Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Luanxiang Palace.

The carved palace doors were tightly shut, but heart-wrenching screams came through them, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

A moment later, the imperial physician, covered in sweat, opened the door, rushed to the emperor, and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, Consort Zheng is showing signs of postpartum hemorrhage. I'm afraid... her chances of survival are slim!"

Li Kai's expression was grave. "Where is the Emperor?"

"Your Majesty, I may administer acupuncture, but Your Majesty's full cooperation is required for childbirth. People are easily discouraged at the critical moment of life and death. I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant me this favor!"

"Send a message to Consort Zheng, saying that if she gives birth to a prince safely, I will immediately bestow upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort and the prince the title of Crown Prince!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Liang paused for a moment and turned to look at the Empress's expression. The Empress remained calm, as if it were none of her business, and clasped her hands together in prayer for Consort Zheng.

She withdrew her gaze, trying to imitate the Empress, but she could never achieve a clear and tranquil mind.

The imperial physician thanked the emperor and went into the palace to deliver a message to Consort Zheng.

After an incense stick had burned for a while, a loud cry pierced the sky. Li Kai's expression relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

A palace maid came out to announce the good news, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, it's a prince!"

Li Kai's lips curved into a smile before he asked, "How is Consort Zheng?"

"Her Majesty's concern has greatly improved her spirits, and the imperial physicians say they are confident she can be saved!"

"Hahaha, excellent!" Li Kai laughed loudly: "Issue my imperial decree: release the prisoners serving sentences of less than three years, elevate Consort Zheng to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, bestow upon her son the name Ji, and establish him as the Crown Prince!"

Inside the palace, a maidservant held a silk handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Zheng Xiangxiang's forehead.

Although the woman on the bed was weak, she was not on the verge of death. All of this was just a play staged by a few people.

After Zheng Xiangxiang became pregnant, Xiao Zong, through Wei Xueyao, secured her an opportunity to serve the emperor. He then bribed the imperial physician to fabricate the date of her pregnancy, ensuring that the child was fully his offspring.

She was extremely grateful for everything he did for her.

However, what she wanted was not just a prince.

Today is Xiao Zong and Su Zhi's wedding day. She chose to drink the labor-inducing medicine today so that Su Zhi would understand who is Xiao Zong's most important woman!

She wants sincerity, but also power and status.

She wants to take back everything she has lost!

So she bribed the imperial physician to obtain favors for herself and her son.

One day, when her son becomes the supreme ruler, she will make all those who have wronged her grovel at her feet!

A palace maid brought over a bowl of soup. "Your Highness, the ginseng soup is ready."

The imperial physician stepped aside to make way, watched her finish drinking, and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, I will report to His Majesty that Her Majesty is much better!"

Zheng Xiangxiang nodded, "Go ahead."

Just as the imperial physician reached the door, Zheng Xiangxiang suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and cried out in agony.

"what--"

"Miss!"

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Chaos erupted as the imperial physician returned, placing his hand on Zheng Xiangxiang's pulse, his expression growing increasingly grim.

It is a blood-activating substance, and extremely cold in nature!

While administering acupuncture, he said, "Bring me the ginseng soup from earlier."

The palace maid hurriedly presented it, and he lowered his head to smell the aroma, his expression turning serious.

that's it!

Who has touched the ginseng soup?

The palace maid said tremblingly, "The ginseng soup is brewed in the small kitchen, where eunuchs and palace maids can access it."

Zheng Xiangxiang was bleeding profusely from below, quickly staining the bedsheets red. She grabbed the imperial physician's sleeve, unable to understand why he wasn't doing his best to save her, but instead asking the palace maids all sorts of questions.

"Quickly rescue me... Glory... Glory, wealth, fame, fortune... whatever you want, I'll give you!"

The imperial physician lowered his eyes; with such a level of bleeding, it would be very difficult to save him.

