Chapter 44: “That woman from the Huo family, does she truly admire the prince…”

Chapter 44: "That woman from the Huo family truly has feelings for Your Highness..."

As the doors closed, only Emperor Jingyuan and Huo Ling remained in the hall.

Huo Ling finally asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly mention the Duke of Liu's residence?"

Emperor Jingyuan replied, "Merely wished to conduct an investigation."

The Marquis of Wuwei's household had conflicts with Huo Ling, and given the chance, they wouldn't mind causing her trouble. But resorting to harming her in the imperial retreat would be beyond their current stance.

Those with the greatest motive to see Huo Ling in trouble were undoubtedly He Tai and the Duke of Liu's household.

According to the Imperial Guards' investigation, the incident with the spooked horse was clearly He Tai's doing.

The only question was whether the Duke of Liu's household had been involved as well.

After some thought, Huo Ling roughly understood Emperor Jingyuan's reasoning.

Her incident with the spooked horse could be made into a big or small matter.

After all, she wasn't seriously injured. If those in power chose not to pursue it, those below would likely overlook it.

Now that Emperor Jingyuan insisted on a thorough investigation and classified it as "disrupting the Millennium Festival"—a seemingly minor charge with broad discretion in application—it was enough to dismiss He Tai from his post and detain him for some time.

As for investigating the Duke of Liu's household, it was probably due to the emperor's natural wariness.

Once suspicions arose in his mind, he wanted confirmation.

Even if evidence emerged that the Duke of Liu's household had been involved, the mastermind was still He Tai, making it difficult to hold the Duke accountable. Yet, whether they were involved or not would make a world of difference in the emperor's mind.

He would note and remember everything.

As Huo Ling pondered this, Emperor Jingyuan asked, "If it turns out the Duke of Liu's household secretly fanned the flames of discord, but I don't punish them immediately, would A Ling be upset?"

Huo Ling was surprised, her dark eyes fixed on him. "Does this concern Your Majesty?"

"If I asked, it means I want to know."

She smiled faintly. "Then I must advise Your Majesty."

"On what?"

"Your Majesty must consider the larger picture. If you don't punish the Duke of Liu's household immediately, there must be a reason."

Emperor Jingyuan frowned slightly.

The reasoning was sound, but hearing it from Huo Ling's lips pained him.

If he hadn't had her participate, she might not have been in such peril.

Yet after waking, she only regretted not winning the prize and even comforted him not to take it to heart.

Huo Ling became apprehensive. "Did my words displease Your Majesty?"

Emperor Jingyuan reached out and lightly brushed her cheek. "The debt is mine."

She knew her risk had been worth it, she thought.

Her heart leapt—she knew her gamble had paid off.

Showing some vulnerability and yielding at the right moments can make the Emperor feel even more remorseful.

Feeling guilty would make him want to make it up to her twice over.

"Your Majesty, don’t talk nonsense."

Huo Ling did not dwell on the matter further, instead shifting the topic to the Commander of the Imperial Guard: "The Commander of the Imperial Guard is rather..."

She carefully chose a word: "Reliable."

Emperor Jingyuan nearly laughed aloud: "You’re teasing."

Reliable? She obviously thought the Commander played it safe rather than aiming for excellence, needing guidance to act decisively.

Huo Ling smiled faintly: "I may not know him personally, but I know he is Your Majesty’s trusted confidant. The Imperial Guard protects both the palace and Your Majesty. More than just his skills, Your Majesty surely values his loyalty above all."

If he’s not the most capable, assigning him a few capable deputies would suffice.

Loyalty—or rather, the Emperor’s perception of his loyalty—was the rarest quality.

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled and introduced: "His name’s Zhan Ling—he used to be my study partner."

"Tired?" The Emperor rose. "Let me take you back to bed."

Lying on the bed, Huo Ling gazed at him: "Don’t you want to go back to Changqing Palace to rest too?"

The Emperor agreed, but as soon as he turned, she tugged at his sleeve.

He looked back: "What is it?"

There was a clingy note in her voice: "Will you come see me again after you wake?"

The Emperor knew she was still shaken. She might look calm, but she was still shaken from that runaway horse incident, instinctively clinging to him.

When he did not answer immediately, Huo Ling bit her lip, her voice growing hesitant.

"Just a quick visit would be enough. I won’t delay your rest or duties further."

Emperor Jingyuan sighed and sat back down beside her, clasping her hand tightly.

"I won’t leave. I’ll stay for lunch with you and attend to affairs here in the afternoon."

