Xuanyuan Mo had already discussed with his confidants how to bring down the Tang family.
General Tang was a meritorious minister of the Tianqin Kingdom, with achievements so great that they threatened the Emperor, which always made Xuanyuan Mo uneasy.
To eliminate such a person, ordinary charges would no longer suffice.
His advisors came up with a malicious plan, frame General Tang for colluding with the enemy and committing treason. Such a crime, no matter how much merit he had, would be unforgivable.
Although the Tianqin Kingdom appeared peaceful, the borders had been plagued with wars for years. However, the conflicts were not severe, mostly small tribes invading the borders.
Taking advantage of a slightly larger tribal invasion, Xuanyuan Mo sent General Tang to the frontlines. The obvious meaning was to use the general’s reputation to suppress the border situation.
In reality, it was all part of his long-planned scheme.
He had thought everything through, and the plan had been spinning in his mind for a long time. So, he believed that nothing could go wrong.
But what he never anticipated was that, a month later, he received terrible news. The border tribe was, in fact, a much larger one.
They had spies within the Tianqin Kingdom, and one managed to infiltrate General Tang’s inner circle and poison him, leading to his death in battle.
Afterward, the spy was captured by General Tang’s loyal subordinates and revealed his origins, explaining that their tribe had many spies embedded within the Tianqin Kingdom.
As for the details, he knew little.
Xuanyuan Mo was completely stunned. He had entirely forgotten about his plan to frame General Tang. Now that General Tang had been killed in battle, there was no way to carry out his previous scheme. Instead, he had to placate the Tang family, handle the general’s funeral, and even posthumously confer a title on him.
Xuanyuan Mo had a headache and was now worried about the spy’s revelationsould there really be so many infiltrators within the Tianqin Kingdom?
General Tang’s situation only proved how deeply hidden the enemy was.
The general had been poisoned and died in battle, completely derailing Xuanyuan Mo’s plans. Not only did he have to deal with the aftermath, but he also had to comfort the grief-stricken Imperial Concubine. His visits to An Ningxiang had also decreased as a result.
The An family was equally stunned, quietly retreating to the background, not daring to make a sound.
Even the palace concubines had stopped stirring up trouble recently. They no longer played mahjong but instead took turns visiting Tang Guo’s palace to express their concern.
“Sister Imperial Concubine, please accept my condolences,” Concubine Meng said, unsure of what else to say. With General Tang’s death, the Imperial Concubine had lost her support, but Concubine Meng did not feel particularly happy about it. Recently, she had gotten along well with the Imperial Concubine and had read many storybooks, gaining much wisdom from them.
The palace concubines were not fools. Those books belonged to the Imperial Concubine, and she had surely read them as well. The lessons they understood were certainly clear to her too.
When the Emperor had initially made Tang Guo an Imperial Concubine, it wasn’t because he liked her. As for the affection that followed, it was related to General Tang’s influence.
Tang Guo, with red eyes, said, “I’m fine.”
“Mei Lan, light some calming incense for me.”
Mei Lan followed the order, and soon, wisps of smoke filled the air. The fragrance, calming and soothing, made Concubine Meng close her eyes in comfort. Suddenly, she opened her eyes again, glancing at the Imperial Concubine who had already fallen asleep on the soft couch. Her gaze then shifted to the incense still burning, her expression indescribable.
“Mei Lan, what kind of incense is this, and where did it come from?” Concubine Meng’s hands clenched tightly. She had heard it called calming incense earlier. Could it have been sent by the Emperor?
Mei Lan replied, “This was specially procured by the Emperor for the Imperial Concubine. It’s called calming incense.”
Concubine Meng nearly fainted. She quickly steadied herself, glancing at the peacefully sleeping Tang Guo. A bitter smile appeared on her lips as coldness filled her heart.
So, even the once-favored Imperial Concubine was not the Emperor’s true love. She had envied her for so long, only to find it heartbreaking in the end.
“Too much incense is not good. Since Sister Imperial Concubine is already asleep, let’s put it out.”
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