Chapter 260: The Empress's Position

Bad news, the Empress Dowager actually found Mei Yi.

Mei Yi has followed Wang Jingyi for so many years; what wouldn't she know? It seems Xu Yanchuan's identity can no longer be hidden.

This is a serious problem. Now Xu Yanchuan is at the Northern Border, holding the rank of Grand General, for more reasons, fortunately he has no connection with Wan Tang. And he has no ties to the Mo Family either.

We can set aside Wan Tang for now, but if Xu Yanchuan is the child of a traitor, how could he become a Grand General? It would be a capital crime.

Within the curtain, Wan Tang leans in Chu Yunzheng's arms, uneasy in her heart.

Chu Yunzheng senses her unease, lowers his head and asks softly, "Tangtang, what's wrong?"

Is your body feeling unwell?

Wan Tang lifts her eyes, a trace of unmistakable panic in her gaze.

She whispers, "I don't know why, I just feel a bit flustered."

Chu Yunzheng assumes she is still concerned about handling Xiao Mingshu's matter, and smiles lightly without much thought.

He pulls her tighter, his tone bearing imperial coldness yet his unique leniency toward her: "No need to be flustered over those insignificant people."

"Some people are erroneous by their very existence; meeting such a fate was bound to happen long ago."

Wan Tang hears this and forces a bitter smile; is that unease really about Xiao Mingshu?

But she cannot articulate it, and instead buries her face deeper into his chest.

Her voice muffles, "With the Emperor present, I feel at ease."

Chu Yunzheng, satisfied, runs his hand over her dark hair, lingers a moment longer, then rises.

"I still have state affairs from the Former Dynasty to attend to; I'll visit you later," he says, dressed neatly, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Wan Tang obediently smooths his collar and personally escorts him to the Gongmen.

She watches the dragon carriage disappear, and the gentle smile on her face gradually fades.

Xiao Luzi steps forward at the right moment, smiling, "Your Highness, see, the Emperor truly loves you sincerely; he even entrusts such major matters entirely to you."

Wan Tang turns and walks back, hearing Xiao Luzi's words, only a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Palace of Eternal Joy.

Liu Guiren, taking advantage of Xiao Luzi's absence from the hall, slips in silently.

Her face pale, eyelids swollen, she sees Wan Tang seated on the couch and, without waiting for a word, "plops" straight down to kneel.

"Your Highness…" her voice trembles faintly, "Truly a clever move, allowing me to witness firsthand how much weight you hold in the Emperor's heart."

The Emperor's favoritism and coldness that day in Jingren Palace still chill her heart.

Wan Tang puts down the scroll in her hand, lifts her gaze, and shows no smugness.

Instead she says with understanding, "Some matters, even if I tell you you won't believe, you must see for yourself; only after hitting the southern wall do you realize to turn back."

Her tone is even, "All I have ever wanted is little—just a truth."

Upon hearing this, Liu Guiren trembles even more, collapsing to the ground, sobbing, "But… those things could ruin the entire Wang family!"

"Moreover, Grandmother cherished Aunt the most; she let me enter the palace. She must have intended to make you suffer!"

"I am, after all, a child of the Wang family…"

Wan Tang looks at her condition, her eyes lacking sarcasm, instead showing a genuine pity.

She rises, walks to Liu Guiren, does not let her stand, and looks down upon her.

Her voice slows, each word clear: "A child of the Wang family?"

"Do you truly think they sent you here because they value you?"

She shakes her head lightly, "If they truly cherished you, how could they knowingly send you into such peril, letting you come to my side?"

"Do you think you are better at concealment than Wang Jingyi, whose deep scheming ended in a tragic downfall?"

"Or do you think you are more favored than Xu Luoyan, who once was the beloved of the six palaces?"

With each question, Liu Guiren's complexion pales a degree.

Wan Tang leans slightly forward, eyes blazing: "Even so, do you think you are more valuable to the Wang family than General Xu Chengyuan, whose battle merits are illustrious?"

Liu Guiren jerks her head up, eyes filled with shock.

The people Wan Tang mentions, whether in scheming, favor, or power, were once capable of crushing her at will.

And their fates… none ended well!

