Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

Meng Qianqian went to the Black Armor Army's encampment, and upon returning to the Kunning Palace, she found the Empress sitting in the room sipping tea.

"Sister-in-law, why have you gotten out of bed?"

Meng Qianqian asked with concern.

The Empress gave a weak smile and said, "I woke up and didn't see you. Yuan Yang mentioned you went to the military camp. Is there any news of your Imperial Brother?"

Meng Qianqian sighed deeply and said in frustration, "Not yet. Imperial Brother went missing in the Cold Palace. I visited the dried-up well in the Imperial Palace. I suspect there's a mechanism there that allows entry but not exit."

The Empress turned pale with fright, tightly holding Meng Qianqian's hand: "If it allows entry but not exit, then Your Majesty could be... in grave danger?"

Meng Qianqian lowered her head, her eyes slightly reddening.

The Empress quickly patted the back of her hand, comforting, "Look at me, how could I say such things to you? You had the best relationship with Your Majesty. If something happens to him, it's more painful for you than for me."

Meng Qianqian choked up and said, "Sister-in-law's affection for my Imperial Brother is no less than Fengyin's for him. Fengyin is very worried about Sister-in-law and doesn't want you to do anything foolish no matter what happens."

The Empress paused for a moment.

Meng Qianqian wiped away her tears, her gaze resolute, "Sister-in-law, Fengyin plans to go down the dried-up well herself and rescue my Imperial Brother."

The Empress grabbed her hand, "But... didn't you say that place allows entry but not exit?"

Meng Qianqian hesitated for a moment, "Actually, Fengyin has a bold guess about the hidden tunnel beneath the well. Fengyin suspects it's an entrance to an underground palace."

"An underground palace?" The Empress was utterly shocked.

"Yes."

Meng Qianqian continued, "Since it's an underground palace, there must be an exit. Fengyin returned to the city this time with a force of twelve thousand, including ten thousand elite Black Armor soldiers. Besides, I've also invited a Gu Master from Miaojiang who will use Gu Worms to track my whereabouts. As long as I find my Imperial Brother in the underground palace and lead him to the exit, the Black Armor Army will be there to meet us."

The Empress took a sip of tea, "Thus... it's a foolproof plan. But in case anything happens to you, how will I explain to our ancestors?"

Meng Qianqian solemnly replied, "But if Fengyin doesn't go to find my Imperial Brother, I'm afraid Sister-in-law will do something foolish. Sister-in-law hasn't been eating or drinking these days; it's truly worrying Fengyin."

The Empress's eyelids trembled slightly.

She gently started coughing.

Meng Qianqian hurriedly raised her hand to pat her back, "Sister-in-law, are you alright? Please don't think about doing anything rash. With my Imperial Brother away, Sister-in-law is the closest person to Fengyin."

Clatter.

The sound of porcelain shattering came from the doorway.

The Empress raised her eyes and looked toward the source along with Meng Qianqian.

Prince Fu stood at the doorway, flustered and full of worry in his eyes.

Meng Qianqian asked irritably, "No manners. Can't you even hold a bowl of medicinal soup properly?"

Prince Fu looked toward the Empress.

The Empress gently patted Meng Qianqian's hand, "Prince Fu is dutiful. He has been attending to my illness beside my bed these days. I initially said that these matters should be handled by a Palace Attendant, but he insisted on doing everything himself."

Meng Qianqian snorted.

The palace maid beside the Empress astutely stepped forward, starting to clean up the shattered porcelain and medicine residue on the ground.

Prince Fu stepped inside, full of concern, "Mother, you..."

Meng Qianqian said coldly, "You stammer, can't hold medicinal soup steady, and can't speak clearly? I warn you, take good care of the Empress. If the Empress suffers even the slightest loss, the days of Fu Prince Mansion won't be good!"

Prince Fu, looking every bit the timid junior, replied, "Understood, Aunt."

