The next morning, armed with her newfound clarity and purpose, Li Lan began her discreet inquiries. Her new maid, Ling, a woman with sharp eyes and an even sharper mind from Huangtu, proved invaluable. Li Lan didn't reveal the full extent of her gift, only that she had a keen sense of observation. She tasked Ling with gathering whispers, old court records, and seemingly innocuous details about Prince Wang Cheng and the imperial family.
Li Lan had tasked Ling with a mission: to find the hidden truths about her husband and the Xialan court. Ling soon returned with a small scroll, her expression as serious as Li Lan's.
As she spoke, the pieces of the grand tapestry began to unravel before Li Lan.
"Your Highness," Ling began, her voice a low murmur, "I have learned that your husband, Prince Wang Cheng, is the eldest son of the Emperor's First Empress."
A chilling realization washed over Li Lan. Prince Wang Cheng was indeed the rightful heir to the throne, not by birth order alone, but by a subtle yet undeniable claim. He was the eldest son born of the First Empress, a woman revered for her wisdom and virtue, whose lineage traced back to the ancient founders of the Xialan Kingdom. Her pure blood flowed through Wang Cheng's veins.
"After the First Empress passed, the Emperor was charmed by the Second Empress," Ling continued. "She is the mother of Prince Wei and Princess Wang Xiu. She has spent years subtly undermining Prince Wang Cheng, painting him as too kind and too gentle to rule. He was seen as a man of peace, and in this court, that is a weakness to be exploited."
Prince Wei. This was the prince his father was now overtly favoring, the one groomed to be the Crown Prince, despite Wang Cheng's stronger claim by birthright and the prestige of his mother's family. The Emperor, it seemed, had always been susceptible to influence, and the Second Empress, Wei's mother, held a significant sway over him. She was ambitious, ruthless, and had spent years strategically undermining Wang Cheng's position, painting him as too gentle, too unsuited for the harsh realities of rulership. Wang Cheng's own quiet nature, his aversion to political games, had played perfectly into her narrative. He never sought power, so he was easily pushed aside.
And Princess Wang Xiu? She was Prince Wei's full-blooded sister, born of the same ambitious Second Empress. This explained the searing malice Li Lan had felt radiating from her the previous night. Wang Xiu's ambition was directly tied to her brother's ascension. If Wei became Emperor, she would gain unimaginable power and influence as the imperial sister. Wang Cheng, the rightful heir, was not just an obstacle to her brother; he was an insult to her mother's manipulations and a threat to their entire future.
The pieces clicked into place with a chilling finality. Wang Cheng was indeed the overlooked heir, sidelined by the machinations of his stepmother and half-sister. His quiet humility, which Li Lan now saw as a noble trait, had been weaponized against him. The gods had chosen wisely. Her husband was a true dragon, weary-eyed not from simple love, but from the burden of his forgotten destiny. And she, Li Lan, was the one chosen to awaken him.