Chapter 57

The coup came unexpectedly, causing panic.

The concubines in the harem heard the news because all the palace guards had been sent to the front hall. From the Empress to the concubines, everyone was pale with fear.

Upon hearing the news, Consort De immediately brought her maids to Fengyi Palace: “Empress, Empress!”

Qi Fangfei sat alone on the phoenix couch, showing no reaction when she saw her enter, only giving her a very calm look.

“Empress, what is happening outside?” Consort De’s face was pale. “I heard the Grand Princess forcing her way into the palace. Is she… is she rebelling?”

Qi Fangfei looked at her, her eyes filled with obvious mockery, but her expression remained calm: “Consort De.”

“Empress?” Consort De looked at her in fear, feeling that everything in front of her was terrifyingly unreal, like a dream.

“Consort De, are you terrified?” Qi Fangfei looked at her quietly, her eyes unnaturally cold, “When you instructed your sister to poison the Grand Princess, did you ever anticipate this moment?”

As she spoke, Consort De’s face turned pale, and she stumbled and fell to her knees with a thud.

“Consort De, you really dared to do anything to please the Emperor.” Qi Fangfei’s expression was indifferent, her mockery sounding dignified, “When you handed the poison to Shen Yun, were you imagining that if the plan succeeded, you could soon replace me as Empress, control the harem, and bring glory and honor to the Shen family?”

Consort De’s face turned pale, her voice trembling: “How could… how could I have such thoughts? Empress…”

“Tonight’s situation must seem unbelievable to you. How could the Grand Princess force her way into the palace?” Qi Fangfei leaned on the couch, rubbing her temples, “I also find it very unbelievable.”

Consort De collapsed weakly to the ground.

So, Shen Yun failed and angered Yan Donghuang, leading her to mobilize troops and rebel.

“I’ve thought about it all day and night and still can’t understand where you got the confidence to think that a little poison could successfully eliminate the Grand Princess, who commands 200,000 troops?”

Consort De’s lips trembled, unable to say a word.

Outside, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard.

“Empress.” The chief eunuch of Fengyi Palace came in to report, looking flustered, “The concubines have all arrived.”

“Let them come.” Qi Fangfei frowned, “All the guards have been sent to the front. The situation in the palace is critical. It’s easier to manage if all the concubines gather here.”

“Empress!”
“Empress, something has happened in the palace!”

Seven or eight young women in palace attire entered one after another, each with their personal maids. Their steps were hurried and anxious, like ants on a hot pan, almost unable to find their direction.

The Emperor had been on the throne for less than three years. Most of the concubines were his legitimate wives, secondary wives, and concubines from before his ascension, who were all given titles according to the rules after he ascended.

After his ascension, the Emperor also appointed four noblewomen to the palace to win over the court officials. Whether they were old acquaintances from the residence or newly entered concubines, they were all young. Including the Empress, the oldest woman in the harem was no more than twenty-two years old, and the youngest was only fifteen or sixteen. How could they not panic in such a situation?

The Empress looked at the concubines who entered with pale faces, still in shock, feeling both sorrow and helplessness.

“Sit down.” She spoke calmly, trying to maintain composure and dignity, hoping to calm them down as well, “We can’t help with the affairs of the court. We can only wait quietly. Not causing a commotion is the greatest help we can give the Emperor.”

A concubine was almost in tears: “Empress, what is happening? Hasn’t the Grand Princess always been trusted by the Emperor? Why did she suddenly rebel? Will we… will we…”

Just as Qi Fangfei was about to speak, there was a commotion outside.

“Something terrible has happened!” A eunuch rushed in, tripping over the threshold and falling flat on his face. “Empress, the Grand Princess… she has led troops into Taihe Hall, and the Imperial Guards can’t hold them off!”

Upon hearing this, the concubines turned pale and collapsed onto the couch: “What… what should we do?”

