Time flies.
A year has flown by, and it's March again, a time of vibrant life and blooming flowers.
As expected, Xia Yixin's plan was effective. Over the past year, the main quest of avoiding Xia Jingfeng's death increased the overall progress by 50%, while the side quest of helping Qi Yu become a qualified emperor soared to 70%.
After a year of diligent governance by Qi Yu, the Han Dynasty, which had been recuperating, had recovered some of its vitality. A delicate balance had emerged among the officials in the court, with the neutral faction led by Grand Commandant Shen, the prime minister faction led by Xia Jingfeng, and of course, the royalist faction that supported Qi Yu, led by Grand Minister Lin, a relative of the empress who had re-entered the court.
On this day, Empress Dowager Xiaode summoned Qi Yu to Cixi Palace through Cao De.
As dusk fell, from afar, Empress Dowager Xiaode watched a young man in a black dragon robe enter the palace.
The seventeen-year-old boy had shed his previous naiveté and was still handsome and dashing, as if he had stepped out of a painting. He was tall and slender, and because of his martial arts training, his steps were steady and his aura was restrained, as if he had hidden a sharp knife.
The youthful naiveté and innocence have faded from his brows, replaced by the cool composure and aloofness of someone in a position of power.
Clearly, he had rapidly grown from a puppet into an ambitious young emperor.
The only thing that remained unchanged was the way he looked at his birth mother, Empress Dowager Xiaode, with affection and tenderness in his eyes: "Mother."
Having gone through puberty, his voice is deep, mellow, and magnetic. Although not mature, it has a unique charm.
Just like his demeanor, although it is said that the greedy star brings disaster to the world, he has a kind of elegant and refined, cold and proud feeling.
Her imposing presence made the two girls hiding behind the screen behind Empress Dowager Xiaode hold their breath nervously, their faces flushed.
Qi Yu, who had achieved some success in martial arts, could naturally sense the unfamiliar atmosphere and ambiance within the hall today.
Apart from Empress Dowager Xiaode, there were no palace maids or eunuchs.
He frowned. "Mother?"
After more than a year of recuperation, Empress Dowager Xiaode was in better health and had a rosy complexion, but there was still a lingering sadness between her brows.
Empress Dowager Xiaode entered the palace at the age of thirteen, when the late emperor was already in his fifties or sixties. She was essentially a victim of self-interest and later became a pawn in the late emperor's dealings with the Lin family. Apart from Qi Yu, whom she desperately protected, she could be said to have never received any love.
So there are some things she doesn't want to do, but...
She was also a little uneasy. Thinking of her original intention, she gritted her teeth and said, "Yu'er, your mother is doing this for your own good. The Empress has been in the palace for more than a year and there is still no sign of pregnancy. I have found two of your cousins of marriageable age from the Lin family. They both admire you. Choose one before you leave and leave her with me for now. Once she is pregnant, I have already discussed with the ministers in the court. We will collectively put pressure on the Xia family to make concessions."
After Empress Dowager Xiaode finished speaking, Qi Yu's face turned completely black.
Empress Dowager Xiaode was also somewhat uneasy, but over the past year or so, some of Xia Jingfeng's forces had left the palace, and she had gradually reconnected with her maternal family. Empress Dowager Xiaode was not a scheming person; she was just a commoner. However, this time, a distant cousin whispered in her ear and gave her this advice.
A child might just be the key to bringing life back to life!
Qi Yu had completely forgotten how he left Cining Palace.
It wasn't a full moon today, and Qi Yu didn't know what was wrong with him, but he walked all the way to Fengqi Palace, where the moon was already high in the sky.
Xia Yixin didn't like being surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, nor did she like being served, so she dismissed most of them, leaving only the necessary ones. She even washed her hair herself.
Now that the Empress Dowager is no longer involved in palace affairs and Qi Yu is busy with politics, whatever she says goes. Therefore, Fengqi Palace seems a bit deserted, but it is definitely not without people.
Qi Yu waved away Cao De and the others, and as soon as he entered the house, he smelled that faint, comforting fragrance.
Inside the hall, palace lanterns were lit, and a plump woman was drying her hair.
After a year of conditioning, Xia Yixin finally lost weight from over 200 pounds to around 120 pounds. For someone who is 1.5 meters tall, she is still a bit chubby, but not in the way that was unbearable to look at before. Instead, she has a plump and rounded appearance.
With less fat on her face and a smaller face, her features became more prominent. Although she wasn't as stunning as in the previous dimensions, she was still quite pretty, especially with her almond-shaped eyes and two dimples, which made her look soft, cute, and harmless.
By this time, Qi Yu had grown to 1.8 meters tall, practically looking down on her. The two of them standing together looked surprisingly harmonious.
In fact, Xia Yixin received Ying Qi's message when Qi Yu left Cining Palace.
Over the past year and a half, Xia Yixin has also obtained several people from Xia Jingfeng to become her bodyguards. Ying Qi is one of them. He is slender and strong, dressed in black, and carries a bloody aura. They are loyal only to Xia Yixin and are death squads.
She looked at the sullen-faced young man, walked over and sat down opposite him. She was also a little annoyed after learning about Lin's actions. Empress Dowager Xiaode's actions were tantamount to tearing open another hole in their alliance, which had just begun to improve. What a terrible teammate. However, if she tried to make amends too aggressively, it would seem too fake.
So she could only react to each situation as it arose.
Xia Yixin asked casually, "What's wrong?"
She originally thought the arrogant young man wouldn't say anything, at most he would throw a tantrum, but she didn't expect him to reveal that Empress Dowager Xiaode wanted to send him a woman, and he looked dejected after he finished speaking.
"What am I in their eyes?" Qi Yu laughed self-deprecatingly. Xia Jingfeng's spies were everywhere in the palace. Could those two girls get in so easily? Perhaps this was also a test.
They were referring not only to Xia Jingfeng, but also to Lady Lin and Empress Dowager Xiaode. They used women and offspring as bargaining chips to make the young emperor feel like a stud pig. His newly built confidence seemed to be shattered in an instant. A cup of cold tea could not extinguish the evil fire in his heart.
She looked at him, a slight stirring in her heart. The fact that he could say it so frankly showed that he truly trusted her. She suppressed her guilt and walked over to say what she had prepared beforehand.
"I think Empress Dowager Xiaode probably didn't think too much about it. You don't need to think too much. This is just the first obstacle. It's just that some people in the court couldn't hold back. Qi Yu, those two women are nothing compared to your real opponents. If you want to keep them in the harem, you can. I will help you deal with your father. Calm down."
Although her words were comforting, Qi Yu felt they weren't what he wanted. He asked, "And what about you?"
"Me?" Xia Yixin was taken aback, wondering why he asked such a question, as she hadn't thought about how to answer it before.
She chuckled dryly. "I don't care. Anyway, my father and I have been targets for a long time. Once you have full power, I will find a way to get my father out of the capital. Don't worry about us. Just don't forget that we are allies."
She looked at the young man before her, his thin lips pressed tightly together, lowered her eyes, and said, "I'll go back first," before leaving Phoenix Palace.
After Qi Yu left, Xia Yixin felt a little flustered. Had she said something wrong?
At that moment, a man in black emerged from the shadows.
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