Her eyes lit up, encouraged by this, and she pressed further.

"And tonight?"

The Emperor laughed: "Tonight? After we have dinner and you take your medicine, I’ll leave once you’re asleep. I can’t handle two sleepless nights back-to-back."

Huo Ling gave an embarrassed smile, then suddenly asked: "Are you this generous with everyone?"

The Emperor paused before realizing her "everyone" referred to the other consorts.

"I’m not a generous person. You’re the only one who thinks that."

Seeing she wasn’t tired, he helped her sit up and chatted with her: "Just now, when you tugged my sleeve and asked if I’d return, it took me back to my childhood."

"As a child, like you, I feared falling ill."

Memories he thought he’d forgotten now flowed effortlessly as he spoke. He realized he had remembered them all along—vividly.

"During the reign of the late emperor, there was a consort who was the most favored in the entire harem, known as Consort Li. You must have heard of her."

"The late emperor adored Consort Li and also favored the third prince born to her. My mother, the empress dowager, whose maternal clan had fallen into decline and who was not favored by the late emperor, lived in constant fear of being deposed any day."

"She spent most of her energy trying to please the late emperor and scheming against the other consorts in the harem."

That year, Ningxin was still young. On his birthday, he received a jade pendant from his father, which he cherished like a treasure. But soon after, the Third Prince deliberately broke it.

Enraged, Ningxin fought with the Third Prince and was punished by his father to kneel outside the imperial study hall. He came down with a high fever, kept murmuring deliriously for "Father" and "Mother."

But his father never came.

His mother did visit, but after learning that the late emperor had gone to Consort Li again, she hurried away anxiously, saying she would seek justice for him.

Emperor Jingyuan turned his head to look at Huo Ling, who had unknowingly leaned against his shoulder: "In my feverish haze back then, I also grabbed her sleeve, but she pushed me away."

"What I truly wanted wasn’t justice—just for her to stay."

Huo Ling was very close to him, her breath warm against his neck: "When His Majesty stays with me, what are you thinking?"

Emperor Jingyuan replied, "After being pushed away once, I never tried a second time."

"So I won’t push you away."

Huo Ling lifted her head slightly, kissing Emperor Jingyuan’s neck, then trailing up to his jaw, where she nipped lightly. She complained plaintively, "His Majesty, I’m always the one initiating kisses."

Emperor Jingyuan cupped her face: "We've only done this twice."

He was gentle, pulling back just as her breath began to falter, pressing his forehead against hers, their breaths intertwined.

Lightheaded from their kisses, Huo Ling lightly butted her forehead against his.

Emperor Jingyuan couldn’t resist kissing her again: "What’s wrong?"

"Why did His Majesty say that only I think you’re generous?"

Emperor Jingyuan let out a soft, surprised laugh, hesitating before whispering, "Are you sure you want to ask such a mood-killing question right now?"

"It’s not mood-killing." Huo Ling met his gaze. "I want to know."

"Very well."

After a moment’s thought, Emperor Jingyuan answered succinctly: "I didn’t want the harem to descend into chaos, so while the empress was alive, the consorts’ ranks were determined by seniority and whether they had borne children."

His relationship with the empress had been cordial but distant, but he refused to let his mother’s fate repeat itself with her, so he administered everything with impartiality.

Huo Ling butted her forehead against his more forcefully.

Emperor Jingyuan leaned back slightly, amused. "You were the one who asked."

Huo Ling murmured petulantly: "That's not what I meant."

Emperor Jingyuan understood what troubled her.

By all accounts, she was the one with no seniority to speak of, no children to show.

But Emperor Jingyuan smiled faintly: "It’s different."

A person can only administer everything with complete impartiality when their heart remains unswayed by anyone.

Huo Ling outright acted shamelessly: "I don't care, I'm sleepy."

Emperor Jingyuan indulged her: "Fine, you're sleepy. Then I'll come back at noon to join you for lunch."

After coaxing the emperor away, Huo Ling lay on the bed with her eyes closed, waiting for Wu Mo to come find her.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Wu Mo slipped in, pushed aside the bed canopy, and without a word climbed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and crying.

"Why the tears?"

Huo Ling sighed, suddenly feeling this felt familiar.

Wasn’t this just a replay of how the emperor had coaxed her earlier?

Wu Mo’s tears poured down: "When I saw you fall off the horse, I nearly died of fright."

Huo Ling guessed that, given Wu Mo’s understanding of her and their previous conversation about the position of empress, Wu Mo must have realized she had known the horse was problematic before mounting it.

