The message was delivered by Qi He.
It wasn’t good news.
Qi He’s expression was grave. “Although the shizi of the Chu family filed a complaint at court, His Majesty was only shocked by the chaos this private dispute caused. In the end, he merely summoned Jingyuan Marquis to scold him and ordered him to discipline his household.”
“That’s it?” Mingxi was stunned, unable to believe it.
Qi He gave a slight nod. “Yes, that’s it.”
Mingxi’s expression turned extremely unpleasant. She looked at Qi He and asked, “And what about Yu Wang and He Wanyi?”
Qi He hesitated for a moment before slowly replying, “His Majesty was furious, reprimanding Yu Wang for his reckless behavior, indulgence in pleasure, and lack of discipline. He has ordered Yu Wang to be exiled to Liangzhou.
“As for Xingan Marquis, he admitted his failure in disciplining his daughter and offered to exchange his title for her to be granted the status of a side consort. His Majesty was moved by his devotion as a Father and merely fined him one year’s salary, ordering him to reflect on his actions. Additionally, He Wanyi has been officially made a side consort of Yu Wang.”
Duan Mingxi: …
For a moment, she was at a complete loss for words.
The Emperor had exiled Yu Wang but let Xingan Marquis off with barely a slap on the wrist. A one-year salary deduction was hardly a real punishment.
Not only that, but He Wanyi had even gained an official title as a side consort—she had suffered no real consequences at all.
Since even He Wanyi was spared, then the matter of Jingyuan Marquis Madam attempting to usurp the shizi would certainly be brushed under the rug.
His Majesty’s stance was clear—he was determined to protect the Crown Prince.
To do that, he was even willing to overlook Xingan Marquis’s involvement.
The only real loser here was Yu Wang.
Faced with a choice between the Crown Prince and Yu Wang, the Emperor had decisively chosen the former.
Mingxi felt a heavy weight in her chest. She had discussed this with Duan Wang at length, but neither of them had expected His Majesty to be this ruthless—or this determined to protect the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince couldn’t be shaken even with the downfall of Yu Wang and Xingan Marquis, then their plans involving the Imperial Horse Bureau and Fengcheng Marquis had to be postponed.
“Miss, do you have any other questions?” Qi He asked.
Mingxi thought for a moment before asking, “How is Wangye now?”
Qi He fell silent.
Mingxi’s brows furrowed. She looked at him and asked, “What happened?”
Knowing he couldn’t hide the truth, Qi He lowered his head and reported, “After His Majesty sentenced Yu Wang to exile, Duan Wang, along with Jin Wang and Kang Wang, pleaded on his behalf. His Majesty was enraged and has made all three of them kneel outside the Chongzheng Hall as punishment.”
Duan Mingxi felt a surge of anger, along with a sense of powerlessness.
Despite all the preparations she and Duan Wang had made—despite all their careful efforts—it was all meaningless in the face of the Emperor’s unwavering support for the Crown Prince.
As long as the Emperor was determined to protect the Crown Prince, nothing they did would make a difference.
No wonder Xiao Muchen had insisted on keeping her out of sight and had orchestrated everything in a way that left no trace of her involvement. He must have anticipated the worst-case scenario all along.
It was her mistake. She had remembered how, in her past life, the Emperor had eventually grown dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. But she had forgotten that at this point in time, the Emperor’s attitude toward the Crown Prince was completely different.
“I understand. Thank you for your efforts,” Mingxi said slowly, looking at Qi He. “Did Wangye leave any other instructions?”
“His Highness instructed me to tell you not to take any action regarding the Imperial Horse Bureau or Fengcheng Marquis’s matter for now.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll take my leave then,” Qi He said with a bow before departing.
After he left, Mingxi stood by the window, gazing out at the sky.
The night slowly deepened, just like the heaviness in her heart.
Yu Wang’s exile was not what they had wanted—keeping him in the capital would have been far more beneficial.
The Emperor had chosen to exile Yu Wang to send a warning to anyone with ambitions for the Eastern Palace.
Mingxi let out a cold laugh.
The Emperor truly was the Crown Prince’s most devoted Father.
But this wasn’t necessarily all bad.
The more the Emperor went out of his way to protect the Crown Prince, the more it would make the other princes wary of him.
Censor Zhong’s investigation into Lu Zhiliang’s case—who in the court does not have a scale in their heart to weigh the situation?
His Majesty’s decision to send Yu Wang away was likely intended as a warning to the court. If even Yu Wang could be dealt with, what of the ministers?
Those who sought to use Lu Zhiliang to harm the Crown Prince—who would dare make a move now?
Even someone like Censor Zhong would have to think thrice and wait for the right moment.
This was the biggest setback Mingxi had suffered since her rebirth.
She wondered how Xiao Muchen was doing now. Consort Shu was unlikely to plead for him—after all, there were still Jin Wang and Prince Kang. As for Consort Gui, she might not intervene, and Qian Jieyu certainly wouldn’t dare to plead for Prince Kang before the Emperor.
“Mingxi!”
Mingxi turned to see Third Madam walking in swiftly, her expression grave. “Your Third Master Duan sent word back—Huang Shao was ambushed today and nearly lost his life. The Imperial Horse Bureau is in complete chaos.”
Huang Shao was attacked? At this moment?
“Is he still alive?” Mingxi asked.
“He is.”
Mingxi was relieved. Perhaps it wasn’t truly an assassination—perhaps Huang Shao had staged the attack himself to save his own life.
“Third Aunt, please have someone send a message to Third Master Duan. Tell him to inform Huang Shao that since he nearly died, he should take his time recovering.”
Whether real or staged, Huang Shao needed to appear critically injured and incapable of handling affairs. otherwise, he might truly end up dead.
“I’ll take care of it now.” Third Madam hurried off.
The situation was complex, and she didn’t fully understand all the details, but she knew how to keep her mouth shut and do her part to help her husband and Mingxi.
Night fell. Xiangxiang entered to invite her to dinner, but Mingxi had no appetite. She shook her head lightly, signaling for the food to be taken away.
Xiangxiang looked worried—how could she go without eating? But seeing her mistress’s expression, she dared not press the issue. She had the servants keep the meal warm in the food warmer, planning to ask again later.
Mingxi went to her study, picked up a brush, and carefully mapped out the key points of the situation, cross-checking each detail. Their plan—hers and Xiao Muchen’s—was not foolproof, but it had been meticulous.
The only miscalculation had been underestimating the Emperor’s resolve to protect the Crown Prince.
No wonder the Empress remained so composed.
Mingxi tossed the written pages into a bronze basin and set them alight, watching as they burned to ashes.
Defeat was defeat. If not this time, there would be another.
Even if the Emperor was determined to protect the Crown Prince now, once the war in Qinan brought its consequences to the capital, she refused to believe the situation wouldn’t shift.
Even if the Eastern Palace was an iron fortress, persistence would eventually find a crack.
One failure meant nothing—she had endured for ten years in her past life.
This was only the beginning.
Stay calm.
No rush.
Her only concern now was Yu Wangfei’s household. He Wanyi had been granted the title of Secondary Consort. With Yu Wang exiled, both the primary and secondary consorts would likely have to accompany him.
Once they arrived in Liangzhou, without any support, could Yu Wangfei stand against He Wanyi and the powerful Xingan Marquis?
And…
Has Xiao Muchen returned to his manor yet?
Or was he still kneeling outside Chongzheng Hall….
