A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

The Cold Palace is located in the northeast corner of the Forbidden City, in a secluded and dilapidated courtyard.

Princess Chaoyang came alone, without any attendants.

As the only beloved daughter of Emperor Qianwu, there was no place in the entire Forbidden City that she couldn't go.

She never hesitated to visit even Emperor Qianwu's study.

However, today, a play was staged; otherwise, her father and grandmother would have had no way to save face.

The eunuch guarding the gate recognized her and was so frightened that he knelt down and dared not stop her.

She opened the door.

The withered grass in the yard was knee-high, and an old plum tree in the corner of the wall had a few pale red flowers blooming sparsely.

The former Consort Liu, now a commoner, sat under the eaves, gazing at the plum blossom, lost in thought.

She heard footsteps and slowly turned her head.

Upon seeing Princess Chaoyang, her expression changed slightly, but she wasn't too surprised.

I was just slightly surprised.

In fact, Liu Wei herself didn't know how she had ended up living such a life.

She was once full of ambition.

As a modern person, I traveled back to ancient times and became such a stunningly beautiful woman.

Liu Wei has an air of "I have the world."

Later, she met Emperor Qianwu and entered the palace. At that moment, it was as if she had her own background music.

When exactly did everything change?

Looking back now, Liu Wei still can't quite understand it...

However, she never expected that after she was relegated to the cold palace, this proud woman, who seemed to have a "destined script" even more than her, would personally come to visit her in the cold palace.

She always kept a low profile in the palace. Ever since Emperor Qianwu refused to dismiss the harem for her, she rarely interacted with others.

Even at palace banquets, unless it was explicitly stipulated that she had to attend, she would claim to be ill and not go.

Emperor Qianwu did not force her, which seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them.

He refused to dismiss the harem for her, and she refused to become a qualified favored concubine; they did not interfere with each other.

However, Liu Wei did have feelings for Princess Chaoyang.

This favored daughter of heaven was innocent and spoiled but not arrogant. Liu Wei always felt that she deserved such honor.

Perhaps they saved the galaxy in their past life, which is why they are able to enjoy endless glory in this life.

But ever since he was banished to the cold palace, everything from the past has gradually become clear.

Princess Chaoyang sent pearl beauty and calming pills to the concubines in the palace, and even to the Empress Dowager. Consort Liu naturally received them as well...

Liu Wei suddenly felt a slight chill down her spine.

She actually started planning this so early.

Is she the pawn that was pre-selected?

Is she really that cunning?

Princess Chaoyang did not approach.

She stood inside the courtyard gate, looking at Liu Wei through the withered grass covering the yard.

She even slightly raised her chin, looking proud and unrestrained, clearly a woman who had been pampered.

Liu Wei's body also began to tremble slightly.

"You...you planned this all along, didn't you?"

"You were behind all of this, weren't you?"

Princess Chaoyang scoffed upon hearing this.

"What are you saying, Liu? I don't understand."

Liu Wei looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"I have been in the palace for ten years."

"It seems that in these ten years, I have never truly understood anyone in this palace."

"I thought you were a good person." She looked at Princess Chaoyang. "Every time you came to the palace, you treated me with kindness and politeness."

"I still keep the set of 'Natural History' that you gave me."

Princess Chaoyang raised her finger, looked at her fingernails, and let out a soft scoff.

To Liu Wei, that short laugh sounded like sarcasm.

She finally mustered up the courage to say:

"Now I understand."

You are gentle because I am not worth your trouble.

"You are polite because I have never blocked your way."

"I'm useful to you."

"I'm just one step in your plan, and you don't even care if that person is me or not?"

Princess Chaoyang finally looked at her.

"Why don't you ask if I had someone plant those drugs?"

Liu Wei shook her head.

"What difference does it make whether you put it there or not?"

"Even if you didn't put it there yourself, you calculated that someone would put it there."

"You foresaw this day long ago, knowing that His Majesty couldn't do anything to you."

"You are His Majesty's only heir. As long as no new child is born, what are you afraid of?"

Liu Wei couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

Princess Chaoyang remained silent for a moment.

"You don't hate me?" she asked.

Liu Wei did not answer immediately.

She turned her head and looked at the plum blossom again.

"Hate," she said. "What's the use of hate?"

"I won't scold you, I won't hit you, I won't even defend myself, and I certainly won't retaliate."

"If I dare to harm you, His Majesty will absolutely not let me off."

"I've been in the palace for ten years, and I haven't learned anything."

Her voice even sounded somewhat melancholic, "I only learned one thing."

"Aloofness is the most useless thing in this palace."

Princess Chaoyang looked at her.

"You've learned it now."

Her voice sounded both innocent and cruel, "But it's too late."

Liu Wei did not refute.

She even wiped away her tears and nodded.

"yes."

"It's too late."

Princess Chaoyang stood there for a while, then suddenly felt a little bored. She had already achieved her goal.

That wretched woman Zhou's child is definitely not going to be born.

Even if she's doing well now, she definitely won't make it to full term.

Even if they survive to death at birth, they won't live long.

Just thinking about this made Princess Chaoyang want to laugh, to burst into laughter.

