ASTRP -Chapter 237 The Plan Succeeds Step by Step

At that time, the former emperor had already become the Grand Emperor, and the throne had long since belonged to Emperor Ruofang.

By then, the Grand Emperor’s health had deteriorated rapidly. Before abdicating, he had still been in relatively good condition, but during that meeting, he looked as thin as a skeleton.

He said he had a secret edict to be delivered to Anren and Dingyuan.

Xi Liyue immediately sensed something was wrong.

“Why would the former emperor’s secret edict be handed to military generals instead of civil officials?”

“And at that time, weren’t you both already under Emperor Ruofang? You didn’t belong to the former emperor anymore…”

“That’s exactly what puzzled us too,” Dingyuan Great General replied. “But before the edict was given to us, Emperor Ruofang arrived.”

Dingyuan Great General said that Emperor Ruofang at the time was smiling—radiant, full of vigor and ambition.

In contrast, the former emperor was visibly panicked, his entire demeanor unsettled.

Her fingers kept tapping the armrest of her chair.

Because the former emperor had always been a tyrant, few people wanted any contact with him after his abdication.

So when Emperor Ruofang pushed the former emperor back into obscurity, no one paid much attention.

“After all, at that time, both Anren Great General and I were already Emperor Ruofang’s men. When the dynasty changes, so do the ministers.”

Xi Liyue understood this point.

Right now, she had no interest in digging into who exactly the former emperor had intended the throne for. She only wanted Emperor Ruofang to step down.

“So, General… are you willing to betray the emperor?”

Dingyuan Great General fell into thought.

Finally, he clenched his fists.

“Rebelling leads to death. Not rebelling also leads to death. Princess, I am loyal to Western Qing, not to Emperor Ruofang.”

He said that back then, when they forced the former emperor to abdicate, it was only because the former emperor was unjust.

But now Emperor Ruofang was following the same old path… and he could not tolerate it either.

Even if he was left with a notorious legacy, so be it—as long as Western Qing could be well… as long as his daughter would not be forced to serve that old man!

Xi Liyue smiled in satisfaction.

Now she had everything ready—only the final step remained.

Meanwhile, in the palace, the emperor looked at the tablet presented by Eunuch Hai and frowned slightly.

“So my beloved consort is quite temperamental. How long has it been since Consort Fang last submitted a request for audience?”

Eunuch Hai hesitated. “Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been over three months since Consort Fang last submitted a request.”

“What, still unwell?”

“Yes,” Eunuch Hai replied.

The emperor tapped the dragon throne’s armrest.

“Forget all that. Tonight I will rest, and tomorrow night I will go to Anren Palace.”

“Yes… should Consort Fang be informed in advance?”

“Tell her to wash herself properly.”

“Even if she is unwell, so what?”

“Does I, the emperor, need to care about anyone’s mood before I take a woman?”

“Yes…”

At Anren Palace, Consort Fang was drinking tea when the maid rushed in with the message. She nearly dropped her cup.

“So he’s not going to let me avoid this anymore!”

Yue Shan pressed her lips together. “Princess said that when the emperor comes for you, we must inform her immediately…”

Consort Fang’s hands trembled.

“This is… the sky is about to change…”

She steadied herself.

“Forget it… I don’t believe in Buddha, but there is a saying—everything has consequences…”

That night, the emperor arrived at Anren Palace in a carriage.

Consort Fang had already bathed and changed.

Today, she wore no ornaments, her hair tied simply with a white ribbon. She wore plain green clothes, without any decoration.

The emperor frowned upon seeing her.

“What is this? I told you in advance I was coming, and you didn’t even dress up?”

“Am I so unattractive to you that you don’t take it seriously?”

Consort Fang exhaled softly.

“I am unwell. I don’t want to pass my illness to Your Majesty…”

“And when I’m not feeling well, I naturally have no mood to dress up.”

The emperor grabbed her chin.

“You’re sick?”

“Heh… you don’t look sick at all.”

“Though you wear no makeup, your complexion is quite good. It pleases me.”

He dismissed Eunuch Hai.

Now only the two of them remained in the room.

He dragged Consort Fang toward the bed, but she shoved his hand away.

“I don’t want to sleep with you…”

“You don’t want to?”

“All of you women want to climb into my bed. Now that you’re a consort, you think you can act up?”

Consort Fang snapped back bitterly.

“I never wanted to be a consort!”

“I only want my daughter to be safe… that position holds no attraction for me. My daughter’s happiness matters more than anything.”

The emperor grew impatient.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she bit his lip.

The emperor flew into rage.

“You’re only thirty-four—how can you already be so indifferent to desire?!”

Consort Fang sneered.

“Your Majesty, I wasn’t indifferent at thirty-four…”

“I stopped caring about you when I was nineteen.”

“Fortunately, you never favored me much after that. The imperial physicians said my body had been severely chilled and I could no longer bear children.”

She thought—since everything was about to collapse tonight, she might as well say everything.

And say it all freely.

She asked him if he knew why her body had suffered such severe cold damage.

The emperor only felt she was strange today—completely different from her usual obedient and virtuous self.

“I had a sick child… no matter what I did, she could not recover. No physician could help, so I went into the snow, kneeling step by step in the freezing winter, praying to the heavens to save my child!”

Her anger rose with every word.

“My child wasn’t even one year old when you summoned me. But the moment I came to your bed, you sent me away again!”

“You said I smelled like breast milk!”

“I took care of our child with all my heart, and you didn’t even look at her once! You even despised me… you made me kneel outside in the snow for an entire night!”

“Are you bringing up old grievances now?!”

“I am the emperor!!”

“I command you—you obey me!!”

The emperor seized her and pinned her to the bed.

Consort Fang pulled out a hairpin and stabbed it straight into his hand.

The emperor screamed in pain and raised his hand to strike her—

But at that moment, Prince Yu appeared, grabbing the emperor’s arm and throwing him to the ground.

The emperor froze.

“You…”

Xi Liyue stepped forward and helped Consort Fang up.

“Mother, are you alright?”

Consort Fang shook her head.

“Have you vented enough?”

“The suffering I endured… he could never understand. But stabbing him once feels better than doing nothing.”

The emperor staggered up and shouted, “Eunuch Hai! Eunuch Hai!”

But the ever-present Eunuch Hai, who normally responded instantly, did not appear today.

Xi Liyue smiled faintly.

“Father Emperor, surprised I wasn’t burned to death?”

“Your loyal servant must have failed to report honestly to you. You must be confused now, aren’t you?”

Consort Fang said quietly, “It can also be considered a blessing in disguise… Back then, you had my daughter kidnapped, which led her to stay in Jing Kingdom.”

“In Jing Kingdom, she met Prince Yu… and met the Regent Prince…”