First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

Mu Lingxuan met Qingyanzi's gaze, and remembering the agreement he had made with Gu Junxi to keep Qingyanzi in check, he nodded to Qingyanzi in order to appease him.

Mu Lingxuan straightened his chest and said frankly, "Consort Li, you are wrong. In this world, besides one's future, there is also family. My father values ​​me so much, how can I bear to see him continue to be deceived by you? Even if my father demotes me to a commoner, I will expose you."

Mu Lingxuan's words were clearly meant to please Emperor Sheng. Perhaps both familial and romantic relationships require a certain affinity at first sight.

Emperor Sheng truly loved his son Mu Lingxuan, so when he heard Mu Lingxuan say these words, his furrowed brows relaxed at a visible speed.

"Enough, Consort Li, what else do you have to say now? I'll give you one more chance." Emperor Sheng glanced sternly at Consort Li, who was on the verge of emotional collapse.

Just half an hour ago, she was the envy of everyone and the admirer of thousands, but in the blink of an eye, everyone's attitude towards her has changed dramatically.

All the ministers and concubines looked at her with disdain. Consort Li knew perfectly well that this time was completely different from the last time she was demoted to a lower rank. Last time, with her son Mu Lingxuan around, she had the means to turn things around; this time, even Mu Lingxuan had betrayed her.

She's completely finished.

Fang Shuyan, that cowardly and useless piece of trash, actually dared to expose her after dying once. In the end, she underestimated her.

Actually, if we're talking about hatred, the one she hated the most was Emperor Sheng.

At first, she was just a young woman longing for love, and her greatest expectation each day was for the Emperor to come and spend time with her after court. But the love of an emperor is ultimately too fickle, and new concubines came one after another in the harem.

Often, before the previous one has finished fighting, another one will appear.

In such a living environment, it's hard to feel safe and not be driven crazy.

If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to have a son to rely on.

She finally had a son, thinking that the Emperor would only ever have her in his heart, but new concubines kept appearing. At this point, she changed again, now only wanting to possess supreme power.

Consort Li quickly reviewed her short life and suddenly burst into laughter. She pointed at Emperor Sheng as if in a frenzy, calling him by his full name without any restraint.

"Mu Chenyang, if I could do it all over again, I would never enter the palace as a concubine. You are a heartless man, and you will get your retribution."

Since ascending the throne, Emperor Sheng could not recall how long it had been since he had been addressed by his full name.

Emperor Sheng frowned, vaguely recalling the scene when he first met Consort Li.

At that time, he was still the Crown Prince. At a spring banquet, Consort Li played the tune "Ben Yue" (Flying to the Moon), which made him remember that beautiful, warm, and generous woman.

In the beginning, Consort Li was lively and charming, and she would act coquettishly and playfully, adding to the romance.

Later, she entered the palace, and from some point onwards, she began to act foolishly and quarrel with him for no reason.

He was the emperor, and countless women flocked to him wherever he went. Why would he need to please just one woman? Gradually, he stopped seeking her out.

A long time has passed, probably more than a month.

During a walk, he unexpectedly encountered Consort Li playing the zither again by the lake.

That chance encounter allowed him to rediscover the feeling of their first meeting.

After spending time with her, he noticed that Consort Li had changed; she had become obedient and considerate in everything. This pleased him greatly, and even after he no longer favored Consort Li exclusively, he never truly neglected her.

He still had feelings for Consort Li.

Emperor Sheng reprimanded her, saying, "Consort Li, if you confess your crimes now, I may spare your life."

"No need," Consort Li shook her head in refusal, then suddenly smiled, as radiant as when she first met Emperor Sheng.

After laughing, Consort Li turned her head and slammed it hard against the huge incense burner used for sacrificial rites.

Blood stained the incense burner red, and Consort Li collapsed to the ground.

Before she closed her eyes, she looked at Emperor Sheng one last time with great difficulty.

"Mu Chenyang, if you continue to be so degenerate and incompetent, I believe it won't be long before we meet again underground."

After saying that, he turned his head to the side, closed his eyes, and stopped breathing.

The ceremony for the empress's coronation ended up being a funeral procession for Consort Li.

Emperor Sheng stood there, staring at Consort Li's corpse, when suddenly he coughed violently several times. He couldn't cough up his last breath and instead spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, Mu Lingxuan was nearby and caught Emperor Sheng, preventing him from truly collapsing.

"Father, are you alright? Imperial Physician, summon the Imperial Physician quickly!" Mu Lingxuan shouted anxiously. He had used Emperor Sheng, but he also had genuine feelings for him, and this was an emotional outburst.

“Your Highness, calm down. With me here, there is no need to call the imperial physician.” Qingyanzi squeezed forward and placed two fingers on Emperor Sheng’s wrist.

Emperor Sheng had been taking elixirs daily, coupled with his constant drinking and revelry with his concubines. His internal energy had long been depleted; this temporary fainting spell was caused by excessive internal heat. But illness strikes like a landslide, and with Emperor Sheng in this state, it seemed unlikely he would be able to stand up again.

Qingyan Zixu narrowed his eyes, having made up his mind, but his face remained calm and composed. He said to the concerned ministers and concubines, "Everyone, there's no need to worry. His Majesty is just temporarily overcome by anger. He will wake up after a few hours of rest."

"Your Highness, let's escort His Majesty back to his palace first." With that, Qingyanzi looked at Mu Lingxuan.

Mu Lingxuan could only order people to carry Emperor Sheng back to his bedchamber, and the ministers and concubines were also gradually evacuated.

Consort Li's body was collected and placed in a coffin, awaiting Emperor Sheng's final arrangements.

“Prince Xuan…” Fang Shuyan glanced uneasily at Mu Lingxuan. She had never witnessed such a scene before. Having watched Consort Li die and Emperor Sheng faint, she had lost her bearings. She felt no sense of satisfaction at having avenged her great wrongs.

Some people are more sentimental than others, but they are also destined to find it difficult to stand on their own two feet.

From the moment Mu Lingxuan made up his mind to take Fang Shuyan to confront Consort Li, he had already accepted Fang Shuyan as his mother. Although they hadn't developed a relationship yet, he was willing to take care of her.

"I will have someone send you back to the Prince's residence first. Once you're back, tell her about the situation here. You don't need to worry about anything else; I can handle it all."

"Okay." Fang Shuyan nodded obediently and instructed, "Nothing is more important than your safety. Take good care of yourself."

From childhood to adulthood, Consort Li had never told him to take care of himself, always prioritizing his own interests. This was the first time he had received such care from an elder. Mu Lingxuan felt a momentary pang of emotion, and he nodded, saying, "I understand."

After speaking, he followed the group and personally escorted Emperor Sheng back to his palace. Qingyanzi also broke away from the crowd and found Wei Ming.

"Brother, he's dying." Qingyanzi's expression was grave.

Wei Ming frowned and scolded, "Didn't I tell you to take it easy and not to increase the dosage so much? There's still no news from Leng Xuanjue, and we don't know Mu Lingye's specific situation. Moreover, the defenses of the capital are not completely under control."