Naturally, the Empress was reluctant to go along, but she eventually found a way out—sending word to Chongzheng Hall and letting His Majesty decide.
Even Consort Shu could say no more after that. All they could do now was wait.
And waiting was excruciating—each moment felt like a year.
Duan Mingxi looked at Jin Wangfei, now lying cold and alone in the side hall. If she had indeed hanged herself, then perhaps she had found peace in death. Though she would receive no posthumous honor, the matter would end there.
That would, in effect, protect the Empress and the Crown Prince.
But if it wasn’t suicide—then things could get very interesting.
A proper investigation might uncover things no one had expected.
It all hinged on the Emperor. Did he want the matter investigated—or not?
After a full half hour, Ding Zhao finally arrived slowly to announce the imperial decree.
The emperor, enraged, declared that Jin Wangfei had taken her own life out of guilt. He ordered her to be stripped of her royal status and instructed the Empress to have her body immediately carried out of the palace and thrown into the mass grave.
The hall was deathly silent. Only the Empress’s voice broke the stillness, heavy but with a trace of relief. Without delay, she had the Wangfei’s body wrapped in a bamboo mat and sent out through a side gate of the inner palace.
The emperor claimed she committed suicide out of guilt.
Then so be it—she had committed suicide out of guilt.
The emperor was still determined to protect the Empress and the Crown Prince.
Among the consorts, only Consort De appeared calm. Consort Gui, Consort Xian, and Consort Shu all looked displeased. Only the Empress seemed visibly more at ease.
Duan Mingxi felt a sinking weight in her chest. She couldn’t help but wonder if the Wangfei’s death had something to do with the emperor himself!
As the Empress departed proudly, Consort Shu dug her fingernails deep into her own palm.
So close!
Had Jin Wangfei survived, there might have been a turning point.
But she was dead now!
Furious, Consort Shu stormed back to Cuiwei Palace. She couldn’t hold back and swept a teacup off the table in rage.
Hu Momo and the others were too terrified to breathe. Mingxi stepped forward to steady Consort Shu and gently urged, “Royal Mother, anger harms the body. Please, calm down.”
Consort Shu took a deep breath, but she still couldn’t suppress her fury. With a cold laugh, she said, “I knew it wouldn’t be that simple! The emperor had Ding Zhao interrogate Jin Wangfei, but none of us ever saw that confession—it was sent straight to the emperor. Who knows what she actually confessed to?”
If it were merely about setting up Mingxi and Yu Wangfei, would that really have cost her her life?
She must have confessed something involving the Empress and the Crown Prince. To protect them, the emperor could only silence her.
Suicide?
Would someone like Jin Wangfei really take her own life?
Consort Shu’s eyes turned red.
Seeing her like this, Mingxi didn’t know how to comfort her. She could only say softly, “Royal Mother, Wangye is still kneeling outside Chongzheng Hall. You must take care of yourself.”
Consort Shu’s expression changed. That’s right—her son was still kneeling!
She couldn’t afford to fall ill now!
She looked at Mingxi and said, “Now that Jin Wangfei is dead, I’m afraid the matter with you and Yu Wangfei will just be swept under the rug. If His Majesty still cares about appearances, you may receive some token compensation. But if not…”
If not, you wouldn’t even get that.
Mingxi understood what she meant. “Royal Mother, I don’t care about those things. As long as you stay healthy, we can always come up with another plan.”
Another plan?
Easier said than done. After this, the Empress and Crown Prince would surely become even more cautious. Xingan Marquis was dead. Jin Wangfei was dead. Though this cut off a helping hand to the Crown Prince, in another way, it erased all debts. Perhaps it was the best way to protect him.
The emperor was biased in the end.
“You should head back too. You’ve been busy all day. Get some rest,” Consort Shu said to Duan Mingxi.
“What about Wangye?” Mingxi asked, concerned.
“He’s not the only one kneeling. The brothers are all out there together—what is there to worry about?”
The emperor couldn’t possibly punish all his sons. At most, they’d kneel a little longer and suffer a bit.
Besides, even the Crown Prince was kneeling!
Duan Mingxi left the palace. On her way out, she couldn’t see Chongzheng Hall—only a sliver of its eaves from afar.
The palace paths were deep and winding, the road ahead long. As she stepped onto the stone-paved walkway, she felt helpless for the first time.
Today had been such a golden opportunity. She and Xiao Muchen had done everything they could. The Empress and the Crown Prince had already slipped up. If the emperor had just investigated…
But not only did he refuse to investigate, Jin Wangfei was now dead.
The emperor’s desire to shield the Crown Prince left one both furious and powerless.
Duan Mingxi walked out of the palace, her shoulders heavy, but her eyes more resolute than ever.
It was only one failure. So what?
Fall down, get back up.
She had known from the beginning that the emperor treated the Crown Prince differently from his other sons. She had prepared herself for this. Still, after working so hard to reach this point, she couldn’t help but feel unwilling to let it end here.
When Duan Mingxi returned to the residence, it was already nightfall by the time Xiao Muchen came back.
He was carried straight to the back courtyard by Qi He.
Duan Mingxi had already prepared medicine and called for Ren Mian to stand by. As soon as Xiao Muchen returned, Ren Mian moved in to examine his knees.
After kneeling for so long, his knees were swollen and bruised black and purple.
Duan Mingxi watched silently, lips pressed tight. Seeing her like this, Xiao Muchen inexplicably felt a bit happy.
If she had acted indifferent, he would’ve been disappointed.
The fact that she felt upset because he was hurt meant she truly cared for him.
After applying the ointment and giving careful instructions, Ren Mian finally bowed and left.
Duan Mingxi helped Xiao Muchen into the inner room and onto the bed, saying, “Don’t go out these next few days. Ask for leave from the yamen.”
Xiao Muchen, in good spirits, agreed right away and loudly told Qi He to take care of it.
Qi He responded from outside the window, then left.
After everything that had happened that day, both husband and wife were mentally and physically exhausted. They went to bed early.
But Duan Mingxi couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned. Xiao Muchen, hearing her movements, reached out and pulled her into his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Can’t sleep?”
“I just feel so unsettled, like I’ve got a fire burning low in my chest. Today was such a good opportunity,” she sighed.
She had been the victim. Yu Wang had attacked the Crown Prince. Xiao Muchen had stepped in to help him. No matter how you looked at it, they had clearly distanced themselves from any wrongdoing.
Even if the Empress and Crown Prince were exposed, what did that have to do with them?
Opportunities like this were rare. Who would have thought, at the last moment, the emperor would still choose to protect the Crown Prince?
Jin Wangfei had died today. Who would be next?
Must everyone who challenged the Crown Prince meet a grim end?
Thinking of Xiao Muchen’s fate in her past life made Duan Mingxi feel deeply uneasy.
She could never let things get to that point again!
Xiao Muchen let out a quiet chuckle. The light in the tent was faint, and he couldn’t see Mingxi’s face clearly, but her indignant tone on his behalf filled his heart with comfort and warmth.
“Crisis brings opportunity, and humiliation fuels determination. Xixi, after what happened today, Jin Wang and Qi Wang’s resentment toward the Crown Prince will only deepen,” Xiao Muchen said softly.
Hearing this, Mingxi replied, “I’m afraid nothing more can be done in the short term.”
Jin Wangfei’s death might have been the Emperor’s way of making an example—killing the chicken to scare the monkey.
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