The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

Not long after standing in the shadow of the corridor lights, Cao Bin made an excuse to follow him out.

"The royal concubine."

He bowed, his voice lower and hoarse than usual, and he seemed a little old.

In fact, he is only about fifty years old. He takes good care of himself and is flexible in speech and movement. He doesn't look old at all.

But tonight, his body was a little hunched over, and he didn't adjust it himself.

"I heard that Eunuch Cao is not on duty tonight and is resting due to illness. I didn't expect you to come."

Fei Wan's tone wasn't as gentle as usual, just calm.

There was some compassion in the calmness.

Upon hearing this, Cao Bin paused and sighed in the wind.

"My Lady, this slave...should not rest tonight."

"Does it make any difference? What's coming will always come."

Cao Bin didn't speak for a long time.

When he raised his head, tears welled up in his eyes.

"It is my fault for not raising my son properly, and for causing trouble to the Imperial Concubine."

In addition to the imperial guards who were hunting down the assassin, there was another group of people from the Palace Administration Department, who were searching the palace for the remaining spies of the Qu State under Fei Wan's secret order.

Gong Zhengsi's deputy was promoted by Fei Wan.

She had also been ordered by the emperor to investigate spies in the palace.

Therefore, if she did not report this action tonight to Chen Qian Palace in advance, it would not be considered as exceeding her authority.

Just finishing up the things that were not completed that day.

Others in the palace didn't know, but how could Cao Bin, who was extremely sensitive to any disturbance, not know?

Although he had rested tonight and was dazed when he first arrived, he had long since regained consciousness. While controlling the imperial guards, he had received various reports from his superiors.

Concubine Zhao's actions, the performance of his adopted son Cui Liang, and the clues to various things that happened tonight... putting them all together, he had vaguely guessed that Cui Liang was involved in something.

A big deal.

The emperor was seriously injured and the situation was serious.

When he looked at Fei Wan's calm and compassionate face, he knew that he could not save his godson.

No, perhaps he had anticipated this day ever since he'd repeatedly discovered Cui Liang's dishonesty. It was just that he didn't want to face it.

He also fantasized that scolding Cui Liang again and again would make him stop in his tracks.

Who knew he would go further and further away?

"Eunuch Cao, I have been favored by your grace for so long. Imperial concubines and eunuchs shouldn't be bound by personal relationships, but I've always remembered your kindness. You serve His Majesty, and I serve His Majesty, both for the greater good. Therefore, I cannot bear to hurt him. To hurt him would be to hurt you. But..."

Fei Wan didn’t say the rest.

Cao Bin was silent for a moment and nodded dejectedly.

"I know that the Imperial Concubine treats me well. It's all because of that rebellious son who doesn't live up to his expectations."

He lifted his clothes and knelt down in front of Fei Wan.

Bow deeply.

"I only ask for a favor from your Majesty."

Fei Wan had guessed it without him saying anything.

"My father-in-law wants to see him off in person."

Cao Bin was overwhelmed with grief and could hardly control himself. He dared not cry out loud and could only kowtow and nod.

"Once the situation has calmed down, I will ask His Majesty and the Empress for mercy to allow you to see him. I also promise that he will not be tortured or suffer."

Cao Bin kowtowed three times to Fei Wan.

When he stood up to leave, his tears had stopped and his face looked solemn.

It’s that eunuch in front of the emperor again.

That night, the Imperial Palace remained peaceful and tranquil. Deep within the palace grounds, the gates were locked, and the cold winter wind blew through every corner.

But in the dark, there was no peace.

The clamor of hunting down the assassins briefly echoed everywhere. Several important officials quietly entered the palace through the corner gate. The concubines listened to the commotion in their own rooms, feeling uneasy. The imperial physician Yu Chenqian came in and out of the palace hall, and the palace officials apprehended and tortured the spies. There were cries of surprise and screams...

The next morning.

The sun still rises.

The ministers who came to court only saw the eunuch Cao Bin.

"Your Majesty is ill and will suspend court for three days. I decree this—"

The civil and military officials were full of suspicion and talked a lot. They stayed in the Golden Palace in groups of three or five and were unwilling to leave immediately.

The emperor had occasionally missed court due to illness for several years, usually for a single day. This sudden absence for three days was truly worrying. Furthermore, those with intimate knowledge had already learned last night that important officials had entered the palace overnight, and that small groups of troops had also passed through the capital. It had only been two or three months since the Tartars entered the capital, so how could everyone not be filled with anxiety and worry?

In the end, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and Lu Guinian entered the hall together, calmed down everyone, and let them disperse.

Then, the two returned to Chenqian Palace and waited for the emperor to wake up.

Yes, important officials came to the palace last night, including Lu Guinian.

In terms of age and seniority, he wasn't even considered one of the top candidates. However, he had recently been highly valued by the emperor, and despite his tendency to be irritating, he was extremely prudent and capable, handling both large and small matters. Therefore, when Empress Yan was deciding on a candidate, she chose him.

He impeached the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

He had made many comments on the case of the Duke of Zhenguo forcibly abducting a commoner girl.

While waiting in the side hall of Chenqian Palace with the Duke of Zhenguo, the two of them did not say a word to each other.

Queen Yan summoned him privately.

"Lord Lu, I have something to say. His Majesty will likely need to rest for a long time this time. I don't understand what's going on at court, so I'll have to ask you gentlemen to take care of it. The Prime Minister and his men are experienced and prudent, and the military commanders are supported by my father and others, so I'm sure they can take good care of them. However, I heard that His Majesty values ​​you very much. I hope you don't blindly follow the orders of these veteran ministers just because you are young. You must shoulder your responsibilities and don't let His Majesty down. If you have any difficulties, please come to me. When His Majesty is healthy and returns to court in the future, I will report your achievements to His Majesty truthfully. The waves behind push forward the waves ahead, and I have confidence in you, Lord Lu."

Lu Guinian bowed and agreed, and naturally said some polite words.

He expressed his loyalty to Queen Yan.

As he left the west hall of the main hall, he saw Fei Wan standing behind the partition of the east hall, talking to the imperial physician.

He knew very well how much power was hidden within that seemingly soft and frail figure.

Ever since the two began to cooperate at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, they have become a close alliance, holding many handles on each other and helping each other a lot.

Impossible to separate.

It was too late for Queen Yan to win him over at this time.

However, he would secretly tell Fei Wan about Queen Yan's goodwill.

If Empress Yan dared to win over the court officials, she must have intended to seize power. Throughout history, there have been many empresses who have manipulated power. With the support of the Duke of Zhenguo, it is possible that while the emperor was seriously injured and his life was uncertain, she could find a son to raise and rule the country from behind the scenes.

It’s a threat to Fei Wan!

Since Lu Guinian had chosen this path, he would stick to it. Between the Empress and Consort Zhao, he would only choose Consort Zhao.

This afternoon.

The emperor woke up.

After drinking a few sips of rice soup and regaining some energy, he asked the imperial physician to keep him alive with ginseng slices and asked him in detail what had happened.

The imperial physician and several important ministers were by his side, and Empress Yan sat next to the dragon bed, without considering the emperor's physical and mental endurance.

She said directly, "I have already found out that it was the culprit He who colluded with the eunuch Cui Liang and the spies hidden in the palace by Qu Guo. They seduced the Lord and tried to harm His Majesty with banned strong drugs. When that failed, they directly assassinated him!"

In front of foreign officials, this is like stripping the emperor's face off.