His light, casual words exploded like thunder in Empress Dowager Rongxian’s ears, blasting her face corpse-white as she retreated unsteadily, her nerves momentarily numbed.

The pain from her heart was sharp and piercing to the bone. She struggled with all her strength to cry out, “No!”

Yu Pei had already collapsed to the ground in panic, her face pale. She wanted to help the Empress Dowager up, but her body was frozen stiff, unable to move.

“This is impossible!” Empress Dowager Rongxian stumbled forward several steps and grabbed Emperor Jianzhang’s hand. She could no longer care about anything else and screamed at him, half crying and half laughing, “This isn’t true! Although you detest this dowager, you’ve always been good to Shijia. You wouldn’t do this to her, would you?”

Emperor Jianzhang raised his long, sword-like eyebrows slightly, his gaze complex as he looked at Empress Dowager Rongxian. Once upon a time, he had regarded this woman as his own biological mother, treating her with utmost filial piety and respect. Yet she had not hesitated to conspire with her biological son to seize his throne, and his own younger brother, Prince Zhuang, had even lost his life because of it.

His gaze flickered slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing several times. When he spoke, his voice was somewhat strained: “So, Mother Empress saw clearly that I would never lay a hand on you all, which is why you became increasingly unrestrained, isn’t that right? When you failed back then, Mother Empress has always regretted it, hasn’t she?”

Empress Dowager Rongxian’s entire body went rigid under his gaze. She covered her face with her sleeves and wept mournfully: “But Shijia truly didn’t know anything about it…”

“How does I know whether she truly didn’t know?!” Emperor Jianzhang’s voice suddenly rose sharply: “Which of Mother Empress’s words dare I believe?! She’s now after the lives of my son and grandson! If I continue to indulge this, is Mother Empress planning to wait until she finishes dealing with me too, so she can go underground to keep her dear younger brother company?!”

However much he had once loved Empress Dowager Rongxian and Princess Shijia, he now hated them just as much.

He believed he had already treated Empress Dowager Rongxian and Princess Shijia with the utmost benevolence and righteousness, but they refused to give up, time and again attempting to break through his bottom line.

Empress Dowager Rongxian cried as she tried to grasp his hand: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this dowager begs you… spare Shijia…” She grew more agitated as she spoke. Seeing Emperor Jianzhang shake off her hand and turn to leave, she actually knelt straight down on the ground.

“This dowager only has Shijia left… Your Majesty, I beg you to spare her…” She covered her face with both hands, finally breaking down in uncontrollable sobs.

Emperor Jianzhang watched coldly, his heart strangely unmoved: “If all matters in this world could be resolved with a single kneel, that would be wonderful indeed.”

He looked at Empress Dowager Rongxian, who suddenly raised her head, a bitter smile hanging at the corner of his mouth: “It’s too late, Mother Empress. She tried to kill my son and grandson, and even unto death refused to hand over the antidote. I can only let her go accompany Atai.”

Empress Dowager Rongxian couldn’t figure out what his last sentence meant. Seeing Emperor Jianzhang about to leave, she instinctively stood up to chase after him. But her skirt was too long and she rose too hastily. In her carelessness, she stepped on her hem and pitched forward violently, tumbling head over heels down the steps and knocking into the legs of the small table she herself had just overturned. Her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness.

Emperor Jianzhang watched coldly as all the palace maids, led by Yu Pei, hurriedly surrounded Empress Dowager Rongxian. After a long while, he finally ordered Eunuch Feng in a deep voice: “Summon the imperial physicians.”

News of Princess Shijia practicing witchcraft and curses at the princess’s manor quickly spread. The entire court was in uproar. Censors submitted memorials one after another demanding the Emperor severely punish her—they all said that since the founding of this dynasty, witchcraft and curse practices had been strictly forbidden, yet Princess Shijia had practiced witchcraft to curse her own mother. This was treasonous and the behavior of beasts.

Emperor Jianzhang delayed making a decision for a long time. During the New Year audience with ranking noblewomen, the Empress sighed, saying that after all, Princess Shijia was the Empress Dowager’s own daughter and His Majesty’s own elder sister. His Majesty was merciful and truly couldn’t bring himself to be ruthless.

Just at this time, the Empress Dowager, Crown Prince, and Crown Prince’s heir all fell ill one after another. The Imperial Observatory calculated that there were signs of an evil star colliding with the imperial star. For a time, rumors that Princess Shijia’s witchcraft had taken effect spread rampantly.

Under these circumstances, memorials demanding severe punishment for Princess Shijia flew before Emperor Jianzhang like snowflakes. Under this barrage of public opinion, Emperor Jianzhang finally steeled his heart and sentenced Princess Shijia to death.

The Zhang family’s illegitimate grandson who had assisted Princess Shijia in practicing witchcraft was also identified as having an illicit affair with Princess Shijia. Moreover, he was the one who had made the connection and found the witch for Princess Shijia. He was sentenced to death by dismemberment in the public marketplace.

The next day, Elder Zhang submitted a memorial requesting retirement, saying that his inability to manage his household properly had allowed such a disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unrighteous person to emerge from his family. If he couldn’t even manage his own household well, he dared not continue to shamelessly occupy a position in the Inner Cabinet, merely holding a sinecure.

Emperor Jianzhang tried to persuade him to stay several times, but Elder Zhang insisted on resigning and returning home. Emperor Jianzhang had no choice but to approve it.

On October 24th, Daoist Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain personally came to the capital to pray for the Empress Dowager and others. Although the Empress Dowager’s condition showed signs of improvement, her spirit deteriorated day by day. She was in a daze all day long, her mind unclear.

The Crown Prince and Crown Prince’s heir also gradually recovered. After Daoist Master Zhang’s prayers, several imperial nobles showed improvement, which further confirmed Princess Shijia’s crime of cursing through witchcraft.

On October 27th, the Clan Court ended Princess Shijia’s life with a cup of poisoned wine. Princess Shijia’s manor was also confiscated.

In this battle, the Crown Prince’s heir’s side achieved a great victory.

Elder Chen breathed a great sigh of relief and looked at Old Madam Chen with a half-smile: “Do you now understand why I didn’t let you meet with the Zhang family back then?”

Old Madam Chen secretly broke out in a cold sweat. Hearing this, she couldn’t help feeling the terror of having narrowly escaped disaster: “You trust His Highness the Crown Prince’s heir so completely? If one step had gone wrong in the middle, we would have been… completely finished.”

“A woman’s narrow view.” Elder Chen glanced at her: “Wealth and honor have always been sought through risk. Wanting both to preserve oneself and to enjoy glory and riches—where is there such a good thing? That Zhang has always disagreed with my political views. Last time he even tried to use the Tongzhou affair to trample me hard. With an opportunity to bring him down while also gaining merit before the Crown Prince, why wouldn’t I do it?”

Old Madam Chen had nothing to say. She lowered her head and after a long while finally sighed: “But His Highness the Crown Prince’s heir is so young, yet has such profound scheming and extraordinary methods. To be ruthless enough to use himself as bait—such boldness the Crown Prince himself might not possess. How could such a dragon among men be willing to be controlled by others? In the future, aren’t you afraid, Old Master, that when the birds are gone, the good bow will be discarded?”

Elder Chen’s somewhat clouded eyes instantly sharpened. He looked at Old Madam Chen and revealed a sinister smile: “That’s why you must properly teach Mingyu. If Mingyu becomes another Empress and Crown Princess, if she can learn even a fraction of Lady Lu’s skills, naturally she’ll be able to keep the Crown Prince’s heir firmly in her grasp. Look at how the Lu family is now! In the future, we may well become another Lu family!”