In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yong’an asked Zhou Shan with slightly lowered eyelids: “What reaction has there been from the Prince of Pingnan’s estate?”

“In response to Your Majesty, the Prince of Pingnan’s estate has already buried the ‘young princess.’ The Princess Consort of Pingnan… wept terribly.”

“Is that so?” A faint dragon’s musk incense drifted through the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Emperor Yong’an’s voice sounded somewhat cold.

Though Zhou Shan had long grown accustomed to this emperor’s unfathomable thoughts, at this moment he still felt threads of coldness.

“It seems the Prince of Pingnan’s estate still cannot accept the young princess’s fate.” Emperor Yong’an glanced at Zhou Shan and commanded indifferently: “Have people keep watch. Report immediately if there are any abnormalities.”

Zhou Shan hastily acknowledged the order.

When the Prince of Pingnan’s entire household had moved to the capital, His Majesty had bestowed many people upon them—there was never a shortage of eyes and ears.

After Zhou Shan departed, Emperor Yong’an casually picked up a book and read absentmindedly, his thoughts still on the Prince of Pingnan’s estate.

From the day the Crown Prince was deposed, he had harbored the notion of uprooting the Prince of Pingnan’s estate completely to eliminate future troubles—he simply couldn’t act too hastily.

Now that the Prince of Pingnan’s estate knew perfectly well that Changle had killed Wei Wen, they could be kept even less.

Emperor Yong’an set down the book册, his face completely calm, though his eyes were full of icy coldness.

After handling the young princess’s funeral affairs, the Princess Consort of Pingnan’s complexion appeared increasingly pale.

She began to go entire nights without sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her daughter weeping tears of blood, demanding to know why she had used a substitute and wouldn’t avenge her.

“Ah—” A scream rang out as the Princess Consort of Pingnan sat bolt upright, gasping in great gulps.

Even her breathing was weak.

The maid keeping night watch hurriedly pulled aside the bed curtains: “Princess Consort, please drink some water.”

The Princess Consort of Pingnan took the porcelain cup and drank the water sip by sip, yet the warmth transmitted through the porcelain cup couldn’t warm her fingertips.

After drinking, the Princess Consort of Pingnan handed the porcelain cup to the maid and sat woodenly in a daze.

The maid couldn’t help but urge: “Princess Consort, you should lie down and rest.”

“Silence!” The Princess Consort of Pingnan shouted sharply, though this reprimand also lacked much strength.

She dared not close her eyes.

The Princess Consort of Pingnan’s eyelids trembled continuously.

Though the maid had been scolded, she dared not leave. After an unknown length of time, she mustered courage to urge again: “Princess Consort, even an iron body cannot endure without sleep. You should sleep for a while.”

The Princess Consort of Pingnan suddenly turned and descended from the bed.

The maid reached out to support her: “Princess Consort, tell this servant what you need and this servant will fetch it for you.”

“Light the lamp.”

The maid walked quickly to the desk, moved aside the lamp shade, and lit the candle.

The room instantly brightened.

The Princess Consort of Pingnan leaned against the screen to steady herself and ordered: “Fetch the sewing basket.”

“Princess Consort—” The maid’s face was full of incomprehension.

“Go!”

The maid dared not speak further and brought over the sewing basket.

“You may leave.”

After dismissing the maid, the Princess Consort of Pingnan rummaged through the sewing basket, pulling out fine, soft plain silk which she cut and stitched for a while.

Before long, a humanoid cloth doll appeared in her hands.

The doll had a nose and eyes, plain silk for clothing, brocade for skirts—under the flickering candlelight it possessed a sinister beauty.

The Princess Consort of Pingnan lowered her eyes and stared at the doll for a long while, then picked up a silver needle from the sewing basket and forcefully stabbed it into the doll’s heart.

Watching the silver needle pierce the doll’s heart, the Princess Consort of Pingnan’s tormented heart—tortured since handling her daughter’s funeral—suddenly felt relief, and her lips revealed a long-absent smile.

Another silver needle pierced in. Not until she had filled the doll’s heart area with silver needles did the Princess Consort of Pingnan stop.

Wen’er, Mother Consort has no other way—I can only avenge you like this.

That wretch Princess Changle will definitely die a terrible death!

After finishing her silent recitation, the Princess Consort of Pingnan looked around and hid the doll well.

