Shunfeng was dead.
Grand Tutor Wei was also dead.
The two mountains that had weighed down on Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun were finally gone.
Wang Qingyao felt a sense of lightness throughout her body.
Wei Zong and Wei Chong were in mourning for three years due to Grand Tutor Wei's death, and the Emperor had approved it.
Although both held high positions, the Emperor could have theoretically overridden their mourning period. Wei Zong and Wei Chong had harbored a sliver of hope when submitting their memorial, but they were surprised by the Emperor's swift agreement.
Even though they were absent from court, a faction of Wei family loyalists still questioned Xiao Yun's status as the Emperor's eldest son.
Royal bloodlines had always been strictly scrutinized. The Emperor's trysts with consorts were meticulously recorded. It was impossible to confirm the royal lineage of those born outside the palace or illegitimate children.
In ancient times, without DNA testing, even blood-dripping ceremonies lacked scientific basis.
At such a juncture, human testimony and material evidence became paramount.
Consort Chen, as a direct witness to the events of that year, despite still recovering from a recent miscarriage, sat to the side behind a screen in the imperial court and recounted, in detail, how Grand Tutor Wei had plotted to harm Empress Xiaoxian and the Emperor's eldest son.
She revealed that the second child she had taken away had a birthmark on his arm, identical to the birthmark on Prince Ding'an, Xiao Yun.
The court officials were shocked.
The Wei family loyalists had initially only questioned Xiao Yun's identity, but their doubts had inadvertently exposed Grand Tutor Wei's greatest conspiracy.
A stunned silence fell upon the court, and no one knew what to say.
Following this, Imperial Physician Lu also testified that Empress Xiaoxian had indeed given birth to twins. After Consort Chen handed the second child to him, he personally escorted the child out of the palace and entrusted him to the loyal Duke Zhongyong.
Then came the testimonies of Duke Zhongyong and the Old Consort.
The officials remained silent.
The Emperor, seated on his high throne, asked in a deep voice, "Does any minister still have objections?"
Grand Tutor Wei was dead, and there was no one to refute the claims.
The eldest and second sons of the Wei family were in mourning for three years and had resigned from their posts.
Although there were Wei family disciples in the court, wise men knew when to adapt. Regardless of whether the Crown Prince would ultimately ascend the throne, at this moment, no one dared to defy the Emperor's authority.
Thus, Xiao Yun's identity as the legitimate eldest son of the Emperor was officially confirmed. He was renamed Ling Yun, entered into the imperial genealogy, honored at ancestral rites, and proclaimed to the world.
Ling Yun and Wang Qingyao continued to reside in Prince Ding'an's mansion. The Old Consort and Consort Fang moved to Marquis Fuping's mansion. It was not strictly necessary for them to move, as, to Xiao Yun, the Old Consort and Consort Fang would always be his family.
The Old Consort was indifferent to the move.
However, Consort Fang insisted on moving.
Consort Fang had always treated both children equally. After Ling Yun's true identity was revealed, she did not find it difficult to accept.
What she couldn't face was Wang Qingyao.
The memory of her previous criticisms of Wang Qingyao, leveraging her position as a mother-in-law, made her feel utterly ashamed.
The Emperor had intended to bestow a new princely title upon Ling Yun and grant Marquis Ding'an's title to Xiao Mo. However, both Ling Yun and Xiao Mo found it troublesome. Xiao Mo was content being Marquis Fuping and did not care whether he was a Marquis or a Prince.
The Emperor then let the matter rest.
One day, Wang Qingyao, accompanied by Pingping and An'an, went to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager had long wished to meet the children. Ever since she learned that Ling Yun was her own grandson, she had been even more eager to see Pingping and An'an.
These were her great-grandchildren!
Pingping and An'an were now over eighteen months old. They could speak and walk. They mimicked the adults and greeted the Empress Dowager.
An'an, in particular, when kowtowing to the Empress Dowager, was wearing such a bulky outfit that he lost his balance and rolled over, making the Empress Dowager burst into laughter.
