Empress Song went to the Imperial Study to see the Emperor.

The Emperor summoned her, and the eunuch let her pass without informing her.

Empress Song was surprised to find Xie Jingyan in the Imperial Study, and even having a meal with the Emperor.

Seeing this scene of fatherly love and filial piety, Empress Song thought of her son who had been forced to leave the capital, and her heart felt as if it were tightly bound by vines, making it hard for her to breathe.

Beneath her phoenix robe, she didn't even feel the pain as her neatly trimmed nails dug into her flesh.

The inexplicable unease in her heart intensified when she saw Prince Ling.

She desperately suppressed her unease and stepped forward to curtsy to the Emperor, "I wonder why Your Majesty summoned me here...?"

Princess Shouchun needed to be engaged, so Empress Song came without much thought.

It was only when Empress Song saw Xie Jingyan having a meal with the Emperor that she realized something was wrong.

Her daughter's marriage wasn't in such a hurry, so there was no need for the Emperor to summon her during his meal. If it were just a chat over a meal, that would be fine, but the Emperor had already started eating.

The Emperor would never do such a thing.

Empress Song became increasingly uneasy.

The emperor had almost finished eating, so he put down his ivory chopsticks and sat down on the small couch.

After sitting down, he glanced at Xie Jingyan.

The Emperor has eaten his fill, but Xie Jingyan has not.

He eats his food.

Of all the officials in the court, only a few were qualified to dine with the emperor. Those who did were extremely careful, and once the emperor put down his chopsticks, they would quickly put down theirs as well, regardless of whether they had eaten their fill.

Unlike Xie Jingyan, who summoned Empress Song to the Imperial Study in the name of the Emperor and then ignored her, as if it were truly the Emperor who had summoned Empress Song and it had nothing to do with him.

The emperor really wanted to know what his son was up to.

Seeing the Emperor's gaze fall on Xie Jingyan, she knew that if her son hadn't committed such a grave mistake, she would have definitely accused Xie Jingyan of disrespecting the Emperor. At this moment, she was filled with anger, but she could only suppress it.

If Xie Jingyan hadn't saved the eldest prince, how could they, mother and son, have ended up in this state?!

Empress Song, unable to bear it any longer, called out, "Your Majesty?"

The Emperor withdrew his gaze and said, "Shouchun has reached marriageable age; it's time to arrange a marriage for her."

Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned deeply.

He, the emperor, was actually being led by the nose by his own son.

However, Princess Shouchun has indeed reached the age to get married, and it is time to discuss it with the Empress.

Since we've come up with this excuse, let's just get it done.

Empress Song learned from Xiao Xizi that the Emperor had summoned her to discuss the marriage of Princess Shouchun. On the way there, she pondered who would be suitable to marry her daughter to. In the past, she would have considered a marriage alliance to help Xie Jingyin, but now Xie Jingyin had no place to stay in the capital, let alone compete for the position of Crown Prince.

Empress Song now only wants her daughter to marry a good husband, but this wish is unlikely to be fulfilled after Xie Jingyin murdered the eldest prince.

The prince consort held neither military nor real power, so few eldest sons from prominent families were willing to marry a princess, especially since he was also burdened by Xie Jingyin.

Empress Song asked, "Has Your Majesty chosen someone?"

It would be strange if the emperor had talent.

However, the Emperor also knew that several ministers had unmarried sons, and he selected two suitable candidates for Princess Shouchun, but Empress Song was not satisfied with either of them.

Although the second young master of the Duke of Wen's mansion is born of the legitimate wife, he is the second son of the legitimate wife and cannot even inherit the title. Moreover, the Duke of Wen's mansion has declined in recent years. Although it is a Duke's mansion, it is not as prestigious as the Earl's mansion. It only has a nice name left.

The Emperor summoned her to discuss the matter. Empress Song was displeased, but she spoke gently, afraid of upsetting the Emperor, and directly arranged the marriage of Princess Shouchun.

As they were discussing, Empress Song suddenly felt an itch all over her body. She couldn't help but scratch her arm, and the itch seemed to come from the bottom of her heart.

Empress Song scratched it once, but it wasn't enough. She looked down and found several red rashes on the back of her hand, which frightened her so much that her face turned pale.

Empress Song rolled up her phoenix robe, revealing her arms covered in a dense rash. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I don't know why I have developed a rash. I'll take my leave now."

Xie Jingyan sat there eating his imperial meal and said, "Fetch the imperial physician for the Empress."

Eunuch Yuan quickly said, "Xiao Xizi, go and fetch the imperial physician."

Empress Song hurriedly said to the Emperor, "I don't know if this rash is contagious. It's not too late for me to go back to Fengyi Palace and see the imperial physician."

Before the Emperor could agree, Empress Song finished speaking and walked away.

She had only taken two steps when something suddenly struck her ankle, causing her to stumble and fall uncontrollably. The palace maids couldn't catch her in time, and Empress Song fell to the ground.

This scene nearly made Eunuch Yuan's eyes pop out of their sockets.

Does Prince Ling not want to leave the palace alive today?

First, he summoned the Empress to the Imperial Study in front of the Emperor, using the Emperor's name as a pretext. Now, in front of the Emperor, he hit the Empress's ankle with a silver ingot, causing her to fall and lose all decorum.

And the Empress's sudden appearance of a red rash—without a doubt, it was also the work of Prince Ling.

Empress Song fell to the ground. She quickly reached out and asked the palace maid to help her up. She didn't even have time to pick a fight with Xie Jingyan. She just wanted to get back to her Fengyi Palace as soon as possible.

But she couldn't walk anymore, so the palace maid helped her up, and then Chief Physician Zhao arrived with his medicine chest.

The arrival was so fast that even Eunuch Yuan was a little stunned.

He just sent Xiao Xizi to the Imperial Hospital. Even if Xiao Xizi flew there, Chief Physician Zhao wouldn't have arrived so quickly.

Was Chief Physician Zhao also invited by Prince Ling?

This series of actions definitely indicates that something big is about to happen.

When Zhao Yuanzheng entered the Imperial Study, the color drained from Empress Song's face upon seeing him. Xie Jingyan said, "Hurry up and help the Empress sit down so that Zhao Yuanzheng can take her pulse."

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