Emperor Jingming could not tolerate the Empress Dowager being implicated.

Would an elder who had helped him to power and then lived in seclusion target a granddaughter in Fuqing?

This makes absolutely no sense and is unacceptable.

But deep down, he had some doubts about Cining Palace, so he became more and more annoyed by Concubine Xian's words.

Concubine Xian coughed, leaving bloodstains on her handkerchief. She looked at Emperor Jingming sadly and said, "It was the Empress who spoke nonsense first, so I had no choice but to ask back."

Emperor Jingming glanced at the Empress and said coldly: "You still want to drag the Empress into this time. You are simply unrepentant!"

It was a habit for Emperor Jingming to protect the dignity of the empress in front of the concubines, but he also felt that the empress's words were a bit extreme.

Looking at the blood on the handkerchief in Concubine Xian's hand, Emperor Jingming said with a sullen face: "White silk or poisoned wine, you choose one. Considering that you have followed me for many years, I will reward you with an intact body."

Concubine Xian was shocked and fell to the ground, trembling. She whispered, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

She thought she was terminally ill and would not live long, and that it was worth sacrificing her life to let her son take the path of the Queen Mother. But when death really came, it turned out that she was still afraid.

The Queen saw this and said in a hurry: "Your Majesty, no!"

"What?" Emperor Jingming looked at the empress expressionlessly.

The Empress knelt and bowed to Emperor Jingming: "Your Majesty, I still think that Concubine Xian has another hidden reason for harming Fuqing. It is definitely not as simple as secretly hating me for registering Jian'er under my name——"

"Then what do you think is the hidden story?" Emperor Jingming asked back.

The queen was silent for a moment.

Based on her understanding of the Emperor, he would surely be angry if she openly expressed her suspicion of the Empress Dowager.

The queen had no choice but to say, "What's the secret? We can only find out by prying open Concubine Xian's mouth."

Concubine Xian lay on the ground, staring at Yuzhu and sneering.

The room was brightly lit, and the jade bricks reflected Concubine Xian's blurry face and the upturned corners of her mouth.

Pry open her mouth? Queen, forget it!

She knew that the Queen did not dare to directly express her suspicions about the Queen Mother, as this would surely make the Emperor furious.

"Your Majesty, ever since the Seventh Prince and I severed our mother-son relationship, I was confused for a moment and became jealous of the Empress, which led to what happened today. But the Empress kept saying that there was another hidden story, saying that I was deceived by someone else, which makes me confused. I am a dying person. If someone really deceived me, would I be willing to be a scapegoat and let that person stay out of it?"

Emperor Jingming listened to Concubine Xian's words and had to admit that there was some truth in them.

Concubine Xian continued, "I am not a low-ranking concubine. I have given birth to two princes. Apart from you, the Queen, and the Queen Mother, who I just mentioned, who can deceive me? I have clearly explained the reasons, but the Queen refused to believe it... Your Majesty, the words of a dying person are kind. Even if you hate me and annoy me, please think carefully about the Queen's purpose in saying this-"

"That's enough. It's not your turn as a sinner to comment on what the Queen says!" Emperor Jingming shouted.

After hearing what Concubine Xian said, the Queen was furious but had to admit that the other party was eloquent.

It was clearly a disastrous situation with no hope of survival, yet she was able to sow discord between the emperor and her, causing the emperor to harbor resentment towards her.

This way, the Emperor would definitely be suspicious if she mentioned the Empress Dowager again.

Just as the Queen was about to speak, Concubine Xian suddenly grabbed her clothes and started coughing violently.

She coughed harder and harder, with large mouthfuls of blood spurting out of her mouth. It was extremely terrifying to look at.

Emperor Jingming had never been shocked like this before. He was stunned for a moment and shouted urgently: "Call the imperial physician..."

Concubine Xian deserved to die, but watching her cough to death was still unbearable.

The Empress was even more anxious than Emperor Jingming, and urged her confidant, "Send the imperial physician here quickly!"

Concubine Xian looked at the empress's anxiety with a smile in her eyes, but she coughed even more violently. Suddenly, a mouthful of blood spurted out and she fell straight down.

Her head hit the cold jade brick, but Concubine Xian could no longer feel the pain. When darkness came, a tear fell from the corner of her eye.

At that moment, many scenes flashed before her eyes.

There were the teachings and expectations her mother had for her when she was young, the excitement and long-lasting numbness when she first saw the emperor in the palace, the joy of giving birth to her eldest son, and the struggles and forbearances during her long career in the harem.

And at this moment, as the blood left the body, everything dissipated, taking with it her unwillingness and regret, as well as a little hope of the weak spider silk.

Zhang'er, mother can no longer help you...

When the imperial physician arrived, he did not dare to show any fear at what he saw. After examining Concubine Xian, he bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Xian's nurse has passed away."

Emperor Jingming stared at Concubine Xian's corpse for a long while, then said calmly, "Drag her away. Ji murdered two princesses, and her crime is grave. She will be demoted to a commoner and cannot be buried in the imperial mausoleum..."

Afterwards, the emperor and empress remained silent for a long time.

The candles in the room flickered and were already mostly burned out.

Emperor Jingming was the first to break the silence: "If the Queen Mother asks, just give her a few simple words to save her from worrying."

The Queen lowered her eyes and asked, "Should we explain the situation to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion?"

"I will arrange this. Call the fourth son into the palace tomorrow and let him see Ji Shi for the last time."

The Queen nodded slightly, and watched coldly as the body of Concubine Xian was dragged away by two palace maids. She pursed her lips and asked Emperor Jingming: "Your Majesty, do you really think that Concubine Xian...Ji killed Fuqing because she was jealous of the seventh son being registered under my name?"

"What else?" Emperor Jingming stared at the empress with a burning gaze. "Who does the empress suspect?"

He paused and asked, "The Queen Mother?"

The queen's eyelashes trembled and she wanted to nod, but reason stopped her.

"I dare not...but several incidents in Fuqing are related to Cining Palace. Your Majesty, don't you find it strange?"

Emperor Jingming looked a little unhappy: "I also think that there is a traitor hiding in Cining Palace, but before the matter is investigated, the Queen should not make random suspicions, lest it chills the Queen Mother's heart and makes me feel uncomfortable."

The Queen tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, when do you think the truth can be uncovered? Fuqing has been victimized time and again, and the fifteenth and fourteenth have died in vain. Are you going to let the palace continue to be filled with foul smells?"

"Does the Queen still think that Ji's murder of Fuqing is related to Cining Palace?"

The queen said calmly, "I only know that there is always a reason for smoke."

"You——" Emperor Jingming was a little angry out of shame.

The Empress and Emperor Jingming looked at each other without backing down.

"I will have people keep a close eye on the Cining Palace, so please don't have any more wild thoughts, Your Majesty!" Emperor Jingming said, then left angrily.

The queen sat down, slammed the table in anger, and cursed: "Foolish filial piety! Obsessed and ignorant! Old and muddleheaded!"

As he was cursing, he saw Emperor Jingming coming back.

The queen's voice paused.

Emperor Jingming listened to half of the empress's scolding, and for the sake of face, he couldn't expose it, so he said with a dark face: "This is the Yangxin Palace!"

It's obviously his territory, why should he leave? If anyone should leave, it should be the Queen.

The empress stood up, bowed to Emperor Jingming with a stern face, and left with a flick of her sleeves.

Just go, do you think she wants to stay here?