Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Qi'er got up early the next morning and went to visit Consort Li.

The grandmother and grandson hugged and cried for a long time.

Qi'er looked at her grandmother's once charming face, which now resembled a withered leaf struck by frost, devoid of any color and almost transparently pale.

The bluish-green blood vessels under the skin are clearly visible.

Her once stunning eyes are now sunken in their sockets, surrounded by dark circles.

His eyes were empty and dull, as if they had lost their focus.

His lips were pressed together lifelessly, and turned bluish-purple.

His breathing was like that of a broken bellows, producing a weak and labored sound.

Her figure grew increasingly thin, and the loose robes hung limply on her body, further emphasizing her frailty.

Having suffered two major blows in succession, Consort Li has long since lost all vitality.

Looking at her grandmother's appearance, Qi'er felt as if her heart was being pierced by countless fine needles.

But he stubbornly suppressed the surging grief in his heart.

And he forced a smile onto his face.

That smile was like a withered flower struggling to bloom in the cold winter, trembling and forced.

He held his grandmother's withered hand tightly and said softly, "Grandmother, don't worry, everything will be alright. All the hardships of the past will pass, and from now on there will only be smooth sailing and peace."

After saying that, he squeezed his grandmother's hand slightly, as if trying to transfer his strength to her.

But the tears welling up in her eyes almost spilled out.

He quickly tilted his head back slightly, suppressing the bitterness in his eyes.

Consort Li knew he was deceiving her, after all, she knew her own body very well.

But she was still touched by how sensible her grandson was and comforted her.

So she didn't point it out, but went along with him and said, "Yes, everything will be alright."

Qi'er nodded upon hearing this and pressed the Dowager Consort Li's hand against her cheek: "Grandmother, please rest and recover. When you get better, we'll go back to how we used to, basking in the sun and admiring the flowers in the courtyard."

Upon hearing this, Consort Li smiled kindly and laboriously raised her hand to pat his head.

Enjoy the flowers in bloom...

It's just a pity...

She couldn't wait for the day the flowers would bloom.

…………

Meanwhile, all the civil and military officials learned that His Majesty had brought Prince Su's son back to the palace and had settled him in the Ruihe Hall.

They were all very confused, finding His Majesty's actions baffling.

With so many members of the imperial clan, even if Prince Su's son is still young and needs to be raised, there is no need for His Majesty to raise him personally.

unless………

At this very moment, some astute and intelligent ministers had already discerned his intentions.

They were very surprised.

But then again, it seems impossible.

Over the years, everyone has known that the Empress has health problems and is therefore unable to have children.

But wouldn't other women still be able to give birth?

Why is it necessary to choose an heir from among the royal family?

Does His Majesty intend to refrain from taking concubines?

Otherwise, how can we explain his motives for doing this?

But they also felt it was impossible.

Is there really a monarch who would leave his harem empty for one person?

So they quickly dismissed this guess.

It is thought that it may be because His Majesty and the Empress feel sorry for the orphaned child, and Consort Li is also bedridden, with no one to take care of her now.

That's why I plan to take care of it myself for a while before deciding who to entrust it to.

In fact, Lingyan had always been puzzled by this.

He will definitely take concubines after he ascends the throne, and then he will have children.

So why did he still choose an heir from among the royal family?

Although she had wondered if it was because he would leave his harem empty for her, wanting only her.

But then I realized it was impossible.

Ultimately, she still felt that she was in Xiao Muyao's heart.

Jiangshan ranks first.

She ranked second.

Therefore, for the sake of the overall situation and to maintain the stability of the court, he had no choice but to take concubines even if he was unwilling.

That's why she thought it was impossible.

As for why he chose from among the royal family.

She thought that he might not care much about whether the future heir was his son, as long as he was the most outstanding.

Therefore, he also included members of the imperial clan in the list, so that he could consider them together with his own descendants in the future.

Therefore, if even she herself didn't believe it, the ministers naturally wouldn't believe it either.

The matter passed peacefully.

But the next day, something else broke the peace in the capital.

Because it's unknown who spread the rumor.

It is said that His Majesty, the new emperor, cannot tolerate his brothers.

That's why he eliminated Prince Su, who was on par with him, and then deliberately staged his suicide.

Next, he would deal with the remaining brothers one by one.

This news came out.

Most ordinary people didn't believe it.

Less than 10% of people believe in it.

Public opinion cannot be stirred up at all.

This shows that Xiao Muyao had the support of the people.

This made the eldest prince even angrier and more jealous.

Of course, very few of the officials believed it.

After all these years, they have spent so much time with His Majesty and naturally know his character and how to conduct himself.

He values ​​family ties very much.

Not to mention that His Majesty is now His Majesty.

With his abilities and magnanimity, there was absolutely no need for him to do things like harming his brothers.

Isn't this just unnecessary trouble?

Therefore, the eldest prince's goal of making the officials dissatisfied with Xiao Muyao was not achieved.

Finally, there are the princes, the parties involved in this incident.

To be honest, besides the eldest prince, there were a few others who harbored resentment and dissatisfaction towards Xiao Muyao.

None of the remaining princes believed it.

So when someone's reputation is so good that no one will believe these slanderous rumors.

This matter was completely irrelevant to Xiao Muyao.

However, after investigation, he discovered that the eldest prince was behind it.

He was just worried about not having a motive to deal with him, but unexpectedly, he himself provided him with such a good excuse to lash out.

So the next morning at court.

Xiao Muyao sat high on the dragon throne, his posture upright, and the dragon robe he wore made him look even more majestic.

His gaze swept across the assembled officials, then slowly settled on the eldest prince, who stood below the throne looking slightly flustered.

"Today, I am here in the court to deal with a matter concerning the stability of the court."

Xiao Muyao spoke, his voice powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the spacious hall: "Your Highness, Prince Duan, you harbor treacherous intentions, deliberately spreading rumors to slander me and my brothers, and attempting to disrupt the foundation of our dynasty. Your heart is worthy of condemnation!"

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince knelt down with a thud and cried out, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! There must be a villain who has deliberately framed me. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

However, his slightly trembling body betrayed his inner fear.

Xiao Muyao snorted coldly, and the eunuch beside him immediately presented the evidence that had been prepared in advance, laying it out one by one in front of the officials.

"These are irrefutable proof of your crimes. What else do you have to say?"

The ministers' eyes darted between the evidence and the eldest prince, and they all shook their heads inwardly.

At this moment, large beads of sweat rolled down the forehead of the eldest prince, wetting the gold bricks in front of him.

Seeing that he was speechless, Xiao Muyao continued, "Although I value brotherhood and the bond between ruler and subject, you, as a prince, have not set an example but instead stirred up trouble. From this day forward, your title of prince is revoked, half of your fiefdom is confiscated, and you are imprisoned in a villa in the suburbs. Without my decree, you will never be allowed to return to the capital. I hope all ministers will take this as a warning and not follow in his footsteps."

Xiao Muyao's verdict was resounding, each word striking the hearts of the crowd like a heavy hammer blow.

The eldest prince turned ashen-faced, collapsed to the ground, and was dragged out of the court by the guards.

The officials all knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Although the eldest prince was merely spreading rumors, he was spreading rumors about the reigning emperor.

Therefore, he deserved his fate.

However, if His Majesty truly does not wish to pursue this matter, it is actually not a serious issue.

The fact that His Majesty has punished him so severely shows that His Majesty has wanted to deal with him for a long time, but has only been waiting for the right opportunity.

It's ridiculous that the eldest prince actually handed over this opportunity himself.

How stupid and deserved it!