Shen Wan never expected that the Empress Dowager would faint from anger and lose her sight.

This really shocked her.

But apart from being shocked, I didn't feel anything else.

Although the Empress Dowager allowed the Minister of Justice to preserve a sliver of the Yan family bloodline, it was only because Consort Chen concealed the truth. The Empress Dowager was too biased and protective of her own, and Shen Wan had no good feelings towards her.

Furthermore, the First Prince and the Duke of Maoguo secretly sold grain from the Meizhou granary. The Empress Dowager may not have known about this when it happened, but when Xie Jingyan exposed it and Xie Jingyin went to investigate, the Empress Dowager should have found out by then. At the very least, when Prince Cheng intervened, the Empress Dowager was fully aware of the situation.

She was so angry back then that she vomited blood and fainted. Now she's so angry. Is the Empress Dowager angry at the First Prince and the Duke of Mao, or angry that Xie Jingyan handed the evidence to the Emperor and exposed the good deeds of the First Prince and the Duke of Mao?

Xie Jingyan's impeachment of the eldest prince and the Duke of Mao during the morning court session had already sparked discussion both inside and outside the court.

Because Xie Jingyan had saved the eldest prince's life, he thought that the royal princes weren't all treacherous and that there was also kinship among them. But then, Prince Ling saved the eldest prince's life and then betrayed him.

This strike, if it doesn't send the eldest prince to the guillotine, will at least take half his life.

If we're talking about ruthlessness, then it has to be Prince Ling.

First, she saved the eldest prince and kicked the Prince of Jin out of the game.

Then, using the evidence from the Meizhou granary, they sent the eldest prince to the Ministry of Justice prison.

Back then, the eldest prince and the Prince of Jin were vying fiercely for the position of crown prince. The entire court thought that one of them would become the crown prince, but in the end, they both lost to the Prince of Ling.

The matter was being discussed in every street corner, teahouse, and tavern. Although everyone thought Prince Ling was ruthless, no one sympathized with the eldest prince. After all, if the eldest prince acted uprightly, Prince Ling couldn't do anything to him. As a prince, he was still not satisfied and even sold off the imperial grain reserves. If the eldest prince were to sit in that position, he would definitely be a tyrant.

Everyone was already talking about this, but the news that the Empress Dowager had vomited blood, fainted, and gone blind only added to the conversation.

As the story spread, it became known that the eldest prince, ungrateful and treacherous, had sent a batch of silk dyed with smallpox to the Ling Prince's residence under the guise of a reward from the emperor. This resulted in the embroiderers of the Ling Prince's residence contracting smallpox, and the entire Ling Prince's residence was nearly wiped out.

When this news came out, many people gasped in shock.

If it weren't for Prince Ling's early preparations, ensuring a sufficient supply of medicinal herbs and charcoal, countless people would have frozen to death due to the lack of medicine and the inability to buy charcoal for warmth during this smallpox outbreak and the harsh winter.

They all thought that Prince Ling was negligent, only concerned with preventing the smallpox outbreak in the capital, but forgot that he had to be strictly guarded in his own residence. Little did they know that the smallpox in Prince Ling's residence was sent in by the First Prince.

When it comes to ruthlessness, the eldest prince is truly ruthless.

No wonder Prince Ling wanted to send the eldest prince and the Duke of Maoguo to the Ministry of Justice prison together.

Moreover, the Ling Prince's residence had been surrounded by the city patrol for a month, and he hadn't been able to leave even once. Only two days after the ban was lifted, he already had irrefutable evidence that the First Prince and the Duke of Mao had privately sold the Meizhou granary. It was clear that the evidence had been in the Ling Prince's hands for a long time. The Ling Prince didn't report it to the Emperor because of brotherly affection. If it weren't for the First Prince's ingratitude, which angered the Ling Prince, he wouldn't have done such a thing.

Xie Jingyan didn't report this to the Emperor, nor did Eunuch Yuan. The news spread throughout the palace and inevitably reached the Emperor's ears.

The incident at the Meizhou granary was enough to anger the Emperor, but he never expected that the smallpox at the Lingwang Mansion was also the work of the First Prince. The Emperor was so angry that he almost died.

His gaze swept over Eunuch Yuan. "You already knew about this?!"

Eunuch Yuan hurriedly knelt down and said, "This servant did not mean to conceal anything from Your Majesty. It concerns the struggle between the princes, and this servant dared not say more. Moreover, this servant does not know much. This servant merely helped Prince Ling investigate some matters and arrested a palace maid from the Empress Dowager's palace and sent her to Prince Ling's residence..."

"This servant's loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as day."

Eunuch Yuan really didn't expect that the smallpox matter would be investigated by Prince Ling, but he neither used it as evidence against the eldest prince nor told the emperor. It was only after the news spread like wildfire outside the palace that it reached the emperor's ears.

Eunuch Yuan was filled with trepidation. The Emperor knew that Eunuch Yuan dared not speak recklessly, but he was somewhat angry. Everyone else knew, but he, who should have known the most, was the last to find out.

Yan'er doesn't need him as her father at all...

Realizing that he was dispensable to Xie Jingyan, the emperor looked quite frustrated.

"Get up."

Eunuch Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.

...

The following day, the spring sunshine was warm and gentle.

After breakfast, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan left the mansion together.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she vomited blood and fainted. When she woke up, she was blind. The Imperial Hospital treated her for a whole day, but there was no improvement. Since the Empress Dowager's illness was so serious, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan definitely had to go to the palace to visit her and show their filial piety.

Although the Empress Dowager most likely did not want to see them.

Whether they go or not is one thing, whether the Empress Dowager sees them is another.

Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan not only visited the Empress Dowager in the palace, but also brought Doctor Tao with them.

Without the child, Xie Jingyan stopped riding his horse, helped Shen Wan into the carriage, and climbed in himself, holding Shen Wan in his arms in a domineering manner.

Shen Wan struggled, and a muffled groan came from behind her, "Don't move..."

Feeling something pressing against her thigh, Shen Wan dared not move an inch. She hadn't forgotten that the bastard had some unusual fetishes, and she didn't have any protective charms in her belly now.

A faint fragrance lingered around his nose, and Xie Jingyan wondered if he had been deliberately making things difficult for himself. Fortunately, the hard times were finally over.

Fearing he might lose control and take her in the carriage, Xie Jingyan pulled Shen Wan to sit beside him and poured himself some tea.

The carriage entered the palace without any hindrance and stopped at the horse parking area.

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