The Empress Dowager, suspicious of Wen Mama's death, ordered a news blackout, causing widespread panic throughout Anci Palace. No one felt at ease. If even Wen Mama, whom the Empress Dowager valued most, died under mysterious circumstances, what were they? They felt utterly unsafe in Anci Palace, remaining silent for fear of incurring the Empress Dowager's wrath.
The Grand Eunuch of Anci Palace personally examined Granny Wen's body and found that both her arms were dislocated, both her legs were broken, and there were abrasions on her palms and knees. The cause of death was strangulation with a white silk ribbon. Near the end of the examination, he pried open Granny Wen's palm and found something inside. He used all his connections in the palace to investigate and quickly discovered that the item belonged to one of the emperor's guards.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's mind went blank, and she swayed dizzily. A palace maid stepped forward to support her, but she waved her hand, "All of you, step back. Let me have some peace and quiet."
The palace servants quietly withdrew outside. The Empress Dowager stared blankly at the object clutched in Wen Mama's hand on the table. She hadn't expected that the Emperor had truly killed Wen Mama, and had clearly tortured her as well; otherwise, how could Wen Mama have suffered fractures and dislocated joints? This was probably the Emperor's revenge, a statement. Wen Mama had never offended the Emperor; she had simply been sent by the Empress Dowager to arrest the Emperor's confidant and interrogate him under torture. The Emperor's elimination of Wen Mama was a warning to her never to harm his people again.
The Empress Dowager was both angry and heartbroken. She sat alone in her room all morning, reflecting on the history between empress dowagers and emperors, learning from past mistakes. Which empress dowager in power could get along well with the emperor? To gain the emperor's filial piety, one had to be indifferent to everything and simply be a leisurely empress dowager. Even that filial piety was only superficial. When it came to matters of personal interest, the emperor would still turn against the empress dowager. The empress dowager couldn't even interfere in the affairs of the concubines; otherwise, she could only expect to "retire in peace."
A sudden surge of fear and resentment welled up within the Empress Dowager. She feared that in the future, she would be powerless, her life and death in the Emperor's hands, and she would have to consider his feelings in every aspect of her life. How would that be any different from her past life? Wouldn't she still be at the mercy of others? Yet, she was also resentful. She had fought for this empire; what did it have to do with the Emperor? Without her, the Emperor would be nothing more than a prince, how could he possibly rule the world?
She sacrificed so much, risking her life to win the throne, only to end up living a life of constraint, unable to do as she pleased. What was she after? What difference is there between such an empress dowager and those concubines? What gives the emperor the right to so confidently demand that she relinquish power and step down? He treats her like this even before he has assumed full power. What will happen when he eliminates the regent and seizes power? Will he then expect her to live a quiet and peaceful old age?
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table and loudly ordered someone to summon the Emperor. Before the Emperor arrived, the person sent by Granny Wen to investigate his absence from the palace had returned with news: information about the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and that Furong was being kept as a concubine in an outer residence. The Empress Dowager was so shocked that she couldn't recover for a long time. How many women could the Emperor not have? She never imagined that the Emperor would actually visit the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and even redeem his top courtesan to keep as a concubine.
She had considered the emperor being maliciously lured into gambling, and she had considered his fondness for worldly pleasures, but she had never imagined it would involve women. With so many women in the palace and so many daughters of the ministers, what couldn't they have? Why would they keep a courtesan in a brothel? Who knows if she's infected with any diseases in that kind of place!
The Empress Dowager pressed her chest, feeling her heart racing and struggling to breathe. A palace maid quickly summoned the imperial physician. When the Emperor arrived, the physician was already examining the Empress Dowager.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Mo Yun reached the door and stood guard outside with the other palace maids. Because the Empress Dowager was still investigating shady matters and arguing with the Emperor, she didn't trust the person Xu Zifan had sent and didn't want Xu Zifan to know about their affair. Therefore, she no longer instructed Mo Yun to serve her cautiously. Mo Yun didn't approach directly, but instead subtly probed for information from different people, then found an opportune moment to eavesdrop outside the door. With her keen hearing, she could just hear the Empress Dowager and the Emperor arguing.
The imperial physician said that the Empress Dowager was suffering from anger, liver qi stagnation, insomnia, and dizziness. She needed to take good care of herself, avoid worrying, and refrain from further anger. It was the first time the Emperor had seen the Empress Dowager looking so unwell, and he was quite worried. As soon as the physician left, he went forward and sat opposite her. "Mother," he said, "it was my fault for arguing with you. But don't worry, I'm all grown up now and can handle my own affairs. Just focus on getting better and don't worry about these things."
The Emperor genuinely cared about her, but the Empress Dowager, upon hearing this, took it as a message telling her to mind her own business, and her anger flared up instantly. "Raise? I'm lucky I haven't been driven to my death by you! You sent people to kill Granny Wen and tortured her like that, wasn't it just to warn me? You've really grown up, thinking I'm in your way!"
The emperor's eyes widened in shock. "Granny Wen is dead? I...I didn't kill her! I never gave such an order!"
The Empress Dowager grabbed something from the table and threw it at him. "You think no one knows what you've done? Look at this! These are your guards' things, aren't they?"
The Emperor glanced at it in confusion, his brows furrowing. "I've never seen this before, nor do I know whose it is. I told you, I didn't kill Granny Wen. Does Mother not believe me?"
