Since the birth of the Ninth Prince, the Emperor has always used the excuse of seeing his son to stay at the Plum Blossom Palace every day.

This aroused the jealousy of the women in the harem.

Consort Zheng hated her even more.

However, there are also those who are not afraid of death.

This person is Wu Meiren.

She wasn't afraid of having her entire family executed because she didn't want to enter the palace; it was her father who forced her to go.

The emperor, an old man old enough to be her father, favored her once and then forgot about her.

He spends his days with that vile woman, Consort Mei.

Why should an older man ruin her reputation and then refuse to take responsibility for her?

As for her father, he can only dream of her gaining favor and protecting her family.

Since her life was already set in stone, she figured she might as well take a few people with her to be buried with her rather than die an old woman in the palace.

In any case, Consort Mei now controls all affairs of the palace, big and small.

Then cause some trouble at her son's first birthday party and kill him.

Meanwhile, Lin Mupo had already made all the necessary arrangements.

Success or failure hinges on this moment.

He couldn't wait any longer.

When Lin Muheng returned after achieving merit, there was no longer a place for him in the palace.

He even suspected that the emperor, in a moment of impulse, directly gave the position of crown prince to Lin Muheng.

Prince Jin, Lin Mushen, was furious when he received news that Lin Muheng had captured the Prince of Nanning.

Lin Muheng is so lucky.

If his father sends him to the southwest, the credit will be his.

To put it bluntly, the Emperor's choice has already shifted towards the fifth prince.

Thinking of this, he angrily smashed two teacups.

He absolutely cannot let Lin Muheng return in triumph.

What will I have to compete with him in the future?

Lin Mushen grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Why can't Lin Muheng be killed? "Someone come here!" Lin Mushen shouted towards the door.

"Your Highness." A man in black knelt on one knee.

"Go and contact them. Move the plan forward. We absolutely cannot let Fifth Brother return to Beijing alive." A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Mushen's eyes.

"Yes," the man in black replied, and then disappeared into the night.

Lin Mushen clenched his fists. Let Lin Muheng die in the Southwest!

The capital city will not tolerate him!

The Ninth Prince's first birthday banquet was fast approaching.

Who wouldn't attend the emperor's son's banquet?

Although the concubines in the harem were extremely jealous, they outwardly appeared joyful, each one seemingly offering genuine blessings.

Even Wu Meiren, who rarely interacts with people, had a beaming smile on her face.

She looked at Consort Mei with envy, "The Ninth Prince is so lovable."

Consort Zheng looked at Consort Mei with a dark expression in her eyes.

Fortunately, the child is still young; he may not even be an adult when the emperor passes away.

Otherwise, given Consort Mei's current level of favor, Consort Zheng believed that no one could compete with the Ninth Prince.

Consort Wu changed her usual timid and hesitant demeanor and kept looking for opportunities to stick close to the Ninth Prince.

Those around Consort Mei became more cautious.

Although they felt that Consort Wu wouldn't dare to do anything to the Ninth Prince, they still thought it best to be cautious, as people's hearts are unpredictable.

Consort Mei also noticed that Consort Wu was unusual.

They don't usually interact much.

She understood the principle that something unusual must be a sign of trouble.

So Consort Mei simply sent her away.

Consort Wu's face turned deathly pale, because Consort Mei's voice was quite loud when she spoke to send people away.

Some of the concubines nearby chuckled.

Wu Meiren's sycophantic attitude is truly despicable.

Wu Meiren slunk away.

However, in a corner where no one could see, Wu Meiren's lips curled into a cold smile.

In just a short while, she had successfully gotten close to the Ninth Prince.

The poison has already been administered.

In a few days, the Ninth Prince will die suddenly from an illness.

She applied the medicine to the Ninth Prince's longevity lock.

For at least the next few days, the Ninth Prince will definitely be wearing a longevity lock.

That's enough.

Consort Mei was unaware that her son had been poisoned.

Jiang Chuwei and her mother also attended the banquet.

Jiang's mother has rarely entered the palace in the past three years.

Today's visit to the palace for the banquet caused quite a stir.

Even Madam Zheng came to greet them.

Madam Jiang is now keeping a low profile, but she used to be a prominent figure in the capital.

General Jiang's promise of a lifelong, monogamous relationship with his wife was the envy of countless noble ladies.

The other ladies had endless troubles to deal with in the inner quarters every day.

Just like Madam Zheng, Zheng Yong brought one beautiful concubine after another into the house, and Madam Zheng had a headache dealing with the jealousy and rivalry among the concubines every day.

No one is as lucky as Madam Jiang.

She had three sons and one daughter.

A woman who is cherished by her husband and whose children are successful is truly enviable.

Madam Zheng was absolutely jealous.

Why is Madam Jiang so lucky, even though they are both women?

Madam Jiang maintained a polite smile the whole time, but her face was stiff from smiling.

Jiang Chuwei pulled her mother down to sit.

The main focus today is Consort Mei and her son; they have no intention of stealing the limelight. Madam Zheng then gave up.

The banquet is in full swing.

Then came the traditional Chinese custom of "grasping the baby's head" (抓周).

The eunuchs brought in a large table, which was filled with a dazzling array of items.

There were gold and silver jewelry, calligraphy and paintings, as well as gold hairpins and even a small jade seal.

Upon seeing this object, Consort Mei's expression changed drastically.

She looked at the old woman, who also looked panicked.

Who is so rebellious as to have even made a copy of the imperial seal?

Consort Mei looked at Emperor Rongsheng and, seeing that he showed no displeasure, felt relieved.

She looked at her son, a one-year-old who was babbling and waving his arms and legs at the table full of fun toys, wanting to sit on them.

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