The people guarding the Chancellor’s residence were under the command of the Dali Temple. Deng Rui was the steward of Tang Huaiyuan, an official of the Dali Temple. With a handwritten authorization from Tang Huaiyuan in hand, he entered the Chancellor’s residence to conduct an investigation.
Technically, it was against protocol, but for someone like Deng Rui, it was hardly a difficult matter.
But then, who exactly had Deng Rui gone to meet?
Could it have been Wen Zhiji?
Even after returning to the palace, Wen Zhiyi remained deeply suspicious.
She had considered the possibility that Tang Huaiyuan had planted a spy inside the Chancellor’s residence, but she had never once suspected Wen Zhiji.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye.
After a thorough investigation by the Dali Temple, it was confirmed that Chancellor Wen Zheng had indeed colluded with the enemy. The evidence was conclusive, leaving no room for argument.
The Emperor was furious.
He issued an imperial decree ordering the entire Wen family to be arrested and imprisoned, with their execution to be carried out on a later date.
As the eldest daughter of the Wen family, Empress Wen Zhiyun was deemed unworthy of her position. Her title was stripped, her imperial seals were reclaimed, and she was removed from her position as Empress and confined to the Cold Palace.
Consort Wen Zhiyi, the second daughter of the Wen family, was condemned for her arrogance and domineering behavior. Her title as Consort was revoked, and she was sent to the Cold Palace alongside the deposed Empress, Wen Zhiyun.
When the imperial edict arrived at Luanming Palace, the first thought that crossed Wen Zhiyi’s mind was that, in this life, she had actually managed to avoid being thrown into prison with the rest of the Wen family.
It seemed Lu Ningrou must have pleaded for her.
Life in the Cold Palace was anything but pleasant.
The buildings were dilapidated, food was scarce, and sunlight was a luxury they rarely saw.
Her sister had not yet fully recovered, but Li Jinghuai would have been more than happy if the two sisters quietly died in the Cold Palace. Naturally, he had no intention of sending imperial physicians to treat her.
Fortunately, Ning Wuyu had been helping them behind the scenes, arranging for doctors and medicine.
Li Jinghuai was clearly displeased by it, but Ning Wuyu’s father was still needed to guard the empire’s borders, and her younger brother would soon be returning to the capital to report on his duties. For that reason, Li Jinghuai could only turn a blind eye to Ning Wuyu’s actions.
Whenever she had the opportunity, Ning Wuyu would come to the Cold Palace.
This time, she was furious.
“Wen Zhiyi, what on earth were you thinking? I practically put that forged secret letter directly into your hands, and you still just sat there waiting for death? Look at what happened now! Getting yourself thrown into the Cold Palace was bad enough, but you dragged Sister A-Wen down with you. Now she’s suffering here too!”
Wen Zhiyun poured her a cup of hot water and smiled reassuringly.
“All right, all right. It’s certainly a little miserable here, but it’s not as though we can’t survive. Look at me, aren’t I doing just fine?”
Wen Zhiyi, however, remained remarkably calm.
“How much longer until Ning Ciyou arrives in the capital? I remember you mentioned last time that he was bringing back a little gift with him.”
The moment she heard Ning Ciyou’s name, Wen Zhiyun’s hand paused as she passed the cup to Ning Wuyu.
Ning Wuyu noticed the tiny hesitation immediately.
Once again, she silently added another mark against Wen Zhiyi.
She glared at her.
“At a time like this, you’re still thinking about that?”
After thinking for a moment, Ning Wuyu’s brows gradually relaxed.
“You heard about the Northern Rong spy who was escorted back to the capital with the army, didn’t you? We weren’t planning to release the news so soon, but the execution decree has already been issued. We need some excuse to delay the execution date.”
“That’s an excellent gift. It couldn’t have arrived at a more appropriate time.”
Wen Zhiyi smiled as though she had everything under control.
“Oh, by the way, do you still have any of those osmanthus Xiangyun cakes from last time? When you get the chance, Consort Ning, have someone send us some more. My sister loves them, and I quite like them too.”
Ning Wuyu stared at her in confusion.
“What osmanthus Xiangyun cakes? I don’t remember ever sending those to you.”
Wen Zhiyun was equally stunned.
“Wasn’t it you who sent them?”
“Of course not.”
Ning Wuyu frowned.
“Has someone else been sending things to you?”
Zipei, who had been standing nearby, immediately understood that something was wrong.
She quietly withdrew from the Cold Palace and struck up a conversation with the guards outside. Before long, she returned with an answer.
“It was someone from Yuexian Palace.”
“Luanming Palace? Lu Ningrou sent them?”
Ning Wuyu cast a sideways glance at Wen Zhiyi.
“She’s certainly being kind.”
Wen Zhiyi shook her head.