Pingping, wise beyond his years, was remarkably composed, acting like a little adult. The Empress Dowager held them both, one on each side, and her eyes suddenly welled up.
"If only Empress Xiaoxian were still alive."
The joyful atmosphere in the hall immediately turned somber. Wang Qingyao said softly, "The Prince and I have already taken the children to kowtow before Mother Empress's spirit tablet."
The Empress Dowager nodded, a look of deep emotion on her face as she recalled past times.
The Empress Dowager was growing old and tired. After only a short while, she began to feel fatigued. Lady Huang, an attendant, glanced at Wang Qingyao, who seized the opportunity to take her leave.
Wang Qingyao asked the wet nurse to take the children out of the palace first, while she went to Ruíhuì Palace to visit Consort Chen.
Although Consort Chen had not seen her last time, Ling Yun's identity had not yet been revealed then. Wang Qingyao felt that Consort Chen would actually be willing to see her.
Indeed, Consort Chen could be considered Ling Yun's savior.
Without her, Ling Yun would have perished at the hands of Grand Tutor Wei, just like his brother.
Upon reaching the entrance of Ruíhuì Palace, Wang Qingyao's passive clairvoyance skill immediately detected Consort Wei emerging from Consort Chen's chambers.
What was she doing here?
Wang Qingyao quickly moved aside. Only after Consort Wei had walked away did she enter.
Consort Chen was indeed willing to see her. Her spirit and complexion had improved considerably.
Upon seeing Wang Qingyao, she beckoned her to sit by the bed and explained proactively, "I didn't refuse to see you last time because the Emperor was not yet aware of Prince Ding'an's identity. If I had been seen associating closely with you, the Emperor might have become suspicious once he realized."
This statement carried many unspoken implications. Before Wang Qingyao could fully grasp them, Consort Chen continued, "You encountered Consort Wei, didn't you?"
Wang Qingyao shook her head. "No, I hid. I saw her, but she didn't see me."
Consort Chen smiled and scoffed, "Guess why she came?"
"To explain that Your Ladyship's fall had nothing to do with her?"
"More than that."
The tide had turned in the palace. Not only had the Emperor's eldest son returned, but even the Seventh Prince was now being favored.
Consort Wei could not afford to wait passively. She personally visited Consort Chen to explain that her fall was indeed not her doing and that she had not instructed the palace maid to push Consort Chen.
Consort Wei was genuinely wronged and was on the verge of swearing to the heavens.
Consort Chen maintained a cold demeanor, watching her performance silently, neither believing nor disbelieving, perfectly embodying the role of a mother who had lost a child and was filled with despair.
Wang Qingyao glanced at Consort Chen and asked cautiously, "Your Ladyship, your child..."
On the day the Empress Dowager hosted the flower appreciation banquet, she had noticed that Consort Chen's pregnancy was not going well. Even without the fall, the child might not have survived.
However, Imperial Physician Lu had stated that the child was very healthy.
Consort Chen glanced towards the door, where her trusted confidantes were stationed.
She frankly told Wang Qingyao, "I fell intentionally."
Wang Qingyao had already anticipated this, but she still let out a soft gasp.
"I forced this pregnancy. The fetus had always been unstable. Imperial Physician Lu worked tirelessly to keep it alive until it was over five months old..."
From conception to miscarriage, this child had been part of a scheme.
Consort Chen had thought she would be unaffected, but her heart still ached intermittently.
After all, it was a child connected to her by blood!
She had known Ling Yun's true identity even before the Emperor.
It was only when she inadvertently overheard the Seventh Prince mentioning the birthmark on Ling Yun's arm that she slowly pieced together clues and confirmed Ling Yun's identity.
From that moment on, she had been preparing.
"Preparing for what?" Wang Qingyao felt an inexplicable nervousness.
Consort Chen looked into her eyes and said word by word, "To acknowledge my ancestors, and to inherit the throne."