A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Emperor Qianwu suddenly stood up.

"What's this crazy woman doing here?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chen let out a frantic scream.

"Your Majesty, I'm innocent!"

"This wasn't done by Chaoyang, it was done by me, it was all done by me!"

"I am jealous that Consort Zhen gave birth to a prince. Chaoyang is innocent; you cannot treat her like this!"

"She's your only daughter! You've always doted on her since she was little. How could you treat her like this?"

The veins on Emperor Qianwu's forehead bulged.

It would have been better if Chen hadn't said anything, because her words would have reminded Emperor Qianwu of the things this mother and daughter had done in the past.

Every single one of these acts is unforgivable.

"Guards, throw this madwoman out!"

"Are the guards in the Cold Palace just sitting around doing nothing?"

Fuquan was suffering in his heart.

This is Princess Chaoyang's birth mother! In the past, Your Majesty, how much you favored the Chen family mother and daughter was known not only in the harem but throughout the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

"The emperor had only one daughter, whom he loved dearly, and would pluck stars from the sky and adorn himself with the moon."

There is a saying that circulates among the people.

In essence, it means that His Majesty only has this one beloved daughter, and if she wanted the stars and the moon, His Majesty would do anything for her.

Chen insisted on breaking into the Qianqing Palace, and the guards in the Cold Palace dared not stop her.

Upon hearing Emperor Qianwu's heartless voice, Chen stopped crying and instead burst into loud laughter.

"Hahahaha, Heaven has no eyes! How dare that bitch Zhou give birth to a prince? That little bastard shouldn't have been born! Why doesn't he just die? Hahahaha!"

"He's dead. My Chaoyang is now His Majesty's only heir!"

Emperor Qianwu's handsome face grew increasingly dark.

Although he knew that this might be a pretext used by Chen to provoke him, he had to admit that it hit him where it hurt.

"Guards, this is Chen, the convicted woman from the Cold Palace. Her words and actions have been indecent and offensive to the Emperor. She is disloyal, unjust, inhumane, and cruel. She is hereby given a white silk noose."

Chen's voice abruptly stopped.

……

Weiyang Palace.

Zhou Mingyi held her little prince, and the bruises on the child's face came off with a gentle wipe.

These were all painted on the child with cosmetics.

Actually, she could have given her son an antidote.

Produced by the system, immune to all poisons.

Even if someone ingests poison, it will be excreted automatically within a certain period of time, causing only some symptoms of poisoning, but it will not be life-threatening.

This was the last grand gift she prepared for Consort Chen and Chaoyang.

She can't close the net if they don't take action.

Their actions played right into her hands.

But she couldn't bear to hurt her son, nor could she bear to use him as bait.

So all we can do is let the child suffer a little and put on some makeup.

Zhou Mingyi gently placed the child in the crib and tucked him in.

The child stirred, then fell asleep again.

She looked at his wrinkled little face, and the smile in her eyes grew deeper and deeper.

As expected of a child born after taking the Enlightenment Pill, the baby vomited milk just a few days after its birth, after she only told him that she had to find a way to bring his father and grandmother over...

This truly surprised Zhou Mingyi.

"Don't worry, my dear. I won't let anyone hurt you. Anyone who tries to harm you, I'll make sure they die."

Wax apples bowed and stood beside him.

"Your Majesty, news has just arrived from the Qianqing Palace that His Majesty has bestowed upon Lady Chen a white silk ribbon, and she is preparing to depart."

Zhou Mingyi glanced at her.

"Has Chaoyang entered the palace yet?"

Lianwu whispered, "News has come from outside that they've already arrived from the princess's residence, but they're without carriages, so their journey to the palace will be slower."

Zhou Mingyi hummed in agreement. "Tell the guards at the palace gates to be careful when they hand over their shifts. They absolutely must not offend this princess."

She slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Lianwu nodded and lowered her eyes. "This servant understands, Your Highness, please rest assured!"

On the other side, as soon as Princess Chaoyang entered the palace gate, she saw the little eunuch who had delivered the letter to her rushing over.

She cried out, "Your Highness, you've finally come. Consort Chen... has passed away."

"What?"

……

Qianqing Palace.

The palace doors were pushed open.

The morning sun rushed in; her hair was disheveled, her clothes were wrinkled, and her eyes were frighteningly red.

She stood in the hall, looking at Emperor Qianwu, her voice hoarse.

"Father, you killed Mother?"

Emperor Qianwu looked at her without saying a word.

Chaoyang took a few steps forward.

"Your mother gave birth to your son. You once said that your mother is your meritorious servant and a meritorious servant of the Great Zhou."

She approached Emperor Qianwu step by step, saying, "Now, you have killed your meritorious officials, and you have killed the meritorious officials of the Great Zhou."

Emperor Qianwu was so angry he laughed.

So you also know that killing meritorious officials is wrong.

Then you and your mother were involved in the buying and selling of officials, bending the law for personal gain, and murdering loyal ministers?

Chaoyang can't control that much.

"Your son is your daughter! You once said that as long as I live, you will never harm your mother, but now, you have killed my mother for that vile woman's child!"

"Your son has no mother!"

Emperor Qianwu remained unmoved.

"You and your daughter know what you've done."

"I killed your mother because her crimes were unforgivable!"

Chaoyang smiled bitterly.

"What have your son and mother done? Your son only wanted to live! Your mother was doing it for your son!"

"Now that you have a son, what use do you need your son? I'm going to die sooner or later, what difference does it make?"

"Every man for himself!"

Emperor Qianwu was so angry he laughed.

"What a self-serving person! They'd be doomed if they didn't look out for themselves!"

"You've really been spoiled rotten by your mother. I should have killed her long ago, that poisonous woman!"

