Inside the Emperor's Imperial Bedchamber, the Emperor lay weakly on the Dragon Bed. He pointed at his fourth son, who stood in the hall in full battle gear with a long sword in hand, and was so furious that he couldn't speak.
"Imperial Father, I had no choice. You forced me into this."
"From the time I was young until now, you've had eyes only for the Crown Prince—only for him. No matter how hard I worked or how outstanding I was, you never saw me."
"My Imperial Concubine Mother loved you for more than twenty years and waited for you for more than twenty years. But even if you couldn't return her feelings, that could be excused—you're the Emperor, after all. But why couldn't you even give her the position of Empress?"
"That woman had already died. Why did you still keep that position open? How was my Imperial Concubine Mother supposed to bear it?"
The Emperor had still been able to maintain his composure, but the moment she mentioned Imperial Noble Consort Yun Yujin, his expression grew visibly more furious.
"Rebellious Son, you don't need to find so many excuses. Don't you just want the Crown Prince's position? Don't you just want the throne?"
"You're exactly like that vicious Imperial Concubine Mother of yours. She poisoned the woman I loved, and you poisoned the Crown Prince. If I had known that woman was so vicious sooner, I never would have let her enter the palace, much less let her give birth to a wretch like you!"
Xi Muyan hadn't expected there to be such a complicated story behind this. He was stunned for a moment. "Impossible. My Imperial Concubine Mother... It's impossible that she poisoned Empress Dowager."
Just then, Imperial Noble Consort Yun Yujin, who had been hiding