Lu Zhu raised her eyes to look at Concubine Rou, with traces of resentment spreading in her eyes: "Concubine Rou, today is your birthday. I have waited on you and wish you eternal beauty and peace for many years to come."

As she spoke, she kowtowed once more, "Before I served you, I was but the lowest maid in the laundry department. If it weren't for you, I would have lost my life long ago. To repay your kindness, I remain loyal to you. Even though I knew you and Concubine Qian were plotting to murder the Imperial Noble Consort and the three princes, I never uttered a word!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the audience.

Concubine Qian turned pale, her face full of disbelief, but Concubine Rou, who was sitting next to the emperor, remained calm.

Lu Zhu took a deep breath and continued, "I don't know why you resent the Imperial Noble Consort, but the child is always innocent."

Everyone looked at each other, no one dared to speak. Zhao Yuancheng drank his tea slowly and said calmly, "Go on."

"That day, I heard with my own ears that Concubine Rou and Concubine Qian conspired to poison the Imperial Noble Concubine, her mother, and her son. They also said that after the plot was successful, they would strongly recommend Concubine Qian as the empress. Even the death of the Second Prince that day was caused by Concubine Rou. She originally wanted to use Ming Shi to get rid of the Imperial Noble Concubine, but accidentally poisoned the Second Prince. This servant lives in pain day and night, but the Empress has been kind to me, so I can only help the evil and watch the Empress sink deeper and deeper into trouble."

As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Qian walked to Lu Zhu with trembling steps and said in fear: "Your Majesty, please don't listen to the nonsense of this lowly maid. I didn't..."

"Your Majesty, I dare not lie. The poison that the three princes were poisoned with was the Yellow Spring Wood. That day, I saw Concubine Rou use the jade pendant you gave her as a token of trust. This earned Concubine Qian's trust. Concubine Qian then used her relationship with Concubine Hui to sneak the poison into Huayang Palace."

"You're talking nonsense!"

In a rage, Concubine Qian slapped Luzhu so hard that her hair became loose and she looked very embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, poisoning the heir to the throne is a capital crime. I don't have the guts to do that!"

Concubine Qian screamed at the top of her lungs, but Zhao Yuancheng didn't even look at her. Instead, he cast his cold gaze on Xing'er beside him.

"You are the personal attendant of Concubine Qian. If you dare to lie and I find out later, you will die a miserable death. But if you tell me now, perhaps I can spare your life."

Xing'er was so frightened that her legs went weak and she fell to her knees, trembling, "I dare not. Everything Luzhu said is true!"

"How dare you betray me!"

"Master, I have no choice but to do this!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

When disaster strikes, everyone flees. Concubine Qian couldn't care less about anything else. She knelt before Zhao Yuancheng, stared at Concubine Rou and said, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. It was Concubine Rou who told me to do this. Otherwise, how could I, in the deep palace, do such dirty things? I was forced to do it. Please understand, Your Majesty."

For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Concubine Rou again. Concubine Rou remained calm. Zhao Yuancheng turned his head and asked her, his voice trembling: "Do you have anything to say?"

Even if Concubine Rou could defend herself at this time.

Even if all the blame was put on Concubine Qian, I'm afraid Zhao Yuancheng would choose to believe her.

But unexpectedly, Concubine Rou did not make any excuses and simply admitted everything. She even took the initiative to explain that she drank contraceptive pills and deliberately fell down in order to abort the baby in her womb.

There was deep pain in Zhao Yuancheng's eyes. Even though he knew the truth, he still asked unwillingly, "Why?"

"Why?" Concubine Rou held the teacup, the rising mist misting her delicate eyebrows, and said quietly: "Because I am Liu Qiyue's sister, Liu Laiyi, and I entered the palace to avenge my sister."

The moment she admitted it, Zhao Yuancheng clenched his hands tightly on his knees.

He tried his best to hold back his breathing, but the pain in his heart was like a sharp knife, ruthlessly cutting his heart.

"Get out!" Zhao Yuancheng suddenly became furious and shouted at everyone in the hall, "Get out!"

The concubines left one after another, and even Concubine Qian was ordered by Zhu Yu to be taken back to her own palace.

The bustling yard suddenly became quiet.

Zhao Yuancheng looked at Concubine Rou quietly, his heart filled with bitterness: "So, from the beginning to the end, you have never liked me, right?"

Concubine Rou's face was calm, and she nodded mercilessly in the face of Zhao Yuancheng's panicked eyes: "Yes."

"You approached me just to use me to get rid of the Imperial Concubine?"

"yes."

"What about me? What have you done to me? What do our children mean to me?"

"He is nothing but a bad guy and a joke." Concubine Rou turned her head to look at Zhao Yuancheng. Every word she spoke slowly was like a sharp knife, stabbing countless holes in his heart.

"Before entering the palace, I deliberately learned the art of seduction from the courtesan in the brothel. I was so close to you, yet so distant, and so coquettish and infatuated with you. All of this was just a way to make you fall in love with me. Zhao Yuancheng, you are the emperor, and you have had a smooth life since childhood. Only by doing this can I make you feel frustrated and make you grit your teeth every time you think of me in the future."

Concubine Rou spoke calmly, but anger gradually welled up in Zhao Yuancheng's eyes. He reached out and pinched Concubine Rou's neck fiercely, saying word by word, "How could you be so cruel?"

"ruthless?"

Concubine Rou raised her eyebrows and smiled fearlessly: "When you issued the decree to execute my sister and my father, did you ever think about whether you were also cruel?"

Zhao Yuancheng gritted his teeth and said, "Your sister poisoned the heir to the throne, and she deserved it. Your father aided and abetted the tyrant, and he is doomed to be beheaded. What have I done wrong?"

"Of course you are right." Concubine Rou curved her beautiful eyes and smiled faintly at Zhao Yuancheng. The smile was as bright as when they first met.

Concubine Rou held the emperor's hand little by little. She was obviously smiling, but her voice was piercing: "But it is not wrong for me to avenge my sister, is it not?"

Staring at the lustrous glow on my wrist, I remember that once upon a time, the person in front of me also held my wrist quietly, looking at me pitifully.

She said she would stay with him forever.

I wish I were like a star and you were like the moon, shining brightly every night;

Those words that were once so beautiful now seem ironic when said again.

"Why do you want to admit it?" The hand on his neck loosened little by little, and Zhao Yuancheng laughed at himself, "As long as you say no, I will still believe you."

"Lies can fool everyone but yourself, so why bother?"

In an instant, my heart turned to ashes.

Zhao Yuancheng threw his head back and laughed heartily. Suddenly, he felt a surge of blood in his chest. He suppressed the sweet taste in his throat and called Zhu Yu in. "Issue an order: Concubine Rou is plotting to murder the heir to the throne. She is deposed and imprisoned in Yanxue Palace for life. If Qian knows about this and fails to report it, she will be executed immediately!"

Zhu Yu was slightly startled, then immediately agreed and walked out.

Zhao Yuancheng took a deep breath, silently looked at the woman in front of him, and said word by word: "Don't you hate me? But I will keep you alive. Even if you die one day, I will order you to be buried beside me. In this life and the next, I will be entangled with you, and you will never be able to leave me!"