Consort Li was the apple of the Zhong family's eye and was carefully raised by the family. She was known as a talented woman from a young age, not to mention her bright and beautiful appearance.
Back then, the Zhong family patriarch arranged for Consort Li to marry Zhao Fen, the youngest scholar in the imperial examinations. Everyone who knew about it praised them as a perfect match.
However, the engagement did not last long and ended when Consort Li entered the palace and the two broke off the engagement.
Everyone says that Consort Li betrayed Zhao Fen for wealth and glory, but only a few people know the truth about what happened back then.
In fact, Consort Li was forcibly taken by the Emperor after he got drunk at the Zhong family patriarch's birthday banquet.
Consort Li, the eldest daughter of a prominent family, could not bear such humiliation. After regaining her senses, she attempted suicide by hitting her head against a pillar, but was later saved by the imperial physicians.
The Emperor admitted that he had coveted Consort Li's talent and beauty in a despicable way, and that he was jealous that a poor scholar would one day marry such a girl. So, his drunkenness that time was a pretense, and his coercion of Consort Li was the truth.
He then discussed the matter with the old master of the Zhong family and issued an imperial edict to bring Consort Li into the palace.
Only the patriarch of the Zhong family, who has already been beheaded in the current Zhong family “treason” case, and the empress who attended the Zhong family’s birthday banquet with him knew about this matter.
The Empress has been a vegetarian and a Buddhist for many years, and she and Consort Li are aunts, so she cannot speak ill of Consort Li's reputation.
Over the years, he has never felt the slightest remorse for what happened back then. Now that his most beloved son has brought it up, what difference is there between this and trampling on his old face?
"Third brother, stop talking nonsense!"
The third prince realized he had said something he shouldn't have, and looked terrified.
"Father, I know I was wrong. I will not tell anyone about this..."
These words undoubtedly made the emperor even angrier.
He wished he could kill this rebellious son.
But his body was so stiff that he couldn't move, and he couldn't catch his breath; his face turned bluish-purple from suffocation.
Instinctively, the emperor stared wide-eyed and fell straight into the crown prince's arms.
"Father!"
The palace was thrown into chaos.
When the Imperial Concubine heard the news, she rushed over.
The Crown Prince had been guarding the Emperor's bedchamber. When he heard that the Imperial Concubine was coming, he was about to refuse her entry, but then he thought about it and let her in.
When the Imperial Noble Consort rushed in, the imperial physician had just finished taking the emperor's pulse.
"How is His Majesty?"
"His Majesty's anger has affected his health."
The Imperial Concubine walked to the bedside and saw that the Emperor's eyes were still tightly closed.
When will His Majesty wake up?
The imperial physician was in a dilemma.
"Well... His Majesty's health was already poor this year, and with this latest illness, I don't know when His Majesty will wake up."
The imperial physician knelt beside the bed, not daring to breathe.
The imperial concubine's eyes flickered, and her expression instantly turned sharp.
"His Majesty suffered a sudden and serious illness today. Anyone who dares to speak of what happened in the Imperial Study will have their head taken!"
How could the Crown Prince not see through her intentions?
She didn't want the Third Prince to be accused of angering the Emperor to the point of causing his death to spread.
"Why is Your Highness feeling guilty? Father's health is already poor, and Third Brother even said those nonsense words to deliberately anger Father. Your Highness can shut him up for a while, but do you think you can shut Father up when he wakes up?"
The Imperial Concubine had always disliked the Crown Prince, and even now, in front of everyone in the Emperor's palace, she didn't take him seriously.
"I think the Crown Prince knows best what weight my son holds in His Majesty's heart. He has only lost power temporarily. Do you think His Majesty would really be angry with my son over such a small matter? Even if you scheme and pretend to be a good son in front of His Majesty every day, His Majesty doesn't even see you."
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. From a young age, I have always remembered my father's teachings that filial piety should come first for us siblings. Even if my father does not like me, I am still his son. Now that my father is ill, I should be by his side to fulfill my filial duty. How can a son's duty be considered scheming in Your Highness's words?"
The imperial concubine had her back to the bed, so much so that she didn't even notice when the emperor opened his eyes.
"You talk a good game, but if the Empress had even half your intelligence, she wouldn't have turned the Empress's palace into a cold palace."
"Your Highness, you may speak ill of me, but please do not speak ill of the Empress Dowager... Father Emperor!"
The Crown Prince looked in surprise towards the area behind the Imperial Concubine.
The imperial concubine stiffened and turned around to meet the emperor's murderous gaze.
"Your Majesty, I am late."
A gentle drizzle.
The Emperor used to be most smitten with her. She looked most like Consort Li, but she possessed a tenderness and affection that Consort Li never showed to him.
She knew that the Emperor favored Consort Li, so she endured hardship to study poetry and literature and learn to be as elegant as Consort Li. The Emperor felt that she was Heaven's compensation for not being able to win Consort Li's heart.
But looking at that face now, he felt as if he had been blinded.
Where is there even a trace of the elegance that Consort Li possessed in this woman?
"I only learned today that my Consort has two faces."
"No, Your Majesty..."
"Guards, imprison the Imperial Concubine in Anxiang Palace. The Third Prince shall move out of the palace immediately and be confined to his residence. He shall not leave his residence without my decree!"
"His Majesty!"
Like a bolt from the blue, the imperial concubine knelt down with a thud.
"What are you all standing there for? Take her away!" The Grand Eunuch hurriedly ordered the palace servants to carry the Imperial Concubine out.
The Crown Prince stepped forward to inquire about the Emperor's health.
"Father, please take care of your health."
The emperor shook his head.
"You should go back too. I want to be alone."
"yes."
The crown prince remained obedient throughout.
Once his figure disappeared, the emperor could no longer hold on and vomited blood.
"emperor!"
Today, the palace is destined to be anything but peaceful.
After returning to the palace, the Crown Prince dismissed everyone and closed his eyes tightly for a moment.
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