The Empress Dowager was feeling weak and could not sit still, so Mo Yun and Shi Shu helped her into the inner room to lie down. The divine physician followed her in to take her pulse by thread, while Mo Yun quietly left the room and asked someone to serve tea to Xu Zifan.
Xu Zifan stood up and said, "I have never been to this palace before. Please take me to see it. If the Empress Dowager is not comfortable here, I will have the craftsmen come and make changes."
"Yes, Your Highness." Mo Yun curtsied and followed him out. Ever since the Empress Dowager was confined to the palace, she had been in a constant rage, coercing and bribing the guards, even causing a ruckus. When she fell ill, she kept everyone in a state of chaos, completely unable to manage affairs. Seeing the Empress Dowager's predicament, Shi Shu thought she would also be imprisoned for life, and was constantly restless, naturally also unwilling to manage affairs. As a result, now everyone in the palace basically followed Mo Yun's orders, and she no longer needed to hide her meetings with Xu Zifan.
Mo Yun walked slightly slower than Xu Zifan, showing him around the palace. Once they were a little distance away from the others, Mo Yun asked in a low voice, "Does Your Highness have any instructions?"
Xu Zifan said, "That divine physician will heal the Empress Dowager. When the Emperor is at his most triumphant, I will help the Empress Dowager return to the palace, which will surely trigger an unexpected struggle. There will be the most opportunities for chaos, and everything will fall into place naturally." He looked at Mo Yun and smiled, "You have been doing a great job. You don't need to exert yourself here anymore. Come back with me this time."
Mo Yun looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Your Highness, I don't understand. The Empress Dowager's health has collapsed, and she's on the verge of a breakdown from being confined to the palace by her own son. If you give me just a little more time, a month or so, I guarantee she'll go insane. Why do you still need to find a divine physician to cure her and help her return to the palace? Your Highness may not need her to deal with the Emperor."
Xu Zifan stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance with a calm expression. "Dealing with the Emperor is unnecessary, but if we want to make them, mother and son, suffer excruciating pain, this alone is not enough. When a person goes mad, they know nothing. She cannot go mad; she must clearly experience all the pain."
This was originally a very ordinary sentence, at most making people think that he had a deep hatred for the mother and child, which was why he wanted them to suffer excruciating pain.
But as Mo Yun looked up at Xu Zifan's back, a sudden pang of pain shot through her heart. His figure was imposing and reliable, yet in the afterglow of the setting sun, it seemed somewhat ethereal and unreal. A few petals occasionally drifted down from the peach tree beside them, landing on Xu Zifan's shoulder, softening his imposing presence and making him appear less aloof and more like an ordinary person, which made her feel a pang of heartache.
This man had displayed extraordinary skills over the past few months, manipulating the mother and son and a host of ministers, and quietly seizing control of the court without anyone noticing. This power filled her with admiration and respect; she almost believed Xu Zifan was omnipotent. But at this moment, she suddenly realized that he was also a flesh-and-blood ordinary person; he too felt pain and suffering.
He once cherished the Empress Dowager dearly, offering her the entire world just to make her happy. He treated the Emperor like his own son, teaching him with complete trust and utmost care. Yet, that mother and son deceived him for six whole years with feigned affection! Mo Yun couldn't imagine how many times he was disappointed and heartbroken during those six years, how much he restrained himself, to the point that after saving Yu Lan two years ago, he had Yu Lan impersonate the Empress Dowager, gazing at that face in a daze every day.
She couldn't even imagine why Xu Zifan had changed his attitude. What had he discovered that made him suddenly lose all affection for the mother and child and even seek revenge? She didn't need to think too much to know that a person must have endured extreme pain to suddenly change like that, and that was precisely why Xu Zifan said he would make the mother and child suffer excruciating pain.
At this moment, Mo Yun hated that mother and son to the core. Their falling out wasn't enough, the loss of power wasn't enough; she needed to be utterly devastated. She wouldn't go back; she would personally send them to their doom!
Mo Yun slowly stepped forward, brushed the petals off Xu Zifan's shoulder, took a step back and curtsied, "Your Highness, I am willing to stay by the Empress Dowager's side and ensure that her hatred for the Emperor grows deeper and deeper until she destroys the Emperor."
Xu Zifan turned around and looked down at her. "Mo Yun, when cornered, a dog will do the opposite of what it wants. When they are driven to the brink, no one can predict what crazy things they might do. Besides, the Empress Dowager is just not calm right now. Once she calms down and looks back, it will be hard for her not to find out that you have a problem. After all, since you came, all her confidants have been gone, and her power has been destroyed. Only you have the opportunity to do this."
Mo Yun smiled and said, "Your Highness need not worry about me. I will be extremely careful and return alive."
This time, Mo Yun wasn't wearing the mask of a cautious bodyguard. Xu Zifan saw through her thoughts in her smile. Because he said he wanted to inflict excruciating pain on the mother and child, she was going to personally send them to their doom. He had never sent a spy into the enemy camp before, and he didn't know what it was like to be a spy, but just imagining it made him realize how difficult it was. Mo Yun, however, refused even the opportunity for freedom, solely to ensure the success of his plan.
Perhaps many subordinates would do their best to get things done, but no one could control the overall situation like Mo Yun, and cooperate with him seamlessly. He clearly saw his own reflection in Mo Yun's eyes. Something had changed. The mission Mo Yun had left for him now was completely different from the spy mission she had taken on months ago. She wasn't acting under orders; she simply wanted to accomplish this for him.
