Half an hour ago, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After their lovemaking, Consort Chen was in an exceptionally good mood.

After the two finished bathing, Consort Chen helped the emperor change his clothes while thinking about catching him in the act of adultery in the pool later.

Didn't he want to take Ningyin as his concubine? He'll see with his own eyes how his beloved beauty will react after his son takes her.

If someone is so old and still thinking about young girls, then he should be made to give up on that idea completely.

Thinking it over, Consort Chen calculated the time; it would be about a quarter of an hour before the person she had arranged would come to inform her.

At that time, the emperor probably never dreamed that Ningyin would try to curry favor with his own son for wealth and status.

Everything is easy to explain. Ningyin looked down on the old emperor, so she pretended to be reserved, but in fact she had long harbored feelings for the crown prince.

She's a doctor; getting her hands on this kind of medicine wouldn't be a problem for her.

Thanks to Yang Shuhuan's brilliant plan, she had the opportunity to get rid of several troublemakers at once.

Consort Chen lowered her head and smiled sinisterly, while the Emperor was still thinking about Ning Yin's face.

Although the person in front of me is beautiful, she is old after all, and can hardly compare to the nineteen-year-old Ning Yin.

I haven't seen her for the past few days, and I don't know what she's decided.

As the two returned to the imperial bed and were preparing to retire for the night, they heard Eunuch Zhuang panting as he announced something from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A servant from Phoenix Terrace has come to report that His Highness the Crown Prince has been assassinated."

Upon hearing this, the emperor broke out in a cold sweat and, without saying a word, got into his sedan chair and rushed over to Phoenix Terrace.

Just as the group rushed over, the emperor saw a dagger suddenly fly out of the Heavenly Water Pool. If he hadn't been in the right position to avoid the attack, he would probably have already lost his life.

Yang Shuhuan let out a few miserable screams, and the emperor frowned, displeased.

He had just heard Xiao Xuan tell them to get out, and there was clearly only Xiao Xuan inside, so where did the assassin come from?

Moreover, even if there were truly assassins, with his son's skills and abilities, he would certainly not succeed.

The emperor, being meticulous, immediately saw through the deception, angrily flung his sleeves, and turned to leave.

Remembering the Crown Prince's outburst of anger, she turned back and said, "Crown Prince, come to the main hall when you are dressed."

The emperor spoke coldly as he strode out of the palace, followed closely by Consort Chen and the others.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with your medicine?"

Consort Chen and Yang Shuhuan walked side by side, with Consort Chen whispering to Yang Shuhuan.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Father has told me that this medicine is extremely potent. No matter how chaste or virtuous a woman is, she cannot withstand it. Ningyin also has the powder on her. His Highness the Crown Prince will also succumb to it if he smells it. Let's just wait quietly for the show to begin."

Yang Shuhuan covered her face with a handkerchief, too excited to care about her minor injury.

"If that's the case, then that's for the best. Have you also notified Li Chengyan and Shen Yun?"

"This time you have to let Shen Yun see with his own eyes that the woman he's obsessed with is nothing but a harlot who will stop at nothing for power. When these two men find out the truth, they'll probably hate Xiao Xuan to death."

"Your Majesty, the news has spread, and they should all be on their way."

Consort Chen and Yang Shuhuan covered their mouths and laughed as they talked. The group followed the emperor to the main hall of Phoenix Terrace. The emperor went straight to the head seat without turning his head.

The emperor's expression was dignified and imposing. Although he was usually a womanizer, he had been an emperor for decades.

How could he not guess the nature of these underhanded tricks?

"Bring up the palace servants who came to report today!"

The emperor uttered a cold sentence, his gaze filled with a sharp and intimidating aura.

Meanwhile, at Tianshui Pool, Xiao Xuan spent a great deal of effort to pull the person out of the pool. He had almost been bewitched, but the emperor's words reminded him that he should first find out who the culprit was.

Although the two of them were now completely soaked, there was one advantage to being in the water for so long: it could temporarily suppress the toxins in their bodies.

Ning Yin slowly opened her eyes and saw Xiao Xuan in front of her, which made her relax her vigilance a little.

Her soft, boneless arms draped over Xiao Xuan's neck as the man carried her to Empress Yao's bedchamber and carefully placed her on the bed.

"Ah Ning, how are you feeling now?"

While looking for clothes for others, he turned back with concern to inquire about Ning Yin's condition.

"I'm alright, not as uncomfortable as before, just a little weak. I think I heard His Majesty's voice just now..."

"Jingyuan, you...you and the Crown Prince, are you...?"

"Yes, I am Crown Prince Xiao Xuan. Aning, can I explain this to you properly when you are feeling better?"

Xiao Xuan openly admitted his identity, knowing that after today, he could no longer hide it.

When Ning Yin heard Xiao Xuan say this, her eyes widened immediately. Although she had suspected it, she still couldn't believe that the two of them were the same person.

Even on the day she saw Li Chengyan, she tried her best to convince herself that perhaps it was just a coincidence, that they just looked alike.

But now, hearing this fact directly from Xiao Xuan's mouth, she couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably.

That wealthy businessman, Li Xuan, who was afraid of cockroaches but saved him several times, was actually the current crown prince.

Xiao Xuan, the future emperor who is second only to the emperor.

She never imagined that she would one day be involved with such a powerful man.

Shen Yun, relying on his status as a general, was arrogant and domineering.

And what about him? He's the most noble man in the world, the man countless women want to marry. Would he really be devoted to a divorced woman?

Besides, she never intended to spend her whole life in this deep palace. She was just a minor imperial physician, yet so many people wanted to kill her.

If one day she becomes Xiao Xuan's concubine, will there be even more monsters and demons waiting for her?

Thinking of this, Ning Yin's emotions became uncontrollably agitated, and she found it even more difficult to accept that the man she had finally fallen for had been deceiving her all along.

Xiao Xuan walked over with a brand-new palace dress in his hand. He could see the fear and dread in the woman's eyes, and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

"Ah Ning, don't be afraid, I'm here for you. Change your clothes first, then I'll take you back to the East Palace. Don't catch a cold..."