On Consort Lan's pale face, her expression grew increasingly sorrowful, evoking pity in all who beheld her.

"How could this happen? How could this happen? I have no grudge against Miss Chang, why would she treat me like this? Your Majesty, you must do me justice!" she pleaded, clutching the emperor's sleeve.

The Emperor's face still showed shock, but his eyes were already blazing with anger: "Chang Lili! I valued her so much, yet she did such a thing!"

Inside the Taiji Palace, the main seat at the banquet was empty, leaving only a shocking red stain on the seat and the palace full of dignitaries.

Almost everyone was whispering and looking worried, some genuinely concerned for the emperor, others feigning concern.

Chang Lili sat quietly in her seat, taking small bites of the food in front of her, seemingly indifferent to the fact that it didn't concern her.

Looking at Meng Yuxiu, who was also sitting to the side, calmly sipping his wine, she asked curiously, "Why are you sitting here so idly? Everyone else is worried about the Emperor. Even if you're just pretending, you should at least show some concern!"

She whispered to Meng Yuxiu, but Meng Yuxiu not only ignored her advice, but also smiled unabashedly.

Chang Lili immediately sat up straight, looking at him with exasperation, and said, "If you want to get yourself into trouble, don't drag my fishpond down with you."

Meng Yuxiu rested his chin on his hand and said with amusement, "I don't think you were just pretending. Everyone else is not in the mood to eat, but you're eating a lot."

"I'm not wasting anything..." Before Chang Lili could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a huge object pressing down on her back.

Before she could even gasp, she heard a crisp voice call out, "Sister Lili, long time no see!"

Chang Lili looked exasperated, pulled Lu Ming off her back, and said helplessly, "Can't you be a little more mindful of the occasion? I'm a respectable person now."

“Yes, yes!” Lu Ming sat down next to Chang Lili and picked up a pastry without ceremony and started eating. “You’re not an ordinary person now. It’s hard to even see you at the Military Equipment Department.”

Chang Lili then remembered that she hadn't seen Lu Ming during the few days she was at the military manufacturing department. Given Lu Ming's personality, she wouldn't be so well-behaved.

After a while, she remembered that Meng Yuxiu had purged the Military Manufacturing Bureau and turned it into a place with strict military discipline. That was probably why Lu Ming was not allowed to come and go as she pleased.

"But you were really breezy in the hunting grounds that day!" Lu Ming said, about to gesticulate excitedly.

But then the eunuch came and interrupted their conversation. Looking up, she saw that the familiar, sharp voice belonged to Chang Lili's familiar eunuch, Guangde.

"Miss Chang, please come with me."

Although he spoke politely, his face showed no respect whatsoever, as if Chang Lili were a palace maid who had done something wrong.

Chang Lili looked completely bewildered: "Huh? Me? What's wrong?"

The smile on Meng Yuxiu's face vanished. He slowly placed the wine glass on the table. His eyes, which had been as gentle as spring water just moments before, were now as cold as frost, and a bad feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Let's go, Miss Chang, His Majesty is waiting for you," said Eunuch Guangde somewhat impatiently.

Lu Ming blinked, put the half-eaten pastry back on the plate, clapped her hands, and her expression turned serious. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Even someone as absent-minded as her sensed that something was happening.

Chang Lili was a little dazed and got up to leave her seat.

The whispers around them grew louder, and everyone's eyes kept sweeping over Chang Lili.

After taking Chang Lili a few steps, Grandpa Guangde stopped.

He turned to Meng Yuxiu with a helpless expression and said, "General, the Emperor wants to see Miss Chang. Please rest here."

“I’ll go with you and see what happened,” Meng Yuxiu said coldly.

"But His Majesty only allowed this old servant to take Miss Chang with him. If you go with him, this old servant will have a hard time explaining it!" This opportunistic old fellow said with a fawning smile.

Meng Yuxiu scoffed: "If the Emperor asks, just say I wanted to go. How can you stop me?"

Knowing that he couldn't afford to offend this powerful figure, Eunuch Guangde wisely kept quiet and walked away.

While Chang Lili was still in a daze, she was also a little flustered. Seeing Guangde Gonggong like this, she wondered what had happened.

However, she had a feeling that if she went there, she would probably be taken the blame for something.

But looking at Meng Yuxiu beside her, whose resolute appearance just now was indescribably handsome and imposing, his gaze softened as he turned to look at her.

The moment their eyes met, the panic in her heart was replaced by heart palpitations, and she blushed as she looked away.

Upon arriving at Huilan Hall, one could clearly feel the somber atmosphere within.

Consort Lan's sobs were not loud, but they were particularly jarring in the large and quiet palace. The sight of a beautiful woman shedding tears was heartbreaking.

Recalling what had just happened in the palace, Chang Lili vaguely knew what had occurred. Looking at the Emperor's grief-stricken expression, she became even more certain that something had happened to the imperial fetus in Consort Lan's womb.

She knelt down and bowed softly to the Emperor, her face pale.

She didn't know how she could be involved in this matter, but looking at Xiao Shuer, who was watching her like she was having a good show, with that mocking and indifferent gaze, she began to feel uneasy.

Meng Yuxiu, being of high status, was not required to kneel in greeting, but he knelt down along with Chang Lili.

The Emperor, who had been looking sharply at Chang Lili, now shifted his gaze to Meng Yuxiu, his eyes cold and probing.

"Imperial Physician, bring up the golden lock," the Emperor said coldly.

His condescending and alluring demeanor made Chang Lili's palms sweat.

Was the problem with the gold lock? She began to feel anxious and uneasy, but no matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out what kind of tricks could be made on this longevity lock.

Meng Yuxiu was not surprised, but his brows furrowed deeply.

Before the imperial physician could make a move, he preemptively said, "Your Majesty, this longevity elixir was forged in the forge in my residence, and the materials were personally purchased by me. Is there anything wrong with it?"

Chang Lili glanced at Meng Yuxiu in surprise, then lowered her head, feeling quite guilty, as if she had implicated Meng Yuxiu.

She knew he was trying to protect her, but she felt the emperor's anger had only intensified.

"Imperial Physician, tell Meng Yuxiu what's wrong!" the Emperor said sternly.

The imperial physician's hands trembled slightly as he presented the longevity lock to the crowd. He then took out a silver needle, pressed it against the gold lock for a while, and when he removed it, a noticeable black mark was visible on the side that had been against the lock.

Meng Yuxiu's gaze was cold and stern. He looked up and scrutinized Consort Lan, only to see her nestled in the Emperor's arms, crying even harder.

When she turned to look at Xiao Shuer, her expression turned sorrowful and resentful the moment she met Meng Yuxiu's gaze.

Meng Yuxiu withdrew his gaze and clenched his fist.

"This...is poisonous..." Chang Lili seemed to be sighing, or perhaps asking a question. She knew best whether it was poisonous or not; someone was deliberately trying to harm her.

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me, Your Majesty." She raised her head and looked at the Emperor with a calm and firm gaze.

Although I know that such an explanation is futile, I do not want to offer no resistance whatsoever.