Jin Ge had no choice but to hurry to the inner palace.
Hua Zisheng said to Xiu Ning, "Take some men over there, lock the gate to the inner palace, and forbid anyone from entering or leaving."
Xiu Ning responded and led a dozen eunuchs and maids towards the central palace. On the way, they passed Xingning Palace, where Consort Xi was looking out from the gate.
Seeing Xiu Ning coming to the inner palace, Consort Xi asked anxiously, "Xiu Ning, is His Majesty alright?"
"Your Majesty, His Majesty is busy. It would be best if you stayed in the palace and did not wander around unnecessarily," Xiu Ning kindly reminded him.
Where are you going?
"The Empress wanted to see His Majesty, but His Majesty refused and ordered the gates of the Empress's palace to be locked to prevent the servants from running around."
"Oh," Consort Xi beckoned, "Xiu Ning, come closer."
Consort Xi whispered, "Xiuning, those birds that Her Majesty the Empress keeps are not simple. They are probably communicating with the outside world. If you take them and hand them over to His Majesty, you might be able to gain merit."
Xiu Ning rolled his eyes and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Your Highness. I will come and kowtow to Your Highness later."
Upon arriving at the Empress's palace, Xiu Ning specifically sought out the birds that the Empress kept in the palace. Upon seeing the cages, without saying a word, he ordered all the bird cages to be taken away.
Jin Ge stopped her from taking him away.
The Empress's legs were not healed at all. She was carried out in a chair by several maids, and said with a gloomy face, "Tell them to take her away."
The Empress asked Jin Ge what His Majesty had said and whether she could go see him.
Jin Ge had no choice but to tell him that His Majesty did not want to see her.
The Empress suddenly said to Xiu Ning, "Xiu Ning, go and tell His Majesty immediately that as long as he is willing to see me, I will go to the city wall and persuade the Crown Prince to withdraw his troops!"
Xiu Ning was taken aback, then sneered, "Your Majesty, are you trying to fool me? Didn't I just tell you that His Majesty didn't want to see you?"
"You dog servant, I am still the Empress. Killing a servant like you is a piece of cake."
Go immediately and tell His Majesty that I have a way to persuade the Crown Prince to withdraw his troops! However, there are some things I must say to His Majesty in person.
Seeing that the Empress's words did not seem to be false, Xiu Ning rushed to the front hall and relayed the Empress's words to Emperor Hui verbatim.
Emperor Hui was not afraid of war, but he was a benevolent emperor. He was willing to listen if it could persuade the people to surrender, thus reducing the losses and casualties among the people.
"Let her in."
Not long after, the Empress was pushed to the main hall in a wooden wheelchair by the palace staff.
She was dressed in magnificent empress's court robes and a court hat.
Very solemn.
The Empress smiled and looked at Emperor Hui, stopping a zhang away from the dragon throne.
There was nothing she could do in front of all the ministers.
"Your Majesty knows that you have never liked me. The Empress Dowager and my father conspired against Your Majesty, but I am also a victim. I was also the one who was schemed against."
No matter how much Your Majesty dislikes me, I love you. Your Majesty is mighty and extraordinary, kind and benevolent. You are my husband and the pillar of our nation.
Your Majesty, I do not like Father interfering with Your Majesty, and I especially dislike them doing anything to harm Your Majesty. From my own heart, if Your Majesty is not well, how can Your Majesty be well?
However, the Crown Prince was framed and poisoned with a mind-corrupting pill. Now he has committed a heinous crime. I will go and persuade him on behalf of Your Majesty.
If I can persuade her, I will not have failed in my mission; if I cannot, I will not return.
The Empress smiled faintly, revealing no trace of ruthlessness or scheming, as if she had returned to the innocent and kind nature of her unmarried girlhood.
Emperor Hui's voice was flat as he said, "The Empress is very kind. It would be good if you could persuade the Crown Prince to withdraw his troops."
Without saying anything else, all the ministers stared intently at the Emperor and Empress. Meanwhile, the sounds of clashing weapons could be heard from outside from time to time, and the tense atmosphere did not ease at all.
The Empress took out a dark-colored box from her sleeve and said, "I may not return from this journey. I will return this to Your Majesty. I should have given it to Your Majesty many years ago, but I had selfish motives and did not give it to you. Today is the last thing I will do for Your Majesty."
What is it?
"Many years ago, a fire broke out in the Cold Palace, and a palace maid found the letter in the courtyard of the Cold Palace."
The Empress spoke lightly, but most of the old ministers instantly recalled the great fire thirty years ago, in which two lives were lost in the Cold Palace.
Emperor Hui's fingers tightened slightly, and he said calmly to Hua Zisheng, "Bring it here."
Hua Zisheng walked up to the Empress, took the box, and presented it to Emperor Hui.
Emperor Hui opened the box. Inside was a piece of paper, marked by the passage of time, yellowed, brittle, and prone to cracking at the slightest touch.
He carefully unfolded the paper.
What catches the eye is an extremely beautiful and delicate small regular script with floral patterns.
It is Consort Yun's handwriting.
"Brother, Dai'er is leaving..."
Emperor Hui lowered his eyes, gently closed the box, and placed it on the dragon throne.
Looking at the Empress, he said, "Empress, go and persuade the Crown Prince. If he is willing to withdraw his troops, I will spare his life."
We can only spare his life.
The Empress said with emotion, "Your Majesty, I thank you on behalf of the Crown Prince. I'm off now."
Jin Ge pushed her wheelchair out of the main hall.
His Majesty sent Leng Luo to load the Empress into a carriage and quickly head to the South Gate, where the Crown Prince was located.
It was impossible to open the city gates and allow the Empress to leave the city, so Leng Luo ordered the Imperial Guards to carry the Empress's wheelchair to the crenellations of the city gate.
Several people helped her to her feet. She had no feeling in her legs at all, and she tried her best to support herself by holding onto the stone railing with both hands.
"Mother!"
Suddenly, the crown prince saw the empress on the city wall, reined in his horse and shouted, "Stop! Stop, everyone!"
The empress smiled, and the sounds of fighting below subsided considerably.
"Mother, why have you come? Did he force you?"
The Empress looked at the Crown Prince with a smile on her face, yet her heart ached.
“Rui’er, someone has already taken the life of Prince Jin; His Majesty has been poisoned today… Your mother cannot be with you, nor will she be a burden to you.”
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