Not only was the Imperial Concubine shocked, but the other concubines in the harem were also quite shocked. They had never thought that Concubine Cen would die like this, even if Concubine Cen had left a blood letter, it was not right. However, they had no idea what the blood letter contained. It was impossible for Concubine Cen to accuse the emperor in it, right?

How could Concubine Cen not accuse the emperor in her blood letter? If she didn't accuse him, and if her death wasn't tragic enough, how could the value of her death be revealed?

Concubine Cen spent a long time in the cold palace, and the palace maids around her betrayed her. Knowing she would never be able to leave, Concubine Cen didn't want to die in silence. She wanted everyone to know the sacrifices she had made and how special the daughter of the Cen family was.

So Concubine Cen died. In her blood letter, Concubine Cen complained several things about the emperor. First, the emperor wasn't a traitor; how could he have allowed Old Master Cen to remain suspended from his post? Second, the daughters of the Cen family had always been the epitome of noble ladies. By treating her this way, the emperor was making all women in the world think that the daughters of the Cen family were inferior, that women shouldn't observe the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. Third, the emperor actually allowed a woman to become a first-rank official; this was also wrong...

Concubine Cen listed several other points, and in addition to these, she also wrote in blood that the Imperial Concubine had murdered the late Empress, and that the Imperial Concubine's son was unfit to be the Crown Prince.

In short, everyone else is wrong and Concubine Cen is always right.

When the emperor saw the blood letter written by Concubine Cen, he sneered. It turned out that Concubine Cen's temperament had not changed.

If the emperor hadn't known how the Cen family had taught their daughters, he might have thought that even a dying man's words were kind. Haha, the Cen family had taught their daughters that, in desperate situations, they could risk their lives to secure opportunities.

In fact, it was not just Concubine Cen, there were other girls from the Cen family who hit their heads against the wall at their husband's house. However, the girl from the Cen family who hit her head against the wall did not die, but the people in her husband's family were frightened.

The Cen family girls loved to say things that benefited them, and as for others, they were not the most important. At critical moments, they would even lie with their eyes open, because it didn't harm their own interests anyway.

"The Third Prince..." When the emperor saw Concubine Cen's blood letter, he knew that Concubine Cen still wanted the Third Prince to ascend the throne.

If the third prince ascends the throne, he can posthumously confer the title of empress dowager on Concubine Cen, which is also equivalent to the queen.

There was no way the emperor would believe Concubine Cen's words. He had investigated this long ago and it was clear that it was Concubine Cen and her family who used those rumors and power to crush the empress. The emperor did favor the imperial concubine a little more in the past, but that was also because he wanted her to take the blame for the empress.

But the Queen finally couldn't hold on, and she once told the Emperor that she was sorry for the Imperial Concubine. The Queen knew that the Emperor's kindness to the Imperial Concubine was calculated, and that the Emperor was using the Imperial Concubine to deal with the Virtuous Concubine.

The imperial concubine knew it too, but she didn't care. She had long known that the emperor couldn't favor her alone, so she couldn't expect any love affairs in the harem. Anyway, she would also benefit from the emperor's favor.

"Let him take his concubine back. She is ill, so how can she continue to stay on the farm?" The emperor said. The concubine was seriously ill and should return to the Third Prince's Mansion to rest for a while. If she was ignorant, she could go and accompany Concubine Cen.

In her blood letter, Concubine Cen had suggested asking the Third Prince to take his concubine back. The Emperor truly felt that Concubine Cen did not like him at all, and that she was not very obedient to him. What Concubine Cen cared about most was her own interests, and she was willing to risk her life for such a thing.

How ridiculous!

Did Concubine Cen think she was the censor in the court?

The emperor did not burn the blood letter. He simply let the third prince into the palace and handed the blood letter to him. The emperor was not afraid that the third prince would use Concubine Cen's blood letter to criticize the imperial concubine and the crown prince. The emperor planned to directly issue an edict accusing Concubine Cen of disrespecting the late queen and being the culprit who caused the late queen to die of depression, and to remove Concubine Cen from her position as a concubine.

When the third prince saw the blood letter left by Concubine Cen, he was scared.

Yes, the Third Prince was first afraid. He didn't think the contents of the blood letter were true. He knew that the Cen family had indeed sent someone to assassinate the Crown Prince, and there was nothing wrong with the Emperor treating the Cen family that way. So he knew that some of the contents were not true, and Concubine Cen also knew those things.

