Mo Yun obtained several items belonging to the emperor's trusted confidants from Xiao Shunzi and placed them in very secret locations in the rooms of Shi Qi and Shi Hua. They were only discovered during a thorough search.
Mo Yun led his men to present the evidence to the Empress Dowager, whose first reaction was disbelief. Shi Qi and Shi Hua also cried out that they were innocent.
Mo Yun said, "Your Majesty, I have not been in Anci Palace for long and may not know much about many things. I can only investigate in the most direct way and do not know the inside story. But I know that Shiqi and Shihua have served Your Majesty for many years and must be loyal to Your Majesty. There must be some misunderstanding."
She curtsied and bowed her head, saying, "Your Majesty, this servant is incapable and can only find out this much. Please, Your Majesty, order others to continue the investigation, and the truth will surely come to light."
The Empress Dowager looked at Shiqi and Shihua, two palace maids who had served her for five or six years and were both trained by Granny Wen. She trusted them completely. Normally, she would have suspected that Moyun had framed them, but now... thinking of how the Emperor had ruthlessly killed Granny Wen, she was less certain about her subordinates.
Based on her own judgment of people, she trusted her observations of Mo Yun more. Mo Yun was simple, kind, and clever, and knew how to navigate social situations; she wouldn't do such a thing. As for Shi Qi and Shi Hua, they wouldn't betray her for others, but if it were for the Emperor, that was another matter.
After Granny Wen's death, everyone in Anci Palace was in a state of panic, especially those around her who knew the details. Naturally, they were even more afraid that the Emperor would punish them. If the Emperor offered them great rewards, they might very well betray him. After all, she had suffered a series of misfortunes today, had fallen out with the Emperor, and was in poor health. She seemed unreliable, and their betrayal seemed quite reasonable.
Those cats were personally under Shi Hua's care. They were injected with medication; who else but Shi Hua could have given them that medicine? The pavement and arrangement of items were Shi Qi's responsibility. Even in her panic, wouldn't Shi Qi know her own duties? How could she suddenly fall and cause her to fall into the water? Who wants her dead most right now? Isn't it the Emperor?!
After the Empress Dowager fell into the water, her paranoia intensified, which was exactly what Mo Yun had anticipated. She had long understood the Empress Dowager's personality and devised this elaborate scheme to not only weaken the Empress Dowager's support but also further alienate her from the Emperor, naturally weaken the Empress Dowager's health, and humiliate her in front of the court officials and women, causing her to lose her lofty authority—killing multiple birds with one stone.
So far, everything seems to be going very smoothly. Mo Yun has strategically relinquished her newly acquired power, devoting herself entirely to helping the Empress Dowager recuperate and letting others investigate such important matters and manage Anci Palace. The Empress Dowager, due to a slight distrust of Mo Yun, has moved Shi Shu from the shadows to the forefront, personally taking charge of these matters.
However, Mo Yun's arrangements were too thorough, and with the help of Xiao Shunzi and Xu Zifan, Shi Shu not only failed to find any flaws, but also uncovered more evidence, all pointing to Shi Qi and Shi Hua.
The Empress Dowager was furious and ordered someone to summon the Emperor to Anci Palace for a confrontation.
The Emperor had no idea why the Empress Dowager wanted to see him. He was plotting how to seize power from Xu Zifan and was very impatient with the Empress Dowager's visit. Xiao Shunzi hesitated beside him and said, "Your Majesty, this servant did something without Your Majesty's permission, which was not entirely aboveboard. This servant... this servant must report to Your Majesty..."
"What's the matter that you're hesitating about? Just say it." The emperor was puzzled and frowned at Xiao Shunzi.
Xiao Shunzi knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, ever since Your Majesty was injured last time, I have felt that I should keep track of everything in the inner palace in order to ensure Your Majesty's safety. So I tried to recruit a few people from Anci Palace to find out about the situation in advance and prevent any bad things from happening again."
The emperor's brow twitched. "Little Shunzi, about the Empress Dowager falling into the water..."
