Ninety caught no worries

  Yelü Qi walked back into the tent of the hunting ground, a group of guards and attendants saw him walking along the way with a fierce momentum, his face black as coal, no one dared to speak out, fearing that he would burst into anger once inside. Baghu ordered everyone outside not to come in, and went into the tent first.

  "Today, I, the king, and Da Wan suffered a great humiliation. If the third princess returns to her country like this, I will have difficulty keeping her safe." Yelü Qi's face was iron-green, his voice very low.

  Ba Ge could see that the master had not been angered to the point of losing his composure and wanting to return home or draw his sword for a direct confrontation. After all, if something were to happen on Dong Ling's turf, then the Eastern Sky Emperor, Li Zi Mo, was indeed not someone to be trifled with.

  Yelü Qi appears to be just a rough and impulsive person, but in the country of Great Yan, who doesn't know that Yelü Qi is a skilled military commander? To say that Yelü Qi is just a roughneck is to be deceived by his appearance.

  "What does the second prince plan to do next?" Bag asked.

  According to their plan, they were to bring tribute to the Eastern Mausoleum under the king's order and present it to the Heavenly Master of the Eastern Mausoleum, ostensibly to express Dayuan's loyalty. In reality, whoever made offerings to the Eastern Mausoleum was gnashing their teeth in anger towards the Eastern Mausoleum. It turned out that Yelü Qi would personally lead the envoy team this time, all because of the changes that had taken place in Dayuan since last month.

  The King of Dayuan is already in his sixties, and due to his long-standing indulgence in sensual pleasures, his body has been hollowed out by a life of extravagance. Since his serious illness last year, his condition has continued to deteriorate. Therefore, the King of Dayuan issued an order to all princes with the right to inherit the throne: whoever can conquer the Eastern Ling Tianzi and recover the fertile land that originally belonged to Dayuan but was swallowed up by the Eastern Ling, will be granted the position of king.

  For this reason, all princes and their respective factions have come out in full force, with all targets locked onto the Eastern Mausoleum.

  "The third prince is said to still be in Dongling?" Yelü Qi raised his two thick eyebrows.

  "It should be. I heard that he was injured, but he didn't return to the country and should be recovering in Dongling. As for the wolf-like Third Prince Yelü Xiangguang, Ba Ge and many people in the country don't think highly of him."

  "That fool really thinks that by colluding with the Empress Dowager's faction in Dongling, he can overthrow Li Zimo and usurp the throne. Doesn't he think that every emperor of Dongling is greedy? Once they sit on the throne, they won't easily give up the fertile land of Dayan. Moreover, Li Zimo led an army of 100,000 to defeat our 500,000-strong army at Luohua River, can such a person be easily overthrown?" Ye Lü Qi's eyebrows exuded a stern and steady aura, "Besides, the Empress Dowager's faction has been investigated by Li Zimo for a long time. Look at how he handled the funeral after her death, not even announcing it to the outside world. What kind of person is Li Zimo? Praised by the world as a filial son, yet in the end, this is how he treats his own mother."

  Bagh's expression was solemn. When it came to the throne, the most fundamental interest, maternal and paternal love, husband and wife could all be counted as nothing. The so-called "tiger poison not eating son" was a complete joke. In order to keep the throne, the kings of the Great Dan country had killed countless concubines and princes throughout their lives.

  Whether a person can ascend to the throne of an emperor is not only related to his own life, but also to the lives of many people below him. As one can imagine, no matter which prince succeeds to the throne, he will inevitably have to slaughter his brothers and other consorts in order to secure his position; if he doesn't eliminate them all, he will definitely be on tenterhooks every day.

  "The third prince is in Dongling —" Yelü Qi stroked his chin's large beard, carefully considering, "The eldest prince should not be able to leave the Great Yan Kingdom."

  The king of the Great Wusun also feared that he would be killed by one of his sons before he could choose a successor when he was seriously ill, so he kept his eldest son with him. Speaking of this eldest son of the Great Wusun, it is said that he has been very weak since birth. Apart from having the first place in succession, this frail eldest son seems to have no other redeeming qualities. However, the eldest son who lived deep in the palace and rarely appeared in public made Yelü Chī and other princes feel uneasy for some reason.

  "Believe me," said Bagh, "the Second Prince has an advantage that no other prince can match. This time, he came to Dongling as an envoy with the king's order. Unlike other princes who secretly came to Dongling, he represents the prestige of Dayuan and can negotiate with Dongling."

