“Yu Wang was summoned to the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince?” Consort Shu was utterly shocked. Had Consort Xian completely lost her mind?
Hu Momo sneered. “Niang Niang, the Empress has been exceedingly close to Consort Xian these past few days. I couldn’t understand why before, but now it all makes sense—the Empress must have promised Consort Xian something she desperately wanted, making her drop her guard.”
Consort Shu’s expression darkened as she said, “After all these years, Consort Xian still fell for the Empress’s tricks!”
Hu Momo was also puzzled but could only acknowledge the reality. “Perhaps the Empress offered something that Consort Xian has always longed for.”
Consort Shu frowned. “This is bad. If Yu Wang doesn’t receive timely information, how can he implicate the Empress and the Crown Prince when he faces the Emperor?”
Hu Momo was momentarily at a loss as well and could only shake her head helplessly. “Your servant cannot think of a solution at the moment.”
Consort Shu turned to Hu Momo. “Send Chen Fu to deliver a message to Duan Wang. Make sure he understands the full situation.”
They could only hope that her son would find a way to handle things.
At that moment, Duan Wang was at Kang Wang’s residence. When he received Chen Fu’s report, his expression darkened.
Kang Wang overheard everything and was utterly baffled—how could his second brother be even more foolish than him?
“Since that’s the case, we have no choice but to take a risky move,” Duan Wang said, his expression sharpening.
He hadn’t anticipated that the Empress and Crown Prince would gain leverage over Consort Xian and Yu Wang. originally, he planned to use them to his advantage, but that was no longer feasible.
Chen Fu quickly asked, “Wangye, what should I do? Even feigning illness didn’t bring Yu Wang back—clearly, the Eastern Palace intervened.”
Kang Wang, watching his fourth brother’s serious expression, didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. If Consort Xian and Yu Wang were unreliable, then what about Duke Wei?
if Duke Wei fell, his future Father-in-law would be in danger, too.
If his fiancee’s family lost power, his already insignificant status as a prince would only make his future even more difficult.
“Fourth Brother…” Kang Wang hesitated before saying, “Should I go to the Eastern Palace myself?”
Duan Wang gave him a surprised look, not expecting him to suggest such a thing. His expression softened slightly, and his tone grew gentler. “What would you do there? You probably wouldn’t even get past the gate. There’s no need to suffer that humiliation.”
Kang Wang let out an awkward laugh. He knew he held no status in the Eastern Palace. But his fourth brother still spared his dignity, and he felt grateful.
“Then what can I do?” Kang Wang asked. He wasn’t particularly clever, so he could only follow his fourth brother’s lead.
“No rush.” Xiao Muchen turned to Chen Fu. “Go back and tell my mother not to worry. I have a plan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Chen Fu didn’t dare ask any further and promptly bowed before leaving.
Once he was gone, Xiao Muchen looked at Kang Wang. “What do you think of Chu Yaonian?”
Kang Wang was momentarily stunned before replying, “A few months ago, when you told me to get close to him, I found that aside from being a bit soft-tempered, he’s actually quite decent.”
Xiao Muchen smirked mockingly. “If he had even the slightest backbone, he wouldn’t have been suppressed to the point where he can’t even lift his head.”
After all, he was the legitimate eldest son of the primary wife and the rightful heir to his title. Yet, he had let a stepmother manipulate him for years—pathetic.
Kang Wang couldn’t help but defend him, “He has no mother to support him. His elder sister may be a wangfei, but she can’t act recklessly. He has to be careful not to bring trouble to Yu Wang’s household.”
Xiao Muchen hadn’t expected Kang Wang to stand up for Chu Yaonian. He chuckled. “Then go and tell him that I will back him up. He is to file a formal complaint before the Emperor, accusing the Jingyuan Marquis and Xingan Marquis of conspiring to seize his title.”
“What?” Kang Wang was dumbfounded. “Fourth Brother, how can he accuse them without any proof?”
Wasn’t this just blindly throwing out accusations?
“Who said there’s no proof? Jingyuan Marquis has been scheming for years—there must be evidence somewhere. But making an accusation is only part of the plan. The real goal is to see the Emperor in person and use the issue of the shizi title to drag Xingan Marquis into this mess.”
Xiao Muchen’s gaze sharpened. “Since the Kunde Palace has already made its stance on succession affairs clear, then we shall follow its lead. He Wanyi and Jingyuan Marquis are aunt and niece. This single dispute over the shizi title is enough to pull Xingan Marquis into the water. Chu Yaonian must be the one to act.”
Kang Wang understood. “I’ll bring Chu Yaonian here right away.”
“You must go yourself. Keep it quiet and move fast. I’m heading to Chongzheng Hall immediately.”
Kang Wang understood his fourth brother’s intention—he was going to act as their inside man. Once Chu Yaonian’s petition reached the Emperor, Xiao Muchen would make sure it wasn’t intercepted by the Crown Prince’s faction.
The two split up. Before heading into the palace, Xiao Muchen had Qi He send a message to Mingxi.
When Mingxi received the news, she was momentarily speechless. The setup had been so meticulously planned, yet Consort Xian and Yu Wang had been the weak links.
The Empress…
Truly formidable. She had preemptively won over Consort Xian.
No wonder things had been progressing so slowly. She had assumed it was just the constraints of palace rules, but the real obstacle had been Consort Xian’s betrayal.
That explained why, in the previous life, the Empress and Crown Prince had managed to reach the finish line unscathed.
Xiao Muchen pushing Chu Yaonian forward as the key to breaking the deadlock—this move was masterful. She hadn’t even considered it.
“Mingxi.”
Hearing the Third Madam’s voice, Duan Mingxi stepped forward to greet her. “Third Aunt, why have you come? Please, come in and sit.”
The Third Madam shook her head. “Your uncle needs to speak with you. Would you come to our place for a bit?”
Since it was inconvenient for the Third Master to visit his niece, the Third Madam had come to fetch her.
Mingxi immediately guessed it must be about the Imperial Horse Bureau and said, “Alright, I’ll go with you now.”
Upon arriving at the Third Household, she found her uncle waiting for her in his study. As soon as she entered, he said, “Censor Zhong has submitted a memorial, but the Emperor has kept it in deliberation without issuing a response. Huang Shao sent me to ask what’s going on.”
The Empress pushing Yu Wang into the fire—so it was working.
After being married to the Emperor for so many years, she knew exactly how to handle him.
Mingxi told her uncle, “Third uncle, this matter cannot be rushed. Tell Huang Shao that the right moment hasn’t come yet. He just needs to wait a little longer—things will soon start moving.”
Hearing this, the Third Master relaxed and asked, “What went wrong?”
Mingxi replied slowly, “Consort Xian and Yu Wang made a mistake. But His Highness has already devised another plan. Third uncle, you just need to wait for further news.”
Then, she added seriously, “When the moment comes, tell Huang Shao that no matter what happens, he must not change his stance. If he wavers, all our efforts will be wasted—and he may even lose his life.”
The Third Master knew that the situation had shifted drastically. otherwise, Mingxi wouldn’t be warning him so seriously. “I’ll return to the Imperial Horse Bureau and inform Huang Shao immediately.”
“Thank you for your efforts, Third uncle,” Mingxi said.
Not long after the Third Master left, Chu Yaonian entered the palace with his formal complaint in hand.
When news of this reached Kunde Palace, the Empress’s previously composed smile instantly vanished.
