When news of the Empress Dowager's death arrived, the Emperor was in the Imperial Study processing the ministers' memorials.

News from the palace reached the outside world overnight. The next day, instead of holding the morning court, memorials pleading for the Empress Dowager flooded into the Emperor's study like snowflakes.

Before the emperor could figure out how to deal with the ministers' anger, news of the empress dowager's death suddenly appeared before him.

Zhou Anyuan looked at the stunned Jun Zhe and hurriedly asked the little eunuch who came to report, "When did this happen?"

"The imperial physician went to see her and said it was probably last night. When the palace maid who was serving her knocked on the door in the morning, no one answered. The maid didn't dare to go in and waited until noon before she mustered up the courage to push the door open and found that the Empress Dowager had passed away."

Last night.

Not long after he left, the Empress Dowager...

"What caused the Empress Dowager's death? Has it been found out?" Jun Zhe asked as he walked, while Zhou Anyuan's family ordered a sedan chair to be prepared.

"It seems they drank the water from the Mandarin Duck Incense Burner."

Jun Zhe paused, for it was the water the Empress Dowager had originally intended to poison him, but unexpectedly, it ended up poisoning her own body.

...

Xiankun Palace.

Jun Zhe and Linghu Lan stood side by side. The Empress Dowager's body had been placed in a coffin made of golden nanmu wood. After being skillfully decorated by the palace maids, the fierceness on her face had faded, and her expression was serene and solemn.

"How do you plan to settle the Empress Dowager?" Linghu Lan asked Jun Zhe softly.

"Bury her with the rites due to an Empress Dowager, and bury her in the Imperial Concubine's Mausoleum." Jun Zhe looked at the Empress Dowager's coffin with a somber expression.

With the Empress Dowager dead, the hatred of the past faded, and what remained in his mind were the joyful scenes of motherly love and filial piety. Jun Zhe could not muster a trace of hatred for her, only a sense of sorrow.

Linghu Lan said softly, "If it weren't for the Empress Dowager, you might not have been able to win in the palace's intrigues. No matter how many mistakes she made, she ultimately pushed you to the throne. I don't believe she didn't care about you. Your arrangement is reasonable and appropriate, and there's nothing wrong with it. The Empress Dowager's death has nothing to do with you, so you don't need to blame yourself for it."

Having weathered so many storms, the Empress Dowager would naturally have found a way to survive if she wanted to. Since she was determined to die, then her fate had come.

Jun Zhe nodded, gently took Linghu Lan's hand, and was unwilling to let go.

"If one day I die, would you be willing to be buried with me?"

Linghu Lan didn't shy away from talking about life and death, and smiled: "To share the same bed and the same 'burial chamber' is my wish."

Jun Zhe was at peace. He knelt quietly before the Empress Dowager's coffin and kowtowed three times. He had repaid all his debts and the grudges of this life were settled. He wished her peace and joy in her next life, free from strife.

...

After the Empress Dowager's funeral was completed.

The case involving the Prince of Qinyang's residence has been concluded. The culprit was identified as Zhao Da, the steward of the Prince's residence, who deceived his superiors and colluded with local thugs to oppress the people. He was sentenced to death and to be executed in the autumn. The Prince of Qinyang was also found guilty of lax discipline, resulting in such a wicked servant in his household. He was ordered to return the occupied land and compensate the farmers for a year's losses. The Prince's residence was fined three years' salary, and its officials were demoted one rank…

For the Prince of Qinyang, this was nothing short of an act of leniency, a punishment far too lenient. He immediately submitted a memorial of gratitude, and his family happily left prison and returned to the Prince's residence.

This narrow escape from death is all thanks to good fortune. Fortunately, the Empress was there to support us in the palace. The Emperor remembered the Empress and did not punish the Prince of Qinyang's residence too severely. This shows that His Majesty values ​​the Empress very much, which makes me very happy.