Chapter 99
Prince Chu wanted to ask what kind of gift, but when he saw the wicked smile on Lu Hanzhi’s face, he couldn’t help but shiver.
Lu Hanzhi then said, “Second Sister-in-law, can I borrow Doctor Lin for a bit?”
Prince Chu generously agreed, “No problem, take him.”
Doctor Lin, who had been inexplicably “borrowed,” suddenly sneezed. Meanwhile, Prince Chu and Prince An’s carriages arrived at the palace.
Their carriages stopped outside the rear palace walls, and they switched to small sedan chairs carried by four attendants to enter the inner palace.
Imperial Concubine Rong had received word early in the morning that both her sons and their families would be visiting her today. She had prepared an array of food and drinks in advance.
As soon as she saw her sons enter, before they could even greet her, she rushed forward, scooped up Ah Chan, and smothered him with kisses, unable to get enough of him.
While kissing him, she laughed and said, “Oh, Grandmother missed you so much! My little Ah Chan, I wish you and your father could stay in the palace with me! If not for your parents being newly married, Grandmother would have kept him here to accompany me.”
Lu Hanzhi’s mouth twitched. It was true—grandmothers always doted on their grandchildren like they were their lifeblood.
Prince Chu and Prince An also twitched at the corners of their lips. Prince Chu muttered under his breath, “What’s with Mother Concubine? She never treated us like this when we were kids. Back then, I even suspected we weren’t her real sons.”
Yuwen Min only felt a pang in his knees and reminded, “Brother, I was never Mother Concubine’s biological son to begin with.”
Prince Chu clicked his tongue and said, “I forgot again…”
Then he added, “But if Mother Concubine is being affectionate with a child, that only means the child is definitely not her biological one.”
Prince An nodded. “Mother Concubine treated me and eldest brother the same way. But…” He looked toward the grandmother and grandson pair, whispering and laughing together in a language no one else could understand.
His lips twitched again before concluding, “Ah Chan must never stay in Mother Concubine’s palace.”
It was bad enough that Lu Hanzhi spoiled Ah Chan—if Grandmother joined in, he would surely grow up into a little tyrant.
After cuddling Ah Chan for a long while, Imperial Concubine Rong finally turned her attention to her sons and had the maid, Er Ya, serve them some fresh fruit from the southern provinces.
Yuwen Min picked up a piece of honeydew and, as he ate, noticed the faint purple marks on the back of Lu Hanzhi’s neck—ones he himself had left there the night before.
A pang of guilt struck him. He hadn’t controlled his strength properly last night; he must have hurt him.
But he was still angry—angry that Lu Hanzhi never held him in his heart.
Thinking back now, his own behavior had been unreasonable. He had insisted on marrying Lu Hanzhi, not out of love, but simply to keep an unpredictable factor within his grasp. It was a selfish and despicable motive.
His initial distrust, the way he had questioned Lu Hanzhi—it was only natural that no one would like such treatment.
Besides, Lu Hanzhi already had someone he loved. Yuwen Min had simply taken him by force.
Indeed, he should reflect on his actions.
But he didn’t want to change.
He had taken him, so now he was his.
Just like the throne—he had seized it, and it had proven that good things must be taken by force.
After all, if you don’t take them, no one will wait and leave them for you.
Prince Chu cleared his throat beside him, snapping Yuwen Min out of his thoughts. He looked up at his elder brother.
Prince Chu lowered his voice and said, “Brother, just now, your eyes… were practically glued to Hanzhi.”
Not far away, Lu Hanzhi was carefully selecting a few lip colors and trying them on Imperial Concubine Rong.
The last time, the set he had prepared for her had been intercepted by the Empress Dowager. So this time, he had brought several for her personally.
Among them were the same shades the Empress Dowager had taken, along with a few new ones she hadn’t seen before.
These were fresh products—Lu Hanzhi hadn’t even sent them to the Han Ji workshop for mass production yet.
