Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we've heard news of the birth of an imperial heir in the palace.

The late emperor had many concubines and countless women who were favored by him, yet it was rare to hear of any woman in the harem being pregnant.

Even if one or two benefactors or promises to conceive, the final outcome is never good.

They might miscarry; the baby might die in utero; or they might suffer severe postpartum hemorrhage, resulting in the deaths of both mother and child...

People say this is retribution.

The late emperor was immoral and engaged in debauchery in the palace, which led to his downfall and resulted in a small number of offspring.

However, some speculate that the late emperor's excessive indulgence over the years depleted his vital essence, making it understandable that he could not have children.

...

Now, Consort Li of Yile Palace has suddenly given birth to a prince for the late emperor, which has surprised everyone.

Among them, the most shocked person should be the current emperor's mother, the Empress Dowager.

*

Yongshou Palace.

The magnificent hall was in complete disarray, with tea sets and ornaments on the tables smashed on the floor.

Although Empress Dowager Shen Mei was of noble birth, she still lacked any semblance of dignity and propriety. She threw a porcelain vase out and pointed at the eunuch Wang Qing's nose, cursing, "After serving me for so many years, you can't even handle this little thing? You deserve to be a eunuch and a lowly slave!"

Everyone in the palace knew that Shen Mei came from a poor background, and she herself knew it too, so when she went out, she always pretended to be virtuous and generous.

But once she returned to Yongshou Palace, she couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. Her arrogant and domineering demeanor was completely different from the Empress Dowager in the eyes of outsiders.

Wang Qing knelt on the ground, his forehead hitting the floor heavily, repeatedly saying, "This servant deserves to die, this servant has failed in his duty, please punish me, Your Majesty."

Shen Mei walked over and kicked him on the head. "Other people's babies have already been born, and you come to tell me this now?... Huh?"

She glared at him, pressing him aggressively, "Wang Qing, even if I kept a dog, at least it would bark a couple of times if something really happened... What about you? You're not even as good as a dog, are you?"

"Didn't I tell you long ago that there are too many messy things happening in the harem? You need to keep a close eye on things and make sure nothing goes wrong... What, do you expect me to personally oversee all these trivial matters?"

"What use is a piece of trash like you to me?"

"..."

Shen Mei was so angry that her forehead throbbed, and at that moment, she even felt like killing someone.

Why would something like this happen?

Since entering the palace, Shen Mei has had a smooth and successful life. First, she gained the emperor's favor and successfully gave birth to a son for the late emperor. Then, Zhou Tingyue was successfully made crown prince.

Her son, Zhou Tingyue, was diligent and hardworking, well-read, and exceptionally talented, winning the hearts of the people.

In order to ensure Zhou Tingyue's position as crown prince, and to prevent the world from criticizing him because of his status as the crown prince's mother.

Shen Mei chanted scriptures daily, praying for the people of Beiliang and for peace throughout the land.

Therefore, apart from the eunuchs and palace maids serving Yongshou Palace, everyone said that although Shen Mei came from a humble background, she was kind-hearted and tolerant.

The late emperor passed away, and Zhou Tingyue ascended the throne. Everything was developing as she had planned.

But who would have thought that something like this would happen at this time?

Shen Mei paced back and forth in the hall, her mind uneasy. She glanced again at Wang Qing kneeling on the ground and said sternly, "Didn't I tell you to go and invite the Emperor? Why hasn't he come yet?"

Wang Qing replied meekly, "Please grant the Empress Dowager's wishes. When this servant went to invite the Emperor, he had already set off for Yile Palace... saying he wanted to personally visit the youngest prince."

Shen Mei rolled her eyes: "Want to be the Emperor's brother? He's not worthy! This Consort Li only stayed at the Changsheng Palace for one night, how could it be such a coincidence that she got pregnant on the first try? Consort Wan and Consort Gui accompanied the late Emperor every day, how come they don't have any pregnancy at all?"

"I think this child might not actually be the late Emperor's. Maybe it was conceived by that slut from Yile Palace and another man..."

Wang Qing hung his head and replied in agreement, "The Empress Dowager is wise."

“Since the Emperor isn’t coming, then let’s invite Master Salo. Whether the child stays or goes is up to him.” A sharp glint flashed in Shen Mei’s eyes.

Wang Qing kowtowed deeply, replied "Yes," and then carefully withdrew from the main hall.

Since things have come to this, let's leave it to fate.

*

This was Su Tiyue's first visit to the Cining Palace to see the Empress Dowager since the beginning of spring.

When the late emperor passed away, everyone in Northern Liang dared not show it on their faces, but in fact, they had been waiting for this day for a long time.

No matter how terrible the late emperor was, he was still born to the Empress Dowager.

Even the Empress Dowager disapproved of her son's behavior.

After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade her, she finally lost heart and stopped caring about her muddle-headed son.

Now, with the elderly burying their children, the Empress Dowager must be the most heartbroken person in the world.

Dressed in plain clothes, Su Tiyue stepped into the Cining Palace. Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, she bowed slightly and said, "This concubine greets the Empress Dowager. The deceased is gone; please accept my condolences and take care of yourself."

Upon seeing that the person who arrived was Su Tiyue, the Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows and waved her hand, saying slowly, "You've come at the right time. I'm about to go to the Great Buddhist Hall to burn incense and pay respects to my ancestors. If you have nothing else to do, please accompany me."

Su Tiyue nodded: "Yes."

Su Tiyue stepped forward, gently took the old lady's arm with both hands, and walked towards the backyard of Cining Palace.

The Great Buddha Hall is not far from the Cining Palace. After passing the Longzong Gate and then the Shou Kang Palace, you will arrive.

Inside, the ancestral tablets of the Northern Liang dynasty's ancestors and the retired emperor are enshrined. Apart from the emperor, empress, empress dowager, and grand empress dowager, no one else is allowed to enter this palace.

This was also Su Tiyue's first time visiting this place.

Upon entering the Great Buddha Hall, Su Tiyue followed the Empress Dowager and kowtowed three times devoutly, then stepped aside and silently accompanied her.

The Empress Dowager stood up and slowly walked towards the altar table filled with memorial tablets.

Her aged fingers traced the neatly arranged memorial tablets one by one, and the Empress Dowager nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

She wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

The empire that her ancestors had worked so hard to build was almost destroyed by her son, leaving her speechless in the face of her ancestors.

No matter how many words I say, only when I am in the underworld can I sincerely apologize to my ancestors.

She had been holding back her tears, but when she saw the smallest memorial tablet on the altar, she burst into tears.

The Empress Dowager's lips twitched, her eyes filled with tears, and she wept silently, still tightly clutching the small memorial tablet in her arms.

There were no words engraved on it, nothing at all.

But Su Tiyue knew that he must also be a member of the royal family, otherwise why would they put the memorial tablet in the main hall?

Worried that the Empress Dowager would harm her health by crying like this, Su Tiyue and Granny Liu took her back to Cining Palace to rest.

She leaned back on the soft couch and it took her a long time to calm down.

Su Tiyue personally fed her the medicine, and seeing that her complexion had improved a lot, Su Tiyue finally felt relieved.