Chapter 16: The Empress Dowager and Her Substitute Lover

The biting cold wind howled through the night. Tonight, the imperial palace was destined to be anything but peaceful.

“Your Majesty, why are you so quiet?”

Although the night was deep and silent, the palace corridors were still guarded by vigilant sentries.

“Everyone’s busy,” Huayue yawned.

“Ah.”

Within the Hall of Mental Cultivation, unlike the empty roads outside, the halls were nearly filled with stationed guards. Huayue’s sharp eyes swept over them one by one before she discreetly looked away. Qingli also fell silent, sensing something amiss, and silently followed behind Huayue.

At the palace entrance, the loyal eunuch Zhongfu stood guard.

“Your Majesty, you have arrived,” he greeted.

“Hm.”

“Not stopping me today?”

Zhongfu chuckled awkwardly. “Your Majesty flatters me; I wouldn’t dare.”

Huayue stepped inside the hall. On the yellow dragon bed came a coughing sound.

If it weren’t for the fact that she had personally ended this person’s life, one might have thought he had risen from the dead.

She approached.

“Your Majesty,” the figure on the bed greeted. His face was remarkably similar to the late emperor’s, even his voice bore a haunting resemblance.

Where Wei He found such talent was beyond question.

It was still somewhat cold this late at night.

Huayue raised her hand, signaling him to lie back on the bed.

The man hesitated but complied.

Huayue sat at the edge of the bed, crossing her legs casually.

“What is your name?”

“Your Majesty, I am called Seventeen,” he replied.

Huayue revealed a knowing smile; as expected, the male lead’s subordinates all had numerical names.

“Where is your master?”

Seventeen remained silent.

Huayue: “...”

Uninteresting.

No sooner had they exchanged a few words than chaos erupted outside the door.

Huayue glanced sideways; she hadn’t even gotten comfortable yet.

These people were truly eager to see her dead.

According to the plot, Wei He’s scheme was already halfway successful; now the Ninth Prince’s faction, fearing Wei He’s return from Qingzhou, was preparing to stage a palace coup.

“Bang—”

The doors to the Hall of Mental Cultivation were slammed open.

The leader wore military armor, his eyes still crusted from wounds, and his gaze fixed on Huayue with ruthless intensity.

It was the Ninth Prince.

“Consort, I hope you are well,” he sneered.

“Oh, if it isn’t the Ninth Prince. Is your eye healed?” Huayue teased.

The Ninth Prince sneered, touching the corner of his eye, still feeling pain.

“Why are you still pretending? My father has been poisoned by you and that bastard, and today I shall—”

Seeing his posture ready for a speech, Huayue quickly interrupted.

Didn’t they know villains die by talking too much?

Feigning panic, she said, “What are you doing? Rebellion?”

“And the emperor is alive and well; how dare you?”

The Ninth Prince, intoxicated by the thrill of his grand plans, failed to notice the calmness in Huayue’s eyes, mistaking it for fear.

“Hmph! Don’t think I don’t know the emperor is already dead. Today, I will take your life to comfort his soul.”

Huayue pretended to be frightened.

“If you dare lay a finger on me—”

Before she could finish, a long arrow whistled from afar, piercing the throat of a man standing beside the Ninth Prince.

With a thud, the soldier collapsed.

The Ninth Prince spun around sharply.

Wei He stood atop a high platform, troops behind him.

“Third Brother?”

“Ninth Prince attempts treason. I come late to save the emperor,” the Third Prince said, his usually gentle face now cold and expressionless.

The Ninth Prince’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Though his Third Brother had seemed invisible all these years, today’s events were supposed to be their joint plan.

“How have you been pretending all these years?”

“You and I share the same mother, yet why do you receive all the favor... why!”

“Today, it is either you die or I perish.”

Two brothers, born of the same mother, turned on each other in brutal combat.

Consort Lü’s once triumphant face twisted into a grimace.

“Third Brother, you’ve gone mad! He is your own flesh and blood!”

The Third Prince sneered, “Really?”

Seeing panic flash in Consort Lü’s eyes, the Third Prince coldly raised his hand and commanded,

“Kill!”

After today, either he would ascend the throne or die on the spot.

The two factions clashed immediately, swords and blades ringing out before the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Huayue glanced at Seventeen. “When is your master arriving?”

Seventeen: “...I do not know.”

“You don’t know this or that? Seems your master didn’t consider you one of his own. Want to join me?”

Seventeen: “...”

Huayue: “...”

Forget it.

No point in talking.

[Host, the male lead’s subordinates are highly loyal. It is recommended not to undermine them.]

“I’m not trying to, just chatting, okay?”

[Host, what exactly do you want to do?]

404 sensed something was off.

Though Huayue had done some unnecessary things, she had neither violated her role nor broken any rules; the system could not intervene.

“I’m not trying to do anything. By the way, are you a real person or an AI?”

[Advanced intelligent system, indistinguishable from a human.]

Huayue nodded, half understanding. “Oh, then you’re still not human.”

[...]

Outside the hall, the two princes fought fiercely.

An aged, authoritative voice rang out: “Truly my good sons!”

The voice was especially clear amid the chaos.

At the same time, a large force of imperial guards streamed in, instantly surrounding the two factions.

Both princes were shocked and looked over simultaneously.

“Father!?”

Sensing the situation was dire, both knelt immediately.

Even Consort Lü, who had been desperate to intervene but unable to, sank to her knees.

In an instant, the entire group knelt.

But Huayue—

Dressed in splendid palace robes, she stood beside the “emperor,” arms crossed, chin raised, mirroring the smug demeanor the Ninth Prince had worn earlier.

“Fight! Why have you stopped?” she mocked.

Consort Lü tried to rise but was pulled down by the Ninth Prince, who ranted madly, “You shameless wretch!”

“Your Majesty, this wretch took advantage of your illness to bring her lover into the palace.”

Had it not been for this, she would not have let her guard down.

Huayue laughed. “Sister, I learned from you, but I still fall short.”

She nodded toward the Third Prince.

Consort Lü’s eyes widened.

She was not shocked by Huayue revealing the Third Prince’s actions but rather by the fact that the emperor had not spoken again.

“Screee—”

The palace gates opened once more.

Wei He arrived.

“Father, I come late to save you.”

Mounted, clad in riding armor, his icy gaze swept over the Third and Ninth Princes.

The two immediately realized they had fallen into a trap.

Consort Lü collapsed onto the ground.

It was over.

Thus, the grand drama finally drew to a close.

Wei He’s gaze settled on Huayue, the woman appearing weary, clearly having rushed out from the palace.

Today, she had labored hard.

The long-planned scheme was finally successful.

He smiled at Huayue.

Huayue: “...?”

What’s so funny?

Ridiculous.

“I’ll be going now. The rest is up to you.”

Wei He: “...”