"You were the one who first approached us, saying you wanted to deal with the Fifth Princess!"
Bei Xiang and Tian Sheng had never been on friendly terms. So long as they did not suffer losses, what did it matter to him if the other side fell into chaos?
The heir of Prince Lian betrayed the Empress without a second thought.
"You said—"
"Enough!"
What should have been a grand and dignified banquet had already spiraled into farce. First came the Crown Prince's disgrace, followed by the absurd spectacle caused by the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang.
Now, even a scandal involving the Empress plotting against a princess had come to light.
There was clearly no salvaging this evening's festivities.
Emperor Xuanwu barely managed to suppress His fury and ordered all the guests present to withdraw.
Only the Bei Xiang diplomatic delegation remained, along with the Empress, and Yun Shu.
"Why are you still here?"
Once everyone else had departed, Yun Chuhuan, who had not been summoned yet still stood beside Yun Shu, stood out all the more.
Emperor Xuanwu's expression darkened as He fixed a sharp gaze on him.
"What, you were involved in this as well?"
"Replying to Father Emperor, this son has been with Fifth Sister ever since the garden. There are some matters I do know a bit about."
Keen to stay behind and watch the Empress fall from grace, Yun Chuhuan eagerly spoke up.
"This son knows that the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang indeed attempted to poison Fifth Sister earlier today."
"He tried to poison Xiao Wu?"
Emperor Xuanwu's expression shifted at once. He turned to Yun Shu urgently.
"Attend Us! Summon the Imperial Physicians!"
"Father Emperor, your daughter should be unharmed."
Seeing how enraged Emperor Xuanwu was, and still taking the time to worry about her well-being, Yun Shu quickly explained:
"Earlier today in the imperial garden, the Eldest Prince suddenly appeared and declared that he had fallen for me. To prove his sincerity, he personally roasted a Bei Xiang specialty—empty-shell cakes—and offered them to me.
But perhaps due to sheer luck, both times he tried to hand them over, they never reached me.
Instead, I noticed that each of the cakes he tried to give me had sesame seeds scattered on them. I wasn't sure if that was some kind of mark. Given my previous unpleasant encounter with the Bei Xiang delegation, I decided to be cautious. Later, I quietly roasted a new cake myself and swapped out the one he gave me."
There was far too much information packed into this brief explanation.
So much so that even the absurd image of roasting cakes in the imperial garden failed to draw any attention.
Emperor Xuanwu felt a wave of relief that His youngest daughter remained vigilant and knew not to eat something from someone else's hand.
At the same time, He turned His gaze to the Empress, eyes colder than before.
At this point, what remained unclear?
The cake Yun Shu was meant to eat—meant to be taken by Yun Chuhuan instead—had clearly ended up in the Eldest Prince's mouth.
"So that's what happened…"
Sure enough, the heir of Prince Lian, still being held down and kneeling on the ground, muttered to himself. Suddenly, he began struggling in agitation.
"When Her Majesty gave us the medicine, she said it came in two parts!
Ordinary people who take only one part experience no effect. But if one person takes the medicine, and another takes the catalyst, the first will become irresistibly drawn to the scent of the second—and may even lose control of their actions!
Our Eldest Prince admired your Sheng An Princess deeply. And when he heard that the Princess had been granted the right to choose her own marriage, he was swayed by the Empress's envoy. He acted rashly and agreed.
He never expected Sheng An Princess to be so cautious. As a result, the Eldest Prince ended up consuming both portions of the drug!
Your Majesty of Tian Sheng, please allow your physicians to examine the Eldest Prince at once!"
Due to the disastrous defeat over two decades ago, the House of Prince Lian had endured harsh conditions in Bei Xiang ever since.
If something were to happen to the Eldest Prince here in Tian Sheng, under his watch, the House of Prince Lian would surely be ruined.
No matter how reckless or foolish he might usually be, the heir of Prince Lian understood this much.
He was desperate to protect the Eldest Prince and, at the very least, hoped Emperor Xuanwu would allow medical treatment.
But the Empress clearly had no intention of letting them get away with it.
She was still trying, with all her might, to deny everything.
"Your Majesty, they are clearly trying to shift blame!
Xiao Wu is your daughter—she is naturally my daughter as well.
Because Noble Consort Lan passed away from childbirth complications, I have always cherished Xiao Wu more than any other child.
I would never have any reason to help the Eldest Prince harm her!"
"Investigate."
The Empress's tearful performance failed to move Emperor Xuanwu in the slightest.
He found it laughable.
Did the Empress truly believe He had already forgotten how she threatened Xiao Wu not long ago, vowing to interfere with her marriage? That she nearly drove the girl into illness?
And now, she had the audacity to feign the loving stepmother?
For all these years, He had truly believed the Empress was the image of grace and virtue, worthy of the title Mother of the Nation.
Had He been blind?
With unfamiliar coldness in His gaze, Emperor Xuanwu studied the woman before Him—so different from the one etched in His memory.
Word by word, He spoke with deadly clarity.
"We shall investigate this matter from beginning to end, and leave no detail unclear.
We shall not wrong the innocent, but neither shall We spare a single guilty soul."
Night had fallen. There was no need for Yun Shu or the others to involve themselves further.
As she and Yun Chuhuan left the hall together, he seemed somewhat disappointed.
"Everything's already out in the open now, isn't it? If you ask me, Father Emperor should have just deposed the Empress on the spot."
"If someone overheard that, the one getting scolded would definitely be you."
Yun Shu gave him a helpless reminder.
The two turned a corner and found themselves in a quiet, open space. Yun Shu paused, her curiosity piqued.
"But why don't you like the Empress?"
"Why should I like her?"
Yun Chu Huan looked at her like she'd asked something absurd.
"On the first and fifteenth of every month, my mother consort has to visit the Empress Mother and pay her respects. But nine times out of ten she comes back upset. It's clear she's been made to suffer.
And every time I went to see the Empress Mother myself, I'd get nitpicked to death. Especially whenever Father Emperor is around—she treats me like I exist only to make the Crown Prince look better.
And didn't she almost get you killed last time?
She's awful. Why would I like her?"
"Mm…"
Hard to argue with that.
Yun Shu found herself oddly touched.
Among all those reasons, one of them was for her.
How rare.