Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

The Emperor had previously asserted that the fate of the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping would be the same as that of the disgraced Concubine Xian. She could only speculate about this assertion.

However, Murong Shuo's thoughts were completely different from hers, and he still couldn't let it go.

"Your Majesty, do you think the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping will confess their crimes and accept the decree? You issued the decree without even interrogating them. Even if you arrest them, how will the outside world react?" Zhang Tianai whispered softly, her voice trembling slightly. "Besides, I am naturally overjoyed that Your Majesty has come to my place, and I have been waiting for Your Majesty, but I'm sure there are still many people looking for Your Majesty."

The Queen Mother was one of them.

"I don't want to see anyone." Murong Shuo's answer was brief and decisive.

At this moment, he just wanted to be alone and quiet. He didn't want to see anyone, didn't want to listen to anyone's words, and didn't want to delve into those troublesome things.

He just wanted to be here, enjoy a moment of peace, and look at her quietly.

Zhang Tianai was speechless. She seemed to feel the emperor's inner fluctuations and thoughts. She was not sure if she was wrong, but the emperor seemed to have made up his mind. This might be good news for her!

"I have issued an edict to Princess Kangping and the Imperial Concubine." Murong Shuo finally told her what she wanted to know.

Even if the woman didn't ask, he knew what she was thinking. He asked again in a deep voice, "Are you satisfied?"

Satisfied? What's there to be satisfied with? Zhang Tianai pondered inwardly.

But on the surface, she showed an indifferent attitude: "Your Majesty, I have no right to say whether I am satisfied or not, and you don't have to be so..."

Her face was still a little pale.

"Why?" Murong Shuo seemed not to notice her abnormality.

"With the Emperor's decree, the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping are no longer the noble they once were." Zhang Tianai left unsaid. Besides the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping, who else were the other high-ranking concubines in the harem? The rest were just insignificant newcomers.

The once proud imperial concubine and Princess Kangping had now met such an end. Although she had not seen it with her own eyes, she felt happy in her heart.

In her previous life, they had harmed her, yet they lived a prosperous life; in this life, Princess Kangping will also experience the feeling of losing her status as a princess and being imprisoned.

Although the imperial concubine has the prince by her side and may still have a chance to turn things around, it is only a slim hope.

"This is what they deserve. Those who do evil will eventually be punished." Murong Shuo said, "I thought you would be happy, but your appearance reminds me that when Concubine Xian committed the crime, they were still fine. I promised you that I would stand up for you!"

Murong Shuo's words revealed firmness and determination.

He will not show favoritism, nor will he let off anyone who does evil.

He stared closely at her expression, trying to read her thoughts.

"Your Majesty, I am happy too. Really, how could I not be happy?" Zhang Tianai said half-truthfully. "Those who harmed me will eventually suffer the consequences. Even the Imperial Concubine never took me seriously. I have always wanted to find the person who plotted against me and drugged me, and I have promised that I will not let them go."

"Now that they have met such a fate, I am naturally happy. Moreover, I am pregnant now. For the sake of the child, I cannot worry too much. However, Your Majesty also said that the Imperial Concubine is also pregnant, and so is Princess Kangping. I thought Your Majesty would not be so decisive."

There was a hint of helplessness and pity in Zhang Tianai's words.

"No? Why wouldn't I?" Murong Shuo asked, "Besides their identities, what else do they have that I should be attached to? Queen Mother? Humph, she can't find me right now."

At this point, Murong Shuo suddenly remembered the whereabouts of the Queen Mother and pondered in his heart.

"If everyone knew that the emperor was here with me..." Zhang Tianai hesitated to speak.

Especially the Queen Mother, if she knew that the Emperor was here, she would probably be dissatisfied.

Murong Shuo looked at her and said, "It doesn't matter. No one knows. Even if they do, what can they do?"

Zhang Tianai was secretly worried. If the empress dowager knew about this, she would probably not escape punishment.

Murong Shuo gently stroked her bulging belly: "Is the baby okay?"

He really wanted to touch it again. In the past two days, he had not been able to spend enough time with her or take a good look at the baby in her belly because he had been interrogating the prisoners.

"Hmm." Zhang Tianai responded softly, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she took the emperor's hand and placed it on her abdomen: "He is fine. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, and he is also very well-behaved."

Murong Shuo's large hands gently caressed the woman's soft, boneless abdomen, feeling the rhythm of life. He raised his eyes, his gaze deep and gentle.

Zhang Tianai's cheeks flushed slightly.

