The Dowager's Gambit

I crossed over into this life and became the Dowager Empress.

Not the kind of young stepmother who's sixteen while the emperor is eighteen, with generals and chancellors eating out of her hand. No, I was the emperor's actual mother, a true dowager about to celebrate her fiftieth birthday.

So what could I possibly stir up now? With this decrepit body that wheezed like a broken bellows after just a few steps, this worn-out frame that needed a change of trousers every time I coughed—what great deeds could I accomplish?

Just when I thought life had become unbearably dull and I'd lost all purpose, someone knocked on the door of the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility.

The empress led a crowd of consorts as they knelt before me. "We beg Your Majesty for justice."

After a careful inquiry, I learned that some time ago, the emperor had brought a woman back from outside the palace. Lately, he'd been spending every day carousing with her in the harem, neglecting the six palaces and abandoning court affairs.

I perked up immediately. Gathering my retinue, I marched in full force to the Hall of Heavenly Blessing.

When word came that his mother had arrived, the emperor came to pay his respects with obvious reluctance.

I took a good look at him. Not a bad-looking fellow—so why couldn't he act like a decent human being?

Just as I was puzzling over this, the emperor pulled a plainly dressed woman with no makeup to her name and knelt stiffly on the ground.

"Your son was pushed onto the throne by you, Mother, and it was never what I truly wanted."

"All I've ever wanted was a carefree life, free from the world's troubles."

"Lanyue is as pure and unassuming as a chrysanthemum. She understands my heart. She's nothing like those common, vulgar beauties. I've long since fallen deeply in love with her."

"If you refuse to let me make her empress, then I'd rather not be emperor at all!"

His words rang out with conviction, but they set my teeth on edge.

I swept my gaze left and right. The harem ladies were equally stunned, their faces twisted as if suffering from indigestion.

The emperor, oblivious, held his beloved close and declared with fervor.

"Don't think you can trap me with power and wealth any longer. I'd rather live as a simple villager with Lanyue than break my promise to her—one heart, one person, for this life and the next!"

After comforting the woman in his arms, he turned to me, eyes blazing.

"Mother, I've long tired of being your puppet on a string. Now, I want to live for myself for once."

With that, a hint of a defiant smile crept across his face.

"You've schemed and clawed your way to the highest position, Mother. I doubt you even understand true love anymore."

Well, damn. He actually made me laugh—out of sheer exasperation.

To hell with your "not what I wanted." You're the legitimate son of the empress. If you refuse the throne to play hermit, do you think your brothers and uncles would let you live?

And sure, I'm not the original owner of this body, but I know how much she sacrificed in that treacherous harem to put her son on the throne. How she drained herself managing the court on his behalf.

Without your so-called "ambitious" mother, would you be standing here talking about pursuing your dreams?

Suppressing my disdain, I asked my trusted eunuch, "How many consorts in the harem have given birth to princes?"

The eunuch's eyes darted shrewdly. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Consort Shu, Consort Liang, Consort Li, and Lady Guo all have princes."

I slapped my thigh. Then why the hell do I need this useless lump of flesh?

Watching the two of them pouring out their hearts to each other, I simply jutted my chin. "Then get lost."

"Take your beloved woman and move straight into the deep mountains and forests."

"Don't let the wealth and danger of this palace poison her."

The emperor was stunned.

After a long silence in the hall, the empress stepped forward.

She forced a smile. "Your Majesty must be joking."

She removed her hairpins, took off her outer robe, and let her hair fall loose. Then, along with all the consorts, she performed a grand bow to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Dowager Empress's hatred runs deep because her love runs deeper. We beg you to consider the weight of the empire. Please, say no more words that wound her heart."

The emperor, already caught between a rock and a hard place, grew even more flustered. He looked up to gauge my expression, as if trying to figure out whether I meant what I said.

Lanyue, her eyes swimming with tears, threw herself at the emperor, weeping like she'd lost her father. "No, Your Majesty, I won't let you do this for me."

"I told you—as long as I can stay by your side, I'm willing to be your little cat, your little dog."

"Your Majesty, I love you. I love every part of you."

"Your mother, your wives, your children—I love them all!"

"From the day I fell in love with you, I knew you weren't just my lover. You're someone else's son, someone else's husband, someone else's father."

With that, her eyes glistening with tears, she swept her gaze across everyone in the hall and spoke to the emperor with heartbreaking sorrow.

