Chapter 375

In the past, those who had wronged Little Tuantuan had not actually harmed him physically or caused him pain, so she could limit her revenge to the mastermind alone.

But now, they had caused her son such agony, such suffering, nearly costing him his life.

If it weren’t for Yan the Imperial Physician’s relentless pursuit of knowledge over the years, driven by his ambition to become the head of the Imperial Hospital, and his mastery of treatments for rare and complex illnesses, it would have been uncertain whether the Sixth Prince would have survived today.

As for the other imperial physicians, she didn’t trust them nearly as much.

Thus, the situation had escalated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If she didn’t make an example of someone, everyone would think her Tuantuan was an easy target!

It had been too long since she had wielded a blade, and they had forgotten that she, too, had once fought her way through blood and chaos.

The inner hall of Taihe Hall was so quiet that the sound of a falling needle could be heard. It was in this silence that Wang Dequan announced the imperial edict, followed immediately by another.

“By the decree of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Since ascending the throne by the will of the late Emperor, We have diligently attended to matters of state and governance, never allowing Ourselves to grow complacent. The continuation of Our lineage is a sacred duty, and We have strived day and night to honor the legacy of Our ancestors. Now, the Sixth Prince, born of Empress Jiang Xinyue, is destined by Heaven to succeed Us. In accordance with Our initial decree and the rites of the court, We hereby declare him Crown Prince, to reside in the Eastern Palace and uphold the eternal order of Our realm, bringing peace to the hearts of all under Heaven. So it is decreed—”

The order of these two edicts clearly demonstrated the Emperor’s deep concern for Jiang Xinyue and her son.

First, he had named her Empress to calm her earlier distress, and then he had declared the Sixth Prince Crown Prince.

With the edict naming her Empress preceding the other, the Sixth Prince’s status was elevated from that of a concubine’s son to “born of the Empress, chosen by Heaven.”

His ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍position had become incomparably more prestigious.

His appointment as Crown Prince was both justified and rightful.

Xi Que wiped her tears and asked, “Your Majesty, is the Emperor warning those who harmed the Crown Prince?”

On any ordinary day, if the young Crown Prince had so much as a sniffle, the Emperor would have been beside himself with worry and would have rushed to check on him.

But today, he had acted out of character, not only refraining from entering but also remaining seated on his throne in Taihe Hall.

Jiang Xinyue pressed the back of her hand to the Crown Prince’s forehead, then touched her own, relieved to find that the child was not feverish. She called for Xiao Xiangzi and instructed him, “Go inform Tang Shiliang that the Crown Prince was in critical condition, but thanks to Yan the Imperial Physician’s exceptional skills, he has now stabilized.”

The current head of the Imperial Hospital, Chief Physician Hu, was advanced in years and had recently requested to retire, which the Emperor had approved.

It was time to promote Yan the Imperial Physician.

Upon receiving the message, Tang Shiliang hurried to the main hall and relayed the Crown Prince’s condition to the Emperor.

The Emperor’s tense expression visibly relaxed as the weight of his worry lifted.

Lady Ruan was beside herself with anxiety. “Husband, may I go in to see the Crown Prince and Her Majesty? My heart is…”

“The Crown Prince is fine now.”

“How do you know?”

Jiang Yankun gestured subtly toward the Emperor. “Tang Shiliang accompanied Her Majesty inside and stayed for a long time, likely waiting for news. Just now, I saw him rush out and whisper something to the Emperor, whose expression immediately softened. That means the news was good—the Crown Prince is safe.”

Lady Ruan studied the Emperor’s face and noticed that his earlier grim expression had indeed eased.

She clutched her racing heart and slumped into Jiang Yankun’s arms. “Thank goodness… Thank goodness! I was so frightened. May the Bodhisattva protect us!”

However, not everyone’s complexion had improved.

Consort Cheng, seated near the end of the concubines’ section, was pale and visibly shaken. To avoid drawing Noble Consort Ye’s attention, she deliberately knocked over her wine cup, spilling its contents on her dress.

“Oh dear!”

After a soft exclamation, she stood up. “Sister Ye, I’ve soiled my dress. I’ll return to my chambers to change. If anyone asks, please explain for me.”

“You don’t look well,” Noble Consort Ye remarked, eyeing her curiously. “Is it so hot? You’re sweating profusely.”

Consort Cheng forced a smile. “I’m just… in a hurry.”

With that, she gathered her skirts and fled, her demeanor uncharacteristically flustered.

Noble Consort Ye found this odd. Consort Cheng had always been so concerned with propriety, yet she had just acted quite out of sorts.

Was she afraid that now that Her Majesty had been named Empress, she would be held accountable for her past misdeeds?

If she was so easily frightened, why had she dared to provoke the Empress in the first place? It was like lighting a lantern in an outhouse—asking for trouble.

“You may all leave. I wish to be alone,” Consort Cheng said, dismissing her attendants.

Once they were gone, she began frantically rummaging through her belongings, packing as if preparing to flee. But halfway through, she froze.

Where could she go?

This was the imperial palace, heavily guarded by the Imperial Guards. One misstep, and she could be mistaken for an assassin and killed on the spot.

Without a token, there was no way she could escape the palace.

She hadn’t meant for things to go this far!

Wait—that person… she needed to find that person…

The dim candlelight flickered in the vast chamber. The palace maids and eunuchs had all gone to Taihe Hall to celebrate the Empress and the Crown Prince.

Here, there wasn’t even anyone to fetch her a cup of hot water.

“Bang!”

The creditor had come to collect her debt.

“You said… you said the Crown Prince might be allergic to peanuts, and that replacing the walnut oil in his food with peanut oil might make him uncomfortable. But… but why did he almost die?”

“Yes, I said that, but I never acted on it. Who told you to take me seriously? You went ahead and did it, and now you’re trying to drag me down with you?”

“But… you were the one who told me you overheard Wang Dequan scolding a eunuch about the Crown Prince’s peanut allergy!”

“I did hear that, but I was just making conversation. You’re the one who acted on it. What does that have to do with me?”

“The Empress will trace this back to me soon. You have to save me. If you don’t, I’ll expose you. I’ll say it was you who led me to do it. If I’m going down, you’re coming with me.”

Consort Cheng had no idea that an allergy could be fatal.

Even with a hundred times her courage, she would never have dared to harm the Crown Prince. Her schemes had always been limited to seducing the Emperor and undermining Jiang Xinyue’s favor.

“Thud!”

“Ah…”

A golden hairpin pierced Consort Cheng’s neck, and blood gushed out, splattering onto the pale face of her assailant. Consort Cheng collapsed in terror, clutching her throat as she tried to crawl toward the door.

But the demonic voice behind her spoke again. “Since that’s the case, you might as well die. It’s your good fortune that your death coincides with the Crown Prince’s birthday.”

The sight of blood on the Crown Prince’s birthday was an ill omen.

Let Consort Cheng’s blood serve as a curse upon the Crown Prince.