“Aunt, please forgive me, but the Prince also said that since he is now a commoner, no one will care about him anymore. He doesn’t need to pretend anymore, and he can do whatever he wants! Maybe the Emperor will be happier if he dies,” Shuzhen said.
"Nonsense!" The Empress was angered by Shuzhen's words and slammed her hand on the table.
"Where is the royal dignity in his current state? I am so disappointed. If he continues like this, even if I could help him, it would be useless," the Empress said angrily.
Shuzhen was frightened. She quickly kowtowed and said, "Aunt, please forgive me. Prince was just saying that in a fit of anger after drinking. He didn't mean it."
After Shuzhen finished speaking, she remembered what the Empress had just said. She quickly raised her head and said, "What my aunt means is that you can help Prince regain his title."
The Empress was heartbroken by Hongshi's decline. She hadn't given up on him, but if he continued down this path, he would be completely ruined. She told Shuzhen, "When you go back today, persuade Hongshi. Tell him that from today onwards, you must set aside your identities as a prince and his wife, and live your own lives in seclusion. I will make plans for him, but if he can't even live a good life, the Emperor will only be more disappointed in him."
Shuzhen didn't understand. "Aunt..." She was about to say something when the Empress interrupted her. The Empress waved her hand and said weakly, "Go back! I'm tired."
Shuzhen wanted to say something more, but the Empress's maid stopped her, saying, "Princess, please go back! The Empress needs to rest."
Shuzhen returned to the palace in a huff. She felt that the Empress had no intention of caring about them at all and only wanted to mind her own business. It was a waste that she had regarded the Empress as her aunt and had happily thought that she would help her.
Shuzhen was unaware that the Empress was also being neglected in the palace. Because of the Duke of Ying's affair, the Fourth Prince had severed all remaining affection for the Empress, but he simply didn't have a good reason to depose her. Therefore, the Empress herself was in a precarious situation.
The Empress slumped into a chair, and a maidservant came over and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
"They all want me to help them, but who among them can help me? The Duke of Yingguo has arrived, and Hongshi has arrived too. I have lost my backing. The only reason I can still be the Empress here is because the Emperor is showing me some sympathy out of consideration for the First Prince. Yet they all think I'm doing so well. I think about them every day, but who among them thinks about me?" the Empress said.
"Your Highness, please don't be angry. The Princess Consort didn't mean it. She must have had no other choice but to come to Jingren Palace to beg you. Please don't take it to heart," the maid said.
The Empress said, "I won't stoop to their level. I'm too exhausted to argue with them anymore."
The Empress turned to her maid and said, "Give me some advice. What should I do now? I can't go on like this. If I lose my backing, I'll lose my position as Empress sooner or later."
The maid said, "Your Majesty, I believe our most important task now is to protect ourselves. We can't afford to give anyone any leverage against us. We can always find another backer, but if we end up in the Ulanara family, we're finished. As for the Prince, let him wait a bit longer!"
The Empress nodded, acknowledging her statement. She raised her head and said, "Help me to bed. My head hurts; I need to lie down for a while."
The maid helped the empress to bed, where she lay down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
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