"These are all your family! How could I bear to let you leave the people who love you just as much as I do?"

"Your Majesty, don't take me away from here. This place may be a cage, but love holds it together."

She clasped her hands together pitifully. "Let me go in with you. Let me face it with you. Please?"

What kind of over-fertilized freak sprouted from whose garden? I had nothing but question marks.

"People who love him just as much," my ass!

If he weren't the emperor—never mind the consorts who entered the palace for their families' honor—even his own mother, the original owner of this body, would have sent him packing long ago.

But this worthless son of mine was completely moved. He said emotionally, "With such depth of feeling, how could I ever betray you?"

"Even if I can't escape this cage of imperial power, I won't let you suffer."

"I'll make sure the whole world knows you are my wife."

Then, turning to the empress who had just tried to smooth things over for him, he said, "Yaoying, step down and make way for her."

The empress was frozen solid.

She came from a family of pure scholars. Her father was the emperor's tutor and the head of the civil officials.

When the late emperor was on his deathbed, fearing his wife would seize power, he specifically appointed Han Yaoying, eldest daughter of the famously upright Chancellor Han, as empress.

The Hans had lived up to the late emperor's expectations. The father charged into battle for the young emperor at court; the daughter cared for her mother-in-law in the harem, showed kindness to the concubines and their children—she was practically a model of feminine virtue.

And yet, this empress, praised by all, was publicly ordered by her own husband to abdicate. She couldn't bear it and fainted on the spot.

With the empress unconscious, the harem farce came to a temporary halt. But the storm in the court was just beginning.

It was also at this moment that the harem learned the truth about Lanyue's identity before she entered the palace. She had been the Princess Consort of Prince Cheng.

It wasn't strange that none of us had met her. Word had it she was originally a physician's daughter who became the prince's consort after saving his life when he was wounded.

Prince Cheng doted on her completely. After marriage, knowing she was shy and reserved, he never forced her to socialize or bow and scrape. So no one in the palace knew her.

Now, while Prince Cheng was away on the battlefield, the emperor he served had rolled into bed with his beloved wife.

Thinking of the hundreds of thousands of troops about to return from campaign, thinking of the iron-willed Prince Cheng, my head began to ache.

I looked up at the sky with a worried frown. Life didn't have to be this exciting, did it?

Bad news came one after another. Before the wronged party with military power outside could be dealt with, the pillar of the court inside had thrown in the towel.

Chancellor Han had fallen ill from rage.

No one could accept that the emperor they'd poured their life into teaching was not only a lovesick fool but was also considering deposing their daughter to pave the way for another woman.

I sent my trusted eunuch to offer comfort and issued an edict allowing the empress to visit her family.

Word had it that after receiving the edict, the empress was silent for a long time before weeping with gratitude.

My young eunuch was puzzled.

"Your Majesty, Chancellor Han has always opposed you, and the empress has been paying you lip service at best. Why show her such kindness?"

Chancellor Han was a rigid, old-fashioned man who had always disapproved of me. He thought I was a hen crowing at dawn, wielding too much power and forgetting a woman's place.

As his daughter, Han Yaoying had treated me with outward respect since entering the palace, but in truth, she had always kept her distance.

Flipping through the tributes of rare treasures from various regions, I explained slowly to the young eunuch.

"It's precisely at times like this that I must show the world the breadth of my magnanimity."

"Think about it. The loyal old minister is at death's door, and the emperor doesn't even ask after him—he's too busy frolicking with his favorite. But I, setting aside past grievances, send doctors and medicine and even bend the palace rules to let his daughter visit him. When word gets out, what will the world think?"

The young eunuch pondered this for a moment, then gave a thumbs-up. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

I flicked his forehead and scolded him good-naturedly, "You little monkey. If you don't know how to talk, keep your mouth shut."

Huh. Was I starting to sound like Empress Dowager Cixi?

Just then, a palace attendant reported that the empress had come to express her gratitude.

I had her shown to the outer hall, tidied up quickly, and went to meet her.

The moment she saw me, the empress knelt and wouldn't rise. "Thank you, Mother, for your understanding."

I immediately ordered the attendants to help her up. I asked warmly about Chancellor Han's condition, expressed my concern for his health, and emphasized my deep care for the loyal old minister.

The empress was moved to tears. Through sobs, she expressed the entire Han family's unwavering loyalty to the court and her profound gratitude for my consideration.

