Aunt Zhang shook her head vigorously, "I...Your Majesty, I don't know! It's not my fault! As soon as I entered the room, the young lady started having stomach pains. It really has nothing to do with me!"

Aunt Zhang was terrified.

She suddenly remembered what her daughter had said: if something happened to Gu Jiangli's child, the first person to be held accountable would be her.

Could things really have turned out as Ru'er predicted?

She was in a hurry to distance herself from the matter.

The child's disappearance might be an accident, or even something that Gu Jiangli did herself. It has absolutely nothing to do with her!

"Your Majesty is wise! I have been taking care of the young mistress with utmost care these past few days, daring not to make the slightest mistake! This... the child's sudden loss has saddened me greatly, but it has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Her hasty attempt to shirk responsibility only intensified the emperor's disgust.

"Sad? I can't see any sadness on your face. You seem more guilty and nervous."

"No...absolutely not!" Aunt Zhang became even more anxious. The current situation made her believe Ru'er's words even more.

The emperor's actions clearly intended to pin the blame for the child's death on her!

This won't do!

Aunt Zhang knelt and moved forward a few steps, reaching the emperor's feet, and loudly argued:

"Your Majesty! Although I take care of the young lady's health every day, it is these imperial physicians who come to check on her pulse every day!"

“They don’t know how the baby died. I’m just a woman, and I don’t know anything about medicine. How could I possibly know the reason? Of course, you can’t blame me!”

Several imperial physicians immediately glared at Aunt Zhang with resentment.

They were already very nervous under the emperor's heavy pressure, and then an ignorant and arrogant woman came to criticize them.

The old doctors immediately straightened their backs and prepared to confront Aunt Zhang.

The emperor suddenly spoke: "Zhang Yiniang has failed in her duty to Gu Jieyu. She shall be imprisoned and executed at a later date."

Everyone was stunned, even Gu Jiangli was taken aback.

So hasty?

Will it not be reviewed again?

Did a single, casual remark seal Zhang's fate?

"No...Your Majesty! I'm innocent! I only came in to take care of her health; what does the loss of the child have to do with me!"

Aunt Zhang was shouting frantically.

Several imperial physicians were also terrified, their faces turning pale, fearing that the emperor's wrath would fall upon them.

Gu Jiangli was getting anxious. If he dealt with Aunt Zhang so easily, wouldn't that be letting Gu Jiangru off easy?

She propped herself up, trying to grab the emperor's sleeve and say a few words of advice.

Just then, the Empress Dowager entered.

"Wait!" The Empress Dowager's voice boomed, and the eunuchs who were holding Zhang Yiniang stopped immediately.

Gu Jiangli then lowered his outstretched hand.

The Empress Dowager arrived, and things took a turn for the better.

Her tears began to well up in her eyes again.

The Empress Dowager walked over with a pained expression, her face filled with sorrow and grief.

However, she still said many comforting words to Gu Jiangli, hoping that he could recover his health quickly and get out of his grief so that he could continue to bear children for the emperor.

After a long pause, she finally spoke to the silent emperor:

"Your Majesty, a concubine's miscarriage is no small matter. How can you punish her so easily? Shouldn't you investigate the cause properly?"

The emperor closed his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"The reason is that Consort Zhang did not take good care of Consort Gu's health, which led to her miscarriage. It is reasonable for me to punish her."

"I heard that this child has been unable to eat for a month now. No matter how many tonics I send, they are all ineffective. I can only watch as Consort Gu grows more and more haggard. You have summoned all the imperial physicians in the palace, but none of them are able to do anything. Isn't that strange?"

The Empress Dowager's sharp gaze swept over all the imperial physicians present.

The imperial physicians were instantly jolted awake.

But the Empress Dowager immediately withdrew her gaze and said to the Emperor:

"I've been feeling uneasy lately, as if something terrible was about to happen, and sure enough, I lost the baby. On the way here, I kept thinking that the loss of the child was no accident, but rather the work of someone!"

The emperor turned his head and met the empress dowager's resolute gaze. He gritted his teeth and said:

"It was indeed done by someone, it was Aunt Zhang who did it!"

"I demand evidence!"

The Empress Dowager was panting heavily, her eyes fierce. The usually gentle and kind Empress Dowager was now displaying a rare and stern aura.

"What I mean is that if things are too strange, then someone has resorted to extreme measures! Has the Emperor forgotten? A few months ago, Consort Gu of Lanfang Palace also fell ill mysteriously, and the imperial physicians, just like today, could not diagnose the cause of her illness."

The Empress Dowager's words were pointed.

A cold sweat broke out on everyone's back.

Everyone in the palace knew that Consort Gu had been harmed by "cursed arts" and had been ill for a long time.

Later, a small doll bearing the birth date and time was found in the room of the Gu family mistress outside the palace. The mistress then committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and her illness was suddenly cured.

Now that the Empress Dowager has said this, isn't she implying that the loss of Consort Gu's child was also caused by witchcraft?

In the palace, witchcraft is absolutely forbidden!

Once discovered, they will not be let off lightly!

How could anyone dare to use such a mysterious method?

Everyone swallowed hard, their faces showing tension and suspicion.

Gu Jiangli lay on the bed, a hint of joy hidden beneath her sorrowful expression.

That's more like it. The Empress Dowager is more sensible; we should follow her lead.

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