A ripple stirred in Xu Zifan's heart. He didn't try to persuade her anymore, but instead took out a jade pendant shaped like an auspicious cloud and put it on her head, saying, "It will keep you safe."
Mo Yun lowered her head and touched the jade pendant, which still carried Xu Zifan's warmth, and nodded with a smile, "I will be safe."
The palace maids' attire was so elaborate that her collarbones were almost completely hidden, so Mo Yun tucked the pendant into her collar so no one could see it. This pendant was carved on a whim by Xu Zifan a few days ago from a piece of black jade; it suited her name perfectly, and it was on the back of the auspicious cloud pattern.
It is engraved with an intricate array, which can save Mo Yun's life.
Originally, when the Emperor suddenly attacked the Empress Dowager, he planned to take Mo Yun back, so the jade pendant wouldn't have been of much use. But now that Mo Yun had to stay in the enemy camp, the jade pendant was a lifesaver. He didn't say anything more. Mo Yun wasn't a woman who needed his protection and care, but a comrade-in-arms who could fight alongside him to eliminate the enemy. If he opposed Mo Yun continuing at this time, it would only cause her actions to fizzle out. That wouldn't be for her own good, but rather a constraint on her.
She possesses the formidable strength of a wild beast, and should be unleashed to roam freely in the forest, rather than being carefully confined in a cage.
The two made their decision and returned to their room as if nothing had happened. Xu Zifan finished a cup of tea, and then the divine physician and the Empress Dowager came out. The divine physician spoke a lot of things that laymen couldn't understand, and when the Empress Dowager became impatient, he said that he had a way to cure her, but if she got angry again after healed her, he couldn't guarantee what would happen to her health.
The Empress Dowager only wanted to get rid of her broken body; she couldn't care less about the future. Besides, she now knew how much anger had harmed her body, and she believed she could control her anger in the future. She had nothing to fear from the Emperor anymore; she treated him as a strange enemy and naturally didn't need to get angry.
Without hesitation, the Empress Dowager ordered the renowned physician to treat her, promising that she would never blame him if he cured her. The physician then personally prepared the medicine, stating that he would handle the entire treatment process himself to ensure its effectiveness. This further solidified the Empress Dowager's trust in him.
Once the Empress Dowager felt relieved and wanted to speak with Xu Zifan, Xu Zifan took his leave, saying, "Since the divine physician can cure the Empress Dowager, I am at ease. It is getting late, and I would like to inform the Emperor of this good news before the palace gates are locked. I will take my leave now. Please take good care of yourself, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager had finally managed to see Xu Zifan, how could she let him leave without having a heart-to-heart talk? She hurriedly stood up and grabbed Xu Zifan's wrist, her eyes pleading, "Zhongqian, we haven't seen each other for so long, please stay and talk to me."
Mo Yun's eyes turned cold, and she quickly stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager. "Your Majesty, please be careful. The divine physician instructed you to rest well!"
As he spoke, Mo Yun pressed his fingers on the Empress Dowager's acupoints, causing her to feel weak and stagger. Mo Yun used her wide sleeves to cover her as she knocked over a teacup, spilling tea all over her. However, the Empress Dowager had just been lying down unwell for half a day, so her current weakness was not surprising at all. Even the Empress Dowager thought that she had simply fallen ill and spilled the teacup.
Xu Zifan, having been monitored by Shaohua, naturally knew what was going on. He suppressed a laugh and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty is unwell, and I should not disturb you. Please rest well. Your Majesty, please rest assured that once you have recovered, I will petition the Emperor to welcome you back to the palace."
Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to keep Xu Zifan, she had no excuse. Was she supposed to lie on the couch and chat with him? Even if she were shameless, Xu Zifan wouldn't agree. At this moment, she regretted that she had only been playing with Xu Zifan all these years without actually having anything happen between them; otherwise, Xu Zifan would never have been so disciplined and kept his distance from her.
No matter how much she regretted it, Xu Zifan quickly left with his men. The palace returned to its usual state. The Empress Dowager, who had taken a short nap, still felt unreal upon waking, unsure whether Xu Zifan had truly been there or if she was simply dreaming. Only when the divine physician brought her herbal medicine did she feel at ease. Now, Xu Zifan was the only one she could rely on, and her trust in him deepened many times over. Only this person would appear when she was in dire straits and find a way to heal her.
People in their frailty are often more easily moved, and even the cold-blooded Empress Dowager was no exception. Reflecting on the past six years, she truly fell for Xu Zifan. This time, she didn't intend to keep him at arm's length. She was already over thirty, half her life had passed, and once she held power, she planned to be with this only man who truly cared for her, and share the world together!
Xu Zifan left the palace and returned to the Prince's residence. He did not intend to go to the palace to inform the emperor. His act of trespassing into the palace and reporting to the emperor were two completely different things. How could he block the emperor's opportunity to make trouble?
Sure enough, the next day in court, the emperor's face was unusually grim. In front of all the ministers, he directly called out Xu Zifan, "What was the matter with the Regent Prince's forced entry into the palace yesterday? I ordered that no one should disturb the Empress Dowager's rest. Regent Prince, are you openly disobeying my decree?"
Xu Zifan stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, I went to the imperial palace to..."
The emperor slammed his hand on the dragon throne, interrupting him. "What urgent matter can't be reported to me first? Regent, do you think that because you hold a high position and great power, you can do whatever you want and don't respect me at all?!"