She also solemnly declared the Han family's determination and courage to serve the court with utter devotion, even unto death.

After going through the standard routine, the empress and I sat there in silence, at a loss for words.

I took the initiative and gave her a weary smile.

She took the hint and took her leave.

I sat there, watching her walk out with measured steps and perfect poise.

Outside, the sky had darkened. Not a single star could be seen—just an ink-black expanse.

Inside, the palace attendants had already lit the lamps. Various lanterns were placed here and there, their glow like bright moons hanging high.

At the doorway, the empress stopped. She hesitated for a long time, then gripped the doorframe tightly. After taking a few deep breaths, she turned abruptly and rushed back to throw herself at my feet.

"Mother, please save me!"

"The emperor is determined to depose me. I have nowhere left to turn. I beg you to reach out and save my life."

I took a sip of tea and asked curiously, "What did your father say?"

I let you go home and pour out your grievances. Didn't your father offer to stand up for you?

A flicker of shame crossed the empress's face. "Father said that at times like this, I should be even more restrained and proper. I should remonstrate with His Majesty. If that doesn't work..."

Her voice dropped lower and lower. "He said I should die to prove my integrity and never disgrace the family's honor."

At this, she could no longer contain her grief and anger. "But I refuse to accept it!"

"I was raised on the teachings of the sages. I've followed the Three Obediences and Four Virtues since childhood. Since I came of age, I've worked diligently, never daring to slack off for a moment."

"As a daughter and as a wife, I've examined my conscience and found no fault. But now, my husband wants to cast me aside, and my father wants to drive me to death!"

The empress's eyes blazed as if with fire.

"I won't accept it! I've done nothing wrong. I won't let them decide my fate!"

"I beg you, in your mercy, to show me a way out. From now on, I'll follow your every command without question."

"You old fool!" I set my teacup down on the small table and couldn't help cursing.

He'd opposed me at every turn in court. I'd thought he was just old-fashioned, unable to stomach a woman in power.

But when his own blameless daughter came home seeking help, the first thing he thought of was the family's reputation.

I ran through every word I could think of in my mind—hypocrite, sanctimonious, hidebound—before I could calm my resentment.

Looking at the empress, who seemed dead inside, I reached out with my nail guard and lifted her chin.

The silver-gilt, gem-inlaid nail guard was sharp and pointed. It left a long, bloody scratch on her delicate face.

The empress didn't flinch. She simply looked up quietly, waiting for my instruction.

I was pleased with her docile demeanor and began to teach her slowly.

"As a wife, you take your husband as your heaven. What crime have you committed? You married His Majesty and served him as your lord—there's nothing wrong with that."

"As a daughter, obeying your elders is also only right."

"But your mistake is that you forgot—you are a person first, and only then someone's wife or daughter."

"People outside say I, a woman, have no business meddling in court affairs. But think about it. When the emperor was young and couldn't rule, and the imperial princes were circling like wolves, if I hadn't stepped in to hold court behind the curtain, we'd probably have a regent by now."

"Heaven gave you eyes and ears not just for breathing. You have to learn to think for yourself."

Seeing the empress sink into deep thought at my words, I didn't push her. I simply told her to go back and think it over carefully. "Go back and reflect on what I've said."

The empress looked up in panic, about to say more, but I pressed my finger to her lips.

"Don't worry about anything else. I'll handle it."

"As for you, if you really can't figure it out, just help me with a few things for now."

Pretending not to see her terrified expression, I continued, "I'll send the princes to your Kunming Palace in a little while. Take good care of them. And while you're at it, take a look and think about how the education they're receiving differs from what you received."

Seeing her dazed state, I added one more thing, "Be thorough. One of them might just be the future Son of Heaven."

I had just sent the empress off and was about to take a nap when a young eunuch came scrambling into my chambers. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

My brow twitched.

My trusted eunuch kicked him. "Shut up!"

The young eunuch came to his senses. He kowtowed in apology, then immediately spoke up. "Your Majesty, Prince Cheng has entered the capital."

I shot up from my bed as if I'd been struck by lightning. "Who? Who did you say entered the capital?"

When I confirmed it was Prince Cheng, I knew something was very wrong. "How many troops did he bring? Did he raise any banners along the way?"

When the young eunuch said Prince Cheng had come alone, riding a single horse into the capital, I couldn't believe my ears.

After asking him to confirm it three times, I was overjoyed. "Has he lost his mind?"

