Sister, look at him!

In early September, He Qingwan returned to Shendu City.

Bringing along her personally selected royal chef Tong Leyao.

Less than two days after returning to the palace, Wang Linglong came to apply for the position of female official.

For this reason, she also sold her cousin, Rui Wang Jingchuan, the wicked prince who dug up He Qingwan's grave in his previous life.

Using Prince Rui as a token of his allegiance, He Qingwan kept Wang Linglong.

Half a month after He Qingwan returned, Prime Minister He came to see her.

"I am not feeling well." He Qingwan was leaning on the beauty couch watching several palace maids dancing. When she heard the news that Prime Minister He was coming, she just lightly declined.

That afternoon, He Xiyu also came.

"I've told you that I'm not feeling well and won't see anyone." He Qingwan's brows were already showing a hint of annoyance. "Pass on my imperial decree. I've contracted a disease in Yangzhou and it's inconvenient for me to see anyone. I won't see anyone, no matter who it is!"

Late at night, a dark shadow quickly dodged the guards of Changle Palace and sneaked into Changxin Palace.

Before entering the Changxin Palace, the black shadow was captured.

"Who was I thinking it was? It turns out to be the Prime Minister." Mu Yan sneered and released his hand that was pinching He Xiyu's neck.

"Why is Lord Kui here?" He Xiyu, wearing a nightgown, looked at Mu Yan warily.

"Of course I asked him to stay to protect my safety." He Qingwan walked out of the palace wearing a robe and long hair. "But Prime Minister He, why did you come to pay your respects to me at such an early time?"

"Wanwan..." He Xiyu's face was full of hurt and reluctance, "You shouldn't have come back..."

"Oh?" He Qingwan sat down steadily. "What are you talking about, Prime Minister He? Could it be that you were the one who did the assassination attempts on me during my absence from the capital?"

"Assassination?" He Xiyu was confused at first, then his expression suddenly changed, his handsome face turned pale, "Father clearly promised that as long as you don't return to the capital, he won't..."

He looked dazed, his tall body seemed to be shaky and he looked extremely thin.

"Prime Minister He, please go back. I will pretend that I don't know anything about what happened today."

He Qingwan seemed a little disappointed. She said this coldly and left.

The next day, all the maids and servants in her palace were replaced, except Linlang.

He family.

Prime Minister He and his brother He Xuan were discussing something when the flame on the candlestick jumped and a figure appeared in the room.

It is He Xi Jade.

"Father, did you send someone to kill Wanwan?" He Xiyu's eyes were red, not only because of anger but also pain.

"You know it now." Prime Minister He's expression remained unchanged.

"Brother!" He Xuan was also shocked. He didn't expect Prime Minister He to take action against He Qingwan.

"Can't you see it?" Prime Minister He looked at He Xiyu who had lost his composure, his eyes filled with deep disappointment. "The Queen Mother Zhao Yuan and that eunuch are in control of the government, Prince Yong and the young lady of the Ji family are guarding the border, and the Prince of Shu is courting His Majesty every day. Xiyu, it will be too late if you don't take action now."

"But that's Wanwan!" He Xiyu couldn't help but roar, his fists clenched, veins popped out in his neck, and his muscles were tense. But the person in front of him was his father, so he could only kneel on the ground and pound the ground in hatred.

"Xi Yu, Your Majesty is the orthodox one." Prime Minister He only said this one sentence.

He Xiyu seemed to have been drained of all his strength. He let himself fall to the ground, looking at He Xuan with empty eyes.

"Uncle, do you think so too?"

His voice was hoarse, with a lingering sadness in it.

He Xuan didn't dare to look into He Xiyu's eyes. He knew that his elder brother had done something wrong, but he had no choice. He could never convince his stubborn elder brother.

"Heh..." He Xiyu laughed at himself. He closed his eyes, and the crystal tears in his eyes finally flowed out.

……

The sky in Dazhao has changed.

Jing Zhan also noticed it.

The court, which had been peaceful, suddenly became turbulent.

The Ji family, who had always been on good terms with the He family, suddenly changed their attitude and became neutral. Mu Yan's followers, who had been quiet for a long time, also started to make trouble. And his right-hand man He Xiyu was ill at home and unable to attend court.

Jing Zhan, who was exhausted, had to review memorials every day until midnight and still couldn't finish.

In mid-October, news came from Prince Yong that they had conquered the Western Regions, which voluntarily became a vassal state of Dazhao and paid tribute every year.

This should have been a good thing, but when Prince Yong applied to be transferred back to the capital city, Prime Minister He repeatedly obstructed him, and General Ji almost had a fight with Prime Minister He in the court.

It was not until November, when the Queen Mother's birthday was approaching, that the court became somewhat peaceful.

In Dazhao, the Queen Mother's birthday has been celebrated since ancient times, and this time is no exception.

After Jing Zhan left the court, he went to Changle Palace, wanting to discuss the arrangements for her birthday with He Qingwan.

But he received the news that He Qing was ill in bed and would not live long.

"When did it start?" Jing Zhan sat beside He Qingwan's bed, holding He Qingwan's thin, boneless, and cold little hand with his big hand.

"It was like this when I returned from Yangzhou." Mu Yan lowered his eyebrows and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother encountered several waves of assassinations by unknown forces in Yangzhou."

"Assassination?" Jing Zhan's face became more serious. He looked at Mu Yan suspiciously, "Even you don't know?"

"Everything I have done these days is for the Queen Mother." Although Mu Yan's expression was still submissive, Jing Zhan saw a bit of madness in his expression, hoping to fight to the death.

That madness was so frightening that he temporarily ignored Mu Yan's disrespect.

"What does the factory supervisor mean?"

He asked, suppressing the uneasiness in his heart.

"Your Majesty, someone wants to kill the Queen Mother." Mu Yan finally laughed. He looked at Jing Zhan with heavy eyes, "You have to protect her."

"..."

Jing Zhan looked at He Qingwan who was lying on the bed as if he could die at any time, and then looked at Mu Yan who looked like a madman.

He was silent.

"I will naturally protect the Queen Mother."

Jing Zhan left.

The next day, an imperial decree was announced.

Empress Dowager Zhao Yuan sympathized with the people and no longer held a banquet on her birthday. The money used would be donated to the poor and soldiers far away at the border.

At the same time, in order to fill the harem, concubines will be selected from the entire Dazhao, from the common people layer by layer, until the final selection is made in March of the following year in the imperial city.

These two pieces of news immediately caused the entire Dazhao to boil.

There are rumors among the people that Empress Dowager Zhaoyuan was a god who descended to earth. She punished the tyrannical and licentious previous emperor and also worked for the welfare of the common people.

Mu Yan had been fanning the flames all along. He even urged Jing Zhan to build a gilded statue of Guanyin in the National Temple that looked similar to He Qingwan's.

Jing Zhan didn't want to waste so much money and manpower, so Mu Yan directly released the news that Empress Dowager Zhao Yuan would not live long.

A series of previous incidents involving cement, explosives, grain seeds, etc. were also dug up, and people began to spread rumors that Empress Dowager Zhao Yuan was bedridden because she had leaked too many secrets.

Jing Zhan had no choice, and since he also wanted He Qingwan to get better soon, he wrote the imperial edict reluctantly.

When Prime Minister He saw Mu Yan smiling like a fox beside Jing Zhan, his eyes almost burst into fire with anger.