Chapter 198: Consort Yan Falls Ill

If you can hear what we say, then be moved enough to cry!

Indeed, Yangxin Hall is in total chaos. The major power players were almost fighting there. Even a few of Xu Chengyuan's original men got involved. Li Ping'er risked her life to run to Yangxin Hall, and when the Emperor heard you were in trouble, he ignored everything, set aside all else to search for you.

At this moment, I feel that the Emperor truly loves you.

Wan Tang listened to the barrage's sound; to claim she felt no emotion at all would surely be a lie.

But that's Chu Yunzheng!

To come here so heedlessly proves just how much he cares in his heart.

Xiao Mingshu saw the Emperor suddenly arrive, felt a sudden panic in her heart, but quickly forced herself to calm down.

She put on a gentle smile, stepped forward and bowed: "Emperor, why have you come? Subject is speaking with Virtuous Consort's sister."

Chu Yunzheng didn't even glance at her; from the moment he stepped into the hall, his gaze was fixed on Wan Tang, whose face was stained with tea, kneeling on the ground and trembling slightly.

His complexion was terrifyingly grim, and a dreadful low pressure radiated from his whole being.

He walked straight past the Empress, hurried to Wan Tang's side, bent over, and with utmost gentleness lifted her up.

When his fingertips brushed her icy, damp cheek, his eyes showed an unmistakable mix of heartache and fury.

"Tangtang," he carefully cradled her in his arms, used the corner of his sleeve to wipe the water marks from her face, his voice suppressing his anger, "Tell me, did the Empress bully you?"

Xiao Mingshu hurried to defend herself, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor: "Emperor, you see clearly; subject would never dare."

"Subject was merely tasting tea with Virtuous Consort's sister, and slipped up for a moment..."

She spoke while casting a harsh, warning glare at Wan Tang.

Wan Tang seemed not to notice her threat; her gaze drifted absentmindedly to the shattered fragments of the brocade box on the ground, and a profoundly bleak smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Sensing Chu Yunzheng's unabashed favoritism and care, her nose twitched with a sour sting.

A thousand grievances and countless hardships clogged her throat, rendering her unable to utter a single word; only tears, like beads whose strings had snapped, surged down silently.

This silent weeping is more powerful than any accusation.

Chu Yunzheng looked at her like that, his heart feeling as if it were being violently yanked, intertwining tenderness and fury.

He pulled her tighter into his embrace, his voice cold as iron, each word spoken both to Wan Tang and to the Empress beside him:

"I have said, I will definitely protect you!"

"Shei must not move you a single hair!"

"If anyone dares to bully you again, tell me; I will never be lenient!"

As he spoke, a glint from the corner of his eye swept over Xiao Mingshu like an ice blade, his fierce warning unmistakable.

Wan Tang sniffed in his arms, nodded heavily, leaned on him dependently, yet still choked with unspeakable sobs.

After a while, she finally spoke in an extremely soft, hoarse voice: "Subject, subject misses Minghui..."

Chu Yunzheng immediately replied, "Fine, I will accompany you to see Minghui."

He held Wan Tang, not even glancing again at the Empress's pallid face, turned and left, leaving the hall's coldness and fear behind for Xiao Mingshu.

Chu Yunzheng carefully cradled Wan Tang in his arms and escorted her back to Palace of Eternal Joy.

Xiao Shunzi saw Wan Tang's disheveled hair, drenched clothes, and reddened eyes as Chu Yunzheng carried her back.

Terrified to the point of losing her soul, she hurried forward: "Master! What is this...?"

Before the words finished, Chu Yunzheng's eyes flared with anger, and he raised his foot, kicking him hard: "Dog servant!"

"Where did you die?! Is this how you serve the Master?!"

Xiao Shunzi was kicked, rolling on the ground, his teeth clenched in pain, yet he dared not cry out, frantically kowtowing: "Servant should die! Servant should die!"

Wan Tang weakly grasped the Emperor's sleeve, her voice hoarse: "Don't blame him; I ordered him to go out on business."

