No worries about mutual recognition at 68

  The sound of the watchman's rattle, dong, dong, dong, one after another, echoed endlessly within the palace.

  When Aunt Sun saw the blood flowers spat out by Empress Hu on the ground, she felt a blackness in front of her eyes and almost fainted. A cold voice swept past her ears: "Don't let the imperial physician come over? If something happens to Her Majesty, there's only you here, if someone asks who harmed Her Majesty, what will you do?"

  Her body trembled, and Sun Auntie knocked her head on the ground: "Your Majesty spare my life, Empress Dowager spare my life." Her forehead was pressed hard against the hard jade stone, and in an instant, her face was covered with fresh blood. The wet blood blurred her eyes, and when she lifted her head, she saw that there was no one inside the house, the windows were closed, and only a gust of wind remained on the ground, as if revealing that what she had just done was not entirely a dream.

  On the couch, Empress Hu lay weakly on her side, her breathing faint, her clothes covered in blood. Sun Gu Gu hastily stood up, pushed open the door and shouted: "Quickly come! Invite the imperial physician! The empress is no longer alright!"

  At that time, a wisp of eastern rising light had just broken through the clouds. The news of Empress Hu's serious illness and coma quickly spread from inside the palace to outside.

  It is said that Jin Suqin originally wanted to borrow a place to live in the Princess's mansion, but the Eighth Princess was a master of diplomacy and did not want to offend anyone, nor did she want to offend the Emperor, so she tactfully declined. Under the arrangement of Empress Hu, Jin Suqin secretly moved into a separate courtyard of the Sun Mansion.

  Jin Suqiong thought, last night, at the lantern festival, Princess Chang didn't manage to trick Li Zimo into coming, but with Empress Hu's skills, as many times before, she could at least arrange for them to meet once or twice. She wasn't in a hurry, there was no need to be. It had been so many years already. Almost twenty years. From the first time he followed Emperor Xian to Western Zhen on an inspection tour, he brought gifts ordered by Emperor Xian, including a deer antler he had hunted for the first time. Until now, this deer antler was made into a whistle and hung around her neck.

  She's as beautiful as a fairy, with noble blood and a future position as the Dragon Lord. She's almost the perfect man, not to mention that she likes him, even her mother does. Her mother has even said that if she weren't old, she'd want to overthrow her father and pursue the Dragon Lord herself.

  Unfortunately, he was the crown prince of one country and she was the eldest princess of another. They should have been a perfect match, and she had almost expected him to come for her as this marriage would be beneficial to both countries. Her mother thought there was no reason anyone would refuse. However, when she came of age, news suddenly arrived that he had ascended to the throne in his own country and married a woman from his own nation.

  The pavilion near the water gets the moon first. The women of this palace are really formidable. Relying on her father and brother, who were both trusted ministers of two generations of emperors, she was able to meet Li Zi Mo frequently, and in doing so, stole his heart away.

  Never thought that I would be inferior to a woman named Gong Xiu. To return, she and Gong Xiu have never met. Gong Xiu became his empress until her death, she was in Xizhen. Because at that time the country of Dongling was not very stable, the female emperor of Xizhen and the people who supported her to become the future female emperor did not allow her to go to Dongling, fearing that she would be in danger.

  No matter what, Gong Xiu died. Empress Hu issued a passionate invitation to her, inviting her to become the future Queen of Dongling Mausoleum. Since Gong Xiu was already dead, what else was there to fear? So, she had to have him, no need to rush. Besides her, there wouldn't be another Gong Xiu coming to snatch him away.

  Zitan hastily walked into the yard and said to her: "Master, something's wrong. It's said that Empress Hu is suddenly seriously ill in the palace."

  "Is she ill?" Jin Suqin's early rising spirit shook, not very believing, "Her illness, although coughing severely, but drinking medicine every day, with the imperial physician watching, how could it suddenly become severe?"

  "The news from the palace is unclear. However, all the members of the Sun family have gathered in the main hall. Moreover, all civil and military officials within the capital have been affected."

  "Don't look at the emperor's ascension to the throne, he personally handled state affairs everywhere. But in the end, which of these imperial relatives doesn't have an outsider? As long as Empress Hu is alive, the Hus' relatives will be around. Unlike that Palace Imperial Concubine, who only had a clean and selfless Palace family, it's no wonder she died so early." Jin Suqin analyzed calmly and matter-of-factly, "What about the emperor?"

  At this moment, what is most needed is for the Emperor to take charge and stabilize the imperial court.

