Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

"Is someone waiting outside now?" There was a hint of doubt in Murong Shuo's voice, and his eyes were sharp as he cast a sharp glance at Eunuch An.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch An responded in a low voice, hesitating to speak.

"Why did the prince choose this moment to send someone here? And the timing is so coincidental." There was a hint of inquiry in Murong Shuo's tone.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence." Eunuch An answered cautiously.

Eunuch An didn't know why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sent someone here at this time, so he could only choose the safest answer.

Murong Shuo's expression changed slightly, clearly pondering the Crown Prince's intentions. His thoughts drifted to Concubine Liang in the inner chamber: "Did the person sent by the Crown Prince mention their purpose? Were they stopped? Did they leak any other information?"

"No, Your Majesty, please rest assured." Eunuch An hastened to assure, "This old servant has always been very cautious, so the Crown Prince's men were stopped further away."

Murong Shuo nodded gently, then fixed his gaze on Eunuch An again. Although he had decided to stop avoiding him, he didn't make a big show of meeting anyone. It had only been a short while since he returned to the enclosure yesterday.

During this time, he did meet a few people and summon a few ministers. People came and went around the dragon tent, but there was no unusual behavior. If someone hadn't been watching carefully, it would have been difficult to detect these subtle changes.

"Your Majesty..." Eunuch An spoke again, with a hint of hesitation in his voice, "It's not surprising that someone has heard some news." After all, the Dragon Tent has been the focus of attention recently.

Murong Shuo looked at Eunuch An deeply, as if he had already seen through his thoughts.

"It's true that many people are staring at me, and even the prince himself hasn't fully recovered." There was a hint of displeasure in Murong Shuo's tone, but his expression was still as calm as water, making it difficult to grasp his true emotions.

"But Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been helping you manage the affairs of the enclosure while you were away. He is very worried about your health and has sent people to inquire about you several times. He even forced himself to handle government affairs. He really has good intentions." Eunuch An defended the Crown Prince.

"Prince...that's all." Murong Shuo sighed softly, as if unwilling to mention the matter again. Perhaps, as Eunuch An said, there might be another hidden story.

Seeing this, Eunuch An also chose to remain silent. His Majesty's emotions became complicated at the mention of the Crown Prince. Could it be that His Majesty still doubted the Crown Prince? He had doubts before, but they had been dispelled. Now that Concubine Liang had returned, had His Majesty's suspicions been reignited?

Indeed, His Majesty's regard for Concubine Liang is well known. Now that Concubine Liang has returned, she has lost her memory, sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. How can His Majesty not be worried? He will surely think of the suffering Concubine Liang has endured these days and wonder who harmed her.

Thus, his trust in everyone was shaken again, including the Crown Prince. Furthermore, the Crown Prince had suddenly sent someone to him. You know, he was once one of His Majesty's suspects, who believed he had attacked Concubine Liang. Could it be that the Crown Prince had noticed something?

Eunuch An pondered this inwardly, but dared not speak. Why should he speak so much? What if he said something wrong? Wouldn't it be disastrous? He only dared to speak because he thought His Majesty wanted to hear him.

As before, Your Majesty already had a plan in mind, but he just didn't want to say it out loud.

"I am sorry for talking too much." Eunuch An bowed his head and admitted his mistake, gently tapping his shoulders with the whisk in his hand.

Murong Shuo grabbed his arm and said, "Don't blame yourself so much. If you were wrong, it's not wrong. You often speak up for the prince, and this is your duty. You still haven't told me what the people sent by the prince said."

This is what he really cares about.

"Your Majesty," Eunuch An spoke again, "The people sent by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said they just wanted to know if Your Majesty had recovered. They were worried about your health, so they sent people to check on you when they saw some movement here, fearing that something might have happened."

He reported the prince's intention truthfully.

"The prince really cares about me in every possible way." Murong Shuo sighed.

"Your Majesty," Eunuch An replied, then added, "Regarding the Crown Prince, I'll have someone continue to monitor him and take good care of him. He hasn't fully recovered yet and is still bedridden. It's only been a few days, and his condition is even worse than Your Majesty's. He's always worrying about this and that, so he might as well be recovering."

After saying this, he asked Murong Shuo to ask the imperial physician to pay more attention to the prince's physical condition.

Murong Shuo nodded and gave some other instructions, and Eunuch An agreed to them one by one.

Suddenly, Murong Shuo brought up the news about the Crown Princess in the capital: "You said the capital has already found out about the Crown Princess?"

When Eunuch An heard this, his heart tightened and he quickly lowered his head: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"The Crown Princess didn't give birth to a stillborn baby prematurely because of someone else's trick. Instead, she gave birth prematurely and pushed the blame onto other women." There was a hint of coldness in Murong Shuo's tone.

Eunuch An was so frightened that he couldn't speak. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince didn't know about this yet; only the people who had returned from the capital, himself, and His Majesty knew. His Majesty chose to conceal the matter, saying he had to find Concubine Liang first. Now that Concubine Liang had been found, did His Majesty plan to tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

He thought it would be better not to tell the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince knew about this, he would definitely be shocked and might even refuse to believe it. In the Crown Prince's mind, the Crown Princess had always been perfect, and her performance was indeed so. But who could have imagined that she would actually do such a thing?

