“So you’re going to see the Consort…” Prince Rong’s Consort nodded in understanding, her eyes somewhat deep as she looked at Mu Yunjin. “Little niece-in-law, have you never wondered why the Consort so strongly advocated for your marriage to the Sixth Prince? You don’t truly believe it was because of the childhood betrothal with your grandmother, do you?”

“What do you mean?” Mu Yunjin glanced at Prince Rong’s Consort. Although she knew this woman was no good, she still wanted to hear what she was getting at.

Prince Rong’s Consort covered her mouth and smiled. “Never mind. You and the Sixth Prince are newlyweds. This Princess won’t speak of such disheartening matters.”

“As it happens, this Princess is going to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Let’s enter together since we’re heading the same way.”

After speaking, Prince Rong’s Consort glanced at Mu Yunjin and walked toward the palace gate.

Mu Yunjin stood in place, thinking about what Prince Rong’s Consort had just said, her brow slightly furrowed. Zixiang, standing nearby, seeing this, immediately stepped forward. “Miss, don’t listen to her. She’s from the Qin family—she’s not a good person.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin nodded and walked inside.

After entering the palace gate, Prince Rong’s Consort seemed to have deliberately waited for her and hadn’t gone far. Seeing Mu Yunjin’s approaching figure, she waved to her.

“Oh, this Princess just remembered something I wanted to tell you,” Prince Rong’s Consort said as Mu Yunjin approached.

“What is it?” Mu Yunjin pursed her lips.

Prince Rong’s Consort smiled, her gaze calmly fixed on Mu Yunjin. “This morning, according to the rules of the Prince’s mansion, this Princess had your fourth sister recite scriptures in my courtyard. Who would have thought that after kneeling for just one hour, she would faint?”

“This Princess originally thought that since she ate and dressed at the Marquis’s mansion, her constitution should be quite robust. Who knew she couldn’t endure such light exertion? As her sister, this Princess wants to apologize to you first.”

Hearing Prince Rong’s Consort’s words, Mu Yunjin responded with an indifferent “Oh,” without saying much more.

Seeing Mu Yunjin’s indifferent tone, Prince Rong’s Consort took a few steps closer and lowered her voice. “This Princess has heard that the relationship between you sisters has never been good. The recent incident where your mother was executed by waist-cutting was quite the scandal.”

“Since you’re now this Princess’s niece-in-law, and your sister has fallen into my hands, would you like this Princess to avenge you?”

Mu Yunjin sighed slightly, very much wanting to curse at how meddlesome this Prince Rong’s Consort was, but under the current circumstances, she couldn’t afford to fall out with her. She could only smile awkwardly and say, “Now that she’s married into Prince Rong’s mansion, she is Prince Rong’s person. Prince Rong’s Consort may decide as she sees fit. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Is that so? Then rest assured, this Princess will discipline her well.”

After passing through a fork in the road, Mu Yunjin walked toward Plum Garden. Zixiang walked beside Mu Yunjin, occasionally muttering, “Miss, this Prince Rong’s Consort is truly strange. The tone of her speech is so peculiar.”

“She’s just a lunatic. I can’t be bothered with her.” Mu Yunjin scoffed disdainfully.

Arriving at Plum Garden, a small palace maid stood at the entrance. Seeing Mu Yunjin’s figure, she immediately invited her into the garden and led her toward Consort Qin’s quarters.

Unlike previous occasions when banquets were held in the garden, this time Mu Yunjin was led directly to Consort Qin’s chambers.

Entering Consort Qin’s chambers, Mu Yunjin saw Consort Qin lying on a luxurious couch, her complexion somewhat pale and haggard.

“Greetings, Grandmother.” Mu Yunjin paid her respects to Consort Qin.

Consort Qin nodded and waved to the palace maids standing in the chamber. “All of you withdraw. I wish to speak with Yunjin alone.”

“Yes, Consort.”

After those palace maids left, only Mu Yunjin and Consort Qin remained in the chamber.

“Grandmother looks haggard today. Are you feeling unwell?” Mu Yunjin sat down beside Consort Qin, picked up a fan, and began fanning her.

Hearing this, Consort Qin sighed slightly. “I am nearly eighty years old, already with one foot in the grave. These minor ailments are nothing unusual anymore.”

“I asked you to come today because I have something to tell you.”

Mu Yunjin nodded, lowering her gaze to look at Consort Qin, inexplicably recalling what Prince Rong’s Consort had said to her earlier.

If it wasn’t because of the childhood betrothal, then why was Consort Qin so insistent on having her marry Chu Li?

“Do you know about Li’er’s mother?” Consort Qin asked.

Mu Yunjin’s hand holding the fan paused, and she nodded slightly. “Consort Rong.”

“Correct, it’s her.”

“Then do you know what crime she committed back then to be confined in Shuiyun Temple, never to see the light of day?” When Consort Qin mentioned this, there was a trace of sorrow in her eyes.

Mu Yunjin shook her head. She had been curious about Consort Rong’s confinement for a long time.

“Back then, the Emperor publicly declared that Consort Rong practiced sorcery and would harm the nation of Xiyuan, so he imprisoned her in Shuiyun Temple, claiming it was to exorcise evil. But I know that wasn’t the truth…”

Mu Yunjin frowned slightly. Sorcery? Could it be the magic of the Phoenix Feather Pavilion?

“What was it…?” Mu Yunjin bit her lip, her gaze never leaving Consort Qin.

