Тhе Еmрeror, who wаs usuаlly held in high еsteem bу his ministеrs аnd flаttеrеd by his cоnsorts, now found himself wearing suсh а cuсkold's hаt within his оwn hаrеm. Hоw соuld hе рossiblу accерt this? Hе even wished hе could tеar Cоnsоrt Сhеn intо а thоusand piесes.
Тhus, оvеrnight, Cоnsort Сhеn's oncе оpulеnt and splendid bеdchamber, аdоrnеd with flowеrs and vibrant cоlоrs, turnеd into а рlасе еven mоrе desоlatе and gloоmy thаn thе сold раlасe. The nеws of Consort Chеn's adultery sрread thrоughout thе еntire рalace that very day. Some laughed at her for overestimating herself, daring to engage in such acts right under the Emperor's nose; others took pleasure in her downfall, while a few felt a sense of sorrow for her plight. Rumors swirled and churned overnight, but fortunately, they did not leak beyond the palace walls. In her time, Consort Chen had once dominated the palace, even forcing the Empress to yield to her, let alone the lower-ranking consorts and ladies. They would often offer her the finest treasures and shower her with flattery. There was a term called "uncrowned queen," and although Consort Chen was not the Empress, her treatment was nearly on par with one.
In the Cining Palace, the Empress, adorned in splendid brocade, was peeling an orange. Her slender, pale fingers contrasted with the bright yellow of the orange, making them appear even fairer.
The matron beside her spoke up, "Your Majesty, should we go to the Emperor's side..."
"No need," the Empress smiled faintly. "He is in a rage right now, and no one should disturb him."
"Who would have thought the Consort would do such a thing," the matron said, watching the Empress's expression. "Now, it seems impossible for her to turn things around."
The Empress placed a segment of the orange into her mouth and chuckled. "Beauty fades before favor ends. In the imperial family, this is how it has always been. She was the one who clung to foolish hopes. Now, this outcome is only to be expected."
"Then, Your Majesty," the matron looked at the most revered woman in the realm. With Consort Chen's downfall, she did not show any joy. "What should we do now?"
Whether to speak in Consort Chen's defense or add fuel to the fire—this was a decision everyone in the harem would inevitably have to make.
The Empress raised her hand. "A wise woman never speaks too much."
The news of Consort Chen's adultery and her imprisonment reached Han Yan's ears the next day. Ji Lan said, "Miss, heaven truly has eyes. She poisoned you back then, and now she has brought this upon herself."
Knowing that Ji Lan was aware of the spring poison incident, Han Yan smiled. "Heaven has eyes?"
Ji Lan lowered her head in embarrassment and whispered, "His Highness treats you so well."
After Ji Lan was injured yesterday, the physician who was summoned examined her and found nothing seriously wrong. However, Shu Hong, who had taken the slap meant for Ji Lan, suffered internal injuries to her spleen and lungs and would need to rest in bed for several months to recover.Even Ji Lan could see it; if Han Yan still couldn't, she would truly be a fool. Consort Chen had been caught in an affair the very day after Han Yan's incident. Though unclear about the exact details, Han Yan understood that Fu Yunxi must have played a significant role in this. A strange feeling stirred within Han Yan—it would be false to say she wasn’t grateful. That day, when she was poisoned with a lust-inducing drug, he hadn’t taken advantage of her vulnerability. Such gentlemanly conduct was truly rare. In fact, since she was now his nominal Xuan Qing Prince Consort and would eventually enter the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion, it would have been understandable if Fu Yunxi had done something to her that day. Yet, he had only summoned a royal physician to detoxify her. And this matter involved the Empress Dowager and Consort Chen. Consort Chen aside, the Empress Dowager was Fu Yunxi’s mother. Any move Fu Yunxi made against Consort Chen would be akin to slapping the Empress Dowager in the face. Yet, for her sake, he had actually done it!