  "Your Ladyship, this is the news that I just received and hurried to tell you. It's said that His Majesty went to sweep the tomb at Yunling with the Empress Dowager last night. The Empress Dowager returned last night, but His Majesty has not yet come back."

  Jin Suqing raised an eyebrow and slammed the tea cup in her hand onto the table: "You said His Majesty went to Yunling to sweep whose grave?"

  Zitan didn't dare look her in the eye.

  Jin Suqiong pointed at her heart with her finger: "Is this the reason why I was so restless last night?"

  "Your Majesty——"

  "I ordered you to capture someone last night, did you succeed?"

  "That old lady from the Flower family is very cunning. Last night, Wang Hu Fa led a group of people to form an array and besiege them. As a result, halfway through, a masked black guest suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rescued the two of them."

  "You were robbed halfway! Why didn't you tell me last night?!"

  "Your Highness, last night you were at Princess Chang's residence, with so many people staring."

  Jin Suqiong hastily got down from the couch and quickly walked away. Zitan closely followed behind her, seeing that she had passed through the passageway connecting to the Sun Manor, directly entering the large courtyard of the Sun Manor.

  Inside the Sun Mansion, there were many guests coming and going at this time. However, those who came and left were all very secretive. They took sedan chairs from the small alleys, not daring to ride horse-drawn carriages. When leaving, they did so quietly. In front of the Sun Mansion gate, four large stone lions were arranged as usual, but only a side door or back door was opened, without opening the main gate. Above the main gate, a golden plaque hung with the inscription "General of the Defending Virtue".

  This plaque was bestowed by the previous emperor's father, who gave it to Sun Xuanxi, the grandfather of Sun Ruyue. At that time, the previous emperor's father went on an expedition and almost got shot by a stray arrow, but was saved by this Mr. Sun. Moreover, he won a great victory for the imperial family and guarded the border in Dongling until his death from illness in old age. His lifelong loyalty earned his family the title of honor.

  The protection of the Sun family's ancestors has continued to this day, and it is now in its fourth generation. It owns the only general's mansion in Beijing, and more than half of its descendants hold positions in the military. There is also a branch of the Sun family army, which is said to be on par with the emperor's dragon cavalry guard.

  With the momentum of Sun's family development, no one would have dared to impeach Sun's family in front of the emperor. But strangely, from the previous emperor to Emperor Lei Zimo, no one did.

  Jin Suqiong didn't know much about the Sun Mansion, only that Empress Hu was close to them and extremely fond of their second miss, Sun Ruyu.

  Inside the main hall, a group of Sun family members were solemn. When Jin Suqing walked in, Sun Xuanxi's father, Sun Qingtian, who was also the current head of the Sun family, had a serious expression on his face. Sun Qingtian was the Minister of War, a second-grade official, and this position for the Sun family was both nominal and useless. In front of the Emperor, it was the Grand Preceptors and other high-ranking officials who could discuss politics with the Emperor directly every year. Especially for an Emperor like Li Zimo who disliked attending court sessions. It could be said that even the Palace Minister was not as good as him. As one of the six ministers, due to his identity as the Emperor's brother-in-law, he accompanied the Emperor on military campaigns when he ascended to the throne, and made contributions in managing supplies, thus being promoted to a first-grade official.

  As long as they cannot be close to the emperor at all times and cannot speak with the emperor at all times, officials are like dead pawns. The glory of the Sun family was bestowed by the emperor, and the decline of the Sun family can only be due to their distance from the emperor.

  The crisis of the Sun family had already existed since the time of the previous emperor. Fortunately, Empress Hu became the empress and later the empress dowager, serving as another protective umbrella for the Sun family.

  Jin Suqiong faced Sun's family and said straightforwardly: "General Sun, I must enter the palace to visit Empress Dowager's illness. This matter cannot be delayed."

  "Father." Sun Xuanye heard what she said and said to Sun Qingcang, "I think it's not feasible. What name will the queen use to enter the palace? Can foreign envoys enter the imperial palace at will? Moreover, the queen did not enter Dongling as an envoy. If the queen goes, it would be better for Ruyi to go and spy. Who doesn't know that Ruyi is the empress dowager's favorite?"

  Sun Ruyu jumped up and patted her chest: "Dad, big brother is right, I'll go. If Hu Taihou were gone, how could she marry Gong Xiangru in the future?"

  Sun Jingcang waved his hand at the siblings, signaling them to calm down, and asked Jin Suqin: "Why are you in such a hurry to enter the palace to see the Empress Dowager?"

