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"Concubine Ning, what do you mean by this?" The Empress deliberately went along with Concubine Ning’s words, still afraid that Concubine Ning wouldn’t bring up the matter.

"What I mean? Shouldn’t Your Majesty the Empress be even more aware? Right after Your Majesty left, the Imperial Doctor came to take a peace pulse, and he smelled a very strong scent of musk, which is something my chamber would not have had if the Empress had not been here."

Concubine Ning cried pitifully, her tears streaming down like rain, "Your Majesty, you must stand up for me, for our Prince."

The Empress sneered coldly, "Concubine Ning, I thought you were only capable of coquettish charm to bewitch His Majesty; I never realized you were so scheming to even dare to frame me?"

Clutching the Emperor’s hand in a grievance that knew no bounds, Concubine Ning said, "Your Majesty, my Prince died in an unclear and unjust way, Your Majesty."

The Emperor’s stern gaze fixed on Concubine Ning, "Concubine Ning, one can be careless with food, but not with words. How could the Empress possibly scheme against the Prince? It’s also impossible for the Empress to carry musk on her person."

The Empress looked at the dog Emperor, and it was tough for her to hear him still speak for her in front of his favored concubine.

She had thought the dog Emperor would question her directly.

A weakened Concubine Ning said, "Your Majesty, let the Imperial Doctor come to have a look, and you will know that I have not said a single untrue word."

"I also think it’s best to let the Imperial Doctor come and take a look."

The Empress turned her head toward the door, "Call the Imperial Doctor in."

The Imperial Doctor at the door bowed and walked in.

The Empress glanced at the entering Imperial Doctor and said, "Concubine Ning claims I have musk on me, as an Imperial Doctor, you should be able to tell with a sniff."

"I shall obey," the Imperial Doctor said, stepping forward two paces and sniffing carefully next to the Empress.

Concubine Ning watched the Empress and sneered inwardly; this time you won’t escape the charge of plotting against the Prince.

The Emperor watched as well until the Imperial Doctor stepped back, and he asked with a cold voice, "What is it?"

In front of the Emperor, the Imperial Doctor did not dare to lie, "Your Majesty, there is no scent of musk on the Empress."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Ning’s gaze shifted to the sachet on the Empress’s body, clearly full of musk. How could the Imperial Doctor possibly not smell it?

Pointing to the sachet, she said, "Imperial Doctor, take down the sachet and smell it."

The Empress personally untied the sachet, carelessly throwing it to the Imperial Doctor, "Smell it."

The Imperial Doctor carefully sniffed the sachet in his hand, and then shook his head, "No musk."

The Emperor had guessed that the Empress would not do such a thing, even if she could not tolerate Concubine Ning’s child, she would not joke about a child in her womb.

Before Concubine Ning could react to what was happening, the Empress ordered, "Have the other Imperial Doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau come over and examine the cause of the Prince’s death."

"As you command," Qing Ying quickly stepped out.

Frightened, Concubine Ning clutched the Emperor’s arm, "Your Majesty, our Prince died terribly, he’s been laid to rest, and now to be dug up, how will he rest in peace and be reborn?"

Concubine Ning angrily pointed at the Empress, "Empress, you have a ruthless heart, being jealous of my favor is one thing, but you won’t even spare my child."

The Emperor’s eyes grew colder, "She is the Empress, how can you be so disrespectful?"

Concubine Ning was startled and pleaded coquettishly, "Your Majesty, the Prince has just been laid to rest, he cannot be dug up."

"Listen to the Empress, clarify the cause of death." The Emperor knew that the Empress had been menopausal recently, with a bad temper, and pregnant too, making her temper even worse, so it was best to indulge her.

The Prince had just been buried when he was dug up, and the two Imperial Doctors who examined him concluded, "The skin on the body is severely bruised and has been dead for at least a day."

Upon hearing this result, the Emperor immediately became angry, "Concubine Ning, in spite of my special favor toward you, you actually used a dead fetus to frame the Empress?"

