After the flower-viewing banquet ended, Empress Dowager Pei still had nothing to show for it.
The ladies of the various families had all heard about Commandery Lady Yongfu's earlier attempt to murder Princess Yu, so it was hardly surprising that her marriage prospects were poor.
Those who did seek her hand either came from declining families or wanted her as a wife for a son born of a concubine.
These people were coveting Prince Fu's Residence, which stood behind Commandery Lady Yongfu.
After the Late Prince Fu and his consort passed away, they had left no son to inherit his title, only their daughter.
In recognition of Prince Fu's service to the nation, the late emperor had not reclaimed his residence. He had even made an exception and passed it on to his daughter.
Thus, most of the families seeking Commandery Lady Yongfu's hand were fallen households that looked strong on the outside but were hollow within, merely coveting the wealth and splendor of Prince Fu's Residence.
Commandery Lady Yongfu was, after all, a prince's legitimate daughter and had been raised at the Empress Dowager's knee. If she married into such a family, where would that leave the imperial family's dignity?
Yet finding a man of equal standing to whom she could be betrothed by imperial decree was difficult too.
Just as Empress Dowager Pei was fretting over this, Commandery Lady Yongfu did something else that poured oil on the fire.
That afternoon, Chu Siqing and Princess Yu left the Heavenly Derivation Pavilion in the palace and were about to return to Prince Yu's Residence.
After boarding the carriage, she suddenly heard the system's anxious voice.
System: [Host, hurry and get out of the carriage with Princess Yu!]
Chu Siqing asked in confusion, [A-Tong, what happened?]
System: [I just discovered that Commandery Lady Yongfu is going to attack you!]
Chu Siqing jolted, instantly alert.
She hurriedly asked, [Is something wrong with this carriage?]
The system said anxiously: [The assassins Commandery Lady Yongfu arranged will attack this carriage very soon!]
With no time to think through a plan, Chu Siqing hurriedly babbled a few times and shouted to Princess Yu in her mind:
[Mother, tell the driver to stop! There are assassins ahead!]
Hearing her daughter's thoughts, Princess Yu started in alarm and hurriedly said, "Stop the carriage!"
The driver immediately stopped and asked Princess Yu, "Your Highness, is something wrong?"
Prince Yu had specially assigned a squad of guards to escort his consort and daughter to the palace, and the driver was one of them.
Chu Siqing told Princess Yu in her mind, [Mother! Commandery Lady Yongfu sent these assassins. We can't let her off again this time!]
Princess Yu's expression turned icy as she swiftly considered what to do.
A moment later, she said to the guard captain beside her, "Lin Yuan, assassins will attack the carriage shortly. You must proceed carefully."
Captain Lin's expression changed drastically. He exclaimed, "Your Highness, who would dare attempt to assassinate you and the commandery princess?"
Princess Yu said, "They were sent by Commandery Lady Yongfu."
Lin Yuan broke into a cold sweat. "Thank goodness you and the commandery princess got out of the carriage."
Princess Yu nodded and instructed him, "Don't stir the grass and startle the snake. You must capture those assassins alive!"
Having regained his composure, Lin Yuan accepted the order. "Yes, Your Highness!"
He gathered the squad of guards, explained the situation, and made arrangements.
Then Princess Yu and Chu Siqing returned to the palace, while the others continued toward the residence as usual.
On the surface, their expressions remained unchanged, but in truth they were poised to strike, waiting for the assassins to appear so they could catch them all in one net!
Prince Fu's Residence.
A trace of a crazed smile hung on Commandery Lady Yongfu's face.
She had been waiting, waiting for news that Han Wanqing and her daughter had been assassinated.
But she had never expected that the people who finally arrived would be from the Imperial Clan Court.
The Director of the Imperial Clan Court said, "Commandery Lady Yongfu, you are suspected of attempting to assassinate Princess Yu and the Holy Maiden. Please come with us."
Commandery Lady Yongfu was both shocked and furious. She had never expected anyone to suspect her so quickly!
She barely maintained her composure as she demanded, "What evidence do you have?"
The Director of the Imperial Clan Court's gaze was cold. "Commandery Lady Yongfu, the assassins you sent have already confessed to the assassination attempt."
