When the Empress Dowager fainted this time, the imperial physicians shook their heads repeatedly after examining her, and the Imperial Hospital was also helpless. They had emphasized the need for rest and recuperation ever since the Empress Dowager first fainted, but she was constantly getting angry, and after falling into the water, she didn't take proper care of herself. Even the best health was ruined. "Anger harms the body" is not an empty saying. Her body was visibly getting weaker and weaker. Now, she would feel dizzy and lightheaded just from a rush of blood to her head. She fainted from anger over such a small matter, and she had long lost her former calm and calculating demeanor.
However, she had suffered far too many shocks lately: her son's rebellion, the alienation of her backup plan, her failing health, the aging of her appearance, the loss of power... and so on. All of this was unbearable for her; she felt as if she were waking from a nightmare, yet each time she awoke, she still had to face it all, feeling increasingly powerless and unsure of what the future held.
The Emperor completely ignored the news that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill again. They had long since become enemies. He was now hopelessly infatuated with Furong's gentle charms and only wanted to have a child with her as soon as possible so that this eldest son could be chosen as the crown prince, and no one could find fault with that. In any case, Furong had already become Fu Rong, and was even an Imperial Noble Consort, her status not much lower than the Empress's. There was absolutely no problem with her son becoming the crown prince.
He wasn't interested in which woman Xu Zifan liked. If Xu Zifan fell for someone else and ignored the Empress Dowager, he'd be overjoyed. That would completely ruin the Empress Dowager, leaving her only able to retire in Anci Palace. He told these stories to Furong as a joke, and Furong gradually figured out the relationships between these people.
She suggested that the emperor test Xu Zifan's attitude, which meant weakening the Empress Dowager's influence both inside and outside the palace. Then, she should have the Empress Dowager recuperate in Anci Palace or go to a temple to pray and rest, to see if Xu Zifan would object. If Xu Zifan objected, the emperor could find many excuses to smooth things over; if Xu Zifan didn't object, then no one in the palace would be able to oppose the emperor's decisions in the future.
Upon hearing this, the emperor felt that the opportunity was excellent. He also sensed that Xu Zifan was no longer obedient to the Empress Dowager. Now that the Empress Dowager was unwell and had not yet won Xu Zifan back, he could test Xu Zifan's attitude. If he could completely overthrow the Empress Dowager, it would also eliminate a major threat to him!
As soon as the Emperor instructed Xiao Shunzi to handle this matter, Xiao Shunzi consulted Mo Yun. Mo Yun considered it overnight, gave Xiao Shunzi the list of the Empress Dowager's faction members, and also sent a letter to Xu Zifan explaining the plan. Then, the people on the list got into trouble for various reasons. The Empress Dowager was anxious to find a solution but could no longer rest. She tried to contact Xu Zifan several times, but he always made excuses about being busy with official duties. Fu Lin was also dismissed from his post. She was isolated and helpless, and could only watch as the power she had painstakingly built crumbled.
Fu Qiuwen was shocked by the terrible relationship between the mother and son. She kept telling the Empress Dowager that the Emperor shouldn't be like this, that he must have been bewitched by a vixen. The Empress Dowager was so annoyed that she completely despised Fu Qiuwen and forbade her to see her again. Fu Qiuwen, the Empress, was sent to attend to the sick just the day after she was crowned Empress, and was then placed under house arrest in her room. She didn't enjoy any of the privileges of an Empress, and her life was worse than when she was a young girl.
No one had time to pay attention to Fu Qiuwen, because seeing that Xu Zifan hadn't made a move, the Emperor boldly announced in court that the Empress Dowager was unwell and needed to go to a royal temple to recuperate and pray for her health. All the ministers were watching Xu Zifan's reaction, but Xu Zifan agreed with the Emperor's suggestion, saying that the Empress Dowager's health was deteriorating and going to a royal temple was indeed the most appropriate course of action, and he even praised the Emperor for his filial piety.
So while the Empress Dowager was still furious, the Emperor forcibly sent her out of the palace!
Royal temples were all for monks, so naturally, they couldn't accommodate so many women. The emperor arranged a temporary palace for the Empress Dowager right next to the royal temple, and everyone from Anci Palace went to serve her. It was a grand affair, showing the emperor's filial piety. No one knew that the Empress Dowager in the carriage had been drugged and sent there. The temporary palace was guarded by guards sent by the emperor, and no one was allowed to enter or leave to send messages. The Empress Dowager was essentially under house arrest there.
These events all happened in just half a month, so fast that the ministers didn't even have time to react before it all seemed like the world had changed. When they came to their senses, they were astonished to find that Xu Zifan had become much more respectful to the emperor. He agreed with all the emperor's suggestions in court, regardless of whether they were appropriate or not. This made the emperor feel smug and triumphant, while it made the ministers start to panic.
One day, the emperor made another inappropriate decision. After court, the prime minister couldn't help but approach Xu Zifan and said cautiously, "Your Highness, was the matter discussed today somewhat inappropriate?"
Xu Zifan sighed. "The Emperor is the sovereign, and we are his subjects. We should obey the Emperor's orders. Although I am the regent, the Emperor has grown up, appointed an empress, and begun to rule in his own right. I cannot overstep my bounds, otherwise, if I offend the Emperor, I may suffer a miserable end, after all…" He stopped speaking and sighed again, "I don't care about myself, but I have to think about my sister and daughter."
After Xu Zifan finished speaking, he left first, leaving the Prime Minister with a heavy expression. He understood Xu Zifan's unspoken words: if the Emperor could disregard even the Empress Dowager, why would he care about them, his ministers? Because of this, he felt even more disheartened. If the Regent had to be cautious even with the Emperor, they could only let things slide. How could they risk implicating their families by offering advice?
