Chapter 265: Wan Tang's Disappearance

Inside Changle Palace.

Xiao Shunzi dragged her utterly exhausted body back, her face unable to hide the gauntness and despair.

They looked at the hopeful crowd, shook their head heavily, and said, "Both inside and outside the palace, every connection that can be used has been employed."

"No news at all."

"Master, she seems to have vanished from Cining Palace out of thin air."

Hui Guifei, upon hearing that, unconsciously tightened her grip around Minghui's arm.

"How could she be missing?!"

"They must not have searched thoroughly enough; I will go find her myself," Li Ping'er said, eyes reddened as she rushed toward the hall's exit.

"Yuan Bin, Your Majesty!" a slightly aged yet steady voice rang out.

Li Defu, who had been silently standing in the corner, stepped forward and blocked her.

He now limps on one leg, his posture stooped, yet his gaze is deeper than ever before.

"Useless, she cannot be found," Li Defu's voice carried a world‑weary tone, "Back then, during the Nine Princes' Struggle for the Throne, how perilous it was."

"The Empress Dowager could silently sow discord among several princes, further causing the Late Emperor to grow weary of Yan Wang."

"Sending away an Imperial Concubine, would that be difficult for her?"

He scanned the circle of pallid faces and said word for word, "The person is simply no longer inside the palace."

"Then where?" Li Ping'er seized Li Defu's sleeve abruptly, asking anxiously.

Li Defu patted Li Ping'er's hand, his words heavy, "Where she is now is irrelevant. What matters is you all."

His voice dropped even lower, "Xiao Yurou will ascend the throne, and the Empress Dowager's rise is inevitable."

"Virtuous Consort's disappearance is only the first step."

"Next, the Imperial harem will change hands, and a great purge will be unavoidable."

"You either choose to obey, or you can only choose complete silence."

He paused, his tone warning, "Now, what you should consider is how to protect yourselves."

"My sister's fate is unknown; how can she let me protect myself?!" Li Ping'er retorted emotionally, tears streaming.

Li Defu sighed helplessly, shook his head, "I, an old servant, have no omnipotent means. For now, we can only wait."

He looked at them, his gaze profound, "The more obedient and calm you appear, the smoother the Imperial harem's surface will remain."

"Only the Emperor will truly act then."

"The greater the commotion, the more it will make him hesitate to act."

Li Ping'er froze in place, seeming to understand something yet unable to accept this cruel composure.

Hui Guifei, who had been watching coldly, suddenly let out a snort of laughter.

She gently patted Minghui, still sobbing in her arms, her tone bearing a cold clarity:

"Li Defu is right."

"We truly should remain quiet."

Li Ping'er, hearing this, let her tears flow even more fiercely.

Sorrow rising, she choked out, "No wonder sister always said she only wanted to leave the palace…"

The hall fell into dead silence, save for the howling wind and snow outside the windows.

Cining Palace.

Chu Yunzheng stepped into the hall, his expression solemn, his gaze fixed directly on the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager lifted her eyes, with a composure that commanded everything, "Emperor, I knew you would eventually come."

She lightly brushed the gauze on her neck, her tone nonchalant, "A minor skin wound, nothing serious; thank you for your concern, Emperor."

Chu Yunzheng's eyes were deep, showing no hint of small talk, "Where is the person? How does the Mother Empress intend to deal with her?"

"According to law, bearing weapons to attack me is tantamount to regicide and warrants the extermination of the entire clan."

The Empress Dowager leisurely twirled her teacup, not lifting her eyelids, "What a pity, she is an orphan, with no clan to punish."

"I originally thought to hand her over to the Emperor for punishment, which would at least settle a debt of gratitude with them."

"Who could have imagined…" she sighed feigned helplessness, "That girl's temper is fierce; she injured several of my guard's old women, and somehow she escaped."

"Emperor, tell me, what kind of matter is this?"

Chu Yunzheng listened expressionlessly, the aura around him growing increasingly cold.

The Empress Dowager seemed to recall something, set down her teacup, and looked up at him.

Her gaze sharp, "Oh, right."

"I also heard that the Mo Family still has a stray offspring wandering outside."

"Xu Yanchuan and Wan Tang are actually siblings?"

She said with a hint of sarcasm, "Emperor, I originally thought you had matured enough to handle matters alone, but it seems you are still not thorough enough in dealing with these affairs!"

Chu Yunzheng's jaw tightened, after a moment of silence he said coldly, "No need to trouble the Mother Empress."

"I have already issued an edict to the Northern Border, ordering Xu Yanchuan to return to the capital immediately."

"When he returns, I will personally adjudicate this case."

The Empress Dowager nodded satisfactorily, her meaning clear, "If the Emperor can think so, that is the best."

"Back then, the Mo Family colluded with enemies and rebelled; the Late Emperor was enraged and uprooted them completely."

"Although the Late Emperor is no longer here, these treacherous officials, especially those wielding military power, must be thoroughly cleansed to eliminate future threats forever."

"Our Fengqi realm cannot tolerate even a hint of instability."

She shifted her tone, "As for Virtuous Consort Wan Tang…"

"Since she has already fled the palace, if she now lives under a false name, keeping a low profile, for the sake of that child Minghui, I could make an exception and spare her life."

She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowered, yet laced with unmistakable murderous intent: "If she still refuses to be quiet and dares to stir up trouble again…"

"Then don't blame my cruelty for sending her and her brother off together."

Chu Yunzheng's face grew so grim it seemed it could drip water, and the flames of anger roiled in his chest.

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, yet he never let the fury erupt.

