The Empress Dowager Chang, secretly trailing Princess Anle, rejoiced upon seeing her enter the Emperor's study.
If Princess Anle succeeded in drugging the Emperor, Prince Ning's control over the palace would be half-accomplished.
Thus, she hurried back to the Imperial Wardrobe to write a note, having her trusted eunuch secretly deliver it out of the palace to Prince Ning.
Upon receiving Madam Chang's note, Prince Ning learned that Princess Anle and Madam Chang had already taken action within the palace, and their scheme had succeeded.
Immediately, Prince Ning quickly penned a secret letter and had it delivered to Lin Zhenfan outside the city.
As night approached, he donned a night-blooming outfit with a group of men, preparing to enter the palace.
Meanwhile, Princess Anle, after the Emperor finished the sweet soup she served him, became completely dazed, not even knowing how she left the study or returned to her residence. The moment the Emperor drank her sweet soup, Anle regretted it, wishing she could loudly stop her father from drinking further. However, she feared that if her father discovered her sweet soup was poisoned, he would kill her. Terrified of death, she dared not speak.
Upon returning to her residence, Madam Chang chattered incessantly, but Anle heard none of it. The remaining arrangements were all made by Madam Chang.
Deep in the night, moonlight, as white as frost, spilled across the land, bringing much convenience to those out walking.
Prince Ning, clad in black night-blooming attire with a group of men, scaled the outer wall of the cold palace and entered.
He first led his men to the Empress Dowager's Longevity Palace. After a fierce battle, Prince Ning swiftly bound the Empress Dowager to her phoenix throne.
"You scoundrel, who are you? How dare you intrude upon my chambers."
The Empress Dowager glared furiously at Prince Ning, whose face was covered by a black cloth.
"Imperial Grandmother, it is I! As long as you do not struggle, shout, or make a fuss, I will not harm you."
Prince Ning, unafraid of revealing his identity, spoke directly to the Empress Dowager without altering his voice.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the Empress Dowager knew who had bound her.
"Prince Ning, you actually escaped from the celestial prison. You are incredibly bold!"
The Empress Dowager loudly reprimanded the masked man standing before her.
"Imperial Grandmother, you cannot blame me. Everything I am doing now is because you forced me."
Prince Ning calmly made excuses for himself.
"Prince Ning, I saw you as a child with deep schemes, but I never imagined you would commit such treasonous acts," the Empress Dowager said earnestly.
"Imperial Grandmother, I was forced. If I hadn't done this, my father would have dealt with me within two days," Prince Ning lamented.
"Alas, Prince Ning, your father is a man who values family ties. Ever since he imprisoned you, he has been unable to decide how to deal with you. It could be said he didn't want to deal with you at all, which is why the Emperor has delayed until today, still unable to devise a suitable punishment." The Empress Dowager revealed the Emperor's kind intentions.
"Imperial Grandmother, what you are telling me now is too late. I have no turning back." Prince Ning replied.
After binding the Empress Dowager, Prince Ning casually sealed her acupoint to prevent her from crying out. Meanwhile, his subordinates had bound the nannies, servants, and young eunuchs in the Longevity Palace, also sealing their acupoints. Finally, Prince Ning left two men to guard the Longevity Palace before leading his men towards the Emperor's sleeping quarters.
On the way to the Emperor's chambers, Prince Ning successfully evaded several patrols of the Imperial Guard. Following this, Prince Ning arrived at the entrance of the Emperor's sleeping quarters and casually tossed a handful of sleeping powder into the air. The palace maids and eunuchs guarding the entrance, after inhaling the powder, gradually fell unconscious and collapsed.
Prince Ning immediately ordered his men to drag the unconscious individuals to a corner and tie them up.
Subsequently, Prince Ning smoothly entered the Emperor's sleeping quarters.
At this very moment, the Emperor's poison erupted. He had only been asleep on the dragon bed for a while before being awakened by a throbbing headache.
Beads of sweat, as large as beans, trickled down his forehead. His face turned pale, and his body grew cold. He curled into a ball, his eyes wide open, and he tightly bit his bloodless red lips.
"Come, come, someone!"
At this moment, the Emperor's voice had become hoarse and low.
As soon as his words fell, someone entered. Initially, the Emperor did not pay attention, thinking it was Eunuch Li.
Later, the person who entered remained silent. The Emperor hurriedly opened his eyes, looked up at the newcomer, and in the next instant, he froze.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into my chambers, what do you want?" The Emperor immediately shouted, meeting the eyes of the masked man before him.
"Father, how is your head? Does this poisoned body feel terrible?" Prince Ning said mockingly, his gaze chillingly fixed on the Emperor.
"You, you are, Prince Ning!"
Hearing the man's voice, the Emperor recognized him as Prince Ning.
"Yes, I am Prince Ning! How about that, did you not expect it?" Prince Ning readily admitted his identity.
"You beast, did you and Anle conspire to poison me?"
The Emperor, his head splitting with pain, his entire face contorted, became increasingly irritable.
"Father, do not lose your temper again. If you continue to be temperamental, you will easily lose consciousness and faint." Prince Ning kindly reminded him.
"You, you animal, you want to kill your father!"
The Emperor exposed Prince Ning's intention.
"Father, you have so many princes. If I don't make an effort, will your position ever be mine?"
Prince Ning clicked his tongue in lament.
Hearing Prince Ning's words, the Emperor was momentarily overwhelmed with anger and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, after which he fainted on his dragon bed.
After the Emperor fainted, Prince Ning forged three imperial edicts in the Emperor's handwriting.
The first was an imperial edict pardoning Prince Ning, which was sent to the prison overnight.
The second was an imperial edict promoting Prince Ning, forcing Eunuch Li to read it at the morning court the next day.
The third was an edict to lock down the entire palace, stipulating that no prince could enter or leave the palace without the Emperor's personal summons.
At this time, in Prince Leng's mansion.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan were suddenly awakened in the middle of the night.
"Jun Mohan, I just dreamed that Father and Imperial Grandmother met with misfortune."
"Li'er, I also dreamed that Father and Imperial Grandmother met with misfortune."
"Could this dream be true? Let us immediately send someone to check on the palace."
Jun Mohan nodded in agreement.
A moment later, Jun Mohan ordered Yin Chen to take several hidden guards into the palace to gather information.