He was unaware of the true nature of the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, but everyone knew that the Emperor's ascension to the throne was entirely due to the Empress Dowager; it was she who had won over the Regent, thus securing the current Emperor position. To him, the Empress Dowager's assassination attempt on Furong was perfectly normal, yet the Emperor turned against her over it, even repeatedly causing her to faint from anger and sending her to a royal temple. This was more than just filial impiety; it was utter ingratitude!
Having such a ruthless and cold-blooded person as their emperor is a calamity for them, and for the entire world. To make matters worse, this emperor is arrogant, lacks control over the court, and frequently makes wrong decisions. Following such an emperor is simply walking down a dead end.
It was a dead end, but there was nothing he could do.
Few people are as insightful as the Prime Minister. Some people actually believe that the Emperor sent the Empress Dowager to a temple because he was worried about her health. Others think that it is a good thing that the Regent Prince has restrained his power and no longer threatens the Emperor's authority. They think this is a positive development. However, several important ministers in the court share information and their thoughts are almost identical to those of the Prime Minister.
An Yi reported the reactions from all sides that he had investigated to Xu Zifan, who nodded in satisfaction. "Everything is ready, except for the final push. Continue to proceed according to plan. Keep an eye on the Empress Dowager and the Fu family as well, and don't give them any chance to make a move."
An Yi accepted the order and left. De'an helped Xu Zifan burn the paper containing the secret report and asked, "Master, now that you have great power, why do you still need to be mindful of that little emperor's feelings? What do you mean by 'East Wind'?"
Xu Zifan lay down on the soft couch, half-closing his eyes to rest, and said calmly, "When Heaven wishes to destroy someone, it first makes them mad. If the officials and common people don't see what the emperor looks like, won't they all think that I'm bullying them, the orphans and widows? The emperor is also too unfilial to the empress dowager. The empress dowager's health is now extremely fragile. It would be better to let her rest properly and give her a chance to teach her disobedient son a lesson. Go and tell the divine physician that I will personally escort him there."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it right away."
"Oh, by the way, tidy up Mo Yun's room. I will bring her back when I go there this time."
De'an agreed and went to carry out the task. These days, the person they admired most was Mo Yun. Mo Yun had stirred up the palace into chaos and meticulously planned to resolve the Empress Dowager's situation, earning them all new respect. They all realized they had underestimated Mo Yun before; her abilities were second only to their master. This time, when Mo Yun was cleaning her room, he decided to personally oversee the process to prevent any mistakes.
The imperial physician in the manor had already been summoned. It was the one Mo Yun had invited when he deliberately told the Empress Dowager to find a divine physician and medicine, just to mislead her. However, at that time, the weaker the Empress Dowager was, the better, and he never mentioned finding a divine physician. Of course, this divine physician was only relative to the Imperial Medical Academy. His medical skills were better than those of the imperial physicians, but only slightly, and still far inferior to Xu Zifan's medical skills.
However, it was fine for the Empress Dowager to recover briefly and then reprimand the Emperor. Xu Zifan had De'an relay the divine physician's method to him. He had already brought this divine physician under his command and wasn't worried that the physician wouldn't act according to his wishes.
When the Empress Dowager's anger reached its peak in the palace, Xu Zifan went there with the divine physician and a large cart of medicine.
Xu Zifan was stopped by guards at the gate. He glanced around, and his personal guards immediately subdued them and opened the gate to let him through. Xu Zifan led his men inside and released the guards. The gate was then locked again, but he didn't seem to care, simply ordering someone to inform the Empress Dowager.
Upon hearing that Xu Zifan had arrived, the Empress Dowager felt as if she had grasped a lifeline. She immediately went out to greet him, a joyful smile spreading across her face. "Zhongqian! Zhongqian, you've finally come!"
Xu Zifan nodded and said calmly, "May Your Majesty be blessed. It seems this is indeed a good place to recuperate. Your Majesty looks much better."
The Empress Dowager's face changed, and she looked at him with suspicion and uncertainty. "Zhongqian, what do you mean? This is not a place for recuperation! This is clearly a place for me to be placed under house arrest! Take me out of here at once, I want to go back to the palace!" She said through gritted teeth, "I want to skin that vixen alive and let the Emperor taste what it's like to be under house arrest!"
The Empress Dowager was weak; after saying only a few words, she began to gasp for breath, her face turning pale. Her previous rosy complexion was simply due to excessive excitement; now she appeared unsteady on her feet. Mo Yun and Shi Shu quickly helped the Empress Dowager back to sit down.
Xu Zifan followed him in, shook his head and said, "How can you take care of your health if your mind is not at peace? I often teach the Emperor to be filial to you. He only thought of this place because he saw that you had been ill for a long time. He hoped that you would stay away from worldly affairs and take good care of yourself. How can you not understand the Emperor's good intentions?"
"Cough cough cough..." The Empress Dowager felt a lump in her throat, and although she wanted to retort, she couldn't stop coughing as soon as she opened her mouth.
Xu Zifan called the divine physician forward and introduced him, saying, "This is a divine physician I specially invited for you. His medical skills are superb, and he will definitely be able to cure your illness. But you must remember to listen to the divine physician's advice, otherwise your body will only become weaker. In any case, you don't want to be bedridden forever, do you? Even if you think the Emperor is unfilial, you must take care of your health first."
Mo Yun gave the Empress Dowager some water, which helped her stop coughing. She looked at the divine physician with a serious expression, showing that she had taken Xu Zifan's words to heart. At this moment, arguing was not the priority; recovering her health was the most important thing.