  "The Empress Dowager and I are old acquaintances, we're old friends. The Empress Dowager is ill, so naturally I'm worried and want to enter the palace to pay my respects." Jin Suqin replied smoothly.

  Sun Jingcang didn't quite believe this, and his tone carried some implication: "Your Majesty, since we are both empress dowagers with a relationship, now that we're on the same boat, why must we be so cautious of each other? Some things, if Your Majesty doesn't make clear, then we have no way to deal with them."

  Now, with a slight frown on her delicate eyebrows, Jin Suqing said: "Does General Sun know where the Empress Dowager went last night?"

  "Where?"

  "Cloud Ridge."

  This word indeed shocked everyone present. Behind this shock was a strange and eerie wind that swept through the Sun family's main hall.

  "Father, why don't I go into the palace instead——" Sun Ruyu's mouth was dry and her tongue was parched as she licked her lips to say.

  Sun Jing gave her a deep look: "In the palace, except for the emperor's territory, there is no need to enter the palace to know."

  "Father, are you referring to Auntie?" Sun Ruyu thought of her aunt and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Soon, Auntie would bring them news.

  "How could your aunt possibly come? If she did, the Yongshou Palace would not rule out having the emperor's eyes and ears, and our Sun Mansion would not be able to escape being implicated." Sun Qing said.

  Everyone was thinking that if they couldn't enter the palace, and Aunt Sun couldn't come out to report back, what other way was there.

  At that moment, the steward of the Sun family walked in and whispered something to Sun Qingcang. After listening, Sun Qingcang nodded, his face showing a glimmer of hope. He first spoke to Jin Suqing: "Your Majesty doesn't need to worry. Dr. Chen has arrived. He just went to see the Empress Dowager and will definitely know her condition."

  Jin Suqiong suddenly woke up, this Sun family is colluding with the Imperial Hospital, grasping Empress Hu's lifeblood at all times. That's also true, even if they are allies, they can't have no preventive measures at all.

  Chen Taifu walked into the Sun Mansion and saw so many people waiting for him in the main hall, looking somewhat displeased.

  Sun Jingcang said: "Apart from those in my own mansion, Su Qie is the empress dowager's confidante and can be unguarded."

  Chen Taiyi listened to him and his heart slightly calmed down, saying: "The Empress Dowager suddenly fell ill, the Imperial Hospital was in an uproar, and the Emperor had not returned to the palace. Someone has already been sent to inform the Emperor. The Empress Dowager's illness came on suddenly, and everyone at the Imperial Hospital is at a loss for how to treat it. Perhaps only Palace Master has a solution."

  "How did the Empress Dowager's illness become so severe? Wasn't it just said that she had a yin deficiency and excessive fire?" Sun Xuanye interrupted to ask.

  "Alas, the empress dowager's illness, our imperial hospital, no matter how much we discuss it back and forth, we can't seem to determine the name of her illness."

  "How serious is it? Are there no symptoms?"

  "It's a disease that has never been seen before. If I had to say it was seen before, then..." Dr. Chen hesitated at this point, looking at Sun Chengcai and lowering his voice, "it feels a bit like the time seven years ago when the master of the Moon Chamber..."

  Yuexi Hall was the emperor's bedroom. At that time, Empress Yuexi was in great favor and reached the peak of her power, being called the true master of Yuexi Hall.

  Inside the main hall of the Sun Mansion, it was quiet to the point where not even a crow or sparrow made a sound. Sun Ruyu felt extremely puzzled. Why did they suddenly bring up that Empress Wang? Could it be that the Dowager's illness was caused by visiting Empress Wang's tomb and being possessed by her ghost? The Suns were a family of martial artists, always killing without mercy, even ghosts shouldn't have made them overreact like this. Looking over at his father and brothers, he saw his older brother holding onto the jade ring on his waist, actually trembling slightly.

  A cat walked past the steps in front of the Sun family's main hall, narrowing its purely green gemstone-like eyes.

  At the busiest time in Yongshou Palace, Hua Xiyuan slipped out of the palace and came to Du Youzhi's mansion in the capital. She looked around the scenery inside the Du Mansion, put her hands behind her back, and said leisurely: "Du Shilang, you're living a pretty good life, quite luxurious, I like it."

  Du Youzhi knew she liked flowers, so he personally moved a chair out for her to sit on: "Your Majesty, is Xiazi a foreign term you encountered during your reincarnation?"

  Huā Yù Yán wouldn't say too much about reincarnation to him, those were heavenly secrets. Turning her head, she saw a woman walking out of the inner courtyard with tea utensils and smiled: "Yù Róng, you've gained weight, are you pregnant?"

