Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

As for whether Wang lives or dies, who cares?

It's perfectly normal for a woman convicted of a crime in the cold palace to die suddenly from an illness after causing trouble, or to commit suicide out of fear of punishment.

Consort Zhuang picked up her teacup, smiled slightly, concealing the malice in her eyes.

Consort Mei asked nervously, "But, cousin, to drive Wang Zhuohua mad, we have to make her believe that the Third Prince is really in imminent danger."

"How can we make this seem real while ensuring we don't leave any evidence against us?"

However, she believed that with her cousin's connections in the palace, this matter would not be difficult to handle.

The Third Prince was already weak, and Consort Tong was an honest, timid, and indecisive person, like a block of wood.

If my cousin wanted to do something to the Third Prince, how could Consort Tong possibly protect him?

In Consort Mei's view, dealing with Consort Tong, who was out of favor and power and whose son was abnormal, was not much harder than crushing an ant.

A thoughtful look flashed in Consort Zhuang's eyes.

Consort Tong is indeed not a character to be worried about.

She raised the third prince by chance and remained cautious and discreet, almost invisible in the harem. Only through her unassuming and unassuming service to His Majesty for many years was she able to rise to the rank of Consort.

She had neither a powerful family background to rely on, nor the courage to scheme. Her only wish was probably that the Third Prince would grow up safely.

In Consort Zhuang's eyes, such a person was no different from an ant.

As for how to get the Third Prince into trouble...

Consort Zhuang's eyes were dark and unfathomable.

The Third Prince's health has never been good.

It is perfectly normal for a child who is frail and sickly to experience relapses or sudden worsening of their condition.

In the Imperial Medical Academy, there are always one or two medical records that can be considered; and one or two medicinal ingredients that can be added or subtracted.

She didn't need to actually kill the Third Prince; creating the illusion that he was seriously ill and on the verge of death, and letting those who needed to know, would be enough.

With Consort Zhuang's influence in the palace, it wouldn't be difficult for her to accomplish this: "...As for Consort Tong and her son, I have my own arrangements."

Consort Mei replied, "Yes."

……

Yongshou Palace.

Shen Zhinian lay half-reclined on the soft couch by the window, her belly bulging high. She had several soft pillows under her to make her feel a little more comfortable.

Qiuyue knelt on the footstool, carefully applying a warm towel to her slightly swollen calves.

Han Dan stood to the side, gently fanning herself.

Xiao Mingzi respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this servant has something to report."

Shen Zhinian raised her eyes slightly: "Speak."

Xiao Mingzi said, "Your Majesty, there's been some activity at Changchun Palace. Our people have been keeping an eye on things for a while now, and they've finally gotten some concrete information."

Shen Zhinian gave a soft "hmm" to signal him to continue.

Qiuyue continued applying compresses to her legs.

The lotus perked up its ears.

"It's about the Third Prince."

Xiao Mingzi took a breath and continued, "The eyes I planted near the Imperial Hospital discovered that a second-class eunuch from Changchun Palace secretly contacted a physician surnamed Qin from the Imperial Hospital a couple of days ago."

"Qin was not a high-ranking physician; he was in charge of sorting and recording medicinal materials. However, because his uncle was a senior member of the Imperial Medical Academy, he had a wide network of connections."

The two met in a secluded spot in the back alley of the Imperial Pharmacy.

"The servants were far away, so I couldn't hear their exact conversation, but the eunuch stuffed a bulging purse into his hand. Doctor Qin refused twice, but then accepted it."

"Shortly afterward, my servant noticed that the imperial physician responsible for taking the Third Prince's pulse every day, when reviewing recent medical records, summoned this Physician Qin alone and asked him a few questions. His expression was somewhat solemn."

"I found it suspicious, so I spent some money and managed to get a little information out of a junior doctor in the Imperial Hospital who was in charge of copying."

"The young apprentice said that he vaguely heard Physician Qin whispering to someone, saying that the Third Prince's health seemed to be weaker this year and that he needed to use some strong medicine to strengthen his body. He also mentioned a rather potent herb that children should never use lightly."

Han Dan couldn't help but blurt out, "They want to use medicine on the Third Prince to make his health worse?"

"The Third Prince is already weak; if he were given such potent medicine, wouldn't that kill him?! What is Consort Zhuang trying to do?!"

Shen Zhinian was not surprised.

Consort Zhuang was kind on the outside but ruthless on the inside.

She was an old resident of the former residence, a family business that had been running the estate for generations and was deeply entrenched.

It would be strange if Consort Zhuang, working in the Imperial Hospital, didn't have a few trusted undercover agents.

Shen Zhinian looked at Xiao Mingzi and asked, "Have you found out exactly what they plan to do? Are they going to add something directly to the medicine, or tamper with the medical records?"

Xiao Mingzi hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, due to the limitations of Physician Qin's position, he is unable to directly access the Third Prince's medicine."

"This servant suspects that he is more likely to have his hands on the medical records or the reports on the medicinal materials."

Han Dan was both anxious and angry: "Your Majesty, what exactly are they trying to gain by plotting against the Third Prince?"

"Didn't Consort Zhuang always want to regain power in the palace or find fault with us? Why did she go through all this trouble to deal with the Third Prince?"

Shen Zhinian narrowed her eyes: "The Third Prince does have the title of 'eldest' after all."

In many people's eyes, the Third Prince was just a child who needed pity and care.

But in the eyes of those scheming people... the Third Prince, living and holding the title of the eldest son, is an obstacle to the legitimate son in terms of etiquette and law.

Han Dan realized what was going on: "Consort Zhuang is trying to slander Your Highness, making people think that you targeted the Third Prince to clear obstacles for the Fourth Prince?!"

"good."

Shen Zhinian sneered, "My body is growing increasingly heavy, and I am on the verge of becoming Empress. If the Third Prince suddenly falls seriously ill, and all the signs vaguely point to Yongshou Palace..."

"Guess what people in and out of the government will say?"

What kind of suspicions will be planted in His Majesty's heart?

"Does a concubine who would poison her own son, the eldest son of a concubine, in order to make her son the eldest legitimate son, still deserve to be the mother of the nation?"

This scheme is undeniably insidious!

Han Dan and the others felt a chill!

Consort Zhuang didn't even need to actually kill the Third Prince. Just creating the impression that the Imperial Noble Consort had a motive and had already taken action against the Third Prince would be enough to plant a thorn in His Majesty's heart...

This would also stir up trouble among the court officials.

This seriously undermines the reputation and status of the Imperial Noble Consort, and even the Shen family!

What a vicious heart!

Han Dan's eyes reddened with anger: "Using a child to make a fuss, and then trying to smear the Empress! Consort Zhuang, she... she's simply..."

"She got anxious."

Shen Zhinian's expression was calm, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly: "Consort Zhuang is a woman of deep thoughts and the most composed."

"She's slippery and incredibly patient. I've been fighting with her for so many years, and finding any real leverage against her is as difficult as climbing to heaven."

"But now, the child in my womb will soon be full-term, and the position of Empress is within reach. The Zhuang family in the court must also feel the pressure."

"They... finally couldn't hold back any longer!"