Gu Heng ultimately did not go to Lingxi Palace. He feared that if he saw Consort Rong, he would no longer care about the child in her womb and would only want to take up a knife and kill Consort Rong.

So Gu Heng turned around and went to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace to visit Gu Qingfeng.

Inside Zhaoning Palace, Jiang Yu merely nodded indifferently after learning what had happened at the palace gate.

"I will go to see Consort Rong in a few days."

Jiang Yu held an ancient book in her hands. Consort Rong was also being pushed to the brink. Ever since she learned that Gu Heng had completely abandoned her, Consort Rong had been wailing and howling in Lingxi Palace every day.

[Rong Pin still has a sliver of hope, hoping to turn her fortunes around with the child in her womb. If even that last hope is gone, she will have no choice but to fight to the death.]

"Your Majesty, Consort Yi requests an audience."

"Let her in." Jiang Yu put away the ancient book. She had just thought of Consort Yi when Consort Yi arrived.

Consort Yi's belly began to show, and she seemed a little reserved since she hadn't been to Zhaoning Palace for a while.

"His Majesty has been away from the inner palace less often these days because of other matters. You just need to focus on your pregnancy." Jiang Yu said with a smile. "But I think you're doing quite well."

"With Your Majesty protecting me, I naturally feel at ease."

Consort Yi paused for a moment, and Jiang Yu immediately understood and dismissed the palace servants in the room.

“Your Majesty, currently only Consort Rong and I are pregnant in the palace, and Your Majesty has openly assigned the same imperial physician to both of us.” Consort Yi was also a clever woman, “Naturally, I am cautious and careful with this Imperial Physician Feng.”

“But yesterday, I smelled the scent of burning mugwort on Physician Feng.”

A glint flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes. Had Consort Rong's condition become so serious that she needed moxibustion?

"Are you sure it's the smell of burning mugwort?" Jiang Yu's mind raced. If a pregnant woman were to burn mugwort, the pregnancy would be in grave danger.

"If I were not certain, I would never dare to report this to Your Majesty."

Jiang Yu smiled upon hearing this and patted Consort Yi's hand affectionately, "I understand. I will arrange the rest myself."

If Consort Rong was destined not to give birth smoothly, then there are even better ways to drive her to the brink of despair.

Those whom Heaven wishes to destroy, it first makes mad.

......

Dragon and Phoenix Hall.

Gu Qingfeng seemed to have known that Gu Heng would come, and sat quietly by the bed waiting.

"Father."

Gu Heng looked at Gu Qingfeng, who was pale as a ghost, and silently lifted the covers to look at Gu Qingfeng's legs, which were wrapped in bandages. "I will definitely teach your elder brother a lesson."

"Father, I've been thinking about something these past few days." Gu Qingfeng tucked the blankets back in and looked directly at Gu Heng. "My eldest brother is my blood relative, yet he still shot an arrow at me. What about my third brother?"

"Father, will my eldest brother intervene on my third brother's journey?"

Gu Heng's eyelid muscles twitched uncontrollably. "Feng'er, you're overthinking it. Your elder brother's arrow was indeed wrong. You are brothers from the same father and mother. He was just angry for a moment."

Brothers who share the same father and mother.

Gu Qingfeng lowered his head, a tear rolling down his cheek. In the end, it was still the worst possible outcome.

“Feng’er,” Gu Heng continued to deceive himself, “Your elder brother has been kneeling outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony these past few days to repent. How could he have the energy to harm Yan’er?”

Gu Qingfeng twitched the corner of his mouth upon hearing this, "Then I am overthinking it, Father. Are my elder brother and I really blood brothers?"

Gu Qingfeng asked again, unwilling to give up, but after receiving an absolutely certain answer, he closed his eyes. None of the three siblings were their mother's children.

“Feng’er, no matter what, you should never doubt your own identity.” Gu Heng’s eyes showed a hint of caution. “Your mother risked her life to give birth to you, not so that you brothers would turn against each other.”

Gu Qingfeng nodded. As Gu Heng was leaving, Gu Qingfeng spoke again:

"I am just worried that if something happens to my third brother on this trip, Mother will hold you accountable, Father."

Gu Heng's heart trembled violently, and without thinking, he walked towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Gu Qingling was still kneeling there, motionless.

"Gu Qingling, come in. I have something to ask you."

After saying this, Gu Heng walked into the hall. Gu Qingling moved her knee, which had completely lost all feeling, and followed behind Gu Heng with a limp.

"Father, I truly know I was wrong."

For several days in a row, Gu Qingling had never experienced such darkness. His father, who had always treated him differently, avoided seeing him.

"I will only ask you one question: Did you send anyone to kill Gu Qingyan?"

Gu Heng stared intently into Gu Qingling's eyes, and seeing a fleeting look of panic in them, he angrily stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. "You're foolish!"

"Father, your son... your son didn't..."

Gu Qingling tried to argue, but Gu Heng grabbed an inkstone from the table and threw it at her, instantly drawing blood from her head.

"Gu Qingling, if you don't confess honestly, I will depose you from your position as Crown Prince!"

Blood flowed down her temples, and Gu Qingling reached out and touched the dampness of the blood.

He sent someone to kill Gu Qingyan, and specifically instructed them to do it in Heng County, framing Gu Qingyan's death to the vicious criminals in Heng County.

But he never expected that his father would want to depose him from his position as crown prince for Gu Qingyan's sake.

Gu Qingling quickly composed herself. “Father, I only deployed people outside the capital, but my uncle protected my third brother the whole way, so I had to withdraw my people.”

"Really?" Gu Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your son would not dare to deceive Father."

Gu Qingling knelt with her forehead on the ground, concealing the murderous intent in her eyes.

......

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyan also arrived in Heng County with his men.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to the Third Prince."

County Magistrate Zhou Quan, along with a group of officials and gentry, greeted Gu Qingyan at the city gate. Gu Qingyan rolled up the car window and looked around. Yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see, and the people were living in misery.

"No need for formalities, please take this prince to the county government office first."

Gu Qingyan spent the entire day reviewing case files in the county government office. He declined Zhou Quan's offer of accommodation and left the office late at night with his entourage.

The rustling sounds of the night continued, but Gu Qingyan's steps did not falter.

The guards around Gu Qingyan were on high alert. The Third Prince had instructed them to lure the person out tonight in order to establish the authority of the court from the very beginning.

"Whoosh—"

A sharp arrow pierced the silent air, and Gu Qingyan stopped in his tracks.

From the shadows, dozens of men in black slowly emerged and approached Gu Qingyan in unison.

In another, more secluded corner...

Gu Lin reached out and touched the sword at his waist, his face as cold as frost.