"Yes, Your Majesty, I will feed him immediately."

Physician Qin took the bowl of medicine, and together with Eunuch Gao, one of them forcibly pried open Emperor Zhaowu's mouth while the other pressed down on his forehead, slowly pouring the dark medicine into his mouth.

Only after the soup was finished did Imperial Physician Qin get off the bed, bowing his head and saying, "Your Majesty, His Majesty will wake up in less than half an hour."

Consort Shu lifted her eyelids slightly and glanced coldly at Imperial Physician Qin. "I understand. You may leave now."

The eunuch raised the whisk in his hand, and with a half-smile, said in a high-pitched voice, "Please, Physician Qin."

Upon reaching the door, Eunuch Gao bowed obsequiously to Physician Qin, saying, "Physician Qin, you must keep quiet about what happened today. You surely know how to write down the pulse diagnosis."

Imperial Physician Qin hurriedly bowed and said, "Your subject understands."

Eunuch Gao nodded in satisfaction and said to the little eunuch beside him, "Send Physician Qin back to the Imperial Hospital and take good care of him."

When he returned to his bedchamber, Emperor Zhaowu had already awakened.

Emperor Zhaowu leaned against his bed, thinking he had only been asleep for half an hour. When he woke up, he found that it was already dark.

He slightly opened his eyes and saw a cup of clear tea and a purple pill handed to him by Consort Shu.

He took a small sip; the temperature and concentration were just right. Then he tilted his head back and poured the entire cup of calming tea and pills down.

After a while, Emperor Zhaowu smiled and said, "My beloved consort, this elixir is truly effective. I feel much better now, as if my parched internal organs have been nourished."

Consort Shu's eyes flashed. She sat down next to Emperor Zhaowu, took the face towel brought by the palace maid, and carefully wiped Emperor Zhaowu's fair and delicate face. She said softly, "Your Majesty, this elixir was specially made by Daoist Zhenheng. It will naturally be effective after taking it. Your Majesty's skin is getting younger and younger."

Emperor Zhaowu lazily shifted his position on the couch, saying, "I also feel that I could live another hundred years."

"His Majesty will surely live to be a hundred years old," Consort Shu said with a smile.

As the sunlight outside grew weaker, lamps were lit throughout the Chongwu Hall, both inside and outside, as Emperor Zhaowu rose to his feet.

Several palace maids followed him, fanning him. Emperor Zhaowu yawned and was about to order the meal when a young eunuch suddenly came to report, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Shen is requesting an audience outside the palace."

Emperor Zhaowu waved his hand, "Let him in and have dinner with me."

When Shen Zhizhang entered the main hall, Emperor Zhaowu was drinking bird's nest porridge under the service of Consort Shu. When he saw Shen Zhizhang bow, Emperor Zhaowu barely opened half of his eyes and said lazily, "My dear minister, please rise."

Seeing that Emperor Zhaowu's face was so pale it was almost transparent, Shen Zhizhang felt a tightness in his chest and dared not linger his gaze any longer.

Consort Shu smiled and said, "It seems the Prime Minister has important matters to report to His Majesty, so I shall take my leave now."

"My beloved consort, wait a moment. What is it that I cannot tell you? Please sit down." Emperor Zhaowu half-closed his eyes and raised his chin. "Prime Minister, is there any news you wish to report to me?"

Shen Zhizhang pushed aside his official robes and knelt on the ground. He took out a letter from his bosom, held it above his head, and said loudly, "This is a letter that the Commander of the Imperial Guards just intercepted from the Eastern Palace. Please take a look, Your Majesty!"

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Gao handed the letter to Emperor Zhaowu.

Emperor Zhaowu took the letter and quickly glanced through it.

The more Emperor Zhaowu read, the more gloomy his expression became.

Shen Zhizhang and Eunuch Gao waited quietly on the side.

Consort Shu admired the changes in Emperor Zhaowu's expression, and her lips, hidden beneath her handkerchief, slowly curved into a smile.

Today, we must force the Emperor to depose the Crown Prince.

A moment later, Emperor Zhaowu slammed the bowls and chopsticks on the table down with a loud shovel, "The Crown Prince is utterly insolent!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the hall knelt down in fear.

"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince's actions are likely an attempt to force the emperor to abdicate!"

