The unease in Noble Consort Wei's heart grew stronger.
Could it be... that His Majesty had discovered something?
No, that was impossible.
She dismissed the possibility in her heart.
Whenever she was with Cheng Ji, she dismissed the palace servants. Only her closest maid, Xixin, knew.
Xixin had served her since childhood and had never made a mistake in all these years. She refused to believe Xixin would betray her.
Though she thought this, she showed none of it on her face.
Facing the oppressive aura Emperor Xuanzhao exuded, Noble Consort Wei neither dodged nor shrank back, meeting his eyes directly.
She asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, has someone been whispering gossip in your ear?"
Emperor Xuanzhao's face was dark, and he said nothing.
Noble Consort Wei's tears fell on command.
Though past thirty, she still retained her charms, and the sight of her tears stirred pity.
Ordinarily, Emperor Xuanzhao would have begun comforting her long before now at the sight of her distress.
Yet at this very moment, Emperor Xuanzhao was cold as hell.
"I have served you for years, always treading carefully, never daring to take a single wrong step. You mustn't believe other people's idle gossip."
"If Ping'an knew you had said such harsh things to me without cause, she would be terribly upset."
The third princess held the title Ping'an-Princess Ping'an.
Having lost his first and second princesses, Emperor Xuanzhao lavished every care on his only remaining princess, the third, terrified that something might happen to Princess Ping'an too.
That was why he had chosen "Ping'an," meaning peace and safety, as her title, hoping the third princess would live her whole life safe and sound.
"Bitch, you still dare mention that bastard?"
Emperor Xuanzhao raised his hand high. With a sharp smack, his palm struck Noble Consort Wei hard across the face.
It would have been better not to mention the third princess. The moment she did, Emperor Xuanzhao recalled Shen Yuxi's conversation with the system.
The third princess was the illegitimate daughter of Noble Consort Wei and her childhood sweetheart.
Revulsion swept through Emperor Xuanzhao's heart, as though he had fed all his sincerity to a dog.
"Ah-!"
Noble Consort Wei cried out in pain.
The blow was so forceful that even the pure gold dangling hairpin at her temple was knocked askew.
Her head snapped sideways from the blow, and she fell to the floor. A clear five-fingered mark instantly rose on one cheek, burning with pain.
"Your Highness!"
The senior eunuch cried out anxiously.
The next instant, the men Eunuch Yang had brought subdued him and forced him to his knees.
Noble Consort Wei was stunned. Her eyes widened in disbelief, terror and grievance mingling in them as tears welled up uncontrollably.
Emperor Xuanzhao looked down at her, not a trace of pity in his eyes, only bone-deep coldness.
"That bastard never had my blood flowing in her veins."
"You joined forces with this eunuch to deceive me for over a decade. Did you truly take me for a fool?"
Emperor Xuanzhao's icy words fell. He was no longer even willing to utter the name Ping'an.
Every word landed in Noble Consort Wei's ears like a summons to her death.
Noble Consort Wei raised her head in disbelief. Her gaze toward Emperor Xuanzhao was filled with terror and fear, along with a trace of bewilderment.
"No, that isn't true, Your Majesty. How could Ping'an be a bastard? She's your daughter, your own flesh and blood."
Ignoring the burning sting in her face, Noble Consort Wei tried to crawl to Emperor Xuanzhao's feet.
But he kicked her away hard.
Emperor Xuanzhao scoffed. "No wonder I kept wondering why that bastard bore no resemblance to me."
"At the time, I merely thought that since she was a daughter, it didn't matter if she didn't look like me."
"Noble Consort Wei, you and this eunuch-oh, no, I shouldn't call him a eunuch. After all, he's still a man. Otherwise, he couldn't have fathered a bastard with you."
At those words, both Noble Consort Wei and the eunuch lost their composure completely.
"Your Majesty, I... I don't understand what you're saying."
"As for this eunuch, he was selected by the Imperial Household Department. I only kept him by my side as chief eunuch because he seemed steady and reliable."
"These illicit affairs, these bastards-none of it has anything to do with me!"
Noble Consort Wei firmly believed that as long as she stubbornly refused to admit it, the emperor could do nothing to her without evidence.
Even if Cheng Ji was taken away for a physical examination, she could simply shift the blame onto the Imperial Household Department.
It was the Imperial Household Department's negligence and inadequate inspections that had allowed this to happen.
"Bitch, do you really take me for a fool?"
Furious, Emperor Xuanzhao kicked her again.
Noble Consort Wei screamed and lay prone on the floor in agony, her features twisted with pain. It felt as though all her internal organs had been knocked out of place.
"A palace servant saw you with their own eyes, carrying on with another man while I was away. All these years-you must have worked so hard to keep it hidden."
"Which palace servant? I demand to confront them." A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Noble Consort Wei's mouth.
"Your Majesty cannot decide that I had an affair and question Ping'an's parentage based solely on someone else's one-sided account."
Unwilling to waste any more words on her, Emperor Xuanzhao knew that Noble Consort Wei would never admit it, no matter what.
So he spoke directly, sealing her fate.
"Noble Consort Wei committed adultery with an outside man, deceived her sovereign, and tainted the imperial bloodline."
"Guards, drag Noble Consort Wei away, consign her to the cold palace, and grant her poisoned wine."
Emperor Xuanzhao glanced at Cheng Ji, his eyes heavy with murderous intent.
"Have him torn apart by five horses."
Noble Consort Wei's eyes widened in terror.
She desperately denied it. "Your Majesty, please don't! I am innocent! I am innocent!"
"Your Majesty, it was all my idea. Her Highness the Noble Consort was coerced by me. Please spare her, Your Majesty."
Emperor Xuanzhao laughed in his fury.
"How devoted you are to her."
"You dared to have an affair with a reigning noble consort. Your nine clans will soon pay for your transgression."
His icy words fell.
Eunuch Yang waved a hand, and eunuchs immediately entered to drag Noble Consort Wei away.
Before Cheng Ji could even beg for mercy, his mouth was covered, and he was forcibly dragged out.
Eunuch Yang carefully observed Emperor Xuanzhao's expression and asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, the third princess... how should she be dealt with?"