Meng Wenyao glanced up at the Emperor, only to find his expression unreadable as he appeared deep in thought about the case. She quickly looked away—but not before catching a pair of eyes openly assessing her. Embarrassed, she lowered her head, pretending not to notice.
Ever since Prince An laid eyes on Meng Wenyao, his thoughts had flown far from the matter at hand. How could such a stunning woman exist in this world? No wonder the Emperor, who hadn't stepped foot in the harem for two whole years, now practically lived in the Cold Fragrance Palace. Even now, they'd arrived late to court—clearly, they'd just rolled out of bed. Brazen daytime indulgence…
His gaze darted back to her. Her face, still flushed with sleep, held a subtle allure; those delicate red lips looked just like ripe cherries begging to be tasted. He felt a sudden tightness in his abdomen.
That woman almost became my fiancée… He grit his teeth. If only the Emperor hadn't beaten me to it, she would've been mine. She could've been the one warming my bed every night.
"Mother, don't worry. I've already sent people to investigate."
The Emperor's voice was calm as he reassured the Empress Dowager, clearly uninterested in delving further into the topic.
But seeing that even the Empress Dowager was standing up for her, the Imperial Consort burst into tears again, her grief rising like a tide. "Your Majesty, you must seek justice for Quan'er! The person behind this is absolutely ruthless—you must catch them and have them punished severely!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Empress Dowager echoed, her tone urgent. "This case must be handled swiftly and harshly. Normal officials don't have enough authority for this. I believe a member of the royal family should lead the investigation. That's the only way we'll get to the truth quickly."
The Emperor glanced around the hall, the corners of his mouth lifting in a trace of a mocking smile. So, this is why the Empress Dowager is suddenly siding with the Consort—they want to get Prince An a promotion.
"And who does Mother think would be suitable among the royal family?" he asked casually, toying with the jade ring on his finger.
The Empress Dowager tapped her dragon-headed cane impatiently. "Who else? Your nephew, of course. He's about to come of age—it's time he started handling serious matters. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to prove himself. Let him take charge of this investigation. He'd be doing his duty as a junior, helping the Consort in her time of grief."
The Imperial Consort nodded in agreement. Although she didn't think much of Prince An's capabilities, using this case to connect the Wei family and Prince An was a win in her book.
As the suggestion hung in the air, everyone turned to look at Prince An—only to see him staring openly at Meng Wenyao, a lecherous gleam in his eye and a stupid grin on his face. He was practically drooling.
"An'er!" the Empress Dowager snapped.
Startled, Prince An dropped to one knee. "I will spare no effort to uncover the truth and ensure the culprit is executed by a thousand cuts—so all may know the consequences of defying the throne!"
The Emperor's expression remained unreadable, a cool mask that betrayed neither anger nor approval. The Empress Dowager quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Good child. Your uncle and I trust you'll handle this well. Don't disappoint His Majesty and the Consort."
"Your Majesty?" she turned to him, awaiting his final word.
The Emperor's face shifted into a faint smile. "As Mother wishes."
With their goal achieved, the crowd dispersed.
Once they were alone, Meng Wenyao threw herself into the Emperor's arms, weeping softly as she squirmed like a wronged child.
The Emperor gently asked, "What's wrong?"
She looked up, her red-rimmed eyes brimming with grievance. Her lips quivered as she said, "I don't want Prince An looking at me. Every time a man stares at me like that… I get scared. When Wei Quan was plotting against me, he used all kinds of dirty tricks. If not for Your Majesty, I would've drowned myself in the river long ago. And now Prince An—his eyes looked just like Wei Quan's. I'm terrified."
A storm brewed in the Emperor's eyes. He had seen Prince An's gaze just now—he knew exactly what the boy was thinking.
Prince An, who not only coveted his throne but now dared lust after his woman in public. If he weren't the last surviving son of the Emperor's deceased elder brother, he would've been executed on the spot. Let him step out of line one more time… just once more.
"It's not your fault," the Emperor said, coaxing her gently. "It's because you're too beautiful. What man could look at you and not be tempted?"
Even someone like Prince An... could look and covet freely without punishment? Meng Wenyao's heart tightened. Eliminating him won't be easy.
"I don't want other men looking at me. I only want Your Majesty to look at me," she whispered, tears still wet on her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest.
Moved by her sweetness and vulnerability, the Emperor leaned down and kissed her, forgetting all words.
By the time he released her, Meng Wenyao was gasping for air, barely able to catch her breath. Just as she was about to relax, she felt his hot breath tickle her ear. "I haven't applied your medicine yet today."
"I'm all better," she blurted. "No need for more medicine!"
But the more she resisted, the more interested he became. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Are you sure? Let me check to be sure."
She clung to his neck, pleading pitifully, "Your Majesty… I'm hungry."
The Emperor smirked, voice teasing. "Perfect. I was just thinking of feeding you some dragon meat."
Startled, her arms loosened in panic. "Your Majesty~"
"It's either the medicine… or the dragon meat. Choose, my sweet."
"Medicine!" she yelped, scrambling to escape. Gods help her if she didn't pick one fast.
After quickly applying the ointment, Meng Wenyao finally sat down to eat. She silently vowed to get the Emperor out of the bedchamber today, no matter what. She hadn't even seen the rest of the palace since arriving!
Meanwhile, Prince An returned to his manor and immediately summoned his advisors for a meeting.
One elderly strategist said, "Your Highness should begin with a visit to the Wei residence. Learn what the family wants—if they're satisfied, the Consort will be too. That alone would count as a job well done."
Another chimed in, "The Ministry of Rites and its allies have always opposed His Majesty naming you Crown Prince. They believe he can still produce a direct heir. Why not use this case to drag them into the mud? Tie them to the crime, throw them in prison—and see if they still dare speak in court."
Prince An nodded. He'd been looking for a reason to eliminate those stubborn old fools.
"That said," the first advisor added, "you'll still need to investigate the actual perpetrator. Visit the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. If His Majesty questions you, you'll need answers."
After finalizing the strategy, Prince An set out to visit the Wei family's mourning hall.
The Wei family, due to the Consort's influence, was receiving a steady stream of guests. Most paid brief respects and left quickly. But Prince An, being royalty, was brought into the inner hall where family members greeted him personally.
Unenthusiastically, he followed. Wei Quan's wife, children, and concubines all knelt and bowed to him.
Prince An motioned for them to rise. "My condolences. I will find the killer and bring justice."
He was about to seek out the Consort's brother to discuss the case when he suddenly spotted a woman in the crowd—she looked remarkably familiar.
Wait… isn't that… Realization dawned. That's one of the late Wei Quan's concubines— and also the younger sister of Consort Chen.
She didn't look exactly the same, but there was enough resemblance to catch his eye—and stir dangerous thoughts.