Dingdang stood obediently at the door, but her face was as red as a ripe apple.

She kept her head down, her ears burning, her heart pounding, and she wished she could disappear into the ground!

Just then, a slight noise came from beside my feet.

A loud "snap"!

It was a small black pebble that landed right at her feet!

Dingdang was startled and looked up alertly. Her gaze swept across the room and she saw a cold-faced boy standing behind a flower bed not far away.

It's Mo Feng!

He winked at her, pointed to the oil paper package in his hand, and gestured for her to come over.

Dingdang then came to her senses, her little face still flushed.

Looking at her silly expression, Mo Feng poked her forehead speechlessly: "What are you still standing there for? Go eat something!"

Dingdang glanced at the tightly closed main door, somewhat hesitant.

Mo Feng rolled his eyes helplessly, grabbed her hand, and dragged her away.

"Do your masters need you to keep watch at night when they're doing their work?"

He muttered to himself and pulled Dingdang away.

Jiang Luoluo was almost broken apart from Xie Yizhi's antics, and now she nestled limply in his arms.

My back aches and I don't want to move a single finger.

She was so sleepy that her eyelids were too heavy to lift, and she didn't even have the energy to complain about Xie Yizhi.

Xie Yizhi chuckled softly, leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, his tone tinged with a hint of smugness: "Little lazy cat."

Jiang Luoluo was so sleepy that she lost consciousness, and all she could hear was the man's low, hoarse voice.

Then, her body was gently wiped with a warm, damp cloth before being placed in a cozy, warm bed.

Xie Yizhi turned to his side, propped his head up, and quietly watched her sleeping face.

Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow in the dim candlelight; she was sleeping soundly, her breathing even.

Her cheeks were still flushed, like ripe peaches, which softened his heart.

He straightened up, placed a kiss on her forehead, and his eyes were filled with affection.

Unfortunately, time waits for no one.

According to the rules of the Great Qi Dynasty, the morning court session was held at 5:00 AM, and the time for the morning court session was approaching.

Xie Yizhi reluctantly got up, quickly took a bath, changed into his court robes, and fastened his belt.

The movements were swift and seamless, almost as fast as a galloping horse, as they rushed towards the palace.

So, this master of time management entered the palace hall right on time.

Inside the main hall, the officials stood in order, but the atmosphere of today's court assembly was unusually good.

Xie Qiyu had just punished the ministers of Empress Dowager Du's faction a few days ago, and these people are now silent as cicadas in fear.

Everyone kept their tails between their legs, not daring to even breathe loudly.

As for Empress Dowager Du, last night was the Lantern Festival, and she went to Yuanhua Temple to offer incense and worship Buddha, and then stayed there.

They even sent word that it snowed lightly yesterday evening, making the roads slippery, and that they would return early tomorrow morning.

Xie Qiyu received the letter while having dinner with Xie Zhichen.

He immediately smiled, picked up his pen, and wrote a serious reply.

The letter was earnest and sincere, expressing the hope that Empress Dowager Du could stay at Yuanhua Temple for a while longer and pray for blessings.

After all, Yuanhua Temple is a popular place of worship, and its deities are believed to be efficacious.

It was there that Empress Dowager Du prayed for an heir, and not long after returning to the palace, Consort Lu became pregnant.

All of this is thanks to Empress Dowager Du!

In that case, if Empress Dowager Du could stay a few more days to continue praying for blessings, then the fortunes of the Great Qi royal family's offspring would naturally only increase.

Of course, Xie Qiyu had no intention of letting her return easily, which was exactly what Empress Dowager Du wanted.

Empress Dowager Du received Xie Qiyu's reply while she was in bed in Prince Yan's meditation room.

After the court session ended, Xie Yizhi did not rush to leave, but instead gathered with Xie Qiyu and Xiao Lingchuan.

Last night, Xiao Lingchuan had just finished playing chess with his father, Xiao Chongwen, and upon returning to the palace, he immediately began investigating the emperor's poisoning.

He must investigate this matter thoroughly while Empress Dowager Du is away.

At this moment, inside the main hall, the three sat in a circle, their brows furrowed, the atmosphere heavy.

Xiao Lingchuan said in a deep voice, "I checked all the food in the imperial kitchen last night and found nothing unusual."

Xiao Lingchuan paused, his eyes darkening slightly, and slowly said, "I also went to the Empress Dowager's palace to investigate."

Sure enough, a bottle of medicine was found in a hidden compartment in her palace.

As he spoke, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, gently poured out some powder, and handed it to Xie Qiyu.

"Judge Hu," Xie Qiyu said in a deep voice.

Judge Hu immediately stepped forward, picked up a small amount of the powder, rubbed it between his fingertips, and carefully smelled it.

A moment later, he bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, this is indeed... a medicine for impotence."

The main hall was deathly silent.

Xie Qiyu's expression suddenly darkened, and his fingertips tightened slightly, as if he were grasping a ball of cold air.

It really was Empress Dowager Du! She actually wanted to sever his bloodline!

In contrast, Xie Yizhi remained calm, because Jiang Luoluo had already told him the contents of the book.

He tilted his head slightly, giving Xie Qiyu a reassuring look, his tone low but resolute: "Brother Emperor,"

Empress Dowager Du was not our biological mother at all.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

Xie Qiyu's heart trembled violently.

In fact, he had already vaguely sensed it.

Especially last time, when Xie Yizhi questioned Empress Dowager Du in front of everyone in the main hall.

He noticed the fleeting look and panic in Empress Dowager Du's eyes.

However, a moment of doubt could not outweigh decades of affection and filial piety, making it impossible for him to fully accept this possibility.

However, now that Xie Yizhi has spoken out, the guess he had kept hidden in his heart has finally been exposed, revealing the bloody truth.

He's been filial to his mother for so many years, yet he's dealing with a fake one?

Xie Qiyu felt a desolate feeling in his heart, and even his breathing became cold.

Xiao Lingchuan, standing to the side, couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise. Empress Dowager Du was not the biological mother of Xie Qiyu and Xie Yizhi.

Hu, the court judge, stood in the hall, his head slightly bowed, his expression complex.

He was a veteran official of two dynasties, and he had always known this secret.

Xie Yizhi never asked, nor did he ever say much.

After all, Empress Dowager Du and Consort Shen were very close sisters back then, and the late emperor personally ordered that Empress Dowager Du be allowed to raise Consort Shen's two children.

As a subject, he dared not interfere in the king's affairs, but instead secretly protected the two brothers.

In retrospect, this deep sisterly bond may have concealed a far deeper conspiracy.

Xie Qiyu stared at the bottle of medicine, her fingers tightening slightly, her eyes filled with turbulent emotions.

Self-deprecation, anger, sadness, heartache...

At this moment, he finally saw through Empress Dowager Du's true colors.

Back then, Empress Dowager Du controlled the inner palace and watched helplessly as Consort Lu gave A Yao a labor-inducing drug.

Yet they remain unmoved, and may even tacitly approve of it all.

Over the years, she has been saying that she is thinking about the future of the Great Qi, but behind the scenes she has been doing things that will lead to the extinction of her lineage!

She's simply a wicked old hag who eats people without spitting out the bones!

Seeing Xie Qiyu's pale face, Xie Yizhi gave him a moment to recover.

After a while, he spoke again, his tone calm but powerful enough to stir up a storm.