Disaster relief is something that cannot be delayed.

Furthermore, even if the emperor believed Xie Jingyan's words, the civil and military officials would not.

The Emperor looked at Xie Jingyan and asked, "Is there a way to have the best of both worlds?"

Xie Jingyan said, "Yes, send me to Wangzhou for disaster relief."

"If the claim of disaster in Wangzhou is false, King Cheng will certainly not dare to send me there."

The Emperor looked at Xie Jingyan and said, "It seems that even if Father hadn't summoned you, you would have come to the palace to take on this task."

Xie Jingyan did not deny it, which meant he tacitly agreed.

At this moment, Xiao Xizi came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has arrived."

Almost as soon as Xiao Xizi finished reporting, the Empress Dowager went into the Imperial Study. The Emperor stood up and asked, "Why has the Empress Dowager come to the Imperial Study?"

The Empress Dowager, unaware that Xie Jingyan was also present, frowned slightly and asked, "You want to change the fiefdom for Prince Cheng?"

The Emperor said, "I will give Prince Cheng a better fiefdom, but the Empress Dowager is unwilling?"

The Empress Dowager said, "I have no objection, but just now Prince Cheng came to me and said that he had consulted a master who said that his fiefdom should be in the north and Yuzhou in the south. He didn't dare to say this in court."

"Wangzhou is already very good. It's just a flood. To change the fiefdom is indeed making a mountain out of a molehill. I know that the Emperor is doing this for the good of Prince Cheng. Since Prince Cheng himself does not want to change, let's do as he wishes."

If the emperor believed nine-tenths of what was said in court, now he was completely convinced that there were iron mines in Wangzhou.

The Emperor said, "Won't the Empress Dowager ask me why I insisted on changing the fiefdom for Prince Cheng?"

The Empress Dowager said, "Isn't His Majesty worried that Prince Cheng is concerned about the disaster in Wangzhou?"

The Emperor said, "I have received a secret report that there is a gold mine in Wangzhou."

The Emperor turned around, took the memorial from the dragon desk, and handed it to the Empress Dowager for review.

Xie Jingyan stood aside, raising an eyebrow. His father hadn't mentioned iron ore, but gold ore, and had even prepared a memorial. It seemed his father didn't trust Prince Cheng as much as he thought.

After reviewing the secret report, the Empress Dowager said, "If Wangzhou really has gold mines, it is indeed not suitable as a fief for Prince Cheng. It would be better to change it, but don't give him Yuzhou. Change it to a place in the north."

The Emperor said, "The northern fiefdoms are no match for Wangzhou."

The Empress Dowager didn't take it seriously, saying, "Your elder brother usually rewards him more; he won't be short of a few measly fiefdoms."

"The Empress Dowager is right."

After finishing her business, the Empress Dowager returned to Shou Kang Palace.

After the Empress Dowager left, Xie Jingyan looked at the Emperor and asked, "Why didn't Father tell the Empress Dowager the truth? Does he not even trust her anymore?"

The Emperor frowned and said, "I'm afraid the Empress Dowager will worry!"

Xie Jingyan asked curiously, "What is there for the Empress Dowager to worry about?"

Normally, he wouldn't say a word more than necessary to his father, but today he had an unusually large number of questions.

The Emperor did not want to say more, but still answered, "The royal family is not close-knit, and it is common for brothers to kill each other. The Empress Dowager has always been afraid that I and Prince Cheng would develop a rift."

Xie Jingyan found it amusing. "Is this something that the Empress Dowager would rather not have happened?"

“Prince Cheng secretly opened an iron mine and lied about a disaster in his fiefdom to embezzle money and grain from the national treasury. Can Father still trust him as before?”

The Emperor's face darkened as he said, "The extent of the disaster has not yet been determined."

Xie Jingyan said, "The royal family's affection is weak because the concubines are vying for favor and the princes are vying for the position of crown prince. Driven by interests, they cannot be close. Father Emperor and Prince Cheng are both born to the Empress Dowager. Why does the Empress Dowager have such concerns? No one in this world understands Father Emperor and Prince Cheng better than the Empress Dowager. Her concerns are not unfounded. I'm afraid that Father Emperor and Prince Cheng have already developed a rift."