That day, the news that the Empress, overwhelmed with grief, wanted to follow Your Majesty spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Imperial Palace within half a day.

"She wants to die for her cousin?"

Consort Hu sat in the small garden of her bedchamber, scoffing disdainfully, "Just putting on a show, does she think I don't know her?"

"Your Grace, be careful of eavesdroppers."

Her personal female official reminded.

Consort Hu snorted coldly, "With cousin gone, should I fear her? My son is about to ascend the throne, making me the legitimate Empress Dowager. She will have to bow before me!"

According to ancestral customs, both the Empress and the Emperor's birth mother could be titled as Empress Dowager, with the former's status being more respected. However, in practice, due to the Emperor's favoritism, the latter often gained more prestige and power.

Therefore, Consort Hu now feared the Empress no longer.

She smiled faintly, "Let's go see the Empress."

At the entrance of Kunning Palace, Consort Hu, Princess Consort Chen, and Consort Jiang unexpectedly met.

She looked at the two of them haughtily, asking in a lukewarm tone, "Why have Princess Consort Chen and Consort Hui also come?"

Consort Jiang chuckled, "Is Kunning Palace somewhere we're not allowed to be?"

Consort Hu, reminded of the times she was humiliated by Consort Jiang, felt a painful sting on her cheek.

She mocked, "Some can't even take care of themselves, yet they wade into muddy waters. One day, they won't even know what hit them."

Princess Consort Chen smiled, "Consort Hu is right. If you can't take care of yourself, you should stay in your bedchamber lest you fall and never get up."

"You!"

Consort Hu's eyes flashed with anger.

Consort Jiang patted Princess Consort Chen's hand, "If you have something to say, say more."

Princess Consort Chen laughed, "Alright."

The two entered Kunning Palace hand in hand.

Consort Hu was left seething once again.

She coldly watched the backs of the two, sneering, "Let's see how long your arrogance lasts! Once my son ascends the throne, each of you will have to grovel at my feet!"

Inside Kunning Palace, Princess Consort Chen and Consort Jiang inquired after the Empress's well-being with kind words and persuasion.

"Your Majesty is merely missing," "With fortune favoring the virtuous, Your Majesty will surely return safely," "The Empress mustn't think anything foolish," and so on.

"Though there have been precedents for posthumous unions in the previous dynasty, our current dynasty does not require it. The Empress must take care."

This was said by Princess Consort Chen.

Consort Jiang was too lazy to act; she was just a spectator.

The Empress gazed directly into Princess Consort Chen's concerned eyes, suddenly realizing that this woman, who had been humble for most of her life at the Prince Mansion, was not as simple as she appeared.

She even mentioned posthumous union.

Should there be an untimely end for herself in the future, it would become an already "predicted" event.

Princess Consort Chen gently said, "Take care of yourself, Empress. Hui and I will not disturb you further."

Leaving Kunning Palace, Consort Jiang said to Princess Consort Chen, "I never knew you were so clever before. It would have been better if you were like this earlier."

Princess Consort Chen shyly smiled, "Pardon me for making you laugh."

Consort Jiang suggested, "Come, let's play a few rounds in my chambers."

Princess Consort Chen responded, "You better not cheat."

Consort Jiang retorted, "I told you I miscounted last time!"

Consort Hu stood behind the flowers, watching the two converse happily, rolling her eyes in anger.

Kunning Palace.

The palace maid Yuan Yang served the Empress medicinal soup.

The Empress waved her hand.

"Yes, Your Grace."

Yuan Yang took away the medicinal soup.

The Empress quietly gazed at the copper mirror, gently removing the earrings from her ears and dropping them with a clatter into the jewelry box.

Having put away her things for the journey to the underground palace, Meng Qianqian lay down to rest.

The night was dark and windy.

A venomous snake with a flickering tongue quietly slithered through the window, crawling onto Meng Qianqian's bed.