  The woman called Yu Rong suddenly showed a blush on her face, and with tears of joy in her voice, she knelt down on both knees and said: "Your Ladyship, I can finally see you again."

  "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Hua Xiyan scolded, helping the person up and holding their hand, "You're pregnant, sit down."

  Yu Rong stood up and insisted: "It's not right for a slave like me to sit down, I should serve the young lady."

  "How many months has it been?" Hua Yu Nian narrowed her eyes at his waist.

  "More than three months, but less than four. It's because Your Ladyship has sharp eyes like a god, and no one else can notice." Yu Rong said softly, turning her head to see that she was somewhat distracted, and suddenly her nose became sour again, "Is Your Ladyship thinking of the time when you were pregnant with the Crown Prince? I haven't seen the Crown Prince for many years either. It's said that His Highness now looks almost identical to His Majesty, I wonder if Your Ladyship has seen him?"

  "It's just a meeting, after all." Huayu hastily picked up her tea and took a sip.

  Seven years have passed, and her son has been taught to be almost identical to him. As a mother, she has nothing to say. No wonder she felt heartache when she saw the young prince for the first time. It wasn't just because of the bond between mother and son, but also because he looked so much like him. But isn't it pitiful that such a young child looks so similar to his cruel appearance?

  "Did Princess see Your Highness and also met with the Emperor?" Yu Rong asked further.

  Huā Yùyán coughed twice, clearing her throat.

  "It's also true that Her Majesty is in Yongning Hall, which is where the Emperor works. How could she not be seen?"

  Ears listening to the news of his wife falling behind, Du Youzhi revealed to her: "The queen is now the emperor's appointed imperial secretary, do you remember? That Yan Secretary. You previously heard that she was still angry and gritting her teeth, scolding her as a fox spirit."

  Yu Rong's face was covered in sweat, and she knelt down again: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I didn't know. No, I should have known earlier. With Your Majesty's intelligence, how could you let another woman have an opportunity?"

  "Get up." Hua Yuexuan had to scold again, "This palace doesn't like being doted on. If this palace really left and he remarried, this palace wouldn't stop him, this palace isn't a conservative woman after all. However, since this palace has returned, if he has such thoughts, this palace will naturally weigh it carefully."

  The other two listened to her roundabout words and silently wiped away the sweat on Li Zimo's forehead.

  "How did Princess leave the palace? Did His Majesty know about it?" Yu Rong asked softly.

  This girl, since she was a child, grew up with her to become an adult, became someone's wife, and still didn't forget to be as strict with her as her mother was.

  Hua Yuexuan glared at her: "You've been with me for so long, don't you know how I usually leave the palace?"

  Yu Rong suddenly realized, covering her mouth and laughing: "That maid, the new maid of the princess, is called Lü Cui, right? I should have told her earlier to remember to be more courageous when following the princess, especially when acting as a substitute for the princess in the palace or at home. And if the emperor comes, or if the palace officials come, she must run quickly and hide as far away as possible. Because they can see through her with one glance."

  This remark made Hua Yuezhen pause, she had indeed forgotten to tell Green Willow that if they encountered those two men, they must run away, otherwise they would definitely be exposed. But Green Willow was not like Yu Rong, who didn't have any martial arts skills at all, could she escape? The relaxed mood of leaving the palace was suddenly gloomy.

  Du Youzhi took out a book from the inner room and handed it over to Hua Xiyuan for inspection.

  Hua Yuezhen saw in Benzi's book that it was carefully recorded who Hu Taifei met every day.

  "Yongshou Palace also has eyes and ears everywhere. I simply bought some information from those eyes and ears." Du Youzhi's words were laced with double meaning.

  "Early this morning when I secretly entered the palace, did you send away your spies?" Hua Xiuyan asked casually.

  "It's settled then. But I wonder if His Majesty will assign all the Imperial Guards to be by Her Highness' side?"

  "I'm already in the palace, under his nose, and sending a secret guard would be exposing my own bottom, wouldn't it?" Hua Xiuyan flipped through the book back and forth. Sun Ruyu had entered the palace many times, but apart from Sun Ruyu, other members of the Sun family hadn't been specially received by Empress Hu.

  "Is Niang doubting the Sun family?" Du Youzhi noticed her expression as she looked at Benzi.

  "Do you think the Sun family might rebel?"