Thinking about it, it really must have frightened the poor girl.

"It’s alright. Your mistress cheated death—there must be blessings ahead." Huo Ling smiled, lowering her voice gently to comfort her.

To change the subject, Huo Ling asked, "How is Princess Jiale? Was she frightened?"

When Huo Ling first had the accident, Xu Shidu had indeed been absolutely terrified, but with Princess Elder Ningxin’s reassurance and the knowledge that Huo Ling wasn’t badly injured, she had calmed down.

Wu Mo tried to stifle her sobs: "Princess Jiale said she’ll visit you whenever it’s convenient for you, so she wouldn’t bother your recovery."

Huo Ling said, "Then go find her at noon and fill her in on my condition. I’ll meet her in a couple of days when I’m better."

Wu Mo said, "Why wait until noon? I can go find Princess Jiale right now."

"Don’t." Huo Ling looked at her swollen eyes, knowing if she'd slept at all last night, it couldn’t have been much. "Stay and nap with me for a while."

Wu Mo touched her own eyes and flashed a sheepish grin before obediently rolling onto her back and lying beside Huo Ling.

She didn’t ask Huo Ling whether such a risk had been worth it, because she understood her mistress well.

If the young lady had done it, then in her heart, it must have been worth it.

***

With such a commotion at the parade grounds, Emperor Jingyuan was no longer in the mood for hunting.

However, since Huo Ling still needed time to recover, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave the hunting lodge. He decided to stay according to the original plan, waiting until all her scrapes had scabbed over before returning to the capital.

The other courtiers also stayed put without being told in their respective courtyards, quietly observing how things would play out.

They didn’t have to wait long. As noon approached and the midday sun beat down, Commander of the Imperial Guard Zhan Ling personally led a contingent through the courtyards, finally stopping in front of the one belonging to the He family.

The He family, to which He Tai belonged, was also a noble house in the capital—otherwise, the late empress wouldn’t have been able to become a crown princess in the past.

Thus, the He family also had a courtyard in the hunting lodge.

Commander Zhan personally knocked on the courtyard gate and entered the hall, immediately smiling.

The hall held quite the gathering—He Tai, the He family patriarch, and the late empress’s father, the current Duke of Chengen. The three most influential members of the He family were all present.

Commander Zhan directly presented the evidence and ordered He Tai’s captain of the guard to be taken away.

The captain’s face was ashen, but he submitted without protest.

After the captain of the guards was taken away, He Tai frowned at Zhan Ling, who still stood in the hall: "Commander Zhan, aren’t you leaving yet?"

Zhan Ling gave a hollow smile: "During His Majesty’s Longevity Festival celebration, your guard captain actually attempted to harm Xiang'an Commandery Lady and disrupt the festival. Do you truly believe you bear no responsibility?"

He Tai clasped his hands toward the direction of the temporary palace: "This was indeed my negligence. I’ll personally go to the palace to beg His Majesty’s pardon."

"That won’t be necessary." Zhan Ling raised his right hand, signaling his subordinates to step forward. "On His Majesty’s orders, you’re stripped of all official positions. You’re to come with us for questioning."

He Tai’s jaw dropped, completely unprepared for Emperor Jingyuan to act so decisively, giving him no way out: "I—this was my guard captain’s doing—no, I must see His Majesty!"

The He clan leader and Duke of Chengen, who had been sitting quietly, both stood up.

It hadn’t been long since He Tai’s last dismissal from office, and now he was being stripped of his positions again.

This once-promising star of the clan, after two dismissals, would be a dead man walking even if he survives.

Since He Tai wouldn’t take the hint, Zhan Ling no longer held back: "Drag him out!"

He Tai suddenly struggled violently, yelling over and over: "Clan Leader! Second Uncle! Save me! You must save me!"

The He clan leader and Duke of Chengen looked at each other nervously.

Though He Tai was ruined, he was still a junior of their clan. The Duke of Chengen finally spoke: "Commander Zhan, disturbing His Majesty’s Longevity Festival warrants punishment, and stripping He Tai of his positions is understandable. But without further evidence, is it truly necessary to drag him away?"

Zhan Ling smiled: "Take it up with His Majesty, Duke of Chengen. I’m just following orders."

"Moreover, we only wish to invite Lord He to assist in the investigation. There will be no beatings or rough treatment. The clan leader and Duke of Chengen need not worry."

"Once we get to the bottom of this, we will return Lord He safely."

Whether the He clan leader and Duke of Chengen believed this promise or not, He Tai wasn’t buying it.

