Chapter 203: Meeting

The Empress fell silent for a moment before saying softly, “Young Lady Su will come to see my sister tomorrow. We’ll talk about it then.”

She carefully tucked the blanket around Qi Min.

“Take good care of my sister,” the Empress instructed the imperial doctor.

The doctor nodded solemnly. “Yes, Your Majesty. I will do everything I can.”

The Empress stepped out of the palace, and the attendant waiting outside quickly approached her.

She asked, “Has the banquet ended?”

“It has,” the attendant replied, glancing toward the palace in the distance where lanterns had been lit. “Your Majesty, the Regent of Great Zhou and Young Lady Su have been settled in Yaoguang Palace.”

The Empress pondered for a moment before saying, “Go and invite Young Lady Su to Mingxin Palace. I want to meet her.”

“Yes.” The attendant bowed and left.

The Empress returned to Mingxin Palace. Inside, the consort was dressed in casual attire, sitting cross-legged on a rug, reading a book. The fire in the brazier crackled gently beside him. The warmth and peace of the scene created a rare sense of comfort in her heart.

She thought of her sister and couldn’t help but sigh.

“How is Minmin?” Fan Yuheng looked up, closed the book in his hand, and waited for the Empress to sit beside him. He reached out to smooth the crease on her brow. “Yangyang, don’t be sad. Minmin will be fine. Young Lady Su is known as a divine doctor—perhaps she will have a solution.”

The Empress hesitated. “Wanwan and the Regent…”

“The Regent looks at Wanwan with the gaze of an elder toward a junior. Wanwan is already married—how could there be anything more between them?” Fan Yuheng gently interrupted her, speaking warmly. “The Regent is unmarried and traveled all the way to Xiliang. You should know the real reason. Wanwan is Minmin’s child, and that’s why he takes care of her.”

The Empress suddenly understood. She recalled how Su Wan had curiously observed her during the palace banquet—Su Wan must have known that her birth mother was the Empress of Xiliang.

“Our appearances are similar. The ministers must be suspicious.”

The Empress felt troubled, unsure of how to provide a reasonable explanation to everyone.

Fan Yuheng offered insight: “The former Emperor originally chose Minmin for the throne. But for my sake, she fulfilled both of us and returned the throne to you.

“She didn’t know she had a child, which is why you were able to appoint Yin’er as Crown Princess.”

“When Minmin remembers the past, ask her opinion—whether to reveal your true identities to the public or return the throne to her. You could tell the people of Xiliang that Wanwan is the daughter she lost among the common folk, allowing her to reclaim her heritage.”

The Empress was stunned. “And what about you…?”

“I’ll make a mistake, and the Empress can banish me to the Cold Palace. Then, at the right time, I’ll leave the palace,” Fan Yuheng sighed. “I’ve endured the concubines in your harem for far too long.”

The Empress immediately understood and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I hope my sister recovers soon.”

The Empress’s eyes flickered as she suddenly remembered something. “My sister and I switched places. If we leave the palace, wouldn’t the concubines in the harem all belong to her? Then what about the Regent…?”

“He probably wouldn’t mind,” Fan Yuheng said with a faint smile. “After all, they were Minmin’s concubines to begin with.”

The Empress noticed the mischievous gleam in his eyes and shot him a glare.

“Your Majesty, Young Lady Su has arrived,” a palace maid announced from outside.

“Let her in,” the Empress instructed.

Fan Yuheng held the Empress’s hand, and the two of them sat cross-legged on the rug, exuding a sense of casualness and warmth. The informality diminished the usual distance, making it easy to break down barriers and put others at ease.

Sure enough, when Su Wan entered and saw the two sitting so naturally on the floor, the intimidating air of superiority instantly vanished. It felt more like meeting family, and her tense nerves began to relax.

“Sit,” the Empress gestured to the spot across from them. “Did you enjoy the food at the banquet?”

“It was fine,” Su Wan answered truthfully, though she was still wondering what the Empress had called her here for.