  "This, I dare not say." Du Youzhi spoke cautiously. "The Sun family cannot be said to have no ability to rebel. However, since the Sun family has this ability and yet has not rebelled for many years, it can only be explained that the Sun family is afraid of being rejected by the people of the world if they were to rebel without justice, even if they ascend to the throne, they will not be secure. Empress Hu colluding with the Sun family, if she did not want to become emperor herself, I'm afraid there are hidden circumstances behind this."

  Although this person has a glib tongue and likes to show off his cleverness, he is also a rare talent with a dark horse mentality.

  Hua Yu Yan snapped the book shut and tucked it into her bosom: "I'll borrow this book to study. As you said, you've worked hard to find it for me. Now that Empress Hu is gravely ill, a stone has been thrown into a pond, stirring up the fish and shrimp. I don't believe those fish won't jump out, so catch the big one for me."

  Du Youzhi wiped the sweat and bitterly smiled: "Your Majesty, are you trying to squeeze my brain dry? Although people who were backlashed by the heavenly curse will have this cursed mark, only participants like Your Majesty can see it. Besides, I couldn't possibly strip everyone who might harm Your Majesty naked to check."

  Hua Yu Yan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, so it seemed that only she and those who had cast the curse knew about the appearance of Empress Hu's cursed seal. As for Sun Shu Shu, who was present at the scene, she might not have fully understood what was going on, judging from her dazed expression after seeing Empress Hu spit out blood.

  "Your Majesty, as the empress of a nation, how can an ordinary commoner like me possibly curse you?" Du Youzhi said.

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

  Du Youzhi followed behind her and saw that she was in a hurry to return to the palace, definitely worried about someone. When Hua Xiyuan sat in his carriage on the way back to the palace, she said to him: "Take a detour and stop the carriage where you can see the palace, don't get too close."

  The carriage turned around to the vicinity of the palace. Huayexuan looked far away, and it was still the small alley where she played with her brothers when she was a child. The unchanged palace gate was so simple that even the stone lions at the entrance were not placed, looking no different from ordinary residential houses. Du Youzhi whispered beside him: "The maiden's maiden home is the most frugal official residence I have ever seen."

  Huayu looked at the wall of the palace, thinking that every year at this time, her mother would take out the books from the study to dry in the sun. Today was supposed to rain, she didn't know if her mother would come out to dry the books or not. Her mother's current appearance, she had seen her that day with her son in the teahouse. It could be seen that her brother took good care of their mother, there was no need for her to worry. On the contrary, it was her father who should be worried about.

  "Palace Historian"

  Du Youzhi replied in an extremely cautious tone, "Not long after the empress dowager passed away, Palace Historian Taishi was dismissed from his position by His Majesty and sent to the border regions. However, as the emperor's father-in-law, it is likely that His Majesty reconsidered later on. To avoid disturbing His Majesty, I have not dared to investigate Palace Historian Taishi's whereabouts until now."

  "Go back." Huayexiang put down the curtain. If her father was in his hands, she would have asked him directly. Presumably he had discovered some clues last night and didn't return to the palace all night, perhaps he went to find her father.

  The sky is bright and clear, but suddenly a shower falls on this fine day.

  Lí Zǐ Mò listened to the sound of raindrops hitting the roof tiles, like hailstones pounding against the roof. It was as if he had just woken up from a dream. He had been sitting here for a whole night. Facing the middle-aged man in front of him, it felt like he had just had a dream.

  A middle-aged man with a beard, somewhat disheveled, rough skin, wearing prisoner's clothes, no handcuffs on his hands and feet, but not much different from a prisoner. Every day here, going up the mountain to chop firewood, the activity range is limited to this small forest. Such a bitter life like being in prison, compared to the middle-aged man's past life as an official enjoying the worship of the people, is worlds apart, and not everyone can bear it. But in Li Zimo's eyes, his father-in-law, who was sentenced to hard labor, seemed to be very adapted to this kind of life. On Gong Hongwen's face, there was no sign of worry, and his two eyes were shining with spirit.

  "Gong Taishi, still no words for me?"

  Gong Hongwen swallowed his saliva, touched the towel tied around his waist, and said in a tone unique to the Gong family, "Your Majesty should return to the palace now, it's time for the morning court."

  "I'm asking you something, asking you for a whole night!" He slammed his hand on the rough wooden table in anger.

  But this trick is useless for the Gong family. The Gong family has always been like this, loyal and principled, sometimes even making the emperor helpless.

  Li Zimo took a deep breath and looked at the figure standing by the door, thinking that he had considered letting his son come in to persuade his father, but if this trick could work, it would have been done seven years ago.

