“Good. No need to rush—just don’t make mistakes. Also, I want a full list copied down of all personnel entering and exiting the pace gates throughout the inner court. Include their affiliations and retionships. This one’s not urgent—I’ll give you a few days. Better slow than wrong.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. Don’t worry, I’ll be thorough.” This time, she’d definitely need Feixu’s help. Sometimes she could say the words, but not write them.

  “Your Majesty, are you pnning to shake things up a bit?” Linshui asked.

  “It’s just like tending a field,” Wumian replied. “If there are too many weeds, and you keep hoeing them down, yet they grow right back—that’s because you’re only trimming the leaves. You haven’t touched the roots. And not just them—I intend to stir up the North Garden too.”

  “But… the North Garden is where the imperial consorts of the previous reign reside. Isn’t it difficult to move against them?” Linshui looked worried.

  “Exactly. Which is why I won’t act in haste. Moving too forcefully all at once won’t do. We’ll take our time,” Wumian said calmly.

  While the Empress was plotting her future, Guifei was seething over her lost authority.

  In Hanliang Pace, when Li Zhaoyi heard the imperial decree, she simply wept in silence.

  She knew she couldn’t hide it any longer. Now that everything had come to this, she regretted it deeply. But what could she do?

  Only after the decree bearer left did she ask, “Have Doukou and Shaoyao still not returned?”

  “Replying to Your Highness, not yet. But Eunuch Lu said they wouldn’t be tortured,” a young maid replied.

  “Dress me.”

  “Your Highness, you mustn’t get out of bed right now!” The maid panicked.

  “Dress me,” Li Zhaoyi repeated, wiping her tears. “Can I not even command you now?”

  “N-no, Your Highness. I’ll help you right away.”

  She called in two other maids. They quickly helped her change into fresh clothes and did a simple touch-up. Then Li Zhaoyi, supported by her maids, made her way toward the Taiji Pace.

  Back in Fengyi Pace, Wumian heard of it and raised an eyebrow. “She can still get out of bed?”

  “They say she looks ghastly. No one knows what she’s pnning. But the decree’s already been issued—even if she pleads, His Majesty won’t take it back,” Linshui said.

  “She likely isn’t pleading about the decree,” Wumian replied. “If she were that foolish, His Majesty wouldn’t have favored her for so many years.”

  That was true.

  By now, in Taiji Pace, the frail and pale Li Zhaoyi was kneeling on the cold marble floor. “Doukou is someone from my natal home. She’s always been loyal. We grew up together. As for Shaoyao, though she came to serve ter, she has always been diligent and careful, never once neglectful. I know I’ve committed grave mistakes, and there are certainly servants in Hanliang Pace who betrayed me. But it wasn’t them. Please, Your Majesty, spare them. Let them return to serve me.”

  Ying Qionglou frowned. “Stand up.”

  Lu Zhong immediately stepped forward to help her. “Your Highness, this is unnecessary. You could’ve just sent word. Your health is more important.”

  “I don’t dare ask Your Majesty to forgive me. I know I was wrong—one misstep led to another. The demotion today was already lenient. I wouldn’t dare plead for myself. But please, Your Majesty, let those two go.”

  “Fine. Since you vouch for them, I’ll let them go,” Ying Qionglou said. “But Li Zhaoyi, you must understand where your mistake lies. I’ve been too indulgent with you in the past, to the point you forgot your pce. If you ever make such a mistake again, I won’t be so lenient.”

  “Thank you for Your Majesty’s gracious mercy. I feel ashamed—I will remember this lesson and not repeat the same mistake again,” Li Zhaoyi said, bowing her head to the ground.

  “All right, your health is frail. Go back and rest. Once you’re better, I’ll allow your servants to return,” Ying Qionglou said, feeling a rare twinge of sympathy at the sight of her.

  Even with attendants supporting her, Li Zhaoyi nearly bcked out as she rose to her feet. She gritted her teeth to stay standing.

  “My strength is truly failing me. I’ll take my leave first,” she said softly.

  “Go on,” Ying Qionglou replied, watching her for a moment before saying nothing further.

  Li Zhaoyi was carried back in a panquin. By the time they arrived, she no longer had the strength to get out on her own. Her maids helped her into the hall, where she staggered and nearly colpsed.

  “Do not... summon the imperial physicians... don’t cause a commotion...” she murmured before fainting.

  The pace maids shrieked in panic, but in the end, they followed her orders and refrained from alerting anyone.

  That very night, Doukou and Shaoyao were returned to Li Zhaoyi’s side.

  When Wumian heard the news, she was genuinely surprised. “Li Zhaoyi does have a sense of loyalty.”

  It was something worthy of respect.

  Even if she hadn’t demanded the return of all her servants, just ensuring the two closest to her were brought back made a difference. Those serving her in the future wouldn’t feel abandoned.

  “She pleaded with His Majesty, and he agreed. Does that mean she might not completely fall out of favor?” Zhaohua asked.

  “That depends. The fact that His Majesty didn’t demote her beyond the third rank shows she hasn’t entirely lost favor yet. But after this episode, it’ll be hard to return to what she had before,” Wumian replied calmly. “There are many new consorts now, and whether she can conceive again is uncertain.”

  Previously, the Emperor hadn’t thought too deeply about this. Even though Li Zhaoyi was frail, she was still able to conceive.

  But now? Even if he still liked her, if she could no longer bear children, his priorities would shift.

  Given how low the survival rate was for imperial children, how could he afford to have so few princes?

  “Never mind her for now—there’s something else I forgot to mention. Rongkang Pace—start by clearing out Rongkang Pace.”

  Wumian frowned slightly. “I don’t care which of the children sent there for variotion survive and which don’t. But the staff at Rongkang Pace? I want every single one of them to be clean. Not a single misstep is allowed. Linshui, this task falls to you. There’s no rush—wait until Guifei has fully relinquished her authority.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Linshui replied immediately.

  It was indeed a critical task. If the Empress had only just regained control of the inner court, and something happened to the princes or noble children during the variotion process, it would be impossible to expin.

  “And once the Eldest Prince moves into Rongkang Pace, have Chuixue and Liuting follow and remain with him until he leaves. I want eyes on him at all times. Nothing must happen to him.”

  “Yes,” Linshui said. “Does Your Majesty think... someone might try something?”

  “Guifei and Xian Fei both held grudges against the te Empress. Don’t you think they resent the Eldest Prince?” Wumian said coldly. “Even though the te Empress was never granted a posthumous title, the Eldest Prince is still the legitimate eldest son. Who’s to say he has no future?”

  The Shen family had indeed been involved in treason, but that was the te Empress Shen’s third uncle. If one day His Majesty came to favor the Eldest Prince, everything could change with just a word from the throne.

  And what if he decided to posthumously honor Empress Shen? It wouldn’t be hard to rehabilitate her image.

  “Now imagine—if I just regained control of the pace, and something happened to the Eldest Prince, or worse, he died… what do you think His Majesty would suspect of me?”

  Linshui frowned. “Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll handle it with utmost care.”

  “Don’t panic. The more people we employ, the more hands we have to work with. I was wrong before—I kept narrowing the path when I should’ve been broadening it. I’m the Empress. My role is not to compete for favor with the concubines.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. You can count on me,” Linshui assured her.

  Wumian nodded. “Then let’s rest early tonight. I have to see the Empress Dowager in the morning.”