"Get out!" Chu Yunzheng barked sharply.

Xiao Shunzi scrambled to his feet, hurriedly retreated, his eyes full of worry and guilt.

Only two people remained in the hall.

Chu Yunzheng helped Wan Tang sit on the edge of the couch, wrung a wet cloth, and gently wiped the tea stains from her face.

His eyes filled only with tenderness and fear: "Tangtang, don't be afraid; no matter what happens, I am here."

His fingertips brushed her slightly reddened eye corner, his tone deepening: "Tell me, why did you just submit to the Empress?"

"I am not blind; this tea all over you—did you not spill it yourself?"

Wan Tang closed her eyes, tears sliding down again, and whispered: "It was... the Empress who spilled it."

"Why is she so rampant?!" Chu Yunzheng's voice, suppressing anger, also carried deep doubt and worry.

He grasped Wan Tang's icy hand, "Tangtang, be honest and tell me, do you have any leverage that fell into her hands?"

Wan Tang's body jolted, she clenched her lower lip hard, nearly biting it to the point of bleeding, yet she remained silent and shook her head.

"Speak out! I will act on your behalf!" Chu Yunzheng said urgently.

Wan Tang suddenly broke free from his hand, staggered and knelt on the ground.

She lifted her face, emotions surging, immense grief and struggle in her eyes: "Emperor, subject is guilty, subject deserves a myriad deaths."

"But I beg, Emperor, could you grant me a little more time?"

Her voice cracked, filled with endless pleading: "Subject only wishes to spend a few more days with Minghui, to accompany her a little longer..."

Chu Yunzheng looked at her that way, his heart sinking heavily, already anticipating that she must bear an unspeakable, immense hardship.

He bent down, helped her up, pulled her tightly into his arms, his gaze exceedingly solemn, yet his tone was resolute:

"The words I have spoken have always been kept."

"Since I said I would protect you completely, I will never allow anyone to take your life."

"Whenever, whatever the circumstance, I will protect you."

Wan Tang buried her head in his solid chest, feeling the undeniable promise of protection, tears once again burst forth, instantly soaking his dragon robe.

A man like this, with such power and such favoritism, uttering such near‑absolute words of protection.

In the world, how many women can remain unmoved?

Chu Yunzheng stepped out of the hall gate and, in a cold voice to Xiao Shunzi, who was kneeling and trembling in the distance, said, "Take good care of your master for me."

"If there is any more good or ill, I will only question you!"

His gaze immediately fell on Bai Wei, who was kneeling upright at the palace gate, her resentment barely concealed, and a blaze of anger rose in his eyes.

His eyes narrowed like Yin Zhi, and he deliberately asked Li Defu beside him, "Who is the one kneeling?"

Li Defu, ever shrewd, immediately bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, she is Aunt Bai Wei of Kunning Palace."

"Oh?" Chu Yunzheng said with a teasing tone, yet with a bone‑chilling coldness, "Why is someone from the Empress's side kneeling at the Virtuous Consort's palace gate?"

Li Defu's voice was flat and unruffled: "It is said that, for disrespecting the Virtuous Consort and uttering offensive words, she was punished to kneel here."

"Dog servant!" Chu Yunzheng's voice suddenly turned cold and fierce, "Even my people can be bullied by her watchdog?!"

He paused, as if suppressing his fury, and said to Li Defu, "Enough. As for the Empress's face, I must still consider it to some degree."

His gaze landed on Li Defu, and his command, light as a feather yet as heavy as a thousand pounds, was, "You, go yourself."

"Give me a slap. Beat her until she learns to speak like a human."

"Aha!" Li Defu did not hesitate and immediately obeyed.

Chu Yunzheng gave no further glance, flicked his sleeve, and headed toward Yangxin Hall.

Li Defu walked step by step to Bai Wei's side, expressionless.

Bai Wei, terrified, turned ghost‑white and pleaded repeatedly, "Li Gonggong, Li Gonggong, spare me! I, the serving woman, know my fault!"

