A farce finally came to an unexpected conclusion. After Consort Shen fainted and was carried into the inner hall by palace attendants, the crowd dispersed as Emperor Jingxuan strode out of the hall in anger.
Stepping out of Changqing Palace, the crisis now resolved, Yun Wan’s tightly wound nerves relaxed at last. Her vision blurred, and she nearly stumbled.
"Careful!"
Lin Gongzheng, who had been walking beside her, reached out to steady Yun Wan, preventing her from falling. A faint trace of concern flickered across Lin Gongzheng’s stern, elongated face. "Are you alright?"
Pausing to catch her breath, Yun Wan pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "I’m fine. Thank you for testifying on my behalf today, Lin Gongzheng. I’m endlessly grateful."
"No need for thanks. It was nothing more than a small favor."
Lin Gongzheng’s tone remained indifferent, but after a glance at Yun Wan, she added, "You’ve done nothing wrong—standing firm and acting with integrity. Naturally, I would help you."
Having interacted with Lin Gongzheng before, Yun Wan knew she was a person whose cold exterior belied a warm heart. Smiling in response, the two continued toward the Perfumery Bureau.
Under the cover of night, Emperor Jingxuan halted in his steps. Only after confirming that the slender figure was unharmed did he finally turn and disappear around the corner.
Standing at the fork in the road outside Changqing Palace, Concubine Hui recalled the scene she had just witnessed, lost in thought.
......
By the time Yun Wan returned to her courtyard, it was already late at night.
Beneath the bright moonlight, Fuling paced restlessly in the courtyard, her heart uneasy. Suddenly, footsteps sounded ahead, and her face lit up with joy. "Auntie, you’re back!"
"Are you alright? Did they do anything to you? Was the culprit behind Consort Shen’s poisoning found?"
Leaning against Fuling, Yun Wan allowed the girl to support her. Patting Fuling reassuringly, she replied, "I’m fine. The culprit was found—it was Hongxiu. My name has been cleared."
"What?"
Fuling gasped in shock. "Hongxiu? I knew those women coming for you out of the blue meant no good!"
Her expression then shifted to admiration as she beamed proudly. "But Auntie, you’re so clever to have kept evidence as a safeguard! Otherwise, you’d have fallen right into their trap!"
"Still, with His Majesty involved, of course nothing would happen to you."
Yun Wan froze, turning to look at her. "Did you go to seek the Emperor?"
Fuling chuckled sheepishly. "After you were taken away, I was beside myself with worry. Seeing no better option, I took the risk and went to find Eunuch Jiang."
Sure enough, the moment Eunuch Jiang heard you were in trouble, his face changed. He rushed straight to inform His Majesty.
Yun Wan gave a quiet hum but said nothing more.
Once inside, she turned to Fuling, exhaustion heavy in her eyes. "I’m tired. I need to rest. You may leave for now."
Fuling nodded. "Then rest well, Auntie. I’ll fetch some warm water for you to freshen up."
As the door closed, Yun Wan collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the soft pillow.
Fatigue, lingering fear, and bitterness—like a raging torrent—crashed over her in overwhelming waves.
Though she had only been away from Changqing Palace for a few hours, returning to the familiar surroundings of her room now felt like a narrow escape from death.
The shock and confusion upon learning that Consort Shen had fallen ill because of her incense pills... the terror of being taken away... the isolation of standing alone under the scrutiny of the imperial consorts...
All these dark, suffocating emotions swirled like storm clouds over her heart, casting a deep shadow.
A sense of powerlessness gripped Yun Wan, as though threads had pierced her chest, winding around her heart and tugging mercilessly. The pain forced her to curl into herself, tears suddenly spilling from the corners of her eyes.
Her heart ached, and the tears fell like broken strings of pearls, her sorrow and anger swelling until they consumed her entirely.
"Wah—"
A sob escaped her lips, and Yun Wan could no longer hold back. She broke into unrestrained weeping.
She wanted to go home.
She missed her Sui.
She wanted to eat chestnut cakes.
She didn’t want to stay here anymore.
......
In the dead of night, even as Yun Wan tried to muffle her cries, the sound of her weeping still carried, fragmented but unmistakable.
Outside the door, Fuling hugged a wooden basin and sighed.
Turning around, a flash of dark robes in her peripheral vision nearly made her shriek.
Swallowing hard, she whispered, "Y-Your Majesty?"
What was the Emperor doing here so late?
Under the night sky, the tall, imposing figure was unmistakably Emperor Jingxuan.
His gaze swept over Fuling as he uttered two words: "Leave us."
Fuling glanced at the flickering candlelight inside, hesitated for a moment, then retreated silently.
If Auntie was crying so heartbreakingly, let His Majesty be the one to comfort her!
Approaching the door, Emperor Jingxuan stood motionless, listening to the quiet sobs.
The cold moonlight cast a silver sheen over him, half his face hidden in shadow, his sharp features appearing even more striking and austere.
After the events at Changqing Palace, on his way back to Zichen Hall, he had unconsciously detoured here.
In the end, he couldn’t shake his concern.
Now standing alone outside her door, he exhaled softly.
Yun Wan didn’t know how long she had cried, only that her tears seemed endless, her emotions refusing to subside.
She scolded herself—how could she, a grown woman, a mother to a four-year-old, cry like this? If Sui knew, wouldn’t she laugh at her?
It was just a little injustice. Why cry? Hadn’t everything turned out well for her in the end?
What good were tears? They were the most useless thing in the world...
Yun Wan tried desperately to console herself, but the more she did, the harder she wept, until it felt like a floodgate had burst open.
Finally, exhaustion overtook her, and her mind grew hazy. Yun Wan drifted into sleep.
As the sobs ceased, silence settled. After a long hesitation, Emperor Jingxuan pushed the door open.
The door swung shut behind him as if by illusion, the only sign of his presence the flickering candlelight.
Adjusting the wick to brighten the flame, he stepped quietly to the bedside.
There, curled into a ball like a child, lay Yun Wan—still in her shoes, her hair undone, her posture vulnerable.
Sitting beside her, Emperor Jingxuan gently grasped her ankle and removed her embroidered slippers.
Leaning closer, he brushed aside the loose strands of hair clinging to her damp cheeks.
Before him was a tear-streaked face—pale skin tinged with pink, swollen eyelids and nose, glistening teardrops clinging to her lashes. The sight was both pitiful and enchanting.
Wiping away the traces of tears with his thumb, Emperor Jingxuan sighed.
"How can you still cry like a child?"
No—children at least knew to seek comfort when wronged.
His wife, however, dared only to hide and weep in secret.
