The son Emperor Mingxi favored most was born by Zhou Yunxin. Surely, for the sake of their son, the Emperor wouldn’t truly turn against her.
She immediately knelt, clutching the hem of Emperor Mingxi’s robe, and pleaded tearfully, "Your Majesty, you cannot treat your servant this way! Losing my rank is trivial, but think of the Ninth Prince—how will he face others with a mother who has been demoted?"
Emperor Mingxi actually paused to consider this. Just as Consort Zhou thought he might retract his decree, his next words dripped with chilling indifference.
"If the Ninth Prince truly desires a mother of consort rank, perhaps he should be placed under Consort Hui’s care."
"No, no, no! How could my child be given to Consort Hui—" She nearly spat out an insult but bit her tongue, remembering her precarious position. "Consort Hui already has her own child to raise. How could she spare the energy to care for the Ninth Prince?"
Consort Hui was her longtime rival. They had entered the palace the same year and had schemed against each other countless times in their fight for favor. Handing her son to Consort Hui would be like feeding a lamb to a wolf.
"Then let Consort De raise him. She lost her child and now has no one to care for. Her health was damaged years ago, and she’s unlikely to bear another child. The Ninth Prince would be perfect for her."
"No, no, no! Consort De’s health is frail—how could she endure the strain of raising the Ninth Prince?"
The idea of giving her son to Consort De terrified Zhou Yunxin even more.
Why had Consort De’s health been ruined? Others might not know, but she, the one who orchestrated it, remembered all too well.
Six years ago, Consort De had been pregnant. At the time, the Ninth Prince was Emperor Mingxi’s youngest son, not even a year old. How could Zhou Yunxin allow another child to steal her son’s favor?
She had arranged for Consort De’s miscarriage. The medicine was too potent, and the pregnancy too advanced—Consort De not only lost the child but was left permanently damaged.
Zhou Yunxin didn’t dare gamble on whether Consort De knew the truth. She couldn’t afford to. The Ninth Prince was her last hope for a comeback, and she had to keep him close.
"If that’s the case, then the Ninth Prince shall be sent to—"
"Your Majesty, I am the Ninth Prince’s birth mother. No one could love or care for him as I do. Please, let me continue raising him. I wouldn’t dare trouble the other consorts. Your Majesty’s fatherly concern for Xiao Jiu is deeply moving, and I thank you on his behalf."
With that, she kowtowed in gratitude—the first time since giving birth to the Ninth Prince that she had shown such deference to Emperor Mingxi in private.
Though her words were humble, her mind raced. She would send the Ninth Prince to plead with the Emperor later. Surely, for his son’s sake, there was still room for negotiation.
Zhou Yunxin had enjoyed favor for years. She refused to believe Emperor Mingxi could cast her aside so heartlessly.
At twenty-four, she was still in her prime—far from the age where beauty faded and love waned.
As long as she had her face, she still had her "kingdom."
Besides, whether her actions constituted deceiving the Emperor depended entirely on his word.
Emperor Mingxi let her remain kneeling, watching her grovel with cold satisfaction. A deep, venomous malice simmered in his chest, barely restrained.
Casually, he remarked, "Your cousin has been arrested. Won’t you plead for him?"
"Cousin…?"
The Emperor’s expression darkened. So, the wretch couldn’t even recall who he meant.
"Zhuo Fei is your cousin, isn’t he? You’ve begged me more than once to promote him." His gaze bore into her. "Have you forgotten so quickly? Or do you call him something else in private?"
The words struck like lightning. The name "Fei-ge" flashed unbidden in Zhou Yunxin’s mind.
She shook her head violently, forcing the thought away. "Your Majesty, in the palace, I only refer to him as Vice-Commander Zhuo. I’ve always been mindful of propriety."
Emperor Mingxi nodded slowly. "How… proper of you, Consort Zhou." The word "proper" was ground out between clenched teeth. "Since you won’t plead for him, you may leave."
"Your Majesty, what crime has Vice-Commander Zhuo committed? I—"
A glacial glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes as he delivered the blow that shattered her composure.
"I’ve received reports that Zhuo Fei has defiled the inner palace and plotted rebellion. The truth is still under investigation. As his cousin, have you heard anything, Consort Zhou?"
Zhou Yunxin trembled like a leaf, her face drained of color. She could only shake her head mutely.
Emperor Mingxi scoffed inwardly. How pathetic—she crumpled so easily.
Something in him had shifted. Zhou Yunxin’s suffering had only just begun.
News of Consort Zhou’s demotion, stripped of her title, and placed under house arrest spread through the palace like wildfire, reaching every consort within half an hour.
Consort Hui exclaimed "Excellent!" three times in succession and ate an extra bowl of rice at lunch.
In Consort De’s quarters, the woman lit a stick of incense before the Buddha, her expression serene. But in the shadows, a single tear traced her cheek, her eyes burning with hatred.
'Zhou Yunxin, you’ve finally met your downfall. But this isn’t enough—not nearly enough to atone for what you did to me and my son.'
That had been a fully formed boy. She had failed to protect him, letting Zhou Yunxin’s schemes succeed. She had watched helplessly as her child slipped from her body.
Did Zhou Yunxin deserve to suffer less than she had?
'Zhou Yunxin, every ounce of pain you inflicted on me, I, Bai Huiyin, will return a hundredfold.'
In the Empress’s palace, Empress Xu instructed Ningbi, "Keep watch. The more chaotic things become, the steadier we must remain. Ensure everyone stays vigilant."
Ningbi bowed. "Understood, Your Majesty. But if others act first, should we…?"
Empress Xu smiled faintly, though the expression sent a shiver down Ningbi’s spine. "We… shall observe."
The Empress’s restraint was a fragile thing. The only reason she hadn’t personally cut down Zhou Yunxin and her bastard son was fear of disrupting the Emperor and Crown Prince’s plans—and of drawing suspicion from the Little Immortal Lord.
Otherwise, neither of them would live to see another sunrise.
The Crown Prince had recounted everything from court that morning. When she learned that, in another timeline, her son had been poisoned by Zhou Yunxin and her spawn, she nearly collapsed from rage.
If not for the Crown Prince’s reassurances—and the fact it hadn’t truly happened—she might have stormed out to tear Zhou Yunxin apart with her bare hands.
"Ningbi, Ningxin, help me decide what gifts to send to the Grand Preceptor."
She couldn’t openly express gratitude, but sending presents should raise no suspicion. After all, she and the Dowager Empress often showered the Grand Preceptor with gifts. No one would suspect these were tokens of thanks.
"Come, let's go open the warehouse and select more items. We can send them out gradually later." Empress Xu suddenly felt inspired.
She truly couldn't sit still anymore - whenever she did, her son's words would come to mind, and the anger simply wouldn't subside.