Xiao Shunzi hurriedly kowtowed, "Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with me. I wouldn't dare to do such a thing even if I had ten thousand lives. I'm incompetent. I only recruited junior palace maids and eunuchs, and their information network isn't very good. I'm not smart enough to scheme against the Empress Dowager."
"Then why are you telling me this now?"
"A message has come from over there that the Empress Dowager summoned the Emperor to question him about his crimes."
The Emperor looked surprised. "What? Questioning? What crime?"
Xiao Shunzi cautiously said, "It's about the drowning incident. The Empress Dowager's investigation seems to point to the Emperor. My information is that the Empress Dowager seems to believe the Emperor ordered Shiqi and Shihua to murder her. The Empress Dowager not only wants to question the Emperor but also wants to eliminate her two trusted confidants."
The Emperor slammed his foot on the imperial desk, his heart filled with rage. "Absurd! Does she think I'm some kind of unfilial and disrespectful person? She actually suspects me! It's laughable!"
Xiao Shunzi hurriedly slapped his mouth, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's all because of my foul mouth. This is just the information I received; it may not be accurate. I just felt I should report it to Your Majesty first. Actually, thinking about it, Shiqi and Shihua are both the Empress Dowager's confidantes. If we deal with them, wouldn't the Empress Dowager have no useful people left? This information must be wrong. Your Majesty, please pretend I didn't say anything. You see, the Empress Dowager is still waiting. Would you like to go there now?"
The Emperor, hands behind his back, strode out. "Go, I want to see what kind of story she can come up with. Punish her two confidants? Hmph, I think it's just a trick she's playing, deliberately causing trouble to make me suspicious. Besides, she trusts me to move me. She just wants me to give in and listen to her. Impossible! Whether it's Furong or the court, she won't be able to influence me in the slightest!"
Xiao Shunzi followed behind with his head down, a barely perceptible smirk playing on his lips.
A slight difference can lead to a huge error; sometimes, a person's thoughts can veer in a single direction. He and Mo Yun devised a method to sow discord between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and discussed how to deal with both sides to maximize the chances of a complete break between them. Now, it seems this method is very effective. The intense conflict, coupled with clashes of interests, physical discomfort, and the loss of trusted confidants, has made them both restless and agitated, losing their composure and judgment, and becoming heavily misled. Unless something happens to unite them, there is no possibility of reconciliation, and naturally, the misunderstandings cannot be resolved. After all, they are both suspicious and selfish people.
When the Emperor arrived at Anci Palace, the Empress Dowager took the initiative and launched her attack immediately. The Emperor, however, remained calm, fully aware of the Empress Dowager's scheme. He knew he hadn't harmed the Empress Dowager; it was impossible for anyone to bribe Shiqi and Shihua to do so. There were no other concubines in the palace, no one with a conflict with the Empress Dowager, and no one outside the palace could have done it. Besides, Xu Zifan was protecting the Empress Dowager. Who could possibly harm her? Therefore, the only explanation was that the Empress Dowager was acting. If Xiao Shunzi hadn't inadvertently reminded him, he might have panicked and fallen into the trap. Fortunately, he had already seen through the truth and wouldn't compromise no matter how the Empress Dowager acted.
The Empress Dowager, filled with boundless rage, questioned the Emperor, only to receive a cold, dismissive reply: "I didn't do it." There was no further response, not even a word of concern, as if they were complete strangers. When the Empress Dowager presented evidence and questioned the Emperor again, he became even more enraged. "Empress Dowager," he roared, "you're determined to frame me! You've resorted to such despicable means to force me to submit, even framing my palace maids! What wouldn't you do? This is utter nonsense. I didn't do it, and neither would my men. You may punish these two maids as you see fit, but no one is to be harmed by my people!"
The Empress Dowager had been feeling unwell lately, and upon hearing this, she clutched her chest, nearly unable to breathe. "You! You unfilial son!"
The Emperor's face turned cold, and he abruptly stood up. "Empress Dowager, some things can be said, and some things cannot. Don't go too far!" He ignored the Empress Dowager and walked outside. As he passed the kneeling servants, Shiqi and Shihua, he suddenly remembered Xiao Shunzi's words. They were the Empress Dowager's confidants; the Empress Dowager certainly wouldn't punish them, otherwise she would have no one else to rely on.
