"Lingxi, a mere maid, cannot prove that the Empress Dowager poisoned the Eighth Princess Consort. Why did you run into the palace to cause trouble?"
"Even if we take a step back and assume that the Eighth Princess Consort was really poisoned, it was all staged by herself!"
The old prince said with certainty, "Don't worry, he won't die."
Zhao Zhiyan's eyes narrowed: "Isn't it a bit too biased for Your Highness to misunderstand my wife based solely on the Empress Dowager's words?"
"Are you questioning me?" The old prince frowned, pointing at Zhao Zhiyan. "Have you forgotten how I taught you manners?"
Back then, Emperor Taizu sent a group of princes to be trained by the old prince, among whom was Zhao Zhiyan. Of the princes, he was the most worry-free and received the least punishment.
When Emperor Taizu appointed Beiqi as Crown Prince, the old prince was somewhat puzzled. Both Emperor Beiqi and Emperor Beichu had overly intense personalities, while the Eighth Prince was gentle and would surely be a benevolent ruler.
Emperor Taizu smiled but said nothing.
In retrospect, it seems that Emperor Taizu was indeed prescient.
Zhao Zhiyan took a deep breath: "This junior dares not."
The old prince snorted heavily: "For a woman, he ruined his marriage, defied his elders, and now he's even going to throw away the reputation he's worked so hard to build. Is it worth it?"
The relatives present had considerable opinions about Xu Lingqing.
Many of those who opposed Xu Lingqing's marriage to Zhao Zhiyan did so not because Xu Lingqing was of low status and unworthy of the Eighth Prince.
Rather, Xu Lingqing's fate was that of a solitary and unlucky person, destined to bring misfortune to her husband.
The relatives couldn't directly reveal the matter, lest it damage Xu Lingqing's reputation, so they used the excuse of inappropriate status to obstruct the marriage.
Who would have thought that the usually obedient Eighth Prince would send Xu Lingqing to Japan and have her return under a different identity.
The clan members were very disappointed.
Zhao Zhiyan rested one hand on his lower back, his gaze fixed on the old prince: "Can anyone here guarantee that my wife will not die at the hands of the Western Regions' Huanyan? If she does die, what will happen?"
"What kind of talk is this?" Empress Dowager Xu asked angrily. "Eighth Prince, are you going to take your anger out on your relatives? You haven't even been appointed Crown Prince yet, and you still need the support of your relatives. You should restrain yourself!"
A single sentence reminded the clansmen present that Zhao Zhiyan was destined to become the crown prince, or even hold a higher position. Given his meticulous and calculating nature, once he ascended to the throne, he would surely seek revenge on those present.
The relatives looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Eighth Prince, if you are not satisfied with Lingxi, you could have killed her. Why did you have to turn her into a human pig to threaten me?"
Seeing that the fire wasn't burning bright enough, Empress Xu added more fuel to the flames, clutching her chest tightly: "Human pig is a cruel punishment that hasn't been used for many years. You... are too cruel."
Since she was determined to break off relations, Empress Dowager Xu stopped hiding her true intentions and kept adding fuel to the fire, causing Zhao Zhiyan to lose face in front of the imperial relatives.
Zhao Zhiyan was irritated and agitated: "Does the Empress Dowager refuse to hand over the antidote?"
Empress Dowager Xu looked at him in horror: "I did not poison you, so how can you provide an antidote?"
Knowing that continuing the argument would be futile, Zhao Zhiyan bowed and withdrew. After he left, Empress Dowager Xu swayed precariously, her eyes brimming with tears: "Tan Mama, who had served me for decades, went to the Eighth Prince's residence to apologize, and was beaten to death."
"Is that really true?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Empress Dowager Xu covered her face and wept bitterly, but in reality, she hated Zhao Zhiyan to the core. The fact that he had killed Granny Tan was a deep-seated thorn in her side.
How could she possibly let someone like that get to that position?
The old prince suddenly stood up: "I haven't seen the Emperor for a long time, I'll go and pay my respects to him now."
Seeing this, the others all stood up and followed.
A group of relatives went to the Northern Chu Emperor and earnestly advised him not to pass the throne to Zhao Zhiyan.
The Emperor of Northern Chu remained silent.
He even used feeling unwell as an excuse to leave the main hall in a hurry.
Over the next few days, Zhao Zhiyan exhausted himself trying to find the antidote, watching as Xu Lingqing's life grew weaker and weaker, and she might leave him at any moment.
Zhao Zhiyan's emotions were also on the verge of collapse.
...
As night deepened, a cool breeze blew against the skin. In the dimly lit room, candlelight flickered, and a woman dressed in a brown robe could be seen holding a scripture book in her hand, numbly reciting the verses.
Day after day, it was the same every single day.
Finally, we reached the last page.
The woman closed the scripture and placed it in the center of the table, then slowly stood up, supporting herself with one hand on the table.
Suddenly the candlelight flickered.
A black figure burst in.
"who?"
The woman's eyelids twitched, and she looked at the newcomer warily. The black-clad figure was completely covered up, holding a sword in his hand, which gleamed coldly.
"You, do you know that trespassing on the imperial tomb is a capital offense!" The woman's voice trembled as she helplessly leaned against the wall. The newcomer said, "Your Highness, do not be afraid. I have been ordered to deliver medicine to Your Highness. On the third day of next month, the Emperor will come to the imperial tomb to offer sacrifices and will surely be assassinated. If Your Highness can step forward to save the Emperor's life, you will surely be able to return to the capital."
Hearing the man's words, the woman realized he wasn't there to take her life, and her emotions gradually calmed down: "I am no longer Consort Rou, you may go back."
"Does the Dowager Consort know that the Prince is in a precarious situation? He is being attacked by the clan, has lost the support of the people, and is being criticized. He may not be able to remain the Crown Prince. Furthermore, the Prince has offended the Empress Dowager, who is preparing to teach him a lesson. If you continue to stay in the Imperial Mausoleum, you will definitely become the Prince's weakness."
The woman was none other than Consort Rou. She stared intently at the man in black: "Why should I believe you? And who are you?"
The man in black knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, I am the personal bodyguard of the Eighth Prince's Consort."
Consort Rou frowned. Although she was trapped in the imperial mausoleum, she could still hear about the Eighth Princess from her maids. She was a peasant girl.
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