Back in Yanxi, when Huo Ling had nothing, she still got Prince Duan to team up and try to kill him. Now, she had even less reason to spare him.

He Tai started cursing up a storm: "Huo Ling has His Majesty wrapped around her finger, first seducing Prince Duan, then bewitching His Majesty! Commander Zhan, as His Majesty’s trusted confidant, how can you stand by and let such a woman sully His Majesty’s name?"

Zhan Ling’s expression darkened, and a sharp subordinate immediately gagged He Tai, dragging him away by force.

Zhan Ling then turned to the He clan leader with a smile: "Clan Leader He, mind letting us take a look at He Tai and the guard captain’s quarters?"

"Wouldn’t want to accidentally disturb the ladies of your household."

This was standard procedure for the Imperial Guards. The He clan leader forced a smile: "Of course, of course. I’ll have someone escort you at once."

Zhan Ling conducted the search swiftly, confiscating anything remotely suspicious.

The Imperial Guards had stormed into the He villa like they owned the place and now departed just as grandly with He Tai in custody. It was a spectacle no one could miss.

The Hereditary Prince of Duke of Liu narrowed his eyes: "He Tai was taken away so quickly."

From the incident involving the Huo girl yesterday to now, even if the Imperial Guards worked tirelessly, only a day had passed.

He Tai wasn’t the type to act rashly—he left almost no traces. Yet the Imperial Guards still pinned it on him in such a short time.

It seemed His Majesty truly valued the Huo girl.

"Will His Majesty continue the investigation?" Lady Gu whispered.

The Hereditary Prince shot her a warning glance before replying: "He Tai is the mastermind behind the attempt on Xiang'an Commandery Lady’s life. He had it coming. As a member of the He family, stripped of his positions and taken in for questioning—shouldn’t that be enough to make Xiang'an Commandery Lady happy?"

"If Lady Xiang'an wishes to go even further, not just the He family and the Duke of Chengen, but the entire court would oppose it."

Now that Lady Xiang'an is in trouble and the Emperor's grand celebration was disrupted, His Majesty is eager to vent his frustration by punishing He Tai. The ministers accompanying him have pretended not to notice.

But if His Majesty goes too far—say, executing He Tai—then the ministers who came with him wouldn’t stand for it.

Lady Gu, cowed by her husband’s glare, dared not speak another word.

The Duke of Liu’s heir took a deep breath and softened his tone: "Send a letter to A Qiao and tell her everything that happened here. I also need to inform my father."

In his youth, the Duke of Liu had fought on the battlefield, but later suffered leg injuries. Though it didn’t affect his daily walking, he couldn’t ride anymore. Thus, he had asked Emperor Jingyuan for special permission to remain in the capital to recuperate instead of accompanying the imperial entourage to the palace.

Previously, when Huo Ling arrived in the capital, the Duke of Liu’s heir had not informed the Duke, and the Duke never asked.

Huo Ling’s arrival and becoming Prince Duan’s concubine only affected the balance within Prince Duan’s household, with little impact on major court affairs.

The heir’s moves against Huo Ling were mostly for the sake of his wife and daughter.

But if Huo Ling were to enter the palace, Ji Yuanwan would be the first casualty.

Thus, this time, the heir had to promptly inform the Duke.

***

The capital had seen frequent rain lately. Prince Duan stepped from his carriage, umbrella in hand as he entered the government office.

With peace prevailing across the land, there were few official documents requiring approval. Prince Duan quickly finished his tasks and walked to the window, watching rain stream from the eaves, forming strings that splashed into small puddles on the ground.

The sight reminded him of the last time he and Huo Ling had stood together at the entrance of the Commandery Lady’s residence, watching the rain.

He’d promised Huo Ling they’d meet at the palace, assuring her he had made all necessary preparations. But an imperial order kept him in the capital.

Later, he visited her twice, but Huo Ling was staying at the western suburban villa. He had no choice but to write her a letter explaining everything and sent it to the villa. Yet, to this day, he had received no reply.

His worry deepened. Prince Duan clenched his fist abruptly and turned to leave.

The Princess Consort of Duan was drilling her youngest son in the *Three Character Classic*. The toddler’s words were still garbled, occasionally making the adults in the room burst into laughter.

When she saw Prince Duan, the Princess Consort was surprised and instinctively glanced at the sky outside. "You’re back early from court?"

Prince Duan’s expression was grave. "There’s something I must discuss with you, so I left early."

So urgent? The Princess Consort had the child taken out and personally served Prince Duan tea, ready to listen attentively.