No sooner had Shen Zhizhang finished speaking than Emperor Zhaowu slammed a teacup to the ground. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, coughing violently a few times. “Very well, my son wants to be emperor even more than I do. Since he dares to secretly win over a prince and plot a rebellion!”

Emperor Zhaowu was so angry that he trembled. Consort Shu hurriedly took the letter and looked at it. Then she looked up in a panic and said, "Your Majesty, this is the Prince of Runan giving advice to the Crown Prince."

Upon seeing this, Shen Zhizhang pressed his head to the ground, adopting a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, and said, "The Crown Prince has lost his virtue, and Your Majesty should no longer tolerate him. I hereby petition Your Majesty to punish the Crown Prince for his disobedience and rebellion, so as to safeguard the stability of the nation."

Shen Zhizhang's heart was pounding. The letter was indeed sent privately by the Prince of Runan to Crown Prince Xiao Huaijin, but he had altered its contents.

The original letter was a simple family letter, but now it not only states that the Prince of Runan agreed to the Crown Prince's rebellion, but also lists the merits and demerits of the civil and military officials in the court, so that the Crown Prince can coerce the court officials to help him rebel.

This intelligence was naturally provided voluntarily by Shen Zhizhang.

"Heh! Very good! Men, prepare the carriage for the Eastern Palace!" Emperor Zhaowu flung his sleeves and stormed off to the Feihua Palace.

Consort Shu lowered her eyes and silently followed Emperor Zhaowu into the carriage.

Inside the Flying Flower Palace, Xiao Huaijin was having Xiao Linzi apply medicine to his body when the palace door was suddenly kicked open.

"You bastard!"

Emperor Zhaowu walked directly up to Xiao Huaijin, raised his hand high, and slapped him across the face. "So you want to replace me? I'll make sure you don't have my way!"

Xiao Huaijin was stunned by the sudden slap; his face stung, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He slowly rose, looked at Emperor Zhaowu, and his voice held a coldness he himself was unaware of, "Father, why are you angry with me for no reason?"

Emperor Zhaowu sneered, "You don't know what you've done?"

He slammed the letter in his hand hard into Xiao Huaijin's face. "Take a look for yourself."

Xiao Huaijin picked up the few pages of letters, quickly read them, and then met Emperor Zhaowu's furious gaze.

“Father, the contents of this letter are not true.” Xiao Huaijin’s expression was frank, his voice steady and powerful.

"This letter was delivered by the messenger of the Prince of Runan, and it is signed with the Prince of Runan's unique seal. Your Highness, this letter is indeed from the Prince of Runan." Shen Zhizhang glanced in the direction of the Crown Prince, then lowered his eyes and said loudly.

Xiao Huaijin looked at Shen Zhizhang with complicated emotions. He hadn't expected that Shen Zhizhang would resolutely choose to oppose him.

“Your Majesty, this letter was not written by the Prince of Runan.”

"The evidence is overwhelming, and the person who secretly delivered the message has admitted that he is your confidant! Stop trying to deny it!" Emperor Zhaowu said angrily, staring at Xiao Huaijin who was kneeling on the ground.

“Father,” Xiao Huaijin looked up, his voice no longer clear as before, “If you insist on punishing me, I have nothing to say.”

After saying this, he bowed and kowtowed to Emperor Zhaowu.

If his father is determined to abandon him, no matter how hard he tries to explain, his father will not believe him.

"I have been attending court with Father Emperor since I was twelve years old, studying diligently day and night. Yet now, Father Emperor would rather believe others than believe me. This truly chills my heart." Xiao Huaijin slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, but his tone remained calm.

Emperor Zhaowu was taken aback, never expecting the Crown Prince to say such a thing. His face darkened. "Since the Crown Prince is disheartened, so am I. Is there any point in maintaining this father-son and ruler-subject relationship?"

"You have defied me and attempted to harm me. I hereby depose you from your position as Crown Prince!" Emperor Zhaowu said coldly, and then his heart suddenly ached.

He gave Xiao Huaijin a sinister look and said loudly, "Eunuch Gao, return to Chongwu Hall and draft the imperial edict!"

After saying that, he angrily turned and left.

Shen Zhizhang left with Emperor Zhaowu, but before he left, he inadvertently met Xiao Huaijin's dark, inky eyes.

Shen Zhizhang was stunned for a moment, then lowered his eyes and remained silent.