The matter of the Crown Prince secretly stockpiling weapons caused a huge stir.
Even though he pushed a scapegoat forward, the incident still provoked the Emperor’s fury.
The Crown Prince was confined to the Eastern Palace.
Had the forces within the court not been deeply intertwined, with both internal and external threats lurking on all sides, such that pulling one thread would affect the entire situation, simple confinement would never have been enough punishment.
As a result, the boating trip naturally came to nothing.
That outcome suited Mei Wanying perfectly.
She truly had no energy left to deal with the Crown Prince or anyone else.
All she wanted was to leave this troublesome place behind.
Mei Wanying knew very well that because of Pei Yan’s relationship with the Mei family, anyone wishing to target him would easily set their sights on her and her mother.
And the Crown Prince was far from Pei Yan’s only enemy.
For her and her mother, leaving was the best option.
She had no desire to marry anyone in the capital.
Nor did she dream of becoming a noble lady of a prestigious household.
There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
After letting go of so many things, Mei Wanying felt lighter.
Her illness also improved rapidly.
Within two days, she was able to leave her room.
Meanwhile, Madam Mei had already submitted a request to the palace and was simply waiting for the Empress to summon Mei Wanying.
“She wishes to see me. For what reason?”
The Empress frowned.
Mei Wanying had fallen into the water.
Before countless witnesses, A-Yan had personally rescued her.
That meant there had been physical contact between them.
If the Mei family used that as leverage, given A-Yan’s character, he would likely bring Mei Wanying into Prince Chen’s Manor.
Because of the debt he owed General Mei, he would never allow her to become a concubine.
Even if he disliked her, he would grit his teeth and accept it.
And once Mei Wanying occupied the position of principal wife, what noble lady would willingly rank beneath her?
Wouldn’t that ruin A-Yan’s future?
In the Empress’s eyes, Mei Wanying was a stumbling block.
Had she known, she would have dealt with her sooner.
Sending her away from the capital would have been fine.
Granting the Crown Prince’s request would have been fine too.
In any case, she could not allow Mei Wanying to ruin A-Yan’s prospects.
The Empress’s expression turned cold and stern, completely different from her usual dignified and gentle demeanor.
Her trusted palace maid replied cautiously,
“Could it be… that she wishes to ask Your Majesty to make Prince Chen take responsibility?”
The words struck directly at the Empress’s suspicions.
Thinking about how Mei Wanying had chased after her son for years, the Empress became convinced she was trying to seize this opportunity to secure her position.
Who in the capital didn’t know that Mei Wanying would marry no one but A-Yan?
Having spent most of her life in the imperial harem, the Empress had seen every trick imaginable.
Compared to those schemes, Mei Wanying’s intentions were obvious and her methods immature.
The Empress scoffed.
“I underestimated her before. I thought she was nothing more than a beautiful face with no schemes to speak of. Since she insisted on chasing after A-Yan, I simply let her. Seeing how wholeheartedly devoted she was to him, I even considered allowing her to become his secondary wife so she could live without worries for the rest of her life.”
“Who would have thought she was so greedy? Since I refused to approve the marriage, she deliberately fell into the water to force A-Yan’s hand. What nerve she has!”
The Empress snorted coldly.
“She dares scheme against anyone. I truly wasted my kindness on her.”
In her eyes, her son was one in ten thousand.
The finest young man in the empire.
How could a decorative beauty like Mei Wanying possibly be worthy of him?
Only a woman with exceptional qualities deserved to stand beside him.
Family background.
Talent.
Household management.
Financial skills.
Everything had to be outstanding.
Only the most accomplished woman could barely qualify.
As a future mother-in-law, the Empress naturally intended to choose only the very best.
To her, any woman who married her son would already be receiving a tremendous blessing.
The palace maid nodded eagerly.
“Your Majesty should teach her a lesson. If she succeeds this time, who knows what she’ll do next? The Mei family has already received countless rewards because of Prince Chen’s upbringing. To still dream of marrying him—aren’t they asking for too much?”
