MCSCPM -Chapter 148 Fear of Sacrifice

Yangwei Palace

“Miss Yin, it’s just the two of us here. I’ll speak plainly. Since the Emperor summoned you, you should understand his intentions. By now, he has already begun to suspect,” Nanny Lai said helplessly. Besides the Empress, Yin Qingyue, and herself, no one else could know about this matter.

“Nanny Lai, I don’t quite understand what you mean. Please explain more clearly,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile. She was in a dilemma—one misstep could turn the situation into a great loss.

“Miss Yin, you are clever. I believe you understand what I mean. If you don’t cooperate, then don’t blame me for being ruthless,” Nanny Lai said with a cold smile. Whatever she intended to do, she had never failed before.

“Nanny Lai is right. The Emperor summoned me today purely regarding the Empress’s fainting. As you said, I must keep this a secret for the Empress. I have done so—what reward will the Empress offer me now?” Yin Qingyue said with a smile. Though it was a reluctant act, the stakes were high. One wrong move could cost her life.

“Miss Yin, you are indeed clever. Since things have reached this point, I believe you also realize the Empress’s fainting cannot continue as it is.”

Nanny Lai had made herself very clear: with the Emperor beginning to suspect, the Empress’s fainting must be resolved quickly, or when the truth emerges, all could be lost.

“Well said, Nanny Lai! I have to admire you. But… what about the three conditions the Empress promised me? Why haven’t they been fulfilled yet?”

As soon as Yin Qingyue spoke, Nanny Lai flinched slightly. The Empress had indeed promised her three conditions, but fulfilling them now would be extremely difficult. Moreover, rumors were spreading throughout the capital, and as the diviner had predicted, these were all disasters for Xize.

“Miss Yin, you probably don’t realize the situation in Xize. The Jiangnan floods, poorly managed by the Third Prince, have now caused a plague. To resolve this urgent crisis, sacrifices may be necessary soon,” Nanny Lai said with a sly smile.

From the beginning, Yin Qingyue had merely been a pawn of the Empress. Now that she had no more use, accelerating the sacrificial ritual meant that if she died, the Empress would have nothing to fear—after all, the dead cannot speak.

“Nanny Lai, you have a hidden hand, but do you think I don’t have one too? When the fish dies, the net will break. Who dies and who survives will remain to be seen,” she said, standing slowly, her gaze icy.

She had seen these palace tricks before and was not surprised.

A cold smile curved on Yin Qingyue’s lips. “Nanny Lai, you think of me too simply. If I die in this sacrificial ritual, there will be no one left to threaten the Empress. Right?”

“You… this…?” Nanny Lai said cautiously, staring at her.

“If you wish to contend with me, Nanny Lai, then don’t underestimate yourself!” With that, Yin Qingyue pushed open the door and left, leaving Nanny Lai stunned.

From the moment she had entered, Yin Qingyue had applied her mind-reading technique on Nanny Lai. From start to finish, Nanny Lai had never truly had good intentions.

Yin Qingyue couldn’t help but wonder—who actually spread the rumor of the Empress’s fainting? From Nanny Lai’s behavior, it didn’t seem she was fully aware. Very likely, someone else had started it. Besides herself, the Empress, and Nanny Lai, no one else knew.

Under the moonlight, Yin Qingyue walked toward Xiyang Garden.

“Miss, where are you going? It’s so late, and you’re wandering about,” Mei’er said as Yin Qingyue returned, repeating herself anxiously.

Since waking up, the space by her bed had been empty, with no trace of warmth.

“I’m fine. I just went to see Nanny Lai and check on the Empress’s condition,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile. Even if danger lurked, she did not want Mei’er to worry.

“Miss, did Nanny Lai threaten you again?” Mei’er asked nervously.

Every time something happened to her lady, Mei’er always found out last. Though she understood her lady’s intentions, she often felt uneasy.

“Miss, do you know? Lately, the palace maids in Yangwei Palace look at me as if I were a plague god. Everyone seems to dislike us,” Mei’er said.

“Mei’er, you should rest. I still have things to do,” Yin Qingyue said lightly. She had to bear all the burdens alone. There was no time to worry about what others thought. If she delayed, as Nanny Lai warned, she might indeed end up sacrificed.

Yin Qingyue draped a cloak over herself and stepped outside. She walked on, deep in thought. If Mei’er saw her like this, she would surely worry more.

