Chapter 101

Early the next morning, after Yan Donghuang got up and dressed, she took Chang Lan and Chang Yue to the palace by carriage.

Upon reaching the front courtyard, Mo Lin, dressed in a black robe, approached and bowed, “Your Highness, the three ministers came again yesterday and are now kneeling outside the gate, pleading for their sons.”

“Sheng Jing’an did not return all night, and the old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion sent people to inquire three times.”

“Early this morning, before dawn, Princess Fengyang arrived outside the Grand Princess’s mansion with two maids, saying she came to apologize and begged Your Highness to see her, as she has much to say.”

Mo Lin reported the three matters succinctly, in his usual concise manner.
As he finished speaking, Yan Donghuang stepped out the door and saw the three familiar ministers kneeling outside.

Yan Donghuang paused and calmly looked at the three officials, her voice indifferent, “What are you doing here?”

Sheng Lanfeng respectfully saluted, “We pay respects to Her Highness the Crown Princess. May Your Highness live long!”

The other two ministers followed suit.

After the formal salute, Sheng Lanfeng said with embarrassment, “We have come to apologize to the Grand Princess.”

Yan Donghuang said indifferently, “What crime have you committed?”

Shen Yunshan, looking terrified, bowed his head in fear, no longer as arrogant as yesterday. “We have failed to teach our sons properly, causing them to commit unforgivable crimes. We deserve to die a thousand times! We leave our rebellious sons to the Grand Princess’s disposal. We have no complaints; we beg the Grand Princess for mercy!”

Yan Donghuang said nothing; her gaze shifted, and she saw a carriage parked on the left.

The maid lifted the curtain. Yan Yushu stepped out of the carriage, supported by the maids. Her thin body was wrapped in a thick cloak, but it couldn’t hide her pale and weak appearance.

Yan Donghuang withdrew her gaze, her voice calm yet full of authority: “You are all important court officials. There is no need to kneel here. Please go back.”

“Your Highness the Crown Princess.” Shen Yunshan knelt on the ground, cautiously pleading, “Please show mercy and spare Jingyan’s life; punish him as you see fit; we have no complaints, just please… please don’t let him die…”

“Lord Shen, don’t worry.” Yan Donghuang said coldly, “He is now a person of the Grand Princess’s mansion. His life and death are indeed up to me, but I have no intention of killing him for now.”

Shen Yunshan quickly thanked her, “Yes, thank you, Grand Princess, thank you, Your Highness!”

“Donghuang.” Yan Yushu slowly approached Yan Donghuang and bowed gracefully, “Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Yan Donghuang looked at her expressionlessly, “Didn’t you have a miscarriage yesterday? Why aren’t you resting in the Marquis’s mansion?”

“I have something to tell you.” Yan Yushu walked up to her, lowered her head, and tentatively took her hand, “Let’s talk.”

Under the wide sleeve, a cold object slipped into Yan Donghuang’s hand.

Yan Yushu held her hand tightly, looking sad, “Can you give me some time?”

Yan Donghuang’s brow moved slightly. She turned back to the mansion without a word. “Mo Lin, send someone to the palace to fetch a physician.”

“Yes.” Mo Lin obeyed and left.

Yan Yushu, supported by two maids, quietly followed Yan Donghuang into the Qingluan Hall.

The two sat down in the inner hall.

Yan Donghuang ordered Chang Lan to bring the brazier over and place it by Yan Yushu’s feet, then had someone bring a blanket to cover her.

Yan Yushu’s face was as pale as paper. Even her lips were white. Only her eyes were red, and tears welled up but did not fall.

“Everyone, leave.” Yan Donghuang commanded, “Tell the kitchen to make a bowl of ginger soup for Princess Fengyang.”

Yan Yushu lowered her eyes, looking sad, “Qing’er, Hui’er, you leave too.”

Qing’er hesitated, “But Princess, you are weak…”

Yan Yushu smiled weakly, “With the Grand Princess here, what are you afraid of?”

Qing’er and Hui’er had to kneel and leave, “Yes.”

The hall fell silent.

Yan Yushu gently stroked her abdomen, “The child was lost yesterday. My mother-in-law wanted to blame me. I had no energy to deal with her, so I used the princess’s status to make her kneel, and she fled in panic.”

“Chen Shaoheng wanted to support his mother. When he came to question me, I realized how useless I was as a princess.”

“When I got angry, Chen Shaoheng softened his voice to coax me, and I realized men are also bullies.”

Yan Yushu sipped the hot milk, “He asked me to come here to complain, to use a bitter trick to gain your sympathy, so I came. I really want your sympathy.”

