Chapter 510
It wasn't that she begrudged the emperor's consorts, but rather that she worried for her own grandchildren—these were the only offspring her son had left in this world, so of course she valued them more.
Prince Cheng rubbed his nose. He had originally intended to bring everyone over to threaten the emperor, but who knew his subordinates would be inefficient and arrive too late!
That was the situation, but he certainly couldn't say it that way. "Royal sister-in-law is overthinking things. I merely heard that my eldest nephew was ill and hadn't seen the children in many days, so I specially had my men bring them over for my eldest nephew to see, and for him to enjoy a bit of family happiness one last time. This is also my sincerity as his uncle."
Although they had arrived late, letting Gan Sheng see them more was still good—it would prevent him from doing something foolish without considering their lives.
"Your Majesty!"
"Father!"
Wife and children rushed to the bedside together, fussing over Gan Sheng with concern.
[Host, have you figured out which one is the head of Panshan yet?]
"Is it one of Gan Sheng's consorts?"
[Don't forget, Prince Cheng also has support from the Panshan faction.]
"That middle-aged man behind Prince Cheng, the only one not wearing armor? He's playing the role of military advisor, isn't he?] It's a pity he's missing a feather fan—not enough style.
[Master, look at that consort in white, and the matron behind her.]
Speaking of wanting to wear mourning clothes, among all the beautifully dressed consorts, the only woman wearing white stood out like a single patch of white in a garden of blossoms—beautiful and eye-catching.
"Gan Sheng is about to die, and she wears that outfit? Not afraid of the Empress Dowager scolding her?"
Sure enough, no sooner had Yue Fuguang's words fallen than the Empress Dowager's scolding began. She had been furious at Prince Cheng with nowhere to vent, and now her son's throne was gone, and he was about to lose his life too.
The hatred in her heart!
Seeing Consort Liang dressed in white again, she lashed out, "Shen Lingqin, haven't I told you that you're not allowed to wear white before the Emperor recovers? Did you stuff my words into a dog's stomach?"
Everyone silently lowered their heads at the Empress Dowager being driven to such crude language—if they were in her position, they probably couldn't maintain their composure either.
"Forgive me, Empress Dowager. This concubine... this concubine was so focused on His Majesty that I came in a hurry, without time to dress properly, and forgot to change my clothes. I beg the Empress Dowager and His Majesty to forgive me."
Yue Fuguang swept her eyes over her face and her ornaments from head to toe. [System, do you really think Consort Liang didn't dress up? I think this looks more like a no-makeup makeup look!]
Her naturally delicate beauty was further enhanced by the white outfit, making her appear even more soft and fragile. Among all the consorts, each beautiful in her own way, she was particularly eye-catching—the type that makes men want to protect her, especially suited to an emperor like Gan Sheng.
"Consort Liang, dear sister, stop crying. His Majesty is still ill, and with that outfit and your tears, isn't that bad luck!"
Consort Shu had been keeping a close eye on her rival Consort Liang ever since the consorts entered. If she had to name her greatest enemy in the harem, it wasn't Her Majesty the Empress—it was this Consort Liang, who held a special place in the Emperor's heart.
Now that her son's position as Crown Prince was taken away, that didn't mean the competition was over.
The resources and wealth in the hands of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager belonged to her and her son, so naturally she had to find ways to make the Empress Dowager and Emperor detest Consort Liang.
Consort Liang's tears welled up in her eyes. "Sister Consort Shu, it's my fault."
She then apologized to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, "It's all this concubine's fault. From now on..."
Prince Cheng had been watching the show with great interest, especially when the beautiful woman in white shed tears—truly like pear blossoms in rain, delicate and pitiful. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was precisely at this moment, with his eyes dazzled, that Prince Cheng failed to notice danger approaching.
"Little Zhu, protect Prince Cheng's life!"
"Your Highness, watch out!"
Whoosh!
Bang!
"Xiao Qi, how dare you!"
"Your Highness, you're injured!"
"No! The sword is poisoned!"
"Xiao Qi, you traitor! Not only do you wound His Highness, but you dare to use poison! I'll fight you to the death!"
The young general who had been escorting the ministers raised his weapon and clashed with Xiao Qi.
Chaos broke out in an instant. Everyone watched the two fight in the relatively spacious bedchamber and scrambled to back away.
Meanwhile, Prince Cheng, whose arm was dripping dark red blood, was shielded by the military-advisor-looking man and several subordinates.
"Xiao Qi, go to hell!"
"Fei Dashan, you're no match for me!"
In the midst of the flashing blades and daggers, all eyes were drawn to them. [Master, beware of Consort Liang and her maid!]
"What, is the problem her? Would she also move against Prince Cheng?] If it hadn't been for the system using its power to shove Prince Cheng at the last moment, his wound would have been to the heart rather than the arm.
"Little Zhu, could Consort Liang be the head of Panshan planted inside the palace?"
If she was, when the system performed a soul search on her later, should she have it go a bit easier?
This thought had just surfaced in her mind when Yue Fuguang suppressed it.
[Master, Consort Liang does hold a high position, but she's not the top leader. She...]
Before the system could finish its sentence, Prince Cheng and his group had retreated to a position between Consort Liang and the princes and princesses.
"Die!" A nondescript young eunuch whipped out a dagger gleaming with cold light and lunged at Prince Cheng from an extremely tricky angle.
"Protect His Highness!"
Bang!
The seemingly harmless middle-aged military advisor reacted in time when the dagger was just an inch from Prince Cheng's lower abdomen—he blocked it with his hand and kicked the attacker away in one motion.
"Take him down!"
Yue Fuguang glanced at where Prince Cheng was wounded. This man, before even ascending the throne, had nearly lost his kidney!
"Little Zhu, is there more? Why isn't it Consort Liang doing the attacking?"
[Master, do you know who that eunuch is?]
Nonsense—she had only been in the Southern Yue palace for one day, even seeing the Emperor for the first time. How would she know some random eunuch!
"Little Zhu, do you think your master would know some eunuch from an enemy country?"
[Hehehe, don't be angry, master. Little Zhu was just asking casually. Master, let me tell you—that eunuch is part of Consort Liang's group.
Within Panshan, he serves as a guard. He's currently by Consort Liang's son's side, taking orders from her.
See that kid in the blue brocade clothes among the children? That's Consort Liang's son, the candidate that part of Panshan wants to push onto the throne.]
"Panshan people personally gave birth to Gan Sheng's child and then escort him all the way to the throne? That's even more grand an arrangement than Emperor Mingxi's."
Yue Fuguang glanced at the terrified former Crown Prince Gan Minghao. "So in the original timeline, the Crown Prince died simply because he wasn't the heir Panshan wanted? Did Gan Sheng know about this?"
[Exactly. Even if the Crown Prince weren't deposed now, he'd still be destined to die of illness. Not because he wasn't the heir Panshan favored, but because the faction behind him lost to Consort Liang's group.]
"This Panshan faction is really complicated—so many people placing their bets?"