Concubine Ning cried pitifully, "Your Majesty, I didn’t know."

The Emperor’s voice was icy, "Concubine Ning is cunning and has framed the Empress, she is demoted to a commoner and sent to the Cold Palace."

Hearing this, the Empress inwardly sighed; even a favored concubine was no different in the end.

Having dealt with the matter, the Empress took her leave to go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to eat hotpot.

She found that hotpot was truly addictive, the more she ate, the more she craved it.

A week had passed since the last hot pot, and I was getting a craving.

As Shen Chuwei was pondering how to get a taste of hot pot, the Empress came to visit.

The Empress began by lavishing praise on Shen Chuwei, saying that had it not been for her meticulous observations, she might not have escaped the accusation of plot to harm the Prince today.

Even with her maternal family’s support behind her, she as the Empress would have been punished.

Shen Chuwei chuckled softly and whispered into the Empress’s ear, "Your Majesty, how about hot pot for lunch?"

The Empress clapped her hands in agreement upon hearing this, "Good idea, I too am fond of hot pot."

When Chun Xi arrived, Shen Chuwei stated with righteous indignation, "Her Majesty wishes to have hot pot."

Seeing her young mistress’s self-satisfied expression, Chun Xi turned helplessly and went to the small kitchen.

Eating hot pot always led to overeating, and this time was no exception.

After the Empress returned to Fengyi Palace in the Phoenix Carriage, she saw the scoundrel Emperor coming to find her and had to alight from the Phoenix Carriage and greet him while clutching her overfull stomach.

The Emperor didn’t put on airs and hurried forward to support the Empress, saying warmly, "Come, let me help you inside to rest."

Although he had lost a son, the heavens had granted him another, so it was not a loss.

Only later did he discover that this son was also a sham.

However, he had gained a pair of twin grandchildren, so he let it go.

The Empress truly could not fathom the scoundrel Emperor’s temperament; these past few days he had been unusually tender and considerate toward her.

At night, lying in bed, as he touched her belly, she thought the scoundrel Emperor was going to comment on her weight again, then simultaneously display his aversion while nibbling on her.

But that did not happen; after touching her, the Emperor behaved himself and settled down.

The Empress didn’t realize that the scoundrel Emperor thought she might be pregnant.

Shen Chuwei was more than three months pregnant and still not showing, but she spent every day plotting how to get Chun Xi to make this or that for her to eat.

It was unfortunate that the housekeeper was too strict.

Xiao Jinyu had not seen the Crown Prince, her brother, for three months and thus secretly climbed the wall to visit Shen Chuwei.

When Xiao Jinyu was climbing the wall, Shen Chuwei was resting under a tree and, upon seeing someone fall from the tree, she realized it was Prince Jinyu.

Her eyes twinkled, and she said playfully, "Prince Jinyu, coming to see me without bringing a gift, how could you?"

Xiao Jinyu was startled for a moment but then nodded in agreement with Shen Chuwei, "Sister-in-law makes a fair point, I will go fetch something immediately."

As Shen Chuwei saw Xiao Jinyu climb the wall, she quickly reminded him, "I want roast duck, meat patties."

Just as Xiao Jinyu got to the top, upon hearing Shen Chuwei’s request, he lost his concentration and fell from the wall.

She actually wanted roast duck and meat patties? Weren’t these delicacies from outside the palace?

Seeing this, Shen Chuwei felt sorry for Xiao Jinyu for two seconds.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind, "Lady Shen, what are you doing?"

Who else could it be other than the Empress?

Shen Chuwei turned around, walked over, and bowed, "Your Majesty."

The Empress watched Shen Chuwei walk, feeling that something was off.

"It’s hot outside; let us go indoors to talk."

As she entered the house with Shen Chuwei, the Empress couldn’t help but scrutinize Shen Chuwei’s gait once more,

She had a feeling that Shen Chuwei was walking like a pregnant woman.