Voices of discussion erupted from all sides.

“I said it before—who would scheme against the Crown Prince’s consort in the palace? Isn’t that asking for death?”

“So it was Consort Fang directing and acting by herself, using the fetus in her womb to scheme against others. Who knows what she hoped to gain.”

“I heard that Consort Fang has been trying to preserve her pregnancy this whole time. Perhaps the child was already lost, so she took the opportunity to scheme against Princess Consort Pingxi.”

“What’s unclear is why the Duke’s wife would bear false witness for Consort Fang.”

“…”

The Duke’s wife’s hands suddenly clenched tight.

Her lips parted with difficulty. “Perhaps I saw incorrectly. She should have fallen forward…”

However, few people believed her words anymore.

She bit her lip with some awkwardness, her peripheral vision glancing toward the Emperor’s direction.

She spoke slowly, “When I was young, I lost a child due to an accident and lost the qualification to be a mother. I cannot bear to see anyone harm a fetus… Regardless of how Consort Fang fell, I can tell everyone responsibly that it was indeed Princess Consort Pingxi’s doing… I’m advanced in years—there’s no need for me to lie about such matters.”

The Emperor’s expression suddenly changed.

Generally speaking, such matters of the inner palace were handed to the Empress to handle; the Emperor would not interfere.

But now…

The Emperor said coldly, “Audacious woman of the Yun clan, you dare harm the imperial bloodline of Great Jin! What is your crime!”

Everyone present was stunned.

This matter clearly had hidden circumstances. Why had His Majesty already convicted Princess Consort Pingxi?

Chu Yi stepped forward. “Father Emperor, the two children were also present. You should not only listen to the Duke’s wife’s one-sided account.”

“Two children who are only five years old—their words cannot serve as testimony,” the Emperor’s gaze was icy. “The woman of the Yun clan harmed imperial bloodline. According to law, she shall be shackled and confined to her home…”

Chu Yi’s gaze swept darkly toward the Duke’s wife.

He knew this matter had no room for reversal.

He lifted his robe and knelt directly on the ground. “Father Emperor, your son is willing to take punishment in place of his wife!”

“Your Majesty, why not have the Court of Judicial Review investigate more carefully?” the Empress spoke gently. “This subject feels that perhaps…”

“No need to investigate further,” the Emperor said coldly. “Third son, since you wish to take the punishment, then go receive twenty strokes. Your position at the Ministry of Works shall also be temporarily suspended.”

Chu Yi cupped his hands. “Yes!”

The Emperor walked away with a flick of his sleeve.

Chu Yi went to receive his punishment. Yun Chu led the two children along with him.

The Empress still had to remain to manage the aftermath—first sending off the guests, then inquiring with the imperial physicians about Consort Fang’s condition.

The imperial physician shook his head. “The fetus has already died in the womb. She needs to drink medicine to expel the child…”

The Empress slowly released a breath. “Then please have the imperial physician prepare a prescription.”

She stood in the courtyard, watching as a nanny carried a bowl of medicine into the room. Immediately after, she heard Fang Xinyan’s anguished voice as palace maids carried out basin after basin of bloody water…

Suddenly a shadow appeared before her eyes. The Empress saw the Duke’s wife approaching.

“Your Majesty the Empress, please do not grieve,” the Duke’s wife spoke. “The Crown Prince is still young. There will be more children.”

The Empress pressed her lips together without speaking.

The Duke’s wife sighed. “At the last flower-viewing banquet, this subject and Consort Fang hit it off at first sight in the back garden. At that time, her face was full of joy at becoming a mother soon. Who could have thought the child would be lost?”

The Empress’s expression changed.

It was after that last flower-viewing banquet that Consort Fang’s body began feeling unwell, with her seeking imperial physicians daily for diagnosis and drinking medicine to preserve the pregnancy.

Could this matter be related to the Duke’s wife?

The Duke’s wife suddenly raised her hand to touch her hair.

The Empress looked and saw that as the Duke’s wife raised her arm, her sleeve fell down slightly, revealing a bracelet on her wrist.

The bracelet was very special—small jade stones of various colors embedded in a circle, wrapped with gold thread. Under the sunlight it was dazzling and brilliant, impossible to look away from.