How could she be so bold! To do such a cruel thing!

If the baby was stillborn after ten months of pregnancy, His Royal Highness might have some doubts. But the reality was so cruel.

"Don't let him know about this until he's fully recovered." Murong Shuo was still worried about his son. Eunuch An responded, "As for the Crown Princess..."

"Let's talk about it after we return to the capital. Let the prince handle it himself." Murong Shuo thought to himself, but did not answer Eunuch An.

Eunuch An didn't dare to ask any more questions. He thought of the Crown Princess again. Such a woman was actually chosen by the Crown Prince himself! It seemed reasonable for her to do such a thing.

He thought of other women again, perhaps most women were like this.

"Let's go." Murong Shuo suddenly stood up and walked forward with big strides.

Where is your majesty going? Eunuch An thought to himself, but he hurriedly followed.

"The imperial physician said that Concubine Liang's headache and dizziness, whether they are the sequelae of amnesia or other reasons, cannot be cured. Head diseases are difficult to treat and I am afraid they will only get worse." Murong Shuo's voice echoed in the empty palace.

Eunuch An replied softly, "Yes."

Empress Liang had not yet regained consciousness, but His Majesty had urgently summoned the imperial physician. After a few whispers, the physician's expression became solemn.

He told His Majesty that the dizziness and headaches complained by Concubine Liang might be a precursor to amnesia.

At the same time, Murong Shuo did not forget to summon Doctor Li and Chunmei. His words were full of gratitude, and he asked them generously what they wanted.

However, both Doctor Li and Chunmei declined His Majesty's reward. When His Majesty inquired again, Doctor Li's answer was exactly the same as the imperial physician's, as if they had already discussed it.

At this moment, the emperor seemed to have deeper considerations in his heart. He suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Where are the people who returned with me last night?" Eunuch An responded quickly and pointed out where they were.

Afterwards, the emperor simply gave Eunuch An a look and told him to go and handle an urgent matter, and there was no need for him to stay by his side.

The emperor, alone, walked towards the chief guard who had accompanied him last night. His tone was filled with undeniable authority: "Have you found out the origins of those who died?"

The guard leader's face was solemn as he replied, "Your Majesty, they are dead soldiers. We have no clues left."

Death squads? No clues? Doubt and anger flashed across the emperor's eyes. He almost blurted out, "Where did these death squads come from, and who trained them?" But the chief guard could only shake his head, indicating that he knew nothing.

The emperor stared for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling the guard leader to withdraw. Then, the secret guard quietly stepped forward and reported the situation in a low voice. The emperor's brow furrowed. The matter of the enclosure was imminent, and he had to make a decision quickly.

On the other hand, after sending away the Crown Prince's men, Eunuch An learned that His Majesty was busy with important matters, so he quietly left.

In the Crown Prince's tent, Murong Shenxing's face darkened as he listened to his men's report. The men he had sent still hadn't been able to see his father, and only Eunuch An had come forward to provide a perfunctory response.

He began to wonder if his father had really been poisoned. He wanted to take this opportunity to confirm whether the woman was with his father, but he was unable to do so.

Just as he was lost in thought, someone quietly entered and whispered, "Your Highness, someone wants to see you and asks if you are interested." Murong Shenxing looked up, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes: "Who?"

"Your Highness, do you want to see me?" the subordinate asked tentatively.

Murong Shenxing answered without hesitation: "No." His heart was filled with irritation and helplessness. His father's suspicion was like an invisible shackle that made him breathless.

-

Meanwhile, at Concubine Xian's residence, she keenly sensed the turmoil in the enclosure. She hadn't left her home for several days, but she maintained contact with the outside world. That person had proactively sent a message, urging her to be cautious.

She thought of some unusual activity in the dragon tent, and her anxiety grew even greater. At that moment, Zhang Tianai met Chunmei, who knelt before her, her face filled with worry, asking about her well-being. Zhang Tianai sensed Chunmei's genuine concern, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She helped Chunmei to her feet, telling her not to be so polite.

Although the palace maids treated Zhang Tianai with great respect, they always seemed distant. She knew this was due to the emperor's attitude. She stopped dwelling on it; having Chunmei by her side was enough. Chunmei was the person closest to her and the one who understood her best.

After bathing and changing clothes, Zhang Tianai sat in front of the mirror and the palace maids helped her to dress up.

A moment later, Murong Shuo strode in, followed closely by Eunuch An, who was talking in low voices. After Eunuch An left, Murong Shuo's eyes fell on Zhang Tianai.

Zhang Tianai looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly said to Chunmei, "Chunmei, you have always been by my side and are the person closest to me. I want to live with you, away from here, and with Doctor Li. What do you think?"

Chunmei turned pale with fright when she heard this: "Master, this...how can this be?" Her voice trembled, and she was obviously shocked by this sudden proposal.

When Murong Shuo heard this conversation, an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.