Chapter Forty-Five: Empress Yuan Min's Assistance

“Since that’s the case, let’s go and see Xiang Lian. I truly won’t be at ease until I see her with my own eyes,” Feng Xiaoli said anxiously.

Indeed, without seeing Xiang Lian, none of them could settle their hearts. Along the way, there had been no rumors among the common folk about the Tian Shang prince being poisoned, which showed that the news had been completely suppressed. Clearly, the Yu Wen family and the Tian Shang envoys wanted to resolve the matter privately.

But why deal with it in secret?

It was understandable that the Yu Wen family would wish to handle it quietly—a crown prince of another nation being poisoned on foreign soil would cause a grievous blow to their country’s reputation, and the face-loving Yu Wen family would never allow such rumors to circulate. But why would Tian Shang agree to this? By rights, Luo Wensheng’s poisoning wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for them; they could demand more from Huaijing because of this incident. Wouldn’t that serve them better?

It was clear that the Prince of Chun was in a difficult position. Yue Wanqing also gave way and agreed to return to the manor and wait for news, which brought a visible relief to the prince—after all, it solved two troublesome problems for him.

Just now, the Emperor of Qianqing had summoned the Prince of Chun in haste, both to devise a strategy for appeasing the envoys from Tian Shang, and to prevent Feng Xiaoli and Yue Wanqing from entering the palace.

But what no one expected was that Chuntao, the close maid of Empress Yuanmin, would emerge from the Qiande Gate to greet the prince, Feng Xiaoli, and Yue Wanqing. She spoke briefly, simply conveying that the Empress invited Feng Xiaoli and Yue Wanqing to the Pepper Room Hall.

The Prince of Chun frowned slightly. The emperor had just ordered him to keep Feng Xiaoli and Yue Wanqing out of the palace at all costs, yet now the empress was inviting them in. The intentions of the emperor and empress were truly inscrutable.

Since it was the Empress’s wish, he could not go against it.

As he brushed past Feng Xiaoli, he whispered, “Be careful.”

Feng Xiaoli was taken aback but nodded lightly.

The once-familiar imperial garden felt strangely foreign, with guards posted everywhere and even more hidden sentinels lurking in the shadows.

“This place is under heavy surveillance,” Yue Wanqing said, sensing it from the rhythm of the breathing around them. She couldn’t help but marvel at the multitude of the royal family’s covert guards. No wonder Huaijing was so firmly in the Yu Wen clan’s grasp.

Yue Wanqing stayed close to Feng Xiaoli, ready to shield her at any sign of danger. After all, Feng Xiaoli’s martial skills weren’t merely mediocre—they were pitifully weak. Yue Wanqing still couldn’t fathom why she’d ever vouched for her before their master; perhaps she should have let the master finish her off.

The closer they drew to the Pepper Room Hall, the more guards appeared. By the time they arrived, the hall was surrounded by several tight layers of protection.

Feng Xiaoli and Yue Wanqing exchanged a silent cry—was all this truly necessary?

It wasn’t Empress Yuanmin who had been poisoned, but Luo Wensheng!

When the guards recognized Chuntao, the favored maid of the Empress, a path quickly opened among the dense ranks, allowing the two women to proceed unimpeded to the Pepper Room Hall.

Who would have thought that Feng Xiaoli would visit twice in as many days?

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” they said, masking their dislike with flawless courtesy.

Feng Xiaoli was displeased with her, though her current thoughts remained unknown.

“Rise,” the empress said, pressing her forehead and looking quite unwell. Her voice, usually gentle, was now tinged with a husky roughness.

Chuntao stepped forward immediately, massaging the empress’s temples. Headaches were not uncommon; Chuntao was practiced and skilled in easing them.

“Your Majesty, you mustn’t overexert yourself. Nothing is more important than your health,” Chuntao urged with concern.

Ever since word spread of Luo Wensheng’s poisoning, Empress Yuanmin had known no rest. She had to help the emperor appease the Tian Shang envoys and wait anxiously for word from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Normally unburdened, the events of today had left her alarmingly frail.

In truth, her health had never recovered since giving birth to Yu Wenhao and Yu Wenche. The maids of the Pepper Room Hall, seeing her decline due to worry over Luo Wensheng, were all deeply troubled.

The empress closed her eyes, seeking a brief respite. “I know my health is important, but compared to the peace between two nations, my old ailments are nothing. Some rest will see me right.”

“Shall I fetch an imperial physician from the Medical Bureau to examine you? Your color does not look good!” Chuntao asked.

The empress shook her head. “No, let it be. At present, who knows what has become of the Tian Shang prince? The physicians are working night and day to identify the poison, and I would not distract them now.”

Seeing that Chuntao still wished to speak, she continued, “Enough, Chuntao. No more.”

The empress’s tone had turned cold, and Chuntao dared not utter another word. Though favored, she knew the empress detested overstepping maids; she had been fortunate just now.

Feng Xiaoli and Yue Wanqing, left standing aside, dared not sit without the empress’s invitation. They listened quietly, unable to fathom the real reason for their summons—surely it wasn’t merely to listen to a conversation between mistress and maid?

How laughable that would be.

At last, the empress’s gaze settled on them.

“Ali, Wanqing, why are you still standing? Come, sit,” she urged as soon as she noticed them.

Feng Xiaoli sneered inwardly. Without your command, how could we dare to sit? The empress was willfully making things difficult.

“Since you insist, we shall,” Yue Wanqing replied with a smile.

Once they had seated themselves, Empress Yuanmin spoke again. “I know why you both have come. When I heard you were blocked at the Qiande Gate trying to visit Xiang Lian, I immediately sent Chuntao to fetch you. I cannot fathom the emperor’s thinking—he knows how close you are to Xiang Lian, yet will not let you see her. I cannot presume to guess the emperor’s mind, but bringing you here is already a great risk.”

Yue Wanqing’s prejudice against the empress, fueled by Feng Xiaoli’s words, faded as she listened to the empress’s self-reproach. The empress had taken a great risk in defying the emperor to help them, and for that, Yue Wanqing felt genuine gratitude.

Watching the change in Yue Wanqing’s expression, it was clear that Empress Yuanmin had once again won her over. At such a critical moment, anyone who aided Xiang Lian would earn Yue Wanqing’s thanks.