Favored concubine deposed empress? I'll seize your throne and marry you to a powerful minister.

Wei Rong suddenly opened her eyes.

"Your Highness," Qiaoyu said, wiping away her tears with heartache, "It's nothing, it's just a nightmare."

Whether it was a nightmare or not, it was enough to trap Wei Rong for half her life.

"Who's here?" she called out.

"Your Majesty, I am a servant of the Prime Minister's household. I had the honor of seeing Your Majesty's carriage before." The man explained his purpose: "It is freezing cold. I came to the estate on business and heard that Your Majesty is trapped here, so I brought some silver and charcoal."

Qiaoyu lifted the carriage curtain, and outside was indeed the Prime Minister's carriage. The person who had just spoken must have been the Prime Minister's steward, who was nearly sixty years old and had a kind face.

At the Prime Minister's residence, the Prime Minister listened with envy.

This newly favored official was given important responsibilities by Xiao Heng within three years.

Unlike the increasingly weakened state of the Wei family, he was a true powerful minister, and also—a faction that suppressed the Wei family's power.

"No need," Wei Rong said calmly through the window. "Thank you, butler."

The new emperor is supporting his confidants, and the court is filled with factions. Ling Xianru is undoubtedly a unique member of the powerful ministers' faction, unlike Wei Jiadao.

"this--"

The steward probably didn't expect to be rejected, but those who have navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom are shrewd people.

The wind howled stronger, and there was no sound of people outside.

After a while, Qiaoyu opened the carriage door. The carriage outside was gone, and a basket of silver charcoal on the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow.

"Your Majesty," Qiaoyu hesitated, "Since this is a timely help, then this—"

Providing timely help.

Wei Rong smiled bitterly. Her husband hadn't offered any help in her time of need, but had only given her a scolding.

How could she possibly accept the charcoal sent to her by her political enemies?

Fortunately, the guards returned at this time, and the official road was repaired, so they could set off.

When she returned to the palace, the palace curfew had already been lifted. Even though Wei Rong was the empress, she was stopped because of the palace curfew.

Moreover, in recent months, the Emperor's attitude has become increasingly clear: the Consort in the Brocade Palace is His Majesty's true darling.

Empress?

To put it bluntly, the empress was nothing more than a ladder to heaven.

The head guard stopped the imperial carriage and said in a measured tone, "The palace curfew has been lifted. Your Majesty, please allow me to report to His Majesty before making any further decisions!"

"Dispose of her?!" Qiaoyu's temper finally flared: "How dare you! Her Majesty the Empress has traveled a long way, and there's not even a single ember of fire. If she's harmed, can you bear the consequences?!"

"Therefore, Miss Qiaoyu, please do not delay any longer. It is best to take care of Her Majesty's health. I will go and return quickly."

Qiaoyu was about to argue when Wei Rong waved her away, saying, "Go on."

Despite being the Empress, she was still being harassed by a mere guard. Qiaoyu was so angry that she burst into tears: "Shen Minglan is just taking advantage of Consort Xian's influence to deliberately make things difficult for you! In the past, whenever he saw Your Majesty, he was always all smiles and fawning!"

Wei Rong leaned against the car wall, her body ice-cold, enduring the throbbing pain in her temples, her lips slightly pale: "I was caught doing something wrong, and they'll find a reason to frame me."

She was truly heartbroken. Her father's sudden death had brought about a dramatic change in the Wei family, and she had been exhausted and sleepless for the past few months.

Coupled with the fatigue of today's journey and Xiao Heng's various actions, not only was his heart cold, but his body was also extremely exhausted.

Unexpectedly, Shen Minglan came and went quickly, but there was still a hint of disdain in her eyes: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Consort Xian is unwell, and His Majesty is currently seeing the imperial physician. I have not been able to see her yet, so please wait a moment, Your Majesty."

"You're making the Empress wait here?!"

In the freezing cold, the snow outside the palace gates was knee-high; this was clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult!

Shen Minglan is Shen Mingxiu's maternal relative. On the surface, she is meek and obedient, but everyone knows what she's really thinking!

"In that case, would you please trouble Lord Shen to fetch some charcoal for me?" Wei Rong grasped Qiaoyu's hand, her dark eyes fixed on Shen Minglan through the palace lantern.

The unarmed woman's gaze sent a shiver down Shen Minglan's spine.

But then he chuckled mockingly, "Wei Beimu is dead, the Wei family's power is gone, His Majesty's love is for his own cousin, this Empress is nothing but a paper tiger, the Empress's position will be handed over sooner or later."

I'm not afraid of what she might do.

Shen Minglan gave a perfunctory bow: "Your subordinate obeys."

He gave his subordinate a wink, and soon after, the subordinate returned with charcoal.

