The Fourth Prince's study companion suddenly developed a red rash all over his body. Later, the rash multiplied, and his skin began to ulcerate.
Terrified, the Fourth Prince had the imperial physicians examine his body every day, deathly afraid of being infected.
When the Emperor heard about this, his face turned incredibly grim, and he directly ordered the study companion to be put to death.
Recently, nothing had been going smoothly, and the Emperor was in a terrible mood. Right at this moment, news suddenly came from First Attendant Ling's side that she was expecting.
It had been several years since any concubine in the palace had given birth to a prince. As soon as the news of First Attendant Ling's pregnancy spread, it immediately drew the attention of everyone in the palace.
The ice basin in the hall had long melted. The Noble Consort sat on the soft couch with her hair disheveled. Listening to the news Xiao He brought, her face grew paler and paler.
"Expecting? On what grounds is she expecting?"
Her eyes seemed ready to split open, tears continuously welling up. "It's fake, it must be fake!"
Xiao He tightly hugged the hysterical Noble Consort, crying out, "Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, please calm down! What if it isn't a prince?"
The Noble Consort cried and laughed at the same time. "But what if it is? The Emperor already holds a grudge against me, and he grows increasingly distant from Hao'er. If First Attendant Ling gives birth to a prince, how will I ever secure a foothold in the inner palace?"
Her gaze began to lose focus. She tightly gripped Xiao He's hand, her face full of madness. "Xiao He, if that child is born, the Emperor will definitely abandon Hao'er... Xiao He, when that time comes, the Emperor will surely despise me..."
She sobbed uncontrollably, her face covered in tears, showing none of her former arrogance.
Xiao He combed through the Noble Consort's dry hair and said softly,
"Your Ladyship, do not be afraid. This servant will help you. That First Attendant Ling will certainly not become a threat to Your Ladyship."
The Noble Consort leaned tightly into her embrace, her voice extremely hoarse. "Xiao He, I only have you left..."
Her father had lost power, her eldest brother was still at the front lines and had not returned, the palace was full of threats, and the Emperor was already utterly disgusted with her. She didn't know how to handle it...
The red walls of the palace were baked hot by the scorching sun. The cicadas in the trees chirped endlessly, and the foreheads of the guards on duty were covered in sweat.
Ji Zhaoxi ran toward Rühui Palace carrying a large bucket of ice cubes. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a man in black trying to climb up onto the roof beams.
Both of them were startled and stared at each other wide-eyed.
"Who are you, and why are you in my house?" Ji Zhaoxi accused.
Seventeen was silent; he had spent more time in her house than she had.
"My house is up there." Seventeen pointed to the beams.
"Oh, okay." Ji Zhaoxi nodded.
Seventeen hesitated for a moment, then climbed up to the beams under Ji Zhaoxi's watchful eyes.
A little while later, Xiao Yanchen rushed in excitedly.
"Xiao Xizi, I have a lot of lychees!"
He placed the lychees on the table and, in the next second, burrowed into Ji Zhaoxi's arms. Ji Zhaoxi's eyes lit up at the sight of the lychees, while Xiao Yanchen kept pushing his head into her hands.
"Xiao Xizi, are lychees more important to you than I am?" Xiao Yanchen looked at her with red eyes.
From the moment he entered the door, she had been staring at the lychees!
Ji Zhaoxi guiltily retorted, "No, I'm not!"
Looking at Xiao Yanchen's accusing face, Ji Zhaoxi awkwardly cleared her throat and rubbed his head.
Xiao Yanchen was finally satisfied. He looked at Ji Zhaoxi. "Xiao Xizi, if you pet me every day from now on, I will bring lychees back for you every day."
Ji Zhaoxi said self-righteously, "If I don't pet you, you won't bring them for me?"
In the past, Xiao Yanchen would have definitely panicked, but now, he looked at Ji Zhaoxi pitifully. "Xiao Xizi, don't you want to be closer to me? I only have you as a friend, while you have so many friends."
"Xiao Xizi..." Xiao Yanchen's voice carried a hint of a sob as he hugged her arm and rested his head on her shoulder.
Seeing his aggrieved appearance, Ji Zhaoxi felt incredibly guilty. She said dryly, "Alright then."
