The Imperial Palace.
The Emperor had just fallen asleep not long ago when he was awakened by an urgent report.
“What is it?”
Squinting his eyes, he sat up draped in his outer robe, his tone displeased due to lack of sleep.
“Your Majesty, a message has come from the Eastern Palace.”
“The Crown Prince’s Outer Chamber Consort, Lady Chu, was subjected to private punishment by Consort Liu and is severely injured and unconscious. It was also diagnosed… diagnosed…”
“Diagnosed with what? Stop stammering.”
“Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician diagnosed that Lady Chu was pregnant with the Crown Prince’s child, but due to the punishment, she… miscarried.”
As the chief eunuch spoke, he immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.
Sure enough, the next second, the Emperor’s furious voice rang out, and the jade ornaments by the bed were shattered.
“Miscarried?!”
The man gritted his teeth, the drowsiness that had lingered earlier now completely gone, replaced by shock and rage.
His face turned ashen, his eyes icy cold as he said sharply:
“What a fine Liu Shi, what a fine daughter of the Prime Minister!”
“Daring to harm a royal descendant—does she intend to defy heaven itself? Or… does she simply hold no regard for the Crown Prince, nor for Us?!”
The chief eunuch beside him lowered his head even further, and the other attendants in the palace, seeing this, all kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.
“That vile slave Liu Shi—how did the Crown Prince handle her?”
“The Crown Prince ordered her to be suspended and imprisoned, saying he would personally deal with her after Lady Chu wakes up.”
The chief eunuch immediately reported the information he had gathered.
Hearing this, the Emperor fell silent for a moment before saying, “Tell the Crown Prince that We are aware of this matter. Let him act without restraint and without hesitation.”
“If anyone obstructs him, let them come to Us!”
Not to mention that royal descendants are inherently precious, but the Crown Prince was poisoned and diagnosed by the Imperial Physician as having difficulty conceiving. Now, just as Lady Chu had finally become pregnant, this happens!
It is nothing short of contempt for imperial authority, a blatant slap in the face to him, the Emperor!
At the same time, he also knew that the Crown Prince must be filled with rage that needed venting. Preventing him would likely damage the imperial family’s dignity and create a rift between father and son.
Therefore, as the Emperor and as a father, he must support the Crown Prince!
He believed that Liu Shi alone probably did not have such audacity—there must be others lurking in the shadows behind her!
This was a perfect opportunity to eliminate some individuals!
The Prime Minister’s Liu family suited his intentions perfectly.
“By the way, what is Lady Chu’s condition now? Has she awakened?”
“Your Majesty, Lady Chu remains unconscious. The Crown Prince has been by her side all along. The Imperial Physician says the time of her awakening is uncertain.”
“Issue Our decree: Lady Chu has contributed to the imperial lineage by carrying a royal descendant. Although she miscarried due to the schemes of villains, she is hereby granted the title of Lady of Goodness to the Crown Prince, bestowed with property and treasures. Send all precious medicinal herbs and supplements suitable for her from the palace.”
This was also a small consolation for Lady Chu.
Since she was able to conceive once, perhaps she could conceive a second time. When that happens, she must be carefully cared for to ensure the royal descendant is born safely.
In this way, the Crown Prince’s position can be stabilized.
“Attendants, dress Us. It is time for court.”
Seeing that it was almost time for court, the Emperor did not sleep further. He rose directly, dressed, and then went to court with a stern expression.
He had an account to settle with the Prime Minister.
Inside the Phoenix Palace.
The Empress had just woken up and was being served as she rinsed her mouth when her personal attendant, Mama Xu, hurried in. She immediately dismissed the others, leaving only Mama Xu alone.
“You mean that Chu woman was pregnant and had a miscarriage?”
Her expression was one of shock and disbelief, with a hint of fear deep in her eyes.
“Your Majesty,” Mama Xu reported in a low voice, “the news came from the Crown Prince. The Emperor already knows and is furious. Not only that, but he has also made that Chu woman a Lady of Goodness for the Crown Prince.”