Li Defu looked down from his height, his voice thin yet icy, "Aunt Bai Wei, what are you saying?"

"I am here to give you a slap on behalf of the Wang Suiye."

A strange smile even tugged at his mouth corner: "You, truly, are fortunate."

"Snap!" An extremely loud slap struck Bai Wei's face with such force that she fell sideways to the ground, her mouth corner instantly cracking and bleeding.

Before she could recover, the two young eunuchs behind Li Defu rushed forward and held her down tightly.

Li Defu flicked his wrist and raised his hand again.

The crisp, ruthless sound of the slap, accompanied by Bai Wei's suppressed wails and pleas for mercy, rang one after another outside Palace of Eternal Joy Gate, lingering endlessly.

Wan Tang, now dressed in clean palace attire, stood quietly inside the hall gate, listening to the gradually fading cries outside.

Throughout the Side Hall, whether anyone showed up or not, countless eyes were anxiously peering at the commotion here.

Wan Tang's gaze was deep, revealing no emotion.

Xiao Shunzi's face bore an excited, triumphant smile, and in a low voice said, "Master, the Emperor is venting on your behalf."

"After this incident, who in the Imperial harem still dares not keep their eyes wide open?"

"The Emperor cares most about you! Even the Empress's people…"

Wan Tang cast a glance, and Xiao Shunzi fell silent at once.

At that moment, the slapping ceased.

Li Defu adjusted his sleeves and walked slowly into the main hall.

Bowing to Wan Tang, he said, "Virtuous Consort, Bai Wei has acknowledged her fault, and after kowtowing and thanking outside, she has fainted."

"The old servant has come to report back."

Wan Tang's tone was even, "You have been a burden, Gonggong."

Beside them, Xiao Shunzi promptly and cleverly presented a plate of gold ingots.

Li Defu smiled, did not immediately take them, and scanned the surroundings with his gaze.

Xiao Shunzi understood and immediately signaled for all palace staff inside the hall to withdraw.

When only the two of them remained, Li Defu lowered his voice and said, "Your Grace, you are too kind."

"The old servant still wishes to thank the Virtuous Consort for her intercession on Li's behalf."

"No need," Wan Tang said, her voice cold and clear, "I have said before, your matters have nothing to do with me."

Li Defu seemed not to hear her cold refusal and continued speaking on his own.

His tone carried a desperate, all‑or‑nothing bargaining feel: "The old servant has previously mentioned that I am willing to join forces with Your Grace."

"In this life, the old servant has only this slight blood‑line attachment."

"As long as Your Grace can help Ping'er rise step by step, the old servant is willing to become the most effective knife in Your Grace's hand."

Wan Tang was unmoved: "Gonggong's methods are boundless; even without me, I suppose she could still be made to fly onto a branch."

Li Defu's complexion suddenly turned extremely ugly, as if a sore spot had been struck.

His voice dropped even lower, almost indecipherable: "The old servant, the old servant has hardships that cannot be spoken of!"

He quickly readjusted his expression, returning to his calculating demeanor: "I suppose Your Grace now also needs the old servant."

"After all, the old servant knows quite a lot."

Seeing Wan Tang still silent, he smiled meaningfully and dropped a heavy hammer of words: "For example, today when the honored elders arrived before Yangxin Hall, the Emperor had just received a secret letter."

He deliberately paused, watching Wan Tang's reaction: "The secret letter says Yan Wangfei is ill."

Wan Tang's pupils contracted imperceptibly.

Yan Wangfei, Bai Li.

Li Defu continued, his voice like a venomous snake spitting: "At that moment the Emperor was extremely despondent, vexed that he could not attend personally."

"Your Grace, you resemble Yan Wangfei the most."

"Now the Wang Suiye's all debts and concerns toward Bai Li are poured entirely onto you."

He kindly reminded, "Virtuous Consort, this great fortune, you must hold onto tightly!"

Having finished, he said no more, bowed, took the plate of gold ingots, and slipped out silently.

Inside the hall, only Wan Tang remained, her complexion flickering in the candlelight.