Soft and crispy waist

Summer, the thirty-seventh year of Heng'an.

Gu Yizi, the son of the Duke of Zhenguo, led an army of 150,000 to the east to attack Dai Viet, then rose up in rebellion, entered from Changfeng Pass, and attacked Kyoto in three months, forcing the emperor to abdicate.

In the Records of the Grand Historian, Gu Yizi became a real traitor.

But the entire Great Zhou was full of vitality, especially in the capital. Everyone was busy preparing for Gu Yizi's enthronement. The Ministry of Rites was so busy that they hadn't slept for several days. The embroiderers in the embroidery room were so busy that their needles were about to fly, and officials from various departments were also busy finishing their work.

And at this moment, there is another place that is also busy.

That is the Anyang Marquis Mansion.

As the Crown Prince's consort, even though Tao Yurong has no children, now that Gu Yizi has successfully rebelled and ascended the throne, Tao Yurong will naturally become the Empress of the Central Palace.

But since others couldn't get in touch with Tao Yurong, they could only settle for the next best thing and curry favor with the future father-in-law, Marquis Anyang.

Even if you have looked down on him in the past, it is worth it to put on a smile and flatter him now.

Marquis Anyang was so happy that he was at a loss as to what to do. After a few drinks, he even dared to say anything. Zhou, who was standing by, did not try to stop him because at that moment she was also flattered by the group of wives of officials who wanted to curry his favor.

Until... an imperial edict was delivered.

"Look, the imperial edict of reward has arrived. I, as your son-in-law, am afraid that I will treat my father-in-law unfairly." Marquis Anyang happily walked towards Eunuch Lin who was holding the edict and waved his hand, saying, "Read it."

Eunuch Lin looked at him and said coldly, "Marquis Anyang, this is an imperial decree. Kneel down and receive it."

"My son-in-law gave me an order, so why should I kneel? He should kneel..." Before Anyang Hou could finish his words, he was stopped by Eunuch Lin's eyes. He reluctantly lifted his robe and knelt. "Your Majesty, accept the order."

Eunuch Lin opened the imperial edict and read aloud, "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Tao Zheng, Marquis of Anyang, has been a man of unethical conduct. He has served in office for twenty years, embezzled 134,365 taels of silver, and has disregarded human life, raping and fornicating countless women. He is sentenced to death for all his crimes and will be executed in the autumn."

After the imperial edict was read, there was dead silence.

Marquis Anyang looked up blankly and asked, "What...what did you say? Did you pronounce it wrong?"

"Whether I read it correctly or not, Marquis Anyang will know after he receives the decree and takes a look at it." Eunuch Lin handed the imperial edict forward.

Marquis Anyang didn't dare to answer. He took two steps back and shook his head in denial, "Impossible! I'm his father-in-law. How could he possibly execute me? Impossible! Impossible!"

"It seems that there are doubts about Marquis Anyang. Come, take Marquis Anyang to the Dali Temple to find out which of his crimes is wrong." Eunuch Lin gave an order and the guards immediately stepped forward.

Marquis Anyang wanted to resist, but he was full of fat and his body had been hollowed out long ago. After moving a few times, he was so tired that he was gasping for breath and was caught without any effort.

"No! You can't take the Marquis away!" Zhou finally rushed out of the crowd, hugged Marquis Anyang's hand, and prevented him from being taken away.

"The Marquis's wife is here too. That's perfect. Someone has accused you of murdering a maid. Come along too."

Before she could finish her words, Zhou was caught.

Zhou didn't expect that she was still there, and she struggled hurriedly: "Let go! Let go! My daughter is the future queen, Gu Yizhi can't kill us!"

"Where did you hear that from, Marquis' wife? The Crown Prince's wife passed away this morning. Even if the Crown Prince is kind and righteous and wants to posthumously confer the title on her, with a maternal family like the Marquis's, he can only confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort."

"What did you say?" Zhou and Marquis Anyang said in unison.

They couldn't believe that Tao Yurong was dead.

If she died, then they...

"The Marquis' wife should be the one who knows best what I am talking about." Eunuch Lin looked at Zhou with a smile.

Zhou's heart sank.

Of course she knew about it, and she also knew about Doctor Qian's medicine, but she didn't expect Tao Yurong to die, and die at this time.

Could it be that Gu Yizi killed her?

"It turned out to be you, bitch! It was you who killed me!" Marquis Anyang didn't ask any questions and concluded that it was Zhou who was behind it, so he kicked her.

The kick landed right on Zhou's stomach, causing her to bend over in so much pain that she couldn't utter a word.

Eunuch Lin had no time to watch the couple fighting each other, so he waved his hand and asked the guards to take them away.

He glanced at the other officials around him and asked with a smile, "What are you all doing here at the Marquis' Mansion today?"

Everyone felt a chill down their spines and quickly found an excuse to cut ties with the Anyang Marquisate and escape.

The Anyang Marquis Mansion, which was bustling with people the moment before, became silent and deserted the next moment.

And Tao Yurong was indeed disappointed.

But the day before she died, she met Xia Zheng.

Before Gu Yizi rebelled, all the people in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion were transferred, and Tao Yurong was naturally not left out.

But Tao Yurong was forced to get pregnant, and it was extremely difficult for her to lie in bed and take care of the baby, let alone move.

There was no one around to tempt her, Caiwei, and after all the trouble, she was already showing signs of miscarriage. In order to save the child in the mansion, she took medicine and managed to survive until the eighth month.

If the child is born prematurely, it is a reverse position.

According to Wei Qingqing, seven or eight midwives came in that day and tried every possible method, but the baby still couldn't be born. Doctor Qian ran away early in the morning.

In the end, Tao Yurong made up her mind and forced the midwife to pull the child out directly.

The child was weak, but at least he survived.

Tao Yurong was unconscious for three days and three nights. Although she finally came back to life with the help of the imperial physician, she was still hanging on for her last breath.

She was about to die, so she sent someone to find Xia Zheng, and Xia Zheng did not refuse.

When I arrived at Fanghuayuan again, it was already in a state of desolation.

The same was true for Tao Yurong, who was no longer the noble Guanyin statue she once was. She looked like a completely dried-up branch, lying on the bed, staring up with her eyes open, not knowing what she was thinking.

When she heard Xia Zheng come in, she turned around and looked at her, no longer pretending to be kind. She said with jealousy, "You are so lucky to be able to come back alive like this."

"Thanks to the Crown Prince's Consort." Xia Zheng smiled and sat on a chair outside the bed. She looked her over and said, "But the Crown Prince's Consort is different. I haven't seen her for only a year, and she's become like this."

"Are you happy?"

Xia Zheng shook her head. "I have nothing to be happy about, nor do I have anything to be unhappy about. I knew this outcome the moment I learned the Crown Prince's wife was pregnant. Going against the will of heaven will not bring good results."

"Really? What about you?"

"Me? I'm not as vicious as the Crown Prince's wife. I have never hurt anyone on my own initiative. I just want to live." Xia Zheng didn't think she was a good person, but she wasn't a bad person either. Even though she tried hard to climb up, she never poisoned or tortured anyone. She had a clear conscience.

"Then why don't you tell me that you're alive because I helped you back then?"

"That's why I came back today to see the Crown Princess for the last time."