She would even secretly bring in anything Jian Yang needed from outside.
No one would suspect a nanny who had worked in the prince's residence for most of her life, and besides, she only came to deliver meals every day, so no one would pay attention to her.
So even in such a harsh and desolate dungeon, Jian Yang is still able to eat her fill and eat well, and is even provided with poison powder.
After the meal, the nanny cleared away her dishes and brought her a basin of clean water to wash up.
Jian Yang thanked her and quickly tidied herself up before the old woman left the dungeon.
After Mo Mo left, Jian Yang fell into deep thought.
She kept recalling Zhou Jing'an's warning and expression when he left, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
Will this person make things difficult for her next?
However, in the following days, she did not experience any persecution from Zhou Jing'an. Everything seemed as if nothing had happened, and she continued to eat and sleep well while sitting in prison.
But her unease did not diminish in the slightest.
Because she couldn't predict when Zhou Jing'an would make a move against her, and she didn't know if he would harm the emperor or her family.
She ate and drank well in prison, while the emperor grew thinner and thinner.
During this period, he and Jian Hong devised countless rescue plans, all of which ultimately failed.
Not to mention that the dungeon entrance was heavily guarded, none of them dared to gamble with Jian Yang's life.
If Zhou Jing'an is angered, it's not impossible that he might directly kill Jian Yang.
After much deliberation, the two ultimately decided to remain inactive.
Three or five more days passed, and everything seemed quite peaceful.
It was another day off. After finishing his official duties, the emperor was thinking of sneaking back into the Second Prince's residence under a false name when he was stopped by a nanny sent by the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, you haven't visited the Empress Dowager in a long time. She has been unwell lately and often talks about you. You should go and see her."
The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose, and suddenly felt a little guilty.
These days he has been so worried about Jian Yang that he has neglected his mother, the Empress Dowager, who has not tested her son's studies for a long time.
After a moment's thought, he temporarily abandoned the idea of leaving the palace and went to Fuxi Palace with the old woman.
Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, the Emperor stepped forward, bowed, and apologized, saying, "Your Majesty, I have been busy with state affairs recently and will not be able to accompany you in the future. I hope you will forgive me."
The Empress Dowager finally saw her son and smiled with relief, "Come and sit down. I had the kitchen prepare your favorite pigeon soup. You need to nourish yourself. I've noticed you've lost a lot of weight."
The emperor sat down beside her obediently and drank the pigeon soup that the Empress Dowager had prepared for him.
The Empress Dowager was very satisfied with the Emperor's attitude and felt it was time to voice her doubts.
She cleared her throat and asked gently, "My son, have you taken a fancy to any woman lately?"
The emperor paused in his soup-drinking motion, his face darkening as he said, "No."
Seeing him like this again, the Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Your Majesty, don't hide it from me anymore. I've heard that you've recently taken a liking to a woman. If you really like her, then bring her into the palace. Your mother will certainly not object."
The emperor frowned and asked, "Where did you hear, Mother, that I have a woman I fancy?"
The Empress Dowager laughed and said, "Don't hide it from me anymore. The Second Prince has already told me that you have recently taken a fancy to a female physician in his household. Although she comes from a humble background, I don't mind. As long as you can still be attracted to women, I will be very satisfied."
She meant it sincerely.
In her view, since the Empress's death, the Emperor has gone mad, not only refusing to select any more concubines but also disbanding the harem.
Now, only three concubines remain in that vast harem.
Even when only three remained, the emperor never set foot in the inner palace.
This greatly troubled the Empress Dowager.
The thought that the emperor would be unable to produce an heir for the royal family kept her up at night, fearing that she would have no face to meet the late emperor after her death.
She had discussed this issue with the emperor countless times before, but he always brushed her off with various excuses, and later he simply found reasons not to see her.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager was extremely pleased to hear that the Emperor had fallen for another woman.
Even if the other party was a female doctor, she would accept it as a maid.
The emperor's gaze grew increasingly cold.
He never expected that Zhou Jing'an would actually extend his reach into the inner palace.
This was clearly a provocation against him.
However, he was unable to respond.
Once the Empress Dowager and ministers find out that Jian Yang faked his death, the civil and military officials will surely coerce him into accepting the law against Jian Yang for deceiving the emperor.
Whether Jian Yang will survive at that time is still a question.
The emperor suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Second brother was just joking, Mother, please don't take it to heart."
The Empress Dowager became anxious: "How could that be? Jing'an is older than you and has always been steady and reliable. He would never deceive me."
The emperor's eye twitched.
The Empress Dowager continued, "Your Majesty, is there something you're having trouble saying? Are you worried that the woman's status is too low? If so, may I make arrangements for you?"
The emperor suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Mother, do not mention this matter again. Your son has not been attracted to any woman. The second son is talking nonsense."
The Empress Dowager's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"Your Majesty, even if you don't consider yourself, you should at least consider the Zhou family's empire. As the emperor, you must shoulder the responsibility of ensuring the continuation of the royal family!"
The emperor's eye twitched incessantly: "If the Empress Dowager is worried that the Zhou family's throne will have no successor, I can immediately appoint Kun'er as the crown prince."
The Empress Dowager was so angry she wanted to hit him. "So what if you've made a crown prince? What emperor in history has ever had only one child? Besides, the position of empress has been vacant for a long time. Do you intend to never make an empress again?"
"What's wrong with that?"
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she kept rubbing her chest with her hand and said sternly, "Emperor, when will you come to your senses? The Empress has been dead for more than a year. Without her, can't you even live a normal life?"
The emperor patiently said, "Mother, am I not living a normal life now?"
The Empress Dowager said loudly, "Of course not! I only have a few years left to live, and your harem has been empty all this time, with no one to take care of you. When I die, I will not be able to rest in peace!"
The emperor suddenly felt extremely tired.
"Your Majesty, please rest early. I still have memorials to review, so I will take my leave now." After saying this, he bowed to the Empress Dowager and left Fuxi Palace without looking back, leaving the Empress Dowager with tears streaming down her face.
On his way back to the imperial study, the emperor fell into deep thought.
He was thinking about how, even if he rescued Jian Yang in the future, he would silence the gossip and let her live a carefree life.
We can't let her live in the palace wearing a mask forever; that would be too unfair to her.
But he couldn't bear to let her go...
As he pondered these thoughts, he found himself walking into the Imperial Garden.
"Your Majesty, what brings you here?" The woman's voice was full of surprise.
The emperor snapped out of his thoughts and looked up, only to find that the woman in front of him was Consort Xian.
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