That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

The Empress took the eldest princess and the second prince back to Fengyi Palace, ignoring the second prince the whole way.

The second prince knew he had caused trouble today, and behaved very well the whole way.

When they arrived at Fengyi Palace, she left only the eldest princess inside.

She remained silent for a long time. "Wan'er, you acted too impulsively today."

The eldest princess was bewildered, not understanding why her mother was so harsh in her criticism.

"What I have said is the truth."

The Empress gently stroked her daughter's tender face.

"I know you care about me, but look, Consort Yuan is carrying the Emperor's child. If anything happens to her, what will happen if Father takes his anger out on you? Promise me that you will not act so impulsively in the future."

The Empress reached out and hugged her tightly, warm tears welling up in her eyes. She choked out, "It's all my fault. I'm useless. I've made you worry about me."

Amid her sobs, a metallic taste rose in her throat, and she suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood.

The eldest princess trembled with fright and hurriedly supported her, asking, "Mother, what's wrong?"

"Don't be afraid, Mother is alright."

But as soon as those words were spoken, the Empress's vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

The eldest princess threw herself onto the Empress, crying out in anguish, "Mother, someone come! Someone come quickly!"

*

The queen was unconscious for the entire night.

Xiao Yan sat alone in the Phoenix Palace, his face solemn.

The imperial physicians below knelt down and replied, their voices trembling uncontrollably: "Your Majesty, the Empress's condition is worrying. Long-standing depression has already weakened her constitution. After repeatedly examining her pulse, we discovered signs of stagnation at the base of her pulse. Her Majesty is suffering from chronic poisoning."

Xiao Yan suddenly frowned.

I never expected it to be this serious, let alone poisoning.

"What kind of poison?"

"Your Majesty, this poison is not a potent or rare one, but rather the most common cinnabar and lead poison. It only becomes apparent when it is gradually added to food and cosmetics over time, thus integrating with the stagnation of qi and blood, making it difficult to detect for a long time!"

Xiao Yan retorted angrily, "Your Imperial Hospital takes a patient's pulse every three days, yet you didn't notice anything amiss?"

The imperial physician kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to raise his head. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This humble servant is useless. This poison is usually very difficult to detect. Only when the poison has accumulated to a great extent can we find any clues."

"When will the Empress recover?"

The imperial physician stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "Her Majesty the Empress is deeply poisoned. Even with careful recuperation, she will likely be bedridden for many years. Even if we devote all our efforts to detoxification and recuperation, and resolve the pent-up emotions in Her Majesty's heart, I'm afraid... I'm afraid she only has five or six years left."

Xiao Yan remained silent for a long time.

"This matter is strictly forbidden to be circulated outside. The Empress and the Grand Princess are not allowed to mention a word about it, and no one else should know about it. You must do your utmost and not slack off for a moment."

Having said that, he rose and left the hall, his mind filled with complicated emotions.

The Empress made numerous mistakes that year, and each one was traceable.

However, considering the contributions of the Empress's maternal family in supporting her ascension to the throne, and the ten years of marriage they had shared, he was filled with mixed emotions upon suddenly hearing that she only had five or six years left to live.

Xiao Yan paused for a moment, then turned and headed towards the Second Prince's bedroom.

Xiao Yan also learned the whole story of Wan'er and Hongtai's confrontation with Song Shuangning.

He can still take the time to comfort Wan'er.

Hongtai is the only real headache.

The child's unruliness was ingrained in his bones. He was like this when he was raised by Lady Yun's side, and now that he is in the Empress's palace, he still does things his own way and hasn't changed in the slightest.

Inside the palace, the Second Prince was throwing a tantrum, demanding a cat. The old nanny beside him, her brow furrowed with worry, earnestly advised, "Your Highness, you cannot make this decision. If you like cats, perhaps you could ask the Empress and Consort Xian another day to let Consort Xian's cat play with you?"

"No!" The Second Prince flung the nanny's hand away and said fiercely, "I don't want that stinky cat! It dared to be mean to me! I hate that cat! I'm going to secretly throw it into the lake! Humph!"

"You bastard!"

Xiao Yan's cold rebuke suddenly echoed into the hall.

The second prince was startled and turned around to see his father standing at the door, his eyes as cold as ice.

He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he stammered out "Father."

"How could I have such a cruel and unruly son as you?"

"Has that cat ever offended you? It's just naturally lively, yet you can't tolerate it and even want to put it in the lake. You have a perverse temper and only know how to take your anger out on innocent creatures. You have no dignity as a prince whatsoever."

"From this day forward, you will move to the Imperial Academy. I will assign the strictest tutor to discipline you in your daily studies of scriptures and etiquette, and you will be forbidden from engaging in any frivolous activities. Only when you have completely changed this violent temper and learned self-reflection and humility can you discuss other matters with me."

Only then did the second prince realize he was scared, and hurriedly tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, "Father! Your son doesn't want to go to the Imperial Academy."

Xiao Yan brushed his hand away, flicked his sleeve, and strode away without looking back.

*

Xiao Yan set off for the eldest princess's residence.

When the door was pushed open, the eldest princess was curled up in the brocade quilt, having cried herself to sleep. She was sleeping restlessly, with glistening tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Xiao Yan sighed, then wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

The eldest princess suddenly awoke, opened her eyes, and saw it was him. She quickly reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his dragon robe, "Father, is Mother alright?"

Xiao Yan was silent for a moment: "It's alright, your mother will be fine."

The eldest princess, recalling the Empress's words, said with remorse, "Father, I shouldn't have been so impulsive yesterday, and I shouldn't have contradicted Consort Yuan. I know I was wrong."

"Wan'er, you are my eldest daughter, the first child I cherished. My love for you will never change. You have been well-behaved and sensible since you were little. Consort Xian has never provoked your mother. The complicated matters between your mother and me have nothing to do with her. You are still young, and I do not want you to get involved in these intricate affairs. Do you still remember the year you accidentally fell into the lake? It was Consort Xian who risked her own safety to save you. I am not saying this to make you grateful, but simply to tell you that Consort Xian is not a bad person."

The eldest princess nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face: "Your subject understands, Your subject will never do it again."

Xiao Yan said gently, "Go, go and keep your mother company. She should be awake by now."

Xiao Yan watched the eldest princess's retreating figure and sighed softly.

Throughout history, after the death of countless emperors...

Which of those concubines who once enjoyed the emperor's favor was not ostracized by the royal children and met a tragic end?

He was eight years older than Ningning and was destined to leave before her; the future was unpredictable.

Therefore, all he wanted was for her to live a happy, dignified, and respectable life, and to enjoy her old age in peace and tranquility.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Empress fell seriously ill and remained bedridden for over a month, with her receiving daily doses of medicine and soup at the Fengyi Palace.

This matter quickly became a top priority both inside and outside the palace, and rumors and gossip spread like wildfire.

Inside the palace, the palace maids huddled together whispering to each other.

"Have you heard? Her Majesty the Empress's illness came on strangely, and it's probably related to Consort Yuan."

"The eldest princess and the second prince argued with her a while ago, and then the Empress fell ill. What a coincidence!"

"Consort Yuan is now pregnant with the Emperor's child and enjoys his favor; she's probably already eyeing the Empress's position. With the Empress's illness, isn't she the one who benefits the most?"

Tingyu overheard everything, but unlike before, she didn't show her anger. She suppressed her rage and quickly returned to Yaohua Palace, telling Song Shuangning every word of the rumors circulating in the palace.

Song Shuangning smiled faintly, "She's already losing her composure so quickly?"

Tao Banxia was taking Song Shuangning's pulse when she heard this and lowered her eyes slightly.