Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Yan Jingtian and Yan Moyan followed closely in the Emperor's footsteps, heading together towards the Phoenix Palace where Empress Lin resided. Empress Lin had already been informed that Yan Zhen would be personally bringing her two sons for a meal. Therefore, she specifically instructed her kitchen to prepare a sumptuous and delicious feast to entertain them.

Just then, Jiao, the head nanny accompanying Empress Lin, hurried over and respectfully reported to her, "Your Majesty, the dishes are all prepared and will be served immediately upon the arrival of the Emperor and the princes. However… the notification from Eunuch Fang was rather late this time, so we were unable to prepare the Emperor's favorite bone broth." As she spoke, Jiao frowned slightly, secretly puzzled. After all, the Emperor was a native northerner; why would he prefer a soup originating from the south that required long and meticulous simmering? Thinking it over, Jiao felt that this might be related to the person residing in the Phoenix Palace. After all, the power struggles within the harem never ceased; who could truly know how many untold reasons lay hidden within?

However, time flies, and many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Although the Emperor's rewards to that woman have never ceased over the years, upon reflection, it seems that's all there is to it. While the annual gifts of jewels, silks, and satins are indeed plentiful, the number of times she has served the Empress is far less than that.

Therefore, the Empress secretly sent someone to investigate. The report was quite unexpected. According to the spies, Consort Ye was in good health, without any hidden ailments, and perfectly capable of serving the Emperor normally. However, for some reason, when the Emperor visited her palace each night, he would only stay briefly, glance at her, and leave without even eating, merely having Consort Ye sit by his bedside for a short while. When the spies relayed this news, not only was the Empress shocked, but even the Empress herself was speechless, utterly baffled by the reason.

Just then, the Empress slowly spoke up, "Alright, since it's so rushed, it's fine if there's no time to prepare. If His Majesty wishes to taste it, he can simply go to the Phoenix Palace, where it should be stocked year-round. As for Jing Tian and Mo Yan, they are currently busy with their studies and it's rare for them to come for a meal today. Have you prepared braised fish maw and lamb intestines? These two dishes are their favorites."

With a fawning smile on her face, Jiao hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, everything is ready! The dishes that the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince usually like to eat are always kept in our palace, just waiting for them to come and enjoy them at any time. Your Majesty, please don't worry."

Hearing this, the Empress nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied. Then, she raised her hand and gently smoothed her hair at the back of her head, a graceful and dignified movement. After a brief pause, the Empress spoke again, "Very good. However… I wonder why His Majesty suddenly summoned all the princes back to the palace today? I feel uneasy about it." As she spoke, the Empress reached out a delicate hand and lightly touched her chest, as if trying to soothe the inexplicable unease in her heart.

Just then, a series of footsteps were heard, followed by the announcement from a palace servant: "His Majesty has arrived! His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Seventh Prince have arrived!" The sound echoed in the palace, instantly turning the previously quiet atmosphere into a lively one.

Upon hearing that her husband and children had arrived, the Queen's face lit up with a joyful smile. She quickly rose and hurried toward the door to greet them.

A moment later, the Emperor strode in, followed closely by Crown Prince Yan Jingtian and Seventh Prince Yan Moyan. The Empress respectfully bowed to the Emperor, while the two princes greeted their parents. After the formalities, everyone took their seats to prepare for the meal.

However, because Yan Nanhui had deliberately delayed the entire morning, everyone was only now beginning to enjoy their first meal of the day. Yan Moyan was already starving, and at this point, he no longer cared about his noble status as a prince. He picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down his food like a whirlwind. He looked as if he hadn't eaten for days, which made everyone who saw him burst into laughter.

In contrast, although Crown Prince Yan Jingtian was also feeling extremely hungry, he still tried his best to maintain proper decorum and restrained his eating speed, given that the Emperor and Empress Lin were present. Nevertheless, he put food into his mouth much faster than usual, as if afraid that the delicious food would disappear before his eyes if he was even a second late.

The Empress looked bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened, but still smiled and said, "Yan'er, eat slowly. If you're not full, the kitchen will make you some more later." She looked tenderly at the child who was wolfing down his food, her eyes full of affection. Then, the Empress turned her gaze to Emperor Yan Zhen, her smile still bright, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, why are you so free today, and have specially summoned the children back to the palace for a gathering? Is there something important you wish to discuss with me and the children?"

Yan Zhen sat at the table, a memorial in his hand, not even raising his head. He spoke calmly, "Empress, do you still remember two years ago when I publicly lashed Nan Hui fifty times?" His words, though soft, carried an invisible pressure. After speaking, Yan Zhen slowly put down the memorial, raised his eyes, and stared directly at Empress Lin before him. His gaze was deep and sharp, its meaning unfathomable.

"Your Majesty, I certainly remember. It is true. Back then, His Majesty was furious about it! Consort Tong even knelt outside the Imperial Study, pleading with His Majesty for a long time, her heart filled with anxiety." The Empress nodded slightly, a hint of recollection on her face, but she was secretly puzzled as to why this old matter had suddenly been brought up. Her beautiful, deep eyes looked at the Emperor with a questioning gaze, trying to glean a clue from his expression.

