Chapter 97: Heartless

"Hahaha......" she spat blood‑foam, laughing wickedly, "Did you hear? The Emperor is coming!"

Her blood‑stained nails scratched the floor tiles as she struggled to crawl toward the hall doors, "He still has me in his heart, so he returned."

"Tell me, if the Emperor saw you treat me like this, how would he punish you?"

Xu Luoyan's face was swollen beyond belief, and her once dull eyes now sparked with hope.

Xiao Shunzi and the others turned deathly pale; Li Ping'er, frantic, grabbed Wan Tang's sleeve: "Master, it really is the Emperor, please stop!"

If this continues, who knows what consequences will follow?

Wan Tang calmly removed the blood‑stained armor, then bent to tidy Xu Luoyan's disheveled collar, "Jing Pin's sister is right."

Her fingertip pressed heavily on the bruised spot on her neck, "The Emperor loves you the most."

【Loving her? What a joke, clearly after Li Chongyi was sent away, Su Yanci coaxed many words from his mouth.】

【Indeed, coming now is not about romance; it's because the Xu Family's ambitions stir, the Emperor is agitated. Moreover, Su Yanci hinted subtly, exposing the oddity of Xu Yanchuan's return, making the Emperor reconsider.】

【The Xu Family doesn't even need to report to the Emperor, yet they intend to execute the Northern Border general; do they truly regard the Emperor?】

【Thus, the Emperor didn't come to rescue Xu Luoyan; he intends to use her to strike the Xu Family, to let them know Xu Luoyan now belongs to the royal house, not the Xu Family.】

So that's it.

Wan Tang heard the voice from the Barrage and felt no trace of fear in her heart.

The hall doors burst open with a boom, and cold wind swirling with snowflakes surged in.

Chu Yunzheng's dark cloak still clung to unmelted snow, his eyes scanning the mess strewn across the floor.

The toppled screen, shattered tea cups, and Xu Luoyan's face swollen like a pig's head.

"Emperor!" Xu Luoyan wailed, trying to rush forward, but Wan Tang "accidentally" stepped on her skirt hem, sending her crashing heavily before the Emperor's feet.

Chu Yunzheng's brows beneath his crown did not twitch as he looked at Wan Tang, "What's going on?"

Chu Yunzheng stood with his arms crossed, his icy face beneath the crown, his gaze sweeping the mess before finally resting on Xu Luoyan's pig‑head‑sized swollen face.

The Emperor's voice was low, yet like cold iron striking the ground, it made every palace attendant in the hall shiver.

Xu Luoyan, as if seeing a savior, immediately rolled and crawled to Chu Yunzheng's feet, tears streaming, "Emperor! Please intercede for me!"

She pointed to her bruised, purplish face, voice sharp and shrill, "Wan Pin has gone mad! She stormed into Jingren Palace and, without warning, attacked me! I carry the dragon heir, and she dares to beat me—clearly she doesn't regard the Emperor."

Speaking of this, Xu Luoyan felt a surge of grievance in her heart.

"The Xu Family has been loyal and heroic for generations! My father fought for the country! My brother is also willing to die in battle for the court; in my Xu Family, who isn't a brave, war‑savvy son who protects the nation?"

"Even the Emperor wouldn't treat our Xu Family this way on ordinary days; I have offended the Emperor, and I acknowledge my mistake. After all, our Xu Family also has Meng who suffered injustice."

"But Wan Tang, how could you dare strike me?"

"Even when I was at home, such a slip never occurred!"

She grew more agitated, repeatedly citing the Xu Family's achievements, yet failed to notice the chill in Chu Yunzheng's eyes had solidified.

He twitched a finger joint, Li Defu instantly understood and shouted sharply, "Jing Pin! In front of the Emperor, mind your bearing!" Xu Luoyan choked, yet remained unrelenting, wailing, "Emperor! Wan Pin humiliates me like this, and you would tolerate her?"

"Enough."

Chu Yunzheng cut in with a cold voice, his gaze turning to Wan Tang, who had remained silently standing beside him.

"Wan Pin." His voice was icy, "Do you know what crime it is to strike a consort bearing the dragon heir?"

Everyone in the hall held their breath; Xiao Shunzi and the others turned deathly pale, while Xu Luoyan displayed a smug expression.

Wan Tang, however, remained unhurried, offering a graceful bow, "Your Majesty, I did not intend any offense."

She lifted her gaze, her eyes clear, "It is only that Jing Pin, relying on her pregnancy, dared to strike me. I had no choice but to defend myself."

As she spoke, she gently rolled up her sleeve, revealing several bright red claw marks on her wrist—clearly left by Xu Luoyan's nails.

Chu Yunzheng's eyes darkened slightly.

Wan Tang continued, "Jing Pin also claimed that I am merely an orphan; even if she struck me, the Emperor would not blame me."

Chu Yunzheng raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze shifting between Xu Luoyan and Wan Tang, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xu Luoyan seized the chance, tears welling, pleading, "Emperor, see clearly! Wan Pin spouts nonsense! When have I ever said those words?"

"She, relying on your favor, dares to handle me on her own; that's clearly disrespecting you!"

She grew more agitated, voice sharp, "Someone like her who defies superiors and shows no respect for rank should be dragged out and beaten to death!"

The hall fell silent, the atmosphere suddenly taut.

At that moment, Wan Tang let out a soft "ah", showing an expression of disbelief.

"Sister... how could you say that?"

