Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing sat upright on the couch, holding a scripture in her hand and resting with her eyes closed.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze calm and deep. Noticing Hong Yingrong's surprise at the surrounding furnishings, she smiled faintly, "You're here."

Hong Yingrong was about to kneel down to pay her respects when Lu Fengqing stopped her. "There's no one else here, so there's no need for all that formality." She pointed to the carved round chair next to her and said, "Sit down."

Hong Yingrong sat down gently, watching Lu Fengqing's hand slowly moving through the air. Her fingertips seemed to touch the years that had passed. There was a hint of nostalgia in her eyes, and her voice was a little ethereal.

"These thousand-thread candlesticks, the brocaded dressing box with multiple compartments, the diamond-shaped bronze mirror, and the incense burner with a lotus pattern are exactly the same as those in the Yixin Courtyard where we lived back then."

Hong Yingrong looked at the diamond-shaped bronze mirror. Although the mirror reflected their present selves, it seemed as if she could also glimpse the shadows of the past. The aroma rising from the incense burner seemed to carry the flavor of time.

Lu Fengqing sighed softly and continued, "Whenever I'm alone here, I always have an illusion, as if those long thirty years never existed... In those days, we studied together, practiced calligraphy, embroidered, and even sneaked out of the house to go shopping in the market."

Hong Yingrong immediately understood that Lu Fengqing already knew the purpose of her visit, however, she was tired of this hypocritical cliché.

Since Lu Fengqing wanted to bring up their former friendship and put on such a hypocritical gesture, she didn't need to be bound by the red tape of hierarchy between the monarch and his subjects. She threw her daughter-in-law Jiang Shuxiu's pulse record to Lu Fengqing without hesitation.

"The truth of a person's heart isn't determined by external factors. What truly frightens people are those who appear sincere but harbor ulterior motives."

Hong Yingrong spoke indifferently, with a hint of disdain in her tone. Her gaze turned to the Buddhist beads and scriptures in Lu Fengqing's hands. She felt that this so-called practice of cultivation was particularly ironic.

Lu Fengqing glanced at the record, and her expression instantly returned to that of the aloof empress dowager. "Since you already know, then I have nothing to hide. It was indeed me who ordered the Imperial Hospital to act this way. My purpose was to prevent the Xingyuan Marquisate from having a legitimate grandson born!"

Hong Yingrong's face was filled with rage. She immediately argued, "Even if Shuxiu gave birth to a grandson, what threat could a baby pose? Furthermore, the descendants of this generation of marquisates have all abandoned military service for the sake of literature. They can no longer hold tight control of border military power like they did in the past, making the court wary!"

There was a firmness in her words, and it was obvious that she was well aware of the interests involved. This made Lu Fengqing look at her in surprise, not expecting that Hong Yingrong had also been secretly paying attention to this.

Lu Fengqing smiled softly, his tone becoming gentle and deep: "You and I both know that in the struggles at court, some things are forced. Jiang Shuxiu is an outsider to you after all. I only prevented her from getting pregnant, but did not harm her life. If you had allowed Xue Yuanchu to take a concubine earlier, you would probably have children and grandchildren by now."

Hearing this, Hong Yingrong's eyes suddenly flashed with anger, and she retorted coldly: "Sister Lu, when did you start to think that controlling other people's fate could be so justified?"

"Infertility is such a cruel thing for a woman! Do you understand the pressure Shuxiu has endured over the years?"

"You can still say such things so casually now. This is just an excuse for your own intrigue!"

In a state of excitement, Hong Yingrong blurted out the name she had called Lu Fengqing in her boudoir back then.

The other party was also hurt by Hong Yingrong's words. Lu Fengqing's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"You think you understand me? You think everything I do is just for my own intrigue?" Lu Fengqing's voice was bitter, "You are wrong!"

She paused and continued, "Once the Xue family has a legitimate grandson, those forces that have been eyeing them will be ready to make a move again."

"Xue Yonghuai bravely covered the rear that day, trapped the enemy army, and sacrificed his life for the country. However, the whereabouts of half of the Xingyuan Army's tiger talisman is still unknown, which has made Your Majesty uneasy." Lu Fengqing's tone revealed a hint of helplessness.

"At that time, the nobles in the cabinet had formed their own faction. They all petitioned Your Majesty to punish the Xingyuan Marquisate for leading the army without investigation. It was only with my earnest plea to Your Majesty, and considering the deceased as the most important, that the Marquisate's last dignity was preserved."

As Hong Yingrong listened to these words, the anger in her heart gradually subsided and was replaced by a deep chill. She looked at Lu Fengqing, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

Lu Fengqing sighed softly, "Now that I'm in this position, there are too many things I can't help. The struggles in the court are far more complicated than you can imagine. Sometimes, in order to consider the overall situation and to protect more lives, I have to make decisions that go against my conscience."

Hong Yingrong sneered. If it weren't for the doctor Hong Zhengxuan who revealed to her the truth that the imperial physicians had tampered with the prescriptions, causing the death of important court officials from serious illness, she might have really been deceived by Lu Fengqing's hypocritical appearance.

She stared at Lu Fengqing sharply, her tone revealing an unquestionable firmness, "Do you think I can't see through your tactics? Using shady tactics to deal with the Marquis' Mansion is really a miscalculation."

She paused, a chill in her voice. "Although I, Hong Yingrong, am a woman, I will never be manipulated. If you dare to make any move again, don't blame me for mobilizing Xue Yonghuai's influence. Rather than sit here and wait for death, I would rather strike first and make you understand that my children and family are not people you can mess with lightly."

As soon as she finished speaking, the entire inner room fell into dead silence.

Lu Fengqing's expression changed unpredictably, and he was obviously shocked by Hong Yingrong's words.

Hong Yingrong still maintained her calm and resolute demeanor, as if telling everyone that she was not only the widow of a marquis, but also a person with her own bottom line and methods.

Hong Yingrong turned around and walked towards the palace door. However, at the moment when she was about to push the door open, she suddenly stopped, looked back at Lu Fengqing, and remembered her second son Xue Zhongfu's wife Jiang Yunniang.

There was a glint of inquiry in her eyes. "That year, Jiang died of complications during childbirth at Xiangguo Temple..."

"It has nothing to do with me!" Lu Fengqing interrupted her without hesitation, his tone firm and decisive.

Hong Yingrong stared at her closely, her eyes as sharp as torches, as if she could see through her heart.

She knew Lu Fengqing's temper very well. Since everything had been said today, there was no need for her to hide it anymore.

In Lu Fengqing's eyes, Hong Yingrong seemed to have found the answer she wanted. She nodded slightly, a complex emotion flashed across her face, but she finally chose to believe Lu Fengqing.

Without saying anything more, Hong Yingrong pushed open the door and left the Cining Palace without looking back, leaving the air in the palace still echoing with the conversation between the two.