Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

Emperor Erkang looked at everyone, inwardly sighing. He knew Consort Chao's intentions, but he couldn't expose her directly. He could only choose to handle the matter calmly and let it gradually subside.

The banquet continued, and although the officials knew what had happened, they pretended nothing was amiss, avoiding looking at the high platform, as per the emperor's wishes.

Emperor Erkang stared coldly at Consort Chao and said in a deep voice, "Consort Chao, do you have any solid evidence to support your accusation that Prince Duan is involved in this case?"

Consort Chao's face turned pale, and she lowered her head in a panic, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, I only have suspicions, and I have no evidence whatsoever. I am willing to bear all the consequences."

The atmosphere inside Yongle Hall was tense, everyone holding their breath. The anger in Emperor Erkang's eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a deep worry. He knew all too well the cruelty of court intrigue; if this matter wasn't handled properly, it could trigger an even greater upheaval.

"Linchuan, take Lady Jiang Huaiyu of Wei, Consort Chao, and Consort Xi to Rongfu Garden to check on the situation," Emperor Erkang ordered calmly.

Princess Linchuan was slightly taken aback; she hadn't expected Emperor Erkang to make such a decision so suddenly. She nodded gently and left to carry out the order.

Consort Chao was filled with fear; she knew what this trip meant. She gripped Princess Linchuan's sleeve tightly, her eyes pleading, "Princess, please protect me! I've truly been wronged."

Princess Linchuan looked at Consort Chao, a hint of sympathy flashing in her eyes. She gently patted Consort Chao's hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

The group arrived at Rongfu Garden, where the atmosphere was completely different from that of Yongle Palace. Rongfu Garden was filled with blooming flowers and the sounds of birdsong, a scene of tranquility. However, behind this tranquility, an undercurrent of struggle was brewing.

Emperor Erkang stood in the garden, his gaze fixed intently on the crowd. He looked at Consort Chao, his tone icy: "Consort Chao, if your accusations against Prince Duan are not supported by sufficient evidence, do you know what the consequences will be?"

Consort Chao trembled, knowing that Emperor Erkang's words were not a threat. She gritted her teeth and said with a forced smile, "Your Majesty, I am willing to bear all the consequences."

Emperor Erkang sneered: "Fine, since that's the case, then you can watch closely and see if Prince Duan really got involved in this matter."

At this moment, Prince Duan slowly walked over, his eyes firm and a smile on his face. He looked at Emperor Erkang and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I was not involved in this matter, and I am willing to accept the investigation."

Emperor Erkang looked at Prince Duan, a hint of doubt creeping into his heart. He knew Prince Duan's character well; without solid evidence, Prince Duan would never easily admit it. He turned to look at Consort Chao, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Consort Chao felt Emperor Erkang's gaze and became increasingly nervous.

If she couldn't prove Prince Duan guilty, she would face severe punishment. She gritted her teeth and suddenly pointed at Prince Duan: "Your Majesty, I remember that Prince Duan had contact with that suspicious person that day."

Prince Duan's expression changed; he hadn't expected Consort Chao to accuse him like this. He looked at Emperor Erkang and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I did indeed have a brief encounter with that suspicious person, but I was not involved in the matter."

Emperor Erkang frowned and turned to Princess Linchuan: "Linchuan, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Princess Linchuan smiled slightly, looked at Emperor Erkang, and said calmly, "I believe this matter needs further investigation. We cannot convict Prince Duan based solely on one side of the story."

Emperor Erkang nodded, looking at everyone with a serious tone: "In that case, let's set up an investigation team, led by Princess Linchuan, and make sure to get to the bottom of this."

Through the investigation team's efforts, they uncovered a shocking secret. It turned out that it was all a conspiracy by Consort Chao. She deliberately fabricated this false case to frame Prince Duan.

When Emperor Erkang learned the truth, he was furious. He ordered Consort Chao to be banished to the Cold Palace, never to rise again. At the same time, he also demoted Prince Duan to a commoner as punishment.

Feng Hui and Wei Fengyun frantically searched the palace like flies with their heads plucked, looking for Jiang Xinrui but finding no trace of her. Just as they were growing increasingly anxious, an old woman with a full head of white hair walked over shakily.

"Young masters, are you here to see Miss Jiang?" The old nanny's voice was hoarse, but it revealed a hint of warmth.

Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun nodded hurriedly, looking anxiously at the old nanny: "Nanny, do you know where Miss Jiang is?"

The old nanny sighed and pointed to a dilapidated palace deep within the palace grounds: "Miss Jiang is there, but..."

Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun exchanged a glance and immediately ran in the direction the old nanny pointed. They passed through ruins and arrived at the abandoned palace. The palace was dark, and a cold aura emanated from it. Wei Fenghui was the first to rush in, where he saw Jiang Xinrui lying on the bed, her body covered with silver needles, while the maid Du Banli anxiously watched over her.

"Xinrui!" Wei Fenghui exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. He quickly stepped forward and carefully removed the silver needles one by one.

"Cousin, cousin, I...I'm alright." Jiang Xinrui smiled weakly, but her eyes revealed endless pain.

Wei Fengyun followed closely behind, his anger erupting like a volcano as he witnessed Jiang Xinrui's miserable state. He turned to Du Banli, his eyes flashing with cold light: "Banli, what exactly happened?"

Du Banli trembled with fear and quickly told Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun what had happened. It turned out that Prince Duan had secretly drugged Jiang Xinrui at the banquet, attempting to assault her. Fortunately, Du Banli discovered the plot in time and risked everything to protect Jiang Xinrui, preventing Prince Duan from succeeding. However, Jiang Xinrui was poisoned and fell into a coma.

Upon hearing this, Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun's eyes blazed with fury. They vowed to avenge Jiang Xinrui and bring Prince Duan to justice.

“Cousin, cousin, you must not act rashly.” Jiang Xinrui’s weak breath was filled with determination. “This matter involves palace secrets and must not be made public easily. Otherwise, we will all be implicated.”

Wei Fenghui and Wei Fengyun exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation flashing in their eyes. But they knew that Jiang Xinrui was choosing to endure in order to protect them.

"Xinrui, don't worry, we will definitely get justice for you." Wei Fenghui clenched his fist, his eyes shining with determination.

At this moment, the old nanny walked in, looking at Jiang Xinrui with a hint of guilt in her eyes. She said softly, "Miss, what happened back then was due to my impulsiveness, which led to today's situation. I am willing to cure your poison and assist you in your revenge."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Jiang Xinrui's eyes, and she nodded with a smile: "Thank you, Granny. However, this matter is of great importance, so we must proceed with caution."

The old nanny looked at the worried Wei Fengyun and Wei Fenghui, sighed, and said in a solemn tone, "Young masters, the situation is urgent. If the poison is not cured in time, Miss Jiang's life will be in danger."

Wei Fengyun frowned, his eyes resolute: "Granny, of the two antidotes you mentioned, we can only choose the latter. We'll go to Prince Duan and demand that he hand over the antidote."

Wei Fenghui nodded in agreement: "That's right. Since Prince Duan dared to use such poison, he must bear the consequences. Du Banli, do you know where Prince Duan is now?"