With just one glance, Wei Rong knew that this was not the silver charcoal used in the Phoenix Palace, but rather the black charcoal with its thick smoke.

One reason is for warmth, but the thick smoke from burning charcoal often makes people cough and irritate their eyes.

The palace was strictly hierarchical; black charcoal was not allowed in the emperor's or empress's palaces. Even eunuchs and palace maids could use some scraps of charcoal.

It was truly remarkable that Shen Minglan was able to find a basket of charcoal.

A cold sarcasm flashed through Wei Rong's mind.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. With the end of the year approaching, the palace's expenses have increased dramatically. His Majesty has instructed the Imperial Household Department to reduce expenditures. Today, we only have these charcoal pieces left. Please forgive us, Your Majesty."

Whether it's what's left over or just a pretext, both sides know the truth.

"You sycophantic dogs!" Qiaoyu could no longer contain herself and shouted, "My lady hasn't lost power yet, and you dare to use these things to appease her!"

"Miss Qiaoyu, you're exaggerating," Shen Minglan scoffed. "I was merely following protocol. Her Highness requested charcoal, and I brought it to her. If she wishes to be picky, then unless—"

Qiaoyu, fiercely protective of her master, asked, "Unless what?"

Shen Minglan didn't even bother to hide her sarcasm at this point: "Unless Your Majesty is like Consort Xian, and His Majesty personally takes you back and settles you in, it would naturally be more proper and considerate."

As soon as he finished speaking, several guards nearby chuckled.

"you--"

Since the founding of the dynasty, there have been countless favored concubines throughout history, and Wei Rong was not the only empress who was not favored.

However, after three years of marriage, they had no children, no princes to rely on, and their maternal family had fallen apart, leaving only Wei Rong as the only one.

Since Wei Beimu's death, rumors have been rampant in the court and among the people. Some ridiculed the Wei family for their eagerness for quick success and instant benefits, betraying the late emperor and siding with the new emperor, only to be discarded after being used. Others secretly bet on how long Wei Rong would remain empress.

In short, the situation has changed drastically, and everyone wants to take advantage of the situation.

"Lord Shen."

Wei Rong, who had been silent all along, suddenly called out to him, her calm expression showing no sign of being provoked.

Shen Minglan looked over and saw that this eldest daughter of the Wei family, who was once renowned for her intelligence in Yunjing, was also known to the world for her beautiful face, with stunning features.

It is said that when people went to the Wei family to propose marriage, they practically wore down the threshold.

Half of it was because of Wei Beimu's power, and the other half was because they had heard that Miss Wei was as graceful as jade.

At this moment, her pale face made her appear somewhat frail, yet her oval face, with its expressive eyes, seemed to mock him with a radiant, serene beauty, like the countenance of a peaceful and prosperous nation. She spoke calmly, "Even if His Majesty favors his concubines, don't forget that my father spent half his life on the battlefield; one-fifth of the Great Jing's territory was carved out by his horses. His Majesty still granted him a state funeral. What are you trying to prove to me, time and again?"

The disdain in their eyes was completely undisguised.

Shen Minglan was taken aback, then became furious and embarrassed: "That was General Wei's achievement, what does it have to do with Your Highness?"

"Since Consort Xian has gained favor and His Majesty has promoted you, what's the reason for you to be blocking my way like this?"

Shen Minglan was rendered speechless by her words, her face turning red and white.

Wei Rong is calling him a roadblock dog!

He took a deep breath and let out a sinister laugh: "Your Majesty has quite the eloquence. In that case, I will not disturb you any longer. Just wait patiently."

The guards withdrew, and night fell completely over Yunjing.

The phoenix carriage stood before the palace walls like a drop in the ocean; as night fell, the snow fell heavier, and the roof of the carriage was covered in white.

The thick smoke billowing from the charcoal choked Wei Rong, causing her to cough incessantly. Qiaoyu cried and cursed for half the night, saying, "Your Majesty is so heartless! Your Highness, the snow is too heavy. Shall we go back to the Wei residence?"

"Violating palace rules is a minor matter, but if someone doesn't return home at night, how do you think His Majesty will deal with it?"

Wei Rong was certain that Shen Minglan wasn't stupid enough to invite trouble for herself.

It's hard to say whether he just informed Xiao Heng of her return, but when the court officials come and go at dawn and see the imperial carriage, they will inevitably gossip.

Wei Beimu's body is barely cold. If the world were to find out that Xiao Heng had been so infatuated with his concubine, and that Wei Rong had to wait until dawn, it would not sound good.

But she was unwilling to suffer this injustice for nothing.

Wei Rong coughed for a while, then whispered a few words to Qiaoyu.

Qiaoyu's expression hardened, and she quickly agreed, lifting the curtain and going out.