"Third son, I don't care if you're naive and ignorant, and I'll turn a blind eye to your womanizing, but! How can our royal bloodline be ruined by an unknown woman! I'm telling you clearly, this child cannot be kept!" The Empress Dowager glared at Su Shunhe and continued.

Su Shunhe was pale, and large drops of sweat slid down his forehead to the ground. He opened his mouth but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

He knelt before the Empress Dowager, bowed, and prepared to leave.

"Come back! Did I say you could leave?" The Empress Dowager was furious about what had happened before, and her tone was full of anger.

Su Shunhe slumped his head, turned around, and returned to his previous position, looking dejected as he awaited the Empress Dowager's judgment.

"Look at yourself, Su Shunhe! Look at yourself now! How can you be so different from your second brother!" The Empress Dowager continued to scold Su Shunhe with great disappointment.

Su Shunhe remained silent, and the Empress Dowager's anger escalated even further.

It felt like throwing a blazing torch onto a lake where water and oil have separated; the fire burned ever brighter, while the water below remained completely still. A surge of anger welled up inside, with nowhere to be released.

"You... never mind, take good care of A-Shu! I will send people to guard the Third Prince's residence for a while, and you two should stay in the residence and reflect on your mistakes!" After saying that, the Empress Dowager waved her hand impatiently, shooing Su Shunhe out as if she were shooing away flies.

The moment Su Shunhe stepped out of Qirong Palace, his eyes sharpened. He gripped his sleeve tightly, unaware that a gleaming dagger was hidden inside.

He couldn't understand why, despite all these years of trying his best to disguise himself as an innocent and unrestrained Third Prince, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor still distrusted him and now wanted to kill his only child.

Thinking of this, he unconsciously quickened his pace and walked towards his Third Prince's residence.

...

At Qirong Palace, a girl who looked like a maid appeared before the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the people around her without changing her expression. "You may all go inside for now!"

After bowing, the palace maids and eunuchs pushed open the door and left.

"Ta Xue, how did you do with the things I assigned you?" The Empress Dowager asked, her tone turning colder as everyone left.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the person is already on the carriage and should arrive in about a week, however..."

The Empress Dowager, who had been smiling, immediately darkened her face upon hearing the last three words, "Ta Xue." She frowned and asked, "However? Ta Xue, I remember you never say those three words?"

The powerful aura made Taxue kneel on the spot, kowtowing as she explained, "Your Majesty, there was indeed a slight accident during the process of receiving the person, but it was insignificant. He was just a seventh-rank county magistrate, and his death was not a pity!"

After hearing this, the Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows, turned to look in the direction where Jiang Ling was resting, and said meaningfully, "I didn't expect that person to be so meticulous. Ta Xue, there's no need to be so ruthless in some things. If you drive someone to a dead end and they disappear, we'll definitely be fine!"

After hearing this, Ta Xue nodded and whispered, "This servant knows what to do!"

The Empress Dowager was very satisfied. She rubbed her slightly sore temples and said to Taxue, "Alright, I'm tired. Help me back to rest! The sooner this matter is finished, the sooner it's over!"

After hearing this, Ta Xue got up and quickly walked to the Empress Dowager's side, gently stroking her as she walked into the bedroom at the back.

...

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Ling found it incredibly boring to stay in the imperial city during this time. Although it was a large and luxurious place, it had a strict hierarchy, and even taking a wrong step could lead to death.

Jiang Ling was bored and had already counted the floor tiles in her small room for who knows how many times when Yingxue slowly walked in with Physician Hu.

After the routine check-up, Physician Hu nodded and said to Yingxue, "Madam's injuries are almost healed. She can finish this dose of medicine and that will be enough!"

Hearing Doctor Hu's words, Jiang Ling felt a little happy. Recently, Jiang Ling had been "tortured" by those bitter Chinese medicines every day. Although she secretly went to the mall to buy some fruit candies, the bitterness and sourness of the Chinese medicine made her almost nauseous several times.

Yingxue was very happy to hear what Physician Hu said. After thanking Physician Hu, she turned to Jiang Ling and bowed, saying, "An'an, I'm going out for a bit!" Before Jiang Ling could ask any questions, she disappeared from sight.

Before long, the eunuch's shrill voice reached Jiang Ling's ears.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Physician Hu and Jiang Ling knelt down.

"You may rise, no need for formalities!" The Empress Dowager glanced at Physician Hu and Jiang Ling and said indifferently.

With the Empress Dowager's arrival, the originally simple environment suddenly became complicated. Physician Hu and Jiang Ling stood on either side, appearing somewhat restrained.

The Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Physician Hu, and she looked at Yingxue beside her, saying, "Yingxue, send Physician Hu back to the Imperial Hospital first. I have a few words to say to Lady An!"

Yingxue nodded, quickly packed up Physician Hu's medicine box, and then respectfully invited Physician Hu to leave the room.

"You may all leave!" the Empress Dowager said, glancing at the people around her.

At this moment, only Jiang Ling and the Empress Dowager remained in the small room.

The Empress Dowager's imposing aura made Jiang Ling feel uneasy. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, thinking that if the other party did something to her disadvantage, she would immediately buy some modern weapons from the mall to intimidate her.

"Don't be nervous, sit down and talk!" The Empress Dowager seemed to notice Jiang Ling's unease and gently comforted her.

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