A wicked mother swaps her son and sucks his blood? The true legitimate daughter is reborn and goes o

"It's nothing."

Xie Xuanjin lowered the curtain.

Xie Yunli looked suspiciously in the direction he had just been looking, but didn't find anything unusual.

The carriage first took Xie Yunli back to the Prince Yu's residence.

When Xie Yunli got off the carriage, he left a box of pastries from Zhenwei Pavilion for Xie Xuanjin, saying, "Take these pear cakes from Zhenwei Pavilion to Her Majesty the Empress to try."

The relationship between the Empress and her fourth brother is strained.

The death of the crown prince was like a deep chasm between the mother and son.

Xie Yunli watched anxiously, but seeing that Xie Xuanjin did not respond, he shook his head helplessly.

Xie Xuanjin went to the palace.

Outside Phoenix Palace, a young eunuch came to greet them.

"Your Highness, the Empress is copying scriptures in the Buddhist hall. Please come with me to the main hall to wait for a while."

The sundial in the courtyard pointed to the third quarter of the Shen hour.

Six years ago, at the third quarter of Shen time, the Crown Prince died of poisoning.

For six years, every day at 3:45 PM, the Empress Dowager would copy scriptures to pray for the Crown Prince's soul, without fail.

Xie Xuanjin felt a sharp pang in his heart.

"Did the Fourth Prince bring the Empress some snacks from outside the palace?" The young eunuch noticed Xie Xuanjin carrying a box from Zhenweixuan.

Xie Xuanjin's eyes trembled.

After gazing in the direction of the Buddhist hall for a while, she handed the pastries in her hand to the young eunuch, saying, "Throw them away."

It should be a young eunuch.

After an incense stick had burned, Xie Xuanjin met Empress Meng.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty."

"Hmm." Empress Meng replied with an air of dignity.

She showed no maternal love whatsoever when facing Xie Xuanjin; instead, she was utterly indifferent.

The mother and son never spoke again.

Paying respects seemed like a routine matter.

The eerie atmosphere persisted until, after a cup of tea, Xie Xuanjin got up and left.

Empress Meng stared blankly at the spot where Xie Xuanjin had just been sitting, lost in thought.

Aunt Ling brought over the pastries that the eunuch had just "thrown away." "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince brought some trendy pastries from outside the palace. He is thinking of Your Majesty."

"Is it pear cake?" Empress Meng accepted the pastry.

Aunt Ling said with a smile, "When Your Majesty was young, she loved to eat pear cakes. Back then, you and Miss Lu would always fight over them."

Empress Meng and Lu Jingshu were close friends.

We used to be so close that we'd even share a dress, but we haven't seen each other for years.

Empress Meng sighed, "Back then, Jing Shu and I made a pact that if our children were both boys, we would make them brothers, and if they were both girls, we would become sworn brothers."

"If it's a man and a woman, then let them be husband and wife."

She had met Song Qingyan; she was too preoccupied and didn't resemble Jing Shu at all.

Not a good match.

I heard that the old Marquis of Yongning has already arranged a marriage for Song Qingyan.

Empress Meng felt relieved, but also felt guilty towards Jing Shu because she disliked Song Qingyan.

"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince has reached the age of marriage, but he still doesn't have a princess consort. He's all alone, which is truly pitiful," said Aunt Ling.

Empress Meng understood what she meant.

But she couldn't interfere in Jin'er's marriage unless the Emperor intervened.

The Emperor is wary of the Meng family, and now that Xuan Jin commands 100,000 Shence Army soldiers, the Emperor sees him as an even greater threat.

No matter who else chooses his queen, it will only make his situation more difficult.

"This is my only son." Empress Meng stared at the pear cake in front of her, her eyes soft and loving.

She really wanted to try it.

But in the end, he held back, saying, "Just throw it away. You know what to do with it."

"Your Majesty..." Aunt Ling hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

The death of the crown prince stood between mother and son.

The Crown Prince's poisoning back then had nothing to do with the Fourth Prince. It wasn't that the Empress didn't love the Fourth Prince; it's just that the Emperor's heart is unpredictable. Only by distancing herself from and neglecting the Fourth Prince could she protect her only remaining son.

