The Emperor couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, but everything seemed a bit off. While Princess Consort Ying had some schemes, she was usually a dignified and proper person. Why was she behaving so madly today? He felt there was certainly something fishy going on. Doctor Dou approached to carefully diagnose Princess Consort Ying, his expression worsening as he did. Then he shook his head and spoke to the Emperor. "Your humble servant cannot diagnose it at the moment, but it seems Princess Consort Ying’s heart meridian might be slightly damaged." Heart meridian damage? As these words were spoken, the palace maids present bowed their heads even lower. Since Princess Consort Ying returned from outside the palace, her previously calm demeanor seemed to have changed. She was always suspicious of this and that. The last time was with the Fourth Prince’s chicken broth, after thorough investigation, nothing was found. But Princess Consort Ying refused to believe it, convinced that Princess Consort Yi was behind some conspiracy. So she quietly had those serving her dealt with once more. Now her heart meridian is damaged, perhaps due to her frequent outbursts lately. The situation with Princess Consort Ying remains unclear here. Meanwhile, Doctor Cheng didn’t look very good either. "Your Majesty, since the Fourth Prince fell into the water, he hasn’t taken any medicine. It was originally just a simple cough, but now it has escalated into a serious condition with fever and convulsions. I have stabilized it with acupuncture, but as for what the situation will be after he wakes, I dare not make rash comments." Upon hearing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but roar furiously. "All are useless! Doctor Dou, go and see! I can’t believe this, how can a perfectly fine child have an accident just by falling into water!" Doctor Dou hurriedly went over, but upon careful examination, found that Doctor Cheng wasn’t exaggerating. Even if Mrs. Yun were here, she likely wouldn’t have a better outcome. So Doctor Dou reported the truth to the Emperor. In that instant, the Emperor felt extreme disgust towards Princess Consort Ying. If it weren’t for her, the Fourth Prince wouldn’t have been delayed ! "Can she even be called a mother? Send my decree, take the Fourth Prince and his wet nurse, along with the rest, to the Empress Dowager’s courtyard. As for Princess Consort Ying, let her recover slowly; let’s see when she stops acting insane." Upon hearing this, Rong Jia knelt down, pleading for her mistress. Unfortunately, it had no effect at all. She could only watch helplessly as the Fourth Prince was taken away. Poor Princess Consort Ying hadn’t even woken up yet, and her only hope was gone. After a whole night of turmoil, the Emperor lost the desire to sleep. He stayed in the Empress Dowager’s courtyard, watching the now calm Fourth Prince quietly. The words of Princess Consort Ying echoed in his mind continuously. The Eldest Prince once died from illness ... This sentence seemed to imply something else. Check latest chapters at novel-fire.net Could it be that Princess Consort Ying discovered something special? Is that why she said such words? Or perhaps she’s involved in this matter, maybe she’s the one behind it all. Regardless of the reason, the Emperor couldn’t forgive it. Involving his child, he must get to the bottom of this! Thinking about this, the anger in his eyes couldn’t be calmed. The Empress Dowager, having raised him, naturally sensed his thoughts. So she comforted him, saying. "The Fourth Prince is fine here with me. The Emperor has stayed up all night; he should go back and rest early." "Mother, you say I have few offspring, why is that? Why are these women all so greedy, given status and respect aren’t enough, they don’t even spare the children!" When the Emperor said these words, he was speaking of his children, as well as himself. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but sigh. "The late Emperor passed away early, hence didn’t leave many children. Apart from you, there’s only Hui Xian and Hui Yue. But now you’re in the prime of life; if possible, it’s best to have more heirs." The Empress Dowager said "if possible," because she understood the Emperor’s plans. His exclusive favor towards Lin Wanyi meant few other concubines would intervene in the future in the harem. If that were the case, even if Lin Wanyi could give birth, she couldn’t possibly continue having children endlessly. Compared to previous emperors, he indeed has fewer offspring. Even a typical official’s children might number more. Unfortunately, upon hearing these words, the Emperor didn’t hesitate to reply. "I once promised, only one noble concubine in this lifetime. If she’s willing to give birth again, naturally that’s good, but if she’s not, I won’t force her. After this matter, I’ve realized, the women in the palace are far too many, many to the point that everyone wants to harm my children." "Therefore, I’m inclined to let some out. If they’re willing, they can take a dowry and leave. If not, then they can’t blame me." Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s first reaction was disbelief. Since ancient times, no emperor’s harem consisted of only one person. Isn’t this defying the norms? Moreover, even if this decision were made, lower-ranked concubines might be easy to deal with, but what about the high-ranked ones? Not to mention, Princess Consort Yi certainly wouldn’t agree. When the Liu Family gets angry, wouldn’t the entire Northwest descend into chaos? Thus, the Empress Dowager’s tone suddenly shifted to seriousness. "Emperor, mind your words. I know your pain, but this matter isn’t trivial. Once you proceed, there’s no turning back. Regardless of success, even if you’re willing to burn bridges, have you asked whether Noble Princess Consort Yi Ning is willing to follow you to the end? To bear with those burdens she might not withstand, even bringing trouble to her family?" Besides that, the Empress Dowager deftly hit the critical point. With just a short sentence, the Emperor’s impulse dissipated. The Emperor indeed was unclear whether Lin Wanyi was willing. Given her disposition, she often preferred fewer issues over more. If such actions were taken, the tumult in the previous court and harem would likely abound. After a moment of silence, the Emperor finally spoke. Seeing him let go, the Empress Dowager also relaxed internally. After all, it was merely words spoken in anger, and she didn’t take it too seriously. Instead, the Emperor treated this as a seed planted in his heart. Now, he has consolidated most of the power, only lacking Marquis of Northwest and Prince Zhan’s forces. Once they both withdraw from the court, he believed Lin Xiang’s intelligence would know what to do. Thus, while superficially dismissing the matter, internally he calculated the feasibility of its execution. Early in the morning, Princess Consort Yi received news about Princess Consort Ying and the Fourth Prince. It was naturally false to say she wasn’t surprised. "Princess Consort Ying is really overly cautious; she seems quite insignificant." She once considered Princess Consort Ying a temporary rival, but now, it turns out her fighting capability is not one-tenth of Lin Guifei’s. Both being daughters of civil servant families, how could Lin Guifei be so hard to deal with! Thinking of this matter, she felt quite frustrated. However, her troubles soon found a complete resolution.