Ming Tan had barely taken out the night pearl when she wanted to put it back. But before she could move, her wrist suddenly went numb, and the pearl rolled onto the ground.
The crowd gasped softly, instinctively looking down. Everyone was gathered closely, their thick winter skirts making it difficult to spot the pearl. Suddenly, the crowd stirred, followed by two sharp screams. The maids’ voices were filled with panic and fear:
“Your Highness!”
“Noble Lady!”
Ming Tan was jostled and nearly lost her balance, fortunately, steadied by the Duchess of Yu.
As she regained her footing, two simultaneous cries of agony rang out nearby, followed by painful exclamations: “It hurts! My child!”
Ming Tan’s mind went blank for a moment. What had happened? Consort Shu and Noble Lady Jia had both collapsed to the ground!
Just then, Emperor Cheng Kang and his entourage approached, having heard the commotion. They quickly rushed over.
Seeing two pregnant consorts fallen on the ground, Emperor Cheng Kang’s face darkened. “What are you all standing around for? Quickly summon the imperial physicians!”
“They’ve already been called. Hurry, help Consort Shu and Noble Lady Jia to Ruyan Pavilion!”
Empress Zhang remained relatively composed in the face of this sudden accident, giving orders systematically, though her voice betrayed a hint of urgency.
The personal maids of Consort Shu and Noble Lady Jia hurried forward, along with nearby eunuchs, to help their mistresses to the nearest pavilion.
Noble Lady Jia had initially only felt a dull ache, but as she tried to stand, she became dizzy with pain, her face turning ashen. “It… it hurts so much!”
Consort Shu’s situation was even more dire. Her maid cried out in broken sobs, “Blood… there’s blood! Your Highness is bleeding!”
The maid’s hands were stained red, and Consort Shu’s skirt was soaked with a dark stain.
Ming Tan’s heart sank.
Emperor Cheng Kang’s face turned livid as he demanded, “What exactly happened here?!”
Consort Rou hastily knelt and admitted fault: “It’s all this concubine’s fault. I insisted on asking the Princess of Beiding to solve the lantern puzzle. She did solve it, but perhaps in her excitement, she didn’t hold the night pearl securely. It rolled onto the ground, and Sister Jia slipped on it and fell. Consort Shu was standing next to her and was knocked down as well.”
The Empress and Consort Lan wanted to defend Ming Tan, but the situation had been too chaotic for them to see clearly what had transpired. However, several lower-ranking consorts corroborated Consort Rou’s account.
Hearing this, Emperor Cheng Kang fixed his piercing gaze directly on Ming Tan.
Ming Tan instinctively moved to kneel, but Jiang Xu suddenly stepped in front of her, shielding her with his hand. His gaze met the Emperor’s unflinchingly.
Emperor Cheng Kang and Jiang Xu locked eyes for a moment, the Emperor’s expression complex.
The surroundings fell silent, the atmosphere freezing into a deathly stillness where no one dared breathe.
Finally, Emperor Cheng Kang was the first to look away. He said nothing, merely turning on his heel and striding towards Ruyan Pavilion.
Soon, everyone followed, leaving only Ming Tan and Jiang Xu under the lanterns.
Jiang Xu grasped her now-cold hand. After a while, her fingers twitched slightly, and she whispered, “I’m sorry, husband. It seems I’ve caused you trouble.”
“This has nothing to do with you.”
“No, I was careless and fell into a trap.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll handle it.”
His voice was like cold jade, low but somehow reassuring.
Ming Tan gripped his hand tightly and remembered to explain: “That night pearl, when I held it, it was burning hot. I sensed something was wrong but didn’t dare throw it away. I only wanted to put it back, but my wrist suddenly went numb. By the time I realized what was happening, the pearl had already fallen to the ground. I don’t know what happened after that.”
Jiang Xu believed Ming Tan’s words completely. He reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’m here.”
He led Ming Tan to where Consort Shu had fallen.
Fresh blood stains were still on the ground. He reached out, “Give me your handkerchief.”
Ming Tan obediently handed it over.
He used the handkerchief to dab at the blood on the ground, examining it closely.
Suddenly, a possibility occurred to Ming Tan.
“Is it human blood?” she asked nervously.
“It is.”
Before Ming Tan could feel disappointed, Jiang Xu added, “She’s too meticulous to leave such an obvious flaw.”
Ming Tan was taken aback: “Husband, do you mean Consort Shu…?”
Did he have some evidence to so directly determine that Consort Shu was involved?
Jiang Xu didn’t answer. His gaze swept the area, finding the fallen night pearl in a corner.
The pearl was no longer as hot as before, but it still felt warm to the touch.
After examining it for a moment, Jiang Xu stated directly, “It’s moonlight powder.”
“Moonlight powder?” Ming Tan didn’t understand.
“A powder made from ground minerals from the North. It’s silvery and slightly luminescent. When sealed, it heats up rapidly upon contact with air.”
Ming Tan lowered her gaze to the night pearl: “So this night pearl was coated with moonlight powder?”
Jiang Xu neither confirmed nor denied. “Let’s go.”
Meanwhile, inside Ruyan Pavilion, two rooms were in chaos.
Noble Lady Jia’s cries were heart-wrenching, showing signs of premature labor. Empress Zhang quickly ordered someone to fetch a midwife and prepare for delivery.
In Consort Shu’s room, only muffled sobs could be heard. The imperial physician spoke quietly with Emperor Cheng Kang before shaking his head slowly and withdrawing.
Consort Shu leaned against the headboard, dazed, tears falling silently.
Emperor Cheng Kang sat beside the bed, holding her hand, feeling deeply sorrowful.
Consort Shu had lost her child. The physician said that she had always struggled to conceive, and this pregnancy had been extremely rare. Now that she had lost it, she likely wouldn’t conceive again.