  "This king also thought, to send his own sister to him, to show his loyalty to the Son of Heaven. But this Dongling Tianzi seems not to think so." Yelü Qi couldn't understand, his sister Lihua was as beautiful as a heavenly fairy, which man wouldn't be infatuated with her? This Dongling Tianzi was strange, looking at his sister like she was air.

  In the midst of silence, Ye Lü Qi suddenly asked: "How many people have seen the Empress of Dongling?"

  "That year, wasn't it said that the queen had died? Later it was said she hadn't died, and came back. When she returned, she appeared in front of all officials and common people, our people also hid among the crowd to observe. The sea of people was too vast, there were too many people, couldn't see her true appearance, only knew that on the day she returned, the sky indeed displayed a rare spectacle of birds gathering around the phoenix." Ba Ge said.

  Hu Yan's eyes flickered, and Ye Lü Qi narrowed his eyes: "You said, that clever person we met today..."

  Ba Ge lowered his head and reduced his voice: "I also think so, it's very likely."

  Bang!

  Yelü Qi picked up an arrow and snapped it in two on his knee.

  His indignation at this moment is like a boiling pot.

  Ba Ge knew what he was angry about. If that woman was really the mysterious Eastern Palace's imperial concubine, then undoubtedly, they had missed a great opportunity today. They should have disregarded the white tiger and captured the woman first, holding her in their grasp before negotiating with the Emperor of Dongling.

  "Let Lihua come in." Yelü Qi shouted loudly.

  Li Hua had been waiting outside the tent, and upon hearing that her second brother called her in, she immediately rushed to Yeruchi and knelt down, saying: "The Second Prince absolutely cannot let me return like this."

  "The king also thought so. But think, the Tianzi of Dongling understood that he didn't want you, what would you do?" Yelü Qi looked at her beautiful face that was still lovely to see.

  "The princess has an idea." Lihua looked up, her green eyes outside the veil were as cunning as a fox.

  "Speak!"

  "Please ask the Second Prince to bribe the palace staff, let me sneak into the Dongling Palace as a palace maid, and seduce the Emperor of Dongling. Nothing more than getting close to the water tower first."

  "Alright." Yelü Qi slapped his thigh, "I'm giving you this opportunity, limited to ten days and no more than half a month. You must make the Emperor of Dongling cough up that piece of fertile land for me. Otherwise, you can find a place to settle yourself."

  The pear blossom knocks its head and makes a heavy vow under the hairpin.

  Huā Yùyán, accompanied by the young prince, began to replenish her food and fill her rumbling stomach. The young prince heard that his arrow had accidentally shot down her kite and felt deeply ashamed, saying: "I'll ask Yì Fēng to teach me how to make a new one for Mother."

  The eldest son is perfect in every way, but he's too serious.

  He stretched out his finger and tapped it on the eldest son's forehead, saying: "It's bad if it's bad, isn't it just a kite, a toy? If the prince doesn't shoot it down, it will eventually fly away. The prince shouldn't take it to heart."

  The young prince nodded and opened the wooden box in front of him. Inside, Hua Xiyan had laid a layer of sand, added a few green leaves, and a snail was slowly crawling on the sand. The young prince watched with interest as the snail crawled, asking: "Mother, why did you let Father shoot the snail?"

  Huā Yù Rǎn casually wiped her mouth with the back of her hand after eating: "I originally wanted to let your father shoot stars and moons, but then I thought, shooting that is useless, it's better to shoot a snail, bring it back for the prince to play with."

  The young prince heard this and smiled, his delicate face smiling like a spring breeze. He then quickly jumped down from the stool, walked to the entrance of the tent and shouted: "Eunuch Zhang, bring that thing here, I want to give it to my mother."

  The son is going to give her a birthday gift. Huayu Yan looks forward to it eagerly.

  Mr. Zhang quickly walked in with a white scarf in both hands. The young prince took it and walked to her front, knelt down: "I wish my mother's body is safe and sound, long live forever."

  Huayu's face turned red with excitement, and she hastily walked around the table to help the young prince up. She patted the dust off his knees and said, "It's just a birthday, and the prince has something to give me, I'm already very happy."

  The young prince smiled shyly.

  Hua Yu Yan stroked the newly baked scarf, which should be made from the rabbit skin that her son had shot. Due to being rushed, it looked rough and needed to be aired out and washed. Moreover, one rabbit was not enough to make a long scarf, and it might even be too small to wrap around her neck. When she returned to the palace, someone reworked it into two wristbands.

  She was so moved by her son's filial piety that she was overwhelmed with emotion. Thinking of how she had neglected him for seven years, despite having a good reason, she still felt ashamed in her heart. So she stretched out her hand and hugged her son into her arms, patting him gently.