A prince with a massive army, whose lawfully wedded wife had been stolen by the emperor—and he does nothing?

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. When the young eunuch added that Prince Cheng was currently outside the palace gates seeking an audience, I immediately had an idea.

"Hurry. Send someone to invite the几位 old princes from the Imperial Clan Court. And find someone to go to the Han residence. As long as Chancellor Han still has a breath in him, drag him into the palace if you have to. Let him see how our Son of Heaven has cast aside all human decency and stolen his younger brother's wife."

By the time I finished dressing in full regalia and led my procession to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, eunuchs and maids were kneeling in a dark mass outside the hall. Heated arguments echoed from within.

"But I'm a person! I'm not some object you can just marry off, put on a pedestal, and call it a day."

It was Fang Lanyue, bitterly accusing Prince Cheng of his crimes.

The emperor spoke up too.

"Brother, you spend all your time with those rough soldiers, scheming for power and profit. When have you ever cared about Lanyue's feelings?"

"Ever since she married you, she's cried every day, trapped like a bird in a gilded cage."

Prince Cheng murmured something, only to draw an even harsher rebuke from the emperor.

"Lanyue isn't like those dull, scheming noble ladies. She is pure and free. You shouldn't have locked her away in a prison."

"It was an exquisite tomb that buried the best five years of her life."

I looked at the gasping imperial clansmen who had just arrived, then at the sickly Chancellor Han. I sneered inwardly.

Without further ado, I bypassed the eunuch who was about to announce me and walked straight in.

The emperor, mid-speech, fell silent at the sight of the gathered imperial kin and high ministers.

In his arms, Fang Lanyue's face was pale. Tears gathered in her eyes, poised to fall but not yet falling.

In the center of the hall, Prince Cheng knelt upright, his shoulders and back straight.

The entire Palace of Heavenly Purity was dead silent.

The emperor looked at me warily. "Mother, what do you mean by bringing so many people here?"

Before I could speak, Chancellor Han—rumored to be at death's door—opened his mouth, his voice full of anguish. "Your Majesty, you have been led astray!"

"This woman first entered into a shameless union with Prince Cheng without proper rites. Then, while Prince Cheng was away on campaign, she seduced Your Majesty. She is fickle and shameless!"

"Furthermore, she has sown discord between imperial brothers. Her heart is worthy of death!"

Fang Lanyue's usually shimmering eyes now streamed with tears. She shook her head frantically. "No, I didn't. I didn't."

She scrambled out of the emperor's arms and rushed before the crowd, trying to explain herself to each and every one of them. "My marriage to Prince Cheng was never my choice."

"When Prince Cheng was wounded and stranded in the wilderness, I couldn't bear to leave him and took him back to my mountain villa."

"But he repaid kindness with enmity. He forced me to marry him, then slaughtered over three hundred of my uncles and brothers from the villa."

"I wish I could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin. How could I ever love him?"

By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

The emperor's heart ached. He pulled her into his arms and comforted her gently. "Lanyue, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

Fang Lanyue smiled bitterly. "At first, I didn't dare. I was afraid you officials would protect each other. Later, I couldn't bear to. I couldn't bear to put you in such a difficult position."

The emperor was deeply moved. He then glared at Prince Cheng with hatred. "Brother, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Forcing a woman into marriage and murdering her family—even you, a prince of the blood, cannot escape punishment for such grave crimes!"

For a moment, everyone in the hall turned their eyes to Prince Cheng.

He still knelt there, straight as a rod. He neither defended himself nor offered any excuse.

A minor prince with no real power stammered, "Prince Cheng is kind-hearted. He couldn't have done something like this. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding?" Fang Lanyue let out a mournful cry. "I saw him slaughter the brothers of my villa with my own eyes. How could it be a misunderstanding?"

The emperor rebuked coldly, "Uncle, have you lost your mind? The matter is perfectly clear. Brother Cheng was greedy for beauty, and that's what led to this catastrophe."

I couldn't stand it anymore. I called out to Fang Lanyue, who was still lost in her grief. "Miss Fang, do you know the name of your family's villa?"

Fang Lanyue looked at me timidly, with a hint of pride. "I remember. My father named it the Villa of Righteous Brotherhood, to commemorate the bond between him and his sworn brothers."

I nodded. "Good. Remember it well."

With a wave of my hand, several young eunuchs carried out two chests.

The chests were heavy, still sealed with the Ministry of Justice's labels.

