"The Emperor actually believed her words without question! He completely disregarded my dignity and took Miaoyin and Niohuru Lanqin away right under my nose... I swear I will never let this go..."

The Fourth Prince took away the palace maid that Xiao Guizi had identified. Although Madam Nian was very dissatisfied, there was nothing she could do.

Bai Zhi cautiously advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Now is not the time to worry about this. Let's find a way to resolve this matter."

Reminded, Consort Nian hurriedly asked, "Has Miaoyin been properly arranged?"

Bai Zhi glanced at her and whispered in Consort Nian's ear, "I've already gone to her home outside Miaoyin Palace. She has a younger brother and mother who depend on each other for survival. I promised her that as long as she gets through this ordeal for Your Highness, her family will no longer suffer, and they will never again be enslaved or servants. Otherwise... she will understand..."

Consort Nian breathed a slight sigh of relief before sitting down: "That's more like it. Lanqin really is quite capable. I had arranged everything flawlessly, yet she still managed to find a flaw. She's truly remarkable..."

Bai Zhi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Consort Nian, saying worriedly, "Consort Xi is always clever and full of tricks. This servant is really worried that even if Miaoyin keeps her mouth shut, Consort Xi will still find another way to get to her..."

Consort Nian hesitated for a moment. Bai Zhi was right! She couldn't let her guard down, so she stood up, walked to her desk, quickly wrote a letter, and handed it to Bai Zhi.

"Sneak this letter out to your uncle tonight, and he will understand..." Bai Zhi carefully put away the letter and slipped out cautiously.

If, at the morning court the following day, someone were to suggest that Consort Xi had falsely accused Consort Gui, this would be a highly disrespectful statement.

The Fourth Prince knew perfectly well what was going on but couldn't refute it. Seeing his indifference, everyone assumed he was deliberately favoring Consort Xi, which fueled their dissatisfaction. Some even suggested stripping Consort Xi of her title and banishing her to the Cold Palace, but the Fourth Prince ignored them all. It wasn't until more and more people began impeaching Consort Xi, their words becoming increasingly sharp and sarcastic, even going so far as to call her a "wicked concubine," that the Fourth Prince finally flew into a rage, and the morning court session ended in discord.

Su Peisheng hurried behind the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince didn't say anything the whole way, so Su Peisheng could only conclude that the Fourth Prince was worried about Hongli, and even more so about Consort Xi.

This time, Consort Xi offended Consort Nian for Hongli's sake, and also angered everyone in the court. Although the Fourth Prince intended to suppress it, ignoring it like this was not a long-term solution.

"How is Hongli?" The Fourth Prince didn't stop walking. Su Peisheng thought he had misheard, but after realizing what he meant, he replied, "Imperial Physician Yang said he can hold on for now and has prepared a medicinal bath for the prince, but he is still unconscious... It's just that Consort Xi..."

Su Peisheng wished he had spoken up himself, for he had brought up the very thing he shouldn't have. But since the Fourth Prince didn't seem angry, Su Peisheng had no choice but to continue, "It's just that Consort Xi has been staying in the Prince's quarters without eating or drinking, and the palace maids say that Consort Xi looks so haggard she's unrecognizable..."

Fourth Master slowed his pace, and Su Peisheng followed suit with concern. Fourth Master asked, "Is her face alright?"

Su Peisheng was taken aback and replied, "The Empress Dowager Xi completely ignored the imperial physician's advice, saying that the Fourth Prince was on the verge of death, yet she still cared about her reputation?"

"Fine, let's go to the Censorate..."

The palace maid was beaten black and blue, but she refused to admit that she was the one who took Hongli away from the prince that day. The people of the Imperial Prison were helpless and could only wait for the Fourth Prince to deal with her personally...