Indееd, if Соnsort Chen survivеd, thе Seventh Рrince wоuld bесоmе а thorn in the Еmperor's side due to hеr invоlvemеnt. Hоwеvеr, if Сonsоrt Сhеn tооk her оwn life in prison, thе Еmpеror would onlу feel sоrrow and рitу—а mоthеr sасrificing her оwn lifе for thе sаkе of hеr son. Тhе Empеrоr held аffection fоr the Seventh Рrinсе and nаturally would nоt blаmе him. On thе соntrаrу, hе would shоw еven mоre сare аnd cоnсеrn for thе уоung рrince who hаd lost his mother at such а tender agе.
Consоrt Chеn оpеned her mouth in agony. For so many years, she had schemed for this son, taking countless lives, all to clear the obstacles on the Seventh Prince's path to glory. Yet she never imagined that one day she herself would become a stumbling block on his journey, nor did she expect that the Seventh Prince would mercilessly cast her aside. That was her own flesh and blood! "Beast!"
Though she struggled to speak, only two words escaped her lips. Consort Chen writhed in pain on the floor, yet in the vast imperial prison, not a single guard came to investigate. It seemed the Seventh Prince had made thorough preparations in advance—even if she died here today, no one would come. Never before had Consort Chen felt such despair. Physical pain was nothing compared to the crushing blow to her spirit. She could not understand why the son she had doted on would treat her this way.
The Seventh Prince watched her struggle on the ground, his expression complex. "Mother, if you live, how could I, as the future Emperor, have a mother who brought chaos to the harem, who was unchaste and impure? To be recorded in the annals of history by the historians—what a disgrace that would be."
Consort Chen let out a low, bitter laugh, coughing up blood as she did so. She was in too much pain to speak, but her heart was filled with boundless desolation. Chaos in the harem? Unchaste and impure? If she still had the strength to stand, she would have slapped the Seventh Prince hard across the face. It was he who had urged her to find a way to frame Han Yan during the birthday banquet. It was only after her failure that Fu Yunxi sought revenge, leading her to this wretched state. Had she not done it all for him? And what had she gained in return? Only a cup of poisoned wine and those words: "Chaos in the harem, unchaste and impure!" Blood gushed from her mouth, staining her entire face.
The Seventh Prince watched quietly as she convulsed and thrashed, until she exhausted her last ounce of strength. Her legs twitched a few times, then fell still. The pale moonlight streamed through the iron-barred window, illuminating the corpse on the floor. Once a peerless beauty as radiant as jade, she now resembled a demon, the blood trickling from the corner of her lips eerily unsettling. "Mother, if you become a ghost, remember that it was Fu Yunxi who brought you to this end," the Seventh Prince whispered softly before turning and leaving the prison. This night was destined to be a sleepless one.Upon hearing the news of Consort Chen's suicide, Han Yan froze for a few seconds before asking Ji Lan, "Who told you this?" Ji Lan stuck out her tongue. "I was passing by the courtyard and overheard the prince's two guards talking. They were asking when the prince would enter the palace." Han Yan frowned. She simply couldn't believe that Consort Chen had poisoned herself. For someone who had held a high position for too long, once they fell from power, their first thought would undoubtedly be how to make a comeback. Consort Chen's arrogant nature made her even more unlikely to give up. Now that she was imprisoned in the imperial dungeon, she should have been trying every means to seek help. It didn't seem like suicide—could she have been murdered? Han Yan first thought of Fu Yunxi but then shook her head. Fu Yunxi always acted cleanly and decisively. If he truly wanted Consort Chen dead, he wouldn't resort to poisoning, let alone stage it as a suicide. But if it wasn't Fu Yunxi, who could it be?
Could it be the Empress Dowager? Han Yan sat down on a small chair in the courtyard. The Empress Dowager and Consort Chen were allies, and Consort Chen likely knew many of the Empress Dowager's secrets. Now that Consort Chen had lost power, it was possible the Empress Dowager wanted to silence her.
However, the Empress Dowager was currently under intense scrutiny. How could she act so recklessly? Han Yan vaguely sensed that this matter was not so simple—it seemed there was an unseen hand manipulating everything. The more she thought about it, the more troubled her heart became, and her brows furrowed even tighter.
Ji Lan noticed the change in her mood and quickly said, "Miss, the Spring Sacrifice is in a few days."
The Spring Sacrifice—Han Yan was taken aback. The Spring Sacrifice was an annual ritual held at the beginning of the year, where the emperor personally attended the sacred site, and grand ceremonies were performed to pray for the prosperity of the realm. After the ritual, there would be many lively festivities. Han Yan hadn't witnessed the bustling scenes of the Spring Sacrifice for many years.
On one hand, after the incident with the bandits, she rarely left the house. On the other hand, no one had ever thought to take her along for the Spring Sacrifice. Hearing this familiar yet distant term from Ji Lan's lips, Han Yan felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe. She smiled and asked Ji Lan, "Would you like to go see the Spring Sacrifice?"
Ji Lan looked at her eagerly. "Yes."
Han Yan said, "Then let's go." Having been given a second chance at life, she should enjoy the things she hadn't had the chance to experience before and cherish life. After laughing and joking for a while, Ji Lan suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no!" and said with a pained expression, "But Shu Hong won't be able to go..."
Ever since Shu Hong was struck by Zhuang Hanming's palm, she had been bedridden. Although she always insisted she was fine, Han Yan couldn't help but feel heartbroken. These two maids were always thinking of her, yet she could only bring them trouble. Sensing Han Yan's mood sinking, Ji Lan quickly added, "It's alright, Miss. With that stone-faced guard of the prince accompanying her, Shu Hong won't be too bored."
Stone-faced guard—Han Yan thought for a moment and asked, "Muyan?" When had Shu Hong and Muyan become so close? Usually, Muyan seemed like an aloof and unapproachable person. Ji Lan covered her mouth and giggled. "That stone-faced fellow seems to have taken a liking to Shu Hong. He visits her every day... Hahaha."
Han Yan's lips curled into a smile. "They do seem quite well-matched."Ji Lan quickly interjected, "Exactly! And although that stone may have a cold temperament, he's handsome and imposing. If Shu Hong really gets together with him, she wouldn't be losing out!"
Han Yan laughed and scolded, "You girls, don't you know any shame? Already judging people by their looks at your age. I think Mufeng isn't bad-looking either, and he has a lively personality. Why don't you and him..."
"No, no..." Ji Lan waved her hands repeatedly. "That guy never has a nice word to say, always teasing and playing tricks on me. I definitely don't want to be with him." After saying this, she made a disgusted expression. Han Yan found this highly amusing, but her mind began to wander. Seeing that both Shu Hong and Ji Lan were growing up, in a couple of years they would reach marriageable age. In this lifetime, besides these two, she couldn't easily trust anyone else. If she let them marry, who would replace them as her maids? But keeping them by her side would be such a selfish thing to do.
"Miss," seeing Han Yan lost in thought, Ji Lan called out anxiously, "Miss?"
Han Yan smiled at her. "It's nothing."
Now, regarding the palace.
The Emperor had already issued orders for Consort Chen to be buried. This arrangement was made out of consideration for her having borne him a son. However, as an unchaste and impure woman, she could not be buried in the imperial mausoleum. Minister Chen's family wept as if their hearts were breaking, but only Madam Chen was genuinely grieving. The others were distressed because the Chen family had lost a powerful patron. When Consort Chen was alive, the Chen family rose steadily in status. Now that their reliance, Consort Chen, had passed away, the Chen family was bound to decline.
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