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

Although the late Empress passed away shortly after giving birth to Wei Fengyao, Wei Fengyao was very familiar with his mother's story from his aunt Qi Ziming's stories since he was a child, so he had a deep understanding of the late Empress.

After hearing Wei Fengyao's words, Emperor Erkang nodded to himself. He believed that Xun'er would never do such a thing. Such a kind woman would surely make the fairest choice.

"Xin Yi Jin Xin is stripped of his title of Prince and demoted to the rank of Prince. Consort Chao is demoted to the rank of Consort for failing to properly educate her son. The Phoenix Seal is to be managed by Consort Xi."

These words shocked everyone.

Consort Chao's face turned pale, and she knelt down on the ground, supporting herself with her hands, her eyes filled with endless despair.

Xin Yi Jin Xin never expected the Emperor to impose such a severe punishment on him. For a moment, he stood there, stunned and at a loss.

Consort Li and Consort Xi were beaming with joy. Consort Li was most pleased because Prince Duan had fallen from power, while Prince Rui had become the biggest beneficiary. If Prince Duan were to fall into a permanent slump, then the throne would ultimately be inherited by her son, and she would become the Empress Dowager, ruling the world with supreme power.

In a secluded corner of the palace, Consort Xi was filled with uncontrollable joy. She was confident that she was in charge of the Phoenix Seal and could become the future Empress. Once Wei Fengyao confirmed his biological relationship with the Emperor and returned to the royal family, she, as the Empress, could provide him with more solid support.

“Father…how could you treat your son like this? Jiang Xinrui is nothing but the daughter of a commoner, and she was completely unharmed, yet you so easily stripped me of my title of prince. Father, is my status not even as high as that of a lowly person?”

Xin Yijin's voice was sharp and indignant; his questioning was full of anger and defiance.

Emperor Erkang's voice was low and solemn as he slowly replied, "All the people under heaven are my subjects, and I should treat them fairly."

“Ha…” Xin Yi Jin Xin let out a sorrowful laugh, “Alright… Your subject admits his mistake and is willing to accept punishment. However, this matter has nothing to do with Mother Consort, so I beg Father Emperor to restore Mother Consort’s rank of Imperial Consort.”

"Sigh... It's come to this, there's nothing we can do about it."

Emperor Erkang sighed, still harboring a fondness for the prince he had always placed high hopes on. Before he knew that Wei Fengyao was still alive, he had always regarded Xin Yi Jinxin as a candidate to inherit the throne.

"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has offended the daughter of the Duke of Wei. If this matter is not punished fairly, and it gets out, the soldiers who fought alongside the Duke of Wei will likely harbor resentment towards Your Majesty, which will affect the stability of our Western Wei."

In order to protect the Phoenix Seal she had just obtained, Consort Xi did not hesitate to invoke the greater good of the nation and embellish her statement.

“Your Majesty, Consort Xi is absolutely right. We must not let the soldiers at the border lose heart.” Consort Li immediately echoed, supporting Consort Xi.

"We implore Your Majesty to make a fair judgment." Wei Fengyao stepped forward to speak up for his cousin. As the emperor's own son, he naturally had the right to be so bold, while the others in the Duke of Wei's mansion dared not speak up easily.

Consort Chao witnessed everyone joining forces to prevent her from being reinstated, and her heart was filled with desolation and helplessness. How cold and indifferent the world is! When someone falls from grace, everyone pushes them away. She secretly vowed that as long as the Duke of Huguo's mansion existed, she would remain a consort, and one day, she would return to the center of power in the palace.

The Empress turned to Emperor Erkang with a solemn gaze and a calm expression. Her tone was gentle yet firm. "Your Majesty," she said, "I am fully aware of my negligence in raising the child, which has caused deep harm to Miss Jiang. I am willing to accept any punishment, but I implore Your Majesty to grant me and the Fourth Prince a chance to redeem ourselves." As soon as she finished speaking, she bowed heavily to the ground.

