A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Zhou Mingyi raised an eyebrow.

"You don't dare?"

"In my opinion, you are incredibly audacious!"

Cen Shaoyuan remained silent.

He knelt on the ground, his head almost touching the ground, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

He knelt for a long time before slowly raising his head.

The playful smile was gone from his face; his eyes were red-rimmed, his lips were pressed together and pale, and he looked like a tightly strung string that could snap at any moment.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Zhou Mingyi frowned slightly as she looked at him.

The Cen Shaoyuan she remembered was not like this.

He used to be a carefree, shameless, and reckless troublemaker.

Now he kneels here, as if a thousand words are stuck in his throat, and he can't say them no matter what.

"Cen Shaoyuan, if you have nothing else, you may leave."

"Your Majesty!"

Cen Shaoyuan became anxious and hurriedly spoke up.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have recently discovered that my elder brother, Cen Shaoqing, is acting in a rather suspicious manner."

Zhou Mingyi's gaze shifted slightly.

"Suspicious? How so?"

Cen Shaoyuan lowered his head and lowered his voice even further.

"My elder brother goes out of the city every three days, saying he's going to the estate to check on the harvest."

"But when I asked the steward of the estate, he said that my brother hasn't been there even once in the past few months."

He paused, "I also discovered that every time my brother returns from outside the city, he always carries something in his sleeve."

"Once, I pretended to bump into him, and a letter fell out of his sleeve. His face changed, and he snatched the letter and ran away."

Zhou Mingyi looked at him, her brows furrowed.

Cen Shaoyuan lowered his head.

"Your humble servant does not know what was written in the letter, nor does he know who his elder brother went to see. But your humble servant... your humble servant is afraid."

He looked up at Zhou Mingyi.

"Your Majesty, I am a useless subject. I am bad at studying and I am not good at being an official."

"But this humble subject also wishes to do my part for Your Majesty."

His eyes reddened, and there seemed to be a hint of obsession in them.

Zhou Mingyi frowned as she looked at it.

What kind of act is this bastard up to?

"Your Majesty, you must take good care of yourself and protect His Highness the Crown Prince."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingyi's expression changed slightly, and she immediately looked at her elder brother.

The elder brother's expression also changed.

"Cen Shaoyuan, you'd better know what you're talking about."

Cen Shaoyuan lowered his head again.

This time, he didn't say anything.

After a long while, Zhou Mingyi finally spoke:

"I understand. You may leave."

Cen Shaoyuan stood up and staggered backward. He wanted to look at her, but he didn't dare to.

He turned his head and ran away as if a dog was chasing him.

"Brother, is there something on my face? Or am I just ugly after giving birth?"

Zhou Mingchong coughed twice.

"Her Majesty the Empress is of unparalleled grace and beauty, a sight to behold!"

Zhou Mingyi chuckled.

But remembering what Cen Shaoyuan had just said, her expression turned serious again.

"Brother, what do you think he meant by those words?"

Zhou Mingchong also frowned.

He seemed a little nervous and scared...

Zhou Mingyi seemed to have thought of something, and her expression changed.

"Cen Shaoqing was once the study companion of the deposed Crown Prince Xie Jing, you said he..."

"Why has he suddenly become so mysterious? Could it be related to the deposed crown prince?"

"But wasn't the deposed crown prince already...?"

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, their expressions changing simultaneously.

Thinking about it this way, Zhou Mingyi could no longer stay in the Zhou residence.

"Send someone to keep an eye on Cen Shaoqing."

"We need to find out exactly where he went and who he met."

Zhou Mingchong had the same idea.

"Also, don't let Cen Shaoyuan die."

She paused, then added.

Zhou Mingchong glanced at her, asked no further questions, and left.

Three days later.

When Zhou Mingchong's men returned from the outskirts of Beijing, the news they brought made Zhou Mingchong's hands tremble.

Cen Shaoqing left the city and went to a place called Liugou Village on the outskirts of Beijing. He entered an inconspicuous courtyard at the east end of the village.

