Once everyone had left, the room fell into silence.
Xiao Muchen looked at Mingxi. “Did Qi He speak to you?”
Duan Mingxi looked at Xiao Muchen with some surprise, hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Xiao Muchen’s lips curved slightly as he said, “This morning, my royal mother summoned me to the palace because something happened there last night.”
Mingxi lowered her gaze slightly. She hadn’t expected Xiao Muchen to share such matters with her—they weren’t married yet, and their relationship hadn’t reached that level. However, if he dared to speak, she dared to listen.
“What happened?”
Xiao Muchen looked her in the eye. “Last night, an eunuch serving Qian Jieyu accidentally drowned in a pond. At the same time, the Emperor was staying in Qian Jieyu’s Lan Yue Hall.”
Duan Mingxi’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Xiao Muchen in astonishment.
Xiao Muchen met her gaze without speaking further.
The implications of his words were significant.
As far as she knew, Qian Jieyu had long fallen out of favor. Why, then, was the Emperor spending the night in her hall? And coincidentally, during his stay, someone from Qian Jieyu’s retinue drowned?
An accident? That seemed far too convenient.
Furthermore, if the Emperor’s visit brought trouble to Qian Jieyu’s household, whose authority was being undermined?
Did this incident also suggest that the Emperor’s sons were growing increasingly bold, taking advantage of his weakening health?
Although Duan Mingxi hadn’t been privy to many details about palace intrigue in her previous life, the successive downfalls of Jin Wang, Yu Wang, and Qi Wang were indicative of the vicious power struggles within.
But whose machinations were at play this time?
Consort Shu? The Empress?
Or perhaps the Imperial Consort, Consort Xian, or Consort De?
A flurry of thoughts raced through Mingxi’s mind, but she ultimately said none of them aloud. Instead, she simply remarked, “Qian Jieyu is quite pitiful.”
A piece of meat on the chopping block, for anyone to slice.
Xiao Muchen hadn’t expected such a comment. “Is that all?”
“Wangye, I’ve only recently returned to the capital and know little of palace affairs.”
Xiao Muchen paused.
Recognizing his gesture as a peace offering, Mingxi gave him an out. “So, how was the matter handled? For such an incident to even summon several Wangyes back to the palace, the stakes must be significant.”
For palace infighting to drag the Emperor’s sons into the fray—who would have such audacity? Even the Empress would need solid evidence to act so boldly.
“Qian Jieyu fell ill upon hearing the news. Kang Wang petitioned the Empress for justice on her behalf.”
So, Kang Wang escalated the matter?
“Yet I fear the outcome will backfire. The Empress likely used Kang Wang to amplify the situation,” Duan Mingxi remarked.
Xiao Muchen nodded. He had expected her to deduce as much.
Though their acquaintance was recent, they shared an unusual rapport.
Observing Xiao Muchen’s expression, Mingxi sighed softly. “It’s not just Kang Wang who’ll face consequences. Qian Jieyu herself likely won’t fare well either.”
“When I left the palace, Kang Wang was kneeling outside Royal Father’s hall, and Qian Jieyu was being reprimanded by the Empress’s envoys.”
Duan Mingxi fell silent. The Empress was a shrewd opportunist, adept at kicking people when they were down.
Though Kang Wang and his royal mother held little favor in the palace, he still bore a royal title, while Qian Jieyu, despite her son’s rank, had not even been elevated to the status of a consort—a testament to her weak position.
Kang Wang, timid and unremarkable, had lived his life in the shadows of his brothers. For the Empress to use him and his mother as an example to intimidate others was not surprising.
Mingxi turned her gaze to Xiao Muchen. “Why would the Emperor suddenly stay in Lan Yue Hall?”
Xiao Muchen’s voice carried a deeper meaning. “Consort Li, Li Zhaoyi, of Linhua Palace, who ranks just below the Empress, is her cousin.”
Mingxi frowned slightly, her memory hazy.
The events were too far removed for her to recall clearly. She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, Qian Jieyu had died young, followed by Li Zhaoyis own death shortly thereafter.
