"Mother, how could you be so heartless when Yier is still so young?!"

When Jiang Mingzhu woke up, she heard the Empress wailing in despair. That heart-wrenching sorrow was reminiscent of the day the young crown prince had passed away.

Looking at the lifeless little crown prince in the Empress's arms, who was barely breathing, Jiang Mingzhu realized with certainty: she had been reborn.

In her previous life, she had committed countless heinous acts to secure her son's ascension to the throne. She did everything imaginable-assassinations, conspiracies, even attempting to kill the Emperor became her routine. She caused harm to the concubines and children in the palace. But in the end, her deeds were exposed, and she was stabbed to death by her own son. Her beloved daughter, who had been pampered since birth, coldly watched her demise and didn't intervene. Worse, the daughter stepped forward to stab her a few more times.

It was all because she had opposed her eldest son's marriage to a manipulative commoner, Xie Wan, who eventually took her own life. This made her son despise her to the core.

Her "good daughter" was manipulated by rebels. In an attempt to protect her, Jiang Mingzhu killed the rebels, only to have her daughter resent her deeply for it.

She still remembered that failed coup d'état.

Her eldest son's first action was to plunge a knife into her chest, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Jiang Mingzhu, you venomous woman! You killed Wanwan and my child. You deserve this fate! From the moment Wanwan died, I wished I could kill you myself. You've committed countless atrocities, and this is your retribution!"

Her "good daughter," in a frenzied state, deemed her death too mild and rushed over to stab her multiple times.

"Jiang Mingzhu, you killed Lord Nie. I will avenge him!

The pain in her chest couldn't compare to the heartbreak within. Her mind was haunted by those agonizing scenes when the voice of a palace maid interrupted her thoughts.

"Empress, His Majesty is on his way back, and the Imperial Physician is coming with him. With the Imperial Physician here, the Crown Prince will surely be saved!"

The Empress's trusted maid reported excitedly.

At the time of the Crown Prince's accident, the Emperor was hunting at the royal grounds. Upon hearing the news, he rushed back on horseback.

Hearing this, the Empress's lifeless face showed a glimmer of hope.

The Imperial Physician was renowned for his miraculous skills and had been a close friend of the Emperor. If he could treat the Crown Prince, there was still a chance of survival.

But Jiang Mingzhu knew it would be too late.In her previous life, the Imperial Physician had arrived, but the Crown Prince was already beyond saving. The physician had lamented, "If I had arrived just 15 minutes earlier, I might have been able to save him."

The Crown Prince's death had been a turning point, cementing a deep grudge between her and the Emperor and Empress. The once gentle and filial Empress became vengeful, determined to bring her down at any cost. Even if it meant harming herself, the Empress sought to eliminate Jiang Mingzhu's influence in the palace, creating significant trouble for her.

The Emperor, too, harbored hatred for her.

But at the time, his reign was unstable, and he had no evidence against her, so he had to suppress his rage. After her son stabbed her to death, the Emperor massacred Jiang's entire clan.

"Hand over the Crown Prince!"Jiang Mingzhu knew time was of the essence. Her grandfather had given her three life-saving pills when she entered the palace, capable of pulling someone back from the brink of death. She had used one when she suffered complications during childbirth, leaving only two.

The Empress, clutching her son tightly, glared at Jiang Mingzhu with hatred.

"You venomous woman! Since entering the palace, I have been nothing but respectful and obedient to you. I've put your needs above my own, never daring to defy you.

And yet, you want to harm my child! If my son dies today, I will fight you to the death.

Even if it means sacrificing my entire clan, I will make you pay!"

The Empress knew her family was no match for Jiang's powerful clan. Even the Emperor, without evidence, couldn't act against the Dowager Empress. But the murder of her child was a grudge she could never forgive.

Jiang Mingzhu grew anxious. The Empress's resistance would only cost the Crown Prince his chance at survival."Outrageous! How dare you accuse me?

The Crown Prince's life is at stake—| will not argue with you. Someone, bring me the Crown Prince!"

Realizing that persuasion wouldn't work, Jiang Mingzhu gave an order. Palace maids and matrons immediately snatched the Crown Prince from the Empress's arms.

The Empress struggled desperately to protect her child, but in a palace dominated by the Dowager Empress, she was powerless. She could only watch helplessly as her son was taken to the Dowager Empress.

Jiang Mingzhu held the barely conscious Crown Prince. He was only three years old, an innocent, sweet child, wise beyond his years and adorably pure. He looked like a little jade doll. How had she ever been capable of harming him in her past life?

Without hesitation, Jiang Mingzhu retrieved a life-saving pill from her sleeve.

"Quick! Bring me yellow wine!"

No one dared to question her orders. Yellow wine was quickly brought, and she dissolved the pill into it before feeding it to the Crown Prince.

After a moment, she checked his pulse.

His pale face began to regain color, and his breathing became steadier. Jiang Mingzhu finally let out a sigh of relief.

"The Emperor has returned to the palace!"

The palace, filled with tension, was awaiting the Emperor's return. The Empress's faction clung to this hope.

The Empress, convinced that the Dowager Empress had harmed her son, sat despondently until the Emperor's golden figure appeared. She rushed forward, clutching his leg, tears streaming down her face.

"Your Majesty, please avenge Yier! I'm willing to give up my position as Empress if that's what it takes!"

Though the Emperor had taken many concubines after ascending the throne, he still had deep feelings for his first wife, who had shared his hardships during his years as a prince. Seeing her disheveled and heartbroken state, he felt a wave of anger.

He never imagined that the Dowager Empress had become so deranged as to harm the Crown Prince. Memories of her past atrocities surfaced, and his eyes filled with murderous intent.

When he saw the Crown Prince in Jiang Mingzhu's arms, he stormed forward, snatching the child from her. No one dared to intervene.

Jiang Mingzhu had already administered the pill and made no move to stop him. The Emperor handed the child to a white-robed man who had followed him into the palace.

"Zhongjing, I leave Yier in your hands!"

The physician wasted no time and began examining the Crown Prince, performing acupuncture as necessary.

Not long after, the Crown Prince let out a faint murmur.

The Emperor and Empress's faces lit up with joy.

"Zhongjing, how is the Crown Prince?"

"Rest assured, he is out of danger. With proper care, he will recover fully."

The Empress, both relieved and grateful, bowed deeply. "Zhongjing, we owe you an immeasurable debt. If not for you, the Crown Prince would have been lost."

But the physician shook his head. "Your Majesty, you're mistaken. It was not I who saved the Crown Prince—it was someone else entirely."