“Empress, Empress…”
“Will the Emperor be in danger? Will the Grand Princess kill us all?”
“What is going on? Why is the Grand Princess doing this?”

Qi Fangfei, pale-faced, coldly looked at Consort De kneeling on the ground: “Consort De, do you regret it?”

Regret?
The concubines were stunned, their eyes darting between the Empress and Consort De: “What does this have to do with Consort De? Empress, what is going on?”

Consort De’s face tightened, and she hurriedly explained: “Empress, I… I was following the Emperor’s orders. This was the Emperor’s idea, not mine…”

“The Emperor wanted to kill the Grand Princess?” Noble Lady Qiao was shocked, “So it wasn’t the Grand Princess who initiated the coup, but the Emperor who…”

The Emperor wanted to kill the Grand Princess, but instead, the Grand Princess led troops to counterattack?

Qi Fangfei and the concubines were shocked, almost unable to believe the Emperor could be so foolish.

How could he think of eliminating the Grand Princess on her wedding night?

The Grand Princess had troops. Her troops were stationed outside the city, ready to threaten the Emperor’s throne and life.

How could he dare?
Did he think the Qingluan Army was weak?

“The Emperor probably can’t hold onto his throne anymore.” Qi Fangfei’s expression was sorrowful, “I am still carrying the Emperor’s child. I was looking forward to his birth, but now… now he will have to bear the consequences of his father’s actions.”

At these words, the hall was filled with fearful sobbing: “I am also pregnant. What should we do? What should we do?”

Consort De was at a loss, her body limp. She wanted to say this had nothing to do with her. It was the Emperor who wanted to eliminate the Princess. She was just following his orders. Even if she didn’t agree, the Emperor would find someone else to do it, and she would lose his favor.

So, what did this have to do with her?
No, it did have something to do with her.

Shen Yun, that fool, was her sister. She shouldn’t have let Shen Yun do this. A lowly concubine, always living under the main wife’s thumb in the Shen family, had seen enough faces. Given the chance to suppress the Grand Princess, she would probably become arrogant. When people get complacent, they make mistakes.

Shen Yun must have failed to hide her emotions. What a useless, troublemaking fool. But regardless of whose fault it was, now that things had come to this, none of them could do anything against the Grand Princess, let alone turn the tide.

They could only wait in despair.

Chapter 58

In the front hall square, more than half of the Imperial Guards had already thrown down their weapons and given up resisting. This also meant that the Emperor hiding in the hall had become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

The night was dark, and clouds rolled across the sky. The torches held high by the Qingluan Army illuminated half the sky, casting a cold and unwavering light on Yan Donghuang’s stunningly beautiful but stern face, making her appear even more chilling and determined.

Yan Donghuang walked step by step across the wide square. This was the place where emperors of past dynasties ascended the throne and held grand court meetings, symbolizing the Emperor’s absolute power and status.

Three years ago… no, not even three years.

It should be said that two winters ago, she stood here, leading a dozen generals of the Qingluan Army, watching Yan Ming ascend to the highest position step by step. She thought the Yong Dynasty would usher in a prosperous era. She thought that with her and her brother’s cooperation, the Yong Dynasty would become stronger, its borders would be stable, enemy countries would not dare invade, and the people would gradually become prosperous. She thought she would have a harmonious family and a steady, upright, and responsible husband after laying down her armor. They might not be deeply in love, but they could certainly respect each other and grow old together. She thought her brother would always trust her, and if there were wars in the future, she would still lead the army to protect the Yong Dynasty’s territory. She thought the Emperor and his ministers could work harmoniously to create a prosperous era together.

All her thoughts were just her thoughts.

No one shared her ideas. He thought about how to quickly eliminate dissidents and ensure that no one could threaten his throne.

Yan Donghuang walked to the long imperial path of the square, reached the front of the hall, and stepped up the stairs into the hall.