He had just told His Majesty that the Empress was showing signs of postpartum hemorrhage, and now that it had come true, it meant that the mastermind behind the scenes had left him a way out.

He could easily say that the Empress's improved complexion was a temporary respite before death. His Majesty values ​​the imperial heir, and as long as the prince is unharmed, he wouldn't blame him too much.

The person who poisoned the emperor intended to kill Consort Zheng, but did not harm the imperial heir. Most likely, it was a childless concubine who wanted to raise Consort Zheng's son.

If he were to expose this matter, and the prince's true identity were revealed, he wouldn't have enough heads to chop off even if he had ten!

The imperial physician made his decision, calmly pulled back his sleeve, and warned the palace maids and nannies in the hall to keep the matter a secret and not to let anyone divulge it.

Afterwards, he found a relatively calm palace maid and sent her out to deliver the message.

And so, everyone in Luanxiang Palace stared at the bed, waiting for their master to breathe his last.

Zheng Xiangxiang's mouth was gagged, her wrists were tightly gripped, and she screamed silently, her eyes wide. In her last moment, she mustered all her strength to turn her head and look at her personal maid, who was huddled up in a ball...

Upon hearing the news of Consort Zheng's death, Li Kai's eyes reddened slightly. He drafted a posthumous title for her and ordered the Imperial Household Department to arrange the funeral and select a date for her burial.

After seeing the Crown Prince, he did not entrust him to the Empress, but instead placed him in the care of Consort Wei, and appointed three wet nurses for him.

With things having progressed to this point, everyone was exhausted, and they soon dispersed.

The palace servants removed the blood-stained bedding and helped Consort Zheng to wash and groom herself, preserving her last shred of dignity.

The personal maid stood not far away, watching her companion busy herself, but dared not step forward to help.

The desperate and resentful look in her master's eyes before he died kept flashing through her mind, and she didn't even have the courage to close her eyes for a moment.

Outside the palace, Xiao Zong received news of Zheng Xiangxiang's death and was so shocked that he could not recover for a long time.

He couldn't understand why, despite making thorough preparations, he still couldn't save her.

Two whole lifetimes!

Xiao Congyun, you are so incompetent that you can't even protect a woman!

Dou Zhao rushed in, “Master, Xing’er was indeed brought out by the people from the Eastern Depot, but before we could take action, she was intercepted by Consort Yuan.”

Xiao Zong pondered for a moment and said, "The Yuan family was raided, and Jiang Rou was demoted from Imperial Concubine to Consort, leaving her with no support. Her interception of people may not be to oppose us, but rather to show goodwill."

Dou Zhao's mind worked quickly. "Indeed, if we act in the palace, we're bound to risk being exposed. It's much easier for Jiang Rou, as a concubine, to ask the Eastern Depot for someone than it is for us."

Xiao Zong rubbed his temples. "Tell Jiang Rou that I'll agree to any condition as long as she hands over Xing'er. Also, find the informant inside Luanxiang Palace and ask them what happened tonight. How could Consort Zheng just suddenly disappear like that!"

Dou Zhao accepted the order and left.

A short while later, a subordinate came in to report that Consort Zheng's personal maid had sent a message.

"what news?"

"The palace maid said that someone had poisoned Consort Zheng's ginseng soup, and the imperial physician refused to save her, which led to the consort's death from postpartum hemorrhage!"

Xiao Zong slammed his fist on the table. So that's how it is!

"Go, bring out the remaining medicine dregs! Once Physician Zhang leaves the palace, immediately bring him here by force; I want to interrogate him personally!"

Su Zhi took a nap, and when she woke up and didn't see Xiao Zong, she slipped on her shoes and went out the door.

After walking for a while, she saw that the study light was still on, so she pushed the door open and went in, her voice hoarse from not having woken up yet.

"Is it time to go to court?"

Xiao Zong answered irrelevantly, "Zheng Xiangxiang is dead!"