He could only swallow the choking resentment, forcing a sentence out between his teeth: "Your Majesty's teaching, I have recorded."

Xiao Yurou, seeing the stalemate between Chu Yunzheng and the Empress Dowager, felt the moment was ripe.

She deliberately changed into a plain, elegant dress, and styled her hair bun in the way Bai Li most often wore in memory.

Even her brows and expression were deliberately mimicked to convey a hint of coldness.

Carrying a freshly brewed cup of hot tea, she floated forward gracefully, her voice so delicate it seemed it could drip water:

"Your Majesty, worried about state affairs, have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

As she spoke, she slowly lifted her head, gazing at Chu Yunzheng with watery eyes full of Yanmu and timidity.

That posture was almost identical to the description she had gathered about how Bai Li attracted Chu Yunzheng.

On an ordinary day, Chu Yunzheng might have been momentarily dazed by the similar brows and eyes.

But now, his mind was consumed with the burning anxiety and worry over Wan Tang's uncertain fate.

He thought he could calmly weigh the pros and cons, believing that once Wan Tang's deceit was proven, he could discard her as easily as tossing away a chess piece.

Yet when this face, strikingly similar to Bai Li's, appeared before him, all that surged in his mind was Wan Tang.

Tangtang, where are you right now?

Are you still alive?

An unnamed fury mixed with an indescribable heartache surged up suddenly.

He suddenly stepped forward, reached out, and forcefully pinched Xiao Yurou's chin, compelling her to lift her face.

Xiao Yurou was first startled, then secretly delighted; her eyes instantly filled with flattery and obedience, and she even pursed her lips slightly.

However, the anticipated tenderness never came.

Chu Yunzheng stared at her mimicked face, his gaze containing no trace of infatuation, only cold contempt and mockery.

He abruptly jerked his hand away, the force so great that Xiao Yurou staggered, nearly falling.

"Put away that trick!" Chu Yunzheng's voice was bone‑chilling cold. "I know perfectly well the whole cause and effect of today's events in Cining Palace."

"Also, Mother…" he turned to the Empress Dowager, his tone firm, "watch your words; some things should simply not be said."

The Empress Dowager's face darkened: "Your Majesty, what do you mean? Do you intend to conceal the fact that Wan Tang wielded a weapon to assassinate my household?"

"Assassination?" Chu Yunzheng sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm. "In the royal inner garden, could such a scandal as an Imperial Concubine brandishing a weapon to attack the Empress Dowager actually occur?"

"If it spreads, I fear the Fengqi royal family will become the world's laughingstock!"

"Mother, do you truly think such a scandal should be made public?"

He fixed his sharp gaze on the Empress Dowager: "Minghui has never set foot in Cining Palace."

"Naturally, no one has ever come here to ask you, Mother, for a child."

"Mother, you agree, don't you?"

The Empress Dowager was choked by his twisted words that still hit the crux, suppressing her fury as she said, "I only… miss my granddaughter…"

"It's longing," Chu Yunzheng cut her off, a chilling curve lifting his lip, "or because I, after all, am not your biological Prince."

"So you must also clutch my daughter in your hand to feel secure?"

The Empress Dowager's pupils contracted sharply, her complexion turning hideously pale, and her fingers tightened around the Phoenix Throne's armrest.

The hall fell into a death‑like silence.

After a long while, the Empress Dowager seemed to have exhausted herself, slowly leaning back against the chair.

Her voice returned to calm, yet carried an unmistakable tone of negotiation: "Fine, as you wish."

"Minghui never came, and no one ever caused a disturbance."

She paused, lifted her gaze, eyes blazing: "But tomorrow, I must see the Edict of Enthronement appointing Xiao Yurou as Empress, announced to the world."

Chu Yunzheng locked eyes with her for a moment, his gaze swirling with hidden currents and humiliation; finally, he forcefully spat out a single word:

"Can."

After speaking, he no longer cast a glance at the crumpled Xiao Yurou on the ground, her face ghost‑pale, as if she were useless trash, and he strode out of Cining Palace.

In the dungeon, the cold, damp air seeped through every pore, infiltrating the marrow.

Wan Tang leaned against the icy stone wall, covertly moving her wrists whose skin had long been torn by rough ropes.

She held her breath, focusing, listening to the thunderous snores of a hulking man nearby and the occasional clatter of a rolling wine jar.

Fortunately, these days of training under Hui Guifei had strengthened her body, making her limbs far more agile and powerful than before; otherwise, silently untying this knot would have been nearly impossible.

The rope finally loosened completely, still masquerading as if she were bound, and she quickly plotted in her mind.

If it came to a direct fight, her strength was far from a match for that hulking man.

But catching him off guard, striking suddenly, she was confident she could bring him down.

"Dog Emperor finally did something worthwhile. He used the Edict of Enthronement to shut the Empress Dowager up, swearing there was no assassination. As long as that charge is absent, Tangtang is innocent!"

"Exactly, exactly! This way, once we escape, we can return to the palace with a legitimate claim."

"Escape? You're thinking far too simply. Do you know what place this is? It's a secret Xiao Family stronghold where Imperial Guard are bred; above this dungeon, at least a hundred trained Imperial Guard stand watch. Step even one foot out of the dungeon door, and you'll be chopped into mush instantly."

"Wah… Wah… Poor Tangtang, it's terrible—just left the wolf's den and fell into a tiger's lair."

"Breaking news! Xiao Yurou suffered a humiliating disgrace at Dog Emperor's hands and is now rushing here in a frenzy. Look at her stance—she's ready to unleash all her fury on Tangtang."