Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Emperor Qian was feverishly investigating the Second Prince's cause of death and infection when a bolt from the blue struck him: Qiao Xinran had also contracted smallpox! This news was like a landslide for the Emperor. He stared in disbelief at the person who had brought the report, his heart filled with unspeakable fear and grief.

Qiao Xinran was the woman he loved most! How could she have contracted such a terrible disease? Emperor Qian was distraught and immediately ordered the best imperial physicians to come and treat her. He also assigned personnel to closely monitor Qiao Xinran's condition and isolate her to prevent the spread of the disease. The entire palace was shrouded in tension and panic, everyone worried about Qiao Xinran's safety.

Emperor Qian stayed by her side day and night, personally caring for her, hoping for a speedy recovery. However, smallpox is an extremely dangerous infectious disease, and even with the best medical conditions, the hope of a cure is slim. Emperor Qian was filled with self-blame and regret. If he had been more vigilant, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided. Now, he could only pray to God to protect Qiao Xinran and help her survive this ordeal.

Emperor Qian ignored the ministers' objections and insisted on going to Qiao Xinran's room to take care of him and watch him personally. The imperial doctors who had experience in treating the eldest prince and had succeeded were all stabbed to death by Qian Huangyi with poisoned wine. The new imperial doctors were all inexperienced and young. They were helpless with Qiao Xinran's illness and could only prescribe some calming and pain-relieving prescriptions for him.

After Emperor Qian left court, he hurried toward the palace where Qiao Xinran was staying. He was extremely anxious because he had received news that morning that Qiao Xinran was seriously ill. As he entered the palace, a pungent smell of medicine hit him, and his heart tightened.

Emperor Qian entered the bedroom and saw Qiao Xinran lying weakly on the bed, her face as pale as a sheet. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were trembling slightly, as if she was in great pain. Emperor Qian gently stroked Qiao Xinran's forehead, feeling the high fever radiating from her. His eyes were filled with worry and anxiety, and a wave of sadness welled up in his heart.

Looking at Qiao Xinran's haggard face, Emperor Qian felt a sharp pain in his heart. He recalled the good times they had shared, but those sweet memories now became an indelible pain deep within him. He began to wonder, were all the people he loved leaving him one by one? This thought filled him with endless fear and despair.

Emperor Qian sat beside the bed, tightly holding Qiao Xinran's hand, silently praying to the heavens to protect her through this difficult time. He was willing to pay any price for Qiao Xinran's health and happiness, even if it meant giving up the throne. At this moment, he only hoped that Qiao Xinran would recover quickly and return to his side.

With trembling hands, Qiao Xinran slowly supported her frail body. Her gaze was fixed on Emperor Qian's face, filled with endless desolation and sorrow. However, despite the agony in her heart, she stubbornly insisted on sitting up straight, straightening her spine, looking straight into Emperor Qian's eyes, and said in a firm and desolate tone: "Your Majesty, have you found out the truth about our son's death? There must be a conspiracy behind this matter. Someone is deliberately targeting our son! Even I am deeply involved in it and have been calculated by them.

"It must be because you favor me and your son, and the envy of others, that they have devised such a vicious scheme to frame us. Your Majesty, please investigate this matter thoroughly and give me and your son justice!" As Qiao Xinran finished her words, tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the cold ground.

Emperor Qian looked at Qiao Xinran's delicate appearance, and a breath of suffocating anger filled his chest. He couldn't even protect the woman he loved and the prince. What else could he protect?

Emperor Qian coaxed Qiao Xinran into drinking the medicine, and only after watching her slowly lie down and fall asleep did he gently leave her palace. As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, the maidservant at the Empress Dowager's side came forward and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager invites you to proceed to Chengqian Palace at once." Emperor Qian frowned slightly, but nodded in agreement, then turned and followed the maidservant. Along the way, he secretly speculated on the Empress Dowager's intentions, wondering what would happen next in this summons.

Emperor Qian followed the palace maid to the front of the Empress Dowager's palace, only to see his mother sitting in the main seat, looking at him sternly before he walked in. The young man with yellow chicken feathers came forward to greet his mother and said, "Your son greets your mother and wishes her long-lasting health."

The Grand Empress Dowager looked at Emperor Qian coldly, "My son is really capable and is becoming more and more promising." The former emperor looked at the Empress Dowager, and felt annoyed by her sarcastic words. He then asked her in a harsh tone, "Mother, I don't know what I have done wrong to make you so angry."

