Shen Youying felt her hair stand on end from his shouts, but thinking of Xuan Ci beside her, old and new grudges welled up in her heart, and she still forced herself to cooperate with Xue Shen and continue the performance.

She let out a weak sob, clutching her chest and saying softly, "My...my heart hurts so much, I can't breathe..."

As he was talking, his body suddenly went limp and he fainted.

Xue Shen was startled and shouted sharply, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

Seeing this, Xuan Ci said in disbelief, "My whip didn't even touch her, is she faking it?!" He then stepped forward to pull Shen Youying away.

Xue Shen suddenly grabbed the riding whip she was holding in her hand, pulled and released it abruptly, shoving her away, and sneered: "Zhao Zhao was frightened when she fell into the water as a child, and her body is not good to begin with. How can she withstand being frightened?"

"I will report this matter to His Majesty. His Majesty will decide who is right and who is wrong." He glanced coldly at Xuan Ci, pulled the unconscious person closer to his arms, and ordered the guards to push him away.

Xuan Ci stumbled from his push, and would have fallen to the ground if the female official behind her hadn't caught her in time.

She had never been treated so roughly before. Overwhelmed with anger and guilt, she finally stamped her foot and said, "Tell Father then! Would Father punish me for the sake of an outsider?!"

After saying this, she threw the riding whip at the maid and then went to find Empress Zhou, lifting her skirt.

Shen Youying was held in Xue Shen's arms, and she moved slightly uncomfortably as she smelled the sandalwood scent on his clothes.

Xue Shen held her down and whispered in her ear, "Don't move."

His breath was warm and gentle, barely touching Shen Youying's ear, making her blush with embarrassment. She could only close her eyes and pretend to faint.

Xue Shen took her to a nearby palace for temporary accommodation and soon summoned a royal physician.

Just as the imperial physician was taking Shen Youying's pulse through a handkerchief, Emperor Cheng'an and Empress Zhou arrived after hearing the news.

"How is the Princess Consort of Qin?" Empress Zhou asked.

The imperial physician carefully examined her pulse and said, "The princess is weak and has suffered a seizure due to the sudden fright."

"Is it serious? Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Zhou Jihou looked behind the curtain with concern. Behind the gauze curtain was a carved huanghuali canopy bed. She could vaguely see the person lying on the bed, but she couldn't see anything more clearly.

The imperial physician said, "The severity of convulsions can vary. Fortunately, the princess is still young. Once she wakes up and takes good care of herself, she should be fine."

Empress Zhou breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that nothing has happened." Then she pretended to glare at Princess Xuanci: "Although you are young, you are still a princess. How can you act so recklessly?"

Princess Xuanci lowered her head reluctantly and said, "I know I was wrong."

The mother and daughter's banter amused Xue Shen, who chuckled in return. His cold expression made him appear quite gloomy: "Speaking of youth, the Princess Consort is the same age as the Princess. She is young and frail, and now that she has been frightened by the Princess, her health is probably even worse."

He lowered his eyes, smoothed his sleeves, and sighed, "I've never lacked servants in my household over the years, yet I've never been able to have a son or daughter. A few days ago, Master Huodong told my fortune and said that the Princess Consort is my destined benefactor and can bring me good luck. I was hoping that the Princess Consort's marriage would bring joy to the royal household, but it seems that my hopes will be dashed."

With just a few words, he linked the convulsions to his offspring, which made Emperor Cheng'an restless.

The King of Qin is now twenty-two years old. Although he has not married, his harem is not lacking in women. However, for the past few years, none of these women have been able to conceive and bear a child. Over time, rumors have spread that the King of Qin should have inherited the throne, but he fell from his horse and became crippled, thus allowing the throne to fall to him. But in truth, the King of Qin and his offspring are the legitimate heirs. Fearing that the King of Qin would relinquish the throne if he had an heir, the king poisoned him, causing the King to remain childless all these years.

These rumors have been circulating for at least two years, with some even audacious enough to claim that he forged the late emperor's edict to usurp the throne.

In the first two years after his ascension to the throne, Emperor Cheng'an could not sleep soundly at night because of the rumors circulating in the streets.

It was only later, when the story of how the King of Qin fell from his horse and injured not only his legs but also vital organs of his descendants, that the previous events were gradually forgotten.

Over the years, he has always shown great favor to the King of Qin, even more so than to his own son. He even ranked the King of Qin among all the princes, which finally dispelled the rumors. How could he possibly ruin years of hard work just because of a quarrel between his children?

Emperor Cheng'an's face darkened as he looked at Princess Xuanci: "Your mother and I have spoiled you too much, which has led to your arrogant and domineering nature! Aren't you going to admit your mistake?!"

Princess Xuanci was startled by his harsh words and said aggrievedly, "I already know I was wrong."

"Since you know you're wrong, why don't you apologize and repent?" Emperor Cheng'an said in a deep voice, "It's clear you're not sincere. Princess Qin is your sister-in-law, yet you dared to behave so rudely that she fainted. How can you simply admit your mistake and let it go?"

He shook his head, disappointed, and said, "You stay here and wait until your sister-in-law wakes up. Then sincerely apologize to her, and after that, be confined to Renming Palace for a month to reflect on your mistakes!"

Xuan Ci stared wide-eyed in disbelief, wanting to make a scene again, but Empress Zhou, who had already seen through Emperor Cheng'an's intentions, pulled her back in time and said first, "Your father is right, a month of confinement is too lenient a punishment. Tomorrow I will select two instructors to send to Renming Palace, and you will not be allowed to leave Renming Palace until you have learned the rules."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ci nearly ground her teeth to powder. She had never suffered such an injustice before, and she almost ran away without a care in the world.

But Empress Zhou stared at her coldly, making her dare not act recklessly. She could only wait there in frustration, her eyes red with anger.

Empress Zhou saw this and felt heartbroken. But she knew that the emperor valued reputation and face most, and he would never allow Xuan Ci to tear down the benevolent facade he had painstakingly cultivated.

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