“The venomous empress was resurrected after being killed by her son.

"She wants to die? Let her die!"

Jiang Mingzhu had sharp eyesight, and she could tell right away that the rope used for the hanging was tampered with. Her good daughter was very precious about her own life. Otherwise, if she had truly liked that rebel in the past, she could have followed him to death. Now, she wanted to live in honor, yet blamed everything on her mother. Truly, she had raised a thankless child.

In that situation, if Jiang Mingzhu hadn't acted quickly and dealt with the rebel, not only would the rebel be implicated, but even Nangong Le would have suffered. The emperor wouldn't have spared any thought for sibling bonds.

"Empress Dowager, please save the princess. She's just momentarily upset and wasn't thinking clearly."

"Yes, Empress Dowager, ever since the princess returned, she's been depressed. She thinks you no longer care for her. If you could speak kindly to her, she would surely change her mind," trembled Lou Yun, a senior maid by Nangong Le's side.

She didn't dare to refuse, but the princess had ordered her to say this, and if she didn't, the princess would skin her alive.

Jiang Mingzhu listened, a disdainful smile curling on her lips.

"Indeed, I don't care for her anymore. If she wants to die for being an ungrateful daughter, I won't stop her."

Nangong Le was nearly strangled, her face turning purple as she struggled. The suffocating sensation made her regret it deeply.

Damn it, the rope had been tampered with. Even if the Empress Dowager didn't come, it wouldn't have killed her.

Just as Nangong Le thought she was about to die, the rope snapped.

She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air as the maid helped her up. Jiang Mingzhu scoffed. "The show's over. I'm tired. I'm going back to the palace."

Nangong Le's face twisted in rage. "Mother, when did you become so cruel? Do you really not want me as your daughter anymore?"

"I don't want a daughter like you, a thankless wretch."

Jiang Mingzhu turned to leave, but then stopped at the door.

Nangong Le felt a flicker of hope. She knew her mother wouldn't truly abandon her. The Empress Dowager was only pretending to be cold-hearted. In the future, if she wanted to reconcile, she would make sure not to forgive easily.

"Just now, what was that maid's name? Lou Yun, right?"

Jiang Mingzhu turned back, her gaze cold. "I know you were forced to speak under the princess's orders, but offending me is a capital offense. I'll spare your life this time, but you'll still be punished. Forty strikes."

Lou Yun trembled, grateful to have escaped death. Though she would be punished, it was better than losing her life.

Nangong Le watched in disbelief as Jiang Mingzhu walked away.

Jiang Mingzhu lay in her palanquin, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Though she had come to terms with life in this new body, there was still some sadness. Giving birth to a child after ten months, how could she pretend it had never happened?

"Stop, I want to walk by myself."

She had never taken the time to stroll through the imperial garden since her rebirth, and suddenly, she felt an interest in doing so.

She dismissed everyone else and walked slowly through the garden with Fang Ruo.

"What's going on ahead?"

Jiang Mingzhu heard the sound of crying.

"Empress, I truly didn't do anything! You can't be so unreasonable!"

It looked like a high-ranking concubine was bullying a lower-ranking one, but Jiang Mingzhu knew that even those kneeling on the ground, though seemingly weak, were not to be underestimated. There was a hint of provocation in her words.

Jiang Mingzhu continued walking with Fang Ruo, curious to see how the situation would play out.

"I'm unreasonable? You're just a concubine, and you dare speak to me like this? How ridiculous! Guards, slap her!"

Jiang Mingzhu watched as the concubine's face swelled under the slaps from the maidservants.

Aside from her, the Empress Dowager, who had every right to be domineering, the next most powerful woman in the palace was Li Gui Fei. The Li family was a military family, and her father, General Li Suiyuan, was a prominent figure in the court. Though not as powerful as her brother Jiang Hui or Qin Xiao, he held significant military influence. The emperor had to show favor to Li Gui Fei to win over her family, which allowed her to behave arrogantly in the palace, even disregarding the Empress.

But Jiang Mingzhu was purely observing the spectacle, not intending to intervene. Whether it was Li Gui Fei or Consort An, it had nothing to do with her.

"System alert: Consort An is pregnant with the emperor's child and shows signs of a miscarriage due to being injured. If the host prevents Li Gui Fei from continuing to harm Consort An and ensures the emperor's child survives, the host may gain the emperor's favor and reduce the hatred value."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Mingzhu recalled vaguely that this had indeed happened in her previous life. Li Gui Fei had punished a concubine in the imperial garden, causing the concubine to miscarry. This incident had caused quite a stir, and Consort An, unable to bear the loss, had gone mad.

Clearly, the emperor wouldn't stand with Consort An. It was just a matter of political exchange with General Li. Furthermore, Consort An was not someone who kept to herself, and the only victim here was the child.

With that in mind, Jiang Mingzhu walked out from behind the rockery.

"Stop!"

No one in the palace dared ignore Jiang Mingzhu's command.

As soon as she spoke, Li Gui Fei's people immediately stopped.