  The young prince seemed to sense her emotions, and became even more shy, lightly coughing twice, saying: "Father said that Mu Mu might not know that today is Mother's birthday. However, someone has already been sent to the Cloud Clan to inform them."

  Huā Yù Yán's greatest fear was that her two sons wouldn't get along, so seeing the elder son being considerate of his younger brother everywhere they went, she worried that he might have misunderstood why his younger brother hadn't brought a gift, so she patted the elder son on the head: "The Crown Prince taking care of the Second Prince is the Second Prince's good fortune."

  The young prince heard her words, his delicate face slightly solemn, revealing a serious expression: "This palace understands that throughout the ages, fratricide has occurred repeatedly, but it's not all siblings who end up killing each other. This palace has studied history books and found that in the Eastern Mausoleum, the founding emperor and his brothers lived in harmony. The imperial son assisted his older brother in ascending to the throne, and after the ascension, he served as a diligent minister, working tirelessly for the country until his death. After his passing, the founding emperor personally escorted his spirit, tears streaming down his face, and followed him in death within a month. This kind of deep affection between siblings is the model for our Eastern Mausoleum imperial family."

  Hua Yu Yan listened, and for a moment she was stunned. She had not expected that her eldest son would have done all these things without knowing when. It's likely that in this imperial palace, there are many people who want to create discord between brothers. Unpleasant words, such as the second prince trying to seize the throne from the crown prince, must have reached the young crown prince's ears. Otherwise, the young crown prince would not have been so prepared.

  "Mumu, I really like him." The young prince said softly to his mother, as if confessing.

  Huā Yù Yán won't praise the younger son in front of the older son, not because she doesn't think he's good, but rather so that the older son won't feel like she's biased towards the younger one. In reality, she isn't biased towards either of them. She just hopes they get along as brothers.

  Cloud Clan

  The little foodie is free to come and go in the palace of the Yunzu clan, because Yundian Jing has said so. Wherever this child goes, as long as someone accompanies him, he won't get into trouble or harm himself, don't restrain him.

  Everyone in the Yun clan seems to be able to feel that their master is so fond of this child. For this reason, not a few elders in the Elder Hall have expressed subtle dissatisfaction.

  The master is getting more and more unreasonable, even if it's the child of a sworn brother, they can't be spoiled like this, as if they were their own son.

  These elders can't catch the little foodie's handle. Although there is no restriction order, the little foodie doesn't play tricks and run around every day like everyone imagines, on the contrary, this child is quite well-behaved, except for having a big appetite and eating a lot, he has no other problems.

  The one who suffered was Yun Chenjing himself. Because Xiao Chi Huo was ordered to stare at him eating, and this was one of Xiao Chi Huo's hobbies, as long as Yun Chenjing ate a lot and well, he could have a share, so he was tireless.

  Sitting in the small pavilion, Xiaochi picked up a freshly baked lotus flower pancake with her small hands and put one piece in her own bowl, one piece in Yunduanjing's bowl, and one piece in Xiaozhu Nini's bowl. Then, with a loud command: Eat!

  Little Piggy Nini took the lead and swallowed the pancake in a few bites.

  The sight of the cloud dust scene can only make people stupid. The empty bowls and plates on this table have actually piled up three small mountains. His belly has been swollen to the point of bursting, but this pig seems to be under no pressure at all, it appears that eating another small mountain would be absolutely no problem.

  "Table uncle, eat." The little foodie didn't forget his mission here before eating his own share, letting Yun Chenjing eat and eat, only when Yun Chenjing ate as much as him, he could go back and show off to that emperor father, showing off that he wasn't just good at eating.

  Yun Chen raised both hands in surrender: "Mumu, you eat, I won't eat anymore. Whatever you want to eat, I'll have someone make it for you."

  "That won't do!" said Little Foodie with righteous indignation, "If you don't eat, how can your illness get better?"

  Yun Chen Jing smiled wryly: If he continues eating like this, he'll truly be sick from overeating.

  This child is trying his best to make him eat, this fox has already figured out the reason. So, he stretched out his hand and hugged the little foodie, holding it on his knee, asking: "Is Mummy afraid of Emperor Papa?"

  "I'm not afraid of him at all." Little Mu Mu absolutely didn't admit it.

  "That's it, he's afraid you're useless, right?"

  The little foodie held up a small bread bun.

  "If that's the case, then study with your uncle for a while. Your uncle guarantees that when you return, you'll shine like gold and the Emperor will have nothing to say. How about it?"

  The green tiger listened with a mixture of emotions and sweated: Master, are you deceiving people's children?

