Chapter 24

Yan Donghuang looked at the nearly fainting Madam Chu, the already unconscious Chu Yuanzheng, and the frightened and angry Chu family children and calmly ordered, “Take them all to the Grand Princess’s dungeon. If there’s not enough space, squeeze them in. They’re all prisoners; they can endure a bit of discomfort.”

Mo Lin obeyed: “Yes.”

Yan Donghuang glanced at the busy Qingluan Army, gave a few simple instructions, and turned to head back to the residence.

She was tired.

Back at the Grand Princess’s residence, Yan Donghuang ordered water to be brought, bathed and changed clothes carefully, then lay down and slept for half an hour, completely ignoring the chaos in the palace.

After waking up, she dressed in simple clothes suitable for movement, ordered food to be brought, and went out to see Prince An.

Prince An, Yan Ling, was confined in a separate room, guarded outside, so he couldn’t escape, but no one made things difficult for him.

Lunch was one meat and one vegetable dish, fairly considerate.

However, from the placement of the untouched dishes and utensils on the table, it was clear that Prince An had no intention of eating.

When Yan Donghuang pushed the door open, she saw him standing by the window, looking towards the back garden. His tall figure appeared somewhat lonely.

Hearing the door open, Yan Ling turned to look at Yan Donghuang, a gentle smile on his lips: “It’s been a long time since we siblings had a good talk.”

Yan Donghuang responded with a hum: “Indeed, it’s been a long time.”

Chang Lan stepped forward to clear the untouched food from the table, and Chang Yue placed the new dishes, two meat and two vegetable dishes, two soups, two bowls of rice, and two sets of utensils.

Yan Ling walked to the table and sat down: “I want to know the whole truth.”

“The whole truth?” Yan Donghuang sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat, her expression calm and composed.

“Yesterday, on my wedding day, Sheng Jing’an poisoned my wedding wine with Seven-Day Heartbreak Powder.”

Yan Ling was stunned, staring at Yan Donghuang in disbelief, trying to determine if she was telling the truth.

Yan Donghuang said calmly, “It’s absolutely true.”

Yan Ling gradually tightened his grip on his chopsticks. “He truly deserves to die.”

“After poisoning me, he probably felt confident, thinking I would fear death and be at his mercy. So he couldn’t wait to bring his concubine, Shen Yun, before me, claiming she was his secondary wife and that she was pregnant.” Yan Donghuang said, looking up at Yan Ling. “Seventh Brother, tell me, did you really know nothing about Shen Yun and Sheng Jing’an?”

Yan Ling was taken aback and then shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“Seventh Brother, you are upright and honorable, so perhaps no one would report such sordid matters to you.” Yan Donghuang smiled faintly, believing his words. “Or perhaps the news was tightly sealed, known by very few, so I never heard any rumors.”

After all, everyone knew that a wife was formally betrothed while a concubine was taken in. Noble families valued their reputation and would never allow their daughters to become pregnant out of wedlock. If such news spread, it would ruin their reputation and bring shame to the family.
Like the Duke, who kept a concubine without status in his mansion, if people found out, historians would scorn and criticize them. So they kept this news hidden.

“Sheng Jing’an said there was an antidote for the Seven-Day Heartbreak Powder. As long as I obeyed him, he would give me the antidote every seven days. However, the poison would gradually weaken my martial arts, making me frail and confined to the Sheng family’s inner quarters, never to set foot on the battlefield again.” Yan Donghuang said, a cold, cruel smile forming on her lips. “Seventh Brother, do you think this was Sheng Jing’an’s idea alone?”

Yan Ling’s expression changed slightly, his lips tightening involuntarily. The veins on his pale hand stood out, indicating his inner turmoil.

The Duke’s Mansion had risen to prominence through military achievements, but after reaching its peak, it began to decline. With his foresight, the late Duke knew his son was not skilled in martial arts or military strategy. So, he sought connections and arranged for his son to marry the Grand Princess.

Having a capable and battle-hardened Grand Princess as a daughter-in-law would restore the Duke’s Mansion’s former glory. The Grand Princess’s military achievements were the foundation of the Sheng family’s survival.

Even if Sheng Jing’an had a favored concubine, he would never dare to flaunt her before the Grand Princess, let alone turn Yan Donghuang into a cripple—only a fool would do such a thing.

Unless someone feared her military power and wanted to eliminate her through Sheng Jing’an, promising him greater benefits.

As for who feared her, was there any need to guess?

Yan Ling looked at the food on the table, unsure of what to say. He knew Donghuang wouldn’t mobilize troops without reason, let alone over some domestic trivialities.

Moreover, the Emperor’s unusual reaction upon hearing about Donghuang’s troop movements…

Yan Ling remained silent for a long time, the light in his eyes gradually dimming, his lips pale, his expression bleak and dejected. “Donghuang, is there really no room for familial affection in the royal family?”

Yan Donghuang continued eating, her voice cold as frost. “I used to think there was, but reality proved me wrong.”

“You are a Grand Princess; I thought he wouldn’t fear you.” Yan Ling said bitterly. “All the royal brothers are gone, leaving only me. Sometimes, I wonder if my survival is not just because I supported him but also because I sought no personal gain, held no real power, and lived a life of idle luxury. But my choice to hold no real power was because I felt insecure, afraid of being suspected, wasn’t it?”

Perhaps this was the sorrow of being in the royal family—true affection was too extravagant and cheap.

Yan Donghuang said indifferently, “Eat. This is my first meal since last night.”

Yan Ling was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, “Is there no room for negotiation in this matter?”

“No.” Yan Donghuang’s tone was indifferent. “It’s either him or me.”

“But have you thought about your generals?”

“If I die, do you think he will spare the generals of the Qingluan Army?” Yan Donghuang retorted. “No one understands my soldiers better than I do. They are all highly skilled and capable of leading troops independently. But precisely because of this, the Emperor cannot tolerate them.”

If she died, the seven generals would undoubtedly be killed. So why not take a desperate gamble?

Yan Ling had no response.

“Seventh Brother, stay at the Grand Princess’s residence for the next few days. I will ensure you are well taken care of. No matter how the situation develops, it won’t affect you.”

With that, Yan Donghuang put down her chopsticks and walked out.

The door closed behind her.

Step by step, she walked towards the courtyard. The soldiers of the Qingluan Army’s Yaoguang Camp were carrying boxes of silver into the Grand Princess’s residence, orderly and efficiently delivering them to the Grand Princess’s treasury under Xie Yunjian’s arrangement.

“Your Highness.” Xie Yunjian saw Yan Donghuang approaching and walked up to her. “I heard from Mo Lin that you plan to distribute this silver to the Qingluan Army soldiers?”

“Yes.” Yan Donghuang nodded. “Distribute the silver, giving each ordinary soldier over ten taels of silver, enough to improve their families’ lives for now. Keep the gold for now; once the situation in the capital is settled, use it to buy armor and horses and upgrade some of the military equipment.”

Xie Yun was silent for a moment, then smiled calmly. “The Emperor will probably be furious.”

Using the silver confiscated from corrupt officials to compensate soldiers and buy military equipment was indeed audacious, showing complete disregard for the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

Yan Donghuang’s voice was as firm as iron. “From today on, he and I are no longer siblings or sovereign and subject but enemies. So it doesn’t matter if he gets furious.”