  Gong Wenfei was slightly afraid of the dragon's anger, and said: "I really have nothing to say to Your Majesty. What can be said has been confessed to Your Majesty seven years ago. It is my fault that I could not cure my daughter, nor could I cure Your Majesty's empress."

  "Do you still think that Rukia died of illness until now?"

  "I and all the imperial physicians have examined her thoroughly, and we can't find any other reason for Her Majesty's death except that she was taken away by a sudden illness."

  Her eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at him: "Do you know why I've suddenly come looking for you after seven years?"

  "Why?"

  "I went to the Imperial Mausoleum with Gongqing last night and found that not only had the jade gate, which should have been opened by me alone, been opened, but also the coffin had been disturbed."

  Miya Hirofumi's lowered head jerked up, as if equally shocked: "Your Majesty means that the Empress Dowager's mausoleum has been robbed?"

  "I also can't understand it, only where I can come and go, how can someone else enter and exit freely."

  Upon hearing this, both Prince Gong and his son seemed to stiffen slightly.

  After a moment, Gong Hongwen said: "Your Majesty, I have been in this place all along, with Your Majesty's people watching me. It is impossible for me to go anywhere. I also do not understand why Your Majesty has summoned me to ask about this matter."

  Li Zimo looked at him for a while, and saw that when he said this, there was not a single trace of deceit on his face. It's strange, where did I go wrong? Obviously, I thought this person should know something. But it doesn't make sense.

  Gong Xiangru gazed up at the blue sky washed clean by the rain, when suddenly a dark guard jumped out from the woods and walked up to him, bowing his hands: "Lord Gong, please inform His Majesty that something has happened in the palace, it's possible that His Majesty must bring Lord Gong back immediately."

  "What's wrong?"

  "The Empress Dowager is seriously ill, and the Imperial Hospital is at a loss for what to do, they are all waiting for the Palace Master."

  The words had also been overheard by the two people inside the house, who were both startled.

  "The Empress Dowager is seriously ill——" Gong Hongwen muttered to himself, furrowing his brow.

  Lingzi Mo glanced at Gong Hongwen and walked out of the wooden house, saying to Gong Xiangru and the dark guard: "Return to the palace immediately, go see the Empress Dowager."

  Miyagi Hirobumi only heard the sound of a horse carriage rushing by outside the house, and soon the small house returned to silence. He got up, took an axe to prepare for chopping firewood, but his body suddenly felt unwell, his hand weakly fell down, and he muttered: Could it be that I didn't really die from illness?

  Du Youzhi sent Hua Xiyuan back to the palace, and Hua Xiyuan told him to stand outside Yongning Hall and not enter again. "The time is almost up, he will be back soon. If you come in again, there will be danger."

  "That's also true. I've helped the princess keep it a secret for so many years, if His Majesty finds out, he won't spare my head." Du Youzhi wiped his sweat.

  "I'll let you know later where and when we'll meet again."

  "I obey your orders." Du Youzhi finished his courtesy and returned to her, somewhat worried, "Your Highness, if the Emperor becomes suspicious of you?"

  "If he really found out, I'd have less trouble explaining." Although she said that, Hua Xiyan's heart was truly nervous. Whether he discovered it or not, in itself, she had recovered some of Gong Qi's memories, and the seven souls and six spirits of Gong Qi that had returned to her body after seven years without seeing him, how could she not be embarrassed when facing him?

  Seven years have passed, she has gone through a cycle of reincarnation and still hasn't found an object. To be honest, he also deserves her, isn't it that he didn't stand up again? But after not seeing each other for a long time, what can you say? Are you doing well?

  He won't listen and has an urge to strangle her to death.

  He walked slowly in the corridor, pacing and thinking deeply. At the other end of Yongshou Palace, it was still bustling with activity. Suddenly, someone came to report: The Emperor has returned!

  Everyone was busy. She suddenly had a strange thought, wanting to see what he would think if he saw Empress Hu like this, and whether he would recognize his own mother. Immediately, she transformed into a small eunuch and hid among the bustling crowd.

  The imperial carriage thundered forth, whipping up the clouds and wind. Everyone stood on both sides of the road, their faces being blown by this whirlwind.

  When the carriage stopped, a row of Taifu officials all knelt down in front of the imperial carriage, first asking for forgiveness before saying: "Long live Your Majesty, we are incompetent, please forgive us."

  Li Zimo stepped down from the footstool, looking at the dense crowd of people kneeling below. If he said he wasn't angry, it would be a lie. He had raised a group of useless people, and this was exactly what they were like. At critical moments, not one of them was reliable, and they all thought only of their own lives.