Noticing the confusion and bewilderment in the Empress's eyes, Yan Zhen guessed that she might not know the truth. He sighed softly and slowly said, "Empress, back then, the Prefect of the Capital reported that the Fifth Prince had fought with someone in the street over a woman, even breaking the other man's leg. To quell public anger, I had to order him to be severely punished with fifty lashes. However, I only recently learned that the truth is completely different! That day, it was clearly that a spoiled young master from the Qingzhou Prefecture who bullied others and forcibly took a woman. The Fifth Prince, seeing injustice, simply stepped in to help. But who would have thought that the Prefect of the Capital at that time was your own brother, and by seniority, he was your uncle in Nan Hui's family. I really don't understand how he could be so heartless as to slander his own nephew like that." At this point, Yan Zhen's tone became more serious, clearly still harboring resentment over what happened back then.

As Yan Zhen grew angrier, his face turned ashen, veins bulging on his forehead. He suddenly slammed his chopsticks down! The crisp, resounding sound exploded in the room like thunder, startling everyone present. In an instant, the people in the room, like frightened rabbits, all knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.

The Empress, who had been sitting to the side, was now visibly shocked, her previously composed expression turning pale. She inwardly cursed her brainless brother for his reckless actions and his muddled handling of such a matter. However, upon reflection, she realized that making a mistake would at most result in dismissal, but if he had deliberately framed the prince, even as the Empress's brother-in-law, he might not be able to save his life.

Thinking of this, the Empress quickly rose, walked briskly to Yan Zhen, and knelt down with a thud. Her face filled with fear, she said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It was indeed my second brother who was at fault, hastily closing the case without a thorough investigation. But I can guarantee that he absolutely did not do it intentionally! Although Nan Hui is not my biological son, I have always treated him as my own child, showing him great care and love. Please, Your Majesty, believe me and forgive my brother!" As she spoke, the Empress's eyes reddened, tears welling up, making her appear utterly pitiful.

Initially, the Empress's seemingly affectionate words, a pretense of treating Yan Nan as her own son, had actually pleased Yan Zhen. However, her next words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing Yan Zhen's newly ignited goodwill. The Empress actually demanded that Yan Zhen forgive her brother and the entire Lin family!

Thinking of the report brought back by the secret agents this morning, Yan Zhen's anger erupted like a volcano, no longer able to be contained. He snorted coldly, his face grim, his voice icy and piercing: "Forgive them? Forgive them? Then who can forgive my youngest son, who was only sixteen at the time? If things hadn't escalated further, I'm afraid my fifth son would have followed in my fourth son's footsteps! Your Lin family is truly audacious. Tell your elder brother to come and confess his crimes in person, otherwise, the entire Lin family will not be able to withstand the Emperor's wrath!"

After speaking, Yan Zhen turned his gaze to Yan Jingtian and Yan Moyan, his eyes flashing with a chilling light: "I've heard that Seventh Prince is involved in this matter. Whether it's true or not, this is a one-time thing. If I find out in the future that you are still colluding with the Lin family, hmph, you can forget about being my sons anymore!" With that, Yan Zhen flicked his sleeve and left without looking back, leaving everyone behind in a state of utter silence, not daring to even breathe. A tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the entire palace.

Seeing the Emperor storm off, the Crown Prince and Yan Moyan hurried forward and, together with Lady Jiao, carefully helped the Empress to her feet. They gently comforted her and earnestly advised her. However, everyone present knew perfectly well that today's events had touched a raw nerve with the Emperor. Within the deep palace walls, the Fourth Prince had always been a taboo subject, a major concern. Now, the Emperor had brought it up himself, clearly indicating that he harbored some resentment towards the Lin family and could no longer tolerate it.

Yan Jingtian frowned, looking worried, and said, "Mother, Father Emperor was furious today. In my opinion, we should inform Grandfather about this as soon as possible. After all, this whole incident was caused by Second Uncle. Fourth Brother tragically died young, and Fifth Brother barely survived after going through so much hardship. Anyone who saw this scene would probably think that the Lin family was deliberately targeting the Tong family. We must be extra careful in our actions from now on and must not anger Father Emperor again!"

The Empress stood in her bedchamber, her face filled with sorrow, as if her heart had been pierced with pain. Just moments before, the Emperor's angry rebuke still echoed in her ears, causing her immense distress.

Looking back on the more than twenty years she had spent with the emperor, they had been a loving couple in their youth! Over the years, although she dared not claim to be a model of virtuous womanhood, she had always been gentle and respectful. Yet today, the emperor had spoken to her in such a stern manner, which truly shocked her.

Ultimately, all of this stemmed from her own family. Thinking of this, the Empress felt a surge of resentment welling up inside her. Her brows furrowed, and a resolute glint appeared in her eyes.

Suddenly, the Empress raised her head and called out to Jiao, the old woman beside her, "Jiao, go and send a message to my father. Tell him that I have important matters to discuss and wish to see him immediately." Her voice was firm and unwavering.

Then, the Empress turned to Yan Jingtian and Yan Moyan, and said slowly, "You two should no longer interfere in this matter. I will handle it properly." Although her tone was gentle, the authority it contained was undeniable. After speaking, the Empress sighed softly, as if trying to expel all her pent-up frustration with that breath.

Yan Jingtian frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Mother, in my opinion, when you see your maternal grandfather again, you should calmly and properly talk to him. Father was indeed a bit impulsive just now, but this is because our fourth brother did not survive. This matter has always been like a thorn buried deep in Father's heart, becoming a wound that is difficult to heal. Furthermore, the incident that our fifth brother caused two years ago had a great impact. That flogging almost took his life. It was truly remarkable that he survived that ordeal!"