Wuzhou Garden was where Feng Yexuan resided.
If Feng Yexuan had left Wuzhou Garden with a master giving orders…
The Empress’s breathing began to falter.
Could it be… could it really be Consort Rong who had returned?
Impossible, she had personally watched her draw her last breath back then.
How could she possibly still be alive?
But then, how could the corpse have been burned so badly?
Completely charred, nothing left.
Who had set the fire?
Had someone rescued Consort Rong and presented a fake corpse to deceive everyone?
Was Consort Rong still alive?
“Your Majesty,” Nanny Ni supported her, whispering, “Your Majesty, do not overthink. If Consort Rong were truly alive, she would have returned to seek revenge years ago.”
“It’s not too late for her to return now,” the Empress remained uneasy.
“Your Majesty, I am not saying this to frighten you. Regardless of whether Consort Rong has returned, Wuzhou Garden might indeed harbor a hidden master.”
“In any case, at this juncture, Prince Yu is a coveted prize. We must also try to win over Princess Feiyan.”
The Empress’s breathing gradually calmed.
After a moment’s thought, she still frowned, “That person from Southern Ming… why has the harem remained empty for so many years? Could he truly have some defect?”
“He is rumored to be an exceptionally handsome man who captivates all.”
Nanny Ni had not personally met Chu Jiangnan, but rumors were unlikely to be wrong.
“Whether he has a defect is no longer important. What matters is that his harem remains childless, meaning he has no heirs.”
How could an Emperor be without descendants?
An Emperor without a bloodline heir could not hold onto the throne for long.
However, it was heard that this person was a genius at governing. Under his leadership, Southern Ming had transformed from a mere middle-tier nation into a powerful country comparable to Northern Ming and Long Teng.
This Emperor’s contributions were immense.
Therefore, even without heirs, he had countless loyal ministers in court and beloved citizens throughout the land.
It was precisely for this reason that his throne had been preserved until now.
However, in recent years, the influence of Prince Yu, the eldest prince, had also been growing.
And Prince Yu’s greatest advantage over him was having several sons.
Especially Heir Hao, a renowned general, skilled in both literary and martial arts, and unparalleled in bravery. His fame was widespread, and he was extremely popular in Southern Ming.
At a time like this, if the ruler of Southern Ming were to suddenly become “unwell,” then this empire would very likely belong to Prince Yu’s family.
Even if the ruler of Southern Ming had no health issues, without heirs, the empire would still easily fall into the hands of Prince Yu’s family in the future.
“Your Majesty, Chu Qianli no longer holds significant value. Now, Princess Feiyan should be Prince He’s target.”
Nanny Ni looked at her and asked softly, “Your Majesty, what do you think?”
The Empress pondered for a long time before saying, “Send someone to keep an eye on He’er. Tonight, he absolutely must not go to Yuhua Palace to rescue her. I want to see if Prince Xuan’s feelings for Chu Qianli are as good as the legends say.”
…
Tonight, Yuhua Palace was not peaceful during the first half of the night.
Heir Hao had detained Chu Qianli, and the incident had alerted the Emperor.
Someone from the Emperor’s side arrived, intending to escort Chu Qianli to the imperial prison, but Heir Hao refused, using the reason, “Let’s wait until Princess Feiyan wakes up.”
Currently, Chu Qianli was still in Yuhua Palace, personally guarded by Ghost Eye.
As the night grew deep and quiet, a small creature flew out of the room where Chu Qianli was being held…