An Zi yuan thought he had secured the initiative, yet he still found himself too late. As night fell, just as he was about to go to Yun Rao's side, the door was pushed open from outside, and a clear, graceful figure appeared at the threshold—almost identical in stature to An Zi yuan. "Your Majesty." An Zi yuan bowed slightly, without kneeling, intending to speak about the matter of the day, when Emperor Yan Jing already turned to him. "I've heard the fetus of the Imperial Consort is no longer viable—could it be the Moon Consort's doing?" An Zi yuan was startled, yet his expression remained calm, his gaze steady and composed toward Emperor Yan Jing. "The matter has not yet been thoroughly investigated. I hope Your Majesty will not yet assign blame." "Zi yuan," the Emperor said, fixing his gaze on him, "I've heard that the Moon Consort once sent fragrant incense to the Imperial Consort. Today, you have seized that incense and barred the imperial physicians from coming near it. Is that correct?" An Zi yuan looked at him, his eyes calm and sincere. "Indeed, that is true. Moreover, the incense contains musk." But this entirely fails to prove that the incense was indeed sent by the Moon Consort to the De Consort. The possibility of a false accusation is actually greater. "The De Consort is not someone like that," Emperor Yanjing firmly rejected. "Does the Emperor truly understand his closest companion?" An Ziyuan's expression remained unchanged. "In the imperial harem, how many women go to great lengths to vie for favor? Even if it wasn't the De Consort who orchestrated this, other consorts, seeing the Moon Consort's growing favor, might have enlisted the De Consort's attendants to frame her. The only thing impossible—would be the Moon Consort killing the De Consort's children." "I've long heard that since your arrival in the palace, you have resided continuously in the Moon Consort's quarters," Emperor Yanjing said, his gaze sharp and intense. "What is your relationship with her?" An Ziyuan replied, "The woman you cannot approach." The Emperor furrowed his brow. "Didn't you recently intend to pledge to take someone away—wasn't it her?" After being ambushed and leaving the palace, he entered the palace to take his place. Just two days after arriving, he requested a personal appointment—without specifying who it was. He assumed it would be a servant or a convict sentenced to death, so he readily agreed. Yet he had no idea that the person he sought was none other than his own consort, the one who had come from Yunze as a bride. "Emperor Yanjing rubbed his temples, feeling a headache: "Zi Yuan, I fully support your intention to protect Moon Consort. If you can take her away with a suitable pretext—one that doesn't provoke disputes between our two nations—I'll be content to overlook it. However, Consort De is carrying a dragon-born child, the first in the imperial family. No matter what, I must provide a clear resolution for her and the He clan behind her. Until the truth is established, Moon Consort remains a suspect and must be detained under investigation." “An Zi Yu.” An Zi Yuan’s voice had already grown stern, and he had directly called the Emperor’s name. The Emperor seemed equally incensed: “An Zi Yuan, this is my realm—how can I, for the sake of these fleeting romantic attachments, treat it as a joke?” “Is that how you plan to begin? By targeting a single woman to save your realm?” An Zi Yuan’s expression had now grown grave. “The Moon Consort will not have been poisoned by the De Consort. You must account for this to the De Consort and her family, the He family behind her. There are countless scapegoats already in your harem and around the De Consort—she need not be the one to bear the brunt. You intend to send a message to Yunze by eliminating the Moon Consort. But closing the door on the Moon Consort will only further inflame the resistance among Yunze’s royal family and the people. This is precisely the opposite of what you intend.” The Emperor’s face had also grown serious: “I have my own plans. You need not persuade me further. Indeed, upon my return, I already dispatched envoys to the Yuehua Palace to deliver the imperial decree…” Before he could finish Tsu-qi nervously tugged at Yun Rao’s sleeve, reminding her to receive the imperial decree. Yun Rao showed no response, her face pale as paper, seemingly dazed. Qu Xiao-man glanced worriedly at Yun Rao, feeling just as concerned as Tsu-qi. Moments before, Yun Rao had been perfectly composed; yet suddenly, the Emperor had issued a decree stating that the Moon Consort was suspected of poisoning the imperial prince, an offense of grave severity, and had been specifically assigned to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. The Emperor’s abrupt shift in stance was truly heart-wrenching. Yet now was not the time to discuss the Emperor’s character—the imperial attendant had grown visibly impatient, and with a sharp, high-pitched voice, called out to the attendant guard behind him, “Seize her!” The sharp voice finally brought Yun Rao back to herself. Though her face remained pale, her gaze was now calm. She simply glanced at the attendant, pressed her lips gently, and said, “I receive the decree.” Then she rose, without a single word of protest or defense, silently extending her hands. A guard stepped forward, his manacles nearly reaching Cloud Ruo's hands, when a sudden gust of wind blew from behind, forcibly separating the two guards from her. Without thinking, Cloud Ruo lifted her gaze and saw the bright yellow figure approaching swiftly. She recognized that look—though draped in the guise of Emperor Yanjing, it was unmistakably An Ziyuan. Others at the scene bowed and paid their respects upon seeing An Ziyuan. An Ziyuan's gaze was solemn. "All of you, step back." Li Gong, carrying the imperial decree, hesitated. "Your Majesty, should we not still proceed with the appointment of the Moon Consort?" "Step back," An Ziyuan said firmly. Everyone present, filled with questions, silently withdrew. Cloud Ruo too was full of doubt, her eyes questioning An Ziyuan. He had already issued the edict to arrest her—what was he doing now? "The imperial decree wasn't mine," An Ziyuan said, seemingly understanding her inner confusion, as he gently took her hand and checked her pulse. "You're all right, aren't you?" Yun Rao shook her head, still looking at him with confusion, but didn't speak yet. "Your Majesty!" A series of uneven voices had already risen from outside the room. Subconsciously, Yun Rao turned to An Zi Yuan. An Zi Yuan gently patted her shoulder, then brushed his hand across his face, slowly removing the mask. The door was pushed open from the outside, and Yan Jing, the Emperor, appeared at the threshold, his expression serious, accompanied by several attendants. It didn't take much thinking to realize that this was indeed the true Emperor Yan Jing. Yun Rao instinctively rose to bow, and at once, Yan Jing's gaze hardened, and he issued a cold command: "Take the Moon Imperial Consort down."