"You vile woman, how dare you!" The Emperor stood up and slapped her hard, as if to throw away all his resentment and anger.
The imperial concubine was beaten until she saw stars, her ears rang, and her mouth was bloody. She lay helplessly on the ground, but she still kept laughing.
This further enraged the Emperor, causing him to lose his temper and shout, "Bring the Second Prince here!"
The second prince had been frail since childhood and went to bed early at night. As a result, he was arrested while still in his nightgown and taken to a room next door.
At that moment, he was dragged into the house by the guards and thrown down next to his mother. He was stunned for a long time.
The imperial concubine finally stopped laughing and began to feel fear.
She struggled to her feet, tightly hugged her pale-faced son, and cried out in a fierce but weak voice, "Your Majesty, even tigers don't eat their cubs! He is your own son!"
"Hmph, your own son? He's your own son too! Today I'll send you and your son to the Yellow Springs together, so you won't have to worry about it!" The emperor's eyes were already red and black, completely devoid of his usual gentle demeanor.
The imperial concubine finally realized she was scared and grabbed the second prince, lunging forward.
"Please beg your father not to kill you!"
The second prince, unaware of what was happening, was suddenly pushed to his father's feet. He raised his bewildered and frightened eyes, crying as he asked, "Father, sob, I don't know what happened..."
The emperor was about to call for an order when suddenly his throat tightened.
This son was a natural patient, and he had to put in a lot of effort to raise him. He finally managed to raise him to this age, so naturally he loved him dearly…
The bloodshot in his eyes gradually faded, and finally, with a heavy heart, he pushed the Second Prince away and pointed at the Imperial Concubine.
"If you want to live, show me what you've got. Otherwise, I will never spare a useless person!"
"Yes, yes!" The Imperial Concubine exclaimed immediately, fearing that the Emperor might change his mind. "I have a list of officials that the Empress Dowager has secretly contacted through me. Two of them are people you would never expect!"
"Who is it?" the Emperor immediately asked, but the Consort refused to answer. Instead, she said, "Your Majesty, I know I deserve to die, but everything I did was for the sake of the child. I had no selfish motives whatsoever."
"Now, I am willing to help Your Majesty uncover the two biggest hidden dangers. I only ask that Your Majesty have pity on the Second Prince, who has been weak since childhood and will not live long, and spare him this time. Even if you banish him from the palace, you must spare his life and ensure that he has enough to eat and wear."
"Your Majesty, please grant my request!"
The imperial concubine knelt properly and began to kowtow repeatedly.
In no time, her hair ornaments were completely gone, her hair was disheveled, and her forehead was bruised.
The second prince felt sorry for his mother and tried desperately to stop her, but he couldn't stop her and instead fell to the ground in the process...
The emperor's heart softened a little more, and when the imperial concubine's forehead bled, he finally promised, "As long as you keep your word, I will ensure that the second prince lives a life of luxury."
"What about the First Prince..." The Imperial Concubine was still worried.
The emperor waved his hand, his expression showing a hint of certainty.
"The eldest prince would never lay a hand on a sickly younger brother. I will also leave a secret decree when the time comes."
The imperial concubine refused to believe it and began kowtowing again, almost fainting.
Left with no other option, the Emperor wrote a secret edict on the spot and even had Chief Eunuch Yi deliver it to the Imperial Study to have the imperial seal affixed.
Seeing that the Second Prince was holding the secret edict, the Imperial Concubine was finally completely relieved.
She struggled forward and hugged her son tightly.
From the birth of my child until now, all the past events flashed before my eyes like a movie.
She poured her heart and soul into this child who came from her own body, all for his safety, happiness, and healthy growth.
Unfortunately, everything has failed now.
She wiped away her tears and choked out, "It's my fault for being useless and failing to win you the throne. But it's for the best. You're frail, so living as a wealthy person will allow you to live a peaceful old age."
"From now on, your mother will not be able to stay with you. You must remember to take good care of yourself, and offer incense to your mother during festivals to let her know you are safe and sound."
"Mother!" The second prince cried out in terror, clutching the imperial concubine's robes and wailing, "Mother, don't leave me! I'm scared! Waaah, I'm scared!"
The mother and son were separated as if by life and death, and Manager Yi cried so hard that he lowered his head even further.
The Emperor remained silent for a long time before instructing Chief Eunuch Yi, "Take the Second Prince away and settle him properly."
Steward Yi quickly stepped forward to help the Second Prince to his feet.
The two personal maids who served the Second Prince had been with him since childhood; one was skilled in cooking, and the other in needlework.
The two were initially pinned down in the courtyard, and everyone thought they were surely going to die.
Unexpectedly, they were suddenly summoned and given instructions.
It wasn't beheading, nor poison; it was actually serving the Second Prince to go and rest.
Overjoyed, the two quickly took the Second Prince and gently persuaded him to return to the side hall.
Steward Yi glanced at the Second Prince's back and thought to himself, "This child is truly blessed."
Although he was born into royalty, he had a mother who was willing to die for him and managed to pave a path for him to become a wealthy and leisurely person...
Inside the room, only the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor remained silent.
The imperial concubine didn't delay any longer, trying her best to gain more favor for her son, so she immediately said two names.
The Emperor was so shocked that his eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Impossible!"
These two people, one was his mentor who had supported him since his youth. Although he had retired early and had been recuperating at home for several years, his children and grandchildren were still officials in the court and had always been his capable assistants.
The other person was a military general he trusted greatly, whom he personally promoted from a guard to a commander. Even this man's first wife was a marriage he had specially arranged for him, and now she guarded the gates of the new capital…
The imperial concubine was mindful of her son, but the thought of facing death still made her angry, so she carefully uttered a sarcastic remark.
"Your Majesty may not know, but the grandson of your mentor, who has been the only son in four generations, has been poisoned by the Empress Dowager. He needs an antidote every month, or he will die from the poison."
"Therefore, he agreed to the Empress Dowager's promise to secretly and fully support the Second Prince's ascension to the throne and to support the Empress Dowager's regency. His son, who was a vice minister, would also be promoted to the position of minister."
"And then there's that commander you trust. He had a childhood sweetheart, and they were already engaged. But you forced him into marriage, and his true love became a concubine. He's depressed and ill every day."
"Of course he will hate you. He'll just wait until you die, then divorce the wife bestowed upon him by the emperor, elevate the concubine to the status of the legitimate wife, and make his children legitimate instead of illegitimate ones!"
The emperor's face was grim, and after a long while he finally managed to utter, "Good, that's wonderful!"
After saying that, he got up and walked out.
The imperial concubine panicked and stumbled after him to the door. Just as she was about to call out a few words, the guards gagged her, tied her up tightly, and threw her into the room...
Inside Zhilan Palace, Shuiling and Shuiyun originally intended to take turns guarding the gate, but they were too worried, so the two sisters simply sat together, supervising each other and staying alert.
At the end of the path outside the door, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from time to time, along with faint cries and shouts.
Even though Shui Ling was brave, she couldn't help but feel a little scared at this moment, and whispered to Shui Yun, "I want to go back to Suijin Beach. Home is still the best place."
Shuiyun held her in her arms and gently patted her back.
“I also want to go back, but the princess probably wants to go back even more. But being in the palace is like having a pair of eyes on the Emperor for the family and the Marquis. Moreover, the Liu family, the Jia family, the Gu family, and many other families are watching our family and following our lead.”
“The princess may seem to be enjoying herself here every day, eating, drinking, and having fun, but she actually has a lot on her shoulders. We can’t do much else, but we can accompany the princess, follow her orders, and guard the gate.”
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