That makes a lot of sense, but would Gu Qimu allow himself to bear this false accusation?
"Alright, let's retreat. We'll incite the people to revolt later, and when the time is right, we'll come back to fight." With his years of cultivation and his immense prestige among the people, he has a high chance of winning if the people protest and rebel.
The sun has risen in the east. At this time, the bloodstains at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation have been cleaned up, and the corpses have been disposed of. Those who obey will be granted titles and lands and will go there immediately. Those who resist will be killed without mercy.
Bathed in the golden, dazzling morning sun, civil and military officials gathered in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for the first time since the late emperor's passing.
The late emperor had already written his will, stipulating that upon his death, Crown Prince Gu Qimu would inherit the throne, Crown Princess Li would become Empress, the Crown Prince's birth mother would be posthumously honored as Empress Dowager, and the late Empress would become Empress Dowager...
Many people questioned the authenticity of the will, but dared not speak out and could only keep it to themselves.
With the dust settled, the authenticity of the will is no longer important. What matters is whether the empire will have more wise or foolish rulers from now on.
To find out what happens next, please read on.
That evening, Shen Ye moved into Ganquan Palace as Consort Shen, while Yu Niannian and the others moved into Weiyang Palace...
The Crown Prince had been on the throne for a long time, but he had never visited the residences of the concubines in the inner palace. He always stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation under the pretext of state affairs.
Tonight, it was pouring rain. When Shen Ye returned to his room from the rain, he was soaked to the bone. His maid, Qiu Ci, brought him clean clothes and a bowl of ginger soup.
Shen Ye: "Qiu Ci, what has Consort Yu been up to lately?"
"Consort Yu has been frequently visiting the Hall of Mental Cultivation lately, but she always returns disappointed." Qiu Ci thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, all the concubines are thinking of ways to vie for the Emperor's favor and to serve him in bed. Why aren't you worried?"
When the topic of vying for favor and serving the emperor's bedchamber came up, Shen Ye lowered his eyes, sipping his ginger soup listlessly, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.
It wasn't that he didn't want to compete for favor, but even if he did, what would happen if he had to serve Gu Qimu in bed? He didn't have that kind of thing to offer Gu Qimu, so he simply chose to remain silent.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has invited the concubines to a garden tour tomorrow. Will you be attending?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Ye suddenly raised his head, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. "Go, of course I'll go. Why wouldn't I?"
The next day, Shen Ye indeed developed a fever, just as he had expected.
Qiu Ci wanted to summon the imperial physician, but Shen Ye refused, insisting that they could not spoil the Empress's mood.
After the heavy rain, dewdrops still clung to the leaves and petals of the Imperial Garden. Everything was renewed, with tender buds sprouting from the branches and the grass emerging from its buds.
In the Imperial Garden.
Because his fever had not been treated, Shen Ye was very dizzy, his face was burning hot, and his whole body was weak and sore. If Qiu Ci hadn't been supporting him the whole time, he probably would have collapsed long ago.
Yu Niannian felt jealous of Shen Ye's superior demeanor and stepped on his skirt, almost causing him to fall.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..." Yu Niannian blinked her innocent big eyes, but in her heart she was overjoyed.
Shen Ye turned around and stared at her, his gaze unwavering, and said with a smile, "It's alright. Next time, Consort Yu, don't walk in such a hurry. There's no Emperor ahead of you."
"Your Highness, I..." Yu Niannian clenched her fist, gritted her teeth, and finally let go. "This concubine knows her mistake."
Shen Ye withdrew his gaze, glanced at Yan Yiting beside Yu Niannian, still smiling faintly, said nothing, and turned to continue following the Empress's footsteps.
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