"What I need to tell you concerns Huo Ling."

The Princess Consort scoffed—she’d seen this coming.

Seeing her reaction, Prince Duan sighed and took her hand. "A Qiao, we’ve been butting heads forever, never talking things through. And I know you may not wish to hear about Huo Ling and me."

The Princess Consort’s face twisted in disgust. "Does Your Highness intend to rub your love for her in my face?"

Prince Duan had anticipated this reaction. Every time he tried to discuss Huo Ling calmly, the Princess Consort struggled to remain composed, forcing him to cut the conversation short.

But now, he could delay no longer.

So Prince Duan used one sentence to make her understand the gravity of the situation.

"Huo Ling knows damn near everything about my arrangements in Yanxi."

The Princess Consort froze, her rage fog finally lifting. "What do you mean by that?"

Prince Duan said, "Every detail written in the memorial I submitted to request Huo Ling's title as County Lady was true."

"County Lady?" Princess Consort of Duan asked in confusion. "Wasn't it Commandery Lady?"

Prince Duan took a deep breath and explained seriously, "I requested the title of County Lady, but for reasons unknown to me, His Majesty ultimately granted her the title of Commandery Lady."

At the city gates, when he heard the imperial edict conferring Huo Ling the title of "Xiang'an Commandery Lady," he knew this spelled trouble.

He had spared He Tai’s life, which already meant breaking his word. Thus, Huo Ling accused him of lacking sincerity.

Originally, he had intended to demonstrate his sincerity by submitting the memorial to request her title as County Lady. But after the edict was issued, Huo Ling’s title was elevated from County Lady to Commandery Lady...

This made things awkward.

The gesture showed sincerity, but it fell short.

Though Huo Ling never reproached him afterward and even smiling at him again, Prince Duan still felt a deepening unease.

This unease drove him to Huo Ling’s courtyard on New Year’s Eve, bringing a zither to play *The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate* for her, hoping to deepen their bond.

Returning to the present, Prince Duan looked at Princess Consort of Duan and gently took her hands. "A Qiao, we’ve been married for many years, and both of our children are yours by birth."

"You should believe that no matter who enters this household, neither your status nor our children's position will ever be threatened."

"The reason I haven’t petitioned to establish an heir yet is because the adoption of Yuanyuan remains unresolved. I cannot bypass Yuanyuan now and directly petition to name Yuankang as heir."

At this, Princess Consort of Duan's expression softened. But recalling Prince Duan’s earlier words—that Huo Ling knew all about his arrangements in Yanxi—she felt a tightness in her chest.

"What exactly is the situation in Yanxi?"

Prince Duan gave her an edited version of events.

Most of the sensitive information wasn’t directly disclosed by him to Huo Ling; rather, she'd either figured it out herself or been part of it.

"She knows too much. If she hadn’t married into our household but wed someone else, could we trust her to keep these matters secret?"

"Her father is the current deputy commander of Xingtang Pass. Currently, both the commander and deputy at Xingtang Pass answer to me. But if she hadn’t entered our household, could we still fully trust her father?"

The Princess Consort's expression grew increasingly grave.

She wasn't without political acumen. After all, having been born into the Duke of Liu’s household, even without formal instruction, she had absorbed enough political insight by osmosis.

The Princess Consort had to admit that marriage was always a means of binding interests.

Just as Prince Duan’s marriage to her had strengthened the ties between him and the Duke of Liu’s household in court affairs. Until the matter of Ji Yuanwan’s adoption, the two houses had become staunch allies, advancing and retreating together.

Seeing the Princess Consort deep in thought, Prince Duan breathed an inward sigh of relief.

If she was listening, that was enough.

So he continued: "I’ve done too much in Yanxi. If these matters accidentally reach His Majesty’s ears, what might His Majesty conclude?"

"You and your father both know that everything I’ve done is to strengthen Yuanyuan’s position. But would His Majesty accept that?"

The Princess Consort's heart dropped at this. Before she could respond, Prince Duan continued, "And then there’s the Duke of Liu’s household. When He Tai served as the commander of Xingtang Pass in Yanxi, he'd done many favors for the Duke of Liu’s household."

"After I fell out with He Tai, he even tried to use this to threaten me."

The Princess Consort's eyebrow twitched—the Duke of Liu’s household was involved in this as well? "What exactly did he do for the Duke of Liu’s household?"

Prince Duan said, "Don’t worry, his dealings with the Duke of Liu were strictly business, but the sums involved were astronomical."