After a pause, she added, “I heard the Emperor just confronted Prime Minister Liu directly in court.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress swayed slightly, and the teacup in her hand slipped, falling to the ground. The sound of shattering echoed through the hall.
“This shouldn’t be… Mama…”
Her expression shifted from panic to anger as she cursed:
“That fool Liu Shi, teaching her a lesson in private should have been enough. Why resort to torture? Now it’s come to this, and they even discovered she was pregnant and had a miscarriage…”
This wasn’t just provoking the Crown Prince—it was endangering his life!
“If the Emperor is confronting the Prime Minister, I’m afraid the Liu family is finished.”
As she spoke, she felt a surge of resentment—toward Liu Shi for her foolishness, toward Chu Shengsheng for becoming pregnant, and toward the loss of the Liu family as an ally.
Mama Xu listened hesitantly before lowering her voice further and saying, “Your Majesty, there’s something I don’t understand… Shouldn’t the Crown Prince be…”
“Silence!”
The Empress sharply interrupted, glancing around warily. Only after confirming no one else was present did she relax slightly, lowering her voice even more. “This matter must never be mentioned again! Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes.”
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down and instructed, “Tomorrow morning, I will go to the Grand Xiangguo Temple to pray for the unborn imperial grandson. Make the preparations, and do it naturally. Don’t arouse suspicion.”
“Your Majesty, leaving the palace at this time, wouldn’t it…”
“Precisely because it’s this time, we must go.”
As she spoke, a flicker of ruthlessness passed through her eyes. There were things she needed to ask in person!
She had arranged everything flawlessly. The poison given to her was a secret concoction from the southern border—colorless, odorless, and dissolving upon contact, with no possible antidote.
The Imperial Physician had long declared the Crown Prince sterile, so how could Chu Shengsheng possibly become pregnant?!
Was it not the Crown Prince’s? No, she likely wouldn’t dare to be so bold.
But…
Could it be that the poison… failed?
Or was someone secretly interfering?
The more the Empress thought about it, the more uneasy she became, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her robe.
“And,” she suddenly remembered something and added immediately, “send someone to tell Yang’er to behave himself these days and not act impulsively. The Liu family… cannot be saved. Tell him to make plans early.”
“Yes.”
After Mama Xu withdrew, the Empress sat quietly, her expression shifting repeatedly.
Unlike the commotion in the palace, the Eastern Palace was quiet and somber, especially in the main courtyard, where hardly anyone dared to speak.
Pei Zhen had been sitting by the bedside ever since the Imperial Physician left. He had just personally changed Chu Shengsheng into clean clothes, and beneath the garments, the horrifying wounds that had been concealed were now fully exposed to his eyes—each scar, each mark, telling of the torment the young woman had endured.
His breath caught, and waves of pain, self-blame, and regret once again overwhelmed him.
He raised his hand but hesitated to lower it, not because he was unwilling, but because he was afraid.
He feared he might hurt her.
But in the end, he still mustered all his strength, carefully and meticulously applying the Imperial Physician’s ointment to each wound, then gently helped her put on her clothes before finally tucking her in with the blanket.
Once everything was done, the man looked up, his eyes reddened and tears streaming down his face.
[System Notification: Detected that the target character Pei Zhen has developed genuine feelings. Points increased by 99,999. Remaining Points: 299,999.]
[As Points have reached 200,000, the conditions for unlocking the Intelligence Function have been met. Deducting 200,000 Points. Remaining Points: 99,999.]
[Emergency tasks “Empress’s Harassment” and “Lady of Goodness’s Harassment” completed. Points increased by 1,000.]
[According to the agreement with the Host, deducting two instances of credit, with triple repayment. Deducting Points: False Pregnancy Pill 800 x 3, Substitute Doll 500 x 3, Body Torture Pill 500 x 3, totaling 5,400. Remaining Points: 95,599.]