We cannot be careless; if we make a mistake at the last minute, our chances are slim.

At the very least, we can't just plant people indiscriminately; we have to avoid crowds and do it in private.

Xingkui replied softly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands."

"I've always trusted you to handle things," Chen Yuwei said, glancing at Xingkui's location with a faint smile. "Get these matters sorted out as soon as possible. I don't want Yikun Palace to be involved in any chaos."

When people do bad things, they should always remember how to shift the blame.

Avoid it if you can.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are like two ticking time bombs.

Although Chen Yuwei hoped they would log off, their offline time was not under her control.

All Chen Yuwei could do was try her best to create an opportunity for them to explode.

It doesn't need to happen every time, just once in a while, like a dazzling firework, exploding with a bang. She shouldn't have to wait too long for such an opportunity.

Chen Yuwei's gaze had unknowingly drifted to the trees outside the window.

Year after year, leaves wither and new leaves emerge, and tree rings increase year by year.

I watched with my own eyes as trees that were no more than waist-high grew to be level with the main hall.

Chen Yuwei witnessed the growth of a tree and the passage of time.

Time is running out. Her children and grandchildren outside the palace are growing up, and the two children on whom she has placed high hopes are performing exceptionally well.

Everything is ready; we're just waiting for the spring breeze to arrive so we can set sail.

Your Majesty, Your Majesty

If you still cherish the years of friendship between us, then take your leave now.

Never push things to the point where both sides have to resort to violence. If you do, Chen Yuwei will still do it even if she doesn't want to.

While pondering these words with great audacity, Chen Yuwei felt that Hongli and the Empress Dowager's health conditions would not give her this opportunity.

'That's terrible; his reputation is ruined in his later years.'

Chen Yuwei even speculated that the outrageous content recorded in the unofficial histories of Hongli might actually be true. It was just that it would be too shameful to write it in the official history, so the historians who recorded the history books did not dare to offend the entire Qing Dynasty imperial family, which is why they were so subtle about it.

Hmm, thinking about it that way makes it even funnier. Hongli should hurry up and leave.

Chen Yuwei hoped that Hongli and the Empress Dowager would be in good health and not cause her any trouble.

It's true that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

Whether she was awake during the day or asleep at night, Chen Yuwei could only think about the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

Instead of receiving good news from Cining Palace and Yangxin Hall, Chen Yuwei was greeted by the arrival of her children from outside the palace.

Yonghu and the others were easy to talk to; they were all straightforward and honest, and Chen Yuwei could easily fool them with just a few words.

The most difficult one to deal with is the youngest daughter, Wuyunzhu, who is clever and quick-witted.

The first thing they asked upon entering the palace was whether there was a serious problem with the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

Chen Yuwei countered, "What makes you say that?"

The relevant information was kept very secret. It wasn't that Chen Yuwei didn't want to tell anyone, but the two people involved in the palace were very concerned about this matter.

Wu Yunzhu sat opposite Chen Yuwei, fiddling with an open storybook in her hand. "Father the Emperor hasn't summoned his daughter lately."

You should know that she has a big business that she co-invested with the Emperor, and every month silver is being sent into the palace in droves.

It can be said that part of the reason why the Emperor's private treasury was so full was due to her.

“The monthly accounts were sent to the palace and returned normally, but the annotations were reduced.”

Furthermore, the Emperor's calligraphy used to be light and graceful, but now the characters appear somewhat shaky.

"Mother, has Father's health deteriorated to this extent?"

Wu Yunzhu felt that this matter was progressing quite quickly, and wondered if there were other problems involved.

Well, it wasn't that she suspected her mother was behind it, but rather that the Hall of Mental Cultivation was heavily guarded, and no matter how capable her mother was, she couldn't possibly commit regicide.

What worries her more is that some things are happening quietly without their notice.

If the Emperor were to pass away directly in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, leaving an imperial edict to pass the throne to his half-brother Yongyan, that would be the most troublesome thing for Wuyunzhu.

Wu Yunzhu's tentative suggestion was meant to prompt her mother to be more vigilant and prevent others from getting ahead of her, thus lest her family's efforts be in vain.

Chen Yuwei reassured Wuyunzhu that with her in the palace, no one else could possibly take Yikun Palace's fruits for no reason.

"Your father and grandmother are indeed showing some signs of illness."

Your grandmother's condition is more serious; you should prepare yourself mentally beforehand.

As for what preparations were made, Chen Yuwei didn't say, but Wuyunzhu understood at a glance.

Naturally, it was because the Empress Dowager had passed away, and they, as the younger generation, had to go to the palace to mourn.

Wu Yunzhu asked curiously, "Is the Empress Dowager's health related to Father Emperor?"

The Empress Dowager is already quite old; at eighty or ninety years old, she is considered to be at a ripe old age.

Even if the person passes away, there won't be any conspiracy theories, since very few concubines in the imperial harem actually live to be a hundred years old.

Chen Yuwei nodded and then shook her head, while warning Wu Yunzhu not to talk about this matter carelessly.

Wuyunzhu: ...

Wu Yunzhu twitched her lips playfully, thinking to herself that things happen so that people will talk about them.

The Empress Dowager hasn't truly been a devout Buddhist over the years, and her current state might be a consequence of that.

Wu Yunzhu remembered the sarcastic remarks the Empress Dowager made when she was choosing her husband.

snort!

As a princess who resembled Hongli in appearance, Wuyunzhu was just as petty as Hongli.

The Empress Dowager's few casual remarks from many years ago have remained etched in Wuyunzhu's mind ever since.

However, this also shows that the Empress Dowager did not have a good impression on the people in the palace.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!