When the Emperor heard there were no new palace entrants, he paused. That day at Fahua Temple, the young lady from the Meng family had claimed to dream of a dragon entering her embrace—an auspicious omen. Yet the Empress Dowager hadn't summoned her into the palace?
"Go. Find out what Meng Dajun's eldest daughter has been doing lately."
Eunuch Dezi was momentarily stunned. Of course, he remembered. He'd accompanied the Emperor to the temple that day. Everyone had heard the Meng girl's dream of a dragon—clear symbolism. When the Emperor didn't act afterward, Dezi assumed he didn't care. But now it was clear—His Majesty had been waiting for the Empress Dowager to take the hint and send the girl to the palace.
But she hadn't. Was the Emperor finally growing impatient?
Suppressing a smirk, Dezi bowed and left to gather information.
Within the hour, Dezi returned to Funing Hall, visibly uneasy. Under the Emperor's sharp gaze, he instinctively fell to his knees.
"Your Majesty, word is the Empress Dowager sent a court matron to the Meng household to instruct the eldest daughter in palace etiquette. It seems she intends to marry her off… to Prince An."
Dezi kept his head low, not daring to look up. Was the Empress Dowager really discarding the Emperor's prospects?
She knew the girl dreamed of a dragon—a heavenly sign—and still didn't send her to the Emperor's bed? Instead, she arranged a marriage with Prince An?
Dezi felt wronged on behalf of the Emperor.
Prince An's father was the Empress Dowager's eldest son. The Emperor, her younger son, had only ascended the throne after surviving the brutal infighting between royal brothers. For years now, he had treated his mother with the utmost filial piety and raised Prince An almost like a son.
It was widely assumed that if the Emperor remained heirless, Prince An would inherit the throne.
Now there was finally a chance for His Majesty to have his own child—and the Empress Dowager didn't even consider it? Dezi couldn't imagine how the Emperor must feel, but he himself was chilled to the core.
The Emperor said nothing for a long time. Finally, in a voice heavy with weariness, he spoke.
"Leave me."
Meanwhile, at Prince An's Estate…
Prince An and a few noble youths had just returned from a ride when his advisor, Mister Ji, hurried over.
"Your Highness, I've heard the Empress Dowager has sent a court matron to the Meng household. It seems your marriage is imminent."
Prince An blinked. "The Meng family? You mean the general who commands the 500,000 troops at the northern border?"
Mister Ji stroked his goatee and smiled. "Exactly. The foremost military commander in the empire. If he becomes your father-in-law, your future ascension will be smooth and uncontested."
Prince An had been raised within the royal court and understood the game. Though his imperial uncle—the Emperor—loved him like a son, he also kept a wary eye on him.
Everyone knew the Emperor had no children. Over the years, it had become an unspoken truth that Prince An would one day be adopted as heir and inherit the throne.
He had always been careful not to overstep, never building his own faction or cozying up to court officials. Instead, he played the carefree noble, indulging in wine and women, letting the court see him as harmless.
Now, this sudden prospect of marrying into a powerful military family made him both excited and uneasy.
"Is this the Empress Dowager's idea, or the Emperor's?"
If the Emperor also supported the match, perhaps it was a tacit confirmation that Prince An would be the successor. But if it was only the Empress Dowager's doing… then marrying into the Meng family might make the Emperor see him as a threat.
"In my view," Mister Ji said thoughtfully, "His Majesty has been on the throne for ten years and still has no heir. The Empress Dowager has likely given up hope of ever holding a grandchild from him. Now, she's thinking even further ahead—she wants a great-grandchild. Hence, this marriage. After all, the empire is bound to fall into Your Highness's hands eventually."
Prince An remembered when he was young, how devastated he'd been to learn the Emperor couldn't have children. Having lost his own father early, he'd longed for siblings and had hoped the Emperor would one day have a son.
But once he grew older and gained his own estate and advisors, he came to realize that the Emperor's childlessness was, in fact, a blessing—for him.
If the Emperor had a biological heir, Prince An would forever be just a prince, a side branch of the tree.
But fate had granted him this opportunity. Not a single consort in the palace had produced a child. Some nights, he woke laughing in his dreams.
As for the throne—it would be his eventually. No need to rush. Better to avoid arousing suspicion.
"Find out more about this Miss Meng," he ordered calmly. "And I'll visit the palace to see whether this marriage is truly what the Emperor wants. If not… I'll find a way to politely refuse."
He wasn't foolish. He knew the Emperor might wear the mask of a benevolent ruler, but he'd clawed his way to the throne through a battlefield of dead brothers. Beneath that gentle facade was a man who played for keeps.
Every official who had opposed him had eventually been demoted, exiled, or had their family name erased. Not by the Emperor directly, of course. They had all somehow offended the infamous Noble Consort Wei.
A former palace maid of humble birth, Wei had stood by the Emperor during his darkest times—when the Empress Dowager had been cast into the Cold Palace, and the crown was drenched in blood.
After the Emperor's coronation, she was elevated to Consort despite her origins and became the most powerful woman in the palace, even supplanting the Empress.
Anyone hoping to rise in court had to gain her favor. Anyone who crossed her found themselves rotting in prison.
Her nephew, Wei Quan, was a tyrant in the capital. Any woman he wanted, he would take.
Prince An mused darkly: When it was his turn to rule, he'd find himself a charming, cunning favorite like Wei—someone to be his blade and his scapegoat. It was a brilliant setup.
Three Days Later – The Wei Residence Banquet
Lady Liu arrived with her stepdaughters, Wenyao and Wenxian, at the grand Wei estate.
The Noble Consort Wei had once been a lowly palace maid, born to poverty. When the struggle for the throne turned violent, even the Empress Dowager had been confined. The Emperor—then still a prince—had been nearly destroyed by palace intrigue.
Throughout it all, Wei had stood by him.
After his ascension, he ignored all objections and raised her to Noble Consort, granting her more power than any Empress ever held.
Anyone who gained her favor soared to power. Those who crossed her were ruined.
Her nephew, Wei Quan, had become an infamous tyrant in the capital. Any woman he fancied, he would take.
Meng Wenyao knew this banquet might be dangerous. But with Lady Liu hiding in the house these past few days, she had to force her hand. A banquet was the perfect stage.
She trailed Lady Liu through introductions and social pleasantries. Nothing suspicious yet.
Bored, she whispered a few words to her maid, Ruxin, who returned later holding a single flower.
"Miss, this is from Prince An."
Wenyao glanced at her stunned stepsister, Wenxian, and accepted the flower with a blush. She even giggled, saying she would send a return gift to the Prince later.
"Look at this flower, dear sister. Isn't it pretty? Do you want it? I'll give it to you if you like it."
Wenxian scoffed. "It's just a flower. Who would care?"