Feng Yaoguang followed closely behind her, only half a step behind, her eyes never leaving Yan Donghuang.

A sense of solemnity and majesty filled the air.

Yan Donghuang felt a pain in her chest again. Her steps paused, and she couldn’t help but bend over, clutching her heart.

“Your Highness,” Feng Yaoguang’s voice was tense, her eyes filled with deep worry, “Let’s call a physician first—”

Yan Donghuang didn’t speak. A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth, shocking to see. She silently wiped away the blood, looked up at the deep palace hall, and said, in a cold and merciless voice, “Find the Emperor first.”

Feng Yaoguang waved her hand, and the Yaoguang Army, like ghosts in the night, rushed into the hall, searching for the hiding Emperor Zhaoming.

Yan Donghuang added, “Bring all the physicians from the Imperial Hospital.”

“Yes.”

The entire palace was already under control. Qin Yang, who was guarding Donghua Gate, and Gu Chiran, who was guarding Xihua Gate, hurried over and saluted Yan Donghuang: “Your Highness, the guards at Donghua Gate have all been replaced by the Qingluan Army.”

“Your Highness, the guards at Xihua Gate have all been replaced by the Qingluan Army.”

Hearing this, Yan Ming, who had been brought over, felt a chill run through his body like he had fallen into an endless abyss of icy water. His legs felt weak, and waves of cold and fear washed over him. He looked at Yan Donghuang with cold eyes, trying to appear calm, but his hands, hanging by his sides, were tightly clenched, and panic spread from his heart. His gaze fell on the blood at the corner of Yan Donghuang’s mouth, and he struggled to maintain a calm and authoritative tone: “Donghuang, with your impulsive and violent actions, how can I believe you have no intention of rebellion?”

“Whether you believe it or not is no longer important.” Yan Donghuang ordered, “Yaoguang.”

“Yes.”

“Send two eunuchs to the harem to bring out the Empress and the concubines.”

“Yes.”

“What are you going to do?” Emperor Zhaoming’s face darkened, staring at her intently, “Donghuang, you’d better not act rashly. If you are willing to withdraw your troops, I can agree to compensate you, but you are poisoned—”

A whip suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Emperor Zhaoming instinctively stepped back, but the whip seemed to have eyes, swiftly and deftly wrapping around his neck.

Emperor Zhaoming’s pupils contracted, his face pale with fear: “Yan… Yan Donghuang…”

Yan Donghuang gradually tightened her grip, coldly watching as Emperor Zhaoming struggled to breathe. His face turned blue, and fear of death appeared in his eyes: “Ah…”

“Grand Princess… Grand Princess…” Li Dean’s face was ashen, his legs trembling so much he could barely stand, “Please calm down, calm down, you must not kill the Emperor, you must not kill the Emperor…”

“Kill the Emperor?” Yan Donghuang’s eyes swept over him sharply, “Who said he is the Emperor?”

Li Dean was stunned: “Grand Princess?”

“From now on, he is no longer the Emperor of Yong Dynasty but my prisoner.” Yan Donghuang tightened her grip on the whip.

The suffocation made Yan Ming’s vision go black, and the despair and pain of near-death swept over him. He trembled, trying to grasp the whip, but couldn’t.

Yan Donghuang’s eyes were icy, watching his extreme pain until his face turned purple, and then she suddenly released the whip.

Yan Ming gasped for air, bending over and coughing violently: “Cough, cough, cough…”

“Didn’t you want to clear up the misunderstanding? I’ll give you that chance.” Yan Donghuang turned and ordered, “Qin Yang, take people to the Princess’s dungeon and bring Sheng Jing’an and his mother here.”

“Yes!” Qin Yang obeyed and left.

“Chiran, take people to the Shen family and bring Consort De’s parents and brothers here. I want to investigate this case tonight thoroughly.”

“Yes!”

Yan Donghuang turned and ordered a soldier closest to her: “Bring a pair of shackles.”