Yan Donghuang looked at the black porcelain bottle in her hand, “What is this?”

“Chen Shaoheng said it’s medicine, not lethal, just makes people weak.”

Yan Yushu smiled weakly, “But I don’t believe it.”

“Why didn’t you listen to him?”

“I don’t want to harm anyone.” Yan Yushu looked sad, “I blamed you yesterday, especially when I lost the child, but I… I can’t harm you…”

Yan Donghuang said nothing.

“Donghuang, I never thought of harming you.” Yan Yushu wiped her tears, her voice choked, “I don’t know how things turned out this way, the change was too sudden, I can’t accept it, I always thought the second prince would ascend the throne…”

Yan Donghuang said coldly, “Why are you so insistent on him ascending the throne?”

“Because the three of us have the best relationship.” Yan Yushu bit her lip, “The second prince’s uncle is Minister Chu, Minister Chu’s wife is Chen Shaoheng’s aunt, they are all relatives, so his ascension is best for the Pingyang Marquis Mansion. I… I also considered my child.”

Yan Donghuang said nothing, her face indifferent and calm.

“But the Chu family was executed, the second prince was demoted to a prince, the Pingyang Marquis Mansion lost two pillars of support, and offended so many officials, it will be difficult to move forward.” Yan Yushu smiled pale, “Maybe this is our retribution. Losing the child is also our retribution.”

Yan Donghuang said indifferently, “Chen Shaoheng is not a good match.”

“You are right.” Yan Yushu nodded slowly, hesitated for a long time, then said, “I want to divorce him.”

“The Marquis of Pingyang has evil intentions. He deserves to die.” Yan Donghuang said coldly, “You are a princess. You have the right to divorce him.”

Chang Yue brought the ginger soup, walked to Yan Yushu, and handed it to her, “Princess, drink the ginger soup first.”

Yan Yushu said nothing and drank the ginger soup one sip at a time.

“Chang Yue, prepare pen and ink for Princess Fengyang.” Yan Donghuang ordered, then looked at Yan Yushu. “Sister, you need to write a divorce letter yourself and admit that the Marquis of Pingyang gave you poison, indicating that he intended to harm the heir. This is the key evidence to convict the Marquis of Pingyang.”

Yan Yushu’s expression changed slightly, “Must I write it?”

“You must write it.” Yan Donghuang’s attitude was firm, “The Marquis of Pingyang dared to think of poisoning me. He is destined to die.”

Chapter 102

Yan Yushu looked deeply at Yan Donghuang, her gaze looking through Yan Donghuang’s face, recalling distant memories: “I still remember what you looked like when you were young, Donghuang. You are truly a different person now.”

Yan Donghuang said nothing.

Everyone has to grow up. Childhood experiences are just a small part of one’s growth. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, they are in the past. She had no interest in reminiscing.

Chang Yue brought the pen and ink, placed them on the table in front of Yan Yushu, and used a paperweight to hold down the rice paper, then ground the ink for her.

“Write.” Yan Donghuang’s tone was indifferent, “Write the divorce letter and end it with him once and for all. His life and death will no longer concern you.”

Yan Yushu lowered her eyes, “I have already been married, I am no longer pure, in the future—”

“What does it matter if you are no longer pure? Do you still want to remarry?” Yan Donghuang’s voice was cold, “Not marrying won’t kill you, but marrying a heartless person can ruin you forever.”

She squinted slightly, “Or are you reluctant to part with that heartless person?”

“No.” Yan Yushu shook her head slowly, “I just envy your decisiveness and strength, your ability to be so firm and unyielding.”

Yan Donghuang said, “If you want to, you can be too.”

Yan Yushu smiled self-deprecatingly. Can she?

Yan Donghuang holds military power and commands respect; of course, she can. But Yan Yushu was taught from a young age that men are superior to women. Even though she was a princess, the Empress required her to be gentle and submissive, considerate and yielding in all things. How could she be strong?

Yan Yushu said no more, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink and began to write the divorce letter stroke by stroke. Besides the fact that her mother-in-law and husband had always suppressed her intentionally or unintentionally after marriage, she wrote down everything Chen Shaoheng did yesterday and his instructions for her to poison Donghuang, clearly and in detail.

When she wrote the last sentence, “From now on, we are no longer related,” the brush paused slightly. Yan Yushu knew that Chen Shaoheng probably wouldn’t have another chance to remarry.

But since she wrote it, so be it. She signed her name, put down the brush, and couldn’t describe her feelings, only feeling a sense of irony. Married for less than a year, ending in this way, was not what she had expected.

After the ink dried, Yan Donghuang picked up the divorce letter, checked it, folded it, and put it in an envelope.

