Chapter 756 Gathering - The Emperor's Scheme

The Empress never expected the Emperor to ask this question. Could it be that the Emperor suspected that she had poisoned him?

Even though her heart was filled with turmoil, the Empress had to maintain a calm demeanor and replied, "How could I possibly know something that even Your Majesty doesn't know?"

The Empress chuckled awkwardly, and seeing her so cautious, the Emperor couldn't help but sigh.

In the end, the empress still distanced herself from him!

"I only wish to ask the Empress to help me think about who has access to my daily diet."

The Empress's worries subsided considerably after the Emperor said these words.

"His Majesty's meals have always been handled by the Imperial Kitchen. The people in the Imperial Kitchen are always reliable and would never make a mistake, so the problem must be outside the Imperial Kitchen."

"The Imperial Kitchen prepares the meals and delivers them to His Majesty as soon as possible. So, if someone wanted to tamper with His Majesty's food without being detected, the only way would be..."

As the empress analyzed the situation, she carefully considered who was most likely to be the one who could poison the emperor right under his nose.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of someone, the Empress's pupils contracted sharply, and she looked on with disbelief.

"It seems the Empress has also thought of this!"

The emperor could tell from the empress's expression that she had finally figured out the key point.

"Your Majesty, perhaps things are not as they seem. Perhaps someone has framed us."

Among the many concubines in the harem, besides the Empress, Consort Sun had the highest status. Moreover, Consort Sun was very favored by the Emperor. If someone wanted to drug the Emperor, who else could it be but her?

Even though she knew it was Consort Sun, the Empress did not want her to be punished.

Now, not only has the Fourth Prince become Consort Liu's adopted son, but the Liu family has also betrothed Princess Ruyue to the Fourth Prince. It is said that once Princess Ruyue comes of age, the two will get married.

For so many years, Consort Liu had been subservient to her, yet she had secretly plotted against them and their son. Given this deep-seated hatred, how could the Empress allow her to have her way?

If the Empress didn't want Consort Liu to get her way, she had to protect Consort Sun, so the Empress reacted instantly.

"Framed?"

The emperor sneered inwardly. The mother and son had done similar things before, so who could frame him?

However, since the Empress thought this person was a good person, the Emperor did not want to say anything more about the matter.

"Whether it's a frame-up or not, I will send people to investigate."

The emperor ended the conversation and then asked, "The empress only has one son. Has she ever considered having another son by her side?"

The moment the emperor uttered these words, the empress immediately became alert.

The emperor has not had any more children over the years, and it is obvious to everyone that this is the emperor's fault.

But why did the emperor bring this up at this time?

"I am already this old, and even if I wanted to have another child, I am afraid I would be willing but unable."

The empress wore a smile, occasionally revealing a hint of shyness, but in her heart she had already cursed the emperor a hundred times over.

The emperor, of course, was unaware that the empress was secretly cursing him, and upon hearing this, he burst into hearty laughter.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. We're all old enough to be grandparents, so having children is naturally out of the question."

Seeing the emperor laughing so happily, the empress felt extremely uncomfortable.

Doesn't this mean she's too old to have children? Since you already know that, what's the point of asking on purpose? Are you trying to embarrass yourself?

“Your Majesty is right. I am already of grandmother age, how could I possibly have another child?”

The Empress smiled in acknowledgment, but her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

As the mother of the nation, the empress believed she had fulfilled all her responsibilities, but in the end, even her own son had to be sent to her maternal home. How tragic!

The emperor ignored the empress's thoughts and directly stated his purpose.

"Actually, there is something I haven't told the Empress yet. It is about the child that Consort Yun gave birth to. I have had it found."

Sure enough, the emperor was looking for that wretched woman's child.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the empress's eyes darted around, and she quickly revealed a look of doubt.

"Consort Yun's child? Didn't that child die shortly after birth?"

The Empress, having spent so many years in the palace, is truly a master at feigning ignorance.

"Some things happened back then. Although we don't know why that child is still alive, we can be sure that the child that Consort Yun gave birth to is still alive."

The emperor would naturally not tell the empress the whole story. The reason he told her about it today was because he had made his best plan: to register Gu Renjie under the empress's name and make him the legitimate heir.

The Empress had thought of everything the Emperor could think of. Meeting the Emperor's burning gaze, the Empress really hoped she could pretend to be stupid and get away with it, but as it turned out, she could not pretend to be stupid this time.

"Does Your Majesty intend to bring that child back?"

The Empress was finally on the right track, and the Emperor nodded with a smile.

"That's right, I want to acknowledge that child back. Not only that, I want the Empress to be his mother. What does the Empress think?"

The Empress wanted to curse after hearing the Emperor's words. It turned out that after all that talk, the Emperor just wanted to make that bastard's son the legitimate heir.

“Your Majesty, I am in charge of the entire harem. This child has grown up outside and will need to be properly taught when he returns. I am very busy and I am afraid that I will be willing but unable to do so.”

The Empress directly and tactfully rejected the Emperor's proposal. If there was anyone besides her own son whom the Empress least wanted to become Emperor, it would undoubtedly be Consort Yun's son.

The Emperor seemed to have anticipated the Empress's response. After she refused, he said without any surprise, "If the affairs of the inner palace are truly too busy, they can be shared with Consort Liu. As for the child's education, the Empress need not worry at all. The Empress can simply focus on being the readily available mother."

The emperor's words almost made the empress want to slap him.

What do you mean by being a ready-made mother? Why don't you just be a ready-made father?

Despite her displeasure, the Empress had no choice but to agree once the words had been spoken.

"Since Your Majesty has said so, I naturally have no reason to refuse. It's just that this child..."

The Empress paused for a moment, then continued, "I wonder what kind of family she was raised in, and how Your Majesty found her."

The Empress was indirectly trying to find out information about Gu Renjie, but the Emperor did not intend to say anything more about it.

"That child has a good life and a good upbringing; he's a decent kid."

Their living conditions were not bad, and their family education was good, so they didn't grow up in a rural village. The Empress drew a rough outline in her mind and had a general idea.

Her mind raced, and the Empress quickly rose and bowed to the Emperor again, saying, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you on finding your beloved son."

Although the empress's words had a flattering tone, the emperor clearly appreciated them.