A person being hunted and hiding their whereabouts would never be foolish enough to expose themselves by attempting to assassinate the Emperor. The only explanation was that Zhuo Qi wasn’t the real assassin—someone else was responsible, but all blame had been shifted to Zhuo Qi, with the government helping to spread this narrative.

If Zhuo Qi were captured, Tu Er Mu would benefit the most, but Tu Er Mu was far away in Western Rong. This meant someone in Da Zong was helping Tu Er Mu.

Someone from Da Zong was colluding with Western Rong, and whoever could command the government must hold a high position!

Even though Han Yan couldn’t untangle the threads of her affairs, she couldn’t worry about that now. If Western Rong people were conspiring with court officials, Da Zong was in danger. When the nest falls, no eggs stay intact—her love and hatred seem insignificant compared to matters of national importance!

With this in mind, she told Fu Yun Xi everything she had deduced.

After listening, Fu Yun Xi looked at her with both approval and complexity. He had known she possessed wisdom and composure beyond her years, but he hadn’t expected her to see through court matters so clearly, immediately identifying the core issue. She had unraveled every thread, finding all the subtle clues. Even colleagues who had served in court for years might not have discovered these things.

Who exactly was this girl?

For the first time, he questioned the identity of the person before him. Ordinary young ladies might understand the general situation, but they wouldn’t analyze these matters so thoroughly.

Since learning that Han Yan was that little girl from seven years ago, he had ordered an investigation of the Zhuang manor, learning that she was unfavored and had been bullied by servants and concubines for years. She supposedly spent her days quietly embroidering and studying in the manor, yet this seemingly unworldly young girl’s insights into court matters rivaled others’.

Putting aside his thoughts, Fu Yun Xi looked at Han Yan thoughtfully: “You’re right. I’ve been investigating this matter these past few days. The Western Rong people have ill intentions—you must be careful.”

Han Yan nodded, but thinking of Irina, her tone became strange: “You take care of yourself too. That princess seems to admire you greatly. If she kidnaps you to Western Rong and makes you her consort…”

“Jealous?” His long eyebrows lifted as he looked at her with an ambiguous smile, the curve of his lips showing great amusement.

Han Yan was annoyed: “What nonsense.”

He chuckled softly, and his teasing dispersed some of the gloom in Han Yan’s heart.

Meanwhile, at the Zhuang manor, Concubine Mei was nestling against Zhuang Shi Yang. Due to her pregnancy, her figure had begun to show, but unlike other pregnant women, her skin hadn’t become loose and dull—if anything, she looked more radiant than before. However, Zhuang Shi Yang was careful about the child in her belly and didn’t dare to be intimate with her. It had been many days since they had been together.

Concubine Mei said softly: “My Lord, as my pregnancy becomes more visible, I remember you once said that if I bore you a child, you would make me the lady of this house. Yet you haven’t mentioned it—was my lord’s promise false?”

Hearing this, Zhuang Shi Yang hesitated. Currently, Concubine Mei was indeed carrying his child, and if it were a boy, that would be excellent. But Concubine Mei’s status was truly too low—making a barbarian concubine the principal wife would invite ridicule.

Seeing his expression, Concubine Mei immediately cried coquettishly: “My Lord, you truly deceived me! Oh, the child in my womb heard it too—it hurts so much…”

Zhuang Shi Yang now viewed the child in Concubine Mei’s belly as his heart’s treasure. He immediately panicked and called for a doctor, repeatedly saying: “If you bear me a son, I’ll keep my word—you’ll be the principal wife of this house!”

Unfortunately, these words were overheard by Madam Zhou, who was just about to enter the room. She froze, then anger and resentment crossed her face. She bit her lip and turned away.

Seeing Zhuang Shi Yang promise to make Concubine Mei the principal wife, Madam Zhou returned to Hibiscus Garden in jealous hatred. In the garden, Elder Madam Zhou was taking a light nap in the courtyard and only raised her head when she heard Madam Zhou’s voice: “What’s wrong?”

Madam Zhou sat down beside her, growing more furious as she thought about it: “He wants to make that slut the principal wife!”

Elder Madam Zhou immediately understood who she meant and smiled: “Are you afraid now?”

Madam Zhou touched her stomach: “I also carried his child once.” Her eyes filled with resentment: “But my child died by his hand, and not only does he feel no guilt, he wants to make that slut the principal wife!”

Elder Madam Zhou gave her an alluring look and said softly: “No man is good, as I’ve told you before. But you needn’t worry too much about that barbarian concubine. Her status is too low—if Zhuang Shi Yang wanted to make her principal wife, he would have done so already. Why wait until now?”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou said anxiously: “But now is different from before. She’s pregnant, and if she bears a son…”

A vicious glint flashed in Elder Madam Zhou’s eyes: “Son? We’ll just make sure she can’t give birth.”

“You mean…” Madam Zhou’s heart stirred.

“Zhuang Han Yan has become increasingly arrogant,” she said. “Using her to eliminate the barbarian’s spawn would be perfect.”

Madam Zhou hesitated: “But she’s a princess consort now. Even if it’s investigated, the lord can’t do anything to her.”

Elder Madam Zhou smiled: “True, he can’t do anything to her, but this way, with the barbarian’s child gone, she’ll lose her leverage and won’t threaten your position.” She spread her hand, carefully examining her vermilion-painted jade-white fingers. “As for Zhuang Han Yan, once word spreads that she plotted against a concubine’s child, that label will stick—she’ll never have peace in the capital.”

In this era, a woman’s reputation was everything, more important than beauty or talent. If a beautiful young lady from a good family ruined her reputation, marrying into a good family would become extremely difficult. Even though Han Yan was Prince Xuan Qing’s consort, once word spread about her plotting against a concubine, she would be seen as malicious. If such talk reached the Emperor and Empress Dowager, who were already critical of Prince Xuan Qing’s marriage, they would surely disapprove of Han Yan’s character and might even order Fu Yun Xi to divorce her before the wedding.

“We can’t do this directly,” Elder Madam Zhou’s slender eyes glittered. “Let’s have the Prince’s Consort do it.”

“How should we do it?” Madam Zhou now completely trusted Elder Madam Zhou and believed her words without a doubt. Elder Madam Zhou stood up and ordered all the maids to leave.

“I have a plan.”

Zhuang Shi Yang was writing memorials in his study. Since being demoted to the fifth rank, he had to handle all these trivial matters himself, filling him with both anger and resentment. Recently everything had gone wrong—Han Yan, the daughter he had always disfavored, was marrying his rival Prince Xuan Qing, angering the Wei Prince’s heir. Fortunately, Yu Shan had entered the Wei Prince’s manor as a secondary consort.