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Chapter 551 The Empress Dowager is having dinner!
In the afternoon, Zhang Heling rushed to Shou Kang Palace and, contrary to his usual behavior, tried to persuade his sister to eat something.

But Empress Dowager Zhang was already driven mad by her good son, shaking her head vigorously and saying, "I won't eat! I'd rather starve than eat!"

"Sister, if you continue your hunger strike, my family will be raided too!" Zhang Heling pleaded, her face pale with worry, as she knelt on the ground. "You can't let both of your younger brothers be arrested, can you?"

"Arrest me then! I'm not humiliating myself like this for you!" Empress Zhang resolutely denied that it was for them. With disheveled hair, she shouted hoarsely, "My own son is tormenting me like this; I'd rather be dead!"

"How did the Emperor play a trick on you?" Zhang Heling asked.

"He's always trying to tempt me, waaaah..." Empress Zhang cried, "Smell this! Here comes more braised pork, chestnut pork, jarred pork, and red-braised pork! Is this how you treat a son?!"

“It’s not like I’m just giving you a smell; you can eat it too!” Zhang Heling said.

"How can I eat if he doesn't admit his mistake?" Empress Zhang said stubbornly, "I'm not concerned about anything else, I'm only concerned about his attitude!"

Hearing that her voice was hoarse, Madam Jin quickly brought her a bowl of honey water and gently advised, "Girl, drink some water to soothe your throat first."

"I won't drink!" Empress Dowager Zhang was furious. She raised her hand and knocked over the water bowl. She said to her mother in a similarly irritable tone, "I am not anyone's puppet, to be fed and drunk as you please! I am the Empress Dowager of the Ming Dynasty, and no one can make decisions for me!"

Madam Jin and Zhang Heling exchanged a glance. Oh no, are they going crazy?!

Despite the mother and son's best efforts to persuade her, they were unable to calm the Empress Dowager, who had completely lost her composure. Zhang Heling had no choice but to go out and report to Zhu Houzhao, and at the end, clinging to the last shred of hope, he said, "Your Majesty should go and say a few kind words to the Empress Dowager. If she really goes mad, it will be troublesome!"

"It's alright. Go in and tell the Empress Dowager that even if she's gone mad, she's still my mother, and I will still take good care of her." Zhu Houzhao remained completely unmoved. He was only afraid that something might happen to the Empress Dowager, not that she would go mad.

After saying that, he turned to Liu Jin and the others and said, "What are you standing there for? Roast the whole lamb!"

"Hey, hey..." Liu Jin quickly fanned himself with a palm leaf fan and added firewood to the campfire.

Ma Yongcheng and Wei Bin slowly turned the iron frame, while Gao Feng used a brush to apply oil to the sheep.

Zhu Houzhao was not idle either. He grabbed a handful of fennel and cumin from the spice packet and sprinkled them on. The secret seasoning instantly made the roasted lamb smell delicious, and the aroma wafted into the palace, making Empress Dowager Zhang's mouth water again. However, this stubborn woman stubbornly refused to give in.

The emperor outside deliberately fanned the wind, while the empress dowager inside wept and went mad. The mother and son thus engaged in a power struggle across the palace gates!

Just then, Zhang Yong hurried in from the twilight, presenting the list of crimes approved by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Zhu Houzhao took it, glanced at it briefly, raised an eyebrow, and then led the young eunuch who had previously announced the menu straight into the hall, instructing, "Read the list of crimes to the Empress Dowager."

The young eunuch then stood beside the Empress Dowager's bed and loudly proclaimed:

"Preliminary investigation has revealed the following crimes of Marquis Jianchang, Zhang Yanling: 1. Forcibly seizing over 10,000 hectares of farmland; 2. Disregarding human life and indiscriminately killing innocent people; 3. Harvesting and mutilating living beings, committing heinous acts; 4. Superstitious witchcraft, bewitching the Holy Mother... All the listed crimes are supported by evidence, and according to the law, he shall be executed!"

"Your Majesty, this is slander!" Madam Jin exclaimed, her face turning deathly pale. "How could Yanling possibly bewitch his own sister? He would never do something so foolish!"

"Then let's change 'Nightmare Suppressing Holy Mother' to 'Nightmare Suppressing Emperor'?" Zhu Houzhao glanced at her coldly. "However, that would mean exterminating her entire family. Even her maternal uncle's whole family wouldn't escape."

"No, no, don't change it, don't change it..." Madam Jin was completely intimidated by Zhu Houzhao and dared not throw a tantrum anymore.

The Emperor then turned to look at the shocked Empress Dowager Zhang, his tone softening slightly but still piercing to the heart: "Mother, Zhang Yanling has committed so many heinous crimes, isn't that the result of your constant indulgence over the years? Isn't our stalemate also due to your protection of him?"

"Mother, think this through carefully. Are you helping him or harming him?" Zhu Houzhao, unwilling to argue further, finally declared firmly:

"If you insist on going on a hunger strike for him, then I will have no choice but to act according to the law—first behead Zhang Yanling, then thoroughly investigate Zhang Heling! A large portion of the Zhang family's 20,000 hectares of fertile land is under the name of the eldest son!"

After saying that, he left the inner chamber without looking back.

"You all go out too..." Empress Dowager Zhang whispered to those around her.

"Get out of here..." Madam Jin quickly dismissed the palace servants.

"You get out too!" For the first time in her life, Empress Dowager Zhang was rude to her mother.

"Sigh." Madam Jin slunk away, leaving Empress Dowager Zhang alone in the palace, suffering in silence...

~~
Su Lu finished processing Zhang Yanling's case file overnight and was about to go home to rest when Zhu Shou appeared at the entrance of Dongguitang.