Xiao Yanchen gave a muffled response, as if he had suffered quite a blow.
Feeling Ji Zhaoxi rub his head, Xiao Yanchen buried himself even deeper into her embrace.
So, as long as he pretended to be pitiful, Xiao Xizi would grant all his requests...
Inside the bedchamber, the smell of medicine and blood intertwined. The miserable crying from behind the bed curtains had not stopped. The Emperor sat in the main seat, his face frighteningly gloomy.
Blood covered the floor, basin after basin of it being poured out. The crying gradually weakened, leaving only the sound of heavy panting.
Xiao He was pinned firmly to the ground by the guards. Her face was extremely pale, but there was no remorse in her eyes.
Her life had been saved by Her Ladyship. She had lived a good life by Her Ladyship's side for so long, and now, giving this life back to her was only fitting.
"Drag her out and beat her to death with clubs," the Emperor closed his eyes, his voice colder than ice shards.
Just as the guards were about to drag Xiao He away, the Noble Consort stumbled in, the eunuchs beside her looking deeply troubled.
She no longer had a shred of dignity. Her skirt was covered in dust, her hair was a mess, and her face was stained with tears.
"Your Majesty! Please show mercy! It was this concubine who ordered Xiao He to do it, Your Majesty!"
The Noble Consort cried until her voice was hoarse. The guards nearby tried to take Xiao He away, but the Noble Consort held onto her tightly. The sound of her kowtowing echoed harshly in the hall.
Xiao He choked back sobs and shook her head, tears continuously pouring out. She wanted to say something, but her mouth was tightly covered by the guards. Seeing the Noble Consort's wretched state, she struggled relentlessly, trying to make her go back.
The Second Prince stood beside the Emperor with a pale face. His whole body felt cold, and he dared not imagine what his future in the palace would be like.
The Emperor gritted his teeth and said, "Lady Lin, I have favored you for over a decade, and this is how you repay me? You truly are my good Noble Consort!"
He knew she was jealous, but as long as she didn't step on his toes, he wouldn't say anything.
But she actually dared to kill the prince he had anticipated for so long. Such a venomous heart!
"Drag her away!" the Emperor ordered coldly.
The Noble Consort frantically threw herself onto Xiao He. Her voice was cried hoarse, her eyes were swollen, and blood flowed continuously from her forehead. Her voice was shrill. "Your Majesty! I beg you! This concubine will never dare do it again. Please, for the sake of the over ten years this concubine has been with you, spare Xiao He..."
Xiao He lowered her head, trembling uncontrollably. She tried to push the Noble Consort away, but the Noble Consort hugged her even tighter.
The hall was filled with the Noble Consort's cries. The eunuch beside the Emperor turned his head away, unable to bear the sight.
Previously, the Noble Consort's favor had been unprecedented. No one could have imagined that she would face such a day.
First Attendant Ling's weak voice suddenly came from behind the curtains. The Emperor frowned deeply and walked inside.
The Noble Consort sobbed continuously. Holding Xiao He, she kept her eyes fixed on the bed curtains.
Finally, the Emperor's voice came from within.
"Pass down the decree. The Noble Consort, Lady Lin, is morally corrupt and has harmed the imperial heir. From this day forth, strip her of her title, move her to the Cold Palace, and she is never to leave it for the rest of her life."
Hearing these words, the Noble Consort finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against Xiao He.
Because of this incident, the atmosphere in the palace had been exceptionally oppressive lately.
The Second Prince was entrusted to the care of other concubines. The Noble Consort, along with Xiao He, was banished to the Cold Palace, and First Attendant Ling moved into the Noble Consort's former bedchamber.
The political climate within the palace changed overnight.
The tutor was startled upon hearing of the Noble Consort's banishment to the Cold Palace; he had never imagined she would see such a day.
He knew he could no longer stay too close to the Second Prince, but with few reliable princes left, he hastily arranged for Xiao Yanchen to go to the imperial study to proofread calligraphy copybooks.
The tutor reasoned that although the Emperor disliked the Empress, she was already gone, and the Seventh Prince lacked any backing. Choosing him was the safest bet.
Therefore, aside from practicing swordplay in the courtyard, Xiao Yanchen and Ji Zhaoxi spent their time running to the imperial study to proofread the copybooks.
