Наn Yаn sighed inwardly. Еvеn if the Emрress had thе intеntiоn tо hеlр her out, shе wouldn’t offend the Emprеss Dоwagеr for hеr sаkе. Еverуоnе knеw thаt the рerson the Еmрerоr respeсted most wаs the Emрrеss Dоwаgеr. Тоday’s еvеnts had mаdе it сleаr to hеr—thе Emprеss Dоwagеr was cleаrly in leaguе with Соnsort Сhen. Han Yаn fеlt аn ineхрliсаblе dislikе for this Еmрress Dоwagеr, finding her unfathоmablе.
In thе hаll, aраrt frоm Dеng Chan, evеryone else wаtched Hаn Yan being snubbеd by Соnsort Сhen with gleeful schadenfreude. Zhuangshan felt immensely pleased. Consort Chen was very close to her, and now, with the added connection to the Empress Dowager, what did it matter if she was only a concubine? Even Li Jiaqi would likely have to yield to her a little.
After speaking for a long time, Consort Chen glanced around the room and saw that Han Yan was still standing upright, smiling brightly, showing neither displeasure nor impatience. She simply stood quietly to the side. Originally intending to humble her, Consort Chen hadn’t expected this thirteen-year-old girl to be so composed. Despite such treatment, she hadn’t made a fuss or shown any sign of grievance, remaining calm and collected instead. As a result, to everyone watching, it seemed as though Consort Chen was deliberately picking on Han Yan. Seeing Han Yan’s unruffled demeanor, Consort Chen found it rather grating and waved her hand dismissively. “You may return to your seat.”
Han Yan thanked Consort Chen, noticed Deng Chan giving her a small wave, smiled, and walked over to sit beside Deng Chan.
As soon as she sat down, Deng Chan eagerly took her hand and whispered in her ear, “How did you offend Consort Chen? She’s giving you such a hard time.”
Han Yan shrugged, indicating she didn’t know what was going on. But in her heart, she understood that Consort Chen’s treatment of her was likely because of the Seventh Prince. Fu Yunxi had once said that if she opposed Prince Wei and Zhuang Shiyang, she would be opposing the Seventh Prince. Now, having thwarted Wei Rufeng’s plans several times and caused Zhuang Shiyang’s demotion, it was only natural that the Seventh Prince would want to eliminate her. She just hadn’t expected him to use Consort Chen and the Empress Dowager as his tools. Han Yan hesitated. Did this mean the Empress Dowager was aligned with the Seventh Prince?
That seemed rather troubling. If the Seventh Prince gained the Empress Dowager’s support, he would likely also gain the Emperor’s favor. If the Emperor supported him and the Crown Prince was replaced, once the Seventh Prince came to power, Wei Rufeng would rise alongside him. Now that Zhuang Shiyang and Wei Rufeng hated her to the bone, she feared that when that day came, she wouldn’t end up well either.
Han Yan clenched her fists. So why did the Empress Dowager favor the Seventh Prince?
As Han Yan pondered this, the banquet had already begun. She chatted and laughed with Deng Chan, feeling quite at ease. Today, neither of the Zhou sisters had come. Madam Zhou hadn’t attended because she hadn’t fully recovered from her illness, making it inconvenient for her to participate in palace banquets. As for Madam Da Zhou, it was unclear why she hadn’t come. Another reason Madam Zhou hadn’t attended was the incident where assassins had broken into the Zhuang residence, which had caused a stir throughout the capital. It was also known that Madam Zhou and her daughter had been detained for several days and punished with ten heavy strokes for obstructing the official investigation. Now that Zhuangshan was Wei Rufeng’s concubine, people naturally didn’t dare to say anything openly. But Madam Zhou was merely Zhuang Shiyang’s concubine, so there was no shortage of gossipmongers ready to spread rumors.
