A wicked mother swaps her son and sucks his blood? The true legitimate daughter is reborn and goes o

"Oh no, Your Majesty..." The wet nurse knelt down in panic as soon as she entered the hall.

Upon seeing her appearance, Song Qingning felt a sudden unease.

"What is it?"

Xie Xuanjin noticed her unease, grabbed her hand, and while comforting her, pressed the wet nurse for answers.

The wet nurse dared not conceal anything. "The little prince had just nursed and was asleep. I saw he was asleep, so I left for a little while. I was only gone for a short time, but... but when I went back..."

"When we returned, the young prince was gone."

The young prince has disappeared...

The noble families, court officials, and all the noblewomen present rose in alarm.

As soon as the wet nurse finished speaking, Song Qingning had already strode out of the hall.

As he walked, he gave orders: "Seal off the palace gates. Wanliang, have all the palace guards immediately search for anyone suspicious, including palace maids and eunuchs. Don't let a single one escape."

The little prince couldn't walk, so if he disappeared, it meant he had been taken away.

To be able to carry away the little prince without being noticed by others, they must have disguised themselves. Palace maids or eunuchs are the best at concealing their identities.

but……

What was the purpose of taking the little prince away?

Song Qingning suppressed her panic and unease.

The most urgent task at hand is to find Heng'er and make sure he is safe.

As Song Qingning gave the orders, she thought about who had taken the little prince away. She went through the list in her mind, but no one had a motive.

Wan Liang accepted the order and left.

Xie Xuanjin and the aristocratic officials also followed Song Qingning out of Chongming Hall.

Not long after, the sound of a baby crying could be heard.

Song Qingning immediately ran towards the sound of crying and soon found the little prince on a rockery in the Imperial Garden.

On the artificial hill, besides the young prince, there was another person.

a woman.

The woman was dressed in the clothes of a palace maid. Her face was plain and unfamiliar. She was in her early teens, and her brows looked very immature.

She held the baby in her arms, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.

But when she saw a large group of people rushing towards her, she thought of what she was going to do that night, and her eyes became determined again.

"Don't come any closer!"

The palace maid shouted, her high-pitched and sharp voice startling the little prince in her arms.

In an instant, the little prince's cries became even louder.

Song Qingning stopped in her tracks.

The palace maid then saw the archers who had followed her and were aiming at her. Suppressing her fear, she said, "Put down your bows and arrows, or I'll throw the little prince off the artificial hill and kill him!"

The artificial hill is not short, and there are uneven stones on the ground.

If you fall, you really will die!

"Put down your bows and arrows," Song Qingning said, following the woman's instructions.

The guards obeyed and lowered their bows and arrows.

On the artificial hill, the woman demanded again, "No one is allowed to come near! No one is allowed!"

"Okay, neither of you will come close."

Song Qingning continued to go along with her.

Her gaze never left the woman; her first priority was to ascertain the woman's identity.

"But you must tell me why you kidnapped the young prince. I don't know you."

If you don't know each other, there are no grudges or entanglements.

The woman looked at Song Qingning, and even though they were far apart, she seemed to still be meeting her gaze. Under the Empress's majesty, the woman's heart instinctively felt a sense of awe.

But she quickly suppressed her awe.

"I don't know them! But there is one person you do know!" A surge of hatred flashed in the woman's eyes.

"Who?" Song Qingning pressed.

"Qi Lang!"

It took everyone present a while to process this address.

Xie Xuanjin was the first to react, "Xie Yuqi?"

During Emperor Yuan's reign, the title of Prince Rui was abolished, Xie Yuqi was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum.

When Xie Xuanjin ascended the throne, he granted a general amnesty.

Although Xie Yuqi was not released, Empress Dowager Xue sent palace maids and eunuchs to take care of him as a sign of imperial favor.

This palace maid is probably one of the maids sent over.

She calls Xie Yuqi "Qi Lang," which suggests they have a close relationship!

Just a month ago, news came from the imperial mausoleum that Xie Yuqi had died.

"Qi Lang is just a commoner now, yet you still don't trust him and want to kill him. Why won't you let him go!" the woman demanded sharply.

Xie Xuanjin and Song Qingning frowned.

"His death has nothing to do with us!" Xie Xuanjin said.

He had long since forgotten Xie Yuqi, caring neither about his life nor his death, so there was no need for him to be killed.

But the woman didn't believe it.

"Ha? It has nothing to do with you? A dignified emperor dares to do it but not admit it, it's ridiculous. I know you won't admit it, but I love Qi Lang. I thought I could stay with him in the imperial mausoleum for a lifetime, but you've ruined it all."

"I know you are the Emperor and Empress, and I am just a lowly palace maid. I can't do anything to you, but..."

The woman's face was contorted with rage. She glanced at the little prince in her hands and burst into maniacal laughter. "I have him in my hands, your legitimate son! I know I won't leave this palace today, and I have no intention of living."

"I originally intended to die for Qi Lang, but today, with the little prince by my side, I am content!"

As soon as the woman finished speaking, she gritted her teeth, suddenly raised the baby in her hands, and without hesitation, slammed it down hard against the artificial hill.

Everyone present was filled with terror at this scene.

Xie Xuanjin, Song Qingning, Wan Liang, Wan Zi, and even Empress Dowager Meng—anyone who knew some martial arts—all rushed toward the baby at the same time.

But in the end, they were too far apart.

"Heng'er!"

As Song Qingning leaped forward, she watched helplessly as the small body fell, and her blood seemed to freeze.

The baby's cry was loud and clear.

I can almost imagine what would happen if someone were thrown like that.

Such a small person couldn't withstand that fall.

As their bodies were about to touch the ground, everyone closed their eyes, unable to bear watching.

But after a long time, the baby's crying did not stop, nor did it become more intense; instead, it became calm and peaceful.

Everyone opened their eyes.

The young prince was lying on a person, who held him tightly with his arms and used his body as a cushion.

Song Qingning snapped out of her daze and immediately stepped forward to take Xie Heng from the man's arms. After carefully checking him over and confirming that he was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Release the arrows!"

Xie Xuanjin gave the order, his anger tinged with murderous intent.

On the artificial hill, the woman stared blankly at the ground below.

"How...how could this be..." The woman's gaze was intense, as if she didn't want to believe it. "You..."

What is she going to say?

But just then, a series of sharp arrows flew in and pierced her body.

He managed to utter only the word "you" before he stopped breathing.

The woman fell from the artificial hill, her eyes wide open, her gaze still seemingly unwilling to believe it.

The young prince is safe and sound, and has calmed down somewhat.

Song Qingning held Xie Heng in her arms, still feeling lingering fear.

It took a while before they noticed the person who had just saved Xie Heng.

She witnessed what just happened.

She saw a figure rush over the falling baby. He protected Heng'er, rolled on the ground, and then carefully placed Heng'er on his body.

Song Qingning looked at the person kneeling on the ground in front of her and spoke gratefully.