"That day at the Wei estate, I realized something was wrong and slipped away from the room they'd arranged for me. I don't know how, but my younger sister ended up in that room instead. Wei Quan, drunk out of his mind, stumbled in—and just like that, her innocence was lost.
If it weren't for Lady Liu scheming against me, my sister wouldn't have been ruined. But it was also that night that His Majesty rescued me. That's how I ended up in the palace."
General Meng crushed the cup in his hand, shards falling to the floor. His voice was like thunder."That wretched woman, Liu!"
"Shameless snake," her eldest brother growled, slamming his hand on the table.The second brother stood abruptly, already reaching for his sword. "I'm going back to kill her."
Seeing her family so enraged on her behalf made Meng Wenyao both happy and deeply pained. But her brothers… gods help them, they never stopped to think. Their first instinct was always violence. That kind of hot-headedness was too easy for others to exploit.
"Father, there's a maid named Ruyi and an old servant, Granny Shi, who know the truth. You can ask them. But right now, our family is under scrutiny. Please, I beg you all—don't act rashly. There are many ways to deal with enemies. We don't always have to draw blood ourselves."
Her eldest brother gave a sheepish grin. "Look at you, all grown up, lecturing your big brother now."
Her second brother scratched his head, embarrassed. "She's always been the smart one since she was a kid."
General Meng sighed heavily. "All these years, I underestimated Liu."
"Father, people's hearts are unknowable. You can't blame yourself entirely. But I do hope you'll handle things carefully. We can't let someone like her tarnish the Meng family's name."
Wenyao truly feared her father might go back and simply put an end to Liu with a single stroke. That wouldn't just soil his hands—it would invite rumors and damage their reputation.
After talking through what had happened to her sister and Liu's treachery, the family eventually turned to happier topics: Wenyao's pregnancy and her upcoming coronation as Empress. Joy outweighed sorrow by the end.
But time flew, and soon it was time for her family to leave. The farewell tugged at her heart, and Wenyao couldn't help feeling low after they were gone.
Nanny Hua comforted her gently. "Your Majesty, the coronation is just around the corner. You'll see the General and your brothers again soon."
Back at the Meng estate, the General was already seething. When he saw his sons, blades in hand, rushing toward the main hall, he immediately snapped out of it.
"Bring Ruyi and Granny Shi to the study."
Not long after, the two women were dragged in. No torture was needed. Just the sight of his two towering sons flanking the room with murder in their eyes had them spilling the whole story like overturned baskets of beans.
The two brothers gripped their blades so tightly that the wood groaned under the pressure. If not for the General holding them back, the Meng estate would've seen a bloodbath that night.
Though General Meng had hoped to return to the capital in secret, he was now the Emperor's father-in-law—so of course, word spread quickly. Nobles flocked to the estate like fish swimming upstream.
But the Meng family kept a low profile. Not only did they decline all visitors, they even shut the main gates. With no other choice, the curious onlookers left in disappointment.
Only Wenyao, tucked safely in the palace, knew what had actually happened. Early that morning, Nanny Hua had reported:"Granny Shi and Ruyi were caught stealing from the house. They colluded to harm the mistress and have been dealt with according to the family law."
The Meng family's "law" was no joke—it meant death by the military rod. Neither of them would've survived it.
"So Father shut the doors. Does that mean he's not giving Liu a funeral?"
Nanny Hua curled her lip. "That poisonous woman? The General said she's not worthy of being buried in the Meng ancestral tombs. He's sending her to be buried at a temple—maybe they can cleanse her soul. With any luck, she'll come back in her next life as something human."
"But if people find out that the Meng matron died and no funeral was held, won't that look bad?"
Wenyao was secretly a little gleeful, but for the sake of the family's reputation, the appearance of propriety was still important.
"The General said if anyone asks, tell them the Empress's coronation is coming up and they're keeping things quiet to avoid bad omens."
"Well, talk about dying at the wrong time."
And just like that, Liu vanished from memory. Despite technically being the Emperor's mother-in-law, she didn't appear at the coronation. No one with any sense dared to ask why. It was as if she'd never existed at all.
The coronation was grand and magnificent. Wenyao stood beside the Emperor at the highest point, overlooking the crowd bowed before them. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to whisper to the past version of herself:Everything the heavens took from you—they'll give it back tenfold.
After the ceremony, she turned her full attention to resting and nurturing her unborn child.
The Empress Dowager made a few efforts to plead for Prince An, who was still under house arrest. But the Emperor, wary of any more antics, refused to release him. With a child on the way, he wasn't about to let anything go wrong—not some rebellious prince, nor his overdramatic mother.
He knew that if something did happen, he'd have to juggle a grieving mother, a potential family scandal, and a pregnant Empress. Too much. Just no.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager spent her days counting rosary beads in Changle Palace. Her maid, Gui Momo, tried to advise her:"Your Majesty, it wouldn't hurt to show a little care for the Empress. If the Emperor's pleased, maybe he'll release the Prince."
"Hmph. You want me, a mother-in-law, to grovel to my daughter-in-law? I still have my dignity!"
Gui Momo wisely shut her mouth. Suit yourself, but then don't be surprised if your precious prince stays locked up forever.
Anyone with eyes could see—the Emperor would pull down the moon if it made Wenyao smile. What was unshackling one pitiful prince in comparison?
But the Empress Dowager refused to acknowledge the obvious. All she cared about was her precious grandson. She clashed with her youngest son over it so much, she forgot he was about to become a father too.
Time passed quickly.
Then one morning, a little eunuch came running in, tripping over his own feet, shouting,"Her Majesty's in labor! She's going into labor!"
The Empress Dowager, halfway through a chant, froze mid-bead. "Has the Emperor gone?"
"He rushed there straight from court!"
Gui Momo grabbed her elbow. "Your Majesty, we should hurry too!"
"What's the rush? First-time mothers can take days. No need to waste time sitting around. We'll go in the afternoon."
But unfortunately for her, she miscalculated.
Wenyao had been taking all sorts of herbal supplements to make childbirth easier. As a result, her labor was smooth and fast.
She was just about to eat breakfast when she noticed her skirt was wet.
The midwife, already prepared and standing by, exclaimed that her water had broken and rushed to summon the Emperor and the royal physicians.
Everyone panicked. But Wenyao?
She finished her breakfast calmly, then laid down.
Of course, she had to pretend to be in excruciating pain—otherwise people might start whispering that she was some kind of monster. So she screamed. Loudly. Often.
The Emperor arrived at the delivery chamber, just in time to hear her "suffering." He nearly kicked the doors in.
Rushing to her side, he took her hand in his trembling grip.
"Wenyao, I'm here. Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine."
His hands shook. His voice wavered. Wenyao, who had only planned to put on a show, saw his panic and decided to sell it even harder—she needed this to brand itself into his heart.
"Your Majesty, I'm not afraid. I will give you your heir—no matter the cost."