The Grand Empress Dowager looked at her somewhat unfamiliar son and couldn't help but feel disappointed. She knew her son well; once he made a decision, it was difficult for him to change it. But she couldn't help but advise him, "My son, you are the ruler of a country now. You can't act as impulsively as before."

Emperor Qian frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but he managed to suppress it. Seeing this, the Grand Empress Dowager sighed helplessly and continued, "Look at you! For a woman, you've even disregarded state affairs. Those imperial physicians may have been somewhat negligent, but they did their best. Executing them so easily is heartbreaking."

Emperor Qian sneered and interrupted the Grand Empress Dowager. "Hmph, I am the ruler of the world! Since those imperial doctors can't cure the Queen's illness, what's the point of keeping them around? As for the other ministers, they are just a bunch of cowards who dare not disobey my orders."

The Empress Dowager's face fell. She hadn't expected Emperor Qian to be so stubborn and cruel. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, then slowly said, "My son, you can't think like that. As a ruler, you should put the people first and listen to the opinions of your ministers. Only in this way can you govern the country well and win the hearts of the people. If you blindly act arbitrarily, you will only plunge the country into chaos."

Emperor Qian was silent for a moment, seemingly moved by the Empress Dowager's words. He frowned slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he finally spoke, "Mother, you are right. I will carefully consider your advice and act more cautiously in the future. However, I will show no mercy to those who dare to challenge my authority."

The Empress Dowager said worriedly, "My son, Concubine Qiao gave birth to smallpox this time, and her son also had smallpox. You should stay away from other diseases. If you are infected with these, it will be difficult to cure. For the sake of the world, you'd better ask Qiao Xinran to leave the palace."

When Emperor Qian heard this, although he was dissatisfied, he suppressed his anger and said to his mother, "I understand. I will go back and think about it."

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded, a pleased smile on her face. She knew that, despite his stubborn temper, Emperor Qian was ultimately a brilliant child. As long as he recognized his mistakes and was willing to correct them, he had a long way to go. She believed that Emperor Qian would become an outstanding emperor and lead the country to prosperity.

The Empress Dowager thought so, but Emperor Qian did not think so in his heart. There were actually people who dared to speak ill of me in his mother's ear. Those people's tongues could be snatched away. When Qian Hong walked out of the Empress Dowager's bedroom, he ordered the eunuchs around him to investigate and see who was behind the scenes. Long Shifen was to find that person, cut off his tongue, and let him spread rumors again.

The eunuch turned and left to investigate those who were stirring up trouble in the palace. The King of Fists conducted a large-scale investigation in the palace. Everyone was in danger, afraid that the next one would find out about some false charges against them, and everyone in the harem was silent.

Emperor Qian sat on the dragon throne in his imperial study, intently reviewing the mountain of memorials before him. Suddenly, a eunuch in charge of secret investigations quietly entered and respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, after careful investigation, we have discovered that it was Concubine Ma Xiuxiu who secretly tampered with the Second Prince's clothing. She slipped the First Prince's clothing into the Second Prince's, causing him to unfortunately contract smallpox."

Upon hearing this news, Emperor Qian's face darkened, a flicker of anger and disappointment in his eyes. He hadn't expected the harem's struggles to be so intense, even to the point of harming innocent children. He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner rage, and asked, "Is there any solid evidence?" The eunuch nodded quickly and said, "Your Majesty, there is solid evidence.

The maidservants surrounding Concubine Ma have been bribed by the servants and have revealed the truth. Furthermore, there are other witnesses who can prove Concubine Ma's guilt." Emperor Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Pass on my decree. Immediately bring Concubine Ma Xiuxiu to the Heavenly Prison to await sentencing. At the same time, thoroughly investigate whether anyone else was involved in this matter. Any accomplices will be severely punished!"

The eunuch left, and Emperor Qian fell into deep thought again. He realized that the harem struggle had already affected the safety of the princes, and he had to take measures to stop it. However, how to balance the power of the harem without causing further chaos became the problem he faced.

Emperor Qian put all these aside for the time being, and came to Qiao Xinran's palace in a depressed mood. Looking at Qiao Xinran's frail appearance on the bed, with red pimples on her face and festering pus, Dan Huang didn't dare to go forward and turned away. Although he liked Qiao Xinran before, seeing her skinny and pus-covered face,

Emperor Qian was still incredibly sick. He suppressed his anguish and paced back and forth in the imperial garden. He kept telling himself, this woman had stood in the tiger's mouth for him, how could he possibly despise her? This was not how a human being could act. She loved him so much, willing to sacrifice her life for him. How could a god despise her just because she was sick?