"How is my health?"

The old emperor looked at her face and asked, his expression expectant.

He Jiuniang did not answer directly, but said, "The Emperor already knows, why ask again?"

"I...I'm not a doctor, how would I know?"

"His Majesty is not a doctor, but there are so many imperial physicians in the palace, why hasn't he sent anyone to see me? Besides, if His Majesty really felt that he was not in good health, how could he sit still? He would probably have run to Jingzhou to find me by now, right?"

If the old emperor cherished his life so much, how could he let her suffer for so long if he was really unwell?

The old emperor's little scheme was exposed, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. He smacked his lips a couple of times but said nothing.

Normally, the old emperor would take the opportunity to sleep while receiving acupuncture, but this time he hadn't seen He Jiuniang for a long time and had a lot to say to her, so he stayed awake the whole time.

"You were right before, the Crown Prince is indeed incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. I have spoiled him for nothing all these years."

The old emperor suddenly started chatting with her about everyday matters, and the eunuchs and maids standing by were already used to it, so they didn't find anything unusual.

He Jiuniang didn't know where the old emperor's hobby came from, that he actually liked to chat with her, but she wouldn't miss any opportunity to gossip, so she didn't refuse this gossip.

"I never said such a thing, Your Majesty, please don't make baseless accusations."

He Jiuniang remembered that she had only talked about Prince Lin before, but had never mentioned the Crown Prince. This old man was not going to try to smear her.

"Didn't I say that?"

"Definitely not!"

"Alright, alright, then I'll take it as what I said. I'm going to talk to you about serious matters, so don't interrupt!"

The old emperor's submissive demeanor drew the attention of the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs. Their emperor's treatment of Madam Lu was truly extraordinary!

He had never shown such patience and tolerance, not even towards Consort Liu or the Crown Prince, whom he had previously favored the most.

Hearing his confirmation, He Jiuniang listened attentively without interrupting.

"The reason I have always protected the Crown Prince is because I suffered such humiliation when I was young, and I didn't want the Crown Prince to follow in my footsteps. Who would have thought that the Crown Prince would be so useless? Over the years, he has not only failed to achieve any political achievements, but he has also only brought shame to me!"

The old emperor's words shifted all the blame onto the crown prince, completely absolving himself of any responsibility.

He Jiuniang sensed something was amiss and corrected him, saying, "I'm afraid that's not the case. If the Crown Prince were truly capable, he wouldn't have been able to hold the position for so many years. Your Majesty, you should speak with a clear conscience and not blame everything on others."

The old emperor was furious: "You..."

"That's true. Is it possible that the Crown Prince isn't actually stupid, but just knows what kind of person Your Majesty is, so he's been trying to please you all these years by acting in a way that you like? Because princes like Prince Chen, who are too sharp and ambitious, have already been driven to the brink by you. If the Crown Prince wants to stay safe, he has to be content with mediocrity and meet all your expectations as his father."

"you!"

The old emperor's breathing became heavy, clearly indicating that he was quite angry.

He Jiuniang remained calm and continued, "Stop with the 'you, you, you,' Your Majesty. I've told you before, you can't listen to the truth at all. Ask your conscience, is that what you really think? But you should also see the facts clearly. If it weren't for Prince Chen protecting this country all these years, the country would have been annexed by Dongting and Nantai long ago. Why deceive yourself? I don't deny that Prince Chen has some methods, but isn't that what he should do? With an emperor like you who doesn't care about anything and a biased father, how could he have survived to this day without using some methods? You should be glad that His Highness Prince Chen is filial enough. Even so, he is still respectful to you and has no intention of forcing you to abdicate."

The palace maids and eunuchs nearby wished they could flee this place of trouble immediately. This Madam Lu really dared to speak out, actually talking about forcing the emperor to abdicate, which is treason!

They all believed that Madam Lu was angered by Prince Jing today, which was why she deliberately said those things to provoke the old emperor.

However, the old emperor was on Madam Lu's side just now, so isn't Madam Lu satisfied yet?

Seeing how angry she is, I learned another lesson today: if you want to live, never mess with this ancestor.

The old emperor didn't know why, even though he knew that he was always the one trembling with anger every time he chatted with He Jiuniang, he still liked to tell her some of his innermost thoughts. Even though he knew she would curse him, he still wanted to tell her, feeling that as long as he told her, nothing else mattered.

He didn't want to say anything at the moment; he just wanted to catch his breath, otherwise all the effort he had put into resting his body during this time would have been for nothing.

Seeing that he didn't speak, He Jiuniang was too lazy to say anything more. While waiting, she went and ate all the old emperor's pastries and other treats on the table.

As expected of an emperor, the food here is truly excellent. Even a small pastry is made so exquisitely and delicately, with both its appearance and taste being quite good.

The old emperor was furious for a long time, but seeing how happily she ate, he didn't say anything.

He Jiuniang ate several pieces of pastry and asked, "Your Majesty, I treated your illness, could you give me a reward?"

"what would you like?"

The old emperor pursed her lips; she would take anything but the throne.

He Jiuniang then spoke without any politeness: "I want to open a club, and I need such pastry chefs. How about you give me one or two? Don't worry, I will treat them according to the palace's custom and not let them suffer any grievances because of me."

The old emperor thought it was something big, but it turned out he just wanted two pastry chefs. That's easy.

"It's not a big deal. Besides, they are palace people. The palace will continue to provide them with food, clothing and other necessities. You don't need to worry about it. I will have someone send them to your residence in a little while."

He Jiu Niang's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected that the palace would still take care of someone who had already been sent away. This was quite a benefit.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. If possible, please find two people you get along well with. I hate trouble. If I bring back a pair of enemies, it will drive me crazy."

The old emperor frowned, and the old eunuch beside him suggested, "Your Majesty, the pastries that Madam Lu likes to eat are made by the Peng couple. They are both in charge of pastry making and their skills are superb, so they are very suitable."

"They're actually husband and wife?"

The old emperor was somewhat surprised, while the old man nodded with a smile: "Yes, the Peng family has worked in the imperial kitchen for generations, their skills are impeccable, and they are all honest and upright people."

The old emperor nodded, but did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he asked He Jiuniang, "They are a couple. Do you want them?"

"Of course, that would be best!"

He Jiuniang also heard her father-in-law's words. The couple came from a family of pastry chefs and were extremely satisfied.