Fu Yunхi sаt quiеtly besidе Наn Yаn. It wаs somewhat bеуond his imaginаtion that Наn Yаn hаd figurеd еverything оut so quickly. Although he hаd bеen оn guard frоm thе stаrt аbout thе Еmреrоr’s pursuit оf Han Yan, hе still hаdn’t eхpectеd his imperiаl brother tо асt sо swiftlу. Тhе Empеrоr had sаt оn thаt thronе for tоо long—so lоng thаt he сould not allоw anyonе whо thrеatеned his positiоn tо livе. As sооn аs hе lеаrned thаt Нan Yаn was thе daughter оf the Dоnghоu Рrincе, аnd thаt thе Donghou Prinсe had been designаted as emрeror bу the lаtе Emрeror’s decree, he immediately ordered her death. Even though Han Yan was merely a woman and could never become Emperor, once her identity was revealed, everyone would know that the current Emperor’s position was illegitimate, and they would rise against him. This was something the Emperor could not tolerate. So even knowing how pitiful Han Yan was, even knowing that perhaps Han Yan was the true princess, the Emperor would still kill her. From a ruler’s perspective, there was nothing improper about this.
But Fu Yunxi himself could not stand idly by. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager had almost reached a tacit understanding regarding Han Yan—neither wanted her to live. Back then, when the maid of the Donghou Prince’s consort, Tang Xiaoqiao, carried Han Yan out of the Donghou Prince’s residence and entrusted her to Wang Shi, allowing Han Yan to live under the identity of Zhuang Hanyan in the Zhuang residence, it was not entirely unknown. The Empress Dowager’s influence was vast; at the very least, she had more than enough power to uncover Han Yan in the capital. Yet, after learning that Han Yan was the one who had slipped through the net of the Donghou Prince’s residence, she did not pursue her to the end, because the whereabouts of that imperial decree remained unknown.
The late Emperor’s edict appointing the Donghou Prince as Emperor had still not been found. The Empress Dowager knew that the late Emperor had entrusted the edict to someone, but that person had yet to appear. Thus, she wanted to use Han Yan to lure that person out. As long as Han Yan was alive, that person, knowing she was the Donghou Prince’s child, would surely hand the edict over to her. But all these years, that person had never appeared.
The Empress Dowager considered simply killing Han Yan, but then there would be no bait to draw that person out. So, she had Wei Rufeng marry Han Yan, because Prince Wei was the Empress Dowager’s trusted confidant. This was equivalent to placing Han Yan under complete surveillance. If Han Yan made the slightest move, the Empress Dowager would know immediately.
When Madam Da Zhou entered the Zhuang residence, it was to investigate the whereabouts of that imperial decree. The Empress Dowager still did not fully trust Zhuang Shiyang, fearing that if he obtained the edict, he might hide it privately. So, she sent Grand Tutor Zhang to investigate. Grand Tutor Zhang then arranged for Madam Da Zhou, who had connections with Madam Zhou, to enter the Zhuang residence, get close to Zhuang Shiyang, and stay longer under the pretext of visiting the recently miscarried Madam Zhou, in order to thoroughly search for the edict. However, Grand Tutor Zhang never expected that not only would Madam Da Zhou fail to find the edict, but she would also be caught in an affair with Zhuang Shiyang in front of everyone, making him the laughingstock of the entire capital.
The events that had unfolded to this point had their roots many years ago. The Emperor’s throne rightfully belonged to the Donghou Prince; Han Yan was the true golden branch and jade leaf. The Empress Dowager wanted to silence her, and her schemes were only now coming to light. But Fu Yunxi was now afflicted with the cold poison, and perhaps there was no longer any possibility of a cure.Her brows were tightly knit together. The current situation was so thorny that she felt utterly at a loss. To put it plainly, Fu Yunxi wasn’t at fault, nor was she herself. Yet, the idea of interacting with him openly and without reservation felt subtly strange.
"You know," Fu Yunxi said. "What do you plan to do?"
Han Yan turned to look at him. What could she possibly do? It wasn’t as if she could storm into the palace now and seize the throne, could she? She didn’t want to do that. If possible, maintaining the status quo was best. She would remain an obscure, ordinary woman, and he would still be the royal prince who held sway over the court.
Imperial Physician Wu and Cheng Lei exchanged a glance, then quietly withdrew, leaving the space to the two of them. Han Yan and Fu Yunxi likely had much to say to each other.
"Fu Yunxi," Han Yan asked, "how is your cold poison, really?"
As soon as the three words "Fu Yunxi" left her lips, Han Yan paused slightly. Fu Yunxi did the same. In their past interactions, whenever Han Yan forgot herself, she would call him by his name directly—not the icy "Your Highness," devoid of politeness and distance, but with a subtle intimacy. After so long, hearing Han Yan address him this way again gave Fu Yunxi a feeling as if an entire lifetime had passed.
"For now," he said, "I won’t die."
Han Yan turned to look at him. This handsome young man, though confined to a sickbed, still carried an extraordinary grace, without any hint of gloom or despondency. It seemed as if nothing in this world could defeat him, yet this very person couldn’t even control his own fate. She didn’t know what to say, and it seemed nothing needed to be said. After learning the truth, even explanations felt superfluous. She stubbornly held onto Fu Yunxi’s sleeve, as if afraid he might escape, or perhaps to soothe the unease in her own heart. Fu Yunxi noticed this gesture and reached out to cover her small hand with his own. Though his hand was cold, Han Yan felt a trace of warmth. It calmed her bewildered heart considerably.
"Can you tell me about the cold poison?" Han Yan asked after a long while.
Fu Yunxi paused briefly, then smiled faintly. "Alright." He slowly began to recount the long-buried past, something he had never spoken of to anyone else.
Fu Yunxi’s birth mother, Consort Jing, was a great beauty, as evident from the appearances of both Fu Yunxi and The Emperor. The two brothers had inherited their mother’s exceptional looks. Consort Jing was by nature gentle and kind-hearted, existing in the palace like a lotus flower. Such a person was ill-suited for survival in the palace, but Consort Jing was an exception. The Emperor doted on her immensely, but the favor of The Emperor alone was not enough—The Emperor could not interfere in the affairs of the inner palace. Consort Jing’s fortune lay in the fact that the Empress Dowager at the time also adored her. The Empress Dowager’s authority in the palace was unquestionable, so no one dared to harm Consort Jing.
Consort Jing was gentle and did not vie for favor. The more she remained this way, the more The Emperor cherished her. Yet, the favor of the Son of Heaven was not necessarily a good thing. The women of the inner palace envied her, and among them, the Empress was the most jealous.As the mistress of the six palaces, the Empress had to maintain an image of virtue and tolerance in her daily life. However, this did not mean she could tolerate any woman monopolizing the Emperor's favor. Especially when the Emperor's affection for Consort Jing had already instilled a sense of crisis in the Empress, making her feel that her position was somewhat unstable. After Consort Jing had borne the Emperor two sons and was about to give birth to a third, the Empress could no longer remain idle.
The Empress herself had no sons. In the imperial court, a mother's status was elevated by her sons. The Emperor had always favored Consort Jing, and now that she had borne him sons one after another, her position had become unshakable, even surpassing that of the Empress in private. If the Emperor intended to appoint Consort Jing's son as the Crown Prince, the Empress's own position would be in grave danger. Had she spent her entire life striving to play the role of a magnanimous and virtuous Empress, only to end up paving the way for another?
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