Not only the concubines, but also the civil and military officials, as well as the Ladies of the Outer Court, were secretly observing the Empress’s demeanor.

Judging from the situation just now, the Crown Prince had already botched the matter, and the Emperor fell into a coma again. No one knew what his condition was.

If he were truly poisoned and severely harmed, considering the Second Prince’s recent performance, the throne would undoubtedly be his.

Although the Empress is the legitimate mother, after all, Consort Xian is the biological mother. Even if one becomes a Mother Empress Dowager and the other a Saintess Empress Dowager, by rites, the Empress holds a higher status. However, the Emperor is Consort Xian’s son. Anyone with eyes and brains would know which side the warm stove is on, naturally favoring Consort Xian.

Even if in the future the Second Prince wanted a good reputation and supported the Empress, the Empress would still have to live under the influence of him and his mother. What’s more, there’s the one-year-old Ninth Prince to consider. Such a life might seem beautiful outside but be quite bitter inside.

No wonder the Empress clung to the Emperor, not daring to let go even a little.

Among all the concubines in the palace, it might be only Consort Xian who genuinely wished for the Emperor’s demise.

The other concubines, including the Empress, understood that as long as the Emperor lived, they were the main figures in the palace. Their glory and wealth relied solely on the Emperor.

If the Emperor were to die, it wouldn’t matter much to the other concubines; they would just have to tread carefully, previously flattering the Empress, and in the future, soothing Consort Xian, changing the soup but not the medicine.

Only the Empress would then be reduced, living under dependence. Everyone knew Consort Xian’s temperament in the harem.

Should such a day come, the Empress would likely steep in bitterness daily.

Therefore, most people looked at the Empress with sympathy, and they quite understood why she cared for nothing else at the moment, holding onto the Emperor, ignoring everyone else.

Consort Xian and the Second Prince had pushed the Crown Prince out of the game below, seeing no voices of opposition around; even someone with a city mansion couldn’t help showing a bit of pride on their face. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Especially Consort Xian, at this moment she could already envision herself ascending to the position of Saintess Empress Dowager, immediately feeling herself to be the foremost figure in the harem.

While previously she left a bit of face for the Empress, now she showed none at all; after all, her son was about to become the Emperor, who in the world could compare to her in nobility?

She looked at the Empress above and couldn’t help frowning: "The Emperor is comatose, lying here is really out of order, isn’t it? No one has come to carry His Majesty to the back for the Imperial Physician to see. Tell me, Empress, isn’t the Ninth Prince a harbinger of calamity? Back when you gave birth to him, you nearly lost your life. Now at his one-year banquet, he caused His Majesty to be poisoned and comatose. Isn’t this Ninth Prince a star of misfortune, his birth a curse to his parents?"

Consort Xian now recalled a year ago when the Ninth Prince was born, the Emperor’s ecstatic jubilation and grand rewarding of the world still lingered in her mind.

At first, the Crown Prince, due to his low-born biological mother, though first in line, had several elder brothers before him who simply hadn’t survived.

Thus, although he was the eldest, because of his mother, the Emperor did not favor him.

After entering the palace and receiving the Emperor’s favor, she not only held a high position but smoothly gave birth to the Second Prince, successfully ascending to Noble Consort. Among the Emperor’s many children, apart from the Eldest Princess born from the Noble Consort, the Second Prince was of the highest status. Compared to other princes, the Emperor cherished the Second Prince most.

But after the Ninth Prince’s birth, the difference was noticeable to everyone.

It had always been a royal practice to favor grandchildren over children. Though doting on the Second Prince, the Emperor had never embraced him, but it was said that every day after court, the Emperor must visit and hold the Ninth Prince for a look.

Needless to say, the young baby, not yet a year old, received endless favoritism from the two big figures of the palace, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, with rewards flowing into Changchun Palace continuously, richer than his seasoned elder brothers.

Compared to the Ninth Prince, other princes seemed adopted.

