Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

The chaotic situation in the main hall was eventually calmed down by the arrival of the retired emperor.

Since Xuanyuan Ming ascended the throne, the retired emperor has lived in seclusion, only appearing on occasions such as birthday celebrations.

However, due to a fierce argument between the emperor and empress, a eunuch went to invite the retired emperor to come out and take charge of the situation.

Li Siyue was carried away, and Mu Nianchen, as her doctor, took care of her the whole way.

Xuanyuan Ming sat silently in his chair, listening to the Emperor Emeritus's instructions. All the servants had been dismissed, leaving only the old man's weary sighs.

"Tomorrow, the country and its people also need ministers to maintain order. Treating others with ruthlessness will only breed rebellion. Remember, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

Xuanyuan Ming remained silent; he hadn't spoken since Li Siyue fainted.

The retired emperor said to himself, "You were the one who begged to marry Li Siyue as empress, but now you treat her like this. Do you still have a clear conscience when you're in the middle of the night?"

A hint of ambiguous mockery flashed in Xuanyuan Ming's eyes as he raved:

"It's just a matter of following in one's father's footsteps. Didn't you marry a woman who was useful to you for your own benefit? The person in the General's Mansion is the one you truly care about. Even after she died, you still took care of her child."

The Emperor Emeritus looked at Xuan Yuanming's current state of paralysis, filled with disappointment, and said:

"All these years, you disliked Mo Chen and secretly made things difficult for him, just because you knew I loved his mother? Silly child, she's gone now, and you've risen to a high position, so why cling to her?"

Xuanyuan Ming: "Why should I be so persistent?! Then why have you always protected him?! Why?! I am your own son! Why have you always loved him?!"

Xuan Yuanming seemed to have been suppressing his anger for a long time, and his overwhelming rage erupted like a tidal wave. "Sometimes I even wonder if that bastard is your child! Otherwise, why do you always favor him?!"

Faced with Xuanyuan Ming's final question, the Emperor Emeritus was astonished, but he quickly concealed his emotions, shook his head, and said helplessly:

"You have everything now, why are you still so dissatisfied? I never knew you thought this way."

Xuanyuan Ming screamed hysterically, "Because you've never liked me! Of all the princes, I received the least attention! In this cannibalistic palace, without the emperor's favor, my mother and I had nothing! Where were you when my mother died in the cold palace?!" He seemed to be venting all the grievances he had accumulated over the years: "The throne I hold today is something I painstakingly plotted for. It was because I married Li Siyue and gained the support of the emperor's father-in-law that I was able to orchestrate your abdication. This is my skill! It wasn't your decision to give me the throne!"

The retired emperor listened to his words, closed his eyes, and seemed to be lost in painful memories. Whenever he thought of the scene from back then, his heart ached terribly...

The retired emperor held his forehead and said in a pained voice:

"With your temperament, you are indeed unsuitable to be an emperor. Look at what you have done all these years? You have suppressed loyal ministers, listened to flatterers, and even abandoned your own wife and father-in-law..."

"That's not all! I did far more than that. Didn't you always not know how the woman you loved died? I orchestrated her death! It's just a pity that the bastard child didn't die; it was too tough to survive." His vicious gaze was like that of a venomous snake, sending chills down one's spine.

The retired emperor seemed to be hearing the truth for the first time, and he said in disbelief:

"What did you say? It was you, you're the one who ruined her?!"

"Yes, it was me. I did it all. I exposed her identity! You fell in love with a spy from an enemy country. How could I not take advantage of that? See how smart I am? You wouldn't know the truth if I hadn't said it myself."

The retired emperor was furious: "You unfilial son! How could you do this?"

Xuanyuan Ming burst into maniacal laughter, even slamming his fist on the table, saying, "Of course I'll do it! If I'm not doing well, I won't let you be doing well either! What's it like to be separated from the one you love by death?! It must be unbearable!"

The retired emperor, enraged, stepped forward to reprimand Xuanyuan Ming, but before his palm could even touch him, Xuanyuan Ming deflected it. Xuanyuan Ming stood up and said directly:

"I've been lying low for years, how could I possibly put myself in a passive position?"

The retired emperor watched him stand up and exclaimed in shock:

"Aren't you injured?"

"Hmph, do I look like something has happened to me right now?"

Xuanyuan Ming looked out the door and said coldly, "Guards! The Emperor Emeritus is old and frail. Help him back to rest. Without my decree, no one is allowed to let the Emperor Emeritus leave his bedchamber."

The retired emperor was furious and shouted, "How dare you place me under house arrest?"

Xuanyuan Ming said, "I dare to make you abdicate, what else wouldn't I dare to do?! Guards, take the Emperor Emeritus away immediately!"

A group of eunuchs and guards immediately filed in from outside the door, and took the retired emperor away.

The retired emperor has now abdicated, and the palace is full of Xuanyuan Ming's men. He was outnumbered and had no choice but to be taken away.

As Xuanyuan Ming watched his departing figure, he felt that the Emperor Emeritus's last gaze was unfamiliar to him.

But having come this far from nothing, his heart had long since grown cold. Suppressing his guilt, Xuan Yuanming addressed the eaves:

"Shadow, come down here. Make sure you keep a close watch on the Emperor Emeritus. I don't want any accidents to stop my plans."

A voice responded from the void: "Your Majesty, rest assured, Shadow will do its utmost."

A fleeting shadow appeared in the air, acting on Xuan Yuanming's orders.

These are assassins personally trained by Xuanyuan Ming, who only obey his orders and hide in the shadows of the palace to protect his safety.

After the guards left, Xuan Yuanming finally collapsed, unable to contain his gluttony any longer...

It turned out that he was only holding on by his last breath. After being poisoned, Xuan Yuanming had already suffered a great loss of vitality and was now at his last gasp.

Sweating profusely, Xuan Yuanming wiped away his sweat with difficulty and said unwillingly:

"Damn it, when will it finally recover..."

The low curses echoed in the hall, but gradually subsided...

-

On the other side, Ye Li took Li Siyue's pulse while taking out her own quick-acting heart medicine and gave it to her.

Li Siyue was mentally exhausted and overly emotional, which is extremely detrimental to the pregnant woman.

She and Li Siyue are now partners, so she can't afford to let anything happen to her. Dealing with Xuan Yuanming is impossible without Li Siyue.

Li Siyue slowly woke up. She looked at Ye Li and asked weakly:

"Where's my sister?"

Ye Li comforted her, saying, "She's in the room next door. I'll go check on her in a bit."

While crying, Li Siyue recounted her younger sister's story. Only then did Ye Li learn that Li Siyue's younger sister was a born mentally challenged child with intellectual disabilities. For the sake of its reputation, the Li family had always kept her in the suburbs of Beijing.

Li Siyue looked at Ye Li and said weakly:

"Mu Nianchen, I beg you, my sister is so pitiful, can you help me save her?"

Ye Li nodded and said solemnly:

"I promise you, I will cure her illness. You must also cheer up."

As if grasping at a straw, Li Siyue pressed on, asking:

"Are you really sure you can do it? Miaomiao is mentally challenged, can you really cure her?"