The doctor was still kneeling in the middle, and he quickly came forward to take the prescription and examined it carefully. After a while, he replied with some surprise: "This... this, oh dear! It's really a mistake. This is a fertility prescription, which can be used for difficult labor, but it's not suitable for this situation. I don't know where Dr. Liu got this prescription from... However, it's also a good prescription, and it looks like it was written by a medical expert. The combination of various medicines and the subtle differences in dosage are not comparable to ordinary prescriptions. The most valuable thing is that this prescription contains sugar lingzhi, which is very precious and was used in the imperial palace to give birth to male heirs. If a woman takes this prescription, her chances of giving birth to a boy will increase." As he spoke, a faint cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he knocked his head against the ground, saying: "It must be that the pharmacist made a mistake and took the wrong prescription. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. However, this medicine is not harmful at all. If Consort Shang takes it, it will not help with childbirth, but it will also do no harm."

  Tuoba Hong's expression changed twice as he listened, his face turning pale with rage. He took two steps forward and kicked the still-kneeling Liu medical officer in the corner gate, shouting: "Speak! Where did you get this prescription from?"

  Everyone present was somewhat terrified and didn't understand why the emperor was so angry. It's just that the slaves were careless, if they're not satisfied, they can be executed, what's there to be angry about? Everyone sat silently, thinking that the emperor was angry because of the empress's difficult childbirth and venting his anger on them.

  Liu Yiniang was even more pitiful, everything hit the nail on the head. At this time, her body trembled like a sieve, and she cried: "It... it was taken from the pharmacy in the side hall of Linzhi Palace... Judge Liang asked me to go get the prescription for tonifying Qi and nourishing blood, I was in a hurry at the time, so I picked the wrong one... Your Majesty, spare my life, I will never dare again..."

  Tuoba Hong, however, didn't look at Liu Yiniang again, but instead turned his head to face Lan Ruo, with a hint of a smile, and said: "Lan, you tell me! Why did this prescription for assisting childbirth appear in the Linzhi Palace?" He stretched out one hand, lightly pinching the corner of the paper, hovering it above Lan Ruo's head.

  Actually, the moment the paper appeared, Lan's blood had congealed, and afterwards, Liu was scolded, Wang took the prescription away and came back, the Empress Dowager sensed something wrong again, everyone's words sounded like a death knell in her ears, but her face was numb, and she didn't dare to open her mouth. It wasn't until Zhang explained it all that Lan realized she had fallen from the human world into hell, and couldn't get up from the ground.

  She trembled with both hands, not daring to take the prescription, but the faint yellow paper and the familiar rose pattern on it made her understand what was written without looking.

  What's meant to come will come, calamity can't be avoided.

  She silently recited in her heart, her mind a complete blank, having no idea how to respond to the emperor's words. Several months ago when that piece of paper was lost, Consort Shang had become restless and anxious every day, knowing that it would eventually come to light. Although it was just a thin sheet of paper, once the emperor found out she had sought to conceive, and specifically a boy at that, all her hard work over the years would be ruined in an instant.

  The person who took out this prescription now is the queen's slave, which was also within expectation.

  Time seemed to stand still. The anger on Tuoba Hong's face grew stronger, Lan Tui knelt down and didn't dare to speak, the other concubines were all bewildered and confused, but they also knew that this matter was not simple.

  "Lan's attitude towards the things around Xiang Fei seems to be neglectful, and she doesn't even know the origin of the prescription, which shows that she is derelict in her duty." Tuoba Hong sneered, turning his head to say: "Never mind, today this Lan doctor has become mute, so I won't ask anymore. However, no matter what, this prescription was taken out from Linzhi Palace. Lan Rui's medical skills are outstanding, and it must be written by you personally."

  Lan Ruo's panic and tension only confirmed Tuoba Hong's speculation. It was indeed Shangguan Li, that woman, who had used the fertility potion!

  "Doctor Zhang, I ask you, what is the efficacy of this prescription?"

  "Pregnancy is a matter that requires the right timing, location and luck, it's not something that can be controlled by human effort. Even if you take ordinary fertility medicine, it won't have much effect." Dr. Zhang said slowly: "But this prescription is well-written, and the medicinal ingredients are expensive and of high quality, so its effectiveness should be several times stronger."

  Director Zhang finished speaking, looking at the emperor's increasingly gloomy face, still very puzzled in his heart. Since this prescription is a good one, and Empress Sheng used it to conceive an imperial heir for the emperor, isn't that a good thing?

  What's wrong with this emperor again?

  Tuoba Hong's expression turned even colder: "Hmph, Xiang Fei has indeed put in a lot of thought behind the scenes." He felt as if he had been played with. In vain, he had softened his heart and allowed Xiang Fei to keep this pregnancy, but he had never expected that she was secretly using her strength to get pregnant, thinking that she had accidentally become pregnant! The fertility medicine even contained sugar and ginseng... With a daughter by his side, he didn't know enough, and she dared to try to give birth to a son!

  Afraid that he would not be able to contain himself, he begged the Empress Dowager, taking advantage of her kindness. Shangguan Lü had been in the palace for six or seven years and was also the daughter of a high-ranking official, how could she not know what he disliked in his heart, yet she deliberately went against him! And still, she always put on a pretentious appearance of not fighting for power.