  "Royal Doctor, how is the Empress Dowager doing? Aren't you usually in charge of her medical care? You should be the most clear about her illness." The eunuch asked the royal doctor first.

  The imperial physician stepped forward, his voice trembling as he replied: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager's illness this time is different from before. It came on suddenly and violently, as if she had been afflicted by an evil spirit."

  Huā Yùyán stood in the crowd, pursing her lips: "Huh, this imperial physician has made progress. In the past when she died, the term ' zhōng xié' hadn't been coined by the imperial physician's mouth yet."

  "What's going on? Who has cursed the Empress in this palace?" The dragon face lightly asked back.

  The imperial physician knew, but didn't dare to point anyone out casually, so he took a step back and said: "I don't know."

  The emperor's stern eyes swept over the top of Wang Taichang's head: "Of course you don't know, your brain is just like Zhu Er Kang's, both are stuffed with straw. After reading so many years of medical books, you dare to say the two words 'zhong xie'."

  The imperial physician fell to the ground, covered in sweat, filled with regret: "Your subject is ashamed..."

  The dragon's face brushed past Wang Taizhen's side, just about to lift his foot and enter the empress dowager's bedroom. Suddenly, a pause in his step made everyone raise their voices and eyes.

  Huā Yùyán endured the urge to lift her sleeves to cover her face, his gaze swept over her left and right, front and back. If it weren't for the chaotic sounds of soldiers in the courtyard urging him on, she believed that his eyes would have pierced through her until he had uncovered everything.

  Entering the courtyard of Empress Dowager, a group of eunuchs and palace maids were all kneeling in unison. They asked who was the first to discover that the Empress Dowager was seriously ill. Someone replied that it was Sun Gu Gu. However, Sun Gu Gu was also ill, with a head full of fresh blood wrapped in cloth, her weak body supported by two palace maids as she came before the Emperor, knelt down and gasped: "Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty."

  "What's going on with the Empress Dowager?"

  Fourth Aunt, how could she have answered? Could it be said that Empress Wang crawled out of her coffin and into the residence of Empress Hu? If so, wouldn't it prove that Empress Hu was guilty and afraid of being discovered, or else why would she have been frightened ill by Empress Wang? The Emperor had already harbored suspicions about this.

  "His Majesty has returned, the Empress Dowager was originally in poor health, and last night she caught a chill, today her illness has worsened."

  "How can Imperial Physician He say that Empress is afflicted with evil spirits?"

  The imperial physician who said that Empress Hu was possessed by an evil spirit remained kneeling at the door, not daring to move.

  "Your Majesty, how could you possibly be afflicted by evil spirits? You have always been the most benevolent ruler in the palace, who would dare to curse you?"

  "What you said is right, I also think so." The dragon's face spoke out, and no one dared to say that the empress dowager was possessed by evil spirits anymore.

  Gong Xiangru took over the medicine box brought by the imperial hospital's medicine boy and followed the emperor into Empress Hu's bedroom.

  Going inside, I saw Empress Hu being pressed down by two quilts, her eyes tightly closed, already unconscious, with blood occasionally spitting out of the corner of her mouth.

  Yun Mei's eyebrows slightly furrowed and she waved her hand. Gong Xiang stepped forward to take her place, taking the pulse of Empress Hu.

  Huayue Yan followed closely behind, tiptoeing as she peeked ahead, wondering if her brother's skills would be enough to discern whether Empress Hu was suffering from heavenly retribution.

  In a moment, Gong Xiangru let go of the pulse-taking hand and replied: "Report to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager's illness, I fear it is beyond the power of medicine."

  "What's wrong?"

  The Empress Dowager slowly replied: "This illness of yours is similar to that of the late Palace Queen seven years ago."

  As soon as this was said, all the imperial physicians in the house looked surprised. Seven years ago, when the empress was ill, Gong Xiangru was not in the palace, how did he know?

  "I have studied the medical records of the empress and found that she, like the late emperor's wife, suffered from a condition where her blood vessels were completely destroyed, preventing her blood from clotting, leading to bleeding from all seven orifices. However, there is no poison in this world that can cause such destruction of the blood vessels."

  "Is it Tian Zhu?"

  Huā Yù Yán's heart was slightly shaken: It seemed that she had underestimated his and her brother's abilities.

  However, it is also possible that they guessed she died of heavenly punishment, so they knew the technique to return to heaven, so they knew it was possible that they would never find the murderer who killed her for their whole lives, and could only turn to devote themselves to keeping the young prince she left behind.

