Empress Wei once admired the Emperor.

But the Emperor favored Mingzhu and even granted her daughter the title of County Princess, causing Empress Wei to lose hope completely.

Yet she had no right to behave capriciously; even if her heart was like ashes, she had to appear concerned when the Emperor was ill.

Seeing the Empress Dowager enter, she gave a curtsey and stepped aside.

"Grandmother, Father won’t take his medicine and is being disobedient."

The young Crown Prince, still in his childhood innocence, was quite favored by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, so he spoke without much reservation.

The Empress Dowager patted his head, "Return with your mother first. Grandmother has something to discuss with your father."

The young Crown Prince instinctively looked at his mother, his eyes full of inquiry.

Empress Wei looked worried, "Mother, I’ll wait outside the hall. Once you finish your discussion with the Emperor, I would like to massage him to relieve his headache."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "You’re considerate."

The Emperor said, "Take the Crown Prince back first, there’s no problem here."

Empress Wei hesitated but finally bowed slightly, "As you command."

She led the Crown Prince out.

The young Crown Prince turned back every few steps, puzzled as to why his father and mother spent so little time together.

They always parted after exchanging just a few words.

Unconsciously, the young Crown Prince lowered his head, his silhouette filled with disappointment.

The Empress Dowager saw it and felt a pang of sorrow for the child’s tender age and the need to understand the world’s indifference.

But this is how life in the Imperial Palace is.

To seek the familial affection of ordinary families, impossible!

She signaled Eunuch Fu to watch outside, wary of eavesdroppers.

Eunuch Fu, perceptive as always, observed the Emperor’s calm demeanor without any indication of displeasure, and accordingly withdrew.

Inside the hall, only the Emperor and his mother remained.

The Empress Dowager asked anxiously, "Is the headache severe? What did the Imperial Physician say? I hope it’s not something hereditary from your father."

The late Emperor was controlled by the Regent King at a young age and was poisoned chronically. Passing it down through bloodlines isn’t impossible.

The Emperor pressed his temples, "It’s just a common headache, don’t be alarmed."

The Empress Dowager remained worried, "If it’s not severe, then why do you look unwell? There are dark circles under your eyes—how long has it been since you’ve slept well?"

"I simply can’t make up my mind."

"Hmm?"

The Empress Dowager’s expression was puzzled, "Has something happened at court?"

If there was anyone trustworthy in the deep palace, it was his own mother.

The urge to confide surged at this moment.

The Emperor’s expression softened, "It’s about Ah Zhen."

He took a memorandum from beside the pillow and handed it to the Empress Dowager, "I always believed I would be an open-minded ruler, but it seems I haven’t escaped the usual failings of emperors."

Before ascending the throne, he never imagined that one day he would be so unsettled by Xie Yunzhen.

He was so troubled that he felt the headache returning.

The Empress Dowager urged him to lie down and rest, then carefully perused the memorandum.

Xie Yunzhen’s proposal was good.

But she also understood the Emperor’s concerns.

After all, they had recently experienced a rebellion; suspicion was only natural.

After a moment of silence, she said, "If you don’t trust Xie Yunzhen, can you trust someone else?"

The Emperor remained silent.

The answer was self-evident.

No matter who it was, as long as power became overwhelming and threatened the imperial authority, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

Yet he couldn’t appoint fools to important positions.

That would be no different from courting his own doom.

The Empress Dowager put down the memorandum, "Under heaven, all things belong to the sovereign. Rather than worrying about him rebelling, why not spread imperial benevolence to let the people of Yanzhou know who truly has their interests at heart?"

"Once you’ve gained the people’s support, even if Xie Yunzhen wanted to rebel, he’d end up as a disgraceful traitor. Our dynasty is full of talent—you can promote capable people. If you can quell one rebellion, you can quell a second. Xie Yunzhen... what is there to fear?"

"Conversely, if you suppress Xie Yunzhen and prevent the people of Yanzhou from living well, even if he had no intention, others might instigate him to rebel."

The Emperor’s expression grew solemn.

His grip on the quilt tightened slightly, showing he had absorbed the words.

The Empress Dowager, having weathered many storms, had come to see things more clearly over time.

She focused on the bright yellow canopy.

Such a rich hue.

But after a while, it’s the only color you see.

As a ruler, one must work for the country and its people, not concentrate solely on one point.

The Empress Dowager sighed, "You’ve not left the palace or the capital for a long time. Now that the court is stable, perhaps you should go out and see how the people live, learn of their hardships, and their aspirations. Maybe then you’ll find direction."

Power blurs sight.

Those holding life-and-death power can easily lose their way.

The Empress Dowager’s sincere wish was for the Emperor to understand the people’s situation.

"Mother, let me think it over."

The Empress Dowager didn’t press him, "Take your time."

After ensuring that the Emperor’s condition wasn’t serious and was merely due to excessive worry, which triggered his headache,

The Empress Dowager felt much relieved.

She didn’t linger long in Yangxin Hall, knowing that once she left, others would care for the Emperor.

She initially thought the Emperor might take ten days or half a month to make a decision.

But to her surprise, he left the capital quietly within three days.

He appointed the Old Prince, Xie Yunzhen’s grandfather, along with two members of the Imperial Family to oversee the government.

This caught many by surprise.

The Emperor supported Xie Yunzhen’s faction so prominently—wouldn’t this cause problems in the future?

General Wei had nothing to worry about, but the Young General felt the Emperor was insulting them.

Sometimes, he had his selfish motives.

But towards the Emperor and the court, the entire Wei Family was unequivocally loyal!

Yet now, the Emperor simultaneously expanded the harem and troubled his sister.

Simultaneously tightening the Wei family’s power.

This was treating them as traitors!

The Young General Wei was discontent. After leaving court, he went drinking with colleagues in a teahouse.

On the way, he ran into Xie Yunling.

Currently, she wore a married woman’s hairstyle, dressed in a water-red gown, still looking the part of a newlywed.

She seemed to be living well. Even from a distance, her smile was evident.

Thinking of Lan Ci being taken out of the capital by the Emperor, clearly being groomed for an important role, the Young General Wei felt even more disheartened.

He didn’t know what bad luck he had, everything had been going wrong these past years.

To avoid creating controversy, he didn’t talk to Xie Yunling.

He turned quickly into the teahouse.

Secretly wondering, was it because he offended Xie Yunzhen?

Therefore, someone was always causing trouble for him?

But Xie Yunzhen, could he really be so capable?

Yanzhou City.

The unexpected arrival of the Emperor surprised both Xie Yunzhen and Ji Mingzhu.

Aside from the surprise, it somehow felt reasonable.

For the sake of understanding the people’s situation, it was common for the monarch to travel incognito.

Considering the Emperor’s safety, Xie Yunzhen could only settle him in his residence.

Even though he was quite reluctant for the Emperor to meet Mingzhu.

Even more reluctant for the Emperor to hold his two children!

Upon finally seeing the twins, the Emperor watched Zimu for a long time.

The little girl, with her hair tied in two small buns, had red cheeks and bright teeth, a very pretty little baby.

She could now stand, her tiny hands gripping the edge of the table to maintain her stability.

The Emperor, his eyes smiling, pinched her chubby cheeks, "So beautiful."

When Mingzhu was young, she must have been just like this.