  He thought that Shangguan Li and Xiao Shi, Shen Shi were two different people! All these years, even if he was unhappy in his heart, he had never given her an abortion potion like Chu Shi did every time she served him at night. It was because Shangguan Li once said that she wanted to have a child with the person she liked! He was deeply moved and thought that Shangguan Li was treating him sincerely, not just loving his status and position like Shen Shi did.

  But Shangguan Li finally deceived him. Heh, she didn't want a child after all, what she wanted was the position of the crown prince!

  Taizong of Northern Wei's anger grew, and he ordered: "Tie up all the medical women and medicine boys who served in Linji Palace and send them to Shenxunsi for severe interrogation! I want to hear from their own mouths that this prescription was used by Empress Xiang."

  Although Fangzi was turned over in the Linji Palace, the person who shook out Fangzi was Liu Yiniang beside the Empress. Emperor Tuoba Hong understood the dark secrets of the harem and, in order to prevent this from being a frame-up, he had to let these medical women go to the Shenxing Bureau for a trial to get an accurate number.

  When they heard this, the people around them were shocked. Feng Zhuangji stepped forward in surprise: "Your Majesty, Sheng Fei is still giving birth and can't afford to be frightened..." Before she finished speaking, she was slapped by Tuoba Hong and fell to the ground, crying and covering her face in terror, no longer daring to speak a word.

  Not to mention the situation in the inner palace, but outside, the palace people followed the emperor's orders and took away the six female doctors who were beside Xiang Fei. Four of these six female doctors had been following Xiang Fei for many years and were her confidantes. The other two were selected by Xiang Fei herself from the inner hospital after she became pregnant. Their medical skills may not be as good as Lan Zhu's, but apart from serving her, they also did many other things for Xiang Fei, and can be considered very capable people. The emperor ordered the Shen Xing Si to use torture on them, which undoubtedly slapped Xiang Fei in the face.

  Xiang Fei has always been favored, even when the witchcraft incident occurred, she was protected by the Emperor and had never suffered such humiliation. Moreover, at this moment, she is still in the inner chamber giving birth, and what she will give birth to is the heir of the Great Qin, the child of Tuoba Hong.

  The consorts all sat in silence, watching as the six people were dragged away in shackles. However, with Empress Xiang in labor, no one dared to cry out or make a disturbance. Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei thought for a moment before instructing Yao Fuxin, "Select some suitable imperial physicians to attend to Empress Xiang and tell her that I was enraged by her difficult labor and dismissed all the physicians from Linzhi Palace." He also instructed Lan Rui, "You go in to serve her, and make sure to preserve Empress Xiang's life! I know you are deeply loyal to her, but telling her about the interrogation now would not do her any good. You should understand this point."

  Lan Ruo hurriedly kowtowed and rushed back to her inner chamber, her legs already weak, stumbling as she walked.

  Shangguan's family was the benefactor of the Lan family, and Empress Xiang was her lifelong master. Even after Empress Xiang gave birth, she would go on to serve the Emperor. For many years, she had been struggling in the palace for Empress Xiang, doing many things for her, but unexpectedly, it all ended in failure.

  She ultimately failed to protect her master.

  Tuoba Hong was still furious in the outer hall.

  The empress said cautiously: "No matter what Xiang Fei is like, wait until she gives birth and the emperor will deal with her. But don't get angry and hurt your body." Empress Xiao was very clear about Emperor Tuoba Hong's thoughts. Shen Shi had just died, and now there was another disturbance from Xiang Fei's side. With ambitions so big one after another, how could Tuoba Hong not be furious?

  Although it was Empress Xiao who brought up Fang's matter, she couldn't help but feel anxious when she saw the Emperor's reaction. The Emperor had always been extremely fond of Consort Sheng, and today he had crossed a line, triggering his boundless anger. As the Empress, she had done even more outrageous things than Consort Sheng, seizing power for decades, viewing the Crown Prince as a thorn in her side, and constantly finding opportunities to strike, taking away Ye's children to prepare for the future... The Emperor saw everything with his own eyes. If she couldn't wait until she had enough chips in her hand and Tuoba Hong was about to take action... On that day of reckoning after autumn, who knew what would happen?

  In the outer room, everything was in a state of confusion, when suddenly, a baby's cry rang out.

  Everyone was stunned for a moment. The empress hastily said, "Your Majesty, the child is born!" And gently persuaded: "Your Majesty, no matter what, it's good that Consort Xiang is safe."

  The imperial consorts all rose to congratulate the emperor, and also congratulated Xiang Fei. Several of them even made an effort to appear delighted, with big smiles on their faces. These imperial consorts were ordinary women from decent families, but they couldn't compare to Empress Xiao. They only knew how to vie for favor in the harem, without any idea what the emperor was thinking or understanding of court politics. At this moment, they had no inkling that the emperor did not welcome the birth of this child.

  Tuoba Hong glanced at them, his expression full of disgust.

  "Is it a prince or a princess? Bring the child out, I'll take a look." Tuoba Hong's voice was suppressed as he asked, his expression already calm and peaceful.