"The Empress Dowager hasn't been feeling well these past few days. Don't overthink it, Yao'er."The Emperor was trying to comfort Meng Wenyao… and perhaps comfort himself as well.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager visibly relaxed and added, "Though I haven't visited you recently, I've been praying for you every day in the small Buddhist shrine. This child of yours will be born healthy, I'm sure of it."
Meng Wenyao beamed and thanked the Empress Dowager graciously. With that, the conversation returned to lighter topics, and no one dared mention anything more about Prince An's sudden promotion to a Qinwang.
After the evening meal, the Empress Dowager asked Prince An to stay and talk. Meng Wenyao's heart skipped. That absolutely couldn't happen.
Feigning concern, she looked at the Empress Dowager with moist eyes. "Shouldn't the prince go burn paper offerings for my sister? The palace gates will be locked soon."
Caught off guard, the Empress Dowager sighed and reluctantly let Prince An leave.
The Emperor gently supported Meng Wenyao by the arm. "Yao'er, be good and return to Funing Hall. It's chilly by the water. You'll catch a cold."
Of course she didn't want to go back—there was going to be quite the drama by the water tonight, and she needed to make sure she had a solid alibi.
Still, for appearance's sake, she blinked tearfully and said, "I hope my sister won't blame me for not being there."
"She wouldn't," the Emperor assured her.
And so he personally accompanied Meng Wenyao back to Funing Hall, while Prince An was led toward the lakeside by a young eunuch.
Meanwhile, in the Jiao Room Palace, the half-dead eunuch who'd been beaten within an inch of his life by the Imperial Consort dragged his weak body over to report:"Your Grace, Prince An has gone to the lake to honor Second Miss Meng. It seems their bond runs deep. Maybe he even killed the Grand Heir over her…"
The Imperial Consort's eyes sharpened like blades. Prince An had killed Wei Quan. Consort Chen had stolen the Emperor's affection. Both of them deserved to die.But she needed to be smart. One problem at a time.
She had to deal with Consort Chen first—kill her, win back the Emperor's favor—and only then would she have the means to bring down Prince An.
"Xiao Anzi," she ordered, "take me to him."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Dodging guards and lantern light, they snuck toward the water's edge. This was where Second Miss Meng had "accidentally" drowned. Such a tragic place.
Prince An stood by the lakeside, his emotions a tangled mess. He'd only meant to pay brief respects, but the eunuch burning paper kept chanting:"Second Miss Meng, the prince is here to see you… Don't be sad. He misses you deeply…"
Prince An didn't know if ghosts existed, but on the off chance Meng Wenxian's spirit really was there, he felt compelled to stay and listen.
Hidden behind a tree, Xiao Anzi whispered to the Imperial Consort, "Your Grace, I'll lure the eunuch away. Then you can avenge the Grand Heir."
He dashed off and said something to the eunuch, who soon followed him away.
The Imperial Consort smirked. She wasn't fooled. Xiao Anzi had clearly been bought by Consort Chen, pushing her to kill Prince An. Did they really think she was that gullible?
Fools. All of them.
Slowly, she stepped up behind Prince An.
The sudden footsteps startled him. For a moment, he truly believed it was Meng Wenxian's ghost. But when he turned and saw the Imperial Consort, he exhaled.
"Your Grace."
"I'm no longer a consort," she said, bitterness in her tone. "Just as you are no longer Crown Prince."
That hit a nerve. Prince An frowned. He had replayed his fall from grace over and over in his mind. How had Consort Chen ended up pregnant? How could the Emperor—supposedly incapable—have fathered a child?
None of it should have happened.
Seeing his hesitation, the Imperial Consort leaned in, voice like poisoned honey."But what if I told you… I can help you become Crown Prince again?"
He jerked his head up, eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible. Even if you get rid of Consort Chen's child, she could still conceive again. So could other consorts."
"What if… no one could conceive again?" she said softly.
He stared. "That's not possible."
The Imperial Consort gave him a pale smile, but there was something terrifyingly confident in it. Suddenly, it didn't seem so impossible.
Prince An hesitated, then asked, "What method do you have?"
She looked him dead in the eye, then whispered the secret. After that, she said, "Just tell the Empress Dowager. She'll know what to do."
Prince An stood frozen, his mind reeling like he'd been struck by lightning. He was supposed to be Crown Prince. That had been his future—until the Emperor had a child.
Just as he was resigning himself to the loss… this revelation had upended everything again.
He stumbled away, muttering like a madman:"The Emperor is impotent… The Emperor is impotent…"
Xiao Anzi had been waiting in the shadows. When he saw the Imperial Consort let Prince An go, he panicked. That wasn't the plan! If she didn't kill Prince An, what would he tell Consort Chen?
No. He couldn't go back empty-handed.
If Consort Chen wanted the Imperial Consort to kill Prince An and it hadn't happened… he'd just kill the Imperial Consort himself.
That would be enough.
The Imperial Consort squatted down to continue burning paper. Gazing at the flames, she murmured,"Quan'er, you must be well in the afterlife. I'll avenge you. Everyone who wronged you… I'll take care of them."
Splash. A figure crashed into the lake behind her. Xiao Anzi stood over the water, jabbing with a stick to make sure she couldn't climb back up.
The water calmed. One incense stick's time later, everything was still.
—
The next morning, Meng Wenyao heard the news: the Imperial Consort was dead. Her brows lifted in surprise.
"That idiot Xiao Anzi—did he get the wrong target?"
She was annoyed. The eunuch had come crawling to her, pledging loyalty and claiming he'd do anything. She told him to manipulate the Imperial Consort into killing Prince An. How had that turned into her dying?
Nanny Hua hesitated, then recounted what had happened. Apparently, Xiao Anzi had panicked when things went off script and took matters into his own hands.
Meng Wenyao sighed and rubbed her forehead. "What a mess…"
"Do you think he'll talk?" she asked.
"He won't," Nanny Hua assured her. "And even if he did, he killed her himself. He wouldn't dare speak a word."
Good. Meng Wenyao waved her hand. "Keep him in line."
The Imperial Consort's death wasn't the real problem—she'd already fallen out of favor, and the Emperor had been meaning to get rid of her anyway.
No, the real issue was that now there was no one left to deal with Prince An.
After mulling it over all morning, Meng Wenyao suddenly sat up straight and smiled. This situation could still be used.
She called Nanny Hua close and whispered a plan. Now all she had to do… was wait for the Emperor to arrive.
—
Sure enough, as soon as court ended, the Emperor rushed to Funing Hall. He'd heard the news about the Imperial Consort drowning. He paused for a beat, then moved on. She'd been useful, a convenient shield—but her time had long been up.
If anything, her death might bring peace to the many ghosts she'd wronged in the palace.
His only concern was Meng Wenyao. He hoped she hadn't been too shaken.
The moment he arrived, Meng Wenyao threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
"My dear Yao'er, what's wrong?" he asked, gently holding her.
She cried just enough to look properly distressed, then raised her tear-streaked face and said,"Your Majesty, my sister died unjustly. Maybe… she saw how lazy the investigation was. Maybe she came back to avenge herself."
The Emperor paused. That… made sense. The Imperial Consort had played a part in Meng Wenxian's death. No matter who had killed her, it was justice in its own way.
With the Imperial Consort gone, it was time to deal with the Wei family once and for all.