occurred in the capital. One night there was a torrential downpour that washed open the earth in that bamboo forest behind the imperial palace, exposing a worn coffin. Inside the coffin was a hemp mat, inside which was wrapped a corpse. Because of the long passage of time, the flesh on this corpse had long rotted away, leaving only stark white bones. From the already decayed and rotted palace clothing, one could vaguely distinguish it as a palace woman.
This matter was strange if you said it was strange, not strange if you said it wasn’t—after all, too many nameless corpses died in the palace. But perhaps because the harem’s days were too boring, or perhaps because this woman’s disheveled hair stuffed with straw, broken hands and feet made her death particularly gruesome, this news quickly became known to all. People developed inexplicable interest in this corpse, spreading the word until an inexplicable rumor emerged…
In the Empress’s palace, Empress Pei suddenly turned around in fury: “What are they saying?”
Ying Chu’s expression was also rather ugly. He said in a low voice: “In response to Your Majesty, behind their backs they’re spreading that this corpse is the lowborn palace maid Your Majesty eliminated back then… some even say this palace maid was the Crown Prince’s birth mother.”
Hearing this, the Empress’s fury surged. With a “bang,” she swept the tea cup from the nearby tea table to the floor. Those broken porcelain pieces rolled all over the floor, the residual liquid flowing all the way to Ying Chu’s feet. He lowered his head, almost not daring to make a sound.
Empress Pei only felt a surge of qi rush up and lodge in her throat. Her body also trembled slightly. She staggered back two steps, her two hands clenched into fists within her sleeves, barely able to maintain her dignity. She forced a smile: “Good, well done!” After saying this sentence, she paced several steps in the hall, clearly enraged to the extreme. When she finally stopped, she couldn’t help but grind her teeth: “Li Weiyang has simply done too well!”
Ying Chu was shocked—he’d never seen Empress Pei like this. Not to mention her deathly pale face, her entire person seemed to have completely lost control. For a moment he didn’t dare speak, only secretly breaking out in a cold sweat. He understood very clearly that Empress Pei was someone who liked everything under control. She didn’t like things escaping her control, and even less expected Li Weiyang to actually come up with such a vicious idea. The rumors had only just subsided with great difficulty—this way, it would be even more impossible to block everyone’s mouths… Thinking of this, he quickly knelt on the ground: “Your Majesty, please take care of your health.”
Empress Pei had never received such stimulation. This news made her heart ache, her head split with pain. She covered her heart, for a moment only feeling bone-chilling cold. After a long while she sighed: “I truly never imagined she had such scheming and courage!”
At this time palace maids brought hot hand towels and fearfully stepped forward to wipe Empress Pei’s hands. Seeing Empress Pei’s expression relax slightly, only then did Ying Chu personally present hot tea. But Empress Pei shook her head and pushed it away.
Ying Chu said respectfully: “Your Majesty, you’ve always been most composed. This small ripple—what is there to fear?”
Empress Pei finally sat in her seat and sighed gently: “Times have changed. I still underestimated this woman. She actually could make something completely fictitious into a citywide sensation. Now everyone looking at me has wrong expressions. They’re probably all speculating in their hearts that I killed that palace maid, stole her son and claimed him as my own, formally invested a child born to a lowborn woman as Crown Prince, and supported him to ascend the throne! A few rumors have actually made me the laughingstock of the world. Tell me, isn’t Li Weiyang very capable? Calculating human hearts, ruthless methods—she’s truly learned it all!”
Ying Chu, hearing Empress Pei say this, saw the fists in her sleeves clenched very tightly, wrinkles also faintly visible between her brows. His heart moved as if wanting to step forward and smooth them for Empress Pei. Ultimately he just lowered his head: “Your Majesty, you needn’t worry too much. Discerning people all know this is complete fiction…”
Empress Pei said sternly: “Nonsense! She’s forced me to the extreme! Everything in this world can be blocked except people’s mouths—no matter how powerful you are! Even if your power reaches the heavens, they’ll still gossip behind your back. These words don’t seem like much now, but at critical moments they’ll probably become my death warrant!”
Empress Pei had never shown such an expression. Ying Chu couldn’t help but feel secretly alarmed. He actually didn’t fear Li Weiyang—he just felt this woman’s thoughts were extremely vicious, actually able to think up such ruthless schemes. First sending Leng Lian to the Crown Prince’s side to sow discord, then using Leng Lian to make the Crown Prince hate him bitterly, next fabricating rumors that the Crown Prince’s birth mother wasn’t Empress Pei… and now even better, actually producing a corpse! Step by step walking steadily, walking viciously, walking shockingly! Clearly an expert proficient in conspiracy and framing! Out of nowhere turning Empress Pei into a deeply scheming woman who stole someone’s beloved son, making the Crown Prince’s position naturally illegitimate and subject to tremendous criticism!
At this time a palace maid loudly said: “Your Highness, you cannot enter!”
Before she could stop him, the Crown Prince had already burst into the palace. He dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face: “Mother Empress, your son remembers your many years of nurturing grace and shouldn’t come to question you. But your son truly can’t understand why you treated my birth mother this way! Do you know how miserably she died? She was bound hand and foot and strangled alive, her four limbs broken, her hair disheveled and stuffed with straw for burial! Pitifully even in death her hand still clutched a child’s longevity lock!”
Hearing him say such words, Empress Pei’s expression changed. Her just-improved mood became extremely terrifying, her teeth almost chattering. She pointed at the Crown Prince, furious beyond words.
The Crown Prince, seeing Empress Pei’s appearance, was greatly shocked. He quickly apologized: “Mother Empress, I spoke in a moment of urgency. Please forgive me! But… since she was my birth mother, please for my sake give her a proper burial ground and let her rest in peace! Let’s consider this matter closed. Your son will never mention it again!”
