After the arranged marriage, I pampered the sickly regent.

"My subordinate understands."

Upon hearing Ye Qingwu's instructions, Leng Feng bowed his head and respectfully responded.

"But Your Highness, are you sure you don't need to inform the Prince before going alone? It would be better to bring more people with you so that you can have someone to look after you."

"Didn't I just say that His Highness needs to rest? Besides, I'm going to the palace, not a den of dragons and tigers. Even if I bring more people, they will still come in handy."

It seems even Leng Feng could tell that this trip to the palace was no simple matter, which only made Ye Qingwu even more curious about the Empress Dowager's purpose in seeking her out.

Even if she managed to escape this summons by taking advantage of Zhan Sijing, there will definitely be a next time. Besides, deserting in the face of danger has never been her style.

After giving his instructions, Ye Qingwu boarded the carriage and headed towards the palace.

At the palace gate, waiting maids were already waiting there. When they saw the Regent's carriage approaching, they stepped forward.

"This old servant greets the Regent's Consort."

Ye Qingwu nodded and followed the nanny to the Shou Kang Palace where the Empress Dowager resided.

"Your Majesty, the Regent's Consort has arrived."

After the report, Ye Qingwu walked in and saw an old woman sitting there, with a richly dressed woman sitting next to her.

When the woman saw her, her eyes showed a scrutinizing look.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. You should go back now."

The Empress Dowager, seated in the center, looked at the woman with a very indifferent expression. The woman then stood up, responded, bowed, and left Shou Kang Palace.

"Except for Granny Chang, all of you may leave. I have something to say to the Princess."

With a chorus of agreement, the last palace servant to leave closed the door of Shou Kang Palace.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Seeing that the Empress Dowager did not intend to speak first, Ye Qingwu was not afraid. "Your Majesty, is there anything you wish to do upon summoning me?"

"Give orders?" Upon hearing Ye Qingwu use these two words, the Empress Dowager's gaze became more inquisitive. She had been watching the woman's every move since she entered.

Even now, when speaking to himself, he appears neither humble nor arrogant.

"Regent's Consort, I have already heard about what happened the day you entered the palace. I never imagined you would be so bold as to secretly arrange a marriage exchange!"

"Do you know that according to royal law, this behavior should result in immediate execution!"

The Empress Dowager's expression darkened slightly, and she immediately began to reprimand Ye Qingwu.

Ye Qingwu lowered his eyes, knowing full well that if the Empress Dowager really wanted to do something to him, he wouldn't have gotten this far.

He said these words largely to intimidate Ye Xuan, but he had not mentioned the marriage exchange to anyone else. As far as Ye Xuan was concerned, it was a "scandal," and he had no reason to make a big deal out of it, let alone let the Empress Dowager in the inner palace know about it.

There must be something fishy going on here.

"Ye Qingwu, do you agree with what I said?"

Seeing that Ye Qingwu kept her head down, the Empress Dowager spoke again.

Ye Qingwu cupped her hands in greeting. "Your Majesty, as you said, the marriage exchange is indeed true. However, this marriage originally belonged to me. What's wrong with correcting the wrong?"

"Although I am a princess, I was also the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion before I got married. There are many things that I cannot decide. If the Empress Dowager wants to punish me, wouldn't the Duke's mansion also bear a great responsibility?"

"You're quite the smooth talker, daring to bring up the Duke's mansion."

"The Emperor will investigate that matter, but what you said about restoring order..." The Empress Dowager paused, seeing that Ye Qingwu remained calm and composed.

He showed no panic when he replied to me just now; on the contrary, I admired him even more.

"Very well, now that you have married the Regent and become the Regent's Consort, you are a member of the royal family. I will not pursue these matters any further. But how are the things that the daily nanny instructed you to do when she came to the manor going?"

"Your Majesty, you know that matters of bloodline cannot be forced, and besides, the Prince's health is not currently suitable..."

"It seems you already know about Si Jing's situation..."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "I went to pray for blessings some time ago, hoping to find a way out for Si Jing. The master mentioned that the only way was to preserve his bloodline."

