The regent is determined to get the daughter of a minor official.

The Empress Dowager was dressed in jewels and had her hair full of emerald green, and she sat in the main seat.

Chu Musheng couldn't help but laugh when he saw his mother's outfit.

Thinking of how Xu Keke wore all the jewelry that day, the glittering jewels were hard to look at, wasn't she exactly like the queen mother now?

"Sheng'er, you're still in the mood to laugh? Did you hear what I said to you?"

The Empress Dowager is about to celebrate her 50th birthday. She has lived a life of luxury for many years, and her every move and gesture exudes an air of looking down on the world.

She sat upright on a phoenix chair, wearing a nine-tailed phoenix crown on her head. The dazzling pearls and jade swayed, making her fair face sparkle.

Beneath the curved eyebrows, a pair of phoenix eyes reveal sharpness and majesty, yet retaining the wisdom and composure accumulated over the years.

Under the high nose bridge, the lips are slightly upturned, giving her a friendly look even when she is not smiling.

She was dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe embroidered with peonies and phoenixes, and a golden shawl on the outside. She was so graceful and elegant, and her demeanor was so graceful that the palace maids and eunuchs who served her dared not look at her directly.

Time seemed to be particularly kind to her, leaving only a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but adding a touch of maturity and solemnity.

"What did your Majesty just say? I didn't hear clearly."

Chu Musheng regained his composure and sat up straight.

"Please say it again, mother."

The Empress Dowager had no way to deal with her youngest son, and glanced at Rong Mama who was bowing her head respectfully beside her.

"Madame Rong, please come out and tell the Regent again."

"Yes."

Aunt Rong stepped out from the crowd and repeated what she had just said.

"Reporting to the Prince Regent, the Empress Dowager was originally in charge of the Empress Dowager's centenary banquet.

But this morning, not only did the Empress Dowager not come to pay her respects to the Grand Empress Dowager, she also sent a maid from the Cining Palace to come over.

He said he was not feeling well and could not host the birthday party. What should I do?

The Empress Dowager's birthday is imminent, and everything is not yet ready."

Chu Musheng didn't want to hear any news about the Queen Mother. He found it disgusting, but he had to do it to save face.

"Is the Empress Dowager feeling unwell? Has the imperial physician been consulted?"

Aunt Rong replied.

"Replying to the Regent, we have already summoned the imperial physician, but the Empress Dowager has ordered that the imperial physician is not allowed to enter the Cining Palace."

The Empress Dowager touched the Dongzhu bracelet on her wrist and snorted coldly.

"I think she is just feigning illness and shirking responsibility, not wanting to host this birthday party."

Chu Musheng hurriedly advised.

"Mother, please calm down. Perhaps the Queen Mother is truly ill. In my opinion, this centenary banquet doesn't have to be hosted by the Queen Mother.

I believe that Concubine Shu is capable of doing the job, so let Concubine Xian assist her. I will also order various departments to provide assistance.

The birthday banquet will surely be held perfectly. Besides, the Queen Mother has been busy with the affairs of the harem and is now exhausted.

I think it would be better to take this opportunity to hand over the management of the harem to Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian, so that the Queen Mother can rest assured and recuperate."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly and said after thinking for a moment.

"Well, I'll do as you say. But you have to keep a close eye on it and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Chu Musheng responded respectfully.

"Your son obeys your command, mother, don't worry."

Seeing that her youngest son was about to get up and leave, the Empress Dowager cleared her throat and asked casually, but in fact she was very concerned.

"Sheng'er, I heard that there's a new girl by your side?"

A hint of tenderness unconsciously appeared in Chu Musheng's eyes.

"My Queen Mother, there is indeed a young lady by my side."

The Empress Dowager looked at his expression and understood a little. She thought her son must have made a breakthrough. She asked:

"Then what is the origin of this girl?"

Chu Musheng tilted his head and asked back.

"Didn't you, Queen Mother, arrange for someone to bring her into the palace? Didn't you ask anyone to investigate?"

The Empress Dowager choked.

Can we not be so quick to say it?

I saw that you have been alone for these years, so I thought you might have some hidden illness.

I heard that you two hugged each other on the street, so I tried to take you back home in desperation.

The Empress Dowager thought so in her heart, but she couldn't say it out loud.

"Sheng'er, are you satisfied with that woman?"

"It's okay."

Chu Musheng spoke concisely.

"I heard she's stupid, but it doesn't matter. My son likes her, so it's not a problem for her to stay in the mansion and be a concubine."

"I'm afraid not."

Chu Musheng lowered his eyes and directly rejected it.

"Oh, what does my son want?"

Chu Musheng stood up and saluted.

"I, your son, naturally want to marry her and make her my princess consort."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly. It was true that she was the driving force behind the decision, but she had never thought of letting her youngest son marry such a woman of low status.

What's more, she is not very smart, how can she be a royal wife?

Since the son can accept one, he must be able to accept the other noble ladies from official families.

The right thing to do then would be to choose a girl from a first-rank official's family as the princess for the youngest son.

"Sheng'er, you are the regent, holding all the power and wealth of the emperor. Marriage is a serious matter and it is a great honor for that woman to win your favor and stay by your side.

I heard that she is mentally retarded and of low status. If you insist on marrying her to become the Regent Princess, I'm afraid it will ruin her life."

Chu Musheng replied immediately.

"Mother, I am not afraid of curtailing her blessings. I can give her whatever blessings she desires."

The Empress Dowager lay back.

It's over!

The youngest son is either not smart or a stubborn person.

Her eldest son has passed away, and she only has a princess and this youngest son as her biological children. She has to pamper them.

According to the fate of the Chu royal family, men do not live past the age of 30, so the youngest son might die before him.

After thinking about it again and again, the Empress Dowager was worried about her old mother, but in return she could only sigh.

"Since you like that girl so much, bring her to the Qianqiu birthday banquet and let me see her."

Chu Musheng lifted up his royal robe and knelt down to pay homage to the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, may your Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

When the Empress Dowager saw that her youngest son gave her such a generous gift, her heart softened.

If both her sons were to leave her first, she would suffer so much that even ten years would be too long, let alone a thousand years.

"Alright, alright, go ahead and get busy! I have to attend the morning court tomorrow. Would you like to stay in the front palace? You can even have dinner with me."

Chu Musheng paused.

"I am very busy and would like to return to the palace..."

The Empress Dowager curled her lips.

After leaving Changxin Palace, Chu Musheng immediately arranged for someone to notify Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian.

He ordered them to prepare for the Empress Dowager's centenary banquet and take over the affairs of the harem.

The Queen Mother was ill at the moment and had firmly rejected all requests from the concubines to visit her.

However, the two came to ask for an audience regarding the handover of the Empress Dowager's 100th birthday banquet.

The Queen Mother had no reason to refuse, so she had to meet them in her bedroom.

When Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian saw the Queen Mother, they were shocked.

The empress dowager's face was as pale as paper. She sat weakly on the luxurious phoenix chair, covered with a thick shawl.

He covered his entire body tightly, even his neck was covered tightly, as if he was trying hard to hide something.

Looking at the empress dowager's lips again, they were not only red, swollen and broken, but even oozing with blood, and there was a dark bruise under her eyes.

The whole person looked haggard, as if he had crawled out of hell.

This was Empress Dowager Wei Linger, who was once recognized as the most beautiful woman in the capital.

At this moment, I feel like an eggplant that has been mercilessly beaten by wind and frost, as miserable as it can be.

This appearance made the two concubines, Xian and Shu, who originally thought that the Queen Mother was pretending to be sick, secretly shocked.