The Divine Doctor and Adorable Consort: The Demonic Emperor is Too Cunning

After cursing Li's mother, Zhou ordered her to be dragged out and beaten to death with sticks.

"Men, drag this traitorous old bastard away and beat him to death!"

Madam Zhou stopped them, saying that the Zhou family was going through a turbulent time and that they should wait until things calmed down before dealing with Li Mama.

The other ladies echoed this sentiment.

Although Madam Zhou did not stop her, she did not agree with Zhou's actions either.

Seeing the changes in everyone's expressions, Zhou's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

"Mother, sister-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, you...you don't believe me?"

Although Zhou's statement just now was indeed somewhat false, such as the things that Li Mama betrayed her, it was all done by Zhou herself, not made up by Li Mama.

But most of it is true. She really couldn't control her body before, and she really didn't want to return to the Zhou family in such a high-profile manner. She really had no choice in the matter.

Zhou was already at her breaking point, deeply depressed, heartbroken, and furious. Now, at her last gasp, seeing even her closest relatives distrust her, she was overcome with rage and coughed up a mouthful of blood: "Pfft—"

Then, she finally fainted.

"Quickly, fetch a doctor!" Old Madam Zhou's expression changed drastically as she gave the order in a shrill voice.

In the days that followed, a great deal of things happened.

Following Zhou, several other daughters of the Zhou family were divorced by their husbands and sent back to their families under various pretexts.

For a moment, everyone in the Zhou family was humiliated and locked the gate, cutting themselves off from the outside world.

Within days, Emperor Mingde's men uncovered a wealth of evidence, confirming the Zhou family's case.

In an instant, everyone in the Zhou family was imprisoned, and the huge mansion was suddenly empty.

Even the divorced Zhou family was not spared.

These events have caused quite a stir in the teahouses and taverns of the capital, with people talking about these few establishments every day.

At the Fang residence, Fang Runting also came to cause trouble for Fang Qingyou. Fang Xing'an was not home at the time, so Old Master Fang directly ordered that Fang Runting be beaten with thirty strokes of the cane, without missing a single one.

Fang Runtin fainted from the pain.

But Old Master Fang comforted Fang Qingyou instead: "Qingyou, don't be afraid. You are the proper mistress of the Fang family. No one dares to do anything to you."

"Thank you for your protection, grandfather." Fang Qingyou put on a grateful expression, but inwardly she couldn't help but sneer.

Now that they know she is the mistress of the Fang family, they want to use Zhou's children to curry favor and see if she will accept them.

This mansion is so hypocritical that you can't feel a single trace of genuine emotion.

Unable to hear Fang Qingyou's inner thoughts, Old Master Fang's loving expression grew even more pronounced.

Several major events have occurred in the palace in the past few days.

Firstly, Consort Zhou angered the Emperor and was banished to the Cold Palace.

This Consort Zhou was also the daughter of Old Madam Zhou, and the older sister of Zhou Minxiu.

Secondly, Empress Qin was stripped of her title for interfering in politics and causing chaos in the inner palace.

The eldest prince, Luo Qianhao, formed cliques and factions, stripping himself of all real power.

In just a few days, the capital city had undergone a complete transformation.

So much has happened in the last few days, each one a major event, so dramatic it's almost unbearable.

Just when everyone thought that more major events were about to happen, the court officials and the palace suddenly calmed down.

Within a few days, not a single official was impeached, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

In the palace, neither the princes nor the concubines caused any trouble or disturbances; the atmosphere was as calm as a still lake.

In the imperial study, Emperor Mingde's expression was not good. These days, everything was quiet and peaceful, but such tranquility came at a price.

During these days, he worked day and night to deal with those matters, trying to minimize their impact and chaos.

His efforts have paid off; at least these past few days have passed and everything appears calm on the surface, although there are still some restless, stagnant thoughts stirring beneath the surface.

However, these dead ashes won't be able to run rampant for long.

Overworked, Emperor Mingde's eyes were bloodshot, and his irises were dark. His usually neat temples were disheveled with a few strands of hair, some of which were gray. He looked extremely haggard, only because he was taking large amounts of medicinal food and medicine every day to keep going. Otherwise, his body would have collapsed long ago.

Emperor Mingde drank a bowl of ginseng soup, inhaled some incense to refresh himself, closed his eyes to rest for a while, and then immediately opened his eyes to continue dealing with these matters.

Seeing Emperor Mingde's hardworking appearance, Eunuch Luo couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

The Emperor truly loves the Eighth Prince dearly, wishing he could clear away all obstacles in his path, even disregarding his own health. Such is the heart of a parent for their child.

But ironically, despite all that has happened in these past few days, the Eighth Prince hasn't even glanced at the Emperor once.

On the day Empress Qin was deposed, the Eighth Prince did come, but he only glanced at Empress Qin from afar and left the palace without even acknowledging the Emperor.

Even he couldn't see through what the Eighth Prince was thinking, or whether he even had any interest in the position. He only knew that, under the circumstances, the other princes would have been eager to stay by the Emperor's side and fulfill their filial duties.

It is said that the fathers and sons of the imperial family are unfathomable, but this father and son pair is even more unfathomable to him.

Empress Qin sat quietly in the Derong Hall. She was the only person in the vast palace; there were no maids or eunuchs.

In the darkness of night, the empty hall was pitch black and silent. The darkness inexplicably instilled a sense of dread, as if it were something that could devour people.

However, there was no fear on Empress Qin's face. She just sat there quietly, her eyes closed and motionless, seemingly asleep, yet also as if she were waiting for someone.

Empress Qin had maintained this posture for several days. Every day, apart from necessary eating and drinking, she simply sat there quietly.

For several days, Empress Qin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was very anxious.

Why hasn't that person arrived yet? If they don't come soon, I'm afraid the Emperor will depose both his son and her.

Until one night when it was exceptionally dark, something seemed to hit the window frame and make a sound, perhaps because the wind was too strong.

Empress Qin suddenly opened her eyes, stared at the window with an unusual light in them, and ran over almost ecstatically.

"Whoosh—" Empress Qin quickly opened the window, and the cold winter wind blew in, instantly enveloping her in a biting chill, making her shiver involuntarily.

But Empress Qin, disregarding the cold, anxiously peered outside...