No matter how old a woman was, she was always drawn to beauty.
After trying on the colors, Imperial Concubine Rong fell in love with all of them.
Her favorite, however, was the delicate pink shade meant for young girls. The moment she saw that cherry blossom-like hue, it reminded her of her own short but dazzling youth.
The Rong family did not impose strict rules. Their daughters were raised as freely as their sons.
Thus, during her girlhood, Imperial Concubine Rong had roamed every corner of the capital.
She had even followed her father and brothers on expeditions, galloping across the vast desert.
Naturally, she had also harbored romantic dreams, wondering who she would marry one day.
Her marriage back then had seemed like a beautiful union—the Crown Prince had been handsome, the most powerful man in all of the Great Zhao.
But regrettably, the moment she entered the Crown Prince’s residence, the best years of her life had come to an end.
She longed to ride freely across the vast lands of the Great Zhao, wandering wherever she pleased.
Perhaps she would uphold justice like a wandering hero, or maybe she would simply admire the beauty of the world.
But in the end, she was destined to be trapped in this deep palace forever.
One day, when her youthful beauty faded, she would become like those old imperial consorts, waiting quietly in a secluded royal residence for the final chapter of her life.
Thinking about it, there was nothing appealing about such a fate.
All she could do was find what little joy she could amidst the suffering to console herself.
Lu Hanzhi coaxed Imperial Concubine Rong into laughter and said, “Mother Concubinie, please use this first. I have something even better with me. Once I’ve tested it and confirmed there are no issues, I’ll bring it to you. Your makeup could be even more flawless.”
Imperial Concubine Rong knew that her daughter-in-law was full of clever ideas and always came up with all sorts of ingenious things.
She enjoyed these novelties immensely and was already looking forward to them.
At noon, Imperial Concubine Rong prepared a banquet and told them to rest in the palace for a while after the meal before heading out.
Lu Hanzhi took this opportunity to meet with Doctor Lin and discussed the matter he was about to carry out.
Doctor Lin nodded, handed him a package, and then took his medicine box and left.
Yuwen Min frowned and asked, “Why did you summon Chief Physician Lin?”
Lu Hanzhi merely smiled and said, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”
Today, Su Wan’ning had entered the palace, and she was surely planning something.
But no matter what she had schemed, Lu Hanzhi had a special gift prepared just for her.
After all, this kind of trick was her favorite game to play.
How would it feel to hoist a rock only to drop it on her own foot?
As Lu Hanzhi had expected, Su Wan’ning’s visit to the palace was indeed to conspire for the Empress’s deposition.
To the Crown Prince, the Empress was both his birth mother and a crucial ally in palace affairs.
But to execute this plan, the problem had to be addressed at its root.
The Empress’s downfall had begun with the Yin Pengwu witchcraft incident.
That matter had been investigated up to Yuwen Mingji, where the trail abruptly ended.
In the original timeline, Yuwen Mingji had acted much faster and more decisively.
After successfully framing the Eldest Prince, he had meticulously advanced his scheme, infiltrating and taking advantage of the ensuing chaos.
Now, however, his plans had been disrupted step by step, leaving him stranded in a precarious situation.
At this moment, Yuwen Mingji was merely making small moves behind the scenes, not yet daring to openly rebel.
Su Wan’ning couldn’t rely on his military power to deal with others, so she had no choice but to start with the Empress.
But if she wanted the Empress to regain the Emperor’s trust, she had to address the issue from its very origin.
Though the Emperor outwardly delegated power to the Crown Prince, in private, he summoned the chief officer of the Great Zhao Bureau to the palace every day, keeping everything under his control.
With his brothers eyeing the throne like hungry tigers, how could he possibly rest easy?
The Empress frowned as she looked at the relic Su Wan’ning had brought her from Yin Pengwu and asked, “Will this really work?”
