The Emperor's heart is won, she sits on the Phoenix Throne! The Divine Physician's Eldest

"What are the Empress's plans?" Emperor Changlong asked, knowing the answer already.

"Your Majesty, General Jiang is a meritorious official of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I would like to request Your Majesty to grant a marriage between Heng'er and Miss Jiang to show the court's respect for the Jiang family."

The Empress used various roundabout methods to conceal her true intentions.

Emperor Changlong saw through the ruse immediately. "I think this is inappropriate. There are countless meritorious officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If I were to bestow marriages upon every family, it would be meaningless. Moreover, I hope that every couple who are betrothed will be truly in love. Empress, are Miss Jiang and Heng'er mutually attracted to each other?"

The Empress knew that Emperor Changlong was unwilling to grant the marriage, but she still did not intend to give up. "They naturally like each other, otherwise why would I have come to ask Your Majesty to grant them the marriage?"

"I understand. Let me think about it." Emperor Changlong did not agree immediately, but the Empress saw hope.

"Your Majesty, then I shall take my leave." The Empress had to find a way to prevent the bad news from reaching Emperor Changlong's ears.

Emperor Changlong remained silent, watching the Empress's departing figure, his expression gradually turning cold.

"Somebody come!"

"The slave is here."

"Go and investigate what's going on between Miss Jiang and Prince Jin."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Two days later, the people Emperor Changlong sent out finally returned.

"Your Majesty, I have discovered the affair between Prince Jin and Miss Jiang."

"explain."

"Before Prince Jin went to the General's Mansion to propose marriage, Miss Jiang and Prince Jin had no connection whatsoever, and the General's Mansion rejected Prince Jin's proposal."

Upon hearing the report from the secret guards, Emperor Changlong's expression instantly turned cold.

Jiang Hexia and Shen Heng had no connection whatsoever, so the Empress's claim that the two were in love was simply a fabrication.

The Empress grew increasingly audacious, becoming more and more adept at deceiving the Emperor.

"What else did you find out?" Emperor Changlong asked.

"The Prince of Jin took a fancy to a married woman and wanted to forcibly take her as a concubine. The woman refused and fled the capital with her husband. The Prince of Jin sent men to chase after them, which caused the two to fall into the water and drown," the guard said.

"what?"

Emperor Changlong was shocked and furious.

Although he disliked the Empress, he still valued his son Shen Heng.

Shen Heng is kind-hearted, gentle, and filial.

Although he had no intention of making him the crown prince, he still wanted to entrust him with important responsibilities and hoped that he would be successful in the future.

Who knew that Shen Heng was backed by such a person?

"Go and summon Shen Heng to come see me!" Emperor Changlong roared.

Jin Palace.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The whole capital knows about what happened between that couple, and everyone is talking about it." A personal guard came in to report.

"What's going on? Didn't I tell you to suppress the matter?" Shen Heng's eyes were cold.

"I have done as you instructed. Several years have passed, and I don't know why this has suddenly resurfaced." The guard said helplessly.

"Useless! Hurry up and think of a solution..."

Before Shen Heng could finish speaking, the steward entered and said, "Your Highness, someone from the palace has arrived."

When he went outside and saw that it was Wang Fu, he immediately had a bad feeling.

"Eunuch Wang, what are you doing...?"

"Your Highness, the Emperor wishes to see you," Wang Fu said, getting straight to the point.

Rumors from outside the palace have already reached Kunning Palace.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Rumors are spreading outside the palace that the Prince has committed murder." Lan Zi rushed into the palace and told the Empress the news she had gathered.

The Empress's expression changed. "What's going on?"

"They say the prince has taken a liking to..." Lan Zi told the Empress all the rumors, and the Empress's face grew increasingly grim.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now? The Emperor has already sent someone to invite the Prince to the palace."

"Let's go to the Imperial Study." The Empress did not hesitate for a moment.

Royal study room.

Shen Heng knelt on the ground and pleaded with Emperor Changlong, "Father, I am innocent. Someone must have deliberately framed me."

Emperor Changlong slammed the evidence in front of Shen Heng and said sternly, "Open your eyes and take a good look. The evidence is irrefutable. What else do you have to say to argue?"

Shen Heng picked up the evidence from the ground. He had clearly destroyed that evidence, so how did it end up in Emperor Changlong's hands?

He didn't understand.

But he knew that arguing was useless now.

"Father, I did not do it on purpose. I did not intend to kill them. Please forgive me."

"How could the legitimate son of the Empress do such a scandalous and immoral thing? I forgive you, but who will compensate for the lives of the wronged couple?" Emperor Changlong questioned.

Shen Heng kowtowed and admitted his mistake, "Father, I really didn't mean to kill them. They fell into the water on their own and drowned because they can't swim."

"Shut up!" Emperor Changlong roared. "Even now you show no remorse and continue to argue your way out of things. You have truly disappointed me!"

Shen Heng lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

"Go and receive twenty strokes of the cane, and apologize to the deceased couple. Your conduct is lacking. Hand over your duties! Reflect at home for a month, and without my order, you are not to step out of the palace!"

When Shen Heng heard about Emperor Changlong's punishment of him, his heart sank.

Twenty strokes of the cane would surely leave him bruised and battered. To expect a prince like himself to apologize to an ordinary citizen would be a slap in the face.

The worst part is that he was stripped of his authority and forced to stay home to reflect on his actions.

The combined punishments are very severe.

The princes are now fiercely competing for power, and they have to go to great lengths to gain any real authority. They don't know when they will be able to regain the power they have lost.

Let him find out who harmed him, and he will tear them to pieces!

Seeing that Shen Heng remained silent for a long time, Emperor Changlong asked sharply, "What? You're not convinced?"

Shen Heng snapped out of his daze and quickly replied, "Thank you, Father. Your son accepts my punishment."

The Empress had barely stepped into the Imperial Study when she heard Shen Heng confess his guilt.

"Your Majesty, Heng'er is innocent. You must seek justice for Heng'er and clear his name!"

As the empress spoke, she walked toward Emperor Changlong.

Emperor Changlong's expression grew even colder. "Empress, I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, and you say that Prince Jin and Miss Jiang are in love? Fortunately, I didn't believe you! Otherwise, how could I face General Jiang's unwavering loyalty to the court!"

"emperor……"

"roll!"

The Empress was about to explain when Emperor Changlong interrupted her, "Wang Fu!"

Wang Fu immediately stepped forward, "Your Majesty, please."

The Empress's gaze fell upon Emperor Changlong, and she saw an unprecedented level of disgust.

She knew that she and Emperor Changlong were eventually drifting further and further apart.

In the past, when she made mistakes, Emperor Changlong would punish her, but this time, he didn't even bother to punish her.

"Chen and concubine retire."

The Empress watched helplessly as Shen Heng was taken away to be punished. She bowed to Emperor Changlong and left with anger and resentment.

"Lan Zi, why do you think the Prince's past events from many years ago are being brought up now?" the Empress asked Lan Zi.

"Does Your Highness suspect that the General's Mansion was responsible?" Lan Zi asked.

The Empress's tone was contemptuous and cold, "The General's Mansion does not yet have that capability."

"Then who does Your Majesty think it is?" Lan Zi asked, looking puzzled.

The Empress's tone was certain, "Song Siyao!"