Hearing these words, Ye Qingwu suddenly understood why her marriage to Ye Qingzhu was so rushed.

"Your Majesty, may I be so bold as to ask: do you simply wish to preserve the Prince's bloodline, or do you wish for the Prince to live a good life?"

The Empress Dowager was startled, and her gaze toward Ye Qingwu suddenly turned sharp.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, I have read some medical books since I was a child. In the past few days, I have discovered that the Prince has been poisoned. If the poison can be removed, he will be fine."

Ye Qingwu probed the Empress Dowager's attitude.

The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of surprise. "Even if it is poisoning, if we don't know how to detoxify, it's all in vain."

"The Imperial Advisor left a prophecy before going into seclusion, and according to the calculation, it will be in two days. Ye Qingwu, how can you tell me now that you have been poisoned?"

"Or is this just an excuse you came up with to get yourself out of trouble!" the Empress Dowager shouted angrily, her tone filled with dissatisfaction with Ye Qingwu.

It even involves the Imperial Advisor. The other party was able to predict that Zhan Sijing's life would end in two days. Is it really that he is capable, or is it just a coincidence?

If it's the former, would they also know of their arrival?

"Your Majesty, these are not just empty words. I have a way to make the Prince well."

Ye Qingwu knew that given the current situation, the Empress Dowager would likely hold her accountable in less than two days.

She really wanted to live a good life. It would be such a waste for her to die here before she was even fully recovered.

The Empress Dowager did not speak, but looked at Ye Qingwu with a suspicious gaze, clearly half believing her words.

Standing beside her, Granny Chang said, "Your Majesty, this old servant thinks the Regent's Consort doesn't seem to be lying. Why don't we let her try?"

"If it is truly proven that the Princess is talking nonsense, then it's not too late to deal with her?"

Granny Chang's words eased the Empress Dowager's mind considerably. She then turned to Ye Qingwu and asked, "Ye Qingwu, I'll ask you one more time: can you truly break the curse that Si Jing will die in two days?"

"Your Majesty, I will ensure the Prince's well-being."

"Alright, after you leave the palace, I will have Granny Chang accompany you. She will be by your side to assist you for the next two days. If you need anything for your medical treatment, just ask..." The Empress Dowager suddenly clutched her chest halfway through her sentence, then gasped for breath and fainted.

This scene terrified Granny Chang. She helped the Empress Dowager to a chair and anxiously called out, "Empress Dowager!"

"Empress Dowager, what's wrong with you?"

Ye Qingwu looked around and noticed the half-eaten pastries on the table. She picked them up and smelled them.

It's a peach kernel.

"I'm asking you, is the Empress Dowager allergic to anything related to peach blossoms?"

Granny Chang nodded hurriedly, her face filled with anxiety. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager cannot eat pastries made with peach blossoms, especially peach kernels."

"Your Highness, what should we do now?"

"What are you waiting for? Go and fetch the imperial physician right away. I'll stay here and watch over things."

As Ye Qingwu spoke, she opened the window and saw that Granny Chang was still standing there. She urged her, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go. If you delay any longer, the situation will really become critical."

Upon hearing this, Granny Chang dared not stay any longer and said to Ye Qingwu, "Princess Regent, I'll leave the Empress Dowager's affairs to you."

After Granny Chang ran out, Ye Qingwu didn't dare to linger. She took out silver needles from her spatial storage, knowing that the Empress Dowager had probably already eaten quite a few pastries before this.

The swelling in the throat is already causing a local reaction. If it is not treated soon, the swelling will be enough to cause suffocation, and the patient will not survive until the imperial physician arrives.

With the help of acupuncture, the swelling caused by the pressure has subsided. The next step is to treat the series of reactions caused by asthma.

Just as she was about to continue the treatment, someone rushed in.

"Grandma!"

Zhan Siwan ran to the Empress Dowager's side, and when she saw that the person next to her was Ye Qingwu, she quickly pushed him away.

"Ye Qingwu, it's you again!"

"How dare you plot to murder the Empress Dowager!"