Shen Mingzhuang smiled faintly and said indifferently, "His Majesty has many beauties around him. One more or one less makes no difference."
Upon hearing this, Tan Yonglin hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you are truly mistaken. In His Majesty's heart, there is no one whose status and prestige are higher than Your Majesty's. You have seen it yourself, His Majesty..."
"So where is my maid's body now?"
Shen Mingzhuang interrupted Tan Yonglin, whose face showed a hint of panic before he hesitated and said, "The Empress's maid, Xue Rong, died last night from a high fever and was sent out of the palace overnight."
He hadn't expected Consort Ming to care so much about a maid. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Your Highness, could it be that you're angry with His Majesty because of this? You've really wronged His Majesty. His Majesty summoned a physician to treat Xue Rong, but unfortunately, her injuries are too severe..."
Shen Mingzhuang's steps faltered slightly, and suddenly a tightness gripped her chest. She couldn't help but lean against the wall, but the discomfort grew increasingly severe. In the passageway flanked by bright red palace walls, she couldn't help but squat down and vomit.
Tan Yonglin's heart skipped a beat as he looked at her, and he quickly said, "The Imperial Hospital is not far ahead. Why don't you go to the Imperial Hospital and have the physician take your pulse?"
Shen Mingzhuang waved his hand, declining Tan Yonglin's offer.
"Eunuch Tan, you may return now."
Tan Yonglin stood there, sighing inwardly. What was wrong with His Majesty and the Empress? Couldn't they talk things out properly? Why did they always end up on bad terms? The two of them were a perfect match, a match made in heaven. In his eyes, they were a perfect couple. It would be a real pity if they became strangers in the future.
Furthermore, the way Consort Ming reacted just now seemed somewhat familiar to him.
Shen Mingzhuang took two steps, then stopped and turned to look at Tan Yonglin.
Tan Yonglin was still standing there, seemingly lost in thought. She took two steps back, and Tan Yonglin snapped out of her reverie, bowing slightly as she stepped forward to greet her. "Does Your Majesty have any instructions?"
Shen Mingzhuang's face was somewhat pale. She opened her mouth but then wanted to give up. However, if she didn't ask anything, she would find it hard to calm down. After thinking for a moment, she carefully asked, "Does His Majesty still visit the Hehuan Palace often these days?"
Tan Yonglin was somewhat surprised to hear this. Just moments ago, the Empress had acted as if she didn't care, but now she had come back to ask him about this matter. An outsider's perspective is clear; the Empress was obviously concerned about His Majesty.
He clicked his tongue, sighed, and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty may not know, but after Consort Shu became pregnant, His Majesty rarely visited the inner palace. Strangely enough, His Majesty seems indifferent to Consort Shu's affairs, yet he always shows her great affection in front of the Empress Dowager. Consort Shu has never mentioned you in front of His Majesty."
As Shen Mingzhuang listened to these words, something suddenly flashed through his mind.
She looked at Tan Yonglin, smiled slightly, said "thank you," and then left without saying anything more.
Tan Yonglin escorted the person out of the palace gate before turning back to his study.
Jiang Wang sat before the dragon desk, expressionless and looking somewhat dejected.
He only showed some reaction when he saw Tan Yonglin return.
"They've already left?"
Tan Yonglin sighed inwardly and nodded, "Her Majesty has already left the palace."
Jiang Wang chuckled softly, recalling how she had appeared perfectly unharmed and unharmed. He couldn't help but feel a little sad as he said, "These past few days, we've been searching for her outside the palace, even missing the grand court assembly. She's perfectly fine, and despite knowing I've sealed off the city and been searching for her everywhere, she refuses to show herself. She's trying to distance herself from us. If it weren't for her maidservant, she probably wouldn't have made the special trip to the palace today."
These words, tinged with self-deprecation, left Tan Yonglin at a loss for words. He pondered whether he should explain to His Majesty, and after a moment's thought, he finally spoke: "Your Majesty, Consort Ming seems unaware that you are looking for her. When she came to this old servant just now, she seemed to know nothing. Consort Ming came to the palace yesterday looking for you and had a dispute with Consort Shu. She was intercepted and chased by the Empress Dowager and her men. That maid was so badly injured, how could Consort Ming have gotten away so easily?"
As Jiang Wang listened, his heart tightened again, but thinking of how she looked when he saw her earlier, she didn't seem to be in any trouble, and he suddenly felt a little irritated.
"Hasn't it been found out who kidnapped people from the palace yesterday?"
*
Shen Mingzhuang, who should have left the palace directly, turned around and went in another direction.
Inside Cixi Palace, Yin Rong frowned as she listened to Fu Gui'er's report.
"You mean Shen Mingzhuang was in the study just now?"
Yin Rong couldn't believe it. How could someone be so audacious? Her maid was already dead, and even if she were still alive, she must be seriously injured. She was kidnapped yesterday, and today she dared to appear in the palace again. This woman was truly audacious!
Just as she was about to send someone to check where the person was, a loud crash came from the latticed window behind her, and the taller-than-a-person-sized display cabinet shook and fell towards her.
Yin Rong was terrified. Fu Gui'er rushed forward and shouted, "Empress Dowager, please get out of the way!"
In the blink of an eye, the precious vases on the display cabinet crashed down with a loud crash. Yin Rong was too close to dodge.
Several vases were smashed on the Empress Dowager's head one after another. Shen Mingzhuang had already broken in through the window. Yin Rong struggled to get up, but was shoved to the ground as soon as she stood up.
Shen Mingzhuang held a vase that had rolled to the ground and smashed it hard against the Empress Dowager's head. He used all his strength, and that blow could have taken half of Yin Rong's life.
She no longer cared. As long as someone like Yin Rong existed, the world could be thrown into turmoil at any moment because of her ambition. She had long wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, but she just hadn't had a good opportunity.
Xue Rong's death told her that if Yin Rong didn't die, even more people would die, and she had to get rid of Yin Rong.
She turned back with a do-or-die mentality; at worst, they would fight to the death, and Yin Rong would not get away with anything from her today.
Yin Rong's pupils contracted when she saw the vase hurtling straight toward her, and she stared wide-eyed in disbelief that it was Shen Mingzhuang.
"I am the Empress Dowager..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the vase shattered above her head with a loud crash. Yin Rong noticed something hot and foul-smelling flowing down, and when she touched it, it was covered in blood!
Seeing that she still had strength, Shen Mingzhuang picked up a shard of porcelain and held it to Yin Rong's neck. The edge of the shard was extremely sharp, and it instantly cut Yin Rong's neck, causing bright red blood to seep out. At the same time, a large group of people ran in from outside, shouting to protect the emperor.
Shen Mingzhuang lifted Yin Rong up and pushed her away with a palm strike. The force of the blow was so great that it slammed Yin Rong against the opposite wall.
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