The lead imperial physician's voice trembled: "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject is incompetent! The Consort's fetal foundation was already precarious and unstable; after today's shock and collision, the dragon fetus in her womb truly cannot be saved. Furthermore, the Consort's internal qi and blood have suffered severe damage… I fear that from now on, the Consort will never be able to conceive again."

As the words fell, Yinzhen suddenly raised his hand and smashed the teacup he was holding onto the ground; porcelain shards splashed everywhere, the sound ear-piercing.

His tone was filled with rage as he sternly reprimanded: "A bunch of quacks! You are all useless! What use is it for Me to keep you imperial physicians? Go back immediately and prepare effective medicine; you must ensure Consort Hua's body is restored to health! If she suffers even the slightest mishap again, I will never forgive you!"

His anger appeared turbulent and uncontrollable, but the hand hanging inside his sleeve quietly relaxed, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Being unable to conceive again was actually a relief; from now on, he would not need to expend energy and be on guard regarding Nian Shilan's offspring, nor would he need to keep his heart suspended in worry.

He suppressed that secret lightness in his heart, raised his eyes to sweep over the concubines in the courtyard, and said in a deep voice: "The Empress and the Imperial Noble Consort will stay; the rest of you, return to your respective palaces."

Those present saw the outcome; many who had been tormented by Consort Hua in the past had no desire to stay long, fearing they would be caught up in the Emperor's rage for no reason. Upon hearing this, they quickly curtsied, not daring to say more, and quietly retreated one by one.

The courtyard soon became empty, leaving only Yueling, Yixiu, and the personal attendants.

Yinzhen restrained his previous rage, put on an expression of grief and pity, turned, and stepped into the inner chamber to keep watch by Nian Shilan's bedside.

On the couch, Nian Shilan's face was as pale as paper, her hair soaked with cold sweat and sticking messily to her cheeks. The earlier crying and screaming had exhausted most of her strength, and she remained in a daze.

I do not know how much time passed before her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision was hazy, falling first upon Yinzhen, who was keeping watch by the bed.

She stared fixedly at him, her eyes hollow, and for a moment, there was no sound.

Yixiu stood a little further away, eyes lowered to hide the irrepressible joy in her gaze, thinking secretly in her heart that it had finally happened as she wished—the child was gone after all.

Yueling stood quietly to one side, her expression calm, watching the person on the couch silently without saying a word.

Yinzhen hurried forward, reaching out to tightly grasp her cold hand, his voice filled with deliberately feigned anxiety and pity: "Shilan, you are awake."

Beside them, Yixiu's fingers hidden in her sleeves tightened secretly, the joy in her heart almost overflowing, yet her face was piled with gentle, compassionate concern. She stepped forward and spoke softly, each word like a soft knife stabbing over: "Consort Hua, you must restrain your grief and look at things more openly; first, taking good care of your own body is what matters most."

These words were like a basin of ice water poured over Nian Shilan. Her chaotic consciousness suddenly cleared, her shoulders trembled violently, and her hoarse, broken voice suddenly rose: "Your Majesty... the child is gone, our child is gone, isn't it? This concubine has lost another child, haven't I?"

Yinzhen's brows were tightly locked, his tone pained, and he hurriedly urged her: "Shilan, don't be like this, do not get agitated, you absolutely must not get angry; you must first restore your health..."

"Restore my health?" Nian Shilan seemed to be swallowed by grief in an instant, her demeanor tinged with a touch of madness. She suddenly pushed against the mattress, wanting to sit up, tears rolling down her eyes in torrents: "My child is gone once again!"

She grabbed Yinzhen's sleeve with such force that it almost crushed the brocade, her weeping shrill: "Your Majesty! You must avenge our child! It was Consort Duan, it was that bitch Qi Yuebin! It was she who harmed our child again! Before, she killed my first child, and now she has harmed this one too! Your Majesty, you must tear her into ten thousand pieces and let her die a horrible death!"

Yinzhen was startled, his expression slightly sluggish; he was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Shilan... didn't you already kill her with your own hands?"

The grief and indignation on Nian Shilan's face froze, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared blankly at him: "Me? Your Majesty, are you trying to fool me? Could it be that you are saying this to shield her? She was the one who lunged over to harm my child just now; I was merely striking back in self-defense. Am I supposed to just watch her kill my own flesh and blood? Are you now actually going to protect her?"

To the side, Yueling's expression was calm as she spoke slowly, her words landing firmly: "Consort Hua, Consort Duan is indeed no longer with us. The blade you thrust struck her directly in the heart; she stopped breathing right then and there."

Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan suddenly threw her head back and laughed aloud, her laughter desolate and manic, mixed with the tears that kept rolling down: "Good! Serves her right to die! She dared to come and harm my child; she deserved to die!"

She laughed until her whole body trembled, grief and hatred intertwined. Anyone who saw her—that look of someone on the verge of collapse, having painfully lost their flesh and blood—would feel their heart ache.

The words Yinzhen had originally suppressed in his heart, wanting to question why she had struck with such ruthless determination, reached his lips, but he could not bring himself to say them.

Indeed, Qi Yuebin had harmed her child before; that old affair was something he had tacitly allowed, and he had never given Nian Shilan justice.

Today, Consort Duan had again lunged forward to harm the child in her womb; in Nian Shilan's eyes, it was just old grudges compounded with new hatred.

In this situation, if he were to pursue accountability, he would instead appear heartless and unrighteous, failing the children she had lost one after another.

Guilt wrapped tightly around him, and the words of questioning were ultimately swallowed back.

Yueling took it all in, understanding clear in her heart.

Consort Hua was not acting on impulse at all; she clearly knew that this pregnancy could not be saved and used this conflict to openly and legitimately eliminate Consort Duan.

Using the pain of losing a child as a cloak, she made it impossible for the Emperor to righteously pursue the charge of her committing violence; instead, she stacked two portions of indebtedness and two portions of guilt onto Yinzhen's heart.

This move was played extremely ruthlessly, and also extremely brilliantly.

Ulanara Yixiu watched from the side, feeling unwilling; she had been waiting to see Nian Shilan convicted, so she immediately took the opportunity to speak, adding fuel to the fire: "Consort Hua, even if there was a reason, she was, after all, a concubine of the current dynasty. For you to execute her with your own hands like this is not in accordance with palace rules, I fear..."

Before she could finish, Nian Shilan turned her head sharply, her tear-filled eyes looking despairingly and helplessly at Yinzhen, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Your Majesty, are you going to punish this concubine now? Is all of this this concubine's fault? She killed my child before, and for the sake of Your Majesty, I endured it. This time she came to harm the child in my womb again, and this concubine was merely acting in self-defense. Your Majesty, are you going to punish me for her sake?"

Those eyes, filled with shattered grievance and sorrow, crashed straight into Yinzhen's heart.

Yinzhen felt a tightness in his chest, pity and guilt surging up; how could he bear to punish her? He hurriedly offered soothing words: "How could that be! How could I punish you! It was she who brought this upon herself; it was all her fault!"

He turned his head and ordered aloud: "Su Peisheng! Convey My decree: Consort Duan plotted to harm the imperial heir, a crime unforgivable. Strip her of all titles, demote her to a commoner, do not allow her to be buried in the Consort mausoleum, and send her back to her maternal family for burial!"

Su Peisheng bowed and replied: "Yes, this servant understands."