She bowed her head slightly, her long lashes trembling, a single tear falling just right, "My younger sister came today only because I saw your recent unrest, feared it might harm the dragon heir in your womb, and wanted to urge you to calm down and nurture the fetus; the rest need not be considered."

"But you, sister, not only ignored me, you also insulted me as a 'low maid' and even grabbed and wounded the concubine."

She lifted her wrist, showing those bright red scratches, tears in her eyes, yet forced a brave smile, "I only... only wish to prevent you from erring again."

"I never imagined you would come to hate me so much."

Xu Luoyan's eyes widened; she was completely stunned.

These words, this posture—how familiar!

Isn't this exactly the "retreat to advance" technique Wan Tang once taught her?

She opened her mouth to retort, but found every sentence from Wan Tang was flawless, even more masterful than the teachings she once received.

"You... you are talking nonsense!" Xu Luoyan trembled with anger, her voice altered, "You were the one who struck first!"

Chu Yunzheng watched with cold eyes, seeing Xu Luoyan's hysterical demeanor and contrasting it with Wan Tang's tearful yet dignified posture, his annoyance becoming increasingly evident.

"Jing Pin." His voice was cold and deep, "I think you truly have gone mad."

Xu Luoyan felt as if struck by lightning, her body frozen in place.

"These were all her tactics; she had always relied on them to keep the Emperor's heart fixed on herself."

"But now, all her tactics have been used by Wan Tang—what should she do?"

Seeing the Emperor's disgust, Xu Luoyan's heart was terribly uneasy, and she hurriedly said, "Emperor, no, she is deceiving you."

"She's faking it, it's all an act."

【Is it even an act, does it still matter?】

【In Yangxin Hall, the Emperor has already been driven to agitation by the Xu Family faction, and now he no longer even has the authority to deal with a single person.】

【The Emperor knows that Xu Yenchuan is a talent, but alas the mighty sovereign cannot protect the person he admires; what do you think the Emperor's mind is like?】

【The women of the Imperial harem are not beyond the Emperor's perception; he simply lacks the inclination to deal with them. Does the method used even matter?】

【Now the Emperor is single‑minded, pondering how to justly and reasonably punish the Xu Family.】

Listening to the Barrage, Wan Tang was not flustered at all.

On the contrary, her heart grew ever calmer.

She stared coldly at the Xu Luoyan before her, and instead of that, a mocking smile appeared.

She even turned her head, and from a angle unseen by others, gave the Emperor a playful wink.

Chu Yunzheng's face was originally cold, his nerves taut, and when he saw Wan Tang's gaze, his heart suddenly trembled.

Chu Yunzheng idly brushed the jade ring with his fingertips, his eyes holding a hint of amusement as he looked at Wan Tang.

This little fox performs quite convincingly, indeed.

Xu Luoyan saw that the Emperor not only did not get angry, but watched Wan Tang's act with interest, and her heart instantly cooled by half.

Her hand clutching the handkerchief trembled, the carefully prepared polite words were stuck in her throat, and not a single word could be uttered.

"Subject, the child I bear is the Emperor's flesh and blood!" she suddenly collapsed to the ground, weeping like rain‑soaked pear blossoms, "To act like this against the Imperial Heir, where is the ancestral family law?"

Wan Tang heard the words and let out a light laugh; her gilded armor brushed her slightly rounded abdomen as she leisurely stepped forward two paces.

"Ah!" she suddenly clutched her belly and staggered, then lifted her head, a cold gleam flashing in her eyes: "Concubine Jing, what audacity! How dare you assault my fetal qi?"

Xu Luoyan stared with wide eyes: "You spew blood‑filled lies!"

"Isn't it just the Imperial Heir?" Wan Tang lightly tapped her abdomen with her fingertip, smiling as gently as water, "Who doesn't have one?"

Chu Yunzheng furrowed his brow at the right moment: "Concubine Jing, I see clearly."

He rose and brushed away the non‑existent dust on his dragon robe, "You have repeatedly assaulted Concubine Wan, but since you are pregnant, I will not press the matter further."

"But your arrogance like this truly worries me."

"Issue an edict: have Madam Wang enter the palace to accompany; whatever the child of Yan'er may be, the Xu Family must present their head for an audience."

Now the Xu Family is at the height of its power.

The Emperor has no means to restrain Xu Luoyan.

At this moment Wan Tang gave him an almost perfect reason, summoning Wang Jingyi into the palace to become a hostage of the Xu Family.

Even if Xu Luoyan were foolish, upon hearing this she would grasp the key point.

Her eyes were filled with despair.

Xu Luoyan felt as if struck by lightning: "No! Emperor! Mother cannot enter the palace now; I, Subject, promise I will not cause trouble again."

"I, Subject, am already in the palace, patiently awaiting the birth of the Imperial Heir."

"Please…"

Xu Luoyan finally began to soften.

But once the Emperor opens his mouth, how could it be altered.

"The Emperor is merciful," Wan Tang bowed gracefully, cutting off her wailing, "Sister Concubine Jing, have you not given thanks?"

Xu Luoyan's gaze shifted slowly from Wan Tang's figure to the Emperor's.

But before she could see the Emperor's face clearly, she turned her head immediately.

She let out a cold, melancholy laugh: "Alright, so that's how it is."

Having said that, she glared at Wan Tang with a face full of resentment: "You bastard, it's all your fault!"

Having said that, with a swift motion she slapped Wan Tang across the face.

She roared with venomous resentment: "Bastard, you think you can harm my Xu Family? Dream on!"