“Auntie Xu, don’t be like this. I believe the spirit of Consort Hui will surely bless us in avenging our enemies—it must be so. Brother Prince Ning, don’t you think so?”
Seeing the old woman’s sorrowful and grief-stricken expression after speaking, Wanqing felt a pang of sadness in her heart. So many years had passed, and all she could do was step forward, place a comforting hand on the old woman’s shoulder, and turn to Prince Ning beside her for affirmation.
“Yes, Auntie Xu, please don’t be so heartbroken.”
Watching his sister and the old woman in such distress, Prince Ning didn’t know how to console them and could only echo the sentiment.
“Mm, I won’t grieve. Grief only pains those who love us and delights our enemies. Besides, with the two of you here, I know if our mistress were still alive, she would be truly comforted to see how accomplished you’ve both become. As for the painting—that night, the man in black stood in the shadows of the corner. I never saw his face clearly, but his silhouette is forever etched in my memory. The faces of those two maids, however, I’ve drawn. It’s them—I’d recognize them even if they were reduced to ashes.”
Though tears streaked her face, Auntie Xu nodded in response to their words. Lowering her head, she began sketching. When she finished, she handed the drawing to them, her eyes icy and filled with deep hatred as she spoke of the two women.
“Just these two?”
Wanqing took the drawing from her brother and studied it, finding only two ordinary-looking maids. She couldn’t help but question it.
“Yes, just these two,” Auntie Xu confirmed, meeting their gazes firmly.
“Given Empress Sun’s nature, I doubt these two maids would still be alive even if we tracked them down. It seems this matter will require slow investigation. But as for what Empress Sun did to my mother—Auntie Xu, tomorrow you must accompany me to the palace. We’ll confront Father Emperor directly. I believe once he learns the truth, he won’t spare her.”
Prince Ning examined the figures in the drawing, finding no recollection of them in his memory. But based on his understanding of Empress Sun over the years, he spoke with certainty. Then, thinking of another person, he turned to Auntie Xu with a proposal.
“This…” Auntie Xu hesitated instinctively at Prince Ning’s suggestion.
“Brother Prince Ning, perhaps we should delay this matter for now,” Wanqing interjected, noting Auntie Xu’s reaction at the mention of meeting the Emperor. Without elaborating, she glanced at Prince Ning, her thoughts on the Emperor’s peculiar behavior unspoken.
As they spoke, they suddenly heard Honglian’s cold shout from outside.
“Someone’s here. Let’s go and see!”
At the sound of her voice followed by the clash of combat, Wanqing signaled to Wanchun and the others. They hurried into the courtyard.
“Second Miss Mu, Your Highness Prince Ning. It’s truly no easy feat to gain an audience with you,” said Yemei, clad in black and surrounded by Wanqing’s maids, including Qingfeng and his brother. Despite being encircled, he showed no fear, arms crossed as he greeted them with a faint smile.
“What business does the Night Astrologer have here at such a late hour?”
At the sight of him—the very man they suspected of poisoning their mother—Wanqing’s displeasure was evident as she addressed him coolly.
“It seems Second Miss Mu isn’t too welcoming. I’ve come today to help you. The poison afflicting the Empress Dowager—I happen to have the antidote. Right here.”
Unfazed by her coldness, Yemei chuckled lightly and produced a small vial from his sleeve, tossing it casually toward Wanqing.
“I’ll take it. How can we be sure this is truly the antidote?”
Prince Ning intercepted the vial midair, his expression skeptical as he questioned the man’s motives.
“You don’t have to believe me, but it is indeed the antidote. The poison originated from me. In my palace laboratory, only two people could access such toxins—myself and the current Emperor.”
Yemei’s explanation was calm, his gaze steady as he met their doubtful stares.
“What?”
Prince Ning’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief coloring his voice.
“I speak the absolute truth. If Your Highness doubts me, investigate the palace yourself. As for how the Empress Dowager was poisoned—well, you’ll have to ask your father directly. Heh. I’ve said what I came to say. Farewell.”
With a faint smile at Prince Ning’s stunned expression and Wanqing’s furrowed brows, Yemei turned and vanished into the night.
“This antidote… Qing’er, do you think Grandmother’s poisoning was…”
After Yemei’s departure, Prince Ning stared at the vial in his hand, his mind reeling. The implications of Yemei’s words weighed heavily as he turned to Wanqing, his voice low and pleading.
“I don’t know. But the Empress Dowager’s poisoning is indeed suspicious. And the Emperor’s excessive concern—just today, before you left the palace, he summoned me specifically to inquire about her condition. If Yemei is telling the truth, then the Emperor’s actions suggest he fears her recovery. But why? The Empress Dowager is his own mother…”
Seeing the torment in her brother’s eyes, Wanqing refrained from further influencing his judgment. She shook her head, voicing only her own confusion.
“This… I need time to think. Just… let me be alone.”
Overwhelmed by his sister’s words and the sudden revelations about his grandmother, Prince Ning could no longer maintain his composure. Muttering distractedly, he turned and walked away.
That night, Prince Ning arrived at the Empress Dowager’s palace in plain clothes.
“All of you, leave us. I’ll stay with Grandmother tonight. And Eunuch Sun—ensure no one learns of my visit here, not even my father. Understood?”
Gazing at the unconscious Empress Dowager, Prince Ning tenderly took her hand before dismissing her attendants. As they bowed and withdrew, he retrieved the antidote—given by Yemei and confirmed by Wanqing—from his robes and administered it to her.
Following Wanqing’s instructions, Prince Ning channeled a gentle flow of energy into the Empress Dowager. Soon, her eyelids fluttered open.
“Grandmother! You’re awake!”
Tears of relief welled in Prince Ning’s eyes as he supported her frail form.
“Chen’er… where am I? I…”
Weakly, the Empress Dowager looked around before her gaze settled on him.
“You’re in your own palace, Grandmother. You were poisoned, but we found the antidote. Do you remember how it happened?”
Prince Ning kept his voice steady, though his heart was in turmoil as he questioned her.
“I…”
The Empress Dowager frowned, struggling to recall. She recounted the meals she’d shared with the Emperor, including the osmanthus cakes she’d requested the day before.
“Ah—I also drank a flask of osmanthus dew your father specially brought me. He said it was left behind by your mother, preserved all these years as a keepsake.”
“Osmanthus dew?”
Prince Ning’s breath caught. His mother had indeed crafted more than just osmanthus cakes—she’d also brewed a delicate osmanthus-infused liquor. Yet in all these years, he’d never heard of any remaining stores.
“Yes. Though it didn’t taste quite as I remembered. Perhaps it had aged. But Chen’er, why do you ask? Surely you don’t suspect your father poisoned me? Child, you may doubt others, but never your father.”
The Empress Dowager’s gentle reprimand was firm. Yet as Prince Ning’s expression darkened with contemplation, she studied him closely, her smile fading into concern.
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