Su Wan’ning smiled and said, “Mother Empress, think about it—who was Father’s most beloved person? It was Uncle. This robe was something Uncle often wore back in the day. You bear some resemblance to him. If you wear his clothing, it will remind Father of him. If you dare to wear even his relics, how could he still suspect you of harming him? Father knows deep down that Uncle’s most cherished person was you. When he sees this and recalls Uncle’s thoughts and affections, could he really bear to keep you locked away in the Cold Palace?”
The Empress considered it and found some logic in her words.
However, she hesitated and said, “The spring chill is still biting… Do I really have to jump into the lake?”
Su Wan’ning patiently reassured her, “Rest assured, Mother Empress. I will be nearby the entire time, and you can trust my medical skills. Moreover, someone will come to rescue you immediately. The news will be reported to Father as well. He will know that you threw yourself into the lake wearing Uncle’s robe to prove your innocence. His heart is as clear as a mirror—he will understand.”
The Empress slowly nodded. Looking at Su Wan’ning, she said, “With you supporting the Crown Prince, I can feel at ease. As for Zhaoyun… she is utterly useless, bringing disgrace upon such a noble family.”
Su Wan’ning said nothing further. She gave the Empress a few more instructions about the deposition before leaving Lihen Hall.
However, as she exited the inner palace, she happened to run into Lu Hanzhi, who was strolling through the imperial garden.
Usually, Lu Hanzhi despised her and didn’t even bother acknowledging her presence.
Yet today, the moment he spotted her from a distance, he eagerly approached and greeted her warmly.
Lu Hanzhi’s face carried a bright smile as he said, “Isn’t this my dear cousin Wan’ning? You look absolutely radiant! How have you been lately?”
Su Wan’ning, upon seeing Lu Hanzhi again, didn’t even bother feigning a smile.
She cast him a cold glance and said, “Cousin certainly seems to be in high spirits, still in the mood for a leisurely stroll?”
Lu Hanzhi’s smile grew even wider as he replied, “Well, my Mother Concubine hasn’t been thrown into the Cold Palace. My husband doesn’t have three wives and four concubines. My husband doesn’t have children with other women. I eat well and sleep soundly every day, so why wouldn’t I be in the mood for a stroll?”
“You!” Su Wan’ning’s face flushed with anger, and she was on the verge of an outburst.
Lu Hanzhi knew well that Su Wan’ning was never a generous person.
The image she carefully crafted for outsiders was merely what she wanted them to see.
Seeing her anger, Lu Hanzhi’s smile grew even more arrogant as he leaned in and said, “Oh? Cousin is upset? I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has been spending his nights in your chambers. Why haven’t you conceived yet? Oh… could it be that all that bloodletting while copying scriptures for the Empress Dowager has left you too weak to conceive? Tsk, tsk, that would be unfortunate. But praying for the Empress Dowager is a noble act, after all. Oh, how could I forget? The scriptures you copied were all burned to ashes that day, weren’t they? Sigh, I’d say you should stop wasting your time on such things and hurry up to bear an heir for the Crown Prince. Oh… wait, I nearly forgot. You’re just a side consort. Even if you do have a child, it would only be a concubine-born son. The position of heir… well, I doubt your child would have any chance at inheriting it.”
Su Wan’ning was finally provoked beyond her limit. She shoved Lu Hanzhi forcefully and snapped, “Lu Hanzhi, enough!”
Here’s the complete translation in natural English while preserving every detail and using past tense:
With that forceful push, Lu Hanzhi fell to the ground, letting out a piercing scream as he clutched his stomach.
His fingers trembled as he struggled to endure the pain. Moments later, a dark stain of blood seeped through the hem of his ceremonial robes.
The young palace maid beside Lu Hanzhi immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, “This is bad! Quick, call for Doctor Lin! Prince An’s Wang Fei has suffered a miscarriage! Hurry, call for Doctor Lin!”
Her voice rang out so loudly that it seemed to echo throughout the entire imperial harem.
On the opposite side, Su Wan’ning stood frozen in shock, utterly dumbfounded.
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