By the time Mingxi had attended a banquet in the palace under Duke Gao’s Madam escort, both women were long buried.
Mingxi looked at Xiao Muchen. “Qian Jieyu has long been out of favor. Why would the Empress still target her?”
“Kang Wang,” Xiao Muchen said plainly.
Mingxi understood immediately. The Empress was pressuring Qian Jieyu and Kang Wang to support the Crown Prince. But that mother and son were so timid that they would naturally be reluctant to take sides.
Her expression darkened.
Seeing her displeased expression, Xiao Muchen asked, “Do you sympathize with them?”
“Today it’s Qian Jieyu and her son. Who knows who it will be tomorrow?” Duan Mingxi sneered. “The Empress truly excels in her craft.”
With such disregard for human life, it was little wonder that in the future, the Crown Prince would easily agree to Gao Zhan divorcing his wife to remarry someone else. What did it matter?
Xiao Muchen studied the anger on Mingxi’s face thoughtfully before finally saying, “Royal Father is currently positioning the Crown Prince for greater power. The palace is a tangle of rivalries. Even if others see Qian Jieyu and her son’s plight as unjust, they’ll be hesitant to intervene.”
That, of course, included Consort Shu.
Mingxi understood. Power struggles were no different from brutal battles in the marketplace. One misstep could lead to total defeat.
Concepts like loyalty or compassion were hollow in such contexts. If such ruthlessness prevailed even in the business world, what could be expected of the palace, a battlefield of its own?
Duan Mingxi would not blame Consort Shu for her self-preservation. She turned to Xiao Muchen. “No wonder the Crown Prince is so ruthless. Like mother, like son.”
Sadly, both mother and son had mastered the art of disguising themselves in the Emperor’s presence.
“That’s why, when it comes to this estate matter, you should make your move.”
Duan Mingxi chuckled faintly. “Wangye truly has a sense of humor.”
“Otherwise, why would I have summoned Wu Qian today?”
Duan Mingxi’s expression turned serious.
“Xixi, the palace may be treacherous, but there’s still room to maneuver outside of it.”
At last, Duan Mingxi understood. This man, who had nearly toppled the Crown Prince in her previous life, was anything but a benevolent soul.
Duan Wang could not act openly, but since the Crown Prince had already instructed Gao Zhan to make the first move, it would only be reasonable for her to strike back in response.
A joint effort between them seemed perfectly fitting.
Indeed, there were no free lunches in this world.
“Alright,” Mingxi agreed.
When you take a favor, you owe a debt.
Since she had gained an advantage from Xiao Muchen, she naturally had to put in some effort.
Xiao Muchen gazed at Mingxi, feeling that something seemed off. Yet, her willingness to agree so quickly made him think that giving her an ally might have been a perfectly calculated move on his part.
A win-win scenario?
After addressing the serious matters, Mingxi stood up to leave.
Xiao Muchen was momentarily taken aback. “It’s already midday. Why not stay for lunch?”
Duan Mingxi declined. “The arrangements for the estate require careful planning. I need to go back and think things through thoroughly.”
Since this situation stemmed from Qian Jieyu and Kang Wang, she had to devise meticulous measures to avoid dragging them further into the mess—such entanglements could be deadly.
Although she had no personal connection with Qian Jieyu or Kang Wang, they had all been sufferers of similar fates in her past life. This time, she hoped they could live better lives.
With a decisive manner, Duan Mingxi left. Xiao Muchen frowned.
Something had gone wrong again, but what?
Dark-faced, he returned to his estate, thinking that it was time to find a new dog strategist!
Instead of heading back to the Marquis household, Mingxi first visited the Duan family’s main residence.
Her father, Duan Pingchang, was not home, but her mother, Madam Xu, was overjoyed to see her. Taking Mingxi’s hand, she said, “Your uncle and aunt will be coming to the capital.”
Mingxi’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Will my cousins be coming as well?”
Hearing this, Madam Xu’s expression subtly stiffened.