If one thing is false, then other things may also be false.

The Third Prince naturally didn't believe it. It was obvious that Concubine Cen wanted to use her death to make a fuss.

"Father." The third prince knelt on the ground.

"Go and see her off," said the emperor.

The emperor abolished Concubine Cen's position and made her a commoner, so naturally, Concubine Cen could not enter the imperial mausoleum. The palace treated the bodies of these commoners by wrapping them in straw mats and throwing them into mass graves. If someone was kind, they might help collect their bodies.

The third prince did not dare to say anything more in front of the emperor. When he learned that the emperor had abolished Concubine Cen's position and she could not be buried in the imperial mausoleum, he could only find a place to bury Concubine Cen himself.

Since Concubine Cen was the murderer who murdered the Queen, her funeral could not be grand.

The Third Prince simply found a place to bury his mother, and he didn't dare to say anything more. The Third Prince felt that his mother was quite scary. His mother had forced him to fight for the throne before, and now she was using her death to make such a fuss.

Most of those things were false. When Concubine Cen died, they wanted to drag the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Prince into the water.

The third prince was upset. Why did he still ask him to bring Concubine Cen back?

This mother doesn't even think about being nice to him. She wants to kill him, right?

The Third Prince smiled bitterly. He felt very foolish. In fact, his mother was more concerned about the Cen family. If she wasn't concerned about the Cen family, why would she insist on letting Concubine Cen return from the manor?

Or did Concubine Cen think that the Cen family would only support him after Concubine Cen returned from the manor?

The Cen family had supported him for so many years, and they had even tried to assassinate the crown prince. They had done so many wrong things that they simply couldn't get off the boat. The Third Prince wasn't afraid that the Cen family wouldn't support him, and he didn't need their support.

At the Cen family, after Mr. Cen learned that Concubine Cen had committed suicide, he was so angry that he vomited blood and fainted on the spot.

Old Master Cen never expected that Concubine Cen would actually do that. Although the Cen family also taught their girls that they could sacrifice their lives when necessary, it was wrong for Concubine Cen to do that.

Concubines in the palace cannot commit suicide easily, as that would be disrespectful to the royal family and would bring trouble to their natal family.

When Mr. Cen woke up, he found that he could hardly move his body. It seemed like he had suffered a stroke.

"Ah..." Mr. Cen's mouth was a little crooked and he couldn't speak clearly.

Old Madam Cen had already called a doctor, but when the doctor saw Mr. Cen like this, he could only shake his head.

Mr. Cen had originally been pretending to be sick at home, but this time he was really sick.

There was also news that Concubine Cen had plotted to murder the late queen, and she was demoted to a commoner.

Madam Cen was horrified when she heard those words, but she didn't faint immediately. Madam Cen didn't hold an official position in the court, and the pressure wasn't as great as that of Grandpa Cen. She had no idea about Grandpa Cen's affairs.

Old Lady Cen originally thought that nothing was wrong. She had never expected Concubine Cen to do that. She felt sorry for her daughter, but she had no other choice. Her daughter had become the weakest.

"Master." Seeing Master Cen like this, Mrs. Cen felt distressed. She turned to look at the doctor, "Can he get better?"

The doctor shook his head gently, "I'm afraid it's difficult. It's better not to get excited recently."

Mr. Cen spoke incoherently, and it was difficult for him to say a single word. He wanted to say more, to make some arrangements, but he spoke too slowly. But he still had to speak, no matter how slowly he spoke.

Become a daughter of the Cen family, and fail as a daughter of the Cen family.

Old Master Cen once thought that they had taught their daughters well and successfully, but now, Old Master Cen no longer dared to think so. They did teach their daughters that they could do something at the cost of their lives, but Concubine Cen's actions were too foolish.

But how could Old Master Cen know the despair that Concubine Cen felt at the time? Concubine Cen thought that since she was in the cold palace and the people around her had betrayed her, the other concubines could do whatever they wanted to her. Concubine Cen knew that she had done some dirty things in the past, and if those things were told, her life would definitely be even more difficult.

The emperor's health was poor, something Concubine Cen had already discussed with the imperial physician before her demotion. This was one of the reasons the Cen family had assassinated Prince Su. The emperor didn't have long to live, and if he suffered any kind of trauma, perhaps his lifespan would be even shorter. This would allow them to support the Third Prince's ascension to the throne.