"Walk with me for a while." Zhu Shou had lost his daytime cheerfulness, leaving only exhaustion and sorrow.

The two then walked side by side along the lake shore.

"His Majesty thoroughly tormented that woman today; it was truly exhilarating!" After a long silence, Zhu Shou finally spoke in a deep voice, "But seeing her disheveled state at the end, it was quite disheartening..."

“That’s normal.” Su Lu nodded and said, “When children retaliate against their parents after they grow up, it always hurts both themselves and others; it’s always a lose-lose situation.”

He then said to Zhu Shou, "This proves that the Emperor is benevolent."

"Hehe, isn't that right?" Zhu Shou chuckled, and after a long while, he said softly, "Your Majesty is still the late Emperor's son after all..."

“Yes.” Su Lu nodded. He agreed with this point. Although he had never met Emperor Xiaozong, he could feel a warm feeling from Zhu Shou, which obviously could not have come from the Empress Dowager.

"So, let's get this over with quickly. She stays in the palace while the Emperor returns to the Leopard House, and everyone can live in peace." Zhu Shou sighed, then asked with some concern, "Do you think she might do something foolish in a fit of anger?"

Su Lu gently comforted her, "Don't worry, a way out has been prepared for the Empress Dowager. She just didn't notice it because she was angry. After calming down for a night, she should understand the consequences."

“Yes, as long as the responsibility for the hunger strike is placed on Zhang Yanling, saying that it was the result of his bewitching the Holy Mother,” Zhu Shou nodded and said, “the Empress Dowager and the Emperor can end this gracefully.”

As he spoke, he praised Su Lu, "Your paperwork skills are truly impressive, unlike those of a novice."

"It is the result of the collective wisdom of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices," Su Lu said modestly. "Our responsibility is to help the Emperor solve his problems and offer advice."

"Yes, I can feel your kindness." Zhu Shou nodded, then said somewhat nervously, "Of course, no matter how well you plan, the Empress Dowager still has to appreciate it."

"Trust me, it will happen." Su Lu gave him confidence in a firm tone: "Go back and get a good night's sleep, there should be good news tomorrow morning."

"Mm." Zhu Shou nodded.

~~
But how could the emperor sleep? He tossed and turned all night, finally managing to get through the night until dawn.

Just as Zhu Houzhao was about to take a nap, he heard good news coming from outside.

"Your Majesty is overjoyed! The Empress Dowager has begun to dine!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yong rushed in, sweating profusely, and repeated breathlessly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is eating!"

"Really?!" Zhu Houzhao was instantly wide awake, jumping up excitedly and laughing wildly, "Su Xiaoban is truly a miracle doctor, even more effective than my whole roasted lamb!"

When he dressed up and rushed back to the palace, he saw Empress Dowager Zhang sitting on her phoenix bed, eating donkey meat sandwiches with mutton intestine soup...

The Empress Dowager looked up and saw him enter. Embarrassed, she swallowed the food in her mouth, took the handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and said:
"I've eaten, please spare Yanling."

Zhu Houzhao nodded and replied, "If the Empress Dowager is willing to eat, I will naturally spare his life. But his crimes are heinous. He may be spared the death penalty, but he will not escape punishment—I will exile his entire family to Fengyang to guard the coffin of the Pure Emperor."

The Empress Dowager frowned, about to speak, but couldn't help but hiccup.

Then the emperor added, "If they behave themselves and perform well in Fengyang, I will pardon them in a few years and let them return to their hometowns to live out their old age."

Zhu Houzhao paused for a moment and then warned in a deep voice, "But if you dare to cause trouble again, you will be exiled to the harsh and cold land of Liaodong, and you will not be pardoned!"

Zhang Heling and Madam Jin shuddered upon hearing this, realizing that the emperor was also warning them.

"..." The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time before nodding and saying, "You are the emperor, so you have the final say."

"Your Majesty is wise; this is the only way to preserve the Zhang family in the long run." Zhu Houzhao glanced at the stewards and head maids standing by with their hands at their sides and said coldly, "You have failed to serve the Empress Dowager properly, causing her to go on a hunger strike and harm her health. You no longer need to serve her. Replace her with a group of capable people."

Eunuch Zhou and the head maid hurriedly knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

"And also, Uncle!" Zhu Houzhao displayed his divine power, summoning the King of Hell.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Zhang Heling hurriedly bowed and kowtowed.

“Grandma is so old, yet she’s still in the palace taking care of the Empress Dowager. What kind of talk is that if word gets out? We should bring her back to live out her remaining years in peace.” Zhu Houzhao said this while giving Lady Jin a cold glance.

Mrs. Jin was so frightened that she trembled and dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

Zhang Heling hurriedly replied, "That's what I meant too. We'll take Mother back today."

"There's no need to rush," Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, showing great compassion, "It's not too late to leave after Mother has fully recovered."

"Yes," Zhang Heling and her son replied in unison, behaving extremely obediently.

Zhu Houzhao exhaled a long breath and bowed to Empress Dowager Zhang, saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. Mother, please take care of your health and eat well."

Empress Dowager Zhang raised her head and, for the first time in many years, seriously examined her son. She saw that he had grown taller than his father, and the features on his handsome face had matured into those of an adult.

She then suddenly realized that the emperor had come of age and was no longer someone anyone could control...

She then spoke to him in an unprecedentedly gentle tone, saying, "Son, move back to the palace."

"I can live wherever I want, and no one can interfere!" Zhu Houzhao frowned, revealing a strong sense of aloofness and wariness.

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Empress Dowager Zhang watched the emperor's resolute departure, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly took a bite of a donkey meat sandwich to suppress them.

P.S. I've been infected too...

(End of this chapter)