Chapter 83

The palace servants remained silent, thinking that the Empress Dowager was quite shameless. Knowing the answer, she still dared to ask. Wasn't she just inviting humiliation?

How much affection does His Majesty have for his birth mother, the Empress Dowager? Everyone in the palace knows perfectly well.

The Empress Dowager choked, her face turning pale and then red!

"Fine, if he won't come, then I, his birth mother, will go to pay my respects to him myself, so that the world can see how filial His Majesty is!"

The palace servants remained silent; no one dared to agree or offer any advice, leaving the Empress Dowager to perform a one-woman show.

In any case, the Empress Dowager has to bear the consequences of her own actions. Every time, she gets thoroughly dealt with by His Majesty. Why bother?

Empress Dowager Liang felt both hatred and sorrow.

Even when Consort Shu was still alive, she was never so aggrieved; at least the late emperor was still willing to give her, the empress, some dignity.

Now, her good son seems to want to trample on his own mother's face at all times, making her lose all face.

What a wicked child!

In the end, the Empress Dowager could only walk toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation with a sullen face.

No matter what, she had to ask that cold-blooded monster: even the Prince of Li had yielded so much, why couldn't he still spare his life?

He killed his own brother; wasn't he afraid of being struck by lightning?

As long as the Empress Dowager didn't intend to leave the palace, the palace servants would let her do whatever she wanted.

When the Empress Dowager arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Chengyuan was still discussing with his cabinet ministers measures to deal with the floods that had occurred in many places due to the spring floods.

Mo Zhi came out and invited the Empress Dowager to rest in a side hall.

The Empress Dowager coldly looked at the seemingly refined scholar beside Emperor Chengyuan, who was actually a ruthless lackey, and couldn't help but say sarcastically, "How could I let Eunuch Mo trouble himself?"

Mo Zhi seemed not to understand, and smiled gently and respectfully, "It is my honor to serve Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager was rebuffed, and her expression darkened even further.

There isn't a single good person around Yuwen Yu!

Floods have occurred in many areas?

Who knows if it was Heaven's displeasure with this cruel and unjust tyrant who harmed his own relatives, that led to this punishment?

If he had any conscience, he should issue an edict of self-reproach and abdicate as soon as possible.

Because of Prince Li's death, the Empress Dowager was no longer willing to back down.

Do you really think she has no temper and won't fight back?

Otherwise, wouldn't Qinghe be the next one to die?

The emperor is too cruel!

Prince Li, my Jin'er!

Mo Zhi looked at the resentment on the Empress Dowager's face, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and felt extremely mocking.

No one knows what kind of bewitching potion the deposed crown prince and Prince Li gave her, that made her willing to turn against her own son for their sake, and even want his life.

What an irony it is to have such a birth mother.

However, Mo Zhi remained silent. After all, she was the emperor's birth mother, and they, as his subjects, could not disrespect her.

Only His Majesty can deal with the Empress Dowager.

Oh, and perhaps soon, there will be the Empress.

After the Empress Dowager had drunk her fill of tea in the side hall, Emperor Chengyuan finally arrived late.

"What business does the Empress Dowager have with me?"

The emperor sat on the throne, his voice gentle and smiling, but in reality, no emotion could be detected.

The Empress Dowager was furious, feeling that her unfilial son was truly unfilial. But before she could get angry, she met the Emperor's ambiguous smile and choked up instantly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

This tyrannical son had left a very deep shadow on her.

The Empress Dowager paused, her eyes red and filled with extreme distress. "Emperor, how could Prince Li have suddenly met with this?"

Emperor Chengyuan said regretfully, "I didn't know either. I've already sent the Eastern Depot to investigate."

If the emperor himself killed him, what could the Eastern Depot possibly find out?

The Empress Dowager was roaring inwardly, but dared not utter it aloud.

Emperor Chengyuan asked very understandingly, "Does Your Majesty distrust the Eastern Depot? Or, I can have the Court of Judicial Review investigate. Your Majesty's own nephew, the heir of the Duke of Liang, is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, isn't he? I believe my cousin will definitely be able to find out the truth and put Your Majesty's mind at ease."

Empress Dowager Liang's expression changed drastically. She feared that the emperor was deliberately setting a trap for her nephew, or even that he wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate the Duke of Liang's family.

Don't ask how Empress Dowager Liang knew.

Although she never truly understood her own son, she was acutely aware of his ruthlessness, cold-heartedness, and ingratitude towards his family.

His sudden mention of his maternal family was never without reason.

Empress Dowager Liang wanted to find out the cause of Prince Li's death and avenge him, but she could not ignore her own family.

Empress Dowager Liang suppressed the chill and hatred in her heart, "No, no need. The Eastern Depot has always been experienced in handling cases. With them investigating, I am very at ease. Liang Bo is still young after all, and I'm afraid he is not up to the task."

Emperor Chengyuan twirled the jade thumb ring on his hand. "Mother, you underestimate Cousin Liang. His abilities were highly appreciated by the late Emperor and the deposed Crown Prince back then."

Empress Dowager Liang's heart leaped, and she said blankly, "Your Majesty, you flatter him."

"Since Prince Li is a royal prince, it would be safer to let the Eastern Depot take over!"

Emperor Chengyuan expressed his regret, as he had originally intended to give Cousin Liang a chance to make meritorious contributions so that he could be promoted!

Empress Dowager Liang: Hehe!

Don't think she didn't know that the emperor had absolutely no goodwill towards her maternal grandparents' family.

Back then, the Duke of Liang also wholeheartedly supported the removal of the crown prince and never showed any affection for his own grandson.

But what can they do?

The deposed crown prince was the legitimate heir, the one on whom the late emperor placed great hopes. There was a distinction between the noble and the lowly, and even the legitimate prince should not surpass him.

If she and the Duke of Liang's family wanted to live peacefully, they had no choice but to side with the Crown Prince.

What right did the emperor have to resent them?

Emperor Chengyuan seemed to hear the Empress Dowager's thoughts and suddenly laughed, "Mother gave birth to me, but only for the sake of the Empress's position and the Duke of Liang's mansion. She sold me out and watched me being bullied and suppressed. How could I resent Mother?"

Empress Dowager Liang's face paled. "Alas, I..."

Emperor Chengyuan suddenly changed the subject, saying ambiguously, "The Empress Dowager has changed the spices recently, and the flavor is quite elegant."

Empress Dowager Liang's pupils constricted, her heart filled with horror, and she tried her best to calm herself down.

"It was just a new spice I mixed out when I had nothing else to do. Why would the emperor suddenly ask about this?"

"It's nothing," Emperor Chengyuan said with a smile to the Empress Dowager. "Your Majesty has always been knowledgeable in incense making. I heard that the incense used in the Buddhist hall of Cining Palace was also personally blended by Your Majesty. It seems that Your Majesty does not use the sandalwood incense from the palace?"

If Empress Dowager Liang hadn't been gripping the armrests of the chair tightly, she would have slid off.

Does he know?

How could that be?

They did it so discreetly?

Even the imperial physicians in the palace didn't recognize that kind of exotic flower.

Emperor Chengyuan clapped his hands, and Mo Zhi presented a box of sandalwood.

"This is incense presented as tribute by Tibetan lamas. It is said that the chief lama personally blended it and it can communicate with the Buddha. Today, I will present it to my mother as a token of my respect, hoping that it will grant her wishes."

Emperor Chengyuan said slowly and deliberately, "I will instruct the palace servants to offer this to the Empress Dowager every day. The Empress Dowager must pray diligently before the Buddha."