The more Concubine Cen thought about it, the more terrified she became. She felt that she would never be able to leave the cold palace, so she had to die a meaningful death. She thought of what the Cen family had taught her. She knew that a concubine should not do that, but she thought about the Cen family's ability. They would definitely beautify her, and perhaps even follow her actions to die admonishing the emperor.

If the Cen family died in protest, the emperor would definitely be shaken, and those court officials would also be shaken.

Concubine Cen had never been an official and had always stayed in the harem. She had no idea what was going on in the court. She thought that her father should be able to do it. Even if she died, as long as the third prince successfully ascended the throne, she could become the queen or the queen mother.

"Okay, okay." Mrs. Cen could only nod continuously as she listened to Mr. Cen's difficult words.

When Mrs. Cen heard that Mr. Cen had asked the family members to resign, she didn't want to do that. If her son resigned, then her son would no longer be so good. After resigning, their Cen family would decline and would not be able to rise again in the short term. At least they would have to wait until the next generation.

Old Master Cen heard his wife's response, but he was worried that his wife would never tell their son.

"Let...let...them...come." said Mr. Cen.

Mr. Cen had a stroke and died immediately. Mr. Cen called his sons in the capital and had something to say to them.

Fortunately, Mr. Cen had said a lot to these people before, and the Cen family did not collapse instantly.

At the Marquis of Jingning's mansion, Marquis Jingning couldn't help but sigh after learning about what happened to the Cen family. The Cen family was so successful in educating their daughters that Concubine Cen also learned the essence of it.

Fortunately, his daughter did not become like that. Marquis Jingning thought it would be terrible if his daughter was like that.

It's just that his own daughter... Marquis Jingning thought of the second young master Mei's wife. The second young master Mei and the second young master Mei quarreled all day long. Marquis Jingning was too lazy to care. The second young master Mei's wife was not a very filial person.

After Liu Yulian learned about Concubine Cen's affairs, she had no thoughts.

Two days later, the emperor will host a banquet for those researchers.

The emperor had postponed the event so the Imperial Observatory could choose an auspicious date. This was the emperor's first time hosting a banquet for researchers, and he would do so again in the future, but this time, of course, he had to be more cautious.

Liu Yulian was still wondering if she would be asked to say something when the time came. However, the ancient times were not like later times, and there were not so many leaders reading from scripts.

"The Cen family." Marquis Jingning sighed over there.

Liu Yulian simply looked at her father and said nothing more. She didn't understand the politics of the court, didn't know what these people were up to, and had no connection to the Cen family. She had no idea that Concubine Cen had written in her blood letter that women shouldn't hold official positions. If she had known, she would have thought it was a sudden disaster.

No one in the Marquis of Jingning's mansion knew what Concubine Cen's blood letter contained, but the Crown Prince knew, the Emperor knew, the Third Prince knew, and several other people knew.

After the Third Prince buried Concubine Cen, he hid in the Third Prince's mansion. He didn't want anyone to bring Concubine Cen back at all, but he still brought Concubine Cen back.

Then, outsiders were saying that Concubine Cen had used her own life to exchange for Concubine Cen's return. Of course, Concubine Cen was also a sinner, and those people believed that the emperor still had feelings for Concubine Cen, otherwise, how could the emperor allow the third prince to take Concubine Cen back.

In the Third Prince's Mansion, Concubine Cen was stunned when she learned that Concubine Cen had committed suicide.

Concubine Cen really didn't expect that Concubine Cen didn't do that, and she didn't think that she would step on Concubine Cen's life to return to the palace.

"Since you are back, just stay in the yard and live a good life." The Third Prince's wife looked at Concubine Cen.

Concubine Cen used to like to use those rules and regulations to criticize the Third Prince's wife. The Third Prince's wife's background was not that powerful, and she was often suppressed by Concubine Cen.

Now, the situation is different. The Cen family is about to decline. The Third Prince never thought about taking Concubine Cen back. The Third Prince was forced to take Concubine Cen back.

The Third Prince's wife did not ask Concubine Cen to copy the female precepts and rules, nor did she ask Concubine Cen to recite more scriptures for Concubine Cen. Concubine Cen was a sinner, and a sinner should not have so many things.