The first priority was to figure out the identity of the person in front of her.

“Are you wondering if I am your birth mother?” The Empress caught Su Wan’s probing gaze and was momentarily stunned. She immediately realized that Su Wan had begun to suspect her true identity. “Or… are you wondering who I really am?”

Seeing the Empress’s gentle smile, Su Wan couldn’t tell whether she was being tested or if the Empress was simply extending kindness without ulterior motives.

Cautiously, Su Wan deflected the question, saying, “If Your Majesty isn’t the Empress, then who would you be?”

“You don’t need to be so reserved, nor should you be afraid,” the Empress said gently, pouring Su Wan a cup of tea and pushing a plate of pastries toward her. “I’ve noticed Great Zhou spies here in Xiliang. They must be the Regent’s people. You already know that the Empress is Qi Min? So you came specifically to find her?”

Su Wan’s entire body tensed with caution.

“Officially, Xiliang’s Empress is indeed Qi Min,” the Empress continued calmly. “But she only held the position for a few years before handing the throne to me. In reality, I’ve been occupying this role under her identity.”

The Empress touched her own face, smiling softly. “Qi Min and I are twin sisters—she is the elder sister, and I am the younger.”

Su Wan was stunned and instinctively asked, “Then the princes and princesses…?”

The Empress exchanged a glance with Fan Yuheng. “They are our children.” After a brief pause, she added, “My sister never took an empress and has no children under her care. You are her only child.”

Su Wan was bewildered. The revelation came too suddenly. However, for her father, this would be an extraordinary piece of good news.

“And… my mother?” Su Wan asked tentatively.

“I’ll take you to see her tomorrow,” the Empress said, intending to explain Qi Min’s condition to Su Wan. However, Fan Yuheng stopped her with a glance, leaving her no choice but to say, “I called you here today to put your minds at ease and help you sleep well tonight.”

Su Wan had many questions—such as, if her mother had not married or had children, why didn’t she return to Great Zhou to find them?

But since she wasn’t familiar enough with the Empress, she suppressed her doubts, stood up, and excused herself.

As the Empress watched Su Wan leave, she frowned and asked, “Why wouldn’t you let me tell her?”

“If you tell them today, they probably won’t sleep tonight. With the Regent’s poor health, how could he endure it without proper rest?”

“Giving them good news today is enough. With a lighter heart, their health will improve faster. Before the meeting tomorrow, we can inform them of the full details.”

Fan Yuheng picked up a book from the side and flipped it open to a page, saying, “Your Majesty, you’d better hurry and take care of the memorials.”

The Empress: “…”

——

Early the next morning, Su Wan and the Regent waited in Mingxin Palace.

About half an hour later, the Empress arrived after finishing the morning court session.

The two of them sat quietly in their chairs.

“Have you had breakfast?” the Empress asked.

Su Wan replied, “Yes, we have.”

The Empress’s gaze swept over the two of them. The shadows under the Regent’s eyes were heavy, though his mental state seemed stable. “Before we go to see my sister, there is something I need to clarify with you both.”

Su Wan and the Regent looked toward her attentively.

“After my sister awakened from her feigned death in Great Zhou, she lost all memory of the past. Don’t blame her for not seeking you out.”

The Empress’s eyes rested on the Regent. “Years ago, my sister came to Xiliang to seek medicine for you. She mentioned you to me back then. Now, you’re still alone, and you’ve come all this way to Xiliang. Does this mean your feelings for her remain unresolved? If so, I hope you prepare yourself—her condition is very grave, and she is nearing the end of her life.”

The cup in the Regent’s hand shattered, and the shards cut into his palm, causing blood to drip onto the floor.

Su Wan was startled and immediately said, “Let me try—I might be able to heal her!” Without hesitation, she hurried to tend to the Regent’s wound.

The Regent avoided Su Wan’s hand and casually wrapped his palm with a handkerchief. “Take me to see her.”

“Follow me.” The Empress glanced at his injured hand, dismissed the attendants, and led them to Qi Min’s bedchamber.