"Quick, quickly fetch a doctor," Wu Caiwei shouted anxiously. The maids and servants outside were reluctant, dragging their feet, knowing that even if a doctor was called, it would be too late. Nevertheless, they reported to the Imperial Consort.
After the Third Prince's death, the Third Prince's Consort had lost all her spirit and energy, not wanting to deal with these people. However, she was afraid of being accused of being cold-hearted and unfeeling. Since death was inevitable, she decided to send someone to fetch a doctor after some thought.
"How could it come to this?" Zhou Hanxiao stared blankly at the ceiling, murmuring to herself. She couldn't make a sound. If Wu Caiwei couldn't read lips, she wouldn't have known what she was saying.
"That's a question you should answer yourself. Why have you repeatedly tried to harm me? If I weren't so clever, the grass on my grave would be much taller. True justice prevails, and your skills were inferior, so you deserve to go to hell," Wu Caiwei whispered into her ear.
The original host had not retaliated, but what was the outcome?
In her previous life, the original host had reluctantly followed her parents' wishes and married into the Lin family for her sister. Even though the Lin family's young master had already passed away, she was branded as a jinx.
From the moment she entered the Lin family, she was looked down upon by everyone. She was also filled with guilt and inferiority due to the Lin family's young master's death. She silently endured the Prime Minister's wife's torment, the other young wives' sarcastic remarks, and the servants' neglect.
Feeling that such a life was hopeless, she had sought help from the Zhou family. The Zhou family, overjoyed at having connections with the Prime Minister's mansion, was never going to pull her out of this mire. They told her that as a daughter-in-law, she had to be submissive and patient, that everyone went through this, and that things would get better if she listened to her elders.
Life was difficult, but she gritted her teeth and persevered. The Prime Minister's wife had explicitly promised to adopt a child to her name to continue the lineage of her younger son.
Even so, Zhou Hanxiao did not let her off.
Master Zhou discovered her affair with the Third Prince. Just like in this life, Master Zhou did not want to be involved in the succession struggle. He said the same thing and persuaded her to back down.
However, the Third Prince was not so easily dismissed. So, she sent an invitation to her sister, asking her to meet at a teahouse for a good chat. The original host, unsuspecting, gladly accepted the invitation.
As they were drinking, she felt dizzy and disoriented, then lost consciousness. When she woke up again, there was a strange man beside her. Terrified, she didn't know what to do. She quickly put on her clothes and hurried out.
Not far from the back gate of the Prime Minister's mansion, she encountered her maids and servants. Although they had often been perfunctory towards her, seeing her disheveled state, they knew something had happened. They realized the situation was dire and their only thought was to prevent the matter from being exposed at all costs.
They tidied her up on the spot and, under the cover of secrecy, she slipped back in through the back gate.
From then on, everyone who saw her looked at her with disdain. No matter how foolish she was, she knew she had been tricked by her sister.
She couldn't understand why her sister would harm her in such a way. She also feared how she could face the world if the people at the Prime Minister's mansion found out about this matter.
Living in constant fear and unable to voice her suffering, she withered away at a visible rate.
Although Zhou Hanxiao disdained this marriage, having entered the family only to become a widow, she was jealous of her sister being the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law and leaked the information about that incident.
Upon hearing the news, the Prime Minister's wife had her maids and servants dragged away and beaten until they confessed. Seeing that they were about to be beaten to death, the two women could no longer conceal the truth and recounted the events of that day.
The Prime Minister's wife refused to listen to the original host's explanation and confined her to a secluded courtyard.
The eldest and second sons had long coveted her beauty, but out of respect for her being their sister-in-law, they had not acted. After learning about the incident, they believed she was a promiscuous woman and would often sneak into the courtyard, ignoring her resistance, and assault her.
The eldest and second young mistresses received the news and led a group to her courtyard. One day they would slap her, the next they would smash things, and all the while they would mock and taunt her.
The original host lived like a walking corpse, regretting her past. She felt that her happiest days were spent in a nunnery, where life was hard and simple, but she was happy.
The Prime Minister's wife considered her a vixen. Her continued existence was not only shameful but also caused unrest in the household. With a bowl of medicine, she was thrown into a mass grave.
The original host's tragic end was largely attributable to Zhou Hanxiao, so she felt no sympathy for her.
After performing a show of sisterly affection, she quietly withdrew. The next day, she heard the news of her death.
At night, Zhao Yunfei quietly came to her room. After some intimacy, he cautioned her to stay home more often, as there would be major upheavals in the court.
Wu Caiwei also prepared some of her latest concocted medicines for him and told him to be careful.
Within a few days, everyone was privately discussing that the Second Prince had rebelled.
This matter dated back to some time ago. The Emperor suddenly fell ill, and his condition deteriorated rapidly. Many ministers submitted memorials requesting the establishment of an Imperial Crown Prince.
Although the Emperor was furious, feeling that he was no longer respected in their eyes, for the sake of the empire, after much deliberation, he designated the eldest prince as the Imperial Crown Prince, as he was his legitimate eldest son.
Of course, he did not want to neglect the Second Prince, whom he cherished dearly. He chose a good fiefdom for him, and he was to depart a month later.
The Second Prince and the Eldest Prince had been in a fierce rivalry for so long. He knew that if he did not ascend the throne, he would have no good end. He outwardly accepted the Emperor's arrangements but secretly contacted his maternal uncle, requesting support.
Before the reinforcements arrived, he did not relax, continuously bribing people. In a pitch-dark night, he launched an attack, catching the opponent off guard, and quickly took control of the Imperial City.
Chaos erupted in the palace. All the women were confined together. The Empress continued to denounce the Second Prince while worrying about her son.
The Emperor turned to look at his second son, clad in armor and leading a large contingent of soldiers into the hall, his face filled with disappointment.
"You rebellious son, with your wolfish ambition, are you trying to stage a rebellion?" the Emperor said indignantly, pointing at him with a trembling finger.
"I didn't want this. We could have been a loving father and son, but you passed the throne to him. Do you think I would fare well in his hands? You have abandoned me, but I don't want to be meat on a chopping block, so I have to fight for myself." The Second Prince felt he was in the right, believing that anyone in his position would fight for themselves in the end.
"I gave you the best fiefdom, prepared a death exemption token for you, and considered your every move. Are you still not satisfied?" For the Emperor, he was the master of all. What he gave to others, others had to accept and could not resist. Now, the Second Prince was challenging his authority, which he found unacceptable.
"If you had considered me thoroughly, you should have passed the throne to me," the Second Prince roared, looking at his father with hatred.