Since her rebirth, she had viewed the world with vigilance. Apart from Ji Lan, Shu Hong, Mama Chen, and Zhuang Hanming, everyone else was dispensable to her, potential enemies at any moment. She thought she had gradually become heartless, with no one to care for her. But now, Fu Yunxi’s treatment of her brought a long-lost warmth to her weary heart. It was an unconditional kindness, even tinged with a hint of indulgence toward a misbehaving child. Han Yan knew she had no resistance to such goodness; in fact, no one could resist such warmth. Now, step by step, Han Yan was sinking deeper into it, with no desire to turn back.
If all this was Fu Yunxi’s scheme to make her fall in love with him, then the usually calm and clever Zhuang Hanyan was willingly falling into the trap. At least for now, she already felt somewhat unable to leave him. If Fu Yunxi were to abandon her one day, she feared she wouldn’t be able to walk away with ease.
But in this world, everything changes. How long could Fu Yunxi’s kindness last? Understanding everything too early might not be a good thing. For some reason, a faint sorrow inexplicably welled up in Han Yan’s heart.
In the study of the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion.
Cheng Lei looked at Fu Yunxi in astonishment. "You actually targeted Consort Chen? Isn’t that alerting the enemy?" After pacing around the room, his tone grew impatient. "Yunxi, what’s going on? This isn’t like you." Fu Yunxi was ruthless in his actions; he usually didn’t act, but once he did, he left no room for error, striking a fatal blow. Cheng Lei had long known that Fu Yunxi’s true target was the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager and Consort Chen were allies. While Fu Yunxi couldn’t overthrow the Empress Dowager yet, taking action against Consort Chen would not only alert the enemy but also be too risky. If discovered, it would bring disaster upon himself.
"No need to wait," he said.
Fu Yunxi sat at the desk, calmly gazing at the qilin-shaped jade paperweight on the corner. His handsome face wore a stern, murderous expression.
Only he knew how furious he had been about yesterday’s events. When Han Yan was bullied in the Zhuang residence, he had protected her whenever he could. Now that Han Yan had become the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, those people had grown even more audacious, becoming utterly arrogant. Those who belonged to Fu Yunxi were not to be bullied by others—not even the Empress Dowager."Now that Consort Chen has fallen into prison, she will inevitably bite back in desperation," Cheng Lei said with deep concern.
This matter of Consort Chen was truly strange. It was likely that after The Emperor reflected on it later, investigating the twists and turns involved would not be difficult. Where there is smoke, there is fire. No matter how close Fu Yunxi's relationship with The Emperor might be, once it concerned the dignity of the royal family, it was no small matter. For Fu Yunxi to escape unscathed would be very difficult.
Fu Yunxi said coldly, "My intention was never this case. Even if it is investigated clearly, it will remain unclear."
How arrogant! Cheng Lei couldn't help but gasp in shock. The Fu Yunxi he knew would never reveal his emotions so openly, no matter what came before him. Yet now, for Han Yan's sake, he was openly opposing the royal family. Whether this was good or bad was hard to say. His meaning seemed to indicate a firm determination to bring down Consort Chen. Now that Consort Chen could no longer regain favor, he wondered whether Fu Yunxi's little princess consort was satisfied with this outcome.
"But," Cheng Lei hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "by moving against Consort Chen, Minister Chen will likely soon align himself with the Seventh Prince. The more support the Seventh Prince gains, the more unfavorable it becomes for you." Minister Chen had previously intended to remain a fence-sitter, unwilling to declare his stance. Now that Consort Chen could no longer climb higher, to prevent the Chen family from losing power, Minister Chen would inevitably cling tightly to the Seventh Prince as his great tree of support. The Seventh Prince's influence was deeply entrenched in the court, with Prince Wei and his son above, and Zhuang Shiyang below, his eyes and ears spread throughout the palace. With the additional support of Minister Chen, uprooting him completely in the future would likely be very difficult. Moreover, it would create a significant opponent for himself.
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