Transmigration: Reverse Exploitation, the System Works for Me

The Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically, and she gritted her teeth as she uttered a name: "Ruan Yanran!"

"It must be this mother and son! I can't think of anyone else who has both the motive and the power to do this. Last time, Yunli tried to seduce the concubines in the harem to confuse the royal bloodline, but he failed. Now he has resorted to such despicable means!"

"That bitch is quite cunning, managing to plant such a deep spy right next to me. It's hateful that when we purged that bitch and her son's forces last time, we couldn't find Lin Xi!"

Indeed, Prince Guo and his mother once again became scapegoats, and it was also the most effective strategy that the Empress Dowager and Sun Zhuxi had agreed upon to deal with the Emperor's wrath.

Since the anger won't go away, let's redirect it.

Sun Zhuxi bowed respectfully and asked, "Your Majesty, should this matter be reported to the Emperor?"

The Empress Dowager said without hesitation, "Of course, you should go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately. Prince Guo and his mother are wolves in sheep's clothing, daring to covet the throne. If the Emperor doesn't deal with them soon, who knows what trouble they might cause."

"Yes."

Before Sun Zhuxi could finish speaking, the emperor's voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

"No need."

Immediately afterwards, the emperor stepped in and gave the empress dowager a perfunctory bow.

"Your son greets Your Majesty."

After a night of calm, the emperor had figured out that the matter concerning Lady Yun was not the work of the Empress Dowager.

Since the Empress Dowager had arranged for Lady Zhen to perform the Dance of the Startled Swan to evoke his feelings and commitment to Chun Yuan, she would not go so far as to have Lady Yun appear.

Unfortunately, Lin Xi is dead, and the trail has gone cold.

However, the conversation between the Empress Dowager and Sun Zhuxi that the Emperor overheard outside the palace gave him some ideas.

"Emperor? No need for formalities, please have a seat."

The Empress Dowager feigned surprise as she looked at him, then frowned and glanced towards the door: "Why didn't the servants outside announce our arrival?"

“Your Majesty, please don’t blame them. It was your son who didn’t want them to disturb your rest.”

A high-EQ response: I don't want to disturb your rest.

A response lacking emotional intelligence: Intentionally eavesdropping.

The Empress Dowager did not dwell on the matter further. "Alright, the Emperor meant well. Zhuxi, bring tea."

After saying that, he looked at the emperor with concern and asked, "Why has the emperor come at this time?"

Her initial show of weakness eased much of the emperor's unease—of course, this was largely due to the information she had overheard earlier.

The Emperor cleared his throat: "Your son was concerned about Your Majesty's health, so he specially invited you to visit me."

Hearing news about the Yun family was a pleasant surprise.

The Empress Dowager tacitly refrained from mentioning whether she was actually unwell as the Emperor had claimed, and simply echoed his words.

"Your Majesty is very kind, last night..."

The Empress Dowager looked guilty and said weakly, "It is I who have wronged you, but I was unaware of the Yun family's affairs. Although I intend for you to forgive and treat the Wuya family well, I will never gamble with the reputation of the royal family."

The emperor said with some shame, "I know, Mother Empress, don't worry. I don't blame you for this. It's just that the matter of the Wuya family has caused a great uproar. Even if I were the emperor, I couldn't silence the gossip."

"But Your Majesty, rest assured, your son has already issued an edict ordering the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial, and has also ordered the Nine Gates Commander to assist. He will certainly not allow any innocent members of the Wuya family to be implicated. As for those who have committed heinous crimes, your son can only handle them impartially."

The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction, a pleased smile on her face. "That's very good. You are the Emperor, and the Uya family is your maternal clan. Only by handling this matter impartially can you uphold your dignity as Emperor. Rest assured, I will send word back to the clan to assist you in handling this case properly."

These words made the emperor feel much better. "Your Majesty is so kind."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "You are my own son, how can I stand by and watch you suffer?"

She sighed again and earnestly instructed, "But Your Majesty, you must carefully consider the matter of the Yun family. I do not want you to have any stain on your record in future historical accounts."

The Emperor frowned. “Mother, rest assured, I had already ordered someone to handle this matter last night. There is no Lady Yun in the harem, only Consort Li, the birth mother of the Fourth Prince.”

The Empress Dowager's pupils dilated, and she subconsciously sat up straight. "Fourth Prince! You've registered the Fourth Prince under the names of Consort Yun and Consort Yun?"

The emperor fiddled with the jade pendant in his hand, staring at the Empress Dowager with a calm and indifferent expression. His gaze was scrutinizing, until the Empress Dowager's face stiffened.

The Empress Dowager quickly realized that her actions were too exaggerated and her reaction too intense. She awkwardly forced a smile and said, "Ah, well, it's just right. The Fourth Prince lost his mother at a young age, and he and Consort Yun are a good match. After all, he is a royal heir, so it's best for him to be raised in the palace."

The emperor also forced a smile, "That's exactly what I think. It's rare that my thoughts are the same as yours, Mother Empress."

The Empress Dowager's old face grew even more tense. "We, mother and son, are of one mind, and our thoughts and ideas are naturally the same."

The emperor chuckled twice, his expression ambiguous. "Yes, it's my son who's making a fuss over nothing."

With that, the emperor stood up. "I still have official business to attend to, so I won't stay with you today, Mother Empress."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "Go then, matters of state are of utmost importance."

After the emperor left Shou Kang Palace, the sound of porcelain shattering could be heard again from the main hall.

The Empress Dowager's eyes were practically spitting fire: "As expected of my son! Truly ruthless! With a joint trial by three courts, what chance does the Wuya family have? And what about the Fourth Prince? The Empress has no sons of her own. Wouldn't it be better to register the Fourth Prince under the Empress's name than to have that Yun family member?"

"Emperor, what an emperor! He's guarding against me, the Empress, the Uya family, and the Ulanara family!"

Sun Zhuxi sighed inwardly. It was only with great difficulty that the Empress Dowager was willing to lower herself and compromise to make peace with the Emperor. Who would have thought that the Emperor would be so indifferent to the bond between mother and son and disregard the life and death of his maternal clan?

However, even Sun Zhuxi dared not utter such words as adding fuel to the fire.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Emperor is probably still angry. Besides, the Fourth Prince has never been favored by the Emperor. His inclusion of him under Consort Yun's name is merely a case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. Even if he were truly included under the Empress's name, without the Emperor's favor, it would not benefit the Empress, the Uya family, or the Ulanara family."

When the emperor's attitude towards the fourth prince was mentioned, the empress dowager's anger subsided slightly.

"But the emperor's move may not be without the intention of suppressing the Third Prince. In the past, the Third Prince was the only prince who stood firm in the palace. He was also the eldest son of the Empress Dowager. His status as the eldest son and the legitimate heir was extremely noble. In the eyes of the court officials, he was naturally the only candidate for the crown prince."

"Now that there is a fourth prince who is close in age and whose birth mother is quite favored, the ministers of the previous dynasty who favored the third prince will surely waver."

Sun Zhuxi lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the two princes are still young and their future is uncertain. Especially the Fourth Prince, who has grown up in the Yuanmingyuan since childhood. How can he compare to our Third Prince?"

The Empress Dowager had a sudden thought. "Alright, let's leave this matter aside for now. Make arrangements for Consort Qi as soon as possible."

"Yes, I will make arrangements now."