That night, she finally slept soundly, sleeping until nearly noon the next day, actually feeling refreshed and energized.

Thereafter, the Princess Consort of Pingnan became obsessed with the feeling of piercing silver needles into the doll’s heart. Each thrust seemed to pierce Princess Changle’s body, greatly relieving her anger.

Later, besides before sleeping at night, the Princess Consort of Pingnan would also dismiss her maids during afternoon naps to enjoy that hidden and rare satisfaction.

No wall in this world is impenetrable, especially when so many watchful eyes were already fixed on this place.

Emperor Yong’an found out.

After listening to Zhou Shan’s report, Emperor Yong’an’s expression remained calm, his tone carrying not a trace of fluctuation: “Written with Changle’s birth characters?”

Zhou Shan, head lowered, confirmed this was so.

After a long while, Emperor Yong’an gave a cold laugh and uttered two words: “Very good.”

These two words, reaching Zhou Shan’s ears, carried the feeling of an approaching storm.

And indeed this was the case.

“Summon Luo Chi to the palace.”

Before long, Grand Governor Luo hurried into the palace.

“Someone has secretly reported that the Princess Consort of Pingnan is practicing witchcraft to curse Zhen.” Emperor Yong’an said indifferently.

Grand Governor Luo was greatly alarmed: “The Prince of Pingnan’s estate dares to be so audacious?”

Emperor Yong’an laughed coldly: “Indeed. Zhen also wishes to know if they are truly so bold. Luo Chi, take the Jinlin Guard to the Prince of Pingnan’s estate immediately to investigate whether this is actually true.”

“Your subject receives the decree.”

Emperor Yong’an behind the dragon desk cast a downward glance at Grand Governor Luo and said without ripples: “Additionally, search for evidence of when the Prince of Pingnan’s estate falsely accused the Prince of Zhennan’s estate.”

Grand Governor Luo was startled and couldn’t help but raise his eyes to look at Emperor Yong’an, meeting a pair of eyes as deep and unfathomable as the sea.

Grand Governor Luo’s heart chilled as sudden understanding dawned.

His Majesty intended to completely eliminate the Prince of Pingnan’s estate. What method could be more devastatingly thorough than overturning the case of the Prince of Zhennan’s estate?

The Prince of Pingnan’s estate rose through the Prince of Zhennan’s estate and declined through the Prince of Zhennan’s estate—in the eyes of the world, this would also be the cycle of heavenly principle.

As for whether there truly was a matter of the Princess Consort of Pingnan cursing His Majesty—that was hard to say.

In any case, His Majesty summoned him to the palace with only one purpose: he wanted the Prince of Pingnan’s estate finished.

As it happened, this was also what he anticipated.

“Your subject will attend to it immediately.”

The Jinlin Guard excelled at precisely this.

At noon, a contingent of Jinlin Guards kicked open the main gates of the Prince of Pingnan’s estate.

Outside the gates, spectators quickly filled the space.

What misfortune would befall the Prince of Pingnan’s estate now?

Constantly watching one household’s troubles—honestly, it was getting a bit numbing.

“No, wait—this time it’s the Jinlin Guard. Looks like the Prince of Pingnan’s estate is in serious trouble!”

When the Jinlin Guard made an appearance, this was at minimum the treatment for property confiscation.

More and more spectators gathered, surrounding the area in layer upon layer.

Luo Sheng stood at some point among the crowd.

She had given a push in the matter of the young princess’s disappearance—how things would develop afterward was ultimately difficult to predict.

Human hearts were already unfathomable, let alone an emperor’s heart.

From the current appearance, the result wasn’t bad.

Around her were common folk with faces full of excitement watching the spectacle, forming a stark contrast with Luo Sheng’s calm.

And the Jinlin Guard lived up to people’s speculation, dragging out two earth-shattering matters.

One was that the Princess Consort of Pingnan harbored resentment over the Crown Prince’s deposition and used witchcraft to curse His Majesty. The other was that guards from the Prince of Zhennan’s estate, currently under house arrest, had produced evidence preserved from years ago of the Prince of Pingnan’s estate framing the Prince of Zhennan’s estate.

More and more soldiers surrounded the Prince of Pingnan’s estate.

By the time the sun set in the west, the Prince of Pingnan’s estate was surrounded so tightly not even water could leak through.

Luo Sheng quietly watched all this, as if seeing the Prince of Zhennan’s estate from thirteen years ago.