"If I give you the chance, I'm afraid the reign of Dayong will come to an end!" The Empress Dowager was full of imposing manner. Normally, she was just an old woman who was not easy to please, but when it came to matters of state, she was an extremely serious and cautious person.
Over the years, she has watched helplessly as the Crown Prince was attacked like a target, never lifting a finger. The Crown Prince has only managed to survive until now thanks to the gold mine and his seclusion in the Eastern Palace to study.
As the saying goes, two fists can hardly withstand four hands. Even if he were a reincarnated immortal, he would still be a target.
The Empress Dowager has weathered many storms in her life; what can't she see? She just doesn't want to get involved. Zhao Shu is desperately trying to help the Crown Prince; how could the Empress Dowager not know that?
Does she not care about Zhao Shu? Perhaps she does. Doesn't she feel sorry for the Crown Prince when he's wronged? How could she not care for her own grandson?
But when it comes to the fate of the nation, she, like Emperor Mingde, only wants to leave a ruler who can support the entire country and prevent Dayong from perishing.
Pampering and spoiling will not produce an excellent emperor. She was first and foremost an empress dowager, and only then a kind grandmother.
Therefore, Consort Ning's attempt to become the fourth-generation ruler of Dayong through the Empress Dowager was a misstep. In the face of the nation's fate, there are no sentimentalities; everything depends on strength.
Since ancient times, nepotism has always been a derogatory term, representing dishonest behavior. Of course, nepotism is something most people cannot avoid, so they can only choose the most capable person among their relatives.
"Your Majesty, you are prejudiced against Bi'er. His only shortcoming is that he was born out of wedlock! Besides studying in the Eastern Palace and relying on outside officials, what else can the Crown Prince do?" When the Crown Prince was mentioned, she was extremely dissatisfied with him and thought he was far inferior to her own son.
The Empress Dowager sneered and said expressionlessly, "Your son is indeed capable, manipulating power and employing all sorts of underhanded tactics. The Crown Prince would never understand these things, since he doesn't have a mother like you to teach him."
The merciless mockery made Consort Ning extremely embarrassed.
"Why does the Empress Dowager keep targeting us, mother and son?" Consort Ning choked with anger. To be honest, she used to really want the Empress Dowager's approval and favor.
But for more than 20 years, she has never received any care or even the slightest bit of affection from the Empress Dowager!
The threat was a recent development; there had never been any such threat before. Even if they held weapons, they dared not use them casually. Having witnessed the Empress Dowager's ruthlessness, no one dared to act rashly. Moreover, as a daughter-in-law, she had never made a mistake.
The Empress Dowager sneered, "Is this all the skill you have? You think you can threaten me?"
"When have I ever targeted you? Matters of state have never been matters of personal feelings. I would never do anything against the state for someone I've never met and who may not even be my grandson. Huai Le will understand me. Don't try to threaten me with your words. Considering that you gave birth to the fourth prince for the royal family, I will pretend you were never here today. Go."
She seemed indifferent to the grandson she had never met. Consort Ning was not giving up. When the Empress Dowager first learned about this, she did not act like this!
"Alright, Your Majesty, I don't ask for much, I only ask that Bi'er be given a chance to prove himself! Is that too much to ask? Your Majesty!" Consort Ning dared not touch the Empress Dowager's heartlessness. They were all her own grandsons, and if it was a fair competition, it shouldn't be unfair.
The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples in annoyance. "This matter was requested by Minister Huo and has nothing to do with me. You may go and find Minister Huo."
"Empress Dowager!" Consort Ning couldn't understand how someone could be so heartless as to stand idly by and watch her grandson's life and death, without fear of her son and granddaughter's complaints. How could there be such a heartless mother and grandmother in the world?
Of course, she never imagined how far she had gone!
"You may leave. Huai Le's son passed away fifteen years ago, along with his mother." Her icy face and emotionless eyes sent chills down one's spine.
After she finished speaking, she took Zhong Mama's hand, her back straighter than ever before, her demeanor colder than ever before, and slowly left the main hall, turning the corner behind the screen, no longer paying attention to Consort Ning.
Consort Ning collapsed to the ground. Why? She couldn't understand how there could be such a woman in the world.
However, what she couldn't see was that after the Empress Dowager turned the corner behind the screen, she firmly returned to the inner palace. The moment she entered the inner palace, she collapsed completely. If it weren't for Granny Zhong's quick reflexes, she would have fallen to the ground.
"When I first learned that he was still alive, I had already made many concessions, but I never expected her to be so ungrateful!" The Empress Dowager leaned her entire body against Granny Zhong. "I was sorry for Yide back then, but she had ulterior motives! How can I let someone ruin the emperor that I raised with such care!"
Recalling the events of the past, she was filled with resentment, "I have no regrets, but it has caused my beloved Huai Le great suffering."
"Your Majesty, you have always followed the Emperor's decree. You have done nothing wrong. The Prince will understand you." Granny Zhong had followed the Empress Dowager throughout her life, witnessing her lows and highs, her youth and maturity.
"I wonder if Huai Le and A Jun are safe and sound. Why hasn't Wu Ying sent a message back yet? My heart is in great anxiety." She clutched her chest and, with the help of Granny Zhong, lay down on the chaise lounge. She was old, with graying temples and a weary expression.
Besides offering words of comfort, Granny Zhong could say nothing else. However, these words of comfort lacked sufficient evidence and persuasiveness, and thus appeared weak and powerless.
At this moment, Zhao Shu also learned from the hermit Jiecao that her twin brother was still alive!
But she didn't show any surprise or anger, only sarcasm, a strong sense of sarcasm, as if she had heard the biggest joke of the century.
"So, you think you can use this to threaten and manipulate the Empress Dowager?" She couldn't help but laugh. Emperor Mingde was trained by the Empress Dowager. Who was Emperor Mingde? Who was the Empress Dowager?
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