"Enough with the nonsense, my mind is made up!" The Emperor of Dongying looked at the Empress: "With a group of nannies and maids serving him, I really don't believe the Seventh Prince can't be raised properly!"
The empress's face flushed red from the rebuke.
Even though Consort Xian cried until she fainted, the Emperor of Dongying did not budge. He expressionlessly ordered his men to help Consort Xian back, but he did not want to look at the eldest prince even once more.
He resisted the urge to depose the person.
"I'll leave the banquet to the Empress," the Emperor of Japan said, issuing an order to dismiss the guests.
The Empress nodded reluctantly.
Jingyang Palace fell silent.
The Emperor of Dongying stood guard by the bed, listening to Chan'er say, "This servant witnessed the First Prince punching and kicking the Imperial Concubine, trying to ruin her reputation. This servant shouted until I was hoarse, but I couldn't get any help."
These words aroused the suspicion of the Japanese emperor: "Where are the others?"
"Your Majesty, a few were borrowed by the Imperial Household Department, and the rest secretly slipped away to watch a play and collect their rewards," Chan'er muttered softly.
The Emperor of Japan waved his hand and said, "Those who desert their posts shall be sent to the Censorate, and the Imperial Household Department shall send another batch over."
"yes."
The entire staff of Jingyang Palace was replaced.
The Emperor of Japan stayed in Jingyang Palace for three whole days without stepping out of his room.
During this time, the Empress visited once. Seeing the Emperor of Japan staying up all night and never leaving his side, she felt truly distressed.
"Imperial Physician, how is the Imperial Concubine now?"
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is determined to die and is reluctant to open her eyes," said Physician Li.
The Empress frowned. The child was only a little over a month old. Was it really necessary to react like this?
Turning to look at the Emperor of Japan, she sighed inwardly. Yet, the Emperor of Japan had taken a liking to her; in the end, she was still unlucky.
Not long after the Empress left, Consort Xian came to apologize. She knelt at the bottom of the steps and kowtowed repeatedly towards the inside, until her fair forehead became red and swollen.
"Your Majesty, I know my crime. I am willing to atone for my sins to the Noble Consort, even if it means paying with my life." The Virtuous Consort cried out in anguish.
Finally, the Emperor of Japan appeared.
Consort Xian held up a scripture with both hands: "This is a scripture that I have copied day and night to pray for the Noble Consort. I am willing to atone for my sins."
Seeing the frail body of the Imperial Concubine swaying precariously, the Emperor of Dongying's anger subsided by a third. He said in a hoarse voice, "Get up."
"Your Majesty?" Consort Xian asked in surprise.
"I will no longer pursue this matter."
Consort Xian was incredulous. She quickly said, "Your Majesty, a mother's heart is connected to her child's. I really can't live without Xiao Qi. Please, Your Majesty, return Xiao Qi to me."
The Emperor of Japan said, "We'll discuss this after the Imperial Concubine wakes up."
"Your Majesty..." Consort Xian's throat seemed to be blocked when she heard this. Why should her son wait until Consort Gui woke up before discussing this?
"Your Majesty," Imperial Physician Li stepped forward, beaming with joy, "The Seventh Prince cried twice in the Consort's ear, and she actually woke up!"
"Really?" The Emperor of Dongying was overjoyed and immediately abandoned Consort Xian, turning around and going inside.
Consort Xian felt as if her heart had fallen into an ice cave, and she clenched her fists tightly.
"Your Highness, I heard the Seventh Prince crying." The palace maid wept, "The Imperial Concubine will certainly not return the Seventh Prince to you so easily."
With tears streaming down her face, Consort Xian said, "I will not give up easily. No one can take Xiao Qi away from me!"
The child's cries made Linghu Ning open her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, looked at the group with some confusion, and then looked around. "Where is this?"
"Ning'er?" the Emperor of Dongying called softly.
Linghu Ning looked at the other person with a puzzled expression, her gaze involuntarily drawn to the Seventh Prince: "Why is he crying?"
The wet nurse was somewhat embarrassed. She glanced at the Japanese emperor's expression and dared not speak carelessly. The Japanese emperor said, "Perhaps he is hungry."
Linghu Ning smiled brightly, touched her belly, and pointed at the Seventh Prince cautiously, asking, "Is this one my child?"
"Your Highness, this is..."
"Of course!" The Emperor of Dongying nodded, glancing at Chan'er, who shrank back in fright.
Linghu Ning gestured for the wet nurse to bring the child closer, and the wet nurse did so. Linghu Ning reached out and teased the child, grinning from ear to ear.
The Emperor of Japan smiled as well.
Corridor
Consort Xian has already left.
After Linghu Ning fell asleep, the Emperor of Dongying asked Imperial Physician Li, "What's wrong with the Imperial Concubine?"
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has suffered a great shock, resulting in selective amnesia. The impact also caused the bruises to shift, which has actually cleared her vision. Your Majesty, the young prince is extremely important to the Imperial Concubine now," said Imperial Physician Li.
The Emperor of Dongying suddenly realized, and after a moment he summoned his personal eunuch: "Issue the order that from this day forward, the Seventh Prince is the Imperial Concubine's biological son. No one is allowed to discuss or leak this information. Otherwise, their entire family will be executed!"
"yes!"
Upon receiving the imperial edict, Consort Xian was so angry that she vomited blood, fainted from lack of breath, and was completely numb when she awoke.
"So you're so obsessed with a princess sent for a political marriage? What about me all these years? My father and brothers fought and died to consolidate the country for him, and in the end, I had to watch that woman steal my child!"
The virtuous concubine was extremely angry.
No matter how the palace maids tried to persuade him, he couldn't calm down: "The Empress must have been involved in this whole thing. It just so happens that the Imperial Household Department was short of staff and had to use servants from Jingyang Palace. The prince is impulsive and got tricked without even realizing it."
Consort Xian decided to fight to the death and expose the Empress's hypocritical facade of being a nice person!
"Go and deliver a message to Father, asking him to expose in court the collusion between the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion and the Crown Princess of Northern Chu! The Empress is also involved."
“Arrest the spies from the Imperial Household Department and pry their mouths open.”
"And that Chan'er..." Consort Xian's eyes were sharp. If she didn't want things to turn out well, no one else would either: "Also spread the news that the Emperor was poisoned to save Linghu Ning, sought medicine from Northern Chu, and compromised with Northern Chu by not attacking. Let the people and the army know that the Emperor was bewitched by a witch and that Linghu Ning was a spy sent by Northern Chu."
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