"It seems your mood has improved, and you're no longer depressed." Murong Shuo carefully studied her expression and noticed that the depression in her heart had dissipated. Ever since Concubine Xian was imprisoned, she had been worried that the matter had not been properly handled, and she had always felt a little depressed.

Zhang Tianai nodded gently.

At this moment, the depression in her heart had disappeared without a trace.

All the troubles have been resolved.

"It's good that you're not depressed." Murong Shuo looked at the tea next to him and asked, "Did you drink this?" He hadn't drunk a sip of water since he had been interrogating the prisoner that morning. His mouth was dry and thirsty, and he saw the cup of tea at a glance. Zhang Tianai took a look and saw that it was indeed what she had drunk.

Murong Shuo raised a smile and took a sip of tea.

After drinking it, he seemed to feel unprecedented satisfaction and peace.

Zhang Tianai smiled slightly when he saw this: "Your Majesty, would you like some more?"

Murong Shuo nodded slightly.

"That means you still need to drink." Zhang Tianai said.

Murong Shuo glared at her.

Zhang Tianai was about to order a servant to bring another glass of water when Nanny Li and Chunmei walked in. They had returned to the palace after seeing off the virtuous concubine and were now standing at the palace gate, preparing to enter. Seeing the emperor and his master looking at them, they quickly bowed. Murong Shuo withdrew his hand from the woman's abdomen, and Zhang Tianai straightened her posture.

Nanny Li and Chunmei walked into the hall.

Meanwhile, Concubine Xian left Hibiscus Palace with Wan'er. On the way back, she sent someone to inquire about the situation, but still couldn't find out what the Emperor had ordered.

"Aunt." Wanwan suddenly blushed and called out to Concubine Xian.

The virtuous concubine looked at her like this and felt very strange. She didn't know what she was going to say or do, and why she was blushing so much: "What's wrong with you?" As she said this, she wanted to reach out and touch her cheek.

"Aunt, don't you want to regain the emperor's favor?" Wanwan mustered up the courage and asked in a low and curious voice.

The virtuous concubine continued to look at her: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Aunt..." Wanwan's face was as red as blood, and she stammered and couldn't speak.

"I don't understand why you say such a thing?" Concubine Xian really didn't understand why her niece would have such thoughts.

"The Emperor is very good to Concubine Liang." Wanwan's voice was still very low.

"So what if it's good? You know the current situation." Concubine Xian interrupted her and stopped her from continuing.

"Aunt, I... I'm just curious. Seeing Concubine Liang and the Emperor together, I'm curious." Wanwan expressed her true thoughts. She was indeed just curious. After all, her aunt had never had such thoughts before.

The virtuous concubine looked at her niece and said, "Your aunt has never had such a thought. Such days are not easy."

Wanwan nodded when she heard this. She understood what her aunt meant, and also knew that life in the harem was not easy.

The virtuous concubine walked into her own bedroom and her eyes fell gently on her niece. Her niece lowered her head, not daring to breathe.

-

Meanwhile, within the Yangxin Palace, the situation remained tense. Imperial Consort Kangping, Princess Kangping, was being interrogated, while the Empress Dowager appeared somewhat impatient, having already downed two cups of fragrant tea and was about to leave.

However, just as she was about to leave, another decree came.

This was yet another imperial decree, yet the emperor himself still hadn't appeared. The decree's contents were shocking: it concluded the interrogation of the imperial concubine and Princess Kangping, convicting them immediately. Investigators had uncovered new evidence and a new suspect, who had confessed.

Everything was a foregone conclusion, no further explanation needed. But what was even more unexpected was that the emperor had stripped her of her title of Imperial Concubine. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have likely been reduced to a commoner like the virtuous concubine. Furthermore, she would be imprisoned until she gave birth, and she might have faced other punishments afterward.

As for Princess Kangping, her fate was even more tragic. Not only was her title stripped away, she was also expelled from the imperial palace, never to be allowed to set foot there again.

Upon hearing this news, the Empress Dowager's face darkened. She asked in disbelief, "How many decrees did the Emperor issue? Where are the others?" She desperately hoped the Emperor would come in person to explain, but he never showed up.

The Queen Mother wanted to send someone to look for the Emperor again, but was stopped by Eunuch An. Eunuch An reappeared and bowed respectfully to the Queen Mother.

However, the Queen Mother had no intention of letting him get up. She directly questioned, "It's fine that the Emperor stripped the title of Imperial Concubine, but why did he treat Princess Kangping the same way? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"

Eunuch An replied helplessly, "Your Majesty doesn't want to see anyone at the moment."