  "No way." The little foodie was firm.

  "Why not?" Yun's eyes narrowed again.

  "I promised Grandma Tai that I would learn her martial arts." Xiaochi said seriously, ensuring he wasn't telling a lie.

  Grandma Hua is still alive, this is something they all know, however, until now, it seems that except for appearing in Xiao Mu's dream, they do not know where Grandma Hua is.

  Yun Chen's mind turned with thoughts: Does this old lady also want to rob Xiao Mu Mu as the successor? Can Dong Ling Tianzi agree to it?

  "It looks quite mysterious." Yundeng Jing didn't forget to give Xiaochi a preventive shot.

  What's the point of being a Hua family, not even a divine tribe, nor an imperial clan, just one of the three major families in Baichang country, and in front of the Dongling royal family, it's not worth mentioning at all.

  "I'll take care of him," said Xiaochi, "Anyway, Tai Nai Nai said she would guarantee that he will agree."

  "What did your grandma say to you?"

  "She said she'd come pick me up. Should be soon, I guess. Because she knows you hurt me and wants to come keep me company. Once I get back, she'll set off to pick me up," said the little foodie.

  Yun Chen Jing didn't know if this was the child's own guess or if Hua Lao Tai Jun had given the child another dream. Logically speaking, he should have taken full precautions since he knew the child had been given a dream before. No matter who it was, trying to break through the Cloud Clan's set up technique barrier was almost impossible.

  Only those who can cross the threshold of the Yun clan are likely to be able to accomplish this, so it must be that high-ranking person hiding behind Old Lady Hua.

  Who is it?

  Qing Hu received a flying eagle message from Dongling State, opened the letter tube, took out the letter paper and handed it over to his master.

  Yun Chenjing unfolded the small note and saw a line of words on it, smiling lightly: "If he needs to be reminded, it's already too late."

  "What is it?" Little Swallow asked, poking her little head in.

  "The gift you gave your mother."

  The little foodie's face sank slightly as he looked at him: "How did you know my mother's birthday?"

  Yun Chen Jing coughed twice: "I am your uncle, your mother's cousin, how could I possibly not know?"

  Every year, he would give her gifts. Even in the years she was gone, on the anniversary of her death, he wouldn't go, but on her birthday, he would always remember to tie a yellow ribbon around the small peach tree he had planted for her at the Wang family home.

  Even though he knew she was his cousin, in the Yun clan, he was almost a lone wolf, and among his relatives, only she and Madame Gong were left.

  As he was unfolding the letter, seemingly reminiscing about past events, he noticed that the child's eyes had been fixed on his face all along. This child didn't resemble a young prince at all; his eyes were as clear as flowing water and as lively as fish jumping out of the water, always making people feel like a ray of sunshine had entered their world.

  At this moment, Mù Mù's fingers touched his face and he spat out: "You're just like him, very lonely, aren't you?"

  Who says this child is innocent and naive? He only felt that his heart was slightly touched by these words, as if something had collapsed somewhere, revealing a weak spot without a doubt.

  "Ugh." The little foodie dropped her two small hands, "So I hate the palace, hate it here. No matter how many treasures there are here, I don't want any of them."

  These words made the elder men who were watching from the side blush. Originally, they were worried that this child was sent by the Eastern Tombs Emperor to spy on military information. As a result, the child said that all treasures are like worthless soil, and not as good as freedom.

  Yun Chenjing was increasingly fond of the child, and hugged him saying: "You can stay with your uncle, every time your uncle goes out, he will take you along to play in various places."

  "If you go out and play, won't you still be thinking about this place in your heart? Can you really have fun?" Little Foodie retorted.

  The child is not only intelligent, but also has a deep understanding of human nature, and is mature beyond his years.

  "You'd better find a woman to accompany you soon." Little Foodie said to him.

  Yun Chen's face turned black: even little kids were urging him to get married.

  "Who told you that?"

  "Because I saw that emperor, not only after my mother, sometimes, a happy expression would appear on his face. That's why I hate him, he could have just stayed in the palace by himself, why did he drag my mother down with him."

  A perfect couple, husband and wife in harmony, was described by a certain someone as being dragged down. Yun Chen Jing couldn't stop laughing. At the same time, Yun Chen was taught a lesson by this person, so he slightly counterattacked, pinched his little nose, narrowed his fox-like eyes, and said with a sly smile: "Wait until you sit in my and his position one day, let's see how you'll laugh at us then."

  The snack vendor's eyes widened: "The prince is going to ascend to the throne."

