The Fifth Prince had been established as Crown Prince for less than two years when the Crown Princess was deposed.
Moreover, the Crown Princess was from the Wei family.
The court officials were in an uproar. Some felt the Emperor was just and stern, while others believed him to be too cold, showing no regard for the Crown Prince's dignity.
The Eastern Palace did not have many consorts, and none had been banished to the cold palace. Even those of lower rank who were not favored lived quietly in their own quarters.
Therefore, there was no formal cold palace in the Eastern Palace.
When the Emperor decreed that Wei Yu be confined to the cold palace, the Crown Prince chose Changning Palace. Though remote, it was spacious. However, it was somewhat dilapidated, appearing desolate and run-down.
He said to Wei Yu with deep affection, "When Father Emperor's anger subsides, I will plead with him. Don't worry, you will be the only Empress I have in the future."
Wei Yu did not believe him at all.
He was merely afraid she would implicate him.
She feigned being touched, saying, "Cousin, I will wait for you. You know, everything I've done is for you."
As soon as the Crown Prince left, she wiped away her tears.
She would not wait to die in vain, nor would she rot and decay confined within these meager walls.
She was born with a phoenix destiny; she would be the empress of the world.
Yet, she also knew that pinning her hopes on others would only lead to disappointment.
If she were of no value, the Crown Prince and the Wei family would abandon her without hesitation.
She sat calmly on the stone bench, gazing indifferently at the empty palace.
She was reminiscing, recalling all the schemes she had concocted with the Crown Prince. Each one would be her lifeline, her stepping stone to regaining her position.
"Your Highness, please come inside. The wind is strong outside."
The Crown Prince had only allowed Ying Hua to accompany her to the cold palace.
Ying Hua was her dowry maid and was fiercely loyal to her.
"From now on, call me Liang Yuan. I am no longer the Crown Princess."
Ying Hua's nose twitched, and she secretly wiped away a tear.
Wei Yu said, "Ying Hua, don't cry. We will get out of here."
Ying Hua softly replied with an "Mm."
The Crown Prince did not plead with the Emperor. In his current situation, with his suspicion not yet fully cleared, how could he dare approach the Emperor?
It was Consort Wei who went to plead.
She was fully aware of Wei Yu's machinations in the Yue Jun Prince's manor.
Like Wei Yu, she was astonished that Wang Qingyao had not been killed despite everything.
Only then did she belatedly realize how uncanny Wang Qingyao was.
However, whether Wang Qingyao was uncanny or not was no longer important. What mattered was getting Wei Yu out.
The Wei family had no more legitimate daughters to marry the Crown Prince. If Wei Yu met with misfortune, the position of Crown Princess and future Empress would be handed to someone else.
Even if Consort Wei eventually ascended to the throne as Empress Dowager, it would still not be enough for the Wei family.
Furthermore, Consort Wei genuinely doted on her nieces, Wei Qing and Wei Yu. She was particularly fond of Wei Yu, as she resembled her.
How could she stand by and watch Wei Yu live out her life in the cold palace?
Grand Tutor Wei had already sent word. Upon receiving the news of Wei Yu's deposition, the Second Madam Wei, just like Wei Yu, fainted on the spot.
After waking, she cried and begged Wei Chong to go to the palace and plead with the Emperor.
Grand Tutor Wei stopped him.
Grand Tutor Wei instructed Consort Wei to first probe the Emperor's intentions.
No matter how malicious Wei Yu's plan was, Wang Qingyao had ultimately survived.
Since she was alive, there was still room for maneuver.
The Emperor might be angry now, but perhaps after his anger subsided, he would reinstate Wei Yu as Crown Princess.
After all, Wei Yu was a daughter of the Wei family, and the Wei family was the Crown Prince's maternal relatives.
Confining Wei Yu to the cold palace for a while to let her calm down was also acceptable.
But she could not be confined there forever.
The Wei family could not afford such disgrace.
Consort Wei personally prepared a bird's nest and snow swallow soup and sent it to the Imperial Study, saying slowly, "This concubine is not pleading for the Crown Princess. She truly made a mistake. This child has been clever and willful since she was young, and adults have had difficulty controlling her. But..."
Consort Wei sighed, "Your Majesty knows that both she and Wei Qing grew up under this concubine's care. They often came to the palace to accompany this concubine. In this concubine's heart, she is no different from my own daughter."
"Your Majesty has made a decision, and this concubine should not interfere or plead, making it difficult for Your Majesty. But when I think of Wei Yu... she is so young, so youthful, and will spend her future life in the cold palace. This concubine's heart feels as heavy as a stone, unable to eat or sleep."
"Your Majesty, I beg you," Consort Wei knelt down, "Can you, for this concubine's sake, show leniency?"
The Emperor looked at her strangely, "I thought deposing the Crown Princess, demoting her to Liang Yuan, and confining her to the cold palace was already showing leniency."
Consort Wei's heart tightened. If this was leniency, what would be severity?
"If it weren't for the Wei family's sake, I would have had Fang Zheng escort her to the Dali Temple long ago."
Consort Wei's mouth hung open in astonishment, her cheeks still adorned with glistening, unshed tears.
"But, but..."
The Emperor interrupted her, "Consort, the Princess of Ding'an almost died. And do you know? Her eyes were also deliberately blinded by Wei Yu."
Consort Wei naturally knew.
But...
She opened her mouth, unable to speak.
"Consort, the Wei family should be content."
The Emperor said faintly. Though his tone was calm, Consort Wei inexplicably felt a chill sweep over her.