The Empress Dowager hadn't seen Prince An in a long time, and her emotions overwhelmed her—tears streaming nonstop as she kept fussing over his food, clothes, and daily needs.
Prince An was visibly annoyed. Like, does it even matter if he's fed and clothed? What he really wanted to know was how the Emperor felt about the newborn prince—and what the Empress Dowager's stance was.
Noticing his curiosity about the baby, the Empress Dowager assumed he had matured and was starting to care for his little brother. So, she replied somewhat dismissively, "Babies are simple creatures—eat, sleep, then sleep, eat... not much else to it."
Prince An hesitated but asked, "Does the baby look like the Emperor?"
Though the Concubine had revealed a secret to him, Prince An wasn't some naive kid anymore. He wasn't about to rush into drastic moves without thinking things through—plus, the Concubine might have been lying.
The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, recalling the baby's appearance: "Right after birth, he looked like the Emperor, but now... I think he looks more like the Empress."
That gave Prince An a little more to work with. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Grandmother, since the Empress can conceive, surely the other concubines can too. You should encourage the Emperor to spread his attention more evenly."
The Empress Dowager sighed heavily, "I've tried, believe me. I didn't just advise—I sent women directly to the dragon bed. Over the years, not a single one's gotten pregnant. Now that the Empress has a prince, the Emperor can favor whoever he pleases. I'm too tired to care anymore."
Prince An then cautiously asked, "Grandmother, I heard something... not sure if I should say it."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, urging him on, "Come on, there's nothing we can't talk about between us."
He lowered his voice and said, "The Concubine told me before she died that the Emperor never actually favored the other concubines, which is why none of them got pregnant."
The Empress Dowager's eyes widened in disbelief, murmuring, "Impossible. The Emperor truly favored the Concubine before, and for her sake didn't touch others. But later, to secure an heir, he spread his favors around. That Concubine must have lost her mind after losing favor."
After a moment, she added, "Could it be the Emperor truly loved that Concubine so much that he didn't touch any of the other women?"
Prince An swallowed nervously and said, "The Concubine said the Emperor... was physically incapable. He couldn't fulfill the concubines."
The Empress Dowager laughed bitterly, "That woman's clearly crazy. If the Emperor were incapable, how could the Empress be pregnant?"
But then her face paled, her grip tightening on Prince An's hand, voice trembling, "No... it can't be."
She suddenly feared the worst—that the crown prince might be a bastard. The thought tore at her heart, and she wished she could tear Meng Wenyao apart piece by piece for such treachery.
"Call all the concubines here and ask them about their nights with the Emperor. That'll reveal the truth," Prince An said calmly.
The Empress Dowager, stunned by her own spiraling thoughts, mechanically obeyed.
Soon, one by one, the concubines were summoned to Chang Le Palace. Gui Mo Mo interrogated them individually while Prince An and the Empress Dowager eavesdropped from the next room.
"When you first attended the Emperor, what was it like?" Gui Mo Mo asked.
The concubine was startled. She had expected some palace crisis but this? Just questions about the Emperor's... bed matters?
Recovering quickly, she began recalling, "After my bath, I was carried to the dragon bed and waited a long time before the Emperor came. I nearly fell asleep. Then he lifted the covers and lay down."
"And then?" Gui Mo Mo pressed.
Blushing, the concubine hesitated but continued, "He touched my face and asked where I was from, about my family... we talked for quite a while. I felt warm and itchy, and then... well, we became close."
Gui Mo Mo wasn't sure if the concubine was embarrassed or truly had nothing more to say, so she asked bluntly, "Did the Emperor kiss you?"
She nodded, remembering how tender he was and how he even praised her as the most beautiful in the harem, promising to make her Empress.
"Did it hurt?" Gui Mo Mo asked.
The concubine shook her head, "He was very gentle, like a feather's touch—no pain at all."
One by one, the concubines gave similar accounts: the Emperor spoke softly, was gentle, and kissed them, but none recalled actual intimacy. They all described feeling warmth and itching but no concrete memories beyond that.
The Empress Dowager realized instantly: these women were likely drugged—none of them truly shared the Emperor's bed.
She slumped in her chair, overwhelmed. Prince An comforted her, "Maybe the Emperor just didn't want to be with them. That doesn't necessarily mean he's incapable—otherwise, how would the Empress have conceived?"
The Empress Dowager was equally puzzled. She'd seen clearly how much the Emperor desired an heir and how he had favored women she sent to him, some of whom bore children.
There was no reason to fake it or drug these women. So the only explanation was that the Emperor truly was unable. He tried repeatedly and failed each time.
If that was true, the Empress couldn't be pregnant—he wasn't stupid enough to believe the child was his.
Unless... the Empress drugged the Emperor into thinking they were intimate, just like the others thought they were.
The thought sent chills down the Empress Dowager's spine. This was a massive conspiracy—one that threatened the entire dynasty. The Empress was ruthless and cruel beyond measure.
But if they told the Emperor outright, he might not believe them. And if the news leaked, it would ruin the Emperor's and the royal family's reputation.
Even if they found proof, the blow to the Emperor's pride would be devastating.
The best solution was to let the Empress slowly waste away, and for the crown prince to die young—quietly erasing the problem.
Resolving herself, the Empress Dowager told Prince An, "Don't just hide in your mansion. You must mingle with the court officials and learn the ropes. You'll be relying on this in the future."
"Grandmother!" Prince An understood her plan immediately. Overwhelmed with emotion, he nearly cried.
Holding his hand tightly, the Empress Dowager said firmly, "Grandmother's got everything under control. Don't worry."
Meanwhile, at Fu Ning Palace, Meng Wenyao had already heard the stir in Chang Le Palace—no need to pry, people were coming over to gossip.
She quickly learned that the Empress Dowager was investigating the Emperor's bedchamber affairs.
Pregnancy hormones or not, hearing about all those women supposedly with the Emperor suddenly made her feel sick to her stomach.
"Hua Mo Mo, the Zhao Yang Palace has been prepared. Let's move over today."