A man named Xie lived in that courtyard. He was in his thirties, thin, and had a scar on his face.

There were still people guarding the courtyard, and Zhou Mingchong's men didn't dare to get too close, only glancing at it from afar.

But in that one glance, he recognized the person—Xie Jing.

The deposed crown prince, Xie Jing.

He is not dead.

Zhou Mingchong sat in his study, his hands still trembling.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, spread out the paper, and wrote a letter.

The letter was very short, containing only a few words.

"Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that Xie Jing is not dead and is hiding in Liugou Village on the outskirts of Beijing."

A new crown prince has been established, but the deposed crown prince has faked his death.

These messages alone are enough to send shivers down one's spine.

He sealed the letter and called his trusted aides.

"Send it to the palace and hand it to Her Majesty the Empress personally."

Weiyang Palace.

Zhou Mingyi held the letter and looked at it for a long time.

It was terrifying to watch.

Xie Jing's move of escaping unscathed was something she hadn't expected at all.

But since God delivered this news to her, it means that Xie Jing's fate was sealed.

The corners of her lips slowly curved into a smile.

Very well, you're not dead. Then I'll personally send you on your way.

"Lianwu, go to the Qianqing Palace. Tell His Majesty that I have urgent business to discuss."

Qianqing Palace.

After reading the letter, Emperor Qianwu's face turned ashen.

The letter was crumpled up from his grip.

"Xie Jing isn't dead? He faked his death to escape?"

Zhou Mingyi stood to the side, her eyes red.

"Your Majesty, my brother has been keeping watch for several days. He personally saw Cen Shaoqing enter that courtyard and Xie Jing walk out of the house. I know this is a shocking matter, but I dare not hide it from Your Majesty."

Emperor Qianwu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, there was not a trace of emotion in them.

"Someone come here."

Fuquan quickly stepped forward.

"By imperial decree, the Embroidered Uniform Guard shall immediately depart from the capital and proceed to Liugou Village on the outskirts of Beijing. We must see him alive or dead."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard acted swiftly.

That night, the inconspicuous courtyard in Liugou Village was surrounded by a huge crowd.

Xie Jing neither ran away nor resisted.

He sat in the room with a pot of wine and two cups in front of him, as if he were waiting for someone.

When the Imperial Guards rushed in, he looked up at the gleaming blades and suddenly smiled.

"They've arrived? They're a bit slower than I expected."

Lu Yi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stood in front of him with a gloomy expression.

"The deposed Crown Prince Xie Jing faked his death and escaped, plotting treason. Take him down."

Xie Jing didn't move, he just looked at Lu Yi.

I want to see someone.

Lu Yi ignored him, waved his hand, and the guards rushed forward and pinned him to the ground.

Xie Jing's face was pressed against the cold ground, and he couldn't even manage a smile.

The next day.

Emperor Qianwu tried Xie Jing in the Qianqing Palace.

Xie Jing knelt on the ground, his clothes wrinkled and his hair disheveled, but his back was straight and his head held high, like a defeated rooster that refused to bow its head.

Emperor Qianwu sat behind his desk, looking at him.

"You faked your death to escape and hid among the people. What is your intention?"

Xie Jing raised his head and looked at him. There was no fear or regret in his eyes, only a coldness that sent chills down one's spine.

"Father, what do you think?"

Emperor Qianwu clenched his fist tightly.

"I ask you, what are you waiting for, hiding in the outskirts of the capital?"

Xie Jing chuckled.

The laughter was maniacal.

"Your subject is waiting for an opportunity."

"Wait until that woman gives birth, until you focus all your attention on that child, until you forget about me. Then, I will kill that child and take back everything that belongs to me."

Emperor Qianwu was furious, "You..."

Xie Jing looked at him and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Father, do you think you've won? No, you've lost. Your biggest mistake in this life wasn't making me the crown prince, it was taking my woman."

