After taking a sip of tea, He Zhuo stared intently at his mother.

Irgen felt that his wife was very uncomfortable being looked at like that by her daughter, and asked, "Is there something wrong, Mother?"

He Zhuo hesitated and said, "Mother, if I say something wrong, you won't blame me, will you?"

Lady Irgen Gioro's heart pounded, worried that something bad was about to happen. Lately, her family had been plagued by bad luck, and she was determined to go to the temple to offer incense when she got back.

Before Lady Irgen Gioro could answer or refuse,

He Zhuo continued, "I know that as a married woman, I can no longer concern myself with my brothers' affairs. However, I have been closest to my sixth and fifth brothers since childhood, so I can't help but think of them a little more. Please don't blame me, Mother."

Lady Irgen Gioro frowned slightly, thinking to herself that this daughter never interfered in family affairs and was always very sensible. Was she going to meddle in her brother's affairs?

However, she still said, "Our Manchu grandmothers are naturally different from Han women. Just say what you have to say."

He Zhuo noticed Lady Irgen Gioro's displeasure, but continued, "Mother, please don't misunderstand. I don't mean to interfere in my brothers' marriages. Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers."

Lady Irgen Gioro's brow unfurrowed; as long as she didn't interfere in her son's marriage, that was fine.

Seeing that his mother's brows had relaxed, He Zhuo continued, "Previously, Mother was very worried about my brothers' marriages, saying that they were already of marriageable age but had not yet been engaged, which was very distressing."

Since her marriage, my daughter has had several children and has come to understand the hardships her parents endured in raising them and the difficulties of managing a household. Mother, thank you for your hard work.

Living a good life is largely about managing money.

He Zhuo started playing the emotional card, which softened Lady Irgen Gioro's heart. It wasn't easy for her to maintain such a large family. As the clan chief's wife, in addition to managing her own family's affairs, she sometimes had to help resolve disputes within the clan.

Seeing that his wife's expression had softened, He Zhuo struck her with a hammer.

"Daughter, if I may be so bold, it seems that Father's reinstatement is unlikely this time."

Lady Irgen Gioro's face was somewhat pale as she tightly gripped her daughter's hand: "Have you heard any rumors?"

Lady Irgen Gioro and her husband had been married for many years and naturally had a deep affection for each other.

Moreover, she was worried that her husband's affairs would affect her children. After all, having someone in the family makes it easier to get an official position. With her husband being the Minister of Revenue, her three sons had very smooth career paths.

Now that her husband has been brought down, he might be tripped up by others, and her three eldest sons can't afford to suffer because of this.

Hezhuo opened Lady Irgen Gioro's hand and gestured for Granny Shi to bring her a cup of hot tea: "Mother, have some tea first, and let your daughter tell you slowly."

Lady Irgen Gioro acted rashly. Having been a mistress for many years, she quickly realized she had lost her composure.

Besides visiting her daughter, she came to the palace to ask about her husband.

"Mother, I've heard some things about Father. Our family has been incredibly prosperous these past two years, enjoying immense favor and privilege. How could it not arouse jealousy? And I've even given birth to two grandsons for the Emperor in the palace. But as they say, what goes up must come down, Mother."

Lady Irgen Gioro's hand trembled slightly as she held the teacup: "This, this..."

"Mother, there's no need to worry too much. Father and brothers are cautious and haven't done anything heinous. How many people in officialdom have clean hands? These things won't matter."

Father Emperor will surely launch another western campaign, so what he needs is stability in the court. Moreover, I believe Father Emperor is a benevolent ruler; all I need is for him to voluntarily relinquish his official duties, retire peacefully, and not participate in the court's factional struggles.

Lady Irgen Gioro listened politely to her daughter's analysis, but still held a sliver of hope: "Is it really no use?"

He Zhuo looked at her firmly and shook his head: "No."