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

Not long after Consort Zheng's death, a woman who looked remarkably like her personal maid appeared in the palace, which was once considered a strange tale.

Some people advised Consort Yuan to change her maidservant, but she seemed to be possessed and refused no matter what.

No one dared to go to Consort Yuan's palace, and even His Majesty felt it was an unlucky place and did not visit for many days.

On the day of Consort Zheng's burial, a palace maid who looked remarkably like Xing'er accidentally fell into the water and was pulled out by a passing eunuch. However, she had a high fever all night, and although she survived, she could no longer speak.

Everyone says that Consort Zheng and Xing'er have come to claim our lives, but only Jiang Rou and Xiao Zong know that the mastermind behind it all has made their move!

The informant reported that it was still the Eastern Depot that carried out the attack, but before the incident, Consort Liang's palace servants had visited the Grand Eunuch.

It's understandable that Consort Liang, who was in charge of the six palaces, would have ties to the Eastern Depot. However, since she was already a suspect, this incident only amplified her suspicions.

Xiao Zong instructed his men to keep a close eye on Consort Liang and Prince Jin, and then ordered Consort Yuan to find the imperial physician to treat Xing'er, hoping to extract information from her.

Two days later, Consort Yuan sent word that Xing'er had identified Consort Liang as the mastermind behind the crime.

From her name and place of origin to her assignment to Consort Zheng's palace, everything was orchestrated by Consort Liang. However, Consort Zheng was not favored after entering the palace, and over time, she became a discarded pawn.

She had intended to serve Consort Zheng well, but unexpectedly, the other party suddenly developed a desire to compete for favor and, in a bad mood, would beat and scold her.

Therefore, she informed Consort Liang of this matter, as well as the fact that Consort Zheng and Xiao Zong had met. By controlling the emperor's close ministers, the Prince of Jin's ascension to the throne would be imminent, and Consort Liang would be happy to use Consort Zheng as a shield.

Not long after, Consort Liang found a man to enter the palace and, through Xing'er, arranged for Consort Zheng to contact him. The plan was initially flawless, but then Xing'er slapped the eldest grandson of the emperor and was apprehended by the Empress. Consort Liang went to great lengths, bribing palace servants to save Xing'er's life.

If His Majesty hadn't wanted to make Consort Zheng's son the Crown Prince, Consort Liang wouldn't have risked bringing Xing'er out of the Eastern Depot, only to be outmaneuvered by Consort Yuan.

Now that Xing'er has swaggered into the palace, how could Consort Liang not panic? She immediately sent people to silence her. But Xing'er was incredibly lucky; she survived falling into the water and instead confessed everything.

With the truth of the case revealed, Xiao Zong was suddenly in a daze. It was truly like finding something you've been searching for without even looking for it!

After returning home, Xiao Zong recounted the whole story to Su Zhi, who calmed down as she ate the freshly made pastries from the kitchen.

"Once we know who it is, things will be much easier, and we can take precautions in advance."

"Ah."

Xiao Zong stroked her stomach, "Did you vomit again after eating today?"

Su Zhi wiped her hands and looked at him gently, "Much better."

"They say that childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell for a woman. After this baby is born, I will never let you get pregnant again."

Su Zhi cupped his face in her hands, "Are you worried about me?"

The man's large hand enveloped her small hand. He responded with a soft sound, then said in a deep voice, "Don't leave me. Stay by my side for the rest of your life, okay?"

Live in the same quilt, die in the same hole.

We will stay together forever, never to be apart!

Su Zhi smiled and said, "If you continue to treat me this well, I will never leave you in my next life."

Xiao Zong kissed her palm and solemnly said, "Xiao Congyun will always cherish Su Zhi like a precious jewel, treasuring her, valuing her, respecting her, and loving her!"

Su Zhi leaned in and kissed him, "I'm willing to share this vow."

Time flies, and autumn is already in full swing.

General Baili was about to join the army, so he hastily married Xiao Rong, and the couple went to the border together.