Wan Tang straightens, her fingertips lightly brush Liu Guiren's still flat abdomen.

The gesture carries undeniable authority: "Think carefully about what you will do."

"For you, for the child in your womb, what is truly worthwhile?"

"Continue being a pawn that can be discarded at any moment, or seize the chance and take control yourself?"

Her voice bears a beguiling power: "Become the pride of the Wang family, so that the entire future of the Wang clan will rely on you and anticipate the glory you bring—far better than being an insignificant sacrifice."

She pauses, her gaze landing on Liu Guiren's belly, "After all, you already have the greatest support here, don't you think?"

"As long as you faithfully serve me," Wan Tang's voice lowers, yet carries a promise, "I will ensure you safely bear the Imperial Heir."

"When the time comes, a mother's honor rises with her son; your status will naturally soar."

Liu Guiren kneels, her heart in fierce turmoil.

Wan Tang's words are like a dull blade, repeatedly cutting through her long-held self‑deception.

She thinks of the numerous Wang descendants, realizing she is not irreplaceable.

She thinks of the flesh in her womb that could alter her fate.

And recalling the Emperor's near‑blind trust and indulgence toward Wan Tang…

She grits her teeth hard, a resolute flash in her eyes.

She bangs her head heavily onto the ground, voice firm with a do‑or‑die resolve: "I, your servant, will labor like a dog and horse for you! From now on, I will follow only your lead!"

On the Golden Throne Hall.

The atmosphere was grim; the debate over the Empress selection had become heated.

A faction led by Xiao Sihai spoke vehemently, urging the swift enthronement of Xiao Yurou as Empress to secure the state.

"The central palace left vacant is not a blessing for the nation!"

"The Xiao family's women possess outstanding virtue and noble birth; they are the unrivaled choice as the motherly exemplar of the realm. Emperor, please issue an edict soon to soothe the people's hearts!"

Officials supporting Wan Tang were more restrained.

They often cited that "Virtuous Consort co‑managing the Six Palaces does so with order, while the Emperor's sacred heart is autocratic."

They advocated a delay, which in fact was to buy time for Wan Tang.

Another group of officials remained neutral, watching the developments.

Seeing the stalemate, Xiao Sihai's eyes flashed coldly, and he finally resorted to a desperate move.

He stepped forward abruptly, his voice booming: "Emperor, the reason we oppose the Virtuous Consort is that her lineage is disgraceful, fearing it would tarnish the royal reputation!"

He turned, facing the entire court, word by word, like a thunderclap: "Virtuous Consort Wan Tang's birth mother was not an ordinary commoner but a remnant of the Mo family who colluded with the Northern Rong and betrayed the nation."

"The offspring of such traitors carries rebellious blood; what right does she have to hold the phoenix seal and co‑manage the Six Palaces?"

"How can she even have the face to serve at the ruler's side?!"

His voice rose fervently, inciting: "According to our ancestral law, the offspring of a treasonous official—especially one guilty of colluding with the enemy—may only enter the palace as a court lady, at most serving as an official woman to atone for the crime."

"The Virtuous Consort now occupies a high consort rank; this is already the Emperor's vast heavenly grace."

"If she again covets the Empress throne, would that not be the greatest farce under heaven?"

"I humbly request the Emperor to immediately revoke the Virtuous Consort's authority over the Six Palaces, demote her, and punish her according to law!"

What had been a secret was suddenly exposed.

"What? Mo family remnant?"

"So she is the descendant of a traitor?"

"How… how can this serve the monarch!"

The hall instantly erupted in a clamor!

Even the previously neutral officials began to show startled and uncertain expressions.

The officials backing Wan Tang turned pale instantly, at a loss for how to argue.

"'Descendant of a traitor' is a weighty label!"

If proven, not only the Empress throne, but Wan Tang's current consort rank would be in peril, possibly leading to imprisonment in the Great Prison, her life at risk!

Chu Yunzheng sat upright on the Dragon Throne, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water, his knuckles on the armrest whitening from the pressure.

Xiao Sihai's strike was both fierce and precise, directly tearing open the scar he had long deliberately avoided.