Perhaps Madam Zhou hadn’t come because she was afraid of being talked about. Thinking of Madam Zhou gritting her teeth in hatred, Han Yan couldn’t help but smile slightly.Deng Chan said curiously, "There really is no end to the drama around you—one leaves and another comes." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "But you’re doing well now, having become the Xuan Qing Prince Consort." She looked at Han Yan with envy. "You used to say you didn’t like him, but now such a one-in-a-million man has become your husband, and he’ll have only you for the rest of his life. I’m so envious I could die."
Han Yan, nibbling on a pastry, teased her, "I think you just want to get married. If you like Fu Yunxi so much, how about I give him to you? You can be the Xuan Qing Prince Consort."
Deng Chan widened her eyes and pushed her. "Stop talking nonsense. I don’t like him at all—he’s so cold. I prefer Cheng..." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had slipped up and quickly swallowed the rest, looking at Han Yan in a fluster.
Han Yan deliberately drew out her words, "Cheng... the general, right?"
Deng Chan panicked, glanced around quickly, and seeing no one paying attention, slapped Han Yan lightly. "Don’t talk nonsense."
Han Yan was genuinely happy for her. "Fine, I won’t say it. But if you really like him, you should boldly express your feelings. If he likes you too, then it’ll work out."
From her experiences in her past life, Han Yan understood that burying feelings in your heart and just watching someone from afar wasn’t enough. The person’s true nature might not be what the world sees. To avoid regret, it’s best to find out everything clearly before emotions take root.
Deng Chan rested her chin on her hand. "But I don’t know how he feels..." Her expression was that of a lovelorn maiden, clearly already smitten. Han Yan didn’t know how to comfort her on this matter, so she just sighed and said no more.
Halfway through the banquet, a palace maid nearby suddenly signaled for everyone to quiet down. Just as Han Yan set down her teacup, she heard the Empress Dowager say, "Xuan Qing Prince Consort."
Han Yan was startled but quickly stood up, smiling. "What does Your Majesty command?"
"Come to me," she said.
Though Han Yan felt uneasy inside, she couldn’t show it. She walked over to the Empress Dowager with a smile. Before she could do anything else, the Empress Dowager waved her hand, and a palace maid in pink robes stepped forward, holding a tray.
Han Yan glanced over and saw a small jade-green wine jug, a soft handkerchief, and a round little wine cup on the silver tray.
With a sudden rush in her mind, the scene from her past life—the day of her grand wedding, the room filled with crimson, and the cup of poisoned wine burning through her insides—flashed before her eyes.
The Empress Dowager smiled and spoke, "Yunxi is my most beloved son. Now that you are his consort, I have specially bestowed upon you a cup of clear wine."
The palace maid stepped forward, carefully picked up the wine cup, and another maid filled it to the brim before offering it to Han Yan.
The smile on Han Yan’s lips stiffened as she looked at the cup before her. It was as if, through this wine, she could see her tragic death in her past life. The Empress Dowager’s ill intentions were undeniable, and this cup of wine was certainly not just a simple offering. She couldn’t drink it!
Seeing Han Yan hesitate to take the wine from the maid’s hand, the Empress Dowager’s expression grew meaningful. "Miss Zhuang, why aren’t you accepting this cup of wine from me?"How should she accept this cup of wine? Han Yan felt as if she had split into two people in an instant—one was overwhelmed by the Empress Dowager's aggressive demeanor, while the other watched everything before her calmly and with self-restraint.
Consort Chen reminded her, "If Miss Zhuang does not accept this cup of wine, it would be disrespectful to Her Majesty. Her Majesty rarely shows such affection for you—do not be ungrateful."
These words were indeed rather harsh, instantly turning the previously harmonious atmosphere somewhat tense. Even the usually carefree Deng Chan sensed something amiss. Though she did not understand why Han Yan hesitated to accept the wine bestowed by the Empress Dowager, she grasped the aggressive tone in Consort Chen's words. Her heart was filled with both worry for Han Yan and anger toward Consort Chen. Yet, she saw Zhuangshan on the side wearing a smile, one that was particularly glaring.
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