The once grand Xiao mansion suddenly became deserted. Qin Shi, unable to bear the loneliness, would occasionally visit the new residence with Granny Zhao. Su Zhi was initially a little uncomfortable, but after visiting more often, she was able to chat with her mother-in-law for a few minutes.

Qin Shi repeatedly hinted to Su Zhi that she hoped Xiao Zong and she could return to the Xiao residence so that she could take care of them. Su Zhi either pretended not to understand or changed the subject, never mentioning going back.

Granny Zhao spoke many good words for Qin Shi, but seeing Su Zhi's resolute attitude, she stopped trying to persuade her.

As her pregnancy progressed and the weather turned colder, Su Zhi started eating more.

Early in the morning, Xiao Zong went to the street to buy breakfast and laid it out on the table. Sugar pancakes, chicken porridge, milk tea, and so on—all of these were what Su Zhi had been talking about last night.

"Child, get up and eat."

With the help of her maids, Su Zhi got out of bed to wash and dress. She happened to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and cried out in surprise.

Xiao Zong rushed over and asked, "What's wrong?"

The woman clutched her increasingly rounded waist, her face contorted with despair. "How did I get so fat?"

The man easily picked her up, saying, "You've gotten fatter, you're as light as before!"

"Your face and waist have gotten fatter. I heard from Granny Zhao that you'll get swollen all over as the pregnancy progresses!" She rubbed Xiao Zong's face and said resentfully, "Why am I getting fat and ugly while you can still be so handsome and dashing? This is not fair!"

Xiao Zong was both amused and exasperated. "Then what do you want to do?"

"From now on, you must eat twice as much of what I eat!"

"Double isn't enough? I'll triple it, how about that?"

"Really?"

"real!"

Su Zhi stopped crying and started laughing. The man lifted her up and asked, "Are you happy now? Can we go eat now?"

"Mmm." Su Zhi wrapped her arms around his neck and commanded, "Carry me over here!"

After watching the tender love scene for a while, the maids finally came to their senses and started to lift the curtains and serve the dishes.

Xiao Zong coaxed her to finish her meal and then went to the Leopard Guard alone.

Today was a day off, and everyone thought the commander would be at home with his wife. But when they saw him, they all straightened their backs and dared not slack off.

After reporting the situation, Dou Zhao said helplessly, "It seems that Consort Liang and Prince Jin have noticed something and often stay at home, making it difficult to find any fault with them."

Xiao Zong's eyes were slightly closed, and his well-defined fingers rested on the rosewood chair, sometimes tapping lightly, sometimes pausing.

Consort Liang's maternal family had been distinguished for generations; her father, Liang Zhu, had served as Minister of Revenue and concurrently as Grand Secretary of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Her elder brothers, though not holding high official positions, were all in important posts, each cautious and meticulous by nature. Trying to find a breakthrough through these people was virtually impossible.

"The people monitoring him say that the Prince of Jin has a secret hobby?"

Dou Zhao pressed his finger to his lips and chuckled.

"They have a fondness for men, especially those with fair skin and slender waists!"

Xiao Zong chuckled, "Among our people, are there any handsome men like that?"

Dou Zhao hesitated and said, "Yes, there is, but the price is a bit high, and I'm afraid people won't be willing to pay it."

"Pass down the word: anyone willing will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold. It'd be best if they were skilled enough to prevent the Prince of Jin from actually succeeding, otherwise, they'll be terrified to death when they're among a bunch of men like you!"

"Eh!"

Dou Zhao couldn't help but chuckle and took his leave with a smile.

Xiao Zong shook off the gloom from before, opened a medical book, and slowly began to read.

He died of poisoning in his previous life, and Zheng Xiangxiang also died from drugs. Now that the child is pregnant, we can no longer be careless.

These past few days, aside from attending court and handling miscellaneous tasks, he has spent the rest of his time learning medical principles from the physician. And now, he has only reached the beginner level.

Medicine is a vast and profound field; to truly master it and apply it effectively is a long and arduous journey!