Remarrying Chun Yuan

At this time, in Cixi Palace.

Everyone knelt in the outer hall, including the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Imperial Concubine, and Qin Muyan. No one was allowed to go to the inner palace to see the Empress Dowager one last time.

Only Yuan Cuo was called in, and he remained silent until the imperial physicians were all driven out, and there was still no sign of him.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Yuan Cuo?!" The Crown Prince was the first to notice something was wrong, because the situation was too abnormal.

Qin Muyan also looked puzzled, "Perhaps there's still a chance to save him?"

"Then we shouldn't have driven all the imperial physicians out."

"Logically, Father and we should be by Grandmother's bedside..."

"Mother, aren't you going in to ask?"

Qin Mushuo and Qin Muyan had completely lost their patience and could only turn their attention to the Empress.

After thinking for a moment, the Empress, supported by the nanny, stood up and said, "I'll go take a look. None of you need to come with me."

She walked to the entrance of the inner palace and asked the palace maid to wait there. She went in alone and didn't see any palace maids or servants along the way, which was very strange.

The Empress took a few steps toward the Empress Dowager's bedroom and then heard the Empress Dowager and Emperor Qi Xiao talking.

Yuan Cuo, Cheng Hai, and even the old man who served the Empress Dowager were not present.

"...Why do you insist on seeing him at this time? He shouldn't be here, or even in the palace. You're being completely ridiculous!" Emperor Qi Xiao was filled with resentment.

The Empress Dowager's voice was weak, and the Empress could only hear it intermittently. "It was His Majesty who broke his promise to me first and promoted him back. Wasn't he already planning to acknowledge him? I might as well help His Majesty out."

"You want to kill him outright!" Emperor Qi Xiao's voice was low but filled with anger and inner roar. "Moreover, I don't want to acknowledge him. I just value his talent and hope he can contribute to the Great Qi and help me!"

"Does Your Majesty really think I'm stupid? That woman isn't dead at all. You're just trying to elevate him to lure that woman out!" The Empress Dowager's voice grew weaker and weaker until Emperor Qi Xiao could hear it. "Besides, I've already told him who his birth mother is. You either kill him or wait for things to be exposed and for the Great Qi to perish!"

……

The Empress did not hear the second half of the sentence and had already left the palace, but she dared not rush out and stood in a quiet place to calm herself down.

Who would have thought that Yuan Cuo was actually His Majesty's child? Moreover, it seems that the Empress Dowager also intended for that woman to be His Majesty's favorite, someone His Majesty had been searching for all along!

This news is absolutely explosive.

Who would have thought that His Majesty would have such an illegitimate son?! No wonder His Majesty suddenly made an exception and gave Yuan Cuo a sixth-rank position, and even let him marry the eldest daughter of the richest Liu family.

The Empress felt as if a hand was twisting her heart madly, making it hard for her to breathe.

But she knew she had to pretend she hadn't heard the news...

She returned to the old woman guarding the entrance to the inner palace and gave her a wink.

The old servant, who had served her his entire life, immediately understood and called out, "Her Majesty the Empress requests an audience..."

But before His Majesty's decree could be delivered, a heart-wrenching cry rang out from inside.

That voice belonged to Emperor Qi Xiao!

The Empress couldn't wait for the message to be delivered and immediately hurried inside.

Emperor Qi Xiao had removed his crown and was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his face. The Empress Dowager was also lying motionless on her phoenix couch, her eyes closed.

Preparations for the Empress Dowager's grand funeral had already been made in the palace.

As the death knell tolled, everyone inside and outside the palace immediately knelt down and wailed.

The Empress was also kneeling on the ground, wiping away tears, but her eyes were darting around, and she couldn't see Yuan Cuo at all.

It's unclear how much time passed before Yuan Cuo finally appeared with Cheng Hai. They appeared outside the Cining Palace, and it's unknown when they left...

Liu Yuechu had been waiting at home the whole time.

Hearing the death knell toll in the palace, her heart skipped a beat.

The Empress Dowager eventually passed away, but what became of Yuan Cuo?

She was filled with mixed feelings and really wanted to go and see for herself, but there were still people from the palace guarding outside the Liu family's gate, and she didn't know what that meant.

"Hou Lai, why don't you go and find out?" She was really worried.

Hou Lai refused decisively, "No, my master specifically instructed me not to leave your side for even a moment, and I cannot disobey."

"But he might be in danger right now!"

"If he's really in danger, what's the point of me going? Don't think I'm omnipotent; I'm just a bodyguard..."

Liu Yuechu was speechless with embarrassment.

Thinking about it carefully, it does seem to be true.

Since there was no other way, she could only gradually quiet down...

"Go prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone." The Empress Dowager had asked her to copy scriptures for blessings, and she couldn't just leave without writing a single word.

Granny Fang thought this was a good idea and immediately went to make preparations.

Liu Yuechu also scrapped several pages before calming down and carefully writing down, stroke by stroke, "The practice of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is profound, Prajnaparamita..."

She writes sometimes, and rests sometimes.

As the sun rose and it was almost evening, Uncle Chun rushed over to say, "The Golden Feather Guards guarding outside have already left..."

Liu Yuechu nodded slightly.

The Empress Dowager has already passed away, so why should they still be guarding the Liu family?

"Master, you don't need to continue writing, do you?" Huajiao felt very sorry for Liu Yuechu. After writing all afternoon, she estimated that Liu Yuechu's hands were already slightly swollen.

"I still have to write. The palace hasn't given me an imperial edict to stop. It would be bad if they found something to use against me." Liu Yuechu didn't have much contact with the palace in her previous life, but she knew how mean and cunning the people there were.

Moreover, Emperor Qi Xiao always complained that her background wasn't high enough, and it would be troublesome if he used that as an excuse.

Huajiao could only keep bringing hot water to help her apply heat during breaks.

As the sky turned crimson and night began to fall, a group of people hurriedly arrived outside the Liu family's gate, summoning Liu Yuechu to the palace.

Liu Yuechu went to the door to receive the order. "I wonder whose order this is? I previously received an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager forbidding me to leave the Liu residence. If the edict is suddenly changed, shouldn't there be a formal decree as well?"

The person who arrived was Zhang Xinyan, who had been scrutinizing Liu Yuechu.

He initially wanted to kill Yuwen Chan, but Yuwen Chan ended up having a very good relationship with this woman. Who knows if it was this woman who saved him back then? And who knows how much of the truth this woman knows?

"This is Her Majesty the Empress's verbal order. There is no decree. She just wants you to enter the palace. Hurry up and follow her."

"If I go to the palace with you, won't I be accused of disobeying the Empress Dowager's decree?" Liu Yuechu asked very carefully.

Why did the Empress suddenly summon her to the palace?

Besides, even if she were allowed to enter the palace to attend the funeral with the families of the court officials, it wouldn't be necessary for Zhang Xinyan to personally come and deliver the message, would it?

This is the commander of the Golden Feather Guard.

Although she was the head of the Liu family and Yuan Cuo's wife, she was nothing more than an ant in front of Zhang Xinyan...

She is very self-aware; she doesn't deserve it at all.