Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" With a respectful and resounding shout, the Duke of Zhenguo strode steadily into the magnificent Hall of Diligent Governance. He bowed slightly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and performed a standard salute to the majestic and solemn emperor seated on the dragon throne.

"Rise, my dear minister." The emperor smiled and gently waved his hand, signaling the Duke of Zhenguo to stand up.

With the emperor's permission, the Duke of Zhenguo slowly straightened up and spoke again, "Thank you, Your Majesty." His voice was deep and powerful, revealing a calm and dignified air honed by years of battlefield experience.

At this moment, the emperor turned to Li Desheng, who was standing beside him, and instructed him: "Li Desheng, please take a seat."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Desheng replied hastily, then turned and gestured to the eunuchs at the door. Two quick-witted eunuchs swiftly carried in an exquisitely carved armchair and carefully placed it before the Duke of Zhenguo.

Seeing this, the Duke of Zhenguo secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Emperor, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat!"

Before entering the palace to meet the emperor, it would be impossible for the Duke of Zhenguo not to feel the slightest bit uneasy. After all, facing the supreme imperial power, no one could predict what would happen next.

Especially in such unknown situations, the danger and unease are often the most profound. However, the fact that the Emperor himself had ordered a seat to be granted undoubtedly eased the Duke of Zhenguo's tense nerves somewhat. At least for now, it shouldn't be anything particularly serious.

The exquisitely carved grand chair was placed steadily behind the Duke of Zhenguo by two eunuchs. The Duke of Zhenguo first straightened his robes, then respectfully gave a standard salute to the Emperor who was sitting on the dragon throne, before slowly walking to the grand chair and sitting down with a grand and imposing manner.

The Duke of Zhenguo sat calmly in the large armchair, slightly bowed to the Emperor, and asked in a slow voice, "Your Majesty has summoned me here today. May I ask what brings you here?"

At this very moment, however, the emperor, who held a high position, was already feeling a pang of regret. He secretly pondered that his rash summoning of the Duke of Zhenguo to the palace made it seem as if he had been keeping a close eye on this minister's residence all along.

Although he did indeed plant spies in the residences of every minister to monitor their every move, such an undisguised and ostentatious style of doing things seemed rather unreasonable.

Thus, the Emperor began to speculate wildly in his mind, his thoughts racing like a runaway horse. On the other side, the Duke of Zhenguo maintained his bowing posture, his gaze calm and steady as he watched the Emperor before him, awaiting his next words.

Just then, as if a flash of inspiration struck him, the emperor suddenly realized—this matter was spread by those gossipy eunuchs in the palace! If that's the case, then what does it have to do with him?

Having figured this out, the Emperor first coughed twice to clear his throat, and then slowly said, "Minister Su, I happened to hear a rumor about you in the palace today."

At this point, the Emperor abruptly stopped, his eyes fixed on the Duke of Zhenguo's face, wanting to observe how the other party would react.

"Your Majesty, I do not know what rumors you have heard about me?" the Duke of Zhenguo replied calmly, his voice neither humble nor arrogant, as if everything was under his control.

In fact, he knew very well that he had always acted uprightly and honestly. He had neither kept any mistresses outside nor taken any concubines inside. His own backyard was spotless and there was not a single fault to be found.

Moreover, he had already voluntarily handed over all his military power to the court long ago. Although the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and Ding'an Marquis's Mansion now hold noble titles, they are actually powerless and have no influence. They are merely empty names.

Thinking about it this way, the only thing that could have reached the Emperor's ears was probably his own fuss about requesting to leave the clan today. After thoroughly understanding the cause and effect, the Duke of Zhenguo's heart became even calmer, and he appeared more composed and at ease.

"Today I overheard a rumor from a palace eunuch that the Duke of Zhenguo intends to request to leave his clan. I wonder if this is true?" The emperor sat on his dragon throne, his gaze fixed intently on the Duke of Zhenguo sitting below, his tone perfectly calm.

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case," the Duke of Zhenguo replied without hesitation, his attitude exceptionally firm.

"It is only because I, your humble servant, cannot agree to the Su family sending another daughter into the palace. However, I am of lowly status and my voice carries little weight; ultimately, I am powerless to stop it. Left with no other choice, I have requested to leave the clan to demonstrate my resolve." As he spoke these words, the Duke of Zhenguo showed no concern for the Emperor's potential anger. At this moment, he could not afford to worry about such things. He knew that if he appeared hesitant and indecisive, it would only arouse the Emperor's suspicion, thus negatively impacting himself, his daughter, and his grandson in the palace. It was better to be bold and directly state his position, perhaps even making the Emperor perceive him as honest and thus lower his guard.

"Oh? The Su family has sent another woman into the palace. This is a wonderful thing for you and Consort Zhuang. Why do you insist on refusing?" The Emperor asked the Duke of Zhenguo, who was sitting below, with a puzzled look on his face.

The Duke of Zhenguo raised his head and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty is wise. I am old and now only hope to spend the rest of my life in peace. I have no other desires. Consort Zhuang already has Your Majesty's great favor and grace, which is enough. There is really no need for these so-called embellishments." His voice was calm and firm, but it seemed to contain a hint of helplessness.

Seeing that the Emperor remained silent, the Duke of Zhenguo continued, "Furthermore, even if I wanted to stop this matter, I am powerless to do so. In that case, I can only start from myself and seek a solution."

Afterwards, the emperor and his minister chatted idly about trivial matters of the court and anecdotes from the streets, creating a rather harmonious atmosphere. After a while, the Duke of Zhenguo slowly took his leave, leisurely returning to his residence from the palace.

After the Duke of Zhenguo left, the Emperor turned to Li Desheng, who was serving beside him, and asked in a low voice, "In your opinion, was this news actually spread by Consort Zhuang?"

Li Desheng quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this is a matter beyond my knowledge. However, I can confirm that none of the palace servants in Cuiwei Palace stepped out of the palace gates today."

The emperor nodded slightly, and after a moment's thought, said, "Very well, I will go to Cuiwei Palace myself to see what Consort Zhuang is busy with right now." With that, he suddenly stood up and strode towards the outside of Qinzheng Hall.

Upon seeing this, Li Desheng was startled and followed closely behind as if the wind were blowing, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Let's go to Cuiwei Palace!"

"Your Majesty, do you think we should send someone to Cuiwei Palace to inform them in advance so that they can make preparations to receive you?" Li Desheng asked cautiously, following closely beside the imperial carriage.

However, the emperor did not respond to his question, but merely narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing an imposing aura. With just that one glance, Li Desheng felt as if he were being pricked by thorns, his whole body trembled, and he dared not utter another word in fear.

When the group arrived at the gate of Cuiwei Palace, Li Desheng was about to shout "The Emperor has arrived!" but before he could finish speaking, he was stunned by the lively scene in the courtyard.