As the late Empress’s teacher, and half a father.

The rewards for Prince Li Zheng were sent to the Imperial Mansion like flowing water every year.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long.

The late Empress was frail and sickly, and two years after becoming the Empress, she passed away due to illness.

The Emperor was devastated and summoned people with extraordinary talents from all over the country to summon the soul of the Empress, but all efforts were futile.

Since then, the Emperor has become obsessed with seeking immortals and pursuing Taoist practices.

Temples of various kinds appeared endlessly on the land of Great Qin, like mushrooms after the rain.

If any official revered Buddhism, they would be summoned to the palace by the Emperor and have the honor of witnessing the Heavenly Beauty.

Gradually, many started to see this as a way to achieve wealth and promotion.

Even those who originally did not believe in Buddhism began to preach it frequently.

After the late Empress passed away, the Emperor’s temperament changed a lot.

He began to act against the ministers at court, punishing anyone who disrespected the Empress. At the least, they were dismissed, at the worst, their entire clan was executed.

The Great Qin Emperor launched a massive purge of the Court, which drew dissatisfaction from the courtiers.

Still, no one dared say anything, as everyone knew the Emperor loved the late Empress as dearly as his own life.

Later, the Emperor not only punished those who disrespected the Empress but also severely dealt with past traitors and officials with aspirations of power.

This also included those ministers who embezzled large sums of money.

Duke Huan was among them, so his position is now precarious.

Several of his sons met with misfortune one after another.

Prince Li Zheng, having served for so many years, could not avoid taking bribes.

As a result, many impeachment memorials against him were delivered to the Emperor’s desk.

However, the Emperor said he would show mercy to Prince Li Zheng for the late Empress’s sake.

Not only that, he treated Prince Li Zheng with the same respect as he would his own father-in-law.

It was then that the Princess Consort realized that Miss Jing’s prophecy had indeed revealed the divine plan!

Had she not listened to her, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"I have always wanted to find an opportunity to thank your mother, but I have never seen her again."

The Princess Consort smiled at Bai Zhi’er.

However, she harbored a doubt in her heart.

When she was seventeen or eighteen, that Fairy looked about the same age.

Now she was already a grandmother, how could the Fairy’s daughter still be only thirteen or fourteen?

Could it be that she had children late in life?

Bai Zhi’er smiled and said, "Actually, my mother is just an ordinary person who can read fortunes and predict the future."

"Moreover, she enjoys wandering around and has no fixed abode. It’s a rare fate to meet her, Princess Consort."

Princess Li Zheng came back to her senses, smiling kindly and tenderly: "Good child, are you also traveling in Great Qin?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay in the Imperial Mansion, and I will arrange for someone to prepare a courtyard for you."

Bai Zhi’er shook her head: "Thank you for your kindness, Princess Consort, but I am accompanying a friend to Great Qin; he is Duke Huan’s son, and I am currently staying with him at Duke Huan Mansion."

The Princess Consort pondered: "I see, no wonder you came in with that girl Qing Rui just now."

"However, Duke Huan’s son..." The Princess Consort’s expression became somewhat complex: "How come I’ve never heard he had a son?"

Bai Zhi’er briefly explained Guoguo’s background.

Since it was someone else’s family matter, she didn’t go into too much detail, just gave a general overview.

The Princess Consort, well-versed in household conflicts, guessed what had happened after only hearing a few words.

She shook her head and sighed: "Another poor soul."

Duke Huan’s wife is her illegitimate daughter, who hasn’t even learned proper rites and conduct; how can she run a household?

In any case, letting Duke Huan’s bloodline wander outside is the biggest taboo for a prestigious family!