Resisting the Wind and Splendor

"How could Lu Fengjin easily make peace with Lu Beimo? The hatred of losing the country and his wife is enough for Lu Fengjin, a narrow-minded person, to hold a grudge for a lifetime."

The Empress smiled coldly and said, "The reason he made peace and joined forces with Lu Beimo was only because he was forced by circumstances. Given what he did in Nanmeng, if he didn't bow down to Lu Beimo, he wouldn't even have a chance to come back."

But now, isn't he arriving soon?

Now that we're back in Dongling, we no longer need to be threatened by Lu Beimo.

“If he is unwilling to cooperate with me, he will be the Emperor’s abandoned son and a sinner of Dongling after he returns. He did such a thing in Nanmeng. Even if he is spared the death penalty, he will not escape punishment. He will have no future.”

The Empress smiled faintly and waved her hand: "Go and summon that vile Consort Rui. I want to have a good talk with her."

Lu Ziling understood and said, "Yes."

If Lu Fengjin had followed the conventional path in his life, he would probably never have had the chance to rise again.

However, if he cooperates with the Empress, even if he still cannot become emperor, he still has a chance to preserve his vanity as a prince.

There's no shortage of cases of people turning the tables on their enemies; how history records it depends entirely on the intentions of those in power.

Whether the Northern Cavalry that ambushed King Mo was a traitor or an arrest of rebels is ultimately up to the people in power.

Lu Fengjin is a smart man; he understands this principle better than anyone else.

He no longer had a choice.

...That night, the Empress summoned Consort Rui.

Chu Qianli did not go to the Hall of Diligent Governance; instead, she went to the Empress's Qiankun Palace.

In the early hours of the morning, a fire broke out at Qiankun Palace, and it is said that the fourteenth prince was trapped inside.

The fire raged fiercely, and the entire Qiankun Palace was quickly engulfed in flames.

The palace maids, eunuchs, and guards searched everywhere, but they couldn't find the Fourteenth Prince anywhere.

In his sleep, it seemed as if he was instantly engulfed by the fire.

Upon hearing the news, the empress went mad and tried to rush in.

Lu Ziling initially tried to persuade her, but in the end, even he couldn't convince her. He could only knock the Empress unconscious temporarily and order people to carry her back to keep an eye on her.

The fire burned until the afternoon of the following day.

The fire was finally extinguished, and a charred corpse was found in the fourteenth prince's bedroom.

Around the corpse's neck was a melted collar, inside which was a longevity lock, also burned beyond recognition.

But the image can still be vaguely discerned.

It was the longevity lock that the Empress herself put on the fourteenth prince.

After the death of her eldest son, the Empress was exceptionally strict with her youngest son, but in truth, she loved him to the core!

Who set the fire? Why? Why didn't they even spare her only son?

"Mother, you still have me." Lu Ziling supported the swaying Empress, knowing that anything he said would be wrong, as the Empress was still unable to calm down.

But now, at the most crucial moment, if the Empress does not stand up now, she will miss the best opportunity.

Lu Ziling advised, "Mother, from now on, I will treat you as my own mother and serve you well for the rest of my life! Mother, you must cheer up. Mo Wang and Chu Yue Li's troops are still outside the palace, and Jin Wang will be back soon. At this time, we need you to make a decisive decision!"

The empress looked at him, her eyes empty.

What was the purpose of her lifelong planning?

It was all so that his son could become emperor.

But now that her son is gone, what good is it for her to seize this empire?