Palace Coup 30

A look of poignant longing and sorrow flickered across He Ya’s ethereal, exquisite face. As she turned toward the imperial guard, she tilted her head slightly, her delicate cheeks flushed with a faint pink hue, while every corner of her eyes and brows brimmed with an indescribable, captivating allure.

The guard weighed the silk pouch in his hand. Seeing his expression soften, He Ya pulled the golden hairpins from her tresses and tucked them into his palm as well, her fingernails tracing a suggestive line across his skin.

The guard’s gaze deepened.

"Very well. I shall stand guard at the door, but do not tarry too long. I am tasked with escorting you to the Shi residence shortly."

"I am indebted to you, sir."

"You flatter me, calling me 'sir'."

"How could I not? My sixteenth sister married a fierce general under my father’s command. A man of your striking appearance and martial grace is surely destined for greatness."

The guard felt a surge of heat at her words. Catching the seductive wink from the beauty, he muttered, "I shall need to step away for a moment shortly... a call of nature."

He Ya covered her mouth and laughed, her expression filled with infinite charm. "Go quickly, then. It would be a pity to suffer such discomfort."

As soon as he departed, the playful look on her face vanished instantly.

Aunt Fang stepped forward, her voice trembling. "What is this about going to the Shi residence? You have already become a Noble Consort—why have you returned? And why must you go to the Shi residence of all places?!"

He Ya’s cheek twitched, forming a smile that did not reach her eyes—a smile devoid of warmth, chillingly lifeless. "Aunt, the Emperor is dead."

"I poisoned him with my own hands."

Aunt Fang reached out to cover her mouth, panic seizing her heart. "No! This has nothing to do with you. You are like duckweed in a stream, merely following your father’s orders. It was the Emperor who died by his hand. You must never speak such treasonous things aloud."

He Ya scoffed. "It matters not, Aunt. The Emperor is just an ordinary man like us, with two eyes and one nose; he does not possess three heads or six arms. Since he is dead, he is dead."

Aunt Fang’s heart hammered against her ribs. The Emperor was dead, yet no funeral bells tolled in the capital. This meant his death was being kept secret—a sign that He Dai was orchestrating a massive move.

She had hoped that Ya’niang’s entry into the palace would allow her to escape this cage. She had never imagined the web of intrigue would be so tangled, that He Dai would force her to poison the Emperor. And after accomplishing such a monumental task for him, she was now being sent to the Shi residence to serve further.

Fueled by a sudden, desperate courage, Aunt Fang whispered, "You should not have returned. Even if the Emperor is dead, you could have remained in the palace as a Dowager Consort and lived out your life in luxury. Why did you have to come back?"

A bitter taste filled He Ya’s mouth. She had thought the same.

She had intended to poison the Emperor, allow He Dai to enthrone a new ruler and seize control of the court, and then live as a Dowager, hoping to eventually spirit Aunt Fang away from this hellhole. She knew He Dai was already secretly bringing the seven-year-old Prince Li into the palace. A child of that age would need a proxy in the inner court. If Prince Li were adopted into her name, even if she were coerced by He Dai to hold the Emperor hostage to control the nobles, it might have been a viable path for her.

She had never expected He Dai to be so brazen as to have her abducted from the palace.

"Aunt, shouldn't you be happy? At the very least, this proves I still have my uses