  Lan Yan smiled silently, keeping her mystery unspoken.

  The little food bag is puffed up with air, hating that he cursed himself, jumping down from his thigh to show that he doesn't want to play with you anymore.

  Several elders, with Wang Lao as the leader, exchanged tense glances. Could it be that this child really was...

  Yun Chen Jing Duan raised her teacup and took a sip, when suddenly a sharp gaze swept across the faces of several elders: "Don't harm her child, otherwise I won't let you off."

  Several elders bowed their heads: "Patriarch, how dare we."

  The elegant corner of her mouth hummed coldly.

  Huayu accompanied the young prince back to the palace, where she received a birthday gift from her youngest son sent by someone from the Yun tribe. As expected, it was something edible. The little foodie made an egg pancake for his mother, with sesame seeds and peanuts arranged on top to resemble her face.

  This kid must have heard somewhere that giving a portrait of oneself is a way to wish someone longevity.

  The little prince looked at the egg pancake made by his younger brother and laughed with his mouth wide open, thinking that the little foodie was too cute.

  The imperial carriage entered the city gate, and the young prince said he wanted to take a detour to take a look around Rixin Temple. There were four Rixin Temples set up in the capital, one in each direction. Taking a detour was not difficult. Hua Xiyuan asked: "Your Highness wants to know about the epidemic situation?"

  "Except for the epidemic, I don't know if Uncle will go there?" Little Prince said casually.

  It turned out to be thinking of Uncle Guan Xiangru.

  The emperor has not entered the palace for several days. It is said that he went to a distant place on official business and has not returned until now.

  When the imperial carriage was approaching the gate of Renxin Temple, it stopped at a certain distance and did not dare to get too close, for fear that the common people would discover and gather around.

  Ren Xin Zhai is as busy as ever, with a constant stream of people coming and going. The doctors who provide free consultations every day are so busy they don't even have time to take a sip of water. At the same time, officials are verifying whether those seeking medical care meet the qualifications for free treatment.

  Inside should be full of patients, some patients were supported to the door for treatment.

  At this time, Hua Xiyuan saw a person, and this person was someone she had just seen that morning, Zhai Yunyan.

  When Ziyunyan came, she should be alone, without any maids or servants, wearing a very plain hemp robe, with sleeves rolled up and hair tied high, wrapped in a white cloth to facilitate work.

  She was taking care of a patient who was drinking water. The patient's body was very dirty and would occasionally vomit, sometimes spitting on her.

  A young doctor walked out of Ren Xinzhai, possibly knowing that she was a government official's daughter, and seeing her so hardworking couldn't bear the sight, called a medicine boy to replace her position, but she refused.

  "Daughter." The young prince discovered her staring at Qi Yunyan without blinking.

  Huā Yù's heart was quite heavy.

  On the crowded street, a shout of "make way" suddenly rang out, and all the people were divided into two sides to make room for him. An official, surrounded by several men in front and behind, came from the road and stopped his horse in front of Ren Xin Zhai.

  The doctor and medicine boy in Ren Xinzhai immediately put down their work and came out, saluting the official on horseback: Lord Gong!

  Gong Xiangru wore the usual attire of a first-grade official, as he had in the past, to visit and inspect Renxin An. He was accompanied by the hospital's dean.

  Logically, the Imperial Hospital should be in charge of and lead national medical affairs. Guan Xiangru, by imperial decree, established Renxinzhai to prevent his authority as Minister of Justice from overstepping into the Imperial Hospital's responsibilities. Every time, he would bring people from the Imperial Hospital to Renxinzhai. However, everyone knew that the people from the Imperial Hospital were useless, their medical skills far inferior to Guan Xiangru's. As a result, those under their management treated the Imperial Hospital with superficial courtesy, but privately called them wastrels who only squandered imperial rations. In contrast, they genuinely admired Guan Xiangru.

  It's no wonder that the Imperial Hospital would be so cautious with Gu Xiangyu. After all, Gu Xiangyu was a high-ranking official, and those mediocre doctors in the hospital who liked to play it safe didn't dare say anything about him. Sometimes, they even had to rely on Gu Xiangyu for guidance.

  The palace is as follows: let people not be too strict, so as not to interfere with the normal medical order.

  The little prince in the carriage gazed at his uncle with shining eyes and a face full of admiration.

  When handing the whip to Liu Shu, Gong Xiangru suddenly stopped his steps under the siege of a large crowd when he was about to enter Renxin Temple. Everyone didn't know what happened to him, but only felt that his eyes seemed to sweep down to the right side of the door.