I tore off the seals and opened them. Inside were piles of old case files.

The files were years old, the paper cracked and dry, but still legible.

I picked one out at random and handed it to Fang Lanyue. "I hear you're well-read, Miss Fang. Take a look at these."

Fang Lanyue was confused, but she took the file and began to read.

"In the early spring of the tenth year of Zhenping, the bandits of the Villa of Righteous Brotherhood sallied forth in full force, raiding a passing merchant caravan. No survivors..."

Her voice grew softer and softer. Her face turned as pale as paper. "Impossible. This is fake. Fake..."

I bent down, picked up the file she had dropped, and continued reading.

"In the spring of the thirteenth year of Zhenping, the bandits of the Villa of Righteous Brotherhood, joined by various outlaw gangs, attacked Han Family Village in Ju County. They burned over a hundred houses. Over three hundred civilians were killed or wounded, including nearly a hundred women and children."

"Ah!!!" Fang Lanyue let out a blood-curdling scream. Her body trembled like a leaf in a storm.

I put the file down. "Miss Fang, this is just one of them."

"These two chests are filled with records of how your father's Villa of Righteous Brotherhood murdered and plundered, terrorizing the land."

"The local people suffered greatly. They called your father 'King Yan of Hell.'"

"The righteous, heroic father you speak of doesn't match the records in these files. He doesn't match what the people say."

"And the Prince Cheng you call an ingrate who repays kindness with enmity? When he was ordered to suppress the rebellion years ago and succeeded, the local people were so grateful they set up a shrine to pray for his long life."

"Miss Fang, what do you think of all this?"

"Miss Fang, that delicate skin and jade-like beauty of yours, nourished by the blood and tears of countless innocent people—does it sit well with you?"

Fang Lanyue was panicked and dizzy, as if she couldn't bear to hear any more.

Prince Cheng, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. "Your Majesty, one must be merciful when possible."

I cursed under my breath.

When those two were screaming for your blood, you didn't say a word. Now that I'm defending you, you open your mouth!

I was going to ignore him, but after a moment's thought, I forced a smile. "You're right."

I could hold back, but Chancellor Han couldn't.

He jumped out, glaring at Prince Cheng. "Prince Cheng, what was your intention in making a bandit's daughter your princess consort?"

The more he spoke, the more suspicious he became. His eyes darted between the two men.

"Prince Cheng, you were deeply devoted to your princess consort. Why did you leave for the battlefield just half a year after your marriage? Leaving such a beautiful wife behind—what scheme were you planning?"

His years of political experience had him spinning an elaborate conspiracy in his mind.

He immediately petitioned the emperor. "Your Majesty, I request that this woman be thrown into the imperial prison and tortured until she confesses. Let's see what other schemes they have."

The emperor was caught off guard. He was still reeling from the revelation that the woman he loved came from such a sordid background.

Chancellor Han's words made him hesitate.

Fang Lanyue, first shattered by the truth about her own origins, now saw her lover beginning to doubt her. She felt utterly hopeless.

Overwhelmed with grief, she slowly rose and walked up to the emperor. Gently, steadily, she looked him in the eye. "You don't believe me, do you?"

The emperor just realized what he had done. He hurried forward to take her hand. "No, no. How could I doubt you?"

Fang Lanyue shook him off. "But you hesitated. You were afraid!"

She even managed a laugh. "You were afraid I approached you with ulterior motives. You were afraid that the daughter of a rebel would also be a rebel!"

"Your Majesty, we knew each other's hearts. And yet, because of a few words from others, you doubted me?!"

"Then what reason do I have to live?"

With that, she made a desperate lunge toward a nearby pillar.

She was determined to die. Fortunately, Prince Cheng had been watching her closely. He saw what was coming and blocked her just in time, preventing a bloody scene.

But even so, the force of the impact knocked her unconscious.

The emperor was shaken to his core. He caught Fang Lanyue and screamed, "Summon the imperial physician! Quickly!"

Trembling, he checked her breathing. When he found she was still alive, he relaxed slightly, then began pounding his head in anguish. "It's all my fault, Lanyue. I deserve to die. How could I doubt you?"

While the lovers were locked in their melodrama, a supporting character had to stir up trouble.

Chancellor Han refused to let it go. He pressed his case with righteous indignation.

"Your Majesty, this matter concerns your safety. It cannot be set aside lightly!"

