“I’m not sure either. I thought I knew Father Emperor well, but now it seems I don’t understand him at all. He’s in the palace—doesn’t he have any doubts or grief over Mother Consort’s death? We all know the truth, yet he’s so close to that Night Phantom and trusts him so much. This…”
Wanqing’s words trailed off as she reflected on her father’s changes over the years and the situation Liu Yufeng had just described. Prince Ning found it hard to believe that his heroic and revered father could behave this way. After all, Prince Ji had been closest to him in his youth, and Leng Mingye was now the most valiant and feared young general of the Eastern Ling Kingdom, which had repeatedly threatened their mother’s homeland, Da Qi.
Three years ago, when he was still the Crown Prince, he had fought alongside Leng Mingye against the invading forces of Eastern Ling. He knew firsthand of Leng Mingye’s ferocity in battle and his unwavering loyalty to Daming. Back then, when he injured his leg, Leng Mingye had already emerged as the rising star of their generation.
Even now, there was a saying throughout Daming: “With Prince Ji’s heir in Daming, the people of Eastern Ling tremble as if facing the King of Hell, daring not to encroach upon an inch of Daming’s territory.”
Yet such a loyal subject had been treacherously betrayed by his own father. It was unfathomable and left him deeply unsettled.
Hearing his sister’s words, Prince Ning’s brows furrowed even more as he considered the possibility. For the first time, he felt that the man he had called “Father Emperor” for over twenty years was a stranger—one who sent chills down his spine.
He was Prince Ning, his son. His father had repeatedly professed his love for his mother. Yet when she was murdered by villains, he showed no reaction—even growing close to those very villains. And now, the same had happened to Leng Mingye.
“This matter baffles me too. Could he truly be unaware of the strangeness in all this? And Empress Sun—she had Sun Fengyu approach me solely for the Dragon-Tiger Token in my possession. Could this have been the Emperor’s doing? Did he treat Mother Consort this way just to seize the power she held?”
Prince Ning’s rare tone of despondence mirrored Wanqing’s own confusion. The Emperor remained unmoved by what they all knew. Recalling Sun Fengyu’s true motives, she posed the question to her brother again.
“But this power was originally given to Mother Consort by Father Emperor. She merely expanded it with the help of her Da Qi followers, like Aunt Bai and her group. If he wanted it back, why not simply ask her? Why kill her first? The whole thing is utterly perplexing…”
As soon as Wanqing voiced her speculation, Prince Ning countered with these points. The strangeness of it all left him at a loss.
“I can’t fathom it either. Could it be that Da Qi harbored ambitions of invasion, and the Emperor acted to cut off the source of their power while issuing a warning?”
Unable to find an answer, Wanqing ventured another possibility.
“Impossible. All these years, though Grandmother and the others stopped sending envoys to Daming after Mother Consort’s death, there’s been no conflict between our nations. Even our uncle, the newly ascended Night Monarch of Da Qi, reportedly accompanied envoys to investigate Mother Consort’s death. Yet there’s been no reaction since. The whole thing is baffling…”
Prince Ning dismissed her theory with these words.
“It seems we’ll have to wait until Nurse Xu regains consciousness,” Wanqing sighed helplessly at her brother’s inability to settle on any explanation.
“Yes. Let’s hope clarity comes with time,” Prince Ning murmured, his eyes fixed ahead with quiet expectation.
That night, Qingfeng relayed the news of Liu Yufeng’s presence in Prince Ning’s residence to Leng Mingye, who immediately arranged for his safe departure from the city.
Meanwhile, Wanqing returned to the Marquis’s residence to continue treating Nurse Xu with acupuncture.
Days passed swiftly. On the sixth day of treating the Empress Dowager, her chronic headaches were finally cured.
“Qing’er, who would have thought someone so young could possess such skill? Consort Hui also had such medical prowess in her time… Ah, forgive me. Seeing you always reminds me of her. Now that my health is restored, I feel lighter than ever. Name your reward, and I’ll do my best to grant it.”
The Empress Dowager, her complexion and spirits much improved, beamed as Wanqing packed away her needles, declaring her fully healed with only a few more days of medicine needed.
Over these days, Wanqing and Prince Ning had visited daily, their filial devotion endearing them further to her. Whether it was Wanqing’s familiar, lovely face or her gentle demeanor, the Empress Dowager had grown genuinely fond of her.
Noticing her own slip in mentioning Consort Hui, the Empress Dowager sighed softly before smiling warmly at Wanqing, her gaze lingering between the girl and her grandson, whose gentle demeanor pleased her deeply.
“Your Majesty, you flatter me. As a physician, it’s my duty. Moreover, as a subject of Daming, it’s only right that I serve you. How could I ask for rewards?”
Wanqing flushed with embarrassment. Though she had once considered leveraging the Empress Dowager’s favor to annul her engagement to Sun Fengyu, the old woman’s genuine affection now made her hesitant.
“Nonsense! You must be rewarded. I’ve taken a liking to you, and you seem quite close to my grandson here. Why not—”
Noticing her blush and the glance she cast at Prince Ning, the shrewd Empress Dowager cut in, clearly intending to play matchmaker.
“Grandmother, you—” Prince Ning started in alarm, but Wanqing interjected.
“Please, Your Majesty, your kindness touches me deeply. But I’m already betrothed, and my relationship with Prince Ning is purely fraternal. There’s nothing more between us…”
Though startled by the suggestion—and under other circumstances, Prince Ning would have been a fine match—Wanqing knew their true relation made it impossible. She met the Empress Dowager’s gaze with grateful candor.
“Ah, so you’re already promised to another. I’d hoped you and my grandson might make a pair. Alas, it seems fate has other plans. But you must still name your reward—consider it an early wedding gift from me.”
The Empress Dowager sighed in disappointment but conceded gracefully, her eyes warm with lingering regret.
“If Your Majesty insists, I ask only for the title of County Princess—no stipend or material benefits from the court.”
Though Wanqing longed to request the annulment of her engagement to Sun Fengyu, the peculiarities they’d uncovered and the Empress Dowager’s matchmaking inclinations made her hesitate. Instead, she opted for a symbolic honor.
“A County Princess? Just the title?”
The request was a trivial one for the Empress Dowager, who had expected something more substantial. Puzzled, she studied Wanqing.
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