Over the past six years, both the Empress and the Fourth Prince have suffered greatly.

……

Evening, at the Yongning Marquis's residence.

In his previous life, Song Mingtang returned home in glory as the "Bright Moon Immortal".

Lady Liu had the entire Marquis's residence decorated in a festive manner, and even booked the most expensive banquet at Jinsheng Restaurant to celebrate for him.

When Song Qingning returned home, the festive decorations were still there.

Just then, a waiter from Jinshenglou brought over the banquet.

The steward informed Madam Liu, who angrily smashed the teacup beside her. "Eat, eat, eat! What are you eating? Tang'er... the young master is in this state!"

The servants of the Marquis's mansion were terrified.

In the afternoon, the prince was brought back on a stretcher, screaming in agony.

When the doctor arrived, after much effort, the prince fainted several times from the pain.

"His elbow and wrist are broken, and the bones in the middle are shattered." The doctor did his best to set them. "How did you fall, Your Highness, and get so badly injured?"

Song Mingtang felt aggrieved.

He angrily chased everyone else out, leaving only Madam Liu behind, before speaking, "Madam Liu, didn't you say everything was arranged? Why is anyone questioning it?"

Song Mingtang stopped calling her "Second Aunt" altogether.

He recounted what happened at Chongwen Hall today.

"How could this happen?"

Liu originally thought that Tang'er had been harmed and that's why he was injured.

She had already made up her mind. As a first-rank noblewoman, she would go to the palace to file a complaint with the emperor to seek justice for her son.

But he fell down by himself.

Things shouldn't be like this.

Today, she not only bribed the students to cooperate, but also learned that several of the examiners at today's poetry appreciation event were students of Grand Tutor Lu.

Minister Cui, in particular, had received many favors from Grand Tutor Lu in the past.

They would only think that Tang'er's talent had the bloodline of the Lu family, and would not question it.

"You mean, the Prince of Huai proposed painting in public?" Lady Liu was startled.

"Yes, I have no grudge against him!"

Song Mingtang became emotional and fainted again from the pain.

Mrs. Liu felt sorry for her.

Once outside the room, he had nowhere to vent his pent-up resentment.

Upon seeing Madam Lu in the hall, he found a soft persimmon to squeeze.

"The young master is in such a state, yet Lu Meimei hasn't shed a single tear. What kind of mother are you!" Madam Liu said sharply, wiping away her tears.

The servants immediately felt that Madam Lu was too ruthless.

Even her aunt, Lady Liu, felt more sorry for the young master than she did.

"I..." Mrs. Lu was unwilling to argue with her.

"Mother!" Song Qingning stood at the door.

Her name is Lu.

But as she stepped forward, she looked at Madam Liu and said, "I also feel that my aunt's love for the young master is not as great as my mother's. People who don't know the situation might think that my mother is the young master's real mother."

Lady Liu was horrified.

He quickly rebuked her, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Nonsense?

Song Qingning's eyes were clear and innocent. "Your daughter is talking nonsense. Perhaps it's because Mother is too good to the Crown Prince that people have this misconception."

Liu managed to maintain her composure and conceal her guilty conscience. "The young master is the eldest son of the main branch and the only heir of the Marquis's mansion. My kindness to the young master is entirely for the sake of the Marquis's mansion."

He was devoted to the Marquis's family and selfless in his duties.

Song Qingning scoffed inwardly, staring at Madam Liu, "I heard the young master was injured in a fall, is he alright?"

Lady Liu felt sorry for Song Mingtang, but remained optimistic, saying, "The young master is a lucky man; he'll recover with time."

Song Qingning almost let out a cold laugh.

It'll be fine after some rest?

It's not that easy!

In her past life, they deliberately plotted to make her injure her leg. Madam Liu pretended to comfort her, saying, "It will be fine after some rest."

But the more it was cared for, the worse it got, and eventually its legs became shorter, causing it to limp.

She became lame.

Liu deliberately wanted to cripple her legs.

In this life, Song Mingtang's hand will never heal!

There are ready-made methods to ruin Song Mingtang's hands.

But before she could act, someone else beat her to it.