Empress Pei was so angry she didn’t know where to begin. She’d always been too proud to explain such matters, but unexpectedly the situation intensified until even the Crown Prince became suspicious—this was her biological son! She raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap. The Crown Prince was almost knocked sideways. He raised his head but looked at Empress Pei with utmost determination: “Mother Empress, your son asks for little—merely requesting a burial ground for my birth mother. Why must you be angry! No matter what, you have the grace of raising me. I absolutely won’t sever ties with you because of this!”
Empress Pei pointed at him, her fury turning to laughter: “Good, very good! Your wings have truly hardened. You actually believe these completely fictitious words—utterly absurd!” Finishing, she swept her sleeves and left without even glancing at the Crown Prince.
Ying Chu quickly said to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, how could you do this? You must know you’re definitely Her Majesty’s biological son. Otherwise why would Her Majesty support you? This is all Guo Jia’s stratagem. How can you believe it so easily?”
The Crown Prince, hearing these words, flew into a rage: “I don’t believe it, I don’t want to believe it! But the facts are right before my eyes! Originally when there were no rumors, I already felt Mother Empress’s attitude toward me was very cold. Later when the rumors spread, doubt arose in my heart. Now I’ve even seen my birth mother’s corpse—how can I not believe? However clever Guo Jia is, how could she think of such things? Is she a demon?!”
So skilled at exploiting human nature—wasn’t she a demon? Hearing this, Ying Chu looked at the Crown Prince almost not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This person before him was truly too absurd—he actually truly believed it! The blame could only lie with Guo Jia’s methods being too cunning, actually turning something utterly absurd into fact!
Thinking of this, Ying Chu’s heart jumped. Right now, appeasing the Crown Prince was most important. He steadied himself and immediately said: “Your Highness, for the present you must think of your own position. The difference between legitimate son and adopted son is enormous. If you don’t steady yourself and casually believe these rumors, randomly causing trouble with Her Majesty, I fear your heir position won’t be secure!”
The Crown Prince’s suspicious gaze fell on Ying Chu’s face. He didn’t speak for a long while. Ying Chu urged several more times before barely persuading the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince’s gaze fixed on Ying Chu for a long time before finally releasing a long breath: “Lord Ying, thank you for reminding me. I was wrong! I will definitely handle this matter properly and won’t anger Mother Empress again.”
Ying Chu’s heart relaxed slightly: “Your Highness not being moved by villains—this is excellent.”
The two left the Empress’s palace together. Ying Chu departed first. The Crown Prince watched his retreating back and smiled coldly: “Ying Chu, you think you can deceive me like this? Even if Mother Empress supports my ascension, she’ll probably still hold great power. What’s the point of being a puppet emperor? Moreover, with you by Mother Empress’s side for even one day, I won’t have a single day’s peace!” Saying this, his gaze already carried hatred that wanted to devour someone alive.
At this time in Duke Qi’s mansion’s study, Li Weiyang was patiently and meticulously teaching Minzhi to write. Yuan Lie watched from the side, actually personally grinding ink for her, his face showing a smile from time to time. Until Guo Dao burst in and saw the two talking and laughing together, he froze, his footsteps also hesitating somewhat.
Li Weiyang raised her head and saw Guo Dao standing blankly at the door, then smiled gently.
Guo Dao also looked toward Li Weiyang. Today she’d just loosely coiled her hair. Though wearing no powder, her skin appeared like congealed fat. Plus today the indoor brazier was burning more vigorously, making her red face even more charming—actually three degrees more beautiful than usual.
Seeing Guo Dao, Li Weiyang smiled: “Since you’ve come, why not enter?”
Guo Dao smiled and walked through the door, looking at them: “I originally had important news to tell you. It seems someone beat me here!” Saying this, he smiled and glanced at Yuan Lie.
Yuan Lie seemed not to hear the sarcasm in his words: “Could it be about the corpse dug up in the purple bamboo forest behind the imperial palace?”
Guo Dao froze, his thoughts stirring: “Indeed, you got the news a step earlier than me!”
Yuan Lie’s amber eyes flashed with cunning light: “Not so, not so. That corpse was one I thought of ways to bury, then thought of ways to dig up without leaving traces. As the instigator, how could I not know?”
Guo Dao was shocked, then immediately felt his heart empty and hollow. He looked at Li Weiyang: “Why didn’t you reveal any hint beforehand?” Had Li Weiyang entrusted the matter to Yuan Lie because she didn’t trust him?
Li Weiyang laughed: “Why say this? Having Prince Xu handle this matter was more appropriate—after all, he can come and go freely in the palace.”
Guo Dao naturally knew this too, but just sighed gently. Li Weiyang seemed gentle in character, but in her bones was unapproachably lofty. At this moment she and Yuan Lie stood together. Though wearing only ordinary home clothes, their faces showed smiling expressions. Their actions weren’t particularly intimate, yet their conversation showed indescribable natural harmony without the slightest gap. Guo Dao ultimately just thought faintly: So these two were actually so compatible and well-matched. Even if he didn’t want to give up, he had no choice but to give up! Thinking of this, he stepped forward and smiled: “So it was all arranged by you two. Now these rumors are spreading more and more! If this continues, the Crown Prince’s heir position may not be secure!”
Li Weiyang, seeing Minzhi raise his head and stare blankly at them, smiled slightly: “Minzhi, you’re tired from writing too. Go play now.”
Hearing this, Minzhi immediately put down his brush and happily ran out. Li Weiyang watched her younger brother’s retreating back and shook her head faintly, then turned to Guo Dao: “Don’t be happy too soon. Empress Pei isn’t so easy to deal with! We must find ways to push them further!”