He glanced at the two people on the ground and said coldly, "Guards! Drag them out and beat them to death!"
Before the Empress Dowager could even finish asking her question, she blurted out, "No, this matter hasn't been resolved yet!"
The Emperor turned back and looked at her coldly. "What hasn't been resolved? Or rather, how does the Empress Dowager intend to resolve this? I am a filial son. They caused my mother to fall into the water and be frightened, leaving her so weak. How can I spare them? Not executing them by a thousand cuts is already an act of mercy on my part! Or is it that the Empress Dowager can't bear to kill them? What's wrong with the Empress Dowager? A while ago, she sent people to kill so many of Furong's guards and servants without the slightest hesitation. That's how I got the injury on my shoulder. How can the Empress Dowager be so soft-hearted towards two palace maids now?" He turned back around and coldly ordered, "Drag them out!"
Xiao Shunzi immediately led his men to gag the two palace maids and drag them out. The emperor didn't linger and immediately boarded his imperial carriage and left. Soon, someone ran into Anci Palace to report that Shiqi and Shihua had both died. The Empress Dowager had lost two trusted confidantes and was so enraged by the emperor that she fainted.
She remained unconscious for a full three hours before waking up, and it was already late at night. Mo Yun and Shi Shu were both waiting in the room. Mo Yun was the first to notice that she had opened her eyes, and hurriedly poured water to moisten her lips and helped her sit up. Compared to Shi Shu, Mo Yun was always quick to notice her needs, being both clever and considerate.
The Empress Dowager sighed, her expression one of utter dejection. Her falling out with the Emperor was one thing, but his wanting to kill her was quite another. She had hoped that a confrontation with the Emperor might uncover some misunderstanding; her son, whom she had raised, couldn't possibly be so cold-blooded. But instead, the Emperor watched her like a spectator, completely ignoring her words, showing neither joy nor anger, his eyes filled with mockery. He didn't even offer a word of explanation, simply ordering the execution of her men, yet forbidding her from harming his, not even allowing her to interrogate him.
The reason she believed this was because she was just as cold-blooded and ruthless towards Xu Zifan. Despite all the things Xu Zifan had done for her and how good he was to her, she would still ruthlessly scheme for herself and want to eliminate him. How similar were the emperor's desire to get rid of her and her desire to eliminate Xu Zifan? Both were obstacles that infringed upon her interests; she was capable of doing it, and naturally, her son was capable of doing it too.
The Empress Dowager did not grieve for long before quickly regaining her composure and becoming indifferent. "Summon the Regent after the morning court session tomorrow. I have something to say to him."
Mo Yun gently advised, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that your fainting this time has greatly harmed your health and you need to rest and recuperate. Would you like to rest for a few days before we discuss matters?"
The Empress Dowager looked at her and saw that she was full of concern and did not seem to be bothered by the news of Xu Zifan. She was very satisfied and waved her hand with a smile, "It's alright, I won't get angry anymore. I just think that the matter of establishing an empress should be settled. The emperor is recuperating from his injuries and has nothing to do these days, so it's a good time to prepare for the wedding. The empress's investiture ceremony should be a grand and lively affair, so that the joyous occasion can cleanse the palace and make everything better."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yun responded, "This is a joyous occasion. With the Empress Dowager overseeing things, everything in the palace will surely be fine."
"You're so good with words." The Empress Dowager smiled, but she felt tired after sitting for only a short while and could only resign herself to lying down to rest, leaving Mo Yun to keep watch at night.
After the Empress Dowager fell asleep, Mo Yun went over and rehearsed everything over and over again before finally relaxing. Thinking about seeing Xu Zifan again tomorrow, she felt a sense of anticipation. For some reason, Xu Zifan never sent her messages through others; he always carefully handed her notes when they met. She eagerly awaited Xu Zifan's next plans. She had already gained complete control in the palace, and knowing Xu Zifan's plans would allow her to cooperate fully with him.