“No. That’s not right.”
Ordinary osmanthus Xiangyun cakes were only decorated with osmanthus blossoms to give them their fragrance. They were soft and delicious, but only mildly sweet.
The batch that had been sent to the Cold Palace that day was different.
Osmanthus honey had clearly been added, making the cakes far sweeter than usual. The sweetness was so rich that most young women would find it difficult to stomach.
Her sister had always had a sweet tooth.
But ever since entering the palace and becoming Empress, Wen Zhiyun had conducted herself with extreme restraint and caution. Even when it came to food, she rarely indulged her personal preferences.
Within the entire palace, aside from Wen Zhiyi herself and the few maids who had grown up alongside the sisters, hardly anyone knew that Wen Zhiyun especially loved osmanthus Xiangyun cakes made with osmanthus honey.
Even Ning Wuyu didn’t know.
There was no way Lu Ningrou could have known.
It was true that Lu Ningrou had always been known throughout the palace for her kindness. But even if she wanted to show some generosity toward the disgraced Wen sisters in the Cold Palace and earn herself a little praise, she would never have gone so far as to deliberately investigate a private preference that the deposed Empress had possessed before entering the palace.
Therefore, the osmanthus Xiangyun cakes had undoubtedly been sent by someone else through Lu Ningrou’s hands.
Even Wen Zhiyun, who had been smiling all this time, finally realized that something was wrong.
After thinking for a moment, Wen Zhiyi leaned closer to Ning Wuyu and whispered a few words into her ear.
Ning Wuyu’s eyes widened.
She stared at Wen Zhiyi in disbelief.
“I can help you, but what you just told me had better be true!”
Ning Wuyu was known for being decisive and reliable.
The very next evening, Wen Zhiyi was waiting in the Cold Palace when Lu Ningrou arrived.
Looking at the once-radiant Wen sisters, now reduced to wearing coarse clothing and squeezed together inside a dilapidated room, Lu Ningrou let out a heavy sigh.
Her gaze was filled with pity.
“You two sisters have suffered so much.”
Lu Ningrou instructed the maid beside her to open the food box she had brought with her.
Inside was, unmistakably, a plate of osmanthus Xiangyun cakes.
“Thank you for your gracious gift, Lady Zhaorong.”
Seeing her former enemy witness her current miserable state, Wen Zhiyi did not feel embarrassed or angry.
Instead, she accepted her enemy’s charity with complete composure.
She casually picked up a piece of cake and took a bite.
Just as she had expected.
It tasted exactly the same as the last batch.
Wen Zhiyun sighed as well, her face filled with gratitude.
“Lady Zhaorong, you are carrying a child yourself, yet you still came all the way to the Cold Palace to visit the two of us. Cough, cough…”
“Sister!”
Before Wen Zhiyun could finish, she suddenly began coughing violently.
Wen Zhiyi hurriedly reached out to support her.
Concern appeared on Lu Ningrou’s face as well, but her feet subtly moved backward.
She raised a handkerchief and lightly covered her nose and mouth.
“Cough, cough, cough, cough…”
Wen Zhiyun’s coughing grew increasingly severe. She looked as though she might faint at any moment.
Seeing this, Lu Ningrou instructed the palace maids beside her to help Wen Zhiyun lie down and rest.
Then she turned to Wen Zhiyi and spoke softly.
“Let them take care of her. Why don’t you come outside and talk with me?”
Wen Zhiyi hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
The two women walked outside the room together.
Lu Ningrou gently stroked her slightly rounded belly and got straight to the point.
“You should understand that after doing this for me, you won’t have much longer to live either.”
“Would Lady Zhaorong really care whether people like us, the family members of convicted criminals, live or die?”
“Normally, I wouldn’t.”
Lu Ningrou turned her head almost casually and glanced back into the room.
“The Wen family is practically on the verge of being wiped out. Staying here in the Cold Palace, you have no hope of ever rising again. Someone like you, with nothing left to look forward to, is someone I find difficult to trust.”
She paused.
“But if I don’t use you to get rid of this child, who knows how long I’ll have to wait for another opportunity?”
Wen Zhiyi’s instincts immediately went on alert.
“Then what exactly is Lady Zhaorong suggesting?”
Lu Ningrou tilted her head slightly.
Then she smiled gently at Wen Zhiyi.
It was an exceptionally gentle and harmless face.
Yet at that moment, it sent an inexplicable chill down Wen Zhiyi’s spine.
“I have a way to secretly get your sister out of the palace.”
Lu Ningrou’s smile remained soft.
“Even if she has to live quietly and secretly from now on, at least she will be able to keep her life and never have to worry about food or clothing.”
“In exchange, you will obediently do what I want and help me accomplish my purpose.”
She looked directly at Wen Zhiyi.
“What do you think?”