"How can I trust you? I think you've been bewitched by that lowly courtesan, and have long forgotten what you should and shouldn't do. I thought you were neglecting state affairs and frequently leaving the palace for some important matter, but it turns out you're just having secret rendezvous with that woman! You say you can handle your own affairs? How will you handle them? By relying on that vile woman to seize power?"
The emperor's face immediately darkened. "Mother! You're spying on me? Furong isn't a lowly woman; she's my woman, and I'll make her a concubine in the future..."
"Shut up! That kind of woman doesn't deserve to enter the palace. You're not allowed to see her again. Marrying the Empress is what you should be doing right now! I've planned so much for you, and yet you..."
You dared to defy me, and even executed Granny Wen!
"Didn't you also execute people around me? Besides, I didn't kill Granny Wen!" The Emperor took a deep breath and stood up. "Since Mother is unwell, then let her rest and not interfere in my affairs. I still have memorials to read, so I won't stay any longer. Mother, please rest."
"Emperor! Stop right there! Stop right there!"
The Empress Dowager's shouts failed to stop the Emperor, who stormed off in anger, and the Empress Dowager fainted on the spot. This was the first time in her life that she had fainted from anger, but when the Emperor heard the news of the Empress Dowager's fainting, he didn't even turn back. His previous concern had been ruthlessly trampled on by the Empress Dowager, and it was too difficult for him to feel such pure concern again.
The imperial physician hadn't been gone long before he was summoned back. The Empress Dowager's health had deteriorated; she was utterly listless and confined to bed. Yet, her anger was more intense than ever. She didn't believe a single word the Emperor said. The bond between mother and son had already weakened considerably. She clearly understood that their relationship was now a struggle for power and interests, and that any retreat she took would diminish her influence, until she slowly transformed into a leisurely Empress Dowager who could no longer concern herself with anything.
She was unwilling, so she couldn't back down an inch! This palace, at least for now, was still under her control. The emperor thought he was all grown up, but he forgot that he hadn't yet assumed power; if he wanted to, he still needed his mother, the Empress Dowager!
With Granny Wen no longer in charge of Anci Palace, and the Empress Dowager fallen ill, the three head palace maids, in their panic, couldn't keep the other servants calm, leading to some chaos in the palace. Mo Yun would occasionally stroll around the Empress Dowager's chambers, fetching things or adding water, without attracting any attention. Through fragmented information, she learned that the Empress Dowager had ordered the elimination of Furong.
Mo Yun immediately relayed the news to Xiao Shunzi and Xu Zifan. Upon receiving the message, Xu Zifan stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before saying to De'an, "This is all interconnected. It would be a pity to miss such a good opportunity. You should personally make arrangements to send some messages to several ministers and many ladies and young women, saying that... the Empress Dowager wants to kill Furong, the Emperor is deeply in love with Furong and has fallen out with the Empress Dowager, causing her to fall ill from anger."
De'an smiled and agreed, "This servant will take care of it right away and will do a perfect job."
"Go ahead and keep a close eye on things for a while. Once this is all over, I'll let you get some rest."
"This servant is not afraid of being busy, but I am afraid that Your Highness will not have any use for me. By the way, Your Highness, Miss Yulan has already mastered Xiangyun's tea-making skills, and she has also learned to play the zither almost perfectly. So Xiangyun has nothing to do again, and she came to see me today. This servant said that you are too busy with state affairs to see her. Although she said she left, she implied in her words that she was sent by the Empress Dowager to make tea for Your Highness. Your Highness, do you think we should make arrangements for her?"
Xu Zifan had almost forgotten about the palace maid who made tea. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have more and more things to deal with. It's really inconvenient for her to stay in the mansion. It just so happens that the Empress Dowager is not in the mood to deal with her lately, so let's get rid of her."
He paused after speaking, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Have you figured out how she sent messages to the palace?"
"Your Highness, rest assured, this servant has already made sure everything is clear."
"Alright, from now on you will take her place in delivering messages to the palace, and convey some information that we want the Empress Dowager to know."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Not long after De'an left, Xiangyun "accidentally" fell into the pond. When she was rescued, she was on the verge of death and could only rest quietly in her room. Of course, the person resting in the room had already passed away, but everyone else thought she was just recuperating.
Some ministers, ladies, and young women also received the message Xu Zifan wanted them to receive. Xu Zifan also secretly sent people to keep a close watch on Furong and the palace gate. As soon as his men spotted someone leaving the palace and heading towards Furong's residence, they immediately notified Xiao Shunzi.
Now that the emperor's chief eunuch and several trusted confidants were recovering from their beatings in their rooms, Xiao Shunzi was in charge of managing all the emperor's affairs. He found a moment when the emperor was resting after reviewing memorials and advised him to take a break. He then circled around some of the things that Furong had said when she cared for the emperor, making the emperor unconsciously think of Furong.
The Emperor, exhausted and irritable after two arguments with the Empress Dowager, found reading memorials tedious and the thought of Furong irritating. He changed his clothes and left the palace to visit Furong, hoping to relax and find some solace there. However, as soon as he entered Furong's courtyard, he heard sounds of fighting and screams. His face immediately changed, and he rushed inside!
Xiao Shunzi narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at the wall across the street to his right, made a gesture with his right hand hanging at his side, and quickly caught up with the emperor.