"Emperor, if Lord Xiao's words are true, the Virtuous Consort cannot remain in the palace!"

"Please, Emperor, see clearly; if she indeed is the offspring of a traitor, she should be dealt with according to law, as a warning to others!"

"Please, Emperor, imprison the Virtuous Consort in the Heavenly Prison and interrogate her harshly!"

Public sentiment surged, the spear pointing directly at Wan Tang, and a pressure on the palace had already taken shape.

"Enough!" Chu Yunzheng slammed the dragon table and rose abruptly.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes burning with uncontainable fury, "Dismiss the court!"

"Let this matter be discussed later by the Empress."

"Who dares to speak again, I will not be lenient!"

Having finished, he no longer looked at anyone, brushed his sleeves and left, leaving the hall full of ministers exchanging glances, each with different thoughts.

Su Yanci slipped out of the Golden Throne Hall with the crowd, a cold chill hitting his face.

He felt a slight chill on his forehead and instinctively lifted his head.

In the grayish sky, fine white snowflakes silently drifted down.

It is snowing.

In the warm chamber of Palace of Eternal Joy, the charcoal fire burned brightly, dispelling the cold outside the windows.

Wan Tang was holding needle and thread, carefully sewing a small silk‑brocade cotton jacket for Minghui.

Li Ping'er sat beside her, helping sort the colored threads, occasionally chuckling softly; the atmosphere was peaceful and warm.

"Look, Bai Bai!"

Minghui, who had been playing with a cloth tiger on the couch, was suddenly drawn to something drifting outside the window.

He dropped the toy and staggered to the windowsill.

On tiptoes, his chubby little fingers pointed outward, shouting excitedly yet vaguely.

Wan Tang and Li Ping'er heard the sound and looked out, seeing fine white snowflakes falling steadily, like sprinkling salt or wind‑blown willow catkins.

Gradually they coated the palace's glazed tiles and dead branches with a thin white layer.

"Snowing!" Li Ping'er also showed a delighted smile.

Minghui was even more delighted, hopping by the window, his small hand reaching eagerly toward the glass.

Wan Tang set down the needle and thread, went to her daughter's side, and gently lifted her so she could see the snowy scene more clearly.

Seeing her daughter's excited little face, she also smiled gently.

Li Ping'er also came over, looking out, sighing, "Time flies; in a blink, our Minghui Princess is almost two years old and can already watch the snow."

Wan Tang nodded, her gaze soft as she looked at her daughter in her arms.

Li Ping'er seemed to recall something, her tone carrying a hint of complexity.

She whispered, "Speaking of it, Li Defu is now completely crippled, and has become much more honest and compliant."

Wan Tang heard this and gave a faint "hm," saying nothing more.

She then turned to Li Ping'er, noticing a fleeting loneliness in her eyes when she mentioned the child.

She understood in her heart and gently comforted, "A child is fate; it cannot be rushed."

"You are still young, and the Emperor is also in his prime; relax, it will happen eventually."

Li Ping'er lifted her eyes, meeting Wan Tang's concerned gaze, and felt warmth in her heart.

She then forced a slightly strained smile, nodded, but said nothing more.

She simply picked up the silk thread again, quietly concealing that barely perceptible melancholy.

Outside the window, snow fell silently, covering the vermilion walls and azure tiles.

【It's infuriating, you're still idling there, how can you watch the child?】

【Minghui has already been taken away, and you're still reminiscing about the past?】

【Weren't you, Wan Tang, able to hear our Barrage before? Why are you acting stupid again? How many times have we said that the Third Prince is the future Emperor? Letting Liu Guiren become pregnant is one thing, but why don't you look out for Minghui?】

【If it weren't for the Emperor's pressure, Wan Tang would already be in the dungeon by now. Still daring to lose Minghui—if the Princess suffered any mishap, the Former Dynasty's spittle stars could drown you. In that case, even the Emperor couldn't protect you.】

"Minghui!" Wan Tang sprang to her feet, her eyes scanning every corner of the Warm Pavilion anxiously.

The little one who was just babbling by the window a moment ago had vanished without a trace!

"Princess?!" Li Ping'er panicked instantly, and the silk thread in her hand scattered onto the floor.