Moreover, although the Ninth Prince was young, he still held the position of a legitimate son, which was certainly a threat to her son.

As a mother, she naturally had to protect her son; after all, he was her lifelong support.

The struggles within the harem were life-or-death. Now she and the Second Prince had the upper hand. It was impossible to rest assured without trampling the Empress and her son into the mud.

Therefore, she first tainted the Ninth Prince’s reputation, burdening him with the accusation of cursing his parents. This way, he would never come close to that position.

Consort Xian wore a regretful smile on her face, but her eyes flashed a cold gleam.

This move, though feminine, was extremely vicious. If word truly got out, the Empress and the Ninth Prince would never recover.

The Ladies of the Outer Court shrank their necks in fear of being drawn in.

However, Madam Gu stepped forward, because she had no choice. Knowing the Ninth Prince was born under Wang Yongzhu’s care, if this stigma was firmly placed upon the Ninth Prince, it would inevitably implicate Yongzhu, the Song Family, and even the Gu Family.

So she stepped forward, curtsying gracefully, not arrogant nor servile, and said, "Consort Xian, your words confuse us, Your Ladyship. On the day the Ninth Prince was born, the sky cleared, and the red sun rose, known to all the Capital City. His Majesty himself declared it a fortunate omen. Besides, if the Ninth Prince’s birth time were truly unsuitable, wouldn’t the Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials have calculated it?"

"Furthermore, since the Ninth Prince’s birth, not only did he receive the affection of His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, but for a whole year, the palace has encountered no inauspicious incidents. Though His Majesty is poisoned and comatose today, it doesn’t mean he can’t be detoxified and cured. How come, in Consort Xian’s words, it seems certain that His Majesty would encounter misfortune and cannot awaken?"

Upon these words, several respected female figures couldn’t help but voice agreement.

Consort Xian’s face darkened as she glared like daggers at Madam Gu, sneering, "Madam Gu, what a tongue you have, quite akin to your good niece—"

Madam Gu smiled lightly, bent her knee slightly, replying, "Thank you, Consort Xian, for the undeserved praise! I’ve merely stated the facts." She effortlessly warded off Consort Xian’s hostility.

Over there, Song Hong and Gu Changqing stood in front of the Second Prince, because his close aides were already shouting that with His Majesty comatose, the nation cannot go without a ruler for a day. They proposed appointing a prince to supervise state affairs to avoid delaying national matters.

The Crown Prince revealed his ambitions, while the other princes were still young. Only the Second Prince was deemed most suitable. Why wait for another day? With all civil and military officials and the aristocracy present today, why not jointly endorse the Second Prince to oversee the state, ensuring no hindrance to state affairs?

There were naturally those from the Second Prince’s faction who echoed in agreement, but the majority simply observed Song Hong, Gu Changqing, and several close ministers of the Emperor.

No one was foolish; everyone knew that the current poisoning incident wasn’t clean for either the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, except the Crown Prince was somewhat more foolish, used by the Second Prince as a pawn.

Now, with the Crown Prince expelled, what was all this talk of appointing the Second Prince as regent? Once the Second Prince took the regency, it was tantamount to endorsing him as the next ruler.

Most officials, though fearing death, had, after all, received education from a young age in loyalty and patriotism. Many, especially the younger officials, still carried a spirit of duty and bravery.

Seeing the Second Prince in this manner, he seemed no different from the Crown Prince. At this moment, whether for reputation or genuine filial piety, at least summon an Imperial Physician to attend to the Emperor?

Yet, since he had the Emperor carried in, all this while, there wasn’t a single concern for the Emperor’s health, not even a word of inquiry.

Such an ambitious heart, lacking filial piety, how could such a one become the monarch of a nation? They had no respect in serving such a ruler.

Previously, with low positions and voices small, seeing Gu Changqing and Song Hong stand at the forefront, they gained confidence and gradually gathered behind Gu Changqing and Song Hong, opposing the Second Prince’s faction.