  Zi Yunyan was caught off guard by his sudden arrival, and couldn't even hide, so he had to turn his back on him, using his own back to block his line of sight, while continuing to support the patient as they took their medicine.

  No one should have discovered the relationship between him and her. Ziyunyan thought, and what kind of relationship could she and he be considered? Nothing at all. If you must say, they were more like arch-enemies. Because her mother had once harmed his sister to death.

  Huā Yùyán gazed at her brother with a hint of concern, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.

  Yi Feng suddenly lifted the curtain of the carriage and handed down an imperial edict to her: "The Emperor has decreed that Your Highness must return to the palace immediately, as there is a matter that requires your attention."

  Huā Yù Yán just had a sudden idea, and immediately roughly guessed what was going on, seeing that her brother had already returned. Therefore, she could only temporarily withdraw her gaze and immediately ordered someone to hurry back to the palace.

  As she had expected, it was on the seventh day after Hu Shi's death that the Emperor summoned several close ministers and consulted with the Yun clan, only then did they come up with a plan. They brought along several high-ranking monks from Lingyuan Temple and once again headed to Jingci An, intending to rescue the two elderly empress dowagers who were on their last breath due to Hu Shi's evil grasp.

  This time they made sufficient preparations, a group of experts went there and did not return empty-handed, successfully rescuing Nian Ci and Chen Shi, and immediately returned to the capital for treatment.

  As for these two old empress dowagers, unlike Empress Hu, the emperor harbored a grateful heart. If it weren't for these two old empress dowagers reminding him to hurry back to the capital to report before they died, until now, it would have been impossible to lift the veil of Shi Gong's true face, let alone catch them all in one net.

  These two old empress dowagers indeed had their hearts set on retirement and did not wish to be dragged back into the fray. They thought about how they had exhausted themselves fighting with Empress Hu when they were in power, and that life in the palace was truly a matter of shortening one's lifespan. Having lived for 200 years already, they wanted to live a bit longer and die of natural causes.

  The emperor therefore agreed to them, only allowing them to secretly receive a nearby imperial palace, not letting them ask about court affairs, not pursuing their past, and not pursuing their future. Only when they had recovered from their illness would he send them away immediately.

  This matter was very secret, only a few close ministers of the emperor knew. It was also to avoid giving trouble to these two old empress dowagers.

  Huayu Yanzhen returned to the palace first to see the Emperor.

  The emperor also suddenly received the news, and hurried back to the palace from the hunting ground, without even changing his riding clothes. He exchanged opinions with Zhang Mingshen and others. When he saw her walk in, he immediately stopped talking and let Zhang Mingshen and others retreat first.

  "Thank you for your hard work." He looked at her, his eyes seeming to hold a hint of guilt, yet also a picture of cold indifference. "Tonight, I will throw another birthday banquet for you."

  "Your Majesty, I, your concubine, have come to the temporary palace this time and do not know how the two imperial grandmothers' illnesses are. Perhaps tonight we will all be guarding there and cannot return. In order to avoid touching on Your Majesty's frugal decree within the palace, it is better not to hold a birthday banquet." Huayexuan said.

  Whether you eat it or not doesn't matter, I've already eaten well normally.

  He remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Alright. I will immediately dispatch someone to escort you to the imperial grandmothers' traveling palace."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." After finishing her curtsy, she immediately turned around and walked out.

  As she came out, the ministers waiting outside swarmed in again. Each of them leaned on him.

  Huayu quickly walked, instructing Liu Gugu and others: "I don't know if the emperor has sent any imperial doctors to wait there, but you should first go to the Imperial Hospital and invite several of the most virtuous and respected old doctors."

  "Shall we not inform Lord Miya?"

  "As the person was brought by Duke Gong, if he wasn't confident, he wouldn't have dared to leave the patient." Hua Xiuyan understood her brother very well and said, "If the acute phase is over and it's just post-illness recuperation, the imperial physicians of the Taiyi Hospital should be more than capable of handling this."

  Liu Aunt is listening.

  Hua Yuanyan said again: "Right, the people in the imperial pharmacy, this palace wants to see them, let them come over."

  This prescription is correct, if the medicine can't be obtained or if there's even a slight adulteration of its ingredients, it's equivalent to murder. Huā Xīyán must ensure that these procedures are absolutely foolproof. This not only concerns the imperial decree but also her brother and definitely the palace family.

  Xiao Wu lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, and as she was about to get in, she suddenly remembered and said: "Bring those few boxes of fragrant powder and rouge along, I'll take a closer look at them when I have time."

  Lü Cuì and Xiǎo Wǔ stared at each other, unsure why she was still thinking about perfume and cosmetics at this moment, as it didn't seem like her usual behavior.