"Furthermore, this woman's father was a criminal of the worst kind. If she is not executed according to the law, how can you face the innocent people who died?"

"No!" "Shut up!"

Prince Cheng and the emperor shouted at Chancellor Han simultaneously.

Prince Cheng realized his outburst was inappropriate and hung his head in dejection.

The emperor gave Prince Cheng a cold look before patiently explaining to Chancellor Han.

"Lanyue is as innocent and pure as a child. What does she have to do with the crimes of her elders?"

Chancellor Han was anguished. "Your Majesty..."

The emperor suddenly exploded. "Chancellor Han, I have been lenient with you out of respect for our past teacher-student bond. Do not push your luck."

I watched the quarreling pair coldly. Before Fang Lanyue appeared, they had been inseparable, the perfect example of a wise ruler and a virtuous minister, praised by scholars everywhere.

Chancellor Han came from a humble background and was only average in talent.

But he was deeply influenced by Neo-Confucianism, believing in "preserving heavenly principles and extinguishing human desires." He was especially harsh on women.

The late emperor had chosen him precisely for this reason, promoting him from an obscure fourth-rank official to the crown prince's tutor.

Sure enough, under his influence, the emperor had always had a strained relationship with his mother, which eventually escalated into open hostility.

After the late emperor's death, when I ruled behind the curtain, I became a thorn in Chancellor Han's side. He would have done anything to get rid of me.

Finally, after the emperor came of age and I returned power to him, I retreated to the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility, escaping his verbal attacks.

Now, with the person he considered the biggest obstacle gone, he thought he could assist the new emperor in creating a golden age of peace and prosperity, earning a reputation as a wise minister serving a wise ruler. But then the emperor had to go and mess things up.

He must be unable to accept it.

Of course, in his view, the emperor could never be at fault. If he made a mistake, it must be because someone led him astray.

And that someone must be Fang Lanyue.

The daughter of a bandit chief, who by chance became a princess consort, and then couldn't stay in her place. While her husband was away, she seduced the emperor, bewitching him completely. She was guilty beyond redemption.

So, ignoring the emperor's threat, Chancellor Han stubbornly pressed on.

"Good medicine tastes bitter, but it cures the illness. Honest advice may offend the ear, but it benefits the conduct. Today, I must speak plainly, even if it displeases you."

"Your Majesty is bewitched by a woman. Have you forgotten the lessons of Mo Xi and Da Ji?"

The emperor laughed, but there was no humor in it. He looked at Chancellor Han with murder in his eyes. "So you're saying I'm no better than Jie of Xia or Zhou of Shang?"

Anyone could see that the emperor was at the end of his rope. But Chancellor Han seemed oblivious.

Perhaps he was relying on his age and status, or perhaps he trusted in their years of teacher-student friendship. Not only did he not stop, he spoke even more bluntly.

"If Your Majesty does not rein himself in, you will soon be no different from them!"

With a loud thud, the emperor kicked Chancellor Han to the ground. "Fine. Since I'm already a tyrant, I might as well act like one today."

"Guards! Take this old fool out and behead him."

The guards looked at each other, none of them daring to move. They turned their pleading eyes to the imperial clansmen, who in turn looked at me.

Given my relationship with those two, not kicking them while they were down was already out of respect for the empress.

Seeing that I wasn't going to budge, an elderly prince tottered forward to beg for mercy. "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The emperor fixed him with a sinister gaze. "Uncle, do you know the story of Bi Gan?"

The old prince fell silent.

When the guards finally stepped forward to drag him away, Chancellor Han wept bitterly and rasped, "Heaven above, open your eyes! Strike down this tyrant and this seductress!"

I clicked my tongue. Heaven was busy. It didn't have time for them.

Still, I called out to the guards. "Hold!"

The emperor shot me a murderous look.

I smiled faintly. "What, Your Majesty? Do you intend to outdo King Zhou of Shang by adding matricide to your list of crimes?"

The emperor opened his mouth to retort, but just then, the imperial physician's delighted voice rang out. "Your Majesty! Miss Fang is awake!"

Fang Lanyue had regained consciousness. In a faint voice, she said, "May we never see each other again in this life or the next." Then she refused to say another word.

The emperor was heartbroken, but he followed the physician's advice and took Fang Lanyue back to the harem to recuperate.

As soon as he left, the imperial clansmen scattered.

From the unsteady way they walked, you could guess how badly they had been frightened.