  The others in the house, some old doctors, had also heard of Tian Jue and were shocked.

  What does it mean for two empresses and an empress dowager to die of heavenly punishment in succession within the palace?

  "I recall that when the Empress passed away, I wanted to say a few words to her. The eunuch used some method to make the Empress speak. Can you do it too? I have something to ask the Dowager."

  "The minister received the order." After finishing the ceremony, Gong Xiangyu took out a needle case and drew out three silver needles, which were respectively inserted into Empress Hu's Yintang, Tinggong, and Baihui.

  After a while, Empress Hu opened her eyes and looked vaguely at the dragon's face standing above her head, coughing: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

  He lowered his head so that the unconscious Empress Dowager could hear him clearly: "I know that Your Imperial Majesty is not like the empress, you can tell me who wants to harm you, and I will avenge you."

  The two eyeballs of Empress Hu slowly shifted, like the hour hand, scanning his face in a circle, and as a result, she had an illusory scene: "The former emperor..."

  He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes, it's me."

  "The former emperor, I know I was wrong." After saying this, Empress Hu closed her eyes and let her hands drop down.

  The imperial physician felt his pulse as before and then let his hands drop: "Please Your Majesty to restrain your grief."

  At the same time, everyone inside and outside the house knelt down and wept, with sobs filling both indoors and outdoors.

  Huā Yùyán stood behind him, wanting to see his face clearly, but the distance was too far, she could only look at it vaguely, vaguely to the point where she could only barely make out the shape of his mouth. From her understanding of him, his lips seemed to be saying: If I had known earlier, why bother now?

  Her heart skipped a beat and Hua Xixi knew she had to run.

  But he was the emperor, so she had to wait for him to leave first before she could make a run for it. As he walked out of the house, his pace was slow again, and everyone thought that he was grieving over Empress Hu's death, but only she noticed that his eyes were scanning the room constantly. Gong Xiangyu followed behind him, stopping several times, also feeling somewhat suspicious.

  "Your Majesty?"

  "Return to Yongning Hall." With a finally determined stride, he walked quickly away.

  Look at him running away in a hurry, Hua Xiyuan quickly jumped up and ran out of the door, almost squeezing onto the door with a medicine boy. Then, he desperately ran inside the familiar corridor.He ran to Yongning Hall and saw that the corner gate was actually closed, not daring to walk through the main gate, so he had to climb over the wall.

  Lu Cui was in the house, and since she was pretending for the first time, she was extremely afraid of being exposed, so she sat still inside without daring to move. When Liu Aunt came in to visit her, she simply lay down on the bed and said that she had not slept well the night before, was physically exhausted, and wanted to sleep.

  This statement is generally deceiving. Unfortunately, this Madame Liu, due to having an imperial decree on her body, was extremely worried that there would be any slight problem with her body. She wanted to invite the imperial physician to take a look at her body, but the Imperial Hospital was too busy because Empress Hu was already overwhelmed. Just then, she heard that the Emperor had returned, and Madame Liu hurriedly went out to report to him.

  Hua Yu Yan jumped over the wall, stuck to it and walked for a while, not seeing anyone following her. She slowed down her breathing, intending to rush back into the house and exchange clothes with Lü Cui, but just then she heard some movement at the entrance of the small courtyard where she lived.

  "Is Yan Shangshu ill?"

  "Yes, from this morning onwards, her body has been saying that it's not very well. I'm worried that the young lady might have caught a cold?"

  The shadow of the dragon robe entered the small courtyard, looked around, and saw a tree sprouting new buds, with a faint smile on his thin lips.

  Liu Aunt pushed open the door and shouted: "Miss, the Emperor has come to visit you."

  The door opened and Qing Cui was standing outside the screen. Liu Gu Gu exclaimed, "You weren't seen all morning, your master said you were sent on an errand, when did you return?"

  Green jade fortunate body said: "Just back not long, see aunt is not." After finishing, head carefully raised, looked down at the incoming dragon robe, and immediately hung down again.

  He walked around the screen and approached her bed, seeing that she was hiding under the mosquito net. He sat down on a stool beside the bed and said: "Madam Yan, is it not because you ate too much at the lantern festival last night, just like your son, and now you have indigestion? Come, stretch out your hand and let me take a look."

  He thought she was his son?

  She turned her head, and through the mosquito net, she stared at his eyes, which were shining with a fierce light that seemed to want to burn her, making her whole body feel like it was on fire.