Emperor Qianwu suddenly stood up, not even noticing that his chair had tipped over.

"What did you say?"

Xie Jing did not flinch, meeting his gaze.

Since everyone had already been arrested, he completely dropped his mask and acted without any restraint!

"Zhou Mingyi, she belongs to me. The first time I saw her, I knew she belonged to me. It was you who took her away. You snatched her from my side, made her bear your children, and made her your empress. But she shouldn't be yours; she belongs to me."

crazy!

Fu Quan thought to himself, "This deposed crown prince is really bold."

How dare they covet the Empress!

Emperor Qianwu stood there, his chest heaving violently.

"Someone come here."

Fuquan knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

"The deposed Crown Prince Xie Jing faked his death to escape and plotted to harm the imperial heir, committing a heinous crime. He shall be executed by slow slicing, to be carried out immediately."

As Xie Jing was dragged away, the laughter grew louder and louder.

"Father, killing me won't change anything."

"She's my woman, my hahaha!"

Emperor Qianwu stood there, his face ashen.

News of Xie Jing's execution by slow slicing spread throughout the court and the country.

The imperial court was in an uproar.

Someone submitted a memorial saying that the Empress had brought disaster to the country, and that if it weren't for her, the deposed Crown Prince wouldn't have ended up like this.

Someone submitted a memorial stating that the Empress's brother, Zhou Mingchong, was secretly investigating the matter in order to win favor for his sister and frame loyal officials.

Some people even wrote a memorial saying that since the Empress has already given birth to the Crown Prince, in order to prevent the maternal relatives from interfering in politics, the mother should be removed and the son kept.

One fold document after another was handed over, piling up on Emperor Qianwu's desk.

Emperor Qianwu flipped through the folded pages, his face growing increasingly grim.

Ah Chang is his wife, Chen'er's mother, and also his savior.

He owes her something he can never repay in this lifetime.

"Reveal my imperial edict."

Fuquan rushed forward. Emperor Qianwu threw the folded books on the ground.

"Anyone who submits a memorial criticizing the Empress again shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane and exiled three thousand li. Anyone who suggests abandoning the mother and keeping the child shall be executed without mercy."

The court fell silent.

No one dared to submit a petition or voice their opinions anymore.

Emperor Qianwu sat on his throne, his gaze sweeping over the ministers below who had their heads bowed, and he gave a cold snort.

"Zhou Mingchong has made meritorious contributions in investigating the case of the deposed crown prince. He is promoted to Right Councilor of the Court of State Affairs, a fifth-rank official, and shall take office immediately."

Zhou Mingchong knelt in the hall and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

He stood up and stepped aside, his expression unchanged, but his mind was in turmoil.

Right Councilor of the Office of Transmission, rank 5.

This step was bigger than he had imagined.

He knew that this was His Majesty's grace, and also the future his sister had earned for him.

He has to work hard and not let his sister down.

Weiyang Palace.

Zhou Mingyi leaned back on the soft couch, holding the secret report handed to her by Lianwu in her hand, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile.

Xie Jing is dead. This time, he's really dead.

The Cen family fell from grace. Cen Fang and Cen Shaoqing were imprisoned, and the Cen family's property was confiscated. Cen Shaoyuan was not implicated, but he lost his official position and became a commoner.

He neither came to find her nor went to find Zhou Mingchong.

He disappeared.

Zhou Mingyi gazed at the bright moon outside the window, recalling the words Cen Shaoyuan had spoken while kneeling before her. Although she still couldn't understand why this fool had helped her.

It doesn't matter.

The Cen family is essentially finished.

As for Cen Shaoyuan...

"wax apple."

Wax apple quickly stepped forward.

"Have someone go and find out where Cen Shaoyuan went."

The wax apple agreed.

Zhou Mingyi leaned against the soft couch, gazing at her son in swaddling clothes, and thought of her past life.

Suddenly a possibility occurred to me... but it doesn't matter anymore.