  The sedan chair rushed quickly to the palace of the elderly empress dowagers.

  When I arrived, it was already the time when the street lamps were first lit.

  In the temporary palace, they didn't dare to openly hang lanterns and decorations, only lighting some necessary lights. It was said that she was coming, so the people who were taking care of the old empress dowager here, including eunuchs, palace maids, and the imperial physicians and medicine boys who originally guarded this place, all came out to pay their respects: "Welcome, Your Highness. May you have good fortune."

  "Let's dispense with the formalities." Hua Yu Cai hastily got out of the sedan chair and stepped across the threshold.

  The imperial physician who was guarding here hastily followed behind her and reported: "Nian Ciji Shifu and the Empress Dowager, their bodies are weak, eating is difficult, need special care, careful feeding."

  "What else is wrong with you besides being weak?" asked Hua Xiuyan.

  "Your Majesty, I fear that Master Ci will not survive tonight."

  Huā Yùyán's footsteps suddenly stopped, thinking that she wouldn't have heard this news from him or her brother, it was a sudden thing, or they had already known about it and specially sent her over.

  A knife-like gaze shot straight at the imperial physician's face: "Is this true? Why had I not heard before that Master Nianci's illness had reached a critical stage?"

  The imperial physician heard her say this, his shoulders chilled, and he spoke even more cautiously: "I followed the palace master together, when we returned, the palace master also knew that it was already in such a state. Whether the palace master reported back to the emperor and empress I am not clear."

  Does she know that he knows, but he doesn't know?

  Another thought flashed through Huayu's mind quickly.

  "Take me to see Nian Ci Shifu first." Hua Xi Yan's low voice fell into the gaze of that imperial physician, whose eyes became even more piercing and fierce. "If I go there and ask about the truth, which is not what you said, I will cut off your tongue on the spot."

  The doctor was so frightened that his legs went soft and he knelt down on the ground, not daring to move.

  This is killing a chicken to frighten a monkey.

  The rest of the people only saw the imperial physician's appearance and were all fearful for their own safety, and when carrying out her orders, they were even more cautious and did not dare to be the slightest bit careless.

  Nian Ci lived in a wing room on the left. Two little palace maids lifted the door curtain, and Hua Xiyan went in alone first.

  The house was hastily cleaned up after receiving the message, and it could only be considered barely clean. The items were obviously not complete. I suppose Chen's place was the same. Hua Xiuyan frowned, remembering to have someone replenish the items first, then walked to the old empress dowager's bedside.

  A young palace maid, inexperienced, fed the patient medicine soup, but the patient couldn't swallow it, so she could only anxiously watch as almost all of the medicinal water spilled out of the spoon and onto the patient's lips.

  "Let Madam Liu come in." Hua Xiyue didn't say another word and dismissed the palace maid, replacing her with an old general.

  Grandma Liu came in and first felt that the medicine was a bit cold, how could the patient drink it, so she quickly picked up the medicine bowl and went outside to heat it up.

  At this time, only Hua Xiyue was left, and she gently approached the patient's face and said: "Nian Cishi Shifu, the emperor has sent me to see you."

  Nian Ci's body had already been tormented by that demon to the point of being thin and frail, her face sunken with high cheekbones, a pair of deep-set eye sockets, and a ring of dark circles around her eyes, which was truly frightening.

  Hearing the words of Sheng Shang, Ci's lips moved slightly: "Who?"

  "I am a palace maid."

  "Jiāng Yín Yuè" three words, made the old nun's eyes suddenly open wide, and with a hint of a smile: "Poor nun, I have never seen you before. At that time, I left the palace to become a nun..."

  "Yes, when I entered the palace, I heard that my master had already left the palace."

  "But then Pennie saw you and felt like she had seen you before."

  Is this considered a favor from Ni Cui to her? Hua Xiyan's lips curved slightly, smiling without showing her teeth: "Being able to gain Master's recognition is my honor."

  "Poverty-stricken old woman, unable to take in the medicinal soup, fears she won't make it through tonight."

  "The Palace Lord and His Majesty have not spoken to me about this."

  "The Duke knows. It's just that I didn't let the Duke tell Your Majesty. I was afraid, if I said it, Your Majesty wouldn't let you come see me."

  "Empress Dowager?"

  "Listen to me, you mustn't let anything happen to His Majesty."

  This sentence is simply headless and tailless, Huaxi Yan was stunned, and could only say: "The dragon body of the emperor is safe and sound, and the country is full of music and dance."