Commandery Lady Yongfu could not believe it. The people she had sent were all death-sworn operatives. How could they have been captured alive and confessed?!
But the Director of the Imperial Clan Court gave her no time for questions and urged, "Commandery Lady Yongfu, you must come to the Imperial Clan Court for questioning."
Though panicked, Commandery Lady Yongfu still said disdainfully, "What right do you have to make me go to the Imperial Clan Court?"
Last time, Prince Yu had also repeatedly threatened to send her to the Imperial Clan Court, but in the end, she had merely been confined to her residence.
Without haste or agitation, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court took an imperial decree from inside his robes and said solemnly, "These are His Majesty's orders."
Commandery Lady Yongfu's heart instantly sank to rock bottom, and an inexplicable panic welled up within her.
Why was His Majesty showing so little consideration this time?
Was he truly going to punish her severely this time?
No, no... he wouldn't.
She was her father's only daughter and had been raised personally by the Empress Dowager. His Majesty was surely only making a show of it again.
Having reassured herself, Commandery Lady Yongfu even had the composure to ask the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, "How is Princess Yu?"
She was already prepared to hear that Han Wanqing was dead.
Yet the Director of the Imperial Clan Court replied mockingly, "Rest assured, Princess Yu and the Holy Maiden are both safe and sound."
"What? Impossible... that's impossible!"
Commandery Lady Yongfu had never imagined that Han Wanqing could remain unharmed after an assassination attempt by the death-sworn operatives painstakingly trained by Prince Fu's Residence!
And so, still crying, "Impossible," she was escorted to the Imperial Clan Court in a daze.
Faced with the Imperial Clan Court's questioning and irrefutable evidence, Commandery Lady Yongfu stopped arguing and admitted that she had ordered the attempt on Princess Yu's life.
Yet even then, Commandery Lady Yongfu naively believed things would turn out just as they had after her previous attempt to murder Princess Yu.
The Empress Dowager would plead for her, and His Majesty would once again let the matter pass lightly out of respect for her father.
Three days later, however, what came was an imperial decree stripping her of her title and reducing her to a commoner, condemning her to guard Prince Fu's tomb and reflect on her wrongs for the rest of her life.
Commandery Lady Yongfu refused to believe this outcome and caused an uproar in the Imperial Clan Court, demanding to see the Empress Dowager.
When Empress Dowager Pei learned of this, she agreed, considering that it would be their final meeting.
Commandery Lady Yongfu's birth name was Sun Zhirou. Once she had been reduced to a commoner, her title of Yongfu naturally ceased to exist as well.
Sun Zhirou knelt before the Empress Dowager, dressed entirely in plain white, with only a simple hairpin in her hair. Not a trace of her former splendor remained.
From then on, she would have no noble rank and could no longer wear anything unsuited to her status.
Sun Zhirou's eyes were already swollen from crying. Pitifully, she pleaded, "Empress Dowager, please save me!"
Empress Dowager Pei's heart had long since grown cold. Expressionless, she said, "You brought all of this upon yourself. I cannot save you either."
Sun Zhirou sobbed through her words. "Empress Dowager, I know I was wrong! Please, give me one more chance!"
Empress Dowager Pei remained unmoved. "I warned you long ago not to persist in your delusions. Now it is too late!"
Sun Zhirou struggled to stop her tears and said calmly, "My father died for Great Chu. Can't you save me one more time out of regard for his service?"
Empress Dowager Pei said coldly, "Sending you to guard his tomb and reflect on your wrongs was already a concession made out of respect for your father!"
She paused, then said, "Otherwise, you would have been imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court for life!"
Sun Zhirou's eyes were bloodshot. "Han Wanqing is merely the daughter of an earl's household. How could His Majesty treat me this way?!"
Already thoroughly disgusted, Empress Dowager Pei only said, "The people you tried to murder were Prince Yu's consort and Great Chu's Holy Maiden. This punishment is already lenient!"
With that, Empress Dowager Pei said, "Attendants, take her away. I do not wish to see her again."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I... mmph..."
Sun Zhirou still wanted to say more, but a palace maid covered her mouth and led her away.
From then on, she would remain far from the Imperial City, spending the rest of her life at Prince Fu's Mausoleum, forever reflecting on her wrongs.
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