Emperor Erkang gazed at Consort Chao, who was sincerely repenting, and his heart couldn't help but waver. He had always been deeply in love with Consort Chao; otherwise, he wouldn't have made her a Noble Consort.

"Since Consort Chao has genuinely repented, then let the previous punishment be carried out. May you and your son deeply reflect on your actions and repent for your past mistakes."

Consort Chao and Xin Yi Jin Xin knelt down together, bowed solemnly, and said in firm voices, "Your Majesty, we will certainly obey your decree."

Consort Li and Consort Xi witnessed everything and their wishes came true. Both of them had a smug smile on their lips and their faces were flushed.

Jiang Huaiyu, along with Jiang Xinrui and their three children, knelt down, filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your wise judgment in upholding justice for your humble woman. We are deeply grateful."

"Rise, all of you. Miss Jiang has suffered injustice in the palace, which is ultimately my son's fault. What kind of compensation does Miss Jiang wish to receive?"

Jiang Xinrui curtsied and said humbly, "Your Majesty, I have not been seriously harmed and have no intention of asking for any reward. I am deeply honored that Your Majesty has upheld justice for me."

Emperor Erkang smiled slightly, quite satisfied with Jiang Xinrui's character. "I see that your father's business empire in Jiangnan is quite large. I might as well confer upon him the title of Imperial Merchant as a reward."

Jiang Xinrui's eyes flickered as she looked at Emperor Erkang in surprise, then turned to Jiang Huaiyu. Seeing Jiang Huaiyu nod with a smile, she curtsied and thanked him, saying, "This humble woman accepts the decree and is grateful for Your Majesty's grace."

Jiang Huaiyu also bowed and expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your favor towards my brother-in-law."

With the Jiang Xinrui incident resolved satisfactorily, the Apricot Blossom Banquet soon came to an end, and the officials returned home. After all, the stripping of Prince Duan's title was no small matter, and the news quickly spread throughout the court and the public. Everyone was shocked that the Emperor would punish Prince Duan and Consort Chao for the sake of the Duke of Wei's mansion.

After all, Jiang Xinrui was unharmed, while Prince Duan and Consort Chao were both demoted. This clearly shows the Emperor's favor and importance placed on the Duke of Wei's family. For a time, the capital was abuzz with gossip, with rumors spreading that the Duke of Wei's family had surpassed the Duke of Huguo's family and risen to become the most prominent noble family in the capital.

Inside Consort Chao's palace, shards of porcelain littered the floor. A young palace maid stood trembling at the door, listening to the sounds of porcelain breaking inside, fearing she might become an innocent bystander.

Consort Chao's face was contorted with rage, her eyes flashing with fury. "Consort Li, Consort Xi, and the Duke of Wei's mansion, I will surely put you to death."

"Buddha Chen, prepare the writing materials. I want to write a letter to my brother."

"According to the order."

At this apricot blossom banquet, the families who were granted marriage arrangements began preparing for their weddings.

The two daughters of the Marquis of Zhenbei decided to marry into the Duke of Wei's family on an auspicious day a month later, which happened to coincide with the New Year.

The two beauties whom Prince Rui married, one from the Jing'an Marquis's family and the other from the Changtai Marquis's family, also chose to enter the Prince's mansion on the same day at the end of the year.

However, the Duke of Huguo's mansion has not yet announced the wedding date.

Inside the Duke of Huguo's mansion.

A somber atmosphere hung heavy in the air.

Old Lady Chao and the Duke of Huguo sat at the head of the table, while the Lady of Huguo sat on the right. The three of them were discussing the various changes that had occurred in the palace.

Chao Huimin sat expressionless to the side, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.

Old Madam Chao said solemnly, “We must find a way to restore the Fourth Prince’s title and let Huimin marry in style as a princess. Otherwise, it would be a complete loss of face if we did this now.”