After Xiao Jinghan woke up in Prince Xian's Mansion, Emperor Wen immediately sent someone to bring him back to the palace.
The first thing he did was to ask Doctor Wen Mu, the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, to examine him. After the diagnosis, Doctor Wen came to see Emperor Wen with a grim expression on his face.
Doctor Wen thought for a moment before cautiously saying, "Your Majesty, Prince Xiao's external injuries are not serious. However, the poison in his body will probably mean he won't survive this year!"
Emperor Wen frowned and asked, "Can Prince Xiao, given his current health, leave offspring?"
Doctor Wen shook his head: "Your Majesty, this is very difficult!"
Emperor Wen warned Wen Mu: "Don't let anyone else know about this!"
After Wen Mu left, Emperor Wen entered the secret chamber. The walls of this chamber were covered with portraits of a woman. Her every smile and frown was so vivid, as if she could step out of the portrait at any moment. The painter must have known this woman very well, to have secretly captured her stunning beauty from different angles.
In the secret room, Emperor Wen silently gazed at the portraits, his heart filled with complex emotions. This woman was the love of his life, but he could not have her. He could only express his longing through these portraits.
The woman in the portrait is dressed in a gorgeous dress, wearing dazzling jewelry on her head, with a gentle smile on her lips and a charming look in her eyes. Her every movement and every expression is so graceful, as if she is a goddess descended to the earth.
Emperor Wen was overwhelmed with emotion, recalling the first time he had met this woman. It was a sunny morning, and he was strolling through the palace when he stumbled upon a woman dancing among the flowers. Her figure was light and graceful, like a butterfly flitting through the blossoms. Captivated by her beauty, Emperor Wen couldn't help but approach and strike up a conversation. From that moment on, he knew he had fallen in love with this exotic woman.
As time went by, Emperor Wen missed this woman more and more. He couldn't bear to live without her, but she married his most trusted general!
Although the woman left the palace, Emperor Wen's longing for her never diminished. He tried every possible means to keep her by his side...
Look closely, the eyes of the woman in the painting are exactly the same as Xiao Jinghan's. Yes! The woman in the painting is Xiao Jinghan's mother, the wife of Wu'an King Xiao Qichen, and the youngest princess of Youli Kingdom, Xiao He.
Emperor Wen sat in the secret room with a sorrowful face. He looked at Xiao He's portrait and said, "Xiao He! I have never thought of hurting you! I will raise your son as my own."
"I'm so sorry! I didn't protect him well! He not only has the Biluo poison, but also other poisons. He may not survive this year."
Emperor Wen sighed: "Don't worry! I will find a way to send someone to Youli to find the antidote!"
After the eighth princess's wedding, Emperor Wen pardoned the empress from her house arrest, but did not return her power over the harem.
The Queen thought about how her Phoenix Seal was still in the hands of Concubine An, and her eyes were filled with hatred. Over the years, the Li family had done so much for Emperor Wen and cleared so many obstacles.
Now that Emperor Wen had complete control of the court, he began to target the Li family. Just like the Empress Dowager's Xue family had helped Emperor Wen seize the throne, Emperor Wen felt that the Empress Dowager's maternal family threatened his imperial power.
All the officials of the Xue family were now sent out of the capital. Emperor Wen promoted the Xue family members on the surface, but in reality, he kept them away from the center of power!
Although Empress Dowager Xue was very angry about her son's behavior, she was powerless to do anything about it. Empress Dowager Xue knew Emperor Wen's temperament too well. If she angered Emperor Wen, the Xue family would disappear from the Dazhao Kingdom!
Now Emperor Wen and Empress Dowager Xue are still a loving mother and a filial son. As long as the request is not too excessive, Emperor Wen will still take care of the descendants of the Xue family.
The empress walked to Empress Dowager Xue's Cining Palace. She stroked her skirt and sneered inwardly. The empress dowager cared the most about Emperor Wen. If she felt that someone was trying to shake Emperor Wen's throne, she would definitely stand on her side.
After the empress left the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Xue went to see Emperor Wen in person.
Empress Dowager Xue was a woman of extraordinary wisdom and ruthless and decisive. It was she who successfully suppressed various forces and allowed Emperor Wen to ascend the throne.
Although Emperor Wen did not like the Xue family's monopoly of power in the court in his early years, he was very respectful to his mother.
Empress Dowager Xue could not bear to see her son being monopolized by her in-laws, so she did not stop Emperor Wen from suppressing the Xue family.
Although she hasn't been involved in court affairs for a long time, it doesn't mean that she is not aware of the power of various parties.
Empress Dowager Xue said to Emperor Wen: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and several other princes have reached adulthood. It is time to choose a concubine. These matters still require the Empress to preside over the overall situation."
Emperor Wen frowned and said, "Mother, choose concubines for the Crown Prince and the other princes. Qing Huan is also acceptable!"
Empress Dowager Xue lowered her eyes, twirling her Buddhist beads between her fingers. "Emperor! You blindly support military generals. You must remember how Prince Wu'an nearly rebelled! No matter how much the civil officials act, they don't have the military power to rebel. Excessive indulgence of military generals will only lead to disaster!"
A storm lurked in Emperor Wen's eyes, and his heart was boiling with rage. He recalled the secret guard's report that Prince Wu'an Xiao Qichen was preparing to lead his troops to attack the capital.
Emperor Wen's face remained calm as he replied respectfully, "I will have the Empress preside over the selection of concubines for the Crown Prince and the Prince."
Not long after Empress Dowager Xue returned to the Cining Palace, Concubine An took the palace maids to the Queen's Kunning Palace in person.
Concubine An handed the Phoenix Seal to Madam Liu, a smile on her pretty face. "Empress, His Majesty had no choice but to give me the Phoenix Seal. You know, I'm a very lazy person and don't like things that require too much effort."
Concubine An feigned a delicate smile and said, "But His Majesty told me that the Crown Prince went to the stables to snatch food, and the Eighth Princess...Alas! The ministers in the court and the common people are all watching! If I don't punish my sister, it will be difficult to convince everyone!"
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