"Yi'er, how is the Empress's health lately?" Empress Dowager Wei asked.
Xiao Chen also answered truthfully: "Wan Ying's health is still the same, and she has not gotten better. The imperial physician said it is because of excessive worry."
"Hmph! She's overthinking things. I kindly arranged for her to marry into the palace and become empress, but she's always been like this, half-dead. Since she doesn't want to be empress, then she shouldn't be!" A ruthless glint flashed in Empress Dowager Wei's eyes.
Xiao Chenyi was momentarily stunned. "Mother, what do you mean?"
Xu Wanying was Xiao Chenyi's first wife. Although she was in poor health, Xiao Chenyi still gave her the respect due to an empress.
He would go to her palace on the first and fifteenth of each month.
Xiao Chenyi neither loved nor hated the empress, and never thought of deposing her.
“Mother, since Wanying married into the palace, she has always been dutiful and lived in seclusion in Kunning Palace. Apart from being a little weak, she has not done anything excessive.”
Xiao Chenyi said cautiously, hoping to change his mother's mind and keep Wan Ying's position as empress.
Empress Dowager Wei looked at Xiao Chenyi, her eyes filled with even more sinister intent. "Yi'er, as an emperor, you must not be soft-hearted like a woman. I did not say that you should depose the empress."
Xiao Chenyi had only been on the throne for two years, and the Empress had not made any major mistakes, so it was impossible for him to depose her.
Xiao Chenyi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; it was good that the empress wouldn't be deposed.
Empress Dowager Wei continued, "Since she has been ill for so long, it's time for her to come to an end."
Xiao Chenyi was stunned. His mother's meaning was...
"Once Xu Wanying dies, the position of Empress will be vacant. If she were to marry the eldest daughter of the Su family while holding the position of Empress, the Su family would have no choice but to accept."
Xiao Chen also understood what Empress Dowager Wei meant.
The Su family's daughters are not to be concubines, even if they are imperial concubines. But if they are to be treated as empresses, the Su family will no longer be able to refuse.
He is the emperor, and the Su family cannot ask him not to take concubines. There has never been a precedent in history for an emperor to marry only one empress.
No matter how powerful the Su family is, can they ever surpass the imperial power?
"Your Majesty need not worry about this matter. I will handle it myself. I am just informing Your Majesty."
"But Mother, Wanying, she..." Xiao Chenyi still wanted to plead for Xu Wanying. If all else failed, demoting Xu Wanying to a concubine would be better than taking her life.
Empress Dowager Wei coldly looked at Xiao Chenyi, "Your Majesty, if a man wants to achieve great things, he must first learn to be ruthless. Otherwise, in this position, you will only be devoured until there is nothing left but bones!"
Xu Wanying is the daughter of the Left Chancellor. If you depose her from her position as Empress, how could the Left Chancellor let it go? But if she dies of illness and is given a grand funeral befitting an Empress, who can find fault with you then?
Xiao Chenyi's lips moved, but in the end he said nothing, and lowered his head to say softly, "I will follow Mother's arrangements."
In the following days, out of guilt, Xiao Chen visited Kunning Palace more often, and everyone in the palace said that the Empress had regained favor.
Upon hearing this news, Yao Lan was so angry that she smashed her wine cup. "I really underestimated that sickly man. He was so ill, yet he still managed to steal the Emperor away from us."
"Go, bring Aya to me."
The maid beside her looked troubled. "Your Highness, Aya is still unconscious."
Yao Lan said impatiently, "She's a good-for-nothing. She hasn't gotten better after all these days. Take my token and have the imperial physician come and take a look at her."
"Yes, Your Highness." The maid took Yao Lan's token and quickly walked out.
Aya was released three days after being poisoned and rendered mute by Yaolan.
Because she could no longer speak, she was assigned to do some rough work such as sweeping and cleaning.
When Su Ruojin spat out the Gu worm, the mother worm inside Aya's body also sensed it and died along with the offspring Gu worm.
With the death of the mother Gu, Aya, the Gu keeper, naturally suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood and fainting.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com