Prince Cheng was the Empress Dowager's own son, yet he was punished with forty strokes of the cane simply for bumping into a palace maid, breaking a teacup, and disturbing the Empress Dowager...

Even if you didn't bring your brain into the palace, you could guess that the Empress Dowager was looking for an excuse to beat Prince Cheng.

The real reason why King Cheng was beaten was not as simple as breaking a teacup.

The Empress Dowager couldn't say it aloud, but she couldn't swallow her anger, so she took the opportunity to do something so incomprehensible.

What did Prince Cheng do to anger the Empress Dowager like this?

Shen Wan's intuition told her that the beating of Prince Cheng was related to the Empress Dowager using her pardon to save Prince Jin and poisoning Empress Song.

The old woman gave him a brutal 40 strokes of the cane. Even though Prince Cheng was a martial artist, he was nearly killed. The old woman couldn't bear to watch and said, "Quickly send Prince Cheng back to his residence."

After saying that, he didn't forget to remind him, "Remember to call the imperial physician for King Cheng."

The two eunuchs helped the Prince Cheng, whose skin was torn and bleeding, off the bench. They pulled at his wounds, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge in pain.

Xie Jingyan and Shen Wan made way for King Cheng as he was helped out of Shou Kang Palace.

But just as he turned his gaze away, a figure in bright yellow walked in.

The Empress Dowager punished Prince Cheng with a cane, giving him forty strokes of the cane. This was no small matter, and the Emperor would surely come to inquire about it when he found out. However, by then it was too late, as Prince Cheng was about to leave after receiving his punishment.

The Emperor was surprised to see Xie Jingyan and Shen Wan there. The two bowed to the Emperor, who asked, "What are you doing at Shou Kang Palace?"

Xie Jingyan said, "I've come to visit the Empress Dowager."

The Emperor said, "You're all I need to do. Why did you bring the Princess Consort along?"

The Empress Dowager was still ill, and Shen Wan was six months pregnant. The Emperor was afraid that the Empress Dowager's illness would affect her.

Whether Shen Wan comes to visit the Empress Dowager or not, it won't make a difference to the Empress Dowager, but if it affects the eldest grandson in her womb, the Emperor will probably really give Xie Jingyan a beating.

However, since Shen Wan had already arrived, the Emperor would not stop her from showing her filial piety. The two followed the Emperor into the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

The Empress Dowager leaned against the large peony-patterned pillow, her face ashen. Imperial Physician Zhao was taking her pulse when the Emperor approached and asked, "How is the Empress Dowager's condition?"

Zhao Yuanzheng stood up and replied, "The Empress Dowager is so angry that she is deeply distressed and needs to rest. During this time, she must avoid getting angry."

Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan exchanged a glance.

I never expected the Empress Dowager to anger me to this extent.

The problem is that no one knows why the Empress Dowager is so angry...

The Emperor is very tired.

He stopped the Empress Dowager from executing the Empress, which meant the agreement between the Empress Dowager and the Empress was null and void. He returned the pardon to the Empress Dowager afterward, but she still refused to accept it and didn't mention executing Prince Jin again. The Empress Dowager also didn't take the opportunity to force him to make the eldest prince the crown prince. In short, everything was abnormal, and he got so angry that he fell ill.

Although the Emperor did not provide for the Empress Dowager with the resources of the entire nation, he always respected her greatly. Seeing the Empress Dowager's sickly appearance, the Emperor felt sorry for her.

The Emperor said, "If the Empress Dowager has anything to say, just tell me. I will definitely share her burdens."

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, tears glistening in her eyes. Shen Wan stood to the side watching, wondering if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the Empress Dowager's gaze towards the Emperor carried a hint of guilt. However, when she blinked, wanting to see more clearly, the Empress Dowager had already looked away.

The Empress Dowager said, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so please don't worry about me."

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Xie Jingyan, and she said, "Prince Ling has already married and had children. He has reached the age where he can share the burden of state affairs with the Emperor. The Emperor should not overwork himself. Let Prince Ling handle some matters for you."

The Empress Dowager's voice was somewhat weak, but everyone heard what she said.

Shen Wan's eyes widened. The Empress Dowager was actually speaking up for Xie Jingyan in front of the Emperor, asking Xie Jingyan to help the Emperor share the burden of state affairs. This was something that Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan had never dreamed of.

They did save the eldest prince, but that shouldn't have made the Empress Dowager so fond of them. Xie Jingyin was kicked out of the game and could no longer compete with the eldest prince for the position of crown prince, but Xie Jingyan still had many supporters in the court, and they had not explicitly expressed any interest in the position of crown prince.

Anyone vying for that position will inevitably find themselves at odds with the eldest prince.

They knew this, and so did the Empress Dowager.

The eldest prince's injury will take at least a month to heal, yet the Empress Dowager is urging the Emperor to give Xie Jingyan an important position. Isn't the Empress Dowager afraid that Xie Jingyan will take the opportunity to grow powerful?

Shen Wan's gaze swept over Zhao Mama, who also looked surprised. Even as the Empress Dowager's confidante, she couldn't guess the Empress Dowager's intentions.

The Emperor glanced at Xie Jingyan, his brows furrowing slightly.

It wasn't that the emperor didn't want to order his son around; it was just that he had tried many times, but to no avail.

However, it was truly rare for the Empress Dowager to say such a thing.

The Empress Dowager asked, "Prince Ling and the heir of Prince Yanping have rendered meritorious service in saving the First Prince. Has His Majesty rewarded them?"

Not yet.

The eldest prince was seriously injured and there was no guarantee he could be saved. The emperor and empress dowager were not in the mood to reward Xie Jingyan and the heir of the Prince of Yanping. In addition, the eldest prince was at the Prince of Ling's residence, and Xie Jingyan did not allow any outsiders to enter the residence. There was no reason to receive the reward at the gate if it was sent to the Prince of Ling's residence. So the matter was put aside for the time being.

It's just a matter of rewarding merit; a delay of ten days or half a month won't matter.

The Empress Dowager looked at Xie Jingyan and said, "To be able to guess that the Crown Prince might be in trouble just from a piece of silk, such intelligence is unparalleled. The Crown Prince was able to escape this calamity thanks in no small part to Prince Ling. I don't know what you like, so go to the storeroom and choose for yourselves."

The Emperor chuckled, "Let them choose from the storeroom. Isn't the Empress Dowager afraid they'll empty your storeroom?"

The Empress Dowager said weakly, "These are all things that you can't take with you when you die. If they like them, they can take them."

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