Everyone, including the woman in green, was taken aback by her directness.
Yun Wan’s voice remained calm as she continued, "From what I just heard, you seem to imply that Consort Shu’s illness has something to do with me?"
The woman in green—Noble Lady Hu—glared at Yun Wan’s delicate, lotus-like face, her resentment boiling over. "Isn’t it obvious?" she blurted out.
"If you hadn’t climbed..." She bit her lip, stopping herself mid-sentence before gritting her teeth and adding, "Consort Shu wouldn’t have fallen ill and been bedridden for days! The most important thing in life is integrity. How could you betray her kindness after all she did for you as her sister-in-law?"
She couldn’t understand how a widow with a child could suddenly rise above her, stepping on her head to reach higher status.
Though she didn’t finish her sentence, everyone knew what she meant, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"So this is how she explained it to you?" Yun Wan smirked, amused. Truly, Consort Shu’s ability to twist the truth was unmatched.
Noticing Yun Wan’s displeasure, Imperial Concubine Li intervened, trying to smooth things over. "Noble Consort Yun, Noble Lady Hu is straightforward and speaks without thinking. Pay her no mind."
She assumed Yun Wan wouldn’t bother with Noble Lady Hu and wanted to avoid further conflict. She had no intention of getting dragged into trouble.
Yet Yun Wan’s gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by icy detachment.
"Your Highness," she said coolly, "you mentioned that the palace has its rules. According to those rules, as a consort, I outrank a noble lady. Doesn’t her behavior count as insolence and disrespect?"
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. They stared at Yun Wan in disbelief—no one expected her to openly demand punishment.
Imperial Concubine Li hesitated. "Well... Consort Shu once showed Noble Lady Hu great kindness. She spoke out of concern. I’ll have her copy the palace rules and confine herself as punishment. Let’s leave it at that."
She hoped to defuse the situation.
But would Yun Wan let it go?
No.
"And if I insist on pressing the matter? This concerns my reputation. I believe it’s worth addressing properly." Yun Wan’s tone was uncharacteristically firm.
She knew that if Noble Lady Hu’s disrespect went unpunished today, it would be tantamount to admitting the rumors were true. Who knew what else awaited her tomorrow?
Imperial Concubine Li’s expression darkened. It wasn’t that she wanted to protect Noble Lady Hu, but Yun Wan’s defiance in her own palace was an affront to her authority.
After all, she was the imperial concubine, the mother of the crown prince, while Yun Wan was merely a temporary favorite who had forgotten her place.
Her voice turned frosty. "Then what do you propose?"
Before Yun Wan could respond, Emperor Jingxuan strode into the hall unannounced.
"What exactly is being proposed here?"
His arrival shattered the tension. Everyone rose to greet him.
The emperor waved them off and headed straight for Yun Wan. As he drew closer, his expression shifted.
"My love!"
"Have they been mistreating you?"
The crowd: "......"
They turned to look—and froze.
At some point, Yun Wan’s eyes had reddened, tears glistening. The moment she saw the emperor, large drops rolled down her cheeks, her weeping delicate and heartrending.
The onlookers’ hearts sank.
Wait—that’s not how you were acting a second ago!
Her tears sent a sharp pang through Emperor Jingxuan’s chest, as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart.
In full view of everyone, he pulled Yun Wan into his arms, gently wiping her tears. "Don’t cry, my dear. You’ll hurt your eyes. Tell me what happened."
The others felt their hopes wither.
When had they ever seen His Majesty console a woman with such tenderness?
Yun Wan buried her face against his chest, then looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Your Majesty, I never climbed into your bed..."
"And Consort Shu’s illness wasn’t my fault..."
Those two sentences ignited the emperor’s fury. His face darkened with rage.
"They dared slander you like this?"
Yun Wan lowered her lashes. "Not everyone..."
But some had.
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice was dangerously quiet, his gaze sweeping over the others like a winter storm. "Explain yourselves."
Both Imperial Concubine Li and the rest realized their grave mistake.
After a tense pause, Concubine Zhang spoke up timidly. "Your Majesty, it was Noble Lady Hu who claimed Noble Consort Yun... caused Consort Shu’s illness."
Emperor Jingxuan’s lips curled. "Noble Lady Hu?"
The named woman finally grasped the severity of the situation. Under the emperor’s piercing stare, she shrank back, her posture frail as a willow in the wind.
"Y-Your servant is here."
Yun Wan glanced at her and whispered, "Never mind, Your Majesty. It’s my fault for being shameless. Imperial Concubine Li said Noble Lady Hu is just... forthright. She didn’t mean it."
"Forthright?"
The emperor scoffed. "Since when does being ‘forthright’ justify insolence and slander?"
He glared at Noble Lady Hu, his voice icy. "You live up to your name—spouting nonsense without a care!"
The rebuke was brutal. Noble Lady Hu’s face flushed with humiliation, but her resentment burned.
She knelt stiffly, her back straight, her eyes filled with disdain as she glared at Yun Wan.
"Your Majesty, I only spoke the truth! This woman was Madam Lu—Consort Shu’s sister-in-law! They say she and her husband were deeply in love. How could she betray him? How could she betray Consort Shu?"
That was the wrong thing to say.
Emperor Jingxuan’s murderous intent flared. His voice was venomous. "Oh? So you think being with me is a betrayal?"
"It was I who coveted her. I who took her. Should I write a confession and kowtow to them in apology? Hmm?"
The entire room dropped to their knees. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
They cursed Noble Lady Hu inwardly—since when was she this brainless?
The emperor kept Yun Wan from kneeling, gripping her hand. She gently scratched his palm, her eyes pleading for him not to escalate things further.
Taking a deep breath, Emperor Jingxuan moderated his tone. "Noble Consort Yun entered the palace by my decree. It was I who fell for her at first sight, who couldn’t restrain my feelings. As for her ‘climbing into bed’—what nonsense!"
"Consort Shu’s people drugged her. Has Consort Shu ever apologized?"
"You hear a rumor and swallow it whole. Clearly, your judgment is clouded—you’re experts at stirring trouble but can’t tell right from wrong!"
Under his scathing words, the women bowed their heads, faces burning.
They’d come for drama, only to get burned themselves.
And wait—Consort Shu was the one who sent Yun Wan to the emperor’s bed?
Emperor Jingxuan’s gaze swept over them. "From today, each of you will copy the palace rules ten times—no substitutes."
"As for Noble Lady Hu: ten strikes to the face, three days kneeling for three hours daily, and a hundred copies of the palace rules. She doesn’t leave until it’s done."
If they had time to gossip, they’d have time to keep busy.
Emperor Jingxuan cast a cold glance at the pale-faced Noble Lady Hu and said impassively, "If you pity Consort Shu so much, then move to serve her until she recovers."
Without waiting for her response, he turned away and asked, "Any other objections?"
Who dared to object?
The gathered crowd quickly shook their heads.
Emperor Jingxuan took Yun Wan's hand and said, "My lady, let us return."
The crowd chorused, "We bid farewell to Your Majesty!"
Hurry up and leave already.