“I once bathed in hot springs with Consort Rong and discovered a mark on her back that looked exactly like a fire phoenix. At the time, I asked Consort Rong about it, but she avoided my gaze and only said it was a birthmark.”

“Later, by chance, I met Master Kong Shi and happened to mention this. After divination, Master Kong Shi told me…”

“The Phoenix Star has appeared discreetly; the Phoenix Woman is about to descend.”

“Daughter of the Phoenix—just hearing this title, I knew Consort Rong was an extraordinary woman. With her by my son’s side, she would surely assist him wholeheartedly and consolidate the empire.”

“What happened after that? If the Phoenix Star was an auspicious sign, why was she labeled a sorceress?” Mu Yunjin couldn’t help but ask.

Consort Qin paused, took a sip of tea, and continued. “My son once privately told me that one night while sleeping with Consort Rong, he saw her back suddenly emit a red light, and a bird that looked exactly like a phoenix flew out from her back. It terrified him at the time.”

“Although I later explained to my son that it was an auspicious sign, having witnessed the scene, he was so frightened that he wouldn’t listen to me. The very next day, he confined Consort Rong, condemning her to a life of darkness.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin’s mouth twitched slightly. The Emperor of Ximing had truly mistaken a pearl for a fish eye.

As she was thinking, Consort Qin suddenly grabbed Mu Yunjin’s wrist, her eyes darkening. “Yunjin, I must tell you something.”

“Hmm?” Mu Yunjin lowered her gaze to look at her wrist tightly gripped by Consort Qin, with an ominous premonition.

“Before Qin Muyue went on campaign with her brother, I saw a fire phoenix mark on her back, identical to the one on Consort Rong’s back.”

“At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but after seeing her win so many battles, I felt it might not be coincidental after all…”

“That Phoenix Star may have transferred to Qin Muyue.”

Mu Yunjin was stunned, her eyes showing a trace of astonishment. Qin Muyue, the Phoenix Star?

This…

“Originally, with that Phoenix Star on Consort Rong, I was very happy. But now the Qin family controls the military, half the power at court is in their hands, and Qin Muyue is the Daughter of the Phoenix. I’m truly afraid—afraid that my son’s empire will be seized by the Qin family.”

As Consort Qin spoke with agitation, she coughed several times, clutched her chest, and lay back on the couch.

Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes, her brow furrowed, wondering if Chu Li knew that Qin Muyue was the Phoenix Woman.

If not, why would he be indifferent toward Qin Muyue yet allow her to remain by his side?

Consort Rong had once been the Phoenix Woman. Now the Phoenix Star had transferred to Qin Muyue. For Chu Li, who was intent on breaking the formation to rescue Consort Rong, wouldn’t this be a kind of solace?

“Then why didn’t Grandmother arrange for Qin Muyue to marry the Sixth Prince? Wouldn’t having the Phoenix Woman marry into the imperial family benefit the royal house?” Mu Yunjin, recalling Prince Rong’s Consort’s earlier words, seized the opportunity to ask.

Hearing this, Consort Qin’s expression stiffened, her eyes flashing strangely before lowering, as if somewhat guilty.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin’s heart sank.

For a while, both remained silent, the chamber filled with stillness.

“Yunjin, I’ve wronged you…”

After a moment, Consort Qin finally spoke, tears in her eyes as she looked up at Mu Yunjin.

“I couldn’t allow any threat to appear near my son. Over the years, although Li’er has gotten along with my son outwardly, how could I know whether he harbors resentment toward my son for what happened to Consort Rong?”

“If Li’er had married Qin Muyue, the Qin family would stand behind him. I couldn’t allow such a great threat to remain near my son.”

“So, I…”

At this point, Mu Yunjin suddenly connected everything, narrowed her eyes, and laughed mockingly. “So, Consort Qin thought of the rumored unlearned, timid, and cowardly Third Miss Mu, wanting to use my useless self to suppress the connection between Chu Li and the Qin family, is that it?”

“The deceased has been gone for many years. That childhood betrothal agreement with my grandmother—you made it up, didn’t you?”

Seeing that Mu Yunjin had seen through everything, Consort Qin bit her lip, trembling as she wiped away a tear. “Yunjin, it’s not like that. After I met you for the first time, I particularly liked you, child.”

“I also sincerely wanted you and Li’er to be good together…”

“Enough!” Mu Yunjin threw down the fan in her hand, stood up, frowned deeply, and glared at Consort Qin.

“Heh…” Mu Yunjin let out a soft laugh and said sarcastically, “How ironic. I thought you were one of the very few people in this world who truly cared for me, but I never imagined that I was just a pawn you brought in to block the Qin family!”

“Yunjin, I handled this matter inappropriately, but I see that you and Li’er are now quite close. Haven’t you found a blessing in disguise? You were confined to the Marquis’s mansion for years, and now you’re the illustrious Sixth Prince’s Consort. What’s wrong with that?” Consort Qin spoke through tears, suddenly somewhat regretting having revealed everything.

But if she didn’t say it now, she feared there might not be another chance.

“You think I covet this position of Prince’s Consort? Power, status—I don’t covet any of it!”

With those words, Mu Yunjin’s face tightened as she glanced at Consort Qin lying on the couch and said coldly, “Consort Qin, please take good care of your health. In the future, whether for important matters or not, don’t come looking for me again.”

“Yunjin…” Consort Qin frowned. “After all I’ve said, I wanted to tell you…”