An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

Su Peisheng followed the emperor into the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

The bedchamber was already filled with the aroma of medicine.

Upon approaching, one could see the Empress Dowager leaning against the bed, her face pale, her eyes slightly closed, and many fine silver needles covering her arms and head. The Imperial Physician, Xiao Jiang, was administering acupuncture to the Empress Dowager.

The emperor hurriedly stepped forward, kowtowed and paid his respects, saying, "Your unfilial son has caused Your Majesty so much worry."

Upon hearing the Emperor's voice, the Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, but her eyes seemed unfocused, her gaze empty.

Seeing that something was wrong, the emperor quickly asked the imperial physician beside him, "What's wrong with the Empress Dowager?"

Before the imperial physician could answer, the Empress Dowager spoke first, slowly replying, "Let me speak for myself. It's not easy for those who serve in the inner palace. If they speak lightly, it's a crime of deception; if they speak seriously, they fear punishment. Inevitably, they have to go on and on about a single sentence, which only makes people feel more uncomfortable."

"I was simply overwhelmed by anger, which caused my body's functions to become disordered, and my eyesight has deteriorated. Your Majesty need not worry."

Both the emperor and Su Peisheng were taken aback by these words.

Today, in the Suiyu Pavilion, when the Emperor heard that the Empress Dowager had severely punished the servants who served Hongzhou, he had a vague feeling that something was amiss. However, he did not expect that the Empress Dowager was, after all, quite old, and that her anger might have harmed her health.

Thinking of this, the Emperor felt a little uneasy and quickly asked, "Is Your Majesty feeling any better now?" As he spoke, he unconsciously sat down on the edge of the Empress Dowager's bed, as if he would feel more at ease if he were closer.

The Empress Dowager smiled softly, her empty eyes devoid of any emotion, and said indifferently, "Since I am ill, I will inevitably need to be treated slowly. Your Majesty need not worry too much. I know my own body very well."

"But has the Emperor visited Hongzhou, that child?"

The emperor nodded, but then remembered that the Empress Dowager couldn't see him nodding, so he quickly said, "I just checked, and Aunt Zhuxi also came to report that he looks much better."

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager, who looked sickly but was trying to keep herself in good spirits. He felt sad and unconsciously described the Fifth Prince Hongzhou's condition in a more optimistic way.

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly and shook her head. "I saw the child being carried in just now. Emperor, don't try to deceive me. Just tell me how Hongzhou is doing."

The emperor was momentarily at a loss for words and was almost frozen in place.

Su Peisheng quickly replied softly, "Your Majesty, there were many people attending to him just now. I was afraid that His Majesty would worry, so I went up and carefully examined the Fifth Prince's injuries. The bleeding from his injured leg has stopped, and the imperial physicians are bandaging it. However, when His Majesty came over the other day, the Fifth Prince had not yet woken up."

The emperor glanced at Su Peisheng, his face still somber, but his eyes held a hint of approval.

Having served as master and servant for so many years, how could Su Peisheng not guess the emperor's thoughts?

The Empress Dowager couldn't help but sigh again, nodding and saying, "When Hongzhou was brought back just now, he looked extremely dangerous. The imperial physician told me that if the bleeding couldn't be stopped, the child wouldn't survive, which really terrified me."

Although the Empress Dowager spoke as if it were nothing, one can imagine that the situation must have been extremely critical, given that she was so anxious that she suffered from blindness.

The Empress Dowager seemed not to expect anyone to answer her, and continued slowly, "Fortunately, Hongzhou is a lucky child. He has passed the first hurdle. We need to have the Imperial Hospital prepare more nourishing medicines. Hongzhou is so badly injured, he needs to be properly recuperated."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's eyes welled up with tears. Although he was the Empress Dowager's biological son, he had been separated from her at a young age, and thus, their relationship had never been particularly close. He had once envied his fourteenth brother for being able to grow up by their birth mother's side. He had also imagined how anxious and worried his own mother would be if he were ever sick or injured, how she would love and protect him, and how tenderly she would hold him in her arms. However, his childhood had been relatively smooth, and he had never experienced such a situation, nor had he ever felt the tender love of his own mother.

After the emperor came of age and moved out of the palace into his own residence, the relationship between mother and son became more like that of official business, proceeding strictly according to protocol, whether on ordinary days or during festivals. Their relationship seemed to consist only of polite formalities based on self-interest.

Over time, I stopped thinking about those childhood feelings altogether.

Unexpectedly, Hongzhou's sudden injury today has caused the Empress Dowager such anxiety. It is because of the Empress Dowager's anxious expression that the Emperor feels that the woman living in Shou Kang Palace, who has shed her phoenix crown and auspicious robes and relinquished her title as Empress Dowager, may also be the mother he once longed for.

Thinking of this, the emperor became somewhat lost in thought.

The Emperor quickly replied, speaking gently, "I will instruct the Imperial Hospital to handle things with Hongzhou. Your Majesty, please don't worry too much and take more rest."

The Empress Dowager nodded, but her eyes were filled with deep worry.

For a moment, both mother and son fell into deep thought and remained silent for quite a while.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager's acupuncture treatment was almost finished, the young Imperial Physician Jiang kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am about to remove the needles from the Empress Dowager. I am afraid that I may accidentally injure you, so please wait by the side."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor came to his senses and said softly to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, I am here waiting. Please call me if you need anything."

The Empress Dowager paused slightly, then nodded with a smile, "Alright." As she spoke, a glint of warm, lustrous light seemed to flash in her otherwise lifeless eyes.

The young physician carefully put away the silver needles, wrote out a prescription, and explained everything in detail to the people in the Empress Dowager's palace before taking his leave.

While Imperial Physician Jiang was finishing his acupuncture, Su Peisheng, worried that Xiazi and the others might misunderstand and cause the Emperor unnecessary worry, went to check on the Fifth Prince's injuries himself and returned to report to the Emperor. The Fifth Prince Hongzhou's condition had now stabilized.

The imperial physician instructed the Fifth Prince to rest for a few days, so only Zhu Xi and a few steady men were left to serve him, while everyone else was sent back to their respective places.

However, this was only the first hurdle; careful care was still needed for the next three days. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Imperial Physician Jiang and Physician Qin Fang agreed to take turns guarding Shou Kang Palace. Also, just in case, the physician on duty that day was arranged to stay at Shou Kang Palace as well, to better care for the Fifth Prince.

Upon hearing this, the emperor felt that the arrangement was indeed prudent, and he was relieved to inform the Empress Dowager of Hongzhou's situation.

The Empress Dowager frowned deeply upon hearing this and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time, the Emperor couldn't help but ask, "Empress Mother, do you feel that there is something I have arranged that is not appropriate? Is there anything else that you are worried about?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head. "Emperor, you have made very good arrangements. This is Shou Kang Palace, so I have nothing to worry about. It's just that I haven't figured out who wants to harm my Hongzhou."

The emperor's brow furrowed slightly. "Empress Mother, do you believe that someone sabotaged today's events?"

The Empress Dowager did not answer, but continued to ask, "Has the Emperor questioned anyone close to Hongzhou?"

The emperor replied, "The situation was urgent just now, and I haven't had time to inquire yet."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "Then there's no need to go to great lengths to investigate. This person dared to make a move in front of me. If he wasn't desperate, he must have planned it carefully. I don't think we'll be able to find any evidence against him."

The emperor's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager, Hongzhou is my son. No matter who dares to harm my son, I will not let them get away with it."