The side room had ice basins to keep it cool, so the two often lingered, reluctant to leave.
The palace staff noticed Xiao Yanchen's frequent visits to the imperial study, and their attitudes toward him improved significantly.
In the imperial garden during the afternoon, the heatwave had yet to recede. The air was incredibly stifling, and the nearby guards all wore expressions of utter despair.
The Fourth Prince was strolling through the garden with several attendants when he caught sight of Ji Zhaoxi, who was clutching a rare manuscript and hurrying toward the Wenyuan Pavilion.
The Fourth Prince narrowed his eyes. Wasn't this the little eunuch who had completely stolen his thunder before?
Several eunuchs suddenly blocked Ji Zhaoxi's path.
Ji Zhaoxi, panting from exhaustion: ?
"Oh, isn't this the dog that follows my seventh brother around?"
A mocking voice suddenly rang out from behind Ji Zhaoxi.
Upon hearing the voice, Ji Zhaoxi instantly understood the situation.
She instinctively wanted to curse back, but seeing the hostile crowd surrounding her, she quickly behaved herself...
Looking at the Fourth Prince, she gave him a polite smile.
The Fourth Prince: ?
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes were sincere. "Your Highness, only the eyes of a dog see everyone else as a dog."
"Insolent!" a nearby eunuch shouted harshly. "Xiao Xizi, how dare you offend the Fourth Prince?!"
Ji Zhaoxi stared at the eunuch until he felt uncomfortable, then politely pointed out, "You have a piece of vegetable stuck in your teeth."
The eunuch froze, his entire face flushing bright red. "N-nonsense!"
He glanced at the eunuch next to him, who shook his head in speechlessness.
The Fourth Prince laughed out of anger. "As expected of my seventh brother's study companion. You truly have a sharp tongue."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."
The Fourth Prince did not want to exchange any more words with her. With a cold sneer, he pointed at the ground. "You splashed mud on my cloud-brocade boots. Wipe them clean, and I will pardon your crime of insubordination."
"If you don't wipe them, you will kneel here in the imperial garden and confess your faults indefinitely."
He had finally caught this eunuch alone, and today he was going to settle all their previous scores!
"Xiao Yanzhao, what makes you think you are worthy of making Xiao Xizi kneel?"
A voice laced with coldness suddenly rang out.
The Fourth Prince was stunned upon hearing this, and Ji Zhaoxi was taken aback as well; she had never heard Xiao Yanchen speak in such a tone before.
Seeing that it was Xiao Yanchen, the Fourth Prince grew even more furious. An abandoned son actually dared to address him directly by his name.
"Xiao Yanchen, you abandoned piece of trash, how dare you challenge me?!"
Xiao Yanchen frowned deeply, taking the rare manuscript from Ji Zhaoxi's hands and looking at her with concern. "Xiao Xizi, are you alright?"
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly felt that the Xiao Yanchen standing before her was a bit of a stranger. She shook her head.
"You're covered in sweat," Xiao Yanchen said, eagerly wiping the sweat from her face.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince, who was going mad with rage: ...
Watching this scene, he mocked, "I wondered why my seventh brother was so protective of this little eunuch. It turns out you have the penchant of the cut sleeve."
"Do you think Imperial Father will favor you just because you go to the imperial study every day? Keep dreaming, Seventh Brother. The late Empress was sent to the Cold Palace because of the Noble Consort, and the Noble Consort, in turn, harmed First Attendant Ling..."
"I had no idea that my fourth son was so interested in the affairs of my inner harem."
An icy voice suddenly echoed out.
Seeing the person approaching, the Fourth Prince's body stiffened completely. He scrambled to his knees in a panic. "Imperial Father, please quell your anger! Your son... your son merely misspoke for a moment..."
"Misspoke?" The Emperor looked down at him from above. "Exactly which book of the sages taught you to gossip about your legitimate mother and humiliate your father's concubines?"
Trembling with fear, the Fourth Prince kowtowed incessantly, his voice filled with sobs. "Imperial Father, please quell your anger... Imperial Father, please quell your anger..."
The Emperor's eyes were full of disgust as he flicked his sleeves and left.
Among the current princes, not a single one was capable of shouldering great responsibilities.