My trusted eunuch sidled up to me. "Your Majesty, should I take care of Chancellor Han and Prince Cheng?"

He made a chopping motion with his hand.

I gave him a sideways glance. "No need. That old fool Chancellor Han has been humiliated enough today. Even without our help, he'll choke on his own rage."

"As for Prince Cheng, leave him be. I have use for him."

A lovesick fool, but a military genius. I liked that.

I gazed in the direction the emperor had gone and curled my lips into a smile. You've managed to cripple both your right-hand men—one civil, one military. Emperor, let's see how you fight me now.

To control Prince Cheng, I needed to keep Fang Lanyue in my grasp.

Word had it that since waking up, Fang Lanyue hadn't spoken a word. She just stared blankly out the window every day. I had an idea.

With only my trusted eunuch in tow, I went to the emperor's Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The emperor was at his wit's end. When he saw me, he asked warily, "Mother, what business do you have here?"

I said kindly, "I've come to see Lanyue."

Seeing his disbelief, I took out my handkerchief and dabbed at my eyes. "Why must we be so suspicious of each other, mother and son?"

"I remember when you were little, you wouldn't sleep unless I was with you. How close we were back then."

The emperor's face softened with nostalgia.

Seeing that the time was right, I said to him, "I may not want Miss Fang to be empress, but I never wanted her dead."

"I understand the principle of 'love me, love my dog.'"

My trusted eunuch chimed in at just the right moment. "Ever since His Majesty couldn't sleep because of Miss Fang, Her Majesty has also lost her appetite."

The emperor was finally moved. He opened the door and let me in.

I told him, "Let me have a few words with Miss Fang in private. Don't come in, or she won't be able to speak freely, and her heart will remain closed."

The emperor had no choice but to agree.

When I saw Fang Lanyue, she was gaunt and haggard. I took out my handkerchief, rubbed my eyes, and squeezed out a few tears.

I grabbed her hand and choked up for a long time before finally managing, "My dear child, you've suffered."

Fang Lanyue remained dazed, showing no reaction.

I didn't give up. I continued to comfort her in a gentle voice.

"I know your heart is bitter. For him, you've borne the burden of infamy and come to live in the biggest, deepest cage in the world. And yet, he couldn't even give you the most basic trust."

Hearing me touch on her pain, Fang Lanyue finally reacted. She buried her face in the bed and wept.

I patted her hand. "This is precisely the test of your love!"

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but your relationship has hurt too many people."

Fang Lanyue sobbed, "But true love is not a crime."

Suppressing the curses that wanted to escape, I sighed along with her. "I know that. But others don't!"

"Especially Prince Cheng. He offended the entire imperial clan to marry you, and now he's become a laughingstock because of you."

Fang Lanyue grew frantic. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head and cried, "I didn't want this. I didn't want to hurt him. But I truly can't love him!"

I sighed deeply and then offered her an idea. "Why don't you tell him a white lie?"

"Write him a letter. Tell him that during your recent coma, a bodhisattva appeared to you in a dream and revealed that your relationship with him was doomed from the start."

"Tell him that in a past life, you were a celestial herb before the Buddha's throne. Prince Cheng and the emperor were both attendant boys before the Buddha. They watered you, weeded you, and played with you every day, planting the seeds of karma from a previous life."

"But in that past life, Prince Cheng was careless while weeding and injured your celestial root. It was the emperor who nursed you back to health with his constant care."

"That's why, in this life, Prince Cheng's love for you is unrequited."

"Tell Prince Cheng that you and the emperor are a match made across two lifetimes. Tell him to let go of his obsession, cultivate himself, and focus on the welfare of the world. That is the true path."

After saying all this, my mouth was dry. I took a sip of tea and noticed that Fang Lanyue's expression had changed.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining. She stared at me with狂热. "Your Majesty, this isn't just a story you made up, is it? The gods really did appear to you in a dream, didn't they?"

Oh, for crying out loud. My teeth ached. What was going on in that little head of hers?

But on the surface, I maintained a solemn expression. "Shh. Heaven's secrets must not be revealed."

Fang Lanyue was even more convinced.

She murmured, "No wonder. No wonder I felt an instant connection with both of them, but I only fell in love with His Majesty."

A wild idea popped into my head. I lowered my voice and whispered temptingly to Fang Lanyue, "So you must not only advise Prince Cheng, but also advise His Majesty."

"Tell him that wealth and honor are but fleeting clouds. Love and