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Just then, Emperor Xiang Longwei walked toward Yang Cairen's room, with the Empress and several high-ranking concubines following closely behind him. Upon arriving, he sat down on a cushion and immediately took Yang Cairen's hands into his own.
Yang Cairen's face was pale and bloodless, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her voice hoarse from all the shouting.
"Your Majesty, this concubine almost failed to save our child," Yang Cairen sobbed. "Your Majesty, please punish Mei Guiren! This concubine has done nothing to harm her. Why would she try to kill my child? She even used my most trusted servants, those who were closest to me!"
Mei Liang was stunned upon hearing Yang Cairen's accusations. What did her child have to do with her? But now Yang Cairen would surely bear a grudge against her, and she would need to stay vigilant.
Why did problems keep happening to her ever since she came to this world? Did everyone think she was a soft persimmon to be pinched at will, just because she was usually cold and preferred not to speak sarcastically like the others? Because she didn't fight back with words, they all thought they could treat her as a punching bag.
Yang Cairen might have been confused because of the pain she went through earlier," Mei Liang said sarcastically, her lips curling into a faint sneer. "But please, be careful with your words, so you don't end up accusing just anyone based on what you heard from someone else. Some might even start to think you've gone crazy because of the pain."
Wen Fei, who was also in the room with several other concubines, couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Wasn't Mei Guiren practically calling Yang Cairen crazy dog that bite everyone she sees?
Just as the Empress was about to scold Mei Liang for her disrespectful words, Emperor Xiang Longwei finally spoke:
"Beloved concubine, Mei Guiren was not responsible for this incident. The real culprit was Zhang Meiren, and she has already been punished. Take care of yourself — Zhen will make sure you receive justice. But Mei Guiren had nothing to do with it."
Yang Cairen, who had been about to scold Mei Liang for speaking so disrespectfully to someone of higher rank, froze when she heard the emperor's words.
"Your Majesty, that can't be true!" she cried. "I had no grudge with Zhang Meiren — she had no reason to harm me! I fear someone might be trying to frame her to cover their tracks!"
Zhang Meiren said, her gaze sweeping coldly toward Mei Liang. Though she didn't name names, everyone could easily guess who she was hinting at from the sharpness of her eyes and the bitterness in her voice.
Mei Liang narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly, "So, does Yang Cairen mean that I have a grudge against you? If so, please say it out openly and clearly."
Although Mei Liang didn't want to speak so sharply, she knew she had no choice. The emperor saw her as a straightforward but sensible woman, one who neither competed for favor nor power. In a situation like this, any concubine would naturally feel angered. If she remained too calm, the emperor might find her behavior suspicious.
Emperor Xiang Longwei's gaze fell quietly on Mei Guiren.
He couldn't help but feel that she looked like a little firecracker, ready to explode at any moment.
He found himself rather enjoying such a sight. For someone of her age, this flash of liveliness made her seem even more youthful — a stark contrast to the cold, expressionless face she usually wore.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips without him even realizing it.
"Mei Guiren, that is enough. Yang Cairen has already gone through so much. Don't make her even more stressed," Empress Qing said coldly.
Emperor Xiang Longwei then stood up. His face was still expressionless as he said, "Beloved concubine, take care of yourself. Anything you need for your recovery, you may ask the empress for it."
Yang Cairen lowered her head. She knew she had lost her composure earlier and even dared to question the investigation conducted by the emperor and the empress. Wasn't that the same as questioning their abilities? Thinking of this, she quickly stopped herself from saying anything further.
Meanwhile, Mei Liang stood silently at the side, growing more and more impatient. She couldn't wait for the emperor to leave. She was already tired of all this drama.
After the emperor left, Empress Qing walked toward Yang Cairen once again.
"You heard the emperor. If there is anything you need that can speed up your recovery, just send a servant to inform this empress. Make sure to take good care of the prince in your stomach," she said, her voice neither warm nor cold but distant.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Yang Cairen replied respectfully. "This concubine will make sure to protect the prince and give the emperor another heir."
Xian Guifei, who had been silent for a while, suddenly sneered.
"Everyone thinks they are the phoenix destined to give birth to a prince," she said. "Better be careful not to count your eggs before they hatch, or else..."
Empress Qing clenched her fists tightly inside her sleeves, but her face remained calm, not showing a trace of anger.
Wasn't Xian Guifei's sarcasm aimed directly at her? After all, she — the dignified empress — had yet to produce a legitimate heir for the emperor.
Empress Qing smiled coldly and turned to Xian Guifei.
"Noble Consort Xian, you don't have to be jealous. It is good for the emperor to have more sons. I'm sure Yang Cairen will fulfill the emperor's wishes and give birth to a healthy prince. Isn't that right, Yang Cairen?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will make sure not to disappoint the emperor," Yang Cairen responded immediately.
"You don't need to be so serious about it," Empress Qing said with a gentle smile. "I'm sure the emperor will love both a prince and a princess. After all, they are all His Majesty's and this empress's children."
De Fei, who had been silently watching from the side, smiled faintly. It was better to let them compete and tear each other apart — that way, she could sit back and reap the benefits.
Xian Guifei almost vomited blood from anger.
What did the empress mean by that? she thought furiously. Wasn't she implying that, as the legitimate wife, all children born within the palace — no matter who their birth mothers were — would have to call her mother? And if she the empress bore a legitimate son, wouldn't all the other princes be considered illegitimate?
"Such fake smiles... So disgusting," Xian Guifei muttered loudly.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Mei Liang was amused by Xian Guifei's boldness. However, she knew Xian Guifei was not someone to be underestimated.
Although she sometimes spoke bluntly and seemed disrespectful toward the empress, Xian Guifei was sharp and calculating. She knew exactly how far she could go.
Not long after, the empress rose and left the hall.
One by one, the remaining concubines also took their leave, leaving in twos and threes.
When Mei Liang finally returned to her Xiangting (Auspicious Pavilion), she entered swiftly, clearly exhausted from the day's drama.
She sat down heavily on a cushion just as Cuiyu walked in behind her and respectfully greeted her mistress.
Lánxīn, who had been silent the entire time in Moonlight Fragrance Pavilion, not daring to speak unnecessarily for fear of implicating her mistress, immediately began recounting everything that had happened to Cuìyù.
"No wonder, Mistress. This servant was very shocked and afraid when the empress's trusted servants came to inspect this servant's body. This servant feared something terrible had happened to Mistress. I wanted to see what was going on, but Moonlight Fragrance Pavilion was tightly guarded," Lánxīn said, her voice still trembling.
Cuìyù added, "Mistress, from now on, we must be extra cautious. We cannot allow anyone to plant anything suspicious in our palace."
Mei Liang's expression was cold as she said, "From now on, inspect the palace every day. Check every new item that enters — even the smallest thing — to ensure there is nothing unusual."
"Yes, Mistress," Lánxīn and Cuìyù replied in unison.
"Then, what about what I instructed you to do before I left earlier today?" Mei Liang asked, her gaze sharp.
Cuìyù quickly answered, "Mistress, it has been done. I found a girl named Taoye. She works in the imperial kitchen. Although she does not hold an important position, she is permitted to leave the palace twice a month. I heard she has a day off tomorrow."
"Good. Bring her to me before she leaves," Mei Liang ordered firmly.
"Yes, Mistress," Cuìyù replied.
Bìtáo announced the arrival of the emperor outside the room, Lánxīn, Cuìyù and Mei Liang face couldn't help but pale did the emperor heard everything they were discussing earlier
Coming Soon Chapter 18 will be released tomorrow at 4:21 PM by this time tomorrow!"