"Yes." Concubine Cen didn't dare to say anything more. Her time at the farm was not easy at all.

Concubine Cen thought she was still a member of the royal family, and she even displayed wealth on the farm. However, the people on the farm didn't care whether Concubine Cen was a daughter of the Cen family or not. They only knew that Concubine Cen had fallen out of favor.

Besides, the Third Prince also instructed not to indulge Concubine Cen too much, as Concubine Cen's life on the farm was not easy.

"I don't mean to criticize you, but you are a concubine, and you keep talking about those female rules and regulations all day long, and you even tell them to the principal wife. You have to change this bad habit." said the Third Prince's wife.

The Third Prince's wife couldn't say that Concubine Cen was like that in the past, because Concubine Cen was the Third Prince's biological mother. If the Third Prince's wife said something bad about Concubine Cen, it would definitely make the Third Prince unhappy.

The Third Prince did not want to go out, nor did he want to have any contact with the Cen family. He felt that he was unlucky for eight lifetimes, otherwise, how could he have a mother like Concubine Cen? The Cen family just treated him as a puppet and said that it was for his own good.

The news of Mr. Cen's stroke also reached the Third Prince's Mansion. After the Third Prince's wife learned about it, she sent someone to inform the Third Prince.

"There are so many people in their family, just let them take care of them." The third prince didn't want to see Old Man Cen at all. He knew very well that if it was better for Old Man Cen to have a stroke, then Old Man Cen would not arrange those dangerous things.

Anyway, he didn't want to be emperor and didn't want to fight for it anymore.

The Third Prince thought that Concubine Cen was also cruel. The Emperor did not kill Concubine Cen, but Concubine Cen did so. The Third Prince thought that he was not stupid. He could not hate the Emperor and the Crown Prince just because of this incident. That was unrealistic.

It was clearly the Cen family's problem, so how could he blame such a person?

The Third Prince looked at the blood letter left by Concubine Cen and asked someone to bring a brazier and burn the letter. He couldn't leave this blood letter. If someone saw it, they might use it to make a fuss.

The emperor asked him to hold the blood letter, perhaps to test him.

The Third Prince believed that the Crown Prince was destined to become Emperor, so he was more cautious. He didn't fight for those things, hoping that the Crown Prince would let him continue to live. Even if the Crown Prince didn't allow him to become a prince, it didn't matter; he didn't want to die.

In the palace, after the emperor learned that Mr. Cen had suffered a stroke, he did not feel any regret.

"Let the imperial physician go and take a look." The emperor just wanted to know whether Mr. Cen was pretending to be sick again this time.

The emperor did not deal with the Cen family all at once, but wanted to keep them going. The Cen family had bullied the late queen so much before, so how could the emperor let them go so easily? Of course, he had to make them suffer.

But if Mr. Cen had a stroke, then this matter would not be so interesting.

Mr. Cen's stroke was a turning point for the Cen family. After all, Mr. Cen was a veteran minister who had done a lot for the Liang Dynasty. If the emperor took ruthless action against the Cen family at this time, those veteran ministers would inevitably be disheartened.

"Old fox!" sneered the emperor.

The next day, both of Mr. Cen's sons in the capital resigned from their official positions, all at Mr. Cen's behest. Mr. Cen didn't write to the Northwest to ask his youngest son to resign. With his youngest son far away in the Northwest, Mr. Cen thought perhaps he could still keep his official position.

The Cen family cannot be without someone holding an official position, even if it is just a small official.

The emperor naturally agreed to the resignation of Mr. Cen’s two sons and allowed them to return to fulfill their filial duties and take care of Mr. Cen.

Mr. Cen asked his two sons to resign from their official positions and move out of the capital. If they continued in the capital, they were afraid that they would be involved in something that would displease the emperor, and they would have to return to their hometown.

When Mrs. Cen saw that both of her sons had resigned from their official positions, her eyes turned red as she knew that they would most likely never become officials again.

"What a sin." Old Madam Cen thought that her two sons were already so grown up, and if her sons didn't take over, what would their family do in the future?

If they go back to their hometown, they will go back in disgrace.

Old Master Cen was still lying in bed. He had long known that the emperor would allow them to resign this time. If they didn't, the emperor would take action against the Cen family. They couldn't delay any longer. If they continued to delay, they would lose their lives.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day when the emperor would host a banquet for the researchers.