Despite this, Consort An's condition was still pitiful, her face swollen, and her hairpins torn from her head, leaving her in a sorry state.

Seeing Jiang Mingzhu approach, Consort An knelt, looking utterly aggrieved.

"Please, Empress Dowager, please avenge me. I don't know what I've done wrong to deserve this treatment."

Li Gui Fei didn't expect the Empress Dowager to appear and was taken aback. Her usual arrogance gave way to a hint of fear.

"Your servant greets the Empress Dowager."

Li Gui Fei hurriedly curtsied, her voice carrying a touch of nervousness.

In the palace, even the emperor didn't make her feel this afraid. She knew that the emperor had political reasons to rely on her father, General Li, and therefore wouldn't truly harm her. Even the Empress had to tolerate her.

"Consort, enough is enough. Consort An is also an emperor's concubine. Why degrade her like this?"

Jiang Mingzhu had no interest in listening to Consort An's false lamentations; she only spoke to Li Gui Fei. Her purpose was simple—ensure Consort An's child survived and gain the emperor's favor to reduce her hatred value.

"Replying to the Empress Dowager, Consort An was the one who first offended me, so I merely gave her a small punishment."

Jiang Mingzhu shot a cold look at Li Gui Fei, and the latter immediately fell silent.

Consort An, unwilling to accept this, suddenly grabbed her belly and collapsed onto the ground.

"My belly, my belly hurts!"

Jiang Mingzhu observed her, realizing that Consort An was well aware she was pregnant. She had come to this problematic place and provoked Li Gui Fei deliberately. What was she trying to achieve? This foolish and malicious woman, using her own child to advance her career, would only turn her child into a tool for competing for favor.

"If it weren't for Nangong Le's favor, I would let this woman die at Li Gui Fei's hands."

"Consort An, I haven't done anything severe to you. I only gave you a small lesson, so stop pretending."

Li Gui Fei, realizing Consort An was acting, scolded her furiously, fearing the Empress Dowager would blame her.

"Please, Empress Dowager, my belly hurts so much, please save my child."

Although Consort An was faking it, her condition wasn't entirely fake either. Moreover, if she didn't act, how would the emperor know she was the one who saved the child?

"Call the imperial physician!"

Jiang Mingzhu ordered, and the physician rushed to the garden without delay.

At this point, Consort An started feeling actual pain. It had come suddenly, and despite feeling fine earlier, her stomach now hurt intensely, and cold sweat formed on her forehead.

"My child, Empress Dowager, please save my child."

Li Gui Fei also realized what was happening.

This wretched woman, she was clearly doing this on purpose to frame her.

The emperor's heir was precious, and if Consort An's child was harmed, the emperor would certainly not spare her.

"This has nothing to do with me. You deliberately came here to provoke me."

"Empress Dowager, please see reason. She did this on purpose. I had no idea she was pregnant. Otherwise, I would never have allowed anyone to hurt her. After all, this is the emperor's child, and I wouldn't dare harm the heir."

"Imperial physician, check on Consort An immediately. Make sure her child is safe. I won't take the blame for this."

Watching Consort An in increasing pain, it seemed real, and Li Gui Fei became even more anxious.

She had been spoiled by her family, and though the emperor tolerated her due to his dependence on her father, she had never really experienced the palace's cruel schemes.

At this moment, the Empress heard the news and came over.

"Your servant greets the Empress Dowager."

The Empress first paid her respects to the Dowager, then looked at the distressed Consort An on the ground.

"Imperial physician, what's going on? Can Consort An's child be saved?"

As Empress, she had the responsibility to protect the concubines, but recently, the palace had seen several incidents, and none of them were minor.

"Replying to Her Majesty, Consort An is still in the early stages of pregnancy, and the fetus is unstable. The injury she sustained today could have been disastrous. Thankfully, the Empress Dowager intervened in time and called for the physician, so the child is temporarily safe. However, Consort An must be carefully nurtured, or there's still a risk of miscarriage."

The Empress felt relieved that the child was safe.

When trouble arose in the palace, it was a reflection of her incompetence, but at least the child was saved, which lightened her guilt.

After Consort An was escorted back to her palace, Jiang Mingzhu had something else in mind and followed her.

The Empress notified Nangong Qing, who soon arrived. Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, a flash of surprise crossed his face.

"Greetings, Mother. I didn't know you had to come for such a trivial matter. Empress, how could you allow the Empress Dowager to worry about such small things?"

Previously, Jiang Mingzhu had secretly harmed the concubines, causing them to miscarry and making the number of children in the palace so scarce.

When Nangong Qing saw Jiang Mingzhu, his first instinct was to believe she had been the one behind the scene, trying to harm his child, and a surge of anger rose within him.

"Your Majesty, the emperor's heirs are not just a matter of the harem; they relate to the nation's future. How could this be a small matter? Consort An's condition was dangerous today, and I couldn't leave it alone."

The Empress noticed Nangong Qing's thoughts and quickly explained to prevent the mother and son from quarreling.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager was actually a great help today