There was an uproar in the palace about the fact that Zhao Zixu had been poisoned and was dying. Many officials knelt in front of the Purple Palace and asked to see Zhao Zixu to verify the truth. In the end, it was the Minister of the Chancellery who stepped in and persuaded the officials to go back.

Zhao Zixu ordered the release of the evidence that Prince Qinghe had murdered the Northern Border Huo family army for his own selfish reasons, and at the same time issued an imperial edict to overturn the verdict on the Northern Border army and the Huo family.

As soon as this incident happened, it caused an uproar in the capital.

Naturally, this matter also reached the ears of the Queen Mother.

Before the late emperor ascended the throne, Prince Qinghe had lived in the Ying Palace for several years. The Queen Mother, then still the Ying Princess, had shown considerable care for her brother-in-law, and the relationship between them was excellent. After the late emperor's death, Prince Qinghe diligently assisted Zhao Zixu, and the Queen Mother placed even greater trust in him. If he had framed the Huo family in the northern border, she would have been the first to disbelieve it.

She was about to go to Xiangning Palace to ask Zhao Zixu for clarification, but she found that many imperial guards were stationed in Cining Palace and would not let her leave. When the empress dowager inquired, she learned that the imperial guards were keeping her under house arrest on the orders of Zhao Zixu.

The Queen Mother was confused and angry. She smashed more than twenty vases in the bedroom and kept yelling at the imperial guards to invite Zhao Zixu over. She wanted to ask her good emperor why he placed her mother under house arrest.

The imperial guards were under orders not to let the empress dowager leave Cining Palace, so they had no choice but to send someone to Xiangning Palace to report to Zhao Zixu.

It was half a day later that Zhao Zixu arrived at Cining Palace.

The black spots on his lips had disappeared, but there was no color left. There was almost no sign of poisoning, and it looked more like he was seriously ill.

He dismissed the guards at the door and walked into the hall alone.

"Mother." Zhao Zixu called the Queen Mother lightly. This was the last time he called her that. He would never have the chance to call her 'Mother' again.

Today, he came to say goodbye to his mother and tell her everything.

"Mother, Xi'er is here to say goodbye to you. I will die soon, and I want to see you one last time before I die. There are some things I want to explain to you clearly."

The Queen Mother was stunned, her attention was all focused on Zhao Zixu's words that he would die soon.

"Mother, I was poisoned not long after I ascended the throne. It was a rare poison with no cure." Zhao Zixu said softly, his face very calm.

"What? Impossible?" The Queen Mother exclaimed, thinking she had misheard. She rushed forward and grabbed Zhao Zixu, wanting to check on him. "Xi'er, are you trying to coax your mother?"

Zhao Zixu looked at the Queen Mother and shook his head slightly, "No."

Hearing the word "no", the empress dowager stared at Zhao Zixu in a daze, her eyes dull, her legs suddenly went weak, and she fell to the ground.

Zhao Zixu slowly squatted down and tried to help the Queen Mother up, but she brushed his hand away and said in disbelief, "That's not true, is it? You're lying to me, aren't you?"

Zhao Zixu did not continue to help the Queen Mother up, but simply sat cross-legged and told her all his plans over the years, as well as how Prince Qinghe had poisoned him, murdered his two princes, and planned a rebellion.

After listening to Zhao Zixu's story, the Queen Mother was so shocked that she couldn't say anything.

"Mother, I will kill the emperor's uncle and give an explanation to the Huo family army, Yan'er, Feng'er, and everyone in the world."

Zhao Zixu stood up, took one last reluctant look at his mother, and walked out of the Cining Palace.

"Xi'er, Xi'er..."

The empress dowager suddenly stood up and chased after Zhao Zixu, but was stopped by the imperial guards as soon as she reached the door.

"Xi'er, Xi'er——"

The Queen Mother burst into tears, crying and shouting heart-wrenchingly, calling Zhao Zixu's nickname, stretching out her hands to grab Zhao Zixu and not let him leave.

"Xi'er, don't go, don't go! Xi'er, Xi'er——"

Zhao Zixu suddenly stopped and glanced at the Queen Mother from the corner of his eye. It was just a quick glance, and he finally turned his head away, not daring to look at the Queen Mother again.

Tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes, wetting his pale and handsome face.

…

Zhao Zixu not only placed the empress dowager under house arrest, but also had Princess Xinyang imprisoned in the palace and guarded by his confidants.

"Go quickly! Summon Hua Fushu to me. I want to see her!" Princess Xinyang ordered the people guarding her in a domineering manner. She only wanted to see Hua Fushu now. She must see her!

The guard relayed Princess Xinyang's words to Zhao Zixu, but Zhao Zixu turned his gaze to Hua Fushu and said, "Madam Hua, just answer the princess's questions truthfully."

"Yes." Hua Fushu bowed slightly, then followed the palace servants to Princess Xinyang's bedroom.

Princess Xinyang's bedroom was called Xiangluan Pavilion. It was magnificent with carved beams and painted buildings. A palace attendant led Hua Fushu to the inner hall. Hua Fushu bowed to Princess Xinyang and said, "Greetings, Princess."

Princess Xinyang saw Hua Fushu and ran over with her skirt lifted. She said anxiously, "Hua Fushu, as long as you can save my brother, I can give you anything you want."

Hua Fushu said truthfully, "Your Highness, I can't save His Majesty. His Majesty is too deeply poisoned and there is no cure. The pills I prepared for His Majesty can only temporarily suppress the toxins in his body and buy His Majesty a few more days."

Princess Xinyang didn't believe Hua Fushu's words at all, and was certain that he was deliberately deceiving her. "You are the disciple of the world's number one doctor, how could you not save my brother? Or do you simply not want to save my brother?"

Hua Fushu sighed, "Princess, if His Majesty still has a glimmer of hope, I will do everything in my power to save His Majesty."

Princess Xinyang turned around and frantically searched for something in her bedroom. Finally, she saw a fruit-peeling knife on the table not far away. She picked up the knife, strode over, pointed at Hua Fushu, and threatened, "I don't care, you must save my brother! Otherwise, I will kill you!"

Her hand holding the fruit knife trembled for a moment, but she still pointed at Hua Fushu, "No, you must save my brother."

Hua Fushu sighed softly, "Princess, before I came here, His Majesty told me to answer you truthfully no matter what you ask."

With a bang, the fruit knife fell to the ground. Princess Xinyang was completely stunned. Although she had heard that her brother would not live long, she still found it hard to believe when she heard Hua Fushu say with her own ears that her brother really was going to die soon.

She would rather hope that Hua Fushu was lying to her.

Princess Xinyang seemed to have grasped at the last straw. She grabbed Hua Fushu's hand and begged, "Hua Fushu, I will never miss Brother Lin again. Can you please save my brother?"

"Princess, I really can't do anything." Hua Fushu said helplessly.

"No, my brother won't die. My brother won't die!!"

Princess Xinyang covered her ears, shook her head desperately, slowly squatted down, and cried bitterly.

Hua Fushu looked at Princess Xinyang, not knowing what to say. She knew the pain of losing a loved one.

When Hua Fushu left Xiangluan Pavilion, Princess Xinyang's desperate and painful cries continued.

…

The next day, Prince Qinghe launched a palace coup, led his army into the imperial city, and killed their way to the front of the Zichen Palace.