After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

In the capital, the cold wind howled, and snow raged fiercely.

At noon, the sky was so dark it looked as if it were covered by a black curtain, and the wind howled like a beast as it raged across the land.

In the dark and damp room, a faint light shone through the cracks in the iron door, and the mud-brick walls were covered with mottled bloodstains.

Inside the room was an iron cage, and huge rats scurried freely between the cages, occasionally squeaking.

Inside the iron cage, a thin figure knelt on the ground, playing with his dirty long hair and muttering something softly.

It occasionally lets out a silvery laugh, clear and melodious.

No one could hear what she was saying, and no one cared.

Her face was so thin that there was hardly any flesh on it; she was just skin and bones.

His clothes were filthy and unrecognizable, and there was uneaten and rotten food and soup outside the iron cage.

The entire dark room was filthy and reeked of a foul stench, except for a pair of dark, bright eyes that emitted a terrifying light, completely out of place with the surrounding environment.

"Your Majesty, you have arrived."

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside, and the iron gate was opened by the guards.

A beautiful woman with a smile on her lips approached gracefully, wearing a gold-threaded, pearl-encrusted bun, a phoenix hairpin with pearls hanging from the morning sun, a red-gold dragon necklace, and a gorgeous robe.

A foul stench emanated from the dark room, but she paid no heed and, supported by her nanny, walked straight toward the iron cage.

"Xue Ruanruan, I've come to see you. Look at your current foolish, crazy, disheveled, and wretched appearance. Hehe, it's truly delightful."

The beautiful woman approached the iron cage, looking at the person inside who had long since lost his human form, kneeling in the cage like a stray dog, a smile gleaming in her eyes.

The person inside the iron cage did not respond to her words, but continued to play with his dirty hair, a foolish smile on his face.

The silly laughter echoed through the dark room, as clear and melodious as ever, like the song of a nightingale, captivating all who heard it.

A flash of jealousy crossed the beautiful woman's eyes, and her long fingernails dug into her flesh as if she felt no pain.

This slut is truly favored by God. Even in her current state of madness and filth, her voice is still so beautiful and her eyes still shine like morning stars.

No wonder even the aloof, cold, and resolute Regent, who was like a banished immortal, was moved by her and fell in love with her. He even risked his life knowing it was an ambush.

It's infuriating!

The beautiful woman's fingernails dug into her flesh, and bright red blood flowed from between her fingers, dripping onto the dirty ground, as if she were unaware.

She quickly calmed down and a smile appeared on her face.

So what? She's the one who's laughing last.

Shen Garden Fragrance!

Stroking her swollen belly, she slowly approached the iron cage and squatted down.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't, you absolutely mustn't! Be careful of the dragon child in your womb!"

The old nanny was terrified when she saw the Empress suddenly squat down near the iron cage and quickly stopped her.

If nothing goes wrong, all will be well. But if anything goes wrong, none of the accompanying servants will be able to leave alive. Their fate will be even worse than that of the Crown Princess who was locked in a cage. It will be the servants who suffer.

"You all wait outside. I have something to say to my closest friend. No one is allowed to barge in without my permission!"

The beautiful woman's smile widened as she gently stroked her lower abdomen, looking smug and self-satisfied.

Suddenly her face turned cold, her eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she looked menacingly at the group of servants, dismissing them all.

"Yes, Queen."

The maids, servants, and eunuchs who followed hurriedly retreated from the dark room, fearing that they would be punished by the Empress if they were too slow.

Ever since the Crown Prince ascended the throne and brought the Empress back to the palace, the lives of these servants have been like living in an ice cave, constantly on high alert, fearing that the slightest carelessness would result in punishment from her.

If it were just a matter of being flogged, that would be one thing, but the Empress was capricious and enjoyed torturing people. Many beautiful palace maids, who had done nothing wrong, were tortured to death by her.

Life in the palace is now like a nightmare, and they cannot afford to make any mistakes.

Before leaving, the old woman lingered on the madwoman locked in the iron cage for a few more seconds, her eyes filled with pity.

The Crown Princess was the legitimate daughter of the General's family whom the Emperor had formally married when he was still the Crown Prince. She was magnanimous, gentle, and kind, and never lost her temper with the servants.

They wouldn't be unpredictable, waking the servants from their sleep in the middle of the night because the emperor was favoring other women, and then torturing them severely.

Unfortunately, she was short-lived and was imprisoned in an iron cage in a dark room by the Empress for several years, without even the Emperor knowing.

If I'm not mistaken, the Crown Princess probably won't live much longer.

With a sigh of sorrow, the old woman turned and walked out.

"Xue Ruanruan, do you see? I am pregnant with the Crown Prince's child. Oh no, I should address you as Your Majesty now. Look at my memory, I still think it's the same as before."

The beautiful woman let out a giggle, which echoed in the dark and silent room, sounding particularly eerie and sending chills down one's spine.

She flaunted her large, protruding belly to the woman in the iron cage, her face beaming with pride, her eyes filled with provocation and mockery.

The woman in the iron cage did not react at all, as if she had not heard her voice at all.

Her body was tightly bound in the iron cage, her eyes were dull and empty, as if she had lost her soul. She stared blankly at the slowly closing iron door, her lips trembling slightly, muttering something that was hard to hear.

Seeing that the woman in the iron cage showed no reaction, the beautiful woman felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

She had expected the other person to cry and beg for mercy out of fear, or to retaliate angrily.

But now, the woman in front of her was no longer the beautiful young lady of the General's Mansion who drove men all over the world crazy.

The beautiful woman slowly squatted down, her heavy body looming over the woman in the iron cage, trying to find a glimmer of clarity in her eyes.

However, to her disappointment, she couldn't detect any emotional fluctuation in the other person's eyes.

This woman was like a puppet, completely devoid of her own will.

She felt bored and disappointed that she couldn't deliver the most fatal blow to Xue Ruanruan, despite having gone to great lengths to snatch everything from her.

However, a smug smile quickly appeared on her face. So what? Whether Xue Ruanruan was truly insane or pretending to be stupid, Shen Yuanxiang was the one who would have the last laugh.

Even if Xue Ruanruan is as beautiful as a fairy and is revered by the people, what does it matter? The Crown Prince loves her, she is the one who ascends to the position of Empress of Chu and Qin, and she is the one who stands shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor and is worshipped by thousands.

She's the real winner, hahaha...

A shrill laugh echoed once again throughout the narrow, dark room, as piercing as a demonic sound.