When the old lady saw Marquis Yongning rushing over, she stood up abruptly. Upon seeing her, Marquis Yongning quickly stepped forward and said, "Mother, it's alright. We've come to tell you about what happened in the palace today."

After listening, the old lady slowly sat down. The Marquis of Yongning then recounted what the emperor had said at the court meeting and who he had spoken to. He then asked the lady of the house to tell her about the empress's affairs.

The Lady of the Marquis was preoccupied with how to reconcile with the Marquis. She had forgotten her earlier anxiety. When the Marquis asked her to speak, she stammered out the story of what had happened in the Empress's palace. The words the Empress had asked her to say to her daughter-in-law were supplemented by the Heir Apparent's wife. The old lady shook her head inwardly when she saw the Lady of the Marquis's appearance. Even the Marquis of Yongning regretted that he should not have chosen such a wife.

The old lady nodded and said, "Alright, I understand. You've all had a long day. Go back quickly, change your clothes, wash up properly, and get some rest. Come over to my place for dinner tonight."

Everyone agreed and then took their leave.

The old lady sat on the daybed, holding the jade ruyi bestowed by the emperor in her hand, gently stroking it, while pondering what the Marquis of Yongning and the others had just told her.

As Emperor Liang Cheng grew older, the position of crown prince remained undecided. Everyone wanted the credit for supporting the new emperor, and in the end, no one could remain unscathed. Even if you were loyal to the emperor, he would eventually abdicate, and a new emperor would ascend the throne. If you didn't pledge allegiance when the new emperor needed your allegiance, what good would come of it for you? Therefore, before a crown prince was appointed, choosing sides was a huge gamble. Choosing the right side brought countless riches and honors, while choosing the wrong side meant utter ruin.

The princes were secretly fighting tooth and nail for their own selfish desires, even using the interests of the country as bargaining chips. On the surface, however, they appeared to be brothers and sisters. The old lady felt that these princes had been abandoned by Emperor Liang Cheng.

The old lady had watched Emperor Liang Cheng grow up since he was a child. As someone who frequently entered and exited the inner palace and had an excellent relationship with the late Empress Dowager, the old lady knew the late emperor's sons very well. Emperor Liang Cheng was the most inconspicuous of the late emperor's sons, but the old lady knew that Emperor Liang Cheng was the best at enduring hardship.

The old lady did not deny that he was a very capable monarch, but she knew that he was also a somewhat demanding person, especially towards those around him. He had high expectations of them. On the surface, he was generous and kind to people, but behind the scenes, he was a very vengeful person. If someone disliked you for even the smallest thing, no matter how much you did afterward, you would never regain his genuine affection.

The old lady had already discerned from recent events that Emperor Liang Cheng was extremely disappointed with his sons. She estimated that these princes who were causing such a ruckus had been excluded from the line of succession to the throne. However, among the other younger princes in the harem, the old lady was unsure which one Emperor Liang Cheng had taken a liking to.

Palace affairs have always been far-reaching, and a single misstep could even lead to the downfall of one's entire clan. Therefore, matters such as the struggle for the throne must be handled with utmost caution.

The old lady looked at the flickering light on the kang table, her mind preoccupied with these matters. At this point, it was no longer just a matter concerning one or two people; it concerned the entire family, even the whole clan. How to proceed required careful planning and a well-thought-out strategy.

The old lady had been to the battlefield and was a decisive person. She either didn't do something at all, or if she did, she would do it to the best of her ability. She didn't have many years left to live, but her children and grandchildren's lives were just beginning. Especially her great-grandson, who was only a few days old. His birth was difficult, and the old lady felt heartbroken whenever she thought about it. She hoped that her children and grandchildren could live happily and peacefully.

Because of the Emperor and Empress's behavior on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people started visiting relatives on the second day, which provided a lot of topics for discussion. These were all people who were good at scheming. They could analyze a very interesting drama from the Emperor's small actions. How could such obvious behavior on the first day of the Lunar New Year not make people think?

While the capital city is bustling with the Spring Festival celebrations, the Hexi area is also very lively.

Although their homes were destroyed, Magistrate Xu assured everyone that as long as they were registered with the government, a new house would be built for them after the spring, according to the details on their property deeds. The house would be a brick and tile house, and the government would cover all the construction costs. They could simply wait to move into their new houses. If they didn't have a house, it didn't matter; they could live in the houses built by the government as long as they paid the required fees each month.

Xu Rao's ideological work was very effective. Although they were short of food and clothing, they still felt happy because they had hope. During the Little New Year, since Zhang Zhaoci was in confinement after childbirth, Madam Li, the wife of Registrar Li, took over the meal. The people who stayed behind made pork and cabbage dumplings together and cooked them in the large iron pots set up in the courtyard. They had a lively meal. Xu Rao made a promise to the villagers that next year, on the Little New Year, everyone would be able to send off the Kitchen God in a spacious and bright new house and celebrate the Little New Year in a lively manner.

After the Lunar New Year, the Northern Di people came to exchange a large amount of supplies for prisoners of war, including gold, silver and jewels, and herds of cattle and sheep. Wei Lang did not want them and sent them all to Xu Rao. Xu Rao put the things in the training ground of the general's mansion and was in a hurry for everyone to come and have a meeting.

Half of the people in Hexi City took the money they received and went to other places to stay with relatives and friends. The rest were settled in the General's Mansion. Although the General's Mansion was large, there were too many people to accommodate. Even the Xu and Li families were arranged to live in the same courtyard, let alone the common people.

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