Outside Zhaoyang Palace that night, the palace attendants listened carefully for any sounds from within. They were all loyal to Empress Lu.
The intermittent, decadent music indicated that the incense they had lit was taking effect.
"Go tell Her Majesty the Empress that His Majesty has retired for the night with Consort An."
Inside Zhaoyang Palace.
Consort An sat on the couch in the side hall, her attendants stuffing cotton into her ears.
"When will it stop?" Consort An asked.
"Empress Lu's people are guarding outside. We must satisfy them. Please bear with it a little longer, Your Ladyship."
"When will His Majesty return?" Consort An asked.
"Your Ladyship need not worry. His Majesty will return soon."
Their current task was simply to neutralize Empress Lu's spies for a specific period. Initially, they had racked their brains trying to figure out how to return to the palace undetected. Later, His Majesty remembered the secret passage in Zhaoyang Palace that led outside the city. Thus, they could return directly to Zhaoyang Palace from the villa.
Empress Lu listened to the report, a triumphant smile slowly spreading across her lips. For years, she had lived under Consort An's humiliation. Now, she had finally exacted her revenge. The more glorious Consort An had been, the more humiliated she would be now. With the help of the incense, this woman was powerless to resist. Empress Lu was eager to see Consort An's reaction tomorrow when the incense's effects wore off.
The thought of Consort An's potential breakdown sent ripples of excitement through Empress Lu. She truly wished for tomorrow to arrive quickly.
In the latter half of the night, Emperor Chongwen successfully infiltrated the palace. The imposter emperor was subdued and thrown into the secret passage.
Emperor Chongwen even specifically asked the imposter emperor how Empress Lu had discovered his identity was false.
To Emperor Chongwen's surprise, it was a red mole, no larger than the tip of a needle, hidden behind his right ear. Emperor Chongwen had it; the imposter emperor did not.
All conspicuous features on his body and face that Emperor Chongwen possessed, the imposter emperor also had.
The red mole was something Emperor Chongwen himself was unaware of.
For a moment, Emperor Chongwen's heart was filled with a myriad of emotions.
To know every inch of another person's body, whether out of love or hate, one could be certain it was with complete devotion.
Emperor Chongwen preferred to believe that, at the beginning, Empress Lu had loved him with her whole heart.
As for now, Emperor Chongwen gave a bitter smile.
To be safe, Gu Sinian had someone cover the red mole for Emperor Chongwen, lest Empress Lu accidentally see through the deception. Their plan now was to play along with the pretense.
Consort An finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Is Your Majesty sure Empress Lu won't discover anything? The entire palace is filled with Empress Lu's people now."
"She has many of her people, but she wouldn't dare openly replace everyone with her own. Previously, the imposter emperor followed Empress Lu's every command, which created the illusion that the palace was entirely hers. After all, for such matters, apart from her trusted confidantes, she couldn't openly announce it to everyone," Emperor Chongwen said.
"As long as Your Majesty has it under control," Consort An replied.
"Compared to this, she will surely see you tomorrow. You should think about what attitude you will adopt when facing her!" Emperor Chongwen advised.
"Has Your Majesty already decided how to face those other consorts?" Consort An asked.
Mentioning this made Emperor Chongwen furious, and he increasingly felt Empress Lu's cruelty.
"For now, we will keep it a secret," Emperor Chongwen said.
The families behind them were either at odds with the Lu family or unwilling to take sides. Empress Lu's methods were intended to divide their support for him.