  "No, no, it's not like that, Imperial Ancestor. The Imperial Ancestor was just like the Holy One back then..." Nian Ci ultimately couldn't finish speaking and closed her eyes.

  Huā Yù Rǎn actually still wanted to ask, about the painting that was stolen from the nameless island where the previous emperor was hiding, I wonder if she has any impression of it.

  Reaching out to touch Nian Ci's breath, it was really gone. Turning back, she saw Liu Aunt holding a medicine bowl standing behind her, trembling all over.

  The Empress Dowager suddenly died, and she was dead by the time they arrived. The Emperor knew whether he would have any thoughts about it or not.

  Hua Yu Yan was also pondering this question, unsure whether Nian Ci was being kind or intentionally making things difficult for her. In any case, the news had to be reported to the palace immediately. Not daring to have any more unexpected events, she dispatched the most trusted Xiao Wu.

  Later, she went to visit Chen again. Chen's condition was slightly better than Nianci's, but she still couldn't wake up to answer her questions. As expected, she would have to stay overnight tonight.

  When she saw no one was around, Lü Cuì brought over several boxes of rouge and powder.

  Xiao Wu quickly returned to the palace, delivered the message and rushed back on horseback at an extremely fast speed. Upon her return, she saw her examining perfumes and cosmetics, narrowing her green eyes as she said: "Your Highness has discovered something from the perfume of Da Yan?"

  Huayu only poured the contents of the porcelain bottle into a small plate to examine it, while asking him: "You haven't replied yet. What did they say in the palace?"

  Xiao Wu then knelt down and replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, I haven't seen the Emperor yet, but I've already informed General Li. Then, I thought that with you alone here, it might not be safe for you, so I rushed back immediately."

  Judging from his tone, he probably doesn't even trust the royal guards here.

  Mei Tai raised her head, Hua Xiuyan glanced at him and said: "You are loyal to me, but you shouldn't suspect people arbitrarily."

  Xiao Wu smiled and didn't say anything.

  Hua Yuexuan said: "Didn't you just ask what I saw from this thing? I think that the prince of Da Yan, sending me their royal family's most precious sacred water, wants to do something."

  Wu Yi was stunned by her words: "The Crown Prince of Dayuan? The Holy Water?"

  According to her understanding, not to mention the ordinary perfumes and cosmetics sold by the merchants of Dayuan on the market, even among the tribute goods presented to Dongling, there is absolutely no such thing in her hands. In that case, if it's not poison, then it must be a sacred medicine. Since it's not even among the tribute goods presented to the Emperor of Dongling, it can only be the sacred water that only a few people in the imperial family of Dayuan can come into contact with.

  It's just Xiao Wu's tone, as if there's still some doubt.

  She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? You don't think he's the prince of Da Yan?"

  "Your Majesty, as far as I know, the only people who can come into contact with the sacred water of Dayuan are the king and the first prince, but they must be within the country and have not gone abroad."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Except for the king and the first prince, only the high priest of the country of Dayuan has the highest status, because the high priest is the guardian of the sacred water."

  That is to say, those who brought her holy water were either sent by the king, or by the first prince, or by the high priest.

  "Princess." Little Wu pointed at the holy water in the plate, "It's said that holy water is a living thing. If you think it's holy water, princess, it's best not to touch it."

  Before he could even think of how to deal with it, the green liquid in the plate suddenly turned into a stream of water. Xiao Wu was quick-witted and grabbed Hua Yu Cai, flashing her outwards. At the same time, the first strike of the water whip flew out as fast as lightning, but perhaps didn't expect Xiao Wu's movements to be even faster. As a result, it struck the chair where Hua Yu Cai had originally been sitting, failing to grab anyone, and instantly changed direction.

  The flower's beauty is fading, and its cry is unpleasant. It's just that it's too late now.

  On the other side, everything in front of me was a dizzying blur of greenery, and before I could even figure out what was going on, my body had already been bound by water.

  Suddenly, a green light flashed, and Green Jade and Water Rope disappeared without a trace.

  Wu Xiao's hands were busy as he tried to cover the open bottle again. At this time, a wisp of green smoke floated out from the mouth of the bottle.

  Smoke and mist drew out a human face in front of Hua Yuexuan, which was the same Da Yan merchant they met at the perfume shop that day.

  "Your Ladyship, I couldn't get Your Ladyship to come over in person, so I had to borrow this person for a use." The face of the person shrouded in smoke smiled at her, and the elegant and handsome face still looked as profound as it did that day in the perfume shop. "If Your Ladyship values this person, it must be because Your Ladyship has saved this servant more than once."