Chapter Forty-Three
“We obey Your Majesty’s decree!” the ministers chorused in unison, though their hearts were filled with unease. After all, every family had its share of wayward members, and they were all desperate to return home and lock up their own troublemakers before they could cause any mischief and attract the emperor’s wrath.
At this moment, everyone understood—the Leng family was finished.
Leng Qi’s actions had been the spark, but the emperor’s true aim was to use this opportunity to deal with Chancellor Leng.
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Xiuzhen Palace
Leng Zhen, dressed in her finest robes, was preparing to seek an audience with the emperor when the news struck her like a bolt of lightning.
“Your Highness… it’s over… all is lost…” The trusted eunuch she had sent to gather information knelt before her, his face ashen. “Not only has the chancellor been thrown into the imperial prison, but Young Master… Young Master Leng Qi abducted that Lady Li and hid her in the neighboring courtyard. Prince An’s men caught him red-handed… The emperor has issued an edict to investigate the Leng family thoroughly!”
Leng Zhen felt the world spin before her eyes. The delicate hairpin in her meticulously styled coiffure swayed violently as she staggered backward, only to be steadied by Xiuzhu’s firm grip.
“Leng Qi… how could he be so foolish?!” Her voice was shrill with despair.
Deep down, Leng Zhen knew the truth.
Her father must have unknowingly displeased the emperor at some point. His imprisonment was no accident—the emperor had long wanted to eradicate the Leng family!
And Leng Qi’s reckless actions had handed him the perfect opportunity.
“The emperor… what a cunning strategist!” Tears streamed down Leng Zhen’s face as she realized that without her family’s backing, her position in the imperial harem would crumble. Her enemies would not hesitate to strike.
“Your Highness, what should we do now?” Xiuzhu asked, panic creeping into her voice.
Leng Zhen clenched her handkerchief so tightly her nails nearly pierced her palms.
She refused to wait for death.
“Go! Prepare ginseng soup immediately! I must see the emperor—no matter what!”
She had to plead for mercy. Even if the chance was one in ten thousand, she had to try.
She would stake everything—their past affection, her status as the imperial consort—on the slim hope that the emperor still held a shred of tenderness for her.
But before she could step out of Xiuzhen Palace, a young eunuch entered with an entourage.
His expression was grave, and behind him stood not ordinary palace attendants but two black-armored imperial guards, their swords gleaming at their waists. The eunuch held a bright yellow scroll in his hands, and at the sight of it, Leng Zhen’s heart plummeted.
The eunuch bowed slightly, his voice flat yet authoritative. “Greetings to Her Highness, the Noble Consort.”
A chill of foreboding washed over Leng Zhen.
She forced herself to remain composed, though her voice trembled. “Eunuch Feng? What is the meaning of this?”
The eunuch straightened and unfurled the scroll. “Noble Consort Leng, hear the imperial decree—”
Leng Zhen’s pupils constricted. With Xiuzhu’s support, she slowly knelt.
Every maid and eunuch in the hall dropped to their knees, the air thick with tension.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees,” the eunuch’s voice rang through the opulent hall, “the Leng family, having long enjoyed the nation’s favor, should have remained loyal and dutiful. Yet Leng Chaozong, as chancellor, deceived his sovereign, while his son Leng Qi dared to abduct a maiden in broad daylight at the palace gates—an act tantamount to treason! The crimes are irrefutable, and Heaven itself would not tolerate such offenses!”
Each word struck Leng Zhen like a hammer blow. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
“In consideration of your years of service, We shall not hold you accountable.”
The eunuch continued, his tone icy, “However, as you failed to discipline your family and allowed their crimes to escalate, you are not without blame. Henceforth, you are stripped of your title as Noble Consort and demoted to Second-Class Consort. You are to be confined to the Quiet Reflection Pavilion, forbidden to leave without Our express command. So it is decreed.”
“No… this cannot be…” Leng Zhen collapsed, her strength draining away. The pearls and hairpins from her coiffure scattered across the floor with a brittle, mocking clatter.
Demoted?
Confined to the cold palace?
Forbidden to leave?
This was the end—of her hopes, her future, everything.
“Your Majesty! I must see His Majesty!” Leng Zhen lifted her tear-streaked face, her voice raw with desperation. “Eunuch Feng, I beg you—let me see the emperor! My father and brother deserve punishment, but I… my devotion to His Majesty is genuine! He cannot be so cruel!”
The eunuch rolled up the decree, his eyes devoid of pity. “Consort Leng, His Majesty’s anger cannot be appeased. Pleading will do no good. Comply with the decree, lest we are forced to act.” He gestured to the guards, who stepped forward, their presence a silent threat.
Xiuzhu clung to Leng Zhen, sobbing. “Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Leng Zhen stared at the eunuch’s impassive face, then at the towering guards. At last, she understood—she had fallen, utterly and irrevocably.
The emperor had not only destroyed her family but also cast her into the abyss. All their past affection now seemed like a cruel joke.
Her pride and dignity shattered.
She stopped crying. Instead, she laughed—a hollow, broken sound. “Genuine devotion? Ha… the heart of an emperor is the coldest of all… I should have known… I should have known…”
Supported by Xiuzhu and another maid, she rose like a lifeless puppet, her eyes vacant as she walked toward the palace gates—toward the desolate Quiet Reflection Pavilion.
The once-glorious Xiuzhen Palace fell into silence, soon to be ransacked by imperial inspectors.
Outside, the setting sun painted the sky blood-red, stretching her shadow long and thin, but no warmth reached her.
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Meanwhile, Li Tianyou hurried out of the palace gates, where Prince An’s carriage awaited.
He nearly stumbled into the coach, urging the driver to hurry.
“Master Li, His Highness sent me to fetch you,” said Liu Ming, the steward.
“Where is my daughter?” Li Tianyou demanded anxiously.
“Master Li, His Highness has taken Lady Zhiwei back to the palace. I will escort you there at once.”
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Prince An’s Residence
“Zhiwei, don’t be afraid. It’s all over now.” The dowager princess held Li Zhiwei close, her heart aching.
Inwardly, she cursed Leng Qi a thousand times over.
She remembered the haughty expression on Madam Leng’s face during her visit.
Damned fool, she thought bitterly.