“Chang Yue, inform Madam Cui to prepare a quiet courtyard for Princess Fengyang to stay.” Yan Donghuang stood up and ordered calmly, “Princess Fengyang is weak and needs to rest. No one is allowed to disturb her except the physician.”

“Yes.”

Yan Donghuang turned and walked out.

In the winding corridor, Feng Yaoguang hurriedly approached, his silver-white fox fur cloak fluttering in the wind. He quickly walked down the corridor and asked Yan Donghuang in a low voice, “Your Highness, what did Princess Fengyang say to you? I heard she had a miscarriage yesterday, and I wonder if she still harbors resentment. You must be careful.”

His face showed obvious concern. He was clearly worried that Yan Yushu might harm Yan Donghuang, and he came to remind her.

“I will guard against her.” Yan Donghuang’s voice was indifferent as she handed him the divorce letter, “This is the divorce letter Princess Fengyang just wrote. Immediately gather five hundred men, raid the Marquis of Pingyang’s mansion, have the Marquis sign and seal the divorce letter, then imprison them in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.”

Feng Yaoguang obeyed, “Yes.”

“Make sure the Ministry of Justice interrogates them thoroughly.” Yan Donghuang’s voice was cold, “I must find out who gave him the poison.”

Feng Yaoguang was shocked, “Poison?”

“Princess Fengyang brought a bottle of poison, instructed by the Marquis of Pingyang to use a bitter trick and find an opportunity to poison me.”

Feng Yaoguang’s face turned cold: “A mere Marquis of Pingyang dares to poison the Crown Princess openly?”

Yan Donghuang said nothing – the Marquis of Pingyang didn’t have the guts. She understood that this poison was similar to the one she was poisoned with in her previous life, likely the Seven-Day Intestinal Poison, which could cripple her martial arts, making her powerless. After seven days, she would die bleeding from her seven orifices. But this time, it wasn’t Sheng Jing’an who acted, but the Marquis of Pingyang, Chen Shaoheng, and Yan Yushu.

In her previous life, Sheng Jing’an was her closest confidant, and in this life, Yan Yushu was her deeply affectionate sister. The mastermind was using the people close to her to lower her guard. But this time, seeing the situation getting out of control, the mastermind was too impatient and acted hastily.

“Leave the raid on the Marquis of Pingyang’s mansion to me. Your Highness should go to the palace.” Feng Yaoguang frowned, looking serious, “A lot has happened yesterday and today. Your Highness should explain everything to the Emperor to prevent anyone from slandering you in front of him.”

Yan Donghuang nodded lightly, “After the people from the Marquis’s mansion are imprisoned, you must guard them strictly, not allowing them to contact anyone. Also, during the Ministry of Justice’s interrogation, you can watch over it, ensuring Chen Shaoheng confesses who gave him the poison.”

“Yes.” Feng Yaoguang obeyed and left.

Yan Donghuang went outside, mounted her horse, and headed to the palace with her entourage.

Feng Yaoguang turned back into the mansion, “Yaoguang Army, assemble, follow me to raid the Marquis of Pingyang’s mansion!”
…

Like a whirlwind, the Yaoguang Army stormed into the Marquis of Pingyang’s mansion. When they captured Chen Shaoheng, his face changed drastically, shouting angrily, “What are you doing? How dare you! Do you know who I am? I am the husband of Princess Fengyang, who gave you the courage to act recklessly in the Marquis’s mansion?”

Feng Yaoguang whipped him, making him roll on the ground.

Chen Shaoheng tried to dodge but was tripped by Feng Yaoguang, falling to the ground with a thud.

“Reckless?” Feng Yaoguang stepped on his back, his voice cold as ice, “When you poisoned the Crown Princess, weren’t you the most reckless?”

“Nonsense, nonsense!” Chen Shaoheng shouted hoarsely, “I didn’t. You are framing me! I didn’t—”

“Whether you did or not, a trip to the Ministry of Justice’s prison will reveal the truth.” Feng Yaoguang bent down to his ear, “Rest assured, before you confess, I will make sure you experience every torture in the Ministry of Justice, making your trip worthwhile.”

“Reckless! You are all reckless!” the old madam, who was dragged out, shouted hoarsely. “The Marquis’s mansion is of royal kin. Without the Emperor’s decree, who dares to touch us?”

Feng Yaoguang straightened up, looked at her lazily, and smiled, “The Emperor has entrusted all state affairs to the Crown Princess. With her command, the raid is legal and proper. Rest assured, old madam.”

He waved his hand, “Take them all away!”

With the order, the mansion was filled with cries of fear and despair.