Outside, Noble Lady Jia’s cries continued unabated, calling out desperately, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Consort Shu seemed pained by the sound. With tear-blurred vision, she still managed to prop herself up, choked with emotion: “This concubine’s presence here is inauspicious for Sister Jia. Please… allow this concubine to return to the palace first.”
Emperor Cheng Kang didn’t know what to say. He simply squeezed her hand and solemnly promised, “I will certainly get to the bottom of today’s events. I’ll have someone escort you back to the palace now. You can’t rest properly with Jia making such a commotion here.”
Consort Shu nodded tearfully.
Just as the palanquin arrived outside Ruyan Pavilion and the maids were about to help Consort Shu from the bed, Jiang Xu entered, leading Ming Tan.
Seeing Jiang Xu protectively shielding Ming Tan behind him, Emperor Cheng Kang felt a surge of displeasure, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.
Ignoring the Emperor’s mood, Jiang Xu got straight to the point: “Your Majesty, the night pearl was coated with moonlight powder.”
Emperor Cheng Kang frowned at this.
Ming Tan stepped out from behind Jiang Xu, bowed, and calmly recounted the strange sensations she had experienced when handling the night pearl.
After listening, Emperor Cheng Kang’s frown deepened: “So you’re saying someone tampered with the night pearl and deliberately made sure you couldn’t hold onto it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, that’s correct.”
A eunuch presented the night pearl. Emperor Cheng Kang examined it for a while, noting the faint silver sheen on its surface—indeed, it was moonlight powder.
This substance was rare in the capital and required special preservation. Jiang Xu couldn’t have brought it just to provide an alibi for his wife.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over Consort Lan and Consort Rou, his authority palpable: “What exactly is going on here?”
Consort Lan and Consort Rou knelt together.
Before Consort Lan could speak, Consort Rou cried out in protest: “Your Majesty, this concubine knows nothing! I’ve never even heard of moonlight powder. Besides, the lantern riddles and palace lanterns were all prepared by Sister Lan. This concubine is innocent!”
Consort Lan glanced at her: “What do you mean by that, Sister Rou? Wasn’t it your idea to use the mechanical lantern?”
“This concubine merely suggested it after hearing Your Majesty mention mechanical devices once. But wasn’t everything else arranged by you, Sister Lan?”
As Consort Lan was about to retort, Consort Shu interjected in disbelief: “Sister Lan, you? Why would you do this?”
“It wasn’t me.”
“Whether it was or wasn’t, sister can’t clear this up with words alone. After all, tonight’s lanterns and riddles were all prepared by you,” Consort Rou said from her kneeling position. “I request that Your Majesty order a thorough search of Lanwu Palace. If Sister Lan is responsible, surely some evidence will be found there. If not, it will prove her innocence!”
Hearing this, Ming Tan discreetly hooked her little finger with Jiang Xu’s. Though they didn’t make eye contact, they understood each other’s thoughts.
So this was the true purpose of tonight’s drama. A plan to strike four birds with one stone—Consort Shu’s strategy was indeed clever.
It seemed that at this moment, a vial of moonlight powder was likely waiting to be discovered in some corner of Consort Lan’s Lanwu Palace.
As expected, moments later, a eunuch returned with a report, presenting a sealed vial of moonlight powder.
Emperor Cheng Kang glanced at it, then looked at Consort Lan, his tone unreadable: “Consort Lan, how do you explain this?”
Before Consort Lan could speak, Consort Shu suddenly threw herself forward, large tears streaming down her face: “Sister Lan, why would you harm me like this? Do you admire Prince Beiding so much that you would use his wife to eliminate my child out of jealousy?”
At these words, Consort Lan abruptly looked up.
Consort Shu stared directly at her: “Do you dare deny that you admire Prince Beiding?!”
A sudden silence fell over the room. Emperor Cheng Kang’s expression was unreadable.
Ming Tan’s heart sank slowly. She realized she had underestimated Consort Shu—this wasn’t just a plan to strike four birds with one stone, but five: harm Noble Lady Jia’s pregnancy; conceal the truth about her false pregnancy; implicate Ming Tan in carelessly causing others to miscarry; frame Consort Lan; and sow discord between the Emperor and Jiang Xu.
Most troublingly, while her husband could expose Consort Shu’s true nature, he couldn’t influence Consort Lan’s choice—and Consort Lan’s decision was crucial.
Though only moments had passed, to Ming Tan, it felt like an eternity.
After what seemed like ages, Consort Lan finally moved.
She suddenly let down her hair and solemnly kowtowed three times, her eyes reddening: “This concubine was a princess’s companion in childhood and studied alongside Your Majesty. Back then, Your Majesty would hide behind this concubine to avoid lessons. Once, while the tutor was teaching, Your Majesty mischievously cut a lock of this concubine’s hair, making her cry. To console her, Your Majesty promised to propose marriage when she came of age.
“Your Majesty might have forgotten that childish promise, but this concubine always took it to heart. This concubine knew the difficulties of palace life, yet when she learned she could enter the palace, she did so without hesitation. All these years in the palace, this concubine never sought to compete for anything, nor dared to disturb Your Majesty unnecessarily, only quietly waiting for Your Majesty’s rare moments of leisure.
“This concubine doesn’t mind bearing the blame for these slanderous accusations, but if there’s doubt about her loyalty to Your Majesty, she is willing to take the tonsure and spend the rest of her life with only a lamp for company, never again involving herself in palace affairs, to prove her devotion.”
Emperor Cheng Kang’s heart jolted: “Lan’er, what are you doing? Get up quickly!”
Consort Lan stubbornly remained kneeling, seemingly determined to stay there until her name was cleared.