The Empress naturally had no intention of letting Mei Wanying succeed.
She was still preparing a flower-viewing banquet to select a wife for her son.
If Mei Wanying somehow secured the position first, the Empress would be furious.
She would never agree to let Mei Wanying become Pei Yan’s principal wife.
Her only concern was that her son might fall into the Mei family’s trap and personally request an imperial marriage decree.
Pei Yan was decisive and strong-willed.
Once he made up his mind, no one could change it.
Coupled with the guilt she felt toward him, the Empress knew she would find it difficult to refuse his request.
With obvious mockery in her eyes, she said,
“She probably came to me because A-Yan refused to play along. Having run out of options, she’s seeking reinforcements.”
The palace maid laughed.
“How foolish. You’re Prince Chen’s mother. How could you possibly stand on her side and force His Highness to marry her?”
“If she weren’t foolish, would she have spent all these years hanging onto A-Yan without noticing his attitude?”
Girls her age were either married or already engaged.
Mei Wanying had spent three years in mourning, so remaining unmarried was understandable.
But the Empress knew she had never considered another match.
The only man in her life had always been A-Yan.
Her entire heart belonged to him.
The Empress sighed softly.
“If her father were still alive, and if her eyes weren’t afflicted, I honestly wouldn’t mind letting A-Yan marry her.”
Others might scheme against A-Yan.
Mei Wanying never would.
She loved him.
To her, he was more important than life itself.
That was her greatest virtue.
Thinking of it that way, some of the Empress’s dissatisfaction faded.
“Summon her to the palace. I would like to hear exactly what performance she plans to put on. While she’s here, I’ll also let her see the wives I’ve selected for A-Yan. Hopefully she’ll have enough self-awareness to retreat when she realizes the situation.”
“Considering her sincere feelings for him, as long as she knows her place, I won’t make things difficult for her.”
When Mei Wanying entered the palace, every detail of her appearance had been carefully chosen.
She wore a crimson brocade dress.
Beneath the hem peeked embroidered satin shoes adorned with vivid lotus patterns.
Her hair was styled in the fashion of an unmarried young lady.
Dark and glossy, it was adorned with a golden peony hairpin that radiated elegance.
Delicate brows.
Bright almond-shaped eyes.
Lips as red as flower petals.
Snowy skin and peach-blossom cheeks.
She was truly breathtaking.
After three years of mourning, all traces of youthful immaturity had faded.
No longer confined to plain clothing, she was dressed in vibrant colors.
Beautiful enough to make people forget to look away.
She walked with graceful poise.
Every movement elegant and refined.
Pei Yan had entered the palace to discuss official matters.
After finishing his business, he was leaving through one of the palace corridors when he unexpectedly encountered Mei Wanying.
His gaze paused.
For a moment, he almost failed to recognize her.
Even from a distance, every detail of her appearance was visible.
His sharp eyes swept over her.
Finally stopping at her slender waist.
Soft.
Slim enough to fit within one hand.
Without warning, the scenes from his dream surged into his mind.
Pei Yan immediately looked away.
The distance between them steadily closed.
Mei Wanying saw him.
She did not notice him turning his head.
The hands folded before her abdomen tightened slightly.
A ripple stirred within her heart.
Pei Yan truly disliked her.
Whether in her previous life or this one, that had never changed.
Quietly exhaling, she allowed the ripple to fade.
Then, following proper etiquette, she bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Her eyes remained lowered.
Carrying the faint fragrance unique to her, she walked past him.
Then continued onward.
Without looking at him even once.
As though he did not exist.
As though there was no trace of him in her eyes.
A strange sense of disappointment rose within Pei Yan.
When he finally realized it, his expression tightened.
His pace unconsciously quickened.
In the end, he still turned back for one last glance.
But all he managed to catch was the fluttering edge of a crimson skirt.
Then, in the blink of an eye—
It was gone.