The Duke’s wife deliberately shook her wrist. The bracelet’s flowing brilliance became even more dazzling.

Confirming that the Empress had seen the bracelet, the Duke’s wife finally lowered her hand and said, “It’s getting late. This subject shall take her leave first.”

After walking several steps, she turned back to see the Empress inquiring with palace maids about Consort Fang’s condition.

She couldn’t help pulling at the corners of her lips.

This bracelet was a treasure tributed from the Western Regions last year. There was only one in the world. It should have been given to the mother of a nation, yet His Majesty had given it to her.

She had revealed the bracelet in front of the Empress, yet the Empress showed no suspicion whatsoever.

In the past, she avoided the Empress at every turn, afraid their affair would be discovered.

But now, she no longer wanted to continue hiding.

She wanted to emerge from dark places that could not bear light. She wanted to stand openly and honestly at His Majesty’s side.

After the Duke’s wife left, Fang Xinyan’s agonized voice gradually weakened.

The Empress’s face was cold and frozen as she strode into the inner chamber. The room was filled with the smell of blood, making the Empress furrow her brows.

She sat in the chair beside Fang Xinyan’s bed and asked coolly, “Today’s matter has other peculiarities. Will you speak voluntarily, or shall this palace have people from the Court of Judicial Review come pry open your mouth?”

Fang Xinyan bit her lip tightly and said nothing.

“This palace has no way to torture the Duke’s wife, but interrogating you is not difficult,” the Empress said with a cold laugh. “I’m giving you one last chance.”

Fang Xinyan’s entire body trembled.

She dared not speak of the matter between the Duke’s wife and His Majesty, but if she didn’t speak, the Empress would not spare her.

She took a deep breath, her voice hoarse. “At the flower-viewing banquet the Crown Princess hosted not long ago, your subject encountered the Duke’s wife. At that time, His Majesty was also there… Your subject clearly heard the Duke’s wife call His Majesty ‘Erlang’…”

The Empress’s heart sank heavily, plunging to the bottom of a bottomless well.

“His Majesty wanted to silence witnesses to preserve the secret…” Fang Xinyan’s body trembled. “The Duke’s wife pleaded for mercy, so your subject managed to keep her life. However, she was frightened that day. After returning, she continued spotting blood incessantly… Your subject also doesn’t know why the Duke’s wife helped bear false witness this time.”

The Empress gripped her handkerchief tightly.

To prevent people from discovering the affair, His Majesty had actually wanted to eliminate the Crown Prince’s consort, and the consort’s belly still carried the Crown Prince’s bloodline.

Over twenty years had passed, yet in His Majesty’s heart, the most important person was still the Duke’s wife—the former eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Jingshu.

No matter how absurd His Majesty and Li Jingshu were in private, she could turn a blind eye.

But Li Jingshu should not have flaunted it before her.

It made her, the Empress, appear too pathetic.

“Mother Empress!” The Crown Prince entered with a face full of pain. “Third brother and his princess consort dare scheme against my offspring. I will never forgive third brother. Mother Empress, quickly think of a solution!”

“This matter has nothing to do with third brother,” the Empress spoke. “Third brother also suffered an undeserved calamity. If you have time, go see third brother. Don’t let rifts form between brothers.”

The Crown Prince was stunned. “If not third brother, then who?”

The Empress spoke gently, “Mother Empress will handle this matter. Don’t worry about it.”

She walked out of the room. Just as she reached outside, a person approached from beneath the palace wall nearby. “Your son pays respects to Mother Empress.”

The Empress looked at Chu Mo before her and said calmly, “It’s already late. Why are you still in the palace?”

“Earlier when Mother Empress’s birthday banquet had an incident, your son didn’t have time to present a birthday gift.” Prince Gongxi, Chu Mo, lifted a small box. “Please accept it, Mother Empress.”

The Empress received the box and had the nanny behind her put it away. “Mo’er is thoughtful.”

Chu Mo raised his head. “Why doesn’t Mother Empress look at the birthday gift right now?”

The Empress didn’t know what scheme he had up his sleeve. She opened the box—it was a letter. She frowned as she read the letter, and her expression changed dramatically.