Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation,
The retired emperor has fallen into a complete coma.
The old eunuch knelt to the side, tears streaming down his face, but he was powerless to do anything.
Not far away, Zhong Yuan was still studying medical texts; in just a few days, his hair had turned half white.
Even when the Emperor entered, he merely bowed in place and did not step forward.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy bowed and knelt before Mo Yunzhao.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus's health has deteriorated to the point of no return. He is currently only clinging to life with ginseng soup, and I'm afraid... he will not wake up."
Mo Yunzhao's eyes flickered.
Suddenly, he raised his eyes and looked at the old eunuch kneeling beside him.
"Eunuch Ling, did Father Emperor say anything before he fell into a deep sleep?"
The old eunuch crawled two steps on his knees, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head.
"No. The Emperor Emeritus suddenly started coughing after waking up from his afternoon nap, and he couldn't stop it no matter what he did, so he couldn't speak at all."
Mo Yunzhao's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.
He then beckoned the head of the Imperial Medical Academy to come closer.
"Is Father really not going to wake up?"
The judge nodded.
"This old minister is incompetent; please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Mo Yunzhao calmed himself down and suddenly pointed to Zhong Yuan not far away.
"He can't do it either?"
A flash of resentment and indignation crossed the judge's eyes.
The position of Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Academy was originally intended for Zhong Yuan by the retired emperor.
But Zhong Yuanzhi was not there; he was determined to become a doctor who served the people.
Therefore, even now, some people still criticize this position of court judge, saying that he only got the benefit because Zhong Yuan didn't want it anymore.
Over the years, whenever the retired emperor suffered a sudden illness, Zhong Yuan would be summoned from outside the palace to treat him, which made him even more embarrassed.
Now that the Emperor Emeritus is about to pass away, this is the final round of their contest, and he will not lose.
Thinking of this, he knelt on the ground again.
"The Emperor Emeritus's health has always been maintained by Doctor Zhong. This old minister does not know what efforts he has made or what good strategies he has devised, but based on my half-life of medical experience, there is absolutely no possibility of the Emperor Emeritus's current condition being reversed."
Mo Yunzhao withdrew his gaze and indifferently landed on the Emperor Emeritus's lifeless face.
For so many years, the suppressed emotions hidden in my heart have been slowly igniting into a frenzied rage.
What he had been fighting for seemed to have finally come to a conclusion.
From now on, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be solely ruled by him.
"In any case, take good care of him. Perhaps Heaven will take pity on him and allow the Emperor Emeritus to wait until the Ninth Prince returns."
The Imperial Medical Academy's chief physician trembled inwardly.
He knelt down again.
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Mo Yunzhao stayed for a while before getting up and leaving.
He paused as he passed Kunning Palace.
The chief eunuch bowed and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus is seriously ill. According to etiquette, the Empress Dowager should attend to him at his bedside without changing her clothes."
Under the moonlight, Mo Yunzhao's face revealed no emotion.
After a few moments of silence, she said calmly, "After all, Mother is Father's first wife. Now that he is so ill, Mother should indeed go and serve him. Proclaim the imperial decree that the Empress Dowager should go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to serve him. She should eat and sleep in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and should not be allowed to step out of the palace. In this way, it can be considered as fulfilling Father's original intention of placing Mother under house arrest to allow her to calm down."
The chief eunuch immediately bowed and said, "His Majesty's filial piety is truly a blessing to the Great Zhou Dynasty. This old servant will go now."
Mo Yunzhao hummed in agreement and stood on the stone path outside the hall, without leaving.
After the imperial edict was read aloud, the two Red Armor Guards landed in the courtyard.
Wearing a crimson demon mask, it was eerie and terrifying.
"The Emperor Emeritus has decreed that no one, including the Emperor, may unseal the Kunning Palace."
"How dare you!"
The chief eunuch roared, "Guards, seize these two who disrespect our ancestors!"
The Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward.
A large group of more than a dozen people surrounded them.
The Red Armor Guards also fell silent.
They all drew longswords from their waists, their grim blades appearing exceptionally terrifying under the moonlight.
At a time of heightened tension.
Chi Sen appeared silently at the entrance of Kunning Palace, only a few steps away from Mo Yunzhao.
He was unusually not wearing a mask and showed his true face in the palace.
His cold, hard features revealed an innate ruthlessness and cruelty.
"The retired emperor is still alive. Is the emperor planning to take a forceful approach?"
Mo Yunzhao did not know exactly how many Red Armor Guards there were.
He did not know where he was hiding in the palace.
Even Yan Yunqing couldn't figure it out.
He stared at the token of the Red Armor Guard leader hanging from Akamori's waist.
His expression was unusually calm.
Their eyes met, and the silent duel lasted for quite a while.
Mo Yunzhao suddenly raised his hand.
"Come back. Since it is the Emperor Emeritus's will, then we will not trouble Mother Empress."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left.
We don't need to wait much longer.
He doesn't need to bear the stigma of disrespecting his biological father.
But the Red Armor Guards...
Everyone must die.
The gates of Kunning Palace closed again.
Everything returned to calm.
Inside the room, Granny Gui was carefully combing the Empress Dowager's long hair.
Without the nourishment of the holy water, not only did her skin age, but her hair also lost its former luster.
She heard all those sounds outside.
She stared at her reflection in the bronze mirror and suddenly gave a sinister smile.
"He will indeed die before me. He will turn into a skeleton, be buried in the imperial mausoleum, and finally wait for me to die so that he can be buried with me."
"Granny Gui." She turned her head, her eyes red-rimmed, filled with a obsessive madness. "What do you think his reaction will be when we meet in the underworld, and he, as a ghost, can only sleep in the same grave as me?"
A look of heartache flashed in Granny Gui's eyes.
"Your Majesty, it's time for you to let go."
The Empress Dowager gave a cold snort.
"I let go long ago. I let go when Consort Yu died."
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