For Prince Duan to say “astronomical,” it was certainly no trivial amount.

"Did Huo Ling know about this?" the Princess Consort asked.

Prince Duan didn’t lie: "She didn’t know the specifics, but she likely had some suspicions."

With one hand held by Prince Duan and the other gripping the corner of the table tightly, the Princess Consort was clearly blindsided by this barrage of revelations.

Prince Duan didn’t rush her, waiting quietly for her to process the information.

After a long silence, the Princess Consort squeezed her eyes shut. "Why didn’t you tell me about these things earlier?"

Prince Duan gave a bitter smile. "These are sensitive matters. I couldn’t possibly write to you about them."

"After returning to the capital, we were too busy feuding. How long has it been since we sat down for a proper conversation?"

It had been over a month, and only now had the Princess Consort’s anger subsided enough for her to listen calmly.

Clenching her jaw, the Princess Consort thought back to the conversation she’d had with her parents at the Duke of Liu’s residence before the emperor left the capital. A chill of fear ran through her.

...Had her father already moved against Huo Ling?

If Huo Ling were to break with Prince Duan over this...

In the past, the Princess Consort would have been pleased, but now she worried about the impact on her eldest son’s future.

Shooting a glance at Prince Duan, she pressed her lips together and decided not to mention this to him, quietly deciding to write to her father as soon as possible—hoping it wasn’t too late.

Just then, the chief maid outside the door knocked. "My lady, the heir’s wife has sent a courier with a letter."

The Princess Consort was startled—a letter from her mother?

"My lord, please wait here. I’ll be back shortly."

She followed the maid into the adjacent study, took the leather envelope from the courier, and sliced it open with a dagger to retrieve the letter inside.

After reading the first two lines, her eyes widened in shock, and she reread them.

Crushing the letter in her grip, she turned to look toward the master bedroom next door. Her disbelieving gaze seemed to pierce through the wall, as if trying to see Prince Duan inside.

Biting back a scream, she scanned the rest of the letter, her entire body trembling violently.

The maid asked worriedly, "My lady, what’s wrong?"

"What’s wrong?"

Unable to contain herself any longer, the Princess Consort burst out of the study, marching back to Prince Duan with the letter in hand.

Glaring down at him, she shoved the letter in his face. "Let me ask you one question."

"Does that Huo woman truly admire you?"

Prince Duan was stunned by the abrupt question but answered, "Of course."

"Good, good, good." She let out a bitter laugh. "Then is she truly willing to enter Prince Duan’s residence as a concubine?"

Prince Duan hesitated but replied, "We had an agreement."

Although...

Although He Tai did not die, he later made sincere efforts to compensate A Ling.

The Princess Consort of Duan burst into laughter uncontrollably, though it was unclear whether she was laughing at herself or at Prince Duan.

“Did Your Highness know that your beloved doesn’t care for your offer to make her your consort? She is about to enter the palace as His Majesty’s concubine.”

Prince Duan shot to his feet, in disbelief. “What did you say!?”

Glancing at the letter in the Princess Consort’s hand, Prince Duan seized it without hesitation.

The letter did not mention the Hereditary Prince of Duke Liu’s attempt to harm Huo Ling, so the Princess Consort did not stop him.

Standing opposite Prince Duan, she watched his shifting expressions with a mix of resentment and grim satisfaction.

Prince Duan’s face gradually paled. By the time he reached the end of the letter, he could barely stand, collapsing back onto the stool.

“This can’t be.”

“How could A Ling betray me like this…”

“No, I don’t believe it. She must have been forced—it must have been His Majesty’s doing. I’ll go find her and get answers.”

Prince Duan sprang up from the stool and headed for the door.

“Enough!”

The Princess Consort shouted toward the door, “Close it!”

Her attendants swiftly complied.

Facing the swiftly shutting door, Prince Duan lowered his head, pressing his right hand against it while his left covered his face. He did not try to stop it.

“Huo Ling met with misfortune on the fifth day after the imperial procession arrived at the summer palace. Sending a letter back to the capital from there takes at least four days.”

“By the time you reach the summer palace, the imperial procession will already be returning to the capital. Do you want to become a laughingstock again by rushing there now?”

The Princess Consort gripped Prince Duan’s arm tightly, her long, painted nails nearly digging into his flesh.

She sobbed, “Is your childish infatuation the most important thing right now?”

“Have you even considered what will happen to your schemes in Yanxi after Huo Ling enters the palace? What will become of Yuanyuan?”

Prince Duan’s head spun.

How did things come to this?