So she will eliminate everything that tries to stop her or trip her up!

This palace never needs concubines who can bear children; it only needs some beautiful flowers to make the harem more beautiful.

Like the Liu family, and also like the Zhou family.

Princess Chaoyang soon left the Cold Palace.

……

Cining Palace.

That night, the Empress Dowager summoned Emperor Qianwu to the East Annex Hall of Weiyang Palace.

The Empress Dowager leaned against the couch, twirling the string of eighteen sandalwood beads in her hand.

"She went to the Cold Palace."

Emperor Qianwu was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm leaving."

The Empress Dowager nodded.

"That child..." The Empress Dowager paused for a moment, "She is not like her mother. Consort Chen was naive and weak, but she is not weak at all."

Emperor Qianwu remained silent.

In the past few days, he has finally seen his daughter clearly, with a personality completely different from that of Consort Chen.

In the past, when she acted spoiled and unreasonable, he could only feel helpless.

But now that she has done such a thing, he, as her father, is helpless.

The Empress Dowager looked at him.

"What are you planning to do?"

Emperor Qianwu stood in the lamplight, his face half-lit and half-shadowed.

"The case is closed."

Emperor Qianwu pursed his lips tightly. "Liu's conviction has nothing to do with Chaoyang. At most, she was negligent in her oversight."

"You know that's not what I'm asking," the Empress Dowager interrupted him.

Emperor Qianwu remained silent.

The Empress Dowager sighed.

"The Imperial Hospital says that Consort Zhen's two children can only be saved for another month at most." Her voice was very low. "After a month, whether it's a miscarriage or premature birth, the children will not survive."

"What do you plan to do then?"

Emperor Qianwu remained silent.

The Empress Dowager held the eighteen beads in her hands, one by one.

"You can't find any evidence against Chaoyang," she said. "You know in your heart that she didn't do anything herself. She just... made everything happen by chance."

"You can't do anything about her," the Empress Dowager said, looking at the Emperor. "You can't even reprimand her. Because she hasn't done anything."

"Moreover," the Empress Dowager paused, "she did nothing wrong."

Emperor Qianwu finally spoke.

"So what exactly did she do?"

Emperor Qianwu spoke in a deep, hoarse voice, "Sending a box of tranquilizing pills laced with cinnabar, watching others poison her step by step, and then getting away unscathed—what do you call that?"

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time.

"That's called an open conspiracy," she said.

"She laid the bait there, waiting for those who wanted it to come to her. Liu jumped in herself."

"The leeches and horseflies weren't put into Liu's palace by Chaoyang, nor was the blood-breaking medicine poured into the Consort's mouth by Chaoyang. She simply..."

The Empress Dowager choked up and could not continue speaking.

"She just calculated it all," the emperor finished for her, "she calculated Liu's foolishness, she calculated Consort Chen's ambition, she calculated the Imperial Concubine's constitution, she calculated the Imperial Medical Academy's attempts to smooth things over, and she also calculated..."

He paused.

"She's got her figured out; I can't do anything to her."

The Empress Dowager looked at him.

"You are the emperor," she said. "What can you do to her?"

Emperor Qianwu's eyes were deep and dark, like an ancient well, yet he remained silent.

The Empress Dowager sighed.

"You can't do anything to her. She's your only child. Are you really going to do anything to her for two children who are destined never to be born?"

"Your Majesty, are you truly capable of putting righteousness before family ties?"

The pressure around the emperor suddenly dropped, becoming extremely low.

"The Imperial Concubine's unborn child, those two children..."

He looked toward the main hall, a place Emperor Qianwu dared not approach. He could not face it, but now the Empress Dowager remained in Weiyang Palace, refusing to return.

Emperor Qianwu had no choice but to go to Weiyang Palace.

"Is there really no way to save it?"

The Empress Dowager herself had given birth to two children, so she was quite experienced. Upon hearing this, she frowned and then wiped her eyes.

"It's no longer useful."

"The imperial physician said that at most, we can only keep him alive for another month..."

"A month later, that child, whether born prematurely or not, will not survive..."

The Empress Dowager choked up as she spoke, "The Imperial Concubine..."

"We've been keeping it from her, but as their mother, the Imperial Concubine couldn't possibly be unaware of the children's current situation."

"The Imperial Concubine was depressed and had no appetite."

"Would the Emperor like to go and take a look?"

Emperor Qianwu lowered his eyes, his fist clenched beneath his sleeve. "No."

His voice was low and hoarse, "Since the child can't be saved anyway, what difference does it make whether I go or not?"

"Going there will only make the Imperial Concubine more heartbroken."

The Empress Dowager couldn't help but say, "I know, Your Majesty, that you feel a pang of homesickness as you approach your hometown... but what about the Imperial Concubine...?"

Emperor Qianwu fell silent again.

"Mother, please comfort the Consort on my behalf, child..."

"Even without children, there is still a place for Chang in my heart."

The Empress Dowager did not speak again. She knew better than anyone the longing of the mother and son for an heir. For a long time, her son had been obsessed with having an heir.

But the cruelest thing in this world is never never having had it, but watching hope slip away right before your eyes.