Since she was going to die, no one would have a good life. Consort Ru, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, let's all go to hell together.
First, she cast her gaze towards Consort Ru. After all, they had been rivals for so many years. If she had given up and married someone else after marrying the Emperor, there wouldn't have been so many years of open and covert struggles. Although she was the Empress, everyone knew that the Emperor's favorite was Consort Ru. Every time a new concubine entered the palace, they would seek her out, challenging her.
If it weren't for this, the Second Prince's ambition wouldn't have been fueled. Clearly, her son was the Crown Prince, and they wanted to depose him, even fabricating stories about the Xu family plotting rebellion. In reality, the Emperor's bias was boundless.
If you wanted to support the Second Prince, just say so. Without the Xu family, could he have reached his current position? The Xu family had sacrificed countless clansmen for him to ascend the throne, and what was the result? He was ungrateful, and wanted to pave the way for his beloved Second Prince by harming her.
Her own son had passed away, and she hadn't seen him punish the Second Prince. If the situation were reversed, and the Crown Prince had harmed the Second Prince, would the Emperor still have the same attitude? The Crown Prince would likely suffer a fate worse than death. It was that cruel. Since she and her son had been reduced to this state by the other party, no one would have an easy time. If she was going to die, she would drag them down with her.
Wu Caiwei hid in the imperial palace, watching them fight amongst themselves, and found it somewhat amusing. These women were truly foolish. Since the Emperor was the culprit, why not deal with him and enthrone her own son? They fought to the death, and the number of women in the harem dwindled, yet the Emperor remained unharmed.
She shook her head. If they wouldn't act, she would. She hadn't seen Li Shengsxu in a while and didn't know how he was doing. Anyway, the Emperor was still sending people to search for them everywhere. Since the Emperor had so much free time, he should be given something to do. Didn't the Third Prince look on with anticipation for their downfall? It was laughable. While the royal family was heartless, she and Li Shengsxu had once occupied the highest position, and they hadn't seen such thin human affection. In the end, it was the Emperor's greed.
The next morning, the head eunuch, as usual, arrived outside the Emperor's sleeping quarters and waited respectfully. The Emperor would soon be going to court, and as his personal head eunuch, he had to be by his side at all times. Today was no exception. Despite feeling unwell, he forced himself to stay alert. However, he waited and waited but the Emperor didn't appear, which made him somewhat uneasy. Although he had only been in the palace for a few years, he believed he understood the Emperor quite well. Even though the Emperor didn't pay much attention to the concubines and princes in the harem, he was diligent in his state affairs and was a competent Emperor. As long as he wasn't bedridden, he would attend court as usual.
The head eunuch remained silent, waiting with the palace maids and eunuchs who served the Emperor standing respectfully behind him. Not a sound dared to be uttered, as they too sensed the abnormality of the day. Finally, after some thought, the head eunuch couldn't resist stepping forward and gently knocking on the door, saying softly, "Your Majesty, it is time for the morning court."
Everyone listened intently for any sound from the room, but to their disappointment, there was only silence. The head eunuch couldn't help but frown, then knocked on the door a few more times. Each time, the result was the same. His heart suddenly sank. Could something have happened to the Emperor? If something truly had happened, they deserved to die a thousand deaths. He cautiously opened the door.
He saw the Emperor lying quietly on the bed. He called out softly a few times, but there was still no response. He couldn't help but approach. The Emperor lay motionless on the bed, clearly unconscious.
Sensing that something was wrong, the head eunuch quickly summoned the imperial physicians. They arrived very quickly, not daring to delay, and immediately took the Emperor's pulse.
After examining him, everyone's expression became somber. This was not good news for them. Although they were loyal supporters of the Emperor, if something happened to him, they would also suffer.
At some point, the Third Prince quietly entered. Seeing them busy, he dared not step forward to disturb them.
Although they hadn't told him the Emperor's condition, he understood from their grave expressions. He thought about how accurate Wu Caiwei's words had been. The Emperor had become like this within two days of her prediction. It seemed she wasn't as superficial as she claimed. After all, she had noticed a problem that even these imperial physicians couldn't diagnose after seeing him only once. He couldn't help but feel more awe towards her. Fortunately, he hadn't angered her, and fortunately, he hadn't agreed when the Empress asked for him, otherwise, he wouldn't have known how he died.
"Imperial Physicians, what has happened to my father?" the Third Prince slowly approached them and asked cautiously, his face filled with worry.
If previously they had treated the Third Prince with courtesy, today they treated him with awe. They knew very well that with the Emperor in this state, the most powerful and popular figure was the Third Prince standing before them. If nothing went wrong, he would be the next Emperor and their master. The Third Prince clearly sensed the change in their attitude and further confirmed his suspicions, though it differed slightly from Wu Caiwei's assessment.
"Reporting to the Third Prince, His Majesty suffered a stroke last night. His condition is very serious. There have been such cases before, and none have ever been cured," the imperial physicians exchanged glances, and finally, the head physician stepped forward and said with his head bowed.
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's face immediately showed a look of grief. The Emperor also woke up and heard the imperial physicians' words. He couldn't help but struggle. To lie in bed at such a young age, to think of spending the rest of his life unable to speak or move, and to die within a few years, made him feel unwell all over. He couldn't accept this outcome.
"Father, please do not be agitated. I believe the imperial physicians will find a way to cure you," the Third Prince quickly stepped forward to comfort him. However, the Emperor did not appreciate it and looked at him with fierce eyes, suspecting that the Third Prince had poisoned him.
Otherwise, how could he have had a stroke overnight when he was fine the day before? Moreover, the palace had been uneasy recently, and he had felt it. Hadn't the Empress also fallen victim?
He had originally been secretly pleased, thinking that if the Empress died, Consort Ru would naturally ascend to the position of Empress. He hadn't expected it to happen to him so quickly. He knew that many people in the palace wanted him dead, and the foremost among them was the Third Prince standing before him.
The Third Prince looked at his expression and knew that the Emperor suspected him. Although he did have a motive, he could swear on his life that he had not done it.