Princess Chaoyang was provoked.

She pulled out a dagger from somewhere and lunged at Emperor Qianwu.

She brought the dagger in by hiding it in her sleeve; she had kept it hidden for several days, waiting for this day.

The blade flashed a cold light in the candlelight, swift and ruthless.

Emperor Qianwu did not dodge.

He was highly skilled in martial arts and it wasn't that he couldn't dodge it; he just couldn't believe it for a moment.

His daughter, whom he had cherished since childhood, was now holding a knife and trying to stab him.

However, another figure was faster than him.

Zhou Mingyi rushed in at some point, shoved Emperor Qianwu aside, and used her body to shield him.

The dagger pierced her chest, and blood gushed out instantly, staining her clothes red.

She groaned softly and went limp.

The hall was deathly silent.

Chaoyang stood there, stunned, looking at the knife in his hand, at the blood on the knife, and at Zhou Mingyi slowly falling down.

Her face was as white as paper. "No...it wasn't me...I didn't..."

Emperor Qianwu caught Zhou Mingyi in his arms, his hands trembling.

"Ah Chang! Ah Chang!"

Zhou Mingyi leaned against him, her face pale, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

She looked at Emperor Qianwu, "Your Majesty, it's good that you're alright..."

Emperor Qianwu's eyes reddened, and his hands trembled as he held her.

"Summon the imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

Zhou Mingyi closed her eyes and leaned against Emperor Qianwu's chest.

Her chest ached, but she knew she wouldn't die.

I already took the heart-protecting pills the system gave me.

Even if you were to stab someone in the heart, you wouldn't be able to reach it.

That's just how unreasonable it is.

Zhou Mingyi wouldn't risk her own son, but she's ruthless and capable of harming herself.

But Emperor Qianwu was unaware of this.

He held her, trembling all over, like a wounded wild animal.

He had never been so afraid in his entire life.

When the imperial physician rushed in, Zhou Mingyi had already fainted.

Emperor Qianwu stood aside, watching the imperial physician treat her wounds. Looking at the red-stained gauze and her pale face, he felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out.

The Empress Dowager also arrived. She stood at the palace gate, looking at the blood on the ground and Emperor Qianwu's pale face, and her legs went weak.

"Chaoyang...Chaoyang, she..."

Emperor Qianwu then realized what was happening.

"Guards, seize this rebellious daughter!"

"Princess Chaoyang, for plotting against the imperial heir and assassinating the emperor, is guilty of unforgivable crimes. She is hereby given poison."

Fu Quan agreed, got up, and ran out.

Chaoyang's face turned deathly pale. He let out a scream, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, Zhou Mingyi, you'll have to be buried with us, mother and daughter! We won't be lonely on the road to the underworld, hahaha!"

The Empress Dowager stood there, opened her mouth as if to say something, but looking at the pale face on the bed and the ashen face of Emperor Qianwu, she couldn't say anything.

Chaoyang's crime is truly unforgivable!

How did this child become like this?

Chen'er is still young and cannot live without her mother.

As for Chaoyang... she's too old to manage her anymore.

Chaoyang was supported by two guards and forced to kneel on the ground.

Perhaps fearing that Emperor Qianwu would regret it, the cup of poisoned wine was immediately presented to her.

She finally realized she was afraid.

But Zhou Mingyi had already thought of this, and Fuquan immediately ordered his men to gag her.

Chaoyang stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Fu Quan, no longer the cowardly man who had been scrambling around, stepped forward with a smile.

"Your Highness, I'm so sorry. You said I was a rootless person, but I never imagined that in the end, it would be this rootless person who would send you on your way."

"Have a safe journey."

Chaoyang struggled, but the two guards' hands were like iron clamps, pressing her down so she couldn't move.

The moment the gag was removed, she was forced to drink poison.

She closed her eyes, a sharp pain welling up in her chest. She saw a pool of blood on the ground, dripping from her mouth, and something seemed to be flowing from her nose, dripping onto the ground and then spreading...

When Consort Lan heard the news of Consort Chen and her daughter's deaths, she was still somewhat incredulous.

Ever since the things that Chaoyang and Consort Chen did were revealed, Consort Lan has suspected that His Majesty was killed by Chaoyang in his previous life.

Unfortunately, she had no evidence of what happened in her past life.

Now that the Chen mother and daughter are dead, she feels it's not real.

"What about Consort Zhen?"

The palace maid said, "The imperial physician has already gone to see him."

"If Your Highness is worried, why don't you go to Weiyang Palace to visit her?"

Consort Lan waved her hand, "I'd better not go. Consort Zhen has just given birth to a prince and hasn't even finished her postpartum confinement. She's already taking the blame for His Majesty. What am I supposed to do there?"

Her tone was very calm.

Since things have come to this point, there's no point in arguing anymore.

Consort Zhen has a prince, a high social status, and the Emperor's favor; she is destined to be a winner in life.

Once she feels better, she can go and check in again.

She could tell that Zhou was not as vicious as Chen and her daughter.

……

Weiyang Palace.

Zhou Mingyi opened her eyes and looked at Emperor Qianwu.

He sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand, his eyes red, like a rabbit's.

"Your Majesty, are you crying?"

Emperor Qianwu shook his head.

"no."

Zhou Mingyi looked at him, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile.

"Your Majesty, I'm alright. I won't die."

Emperor Qianwu placed her hand on his face and closed his eyes.

"Ah Chang, I'm so sorry."

Zhou Mingyi remained silent.

She simply gazed out the window at the gradually darkening sky, her eyes serene.

She knew that from this day forward, no one in the world could threaten her and her child anymore.

She had been waiting for this day for a long time.