---The capital city: A thunderous roar, the imperial concubine digs her own grave!

Just as the Jiangnan courtyard was experiencing a life-or-death race against time, in the capital palace, a grand drama meticulously planned and laid out for months by Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing was reaching its climax!

The emperor sat on his dragon throne, his face ashen, staring at the final report presented by Shen Wenqing, the Vice Minister of Justice, concerning the embezzlement of military funds. The report was shocking; the chain of evidence was complete and clear, pointing directly to several powerful nobles and local officials. Several key lines of money flow ultimately hinted at… the Zhao family, the maternal clan of the Imperial Concubine!

"Grand Secretary Zhao! What else do you have to say?!" The emperor's voice was as cold as ice as he slammed the memorial down the steps.

Grand Secretary Zhao (the Consort's father) knelt down with a thud, his old face ashen: "Your Majesty! This old minister is innocent! This...this must be a frame-up! Minister Shen! You are making false accusations!"

Shen Wenqing, neither humble nor arrogant, declared in a clear voice, “Your Majesty, all the evidence, witnesses, confessions, and account books are here! The witnesses are waiting outside the palace for your decree! I guarantee with my life that there is not a single falsehood! This case concerns the very foundation of the nation; if these corrupt officials are not removed, the soldiers will lose heart, and the foundation of the country will be shaken! I beg Your Majesty to make a wise judgment!” His words were firm and resounding. He had investigated the case thoroughly, and with the Crown Prince's authorization and support behind it, he was determined to strike decisively!

An uproar erupted in the hall! The upright officials who supported the Crown Prince stepped forward to second the motion, demanding severe punishment! Officials with ties to the Zhao family turned ashen-faced and fell silent in fear.

The emperor looked at Grand Secretary Zhao kneeling below, unable to defend himself, and then at the key witness brought in from outside the hall, his face ashen. His anger and disappointment reached their peak! Military funds! The lifeblood of the nation! How could they be so eroded! And the Zhao family, the maternal clan of his favorite concubine, were also deeply entangled in it!

Just as the political landscape was in turmoil, a shocking event also occurred in the imperial harem!

The Empress, having just recovered from her illness, went to the royal temple, Daxiangguo Temple, to offer incense and pray for blessings, as was customary. The prayer ceremony was solemn and dignified, with the Empress kneeling in devout worship. Just as the ceremony was about to end, Abbot Yuanhui (who had already been secretly won over by the Crown Prince) was tidying up the eternal lamps offered by the Empress when he "accidentally" discovered a witchcraft doll wrapped in bright yellow silk and studded with silver needles under the lamp base! The doll clearly bore the Empress's birth date and name! The bright yellow silk wrapping the doll was a forbidden item reserved only for the Emperor and Empress!

"Amitabha! What a sin! What a sin!" Master Yuanhui was utterly horrified. He presented the doll to the crowd, his voice trembling. "This...this is an extremely vicious curse! How dare...how dare they plot against the Empress's health! They have blasphemed the Buddha! They have blasphemed the royal family!"

The scene erupted in chaos! All the accompanying concubines, noblewomen, palace maids, and eunuchs were terrified, their faces turning ashen! The Empress, overwhelmed with shock and rage, fainted on the spot!

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching the palace and the ears of the emperor, who was in the Golden Hall overwhelmed by the military pay case!

"What?! Witchcraft and sorcery?! A plot to murder the Empress?!" The Emperor could hardly believe his ears! Embezzlement of military funds in the previous dynasty pointed to the Consort's maternal family, and now such a shocking witchcraft case had broken out in the harem, with the Empress as the target! These successive blows enraged the Emperor to the point of almost losing his mind!

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Dig three feet into the ground and find the mastermind behind this!" The emperor's roar echoed throughout the hall.