“Miss Yin, why are you here?” Turning, she was surprised to find Nangong Xiao standing behind her.

“I pay my respects, Your Highness,” Yin Qingyue said, showing surprise. Outside Yangwei Palace, one could easily run into someone.

“Miss Yin, get up. I just came out from the Imperial Study and happened to run into you here,” Nangong Xiao said with a smile.

Yin Qingyue knew well that though the Study was not far from Yangwei Palace, it was in the opposite direction from the Eastern Palace. If the Crown Prince had not deliberately walked this way, he would not have been near Yangwei Palace at all.

Smiling faintly, Yin Qingyue said, “May I ask why, Your Highness?”

“Thanks to your treatment, my father’s chronic illness is now under control,” Nangong Xiao said with a smile.

“If Your Highness came just to thank me, there’s no need. This is merely my duty,” she said calmly.

“Of course not. It’s just that the Jiangnan floods have caused a plague, and my father urgently summoned me to discuss controlling the disaster. I wanted to speak with you about it,” he explained.

Yin Qingyue seemed to have realized something. In ancient times, plagues had no solution, but in the modern era, treatment was possible. If she intervened, there might still be hope. However, she quickly dismissed the thought.

Since the Emperor summoned her, he must have been considering the plague. Volunteering could be a death sentence.

Seeing Yin Qingyue frown and remain silent for a long time, Nangong Xiao asked with concern, “Miss Yin, what troubles you?”

Looking up, he met the Crown Prince’s burning gaze, which lingered without shifting.

“Nothing. I just didn’t expect the Jiangnan floods to cause such severe devastation,” she said with a smile. Ever since the Crown Prince had ordered Nangong Chen to control the floods, she knew such events might occur—just not to this severity.

Since ancient times, struggles among rulers had always brought suffering to the people. Jiangnan was but a pitiable land.

“Miss Yin, you worry too much. This matter will be resolved. How is the Empress’s condition? I heard the Empress’s fainting is rumored to be fake. Could you verify it?” Nangong Xiao said, a faint smile on his lips.

The Empress was not his biological mother. It was possible she might use Yin Qingyue to stage a fainting, but the key was how the Empress had recruited Yin Qingyue.

“The Empress’s fainting is real. Does Your Highness not believe me? I suspect it was not a coincidence that you ran into me. Yangwei Palace is far from the Eastern Palace. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave,” Yin Qingyue said, bowing slightly and preparing to leave.

“Miss Yin, wait.” Nangong Xiao grabbed her hand, the warmth of his touch sweeping through her.

“Earlier, my father and I discussed the Jiangnan plague and thought of you, though it was not mentioned. Father said it concerns Xize’s fate and requires the diviner’s prediction,” he said, uncertain of the implications of his words. Perhaps it was concern for her, or perhaps mere coincidence.

“These state matters are inconvenient for me to discuss. It’s late; please rest early, Your Highness,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile, stepping into the darkness.

Nangong Xiao watched her receding figure, a vague sense of unease in his heart. The Emperor likely intended to accelerate the sacrificial rituals. Yet all of this depended on the diviner’s return.

As Yin Qingyue belonged to the Luochen estate, she could not escape death. How could Nangong Xiao allow her to die?

The moon hung dark as ink. He felt a shadow over his heart—she had not yet become his, yet might soon leave him.

“Your Highness, it’s late. We should return,” a guard said. Since Yin Qingyue left, the Crown Prince had remained, staring in her direction, unable to let go.

“Oh… yes, let’s go,” he finally responded after a long moment.

Xiyang Garden

Yin Qingyue gazed at the sky, her heart filled with unprecedented loneliness.

Such upheaval had occurred in Xize. Given the Emperor’s temperament, the sacrificial rituals would surely accelerate, and any talk of the diviner could cost her life.

“Miss, it’s late. You should return to your room and rest,” Mei’er said, carrying a garment.

“Hmm, let’s go inside and sleep,” she replied.

Looking at the night sky, she recalled the pawnshop owner’s words: “Illusory flowers, ephemeral moonlight, soul return.” Was she about to die? Was she soon to leave this world?

“Miss, what are you thinking? You’re staring outside as if mesmerized,” Mei’er said, tiredly.

Yin Qingyue did not answer. She did not belong to this era; death was inevitable. Yet there was a trace of unwillingness in her heart. To die in a sacrificial ritual seemed absurd.

What awaited her next was unknown, and she would have to resolve it step by step.