The British public knew that the Queen would not have summoned him to the palace so urgently if there hadn't been a reason. During this period, the Fourth Prince had become suspicious of his ministers because of the matter of commemorating the late Emperor and establishing a Crown Prince. In order not to attract the Fourth Prince's attention, they all kept to themselves and never got involved in the disputes, lest they anger the Fourth Prince.

The Empress dismissed the palace servants, leaving only the Duke of Yingguo in the main hall. The Duke, naturally surprised, said, “Your Majesty, this is a critical time. In order to assist the Second Prince in ascending to the position of Crown Prince, none of you dare to act rashly. If the Emperor finds out that you have summoned me to the palace at this time, he will surely be displeased with us…”

The Empress sighed and pulled the Duke of England aside, saying urgently, "I need to discuss Hongshi's matter with you..."

Seeing the Queen growing increasingly thin and looking worried, the Duke of England asked anxiously, "What has happened? Tell me slowly..."

The Empress said indignantly, "You probably don't know yet, but His Majesty has decided that when the late Emperor holds a memorial service, Hongli will attend and preside over the main hall in his place..."

The Duke of England turned pale instantly, and asked blankly, "What did you say?"

The Empress sighed, nodded slowly, and continued, "You surely know what this means... How can I not be anxious?"

The Duke of England stood up and paced back and forth in the main hall, frowning sadly. "His Majesty has remained silent about this matter all along, apparently intending to catch us off guard at the crucial moment. It seems His Majesty has made up his mind this time..."

The Empress stood up, anxious and uneasy, and pulled at the British official: "Hongshi must become the Crown Prince. I will never allow the Niohuru clan to step on my head..."

The Duke of England pondered for a while, then helped the Queen to sit down. He assumed the Queen already had a plan, and asked, "Since Your Majesty summoned me, you must have already made your decision..."

The Queen took a deep breath and then told the British public about Lady Fucha's idea.

The Duke of England was greatly alarmed, sharing the same concerns as the Empress. He hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, you must think carefully. If famine leads to popular uprisings, the Qing Dynasty will suffer a severe blow. If Hongshi is unable to suppress them, he will be shooting himself in the foot..."

The Empress, fully aware of the situation, still firmly advised, "For Hongshi's sake, I have no other choice but to take this risk. At worst, more people will die. I will raise enough silver as soon as possible to prepare for future troubles, but all of this requires the Duke of Ying's assistance..."

The Duke of England remained silent for a long time with a somber expression. The Empress, her eyes red with anxiety, burst into tears: "I cannot let the Ulanara family be destroyed in my hands. If Hongshi cannot become the Crown Prince, I will have no hope, and the Ulanara clan will have no chance of rising again..."

The Duke of England glanced at the Empress and reluctantly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter needs careful planning. We must not act rashly, otherwise it will only cause Hongshi to lose to Hongli, which is exactly what Consort Xi wants..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress exclaimed with delight, "So, you've agreed?"

The Duke of England said helplessly, "This method is a bit excessive, but it's not entirely unworkable. Besides, we're in the same boat. How can I sit idly by at this time? Your Majesty, please don't be anxious. Let me plan carefully before making any arrangements..."

The Duke and Queen had been discussing the matter at Jingren Palace until midnight when the Duke secretly left the palace.