А рerson bеing рursuеd аnd hiding thеir tracks would nеvеr be foоlish enough tо аssаssinаtе thе Empеror and exposе thеmselvеs. Thе оnlу еxрlаnаtiоn is thаt the оne who attеmрted tо assassinatе the Emрeror wаs nоt Zhuо Qi аt аll, but sоmеone еlsе who shiftеd аll thе blamе ontо Zhuо Qi, with the authоritiеs alsо playing а role in fueling thе situаtiоn.
If Zhuo Qi wеre caрturеd, thе onе whо wоuld bеnеfit thе most wоuld bе Tuеr Mu. Нowevеr, Tuеr Мu is fаr awау in Wеstеrn Rong, which suggests thаt someone within the Grеat Dynastу is aiding him.
Somеonе frоm the Grеat Dynasty is colluding with Western Rong, and whoever can command the authorities must hold a high position!
Even though Han Yan had countless tangled matters of her own to sort out, she could no longer afford to dwell on them. If people from Western Rong were colluding with someone within the imperial court, the Great Dynasty would be in grave danger. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. In the face of national crisis and family hatred, her own personal grievances and affections seemed insignificant.
With this in mind, she shared all her thoughts with Fu Yunxi.
After listening to her, Fu Yunxi looked at her with a mix of admiration and complexity. He had long known she possessed wisdom and composure beyond her years, but he hadn’t expected her to see so clearly into court affairs, pinpointing the crux of the matter at a glance. She had unraveled the threads and pieced together even the faintest traces of evidence. Even colleagues who had served in the court for years might not have noticed these details.
Just who was this little girl?
For the first time, he began to doubt her identity. An ordinary girl from a boudoir might, at most, understand the general situation but would never analyze these matters so thoroughly.
Since learning that Han Yan was the little girl from seven years ago, he had ordered an investigation into the Zhuang residence and discovered that she was unloved and had long been bullied by servants and concubines in the household. She usually stayed quietly in the residence, embroidering and studying characters. Yet, this seemingly sheltered young girl had insights into court affairs that rivaled others.
Setting aside his thoughts, Fu Yunxi looked at Han Yan thoughtfully and said, "You’re right. I’ve been investigating this matter for the past few days. The Western Rong people have ill intentions, so you must be careful."
Han Yan nodded, thinking of Irina, her tone tinged with unease. "You should protect yourself too. That princess seems quite infatuated with you. If she were to abduct you to Western Rong and make you her consort..."
"Are you jealous?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a teasing smile, his lips curling in evident delight.
Han Yan retorted angrily, "Nonsense."
He chuckled softly, and with his teasing, the gloom in Han Yan’s heart dissipated somewhat.
Meanwhile, at the Zhuang residence, Concubine Mei was nestled against Zhuang Shiyang. Due to her pregnancy, her belly had begun to show, but unlike other expectant women, her skin was not loose or dull. Instead, it seemed even more radiant than before. However, Zhuang Shiyang was cautious about the child in her womb and dared not engage in intimacy with her, leaving them without intimacy for many days.
Concubine Mei said softly, "Master, my belly is becoming more noticeable now. You once said that if Mei’er bore you a child, you would make her the mistress of this household. Yet you’ve delayed mentioning it, and Mei’er has been holding it in her heart. Was what you said untrue?"Zhuang Shiyang hesitated upon hearing this. Currently, Concubine Mei was indeed carrying his child, and if it were a boy, it would certainly be good. However, Concubine Mei’s status was truly too low. If she were elevated to the position of principal wife, a Hu courtesan would likely become a laughingstock.
Seeing his expression, Concub\ine Mei immediately coquettishly protested, "Master, you truly deceived me. Oh, the child in my womb heard it too, it hurts so much..."
Zhuang Shiyang now regarded the child in Concubine Mei’s womb as his most precious treasure. He panicked at once and was about to call for a physician, muttering repeatedly, "As long as you bear me a son, I will keep my word—you will become the principal wife of this household!"
Unfortunately, these words were overheard by Madam Zhou, who was just about to enter the room. She froze for a moment, then a look of resentment surfaced on her face. Gritting her teeth, she turned and left.
Witnessing Zhuang Shiyang’s promise to elevate Concubine Mei to principal wife, Madam Zhou returned to Hibiscus Garden in a fit of jealousy and hatred. There, Madam Da Zhou was taking a light nap in the courtyard. Hearing Madam Zhou’s voice, she looked up and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Madam Zhou sat down beside her, growing angrier the more she thought about it. "He wants to make that wretch the principal wife!"
Madam Da Zhou immediately understood whom she was referring to and smiled. "Now you know fear?"
Madam Zhou touched her own belly. "I also carried a child for him." As she spoke, her eyes filled with resentment. "But my child’s life was lost at his hands. Not only does he feel no remorse, but he also wants to make that wretch the principal wife!"
Madam Da Zhou glanced at her with a charming look, her tone soft and gentle. "Men are no good, I’ve told you that before. As for that Hu courtesan, you needn’t worry too much. Her status is too low. If Zhuang Shiyang wanted to make her the principal wife, he would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?"
Madam Zhou grew anxious upon hearing this. "But now is different from before. She is with child, and if she gives birth to a son..."
A trace of malice flashed in Madam Da Zhou’s eyes. "What if it’s a son? Just make sure she never gives birth."
"You mean..." Madam Zhou’s heart stirred.
"Zhuang Hanyan is becoming increasingly arrogant," Madam Da Zhou said. "Using her hand to remove the seed from that Hu courtesan’s womb would be perfect."
Madam Zhou hesitated. "But she is now a prince consort. Even if she were truly held accountable, the master couldn’t do much to her."
Madam Da Zhou smiled. "He may not be able to do much to her, but once the child in the Hu courtesan’s womb is gone, her bargaining chip disappears, and she will no longer threaten your position." She spread her hands, carefully examining her slender, jade-like fingers painted with rouge. "As for Zhuang Hanyan, once word spreads that she plotted to harm the child in the household concubine’s womb, this accusation will stick to her. From then on, she will never have an easy time in the capital."
In this era, a woman’s reputation outweighed everything else. A good reputation was more important than beauty or talent. If a beautiful young lady from a prominent family tarnished her reputation, marrying into a good household would become exceedingly difficult. Even as the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, if word spread that Han Yan had plotted against a concubine, she would be labeled a malicious woman. As rumors spread, once this reached the ears of The Emperor and the Empress Dowager—who had been highly critical of the Xuan Qing Prince’s marriage—they would surely be displeased with Han Yan’s lack of virtue. They might even order Fu Yunxi to break off the engagement with Han Yan before the wedding."This matter cannot be handled by us." Madam Da Zhou's slender eyes gleamed with a sharp light: "Let the Xuan Qing Prince Consort take care of it."
"Then how should we proceed?" Madam Zhou now fully trusted Madam Da Zhou and had no doubt in her words. Madam Da Zhou stood up and ordered all the maids around them to leave.
"I have an idea."
Zhuang Shiyang was in his study drafting a memorial. Since being demoted to a fifth-rank official, he had to personally handle all these trivial matters, which filled him with both anger and resentment. Recently, nothing seemed to go his way. Han Yan, the daughter he had always disliked, had married into the rival Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion, offending the Prince Wei's heir. Fortunately, Yu Shan had entered the Prince Wei's Mansion as a concubine.
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