These incidents, one after another, could really cost Xu Ming his life.

Both men stood outside with somber expressions, each talking to their own people, ignoring the other. The tense atmosphere today sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Just as the situation was becoming ambiguous and the morning court session was about to begin, Jingquan suddenly led two eunuchs over with serious expressions.

"Lord Hu, Lord Xu, the Emperor has decreed that we be presented to His Majesty immediately!"

Hu Tianyong and Xu Ming quickly followed Quan Jing without saying a word, their nerves on edge.

The others immediately began to whisper among themselves.

Upon seeing this, Lan Linxue immediately tugged at Lan Qingtian's arm and quickly ran two steps towards the panoramic view.

"Grandpa Quan!"

Stop and look around.

Seeing that it was Lan Qingtian and Lan Linxue calling him, he waved his hand to the eunuchs under his command: "Take the two ladies to see the Emperor!"

The young eunuch quickly bowed and accepted the order, then led the two men to the back.

Lan Qingtian walked up to the panoramic view and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

With a serious expression, Quan Jing waved his hand, then glanced at the people behind him. He and Lan Qingtian took two steps back before whispering, "Consort Xu has gone mad! She says she saw the Empress! Last night she was desperately banging on the door of the Cold Palace, screaming! She was fighting to the death to see the Emperor! The people below saw it and dared not hide it, so they reported it to the Emperor!"

As you know, the Emperor never mentions the Empress's affairs, and he forbids anyone else from doing so. Hearing Consort Xu say this, he went there with his men in the middle of the night…

Before Jing Quan could finish speaking, Lan Qingtian grabbed Jing Quan's arm with a look of shock and nervousness, and asked anxiously, "Is it really Her Majesty the Empress?"

Lan Linxue immediately glared at Lan Qingtian's hand. Why was he so nervous about his mother's affairs? Wasn't he afraid that his father would see this expression and get jealous?

Lan Shanyang, however, was completely oblivious to this. At this moment, his mind was preoccupied with whether the ghost of his sister-in-law truly existed. If so, he would see her no matter what.

Thinking of the care and consideration that his sister-in-law had shown him back then, and the fact that he hadn't even seen her one last time, Lan Qingtian had always felt resentful all these years.

He had imagined many times that if his sister-in-law was truly wronged, she should appear in his dreams so that he could speak out about her grievances, even if it meant his own death.

But over the years, Lan Qingtian rarely dreamed of Qin Meiying. Even when he did, Qin Meiying was always smiling, encouraging him to work hard and make him proud. Whenever he didn't do well in his studies or made a mistake, his sister-in-law would gently reason with him and then make him his favorite walnut pastry.

Lan Qingtian deeply regretted not being by Qin Meiying's side when she was in trouble. For him, who had lost his mother at a young age, Qin Meiying was like another mother. Therefore, when he learned of Qin Meiying's tragic death, he had a huge fight with Lan Shanyang. In the end, if Lan Shanyang hadn't had a deep talk with him and hadn't considered Lin Xue's plight, he would have resigned from his position as a prince long ago.

Therefore, nowadays during festivals, he would take Shu Lingxi to his home to pay respects to Qin Meiying. Anyone who dared to say a word would be whipped, no matter what.

When Lan Qingtian heard others talking about Qin Meiying's promiscuity again, she couldn't control herself and wanted to know the definite answer.

Quan Jing gave a wry smile: "Your Highness, I've been in the palace for over thirty years and have never seen a ghost! Let alone one belonging to the Empress! That's why the Emperor is angry! Even if the Empress is a ghost, what's the use of going to Consort Xu instead of the Emperor?"

"What happened next?" Lan Linxue asked quickly.

"His Majesty has imprisoned Consort Xu. This morning, he was wondering if there was some other hidden reason behind this, and we all know that His Majesty's feelings for the Empress have only grown stronger over the years. So, His Majesty took me there again."

This time, Consort Xu spouted even more nonsense. Not only did she claim the Empress was a living ghost, but she also said that Consort Hu was killed by the Empress! She further claimed that Hu Tianyong possessed some kind of supernatural military talisman and was plotting a rebellion. She asserted that the floods in Jiangnan were not caused by the Crown Prince, but rather a calamity sent down by Heaven out of desperation. She claimed that the officials in Jiangnan had squandered the wealth and resources of their ancestors—in short, a whole host of horrifying tales! The Emperor, in a fit of rage, almost killed Consort Xu! In short, it was utterly unbearable to listen to.

Not long after returning to the palace, the Third Prince, being so insensible, came to plead for Consort Xu again. The Emperor, in a fit of rage, actually fainted!

Upon hearing this, Lan Linxue immediately showed a look of sudden realization.

He said, "Why would my father, who is perfectly well-behaved, think of ancestral worship? It turns out there was something fishy going on here!"

Well, as they say, experience truly matters. Xu Jinlan, who's practically brainless, was manipulated by Lan Shanyang so easily that she blurted out so many shocking things. It seems that when it comes to cunning, no one can match Lan Shanyang.

Lan Qingtian, however, was completely bewildered, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The amount of information was so overwhelming that he was a little overwhelmed.

"How is the Emperor now?" Lan Linxue asked quickly.

"Yes! Yes! How is the Emperor now?"

Jing Quan frowned and shook his head. "He's furious. The imperial physicians are right here. If we summon Hu Tianyong and Xu Ming, they'll probably get a scolding too!"

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