Duke Jing's younger sister

Zhaoyang Hall.

Candlelight flickered on rows of lampstands, making the entire Zhaoyang Palace as bright as day. The palace maids and eunuchs were all hurried and bustling.

The five imperial doctors, all with worried looks on their faces, stood guard in the outer hall, discussing things among themselves with their heads bowed. With the bleeding being so severe, the dragon fetus in her belly must be dead. The only plan now was to find a way to save Concubine Zhao's life.

From the inner hall, one could faintly hear a woman's screams of pain; her voice was mournful and tragic, and was particularly frightening in this deep palace wall shrouded in darkness.

Most officials had already left the palace with their families, but Yang and Madam Yang had not left. They stayed by Concubine Zhao's side, and they were heartbroken as they watched basins of blood being carried out.

Who could have thought that just now Imperial Concubine Zhao was still fine, smiling sweetly and accompanying Emperor Hongyang, watching dance and listening to music.

In just a few moments, his face turned as pale as paper, like a candle in the wind struggling on the brink of death, ready to go out at any moment.

In addition to the Shen and Yang families, several princes also followed His Majesty and waited outside the courtyard. His Majesty gave Tutor Yang a seat.

Shen Li had been in the Shen family for eight years and had met Master Yang only a handful of times. His hair and beard were as white as silver threads, and his eyes were extremely sharp. He would occasionally glance at the fourth princess, Xiao Wushuang, who was kneeling in the yard. His seemingly peaceful eyes concealed murderous intent.

Shen Li stood behind the crowd and looked up at the carved lattice window illuminated by candlelight.

Everything that happened tonight was weird. Was the person behind the scenes targeting her or Concubine Zhao, or was he trying to kill two birds with one stone?

If you want to get to the bottom of the matter, you have to guess who has the strongest motive.

So, if this thing succeeds, whoever benefits the most will also be the most suspicious.

Her eyes drifted towards the Queen of the Southern Wu Dynasty, Liang, who was sitting on the steps.

Throughout the dynasties, princes fought tooth and nail for the throne, and the women in the harem also risked their lives.

The murder of offspring in the palace has never ceased, so it seems that the Queen is the most suspicious.

But is the Queen so stupid?

The fourth princess, Xiao Wushuang, knelt on the ground for a long time with a look of grievance on her face. Her knees were sore and painful. Her look for help was ignored by the queen. Emperor Hongyang, who had always doted on her, no longer even looked at her.

If the queen was really the one behind the plot, would she let her daughter do it herself?

This is simply unreasonable.

She suddenly thought of Han Yunning again. If the cup of wine had not been spilled on her, she would not have gone to the side room to change clothes, and would not have met the Fourth Princess.

So, did Han Yunning do it intentionally or unintentionally? What role did she play in this matter?

Shen Beiqi's tall figure walked through the crowd, stood beside her, and gently took her hand.

Shen Li was startled and tried to pull her hand back, but he held her fingertips tightly. He looked quite helpless and said, "I'll apply medicine to you."

She no longer refused, and watched as his warm fingertips scooped out a drop of ointment from the small medicine jar, gently spread it on her palm, and applied it to the red and swollen area.

At this moment, everyone was paying attention to Concubine Zhao's miscarriage. She was standing at the end of the crowd, so no one noticed them.

"Where did the medicine come from?" Shen Li asked softly.

"I just went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to get it."

It was dimly lit in the imperial garden just now, and he did not notice the redness and swelling at the corners of her mouth.

Now standing under the bright firelight, the slap mark on her cheek was clearly visible, and half of her face was slightly swollen.

Shen Beiqi raised his hand and gently stroked the redness and swelling at the corner of her lips with his slender fingers. She couldn't help but feel the pain and turned her head away with a "hiss".

His slender fingers curled back one by one, his eyes were as cold as ice, like a cold blade tempered with poison, and he glanced lightly at Xiao Wushuang who was kneeling on the ground.

The third prince Xiao Wencong has already investigated clearly and found out that it was the fourth princess who gave him the softening fragrance powder at the previous celebration banquet.

Soft Fragrance Powder is the unique secret medicine of Wanhua Tower in Jiangdu City. It is specially used to deal with those good girls who have just entered Wanhua Tower but still regard themselves as noble and chaste.

This drug is extremely powerful. Just a little bit can turn a virgin into a slut.

It is like a sharp knife that can easily cut through women's chastity and dignity, making them sink into the abyss of desire, unable to extricate themselves.

This extremely powerful soft fragrance powder was poured into Shen Beiqi's wine bottle by the eunuch who was arranged by Xiao Wushuang to pour the wine.

Thinking of that absurd night, Shen Beiqi's eyebrows twitched slightly. If he hadn't been drugged, that night that made him regret to this day wouldn't have happened, and A'li wouldn't have been heartbroken and drifted away from him.

It would have been fine if Xiao Wushuang had attacked him, but now he had extended his poisonous hand to A-Li. If he had gone a little later, A-Li would have been injured by the black obsidian snake that could kill with one blow...

Shen Beiqi felt as if his heart was hit by a heavy hammer, and a suffocating pain made him dare not think any further.

Xiao Wushuang on the ground seemed to feel the sharp gaze directed at her from behind. She felt a chill on her back and shivered for no apparent reason.

Yang Lijun stood behind her grandfather, Master Yang, feeling extremely scared. She had not expected that her visit to the Fourth Princess to teach Shen Li a lesson would actually implicate her aunt and cause her to have an unexpected miscarriage.

She now only hopes that the Fourth Princess will not give her away. Otherwise, even if the Emperor cannot kill her, her grandfather will cripple her when she returns home!

The screams in the hall gradually stopped, and the imperial physician came out to report to the emperor and empress that Concubine Zhao was out of danger and the dead fetus in her belly had been delivered, a boy.

After hearing this, Emperor Hongyang's already gloomy expression became even gloomier, and he immediately glared at Xiao Wushuang who was kneeling in the courtyard.

"Look at what you have done. I love you so much that I don't want to indulge you into this state, being arrogant and domineering!"

"Not only did you have the audacity to murder Miss Shen San, you even implicated your mother and caused her to suffer innocently, causing her to lose her unborn child!"

Emperor Hongyang stood up with a bang, looking furious, and said coldly, "Rebellious girl, do you know your crime?"

Shen Li stared at it with an indifferent look. If it weren't for Concubine Zhao's accidental miscarriage, Emperor Hongyang would not be so angry even if she was bitten to death by the poisonous snake.

It can be seen that only by putting yourself in someone else's shoes can you truly empathize.

If Xiao Wushuang still had a glimmer of hope just now, imagining that Concubine Zhao would be able to turn the danger around and act coquettishly when her father was no longer angry, she would still be the legitimate princess of Southern Wu, held in the palm of Emperor Hongyang's hand.

At this moment, when her father, who had always loved her, looked at her with his eyes wide open and anger, she really felt fear and terror.

He quickly lowered his trembling body and explained while crying, "Father, please understand. I just wanted to have some fun with Miss Shen San. I don't want to kill her! I don't know where that obsidian snake came from!"

"The fourth princess is in such a good mood!"

Shen Beiqi sneered and walked forward.

His face was as handsome as jade, but under the light of the fire, he looked solemn. His sparkling peach blossom eyes seemed to be smiling, but when he glanced at Xiao Wushuang, there was a murderous aura that frightened her.

"You are using a poisonous snake that kills instantly with blood to play with your third sister?"