The pampered heiress holds the script and leads her cannon fodder family to a counterattack.

Qiu Lian sent someone to invite him, and after a while, Physician Hu arrived.

When the Empress Dowager saw Physician Hu, a look of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

"Why is it you? Aren't you the imperial physician by the emperor's side?" the Empress Dowager said displeasedly. "Where is my renowned physician, Ming?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor was concerned about Physician Ming's treatment and specially sent me to treat you. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to treat Your Majesty," Physician Hu said expressionlessly.

The Empress Dowager looked at Physician Hu and recalled the medicine she had drunk earlier, and suddenly realized what was going on.

"You...you didn't poison my medicine, did you?" the Empress Dowager exclaimed. "Why do I feel dizzy after drinking your medicine?"

"Your Majesty, please don't overthink it. I was just taking the medicine normally, and it's normal to experience some dizziness and drowsiness," Physician Hu replied calmly.

"You, you're going to harm me, you're going to harm me..." the Empress Dowager shouted, pointing at Physician Hu.

Judging from the Empress Dowager's condition, it seems the medicine is already taking effect.

The Empress Dowager then said, "I am not ill anymore, you should leave now!"

Physician Hu remained expressionless, rose, bowed, and said, "Then this humble subject will take his leave." He then turned and left.

The Empress Dowager had always been high and mighty in front of the Emperor, and had never suffered such humiliation.

Wanting the emperor to appear before her immediately, she took all the porcelain from the palace and smashed them one by one in front of the guards.

"Send the Emperor to see me, or I'll make sure this is over!" the Empress Dowager shouted angrily as she smashed porcelain.

The head guard frowned as he watched the porcelain pieces keep falling to the ground.

The noise is so loud that passersby can hear it, which is not a good thing.

So he reassured her, "Your Majesty, please don't worry, I will send someone to inform you immediately."

Then someone was sent to the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the Emperor was engrossed in reviewing memorials.

With the threats from Consort Xian and the Empress Dowager eliminated, he felt much more at ease. If his son were to rebel, at least he wouldn't have to worry about his mother and the concubines harming him.

Thinking of this, the emperor sighed.

The imperial family is the most ruthless. Just how unlucky was he to be born as a king?

You have to suffer this pain.

Thinking of Xiao Jiye, the emperor smiled bitterly.

I hope that Jiye will be doing better than me.

Suddenly, a eunuch came to announce the news.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is making a scene demanding to see you; she's throwing things at the entrance to your bedchamber!"

The Emperor rubbed his temples.

Thinking that I would have to go and see it sooner or later, I might as well go today, so I got up and headed towards Cining Palace.

When the Emperor arrived at Cining Palace, the guards at the palace gate stood ramrod straight.

Several palace maids were sweeping up the porcelain shards on the ground with brooms.

The emperor walked straight in.

The Empress Dowager was sitting on the daybed, her hand on her heart, her chest heaving violently, and she looked very angry.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." The Emperor also bowed to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was furious when she saw the Emperor.

"You ungrateful wretch, you actually imprisoned me!" the Empress Dowager shouted.

The Emperor casually sat down in a chair, twirling a string of beads in his hand, and said nonchalantly, "Mother, please calm down. There was an assassin in the palace, and I was only thinking of your safety."

"An assassin? That assassin couldn't possibly have tried to assassinate me!" the Empress Dowager roared.

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager and smiled, "What? An assassin can assassinate me, but not you, Mother? Why are you so sure? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were in cahoots with that assassin!"

The Empress Dowager was taken aback, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes.

Although Zhu Jin was not sent by her to assassinate the emperor, he often frequented the Cining Palace.

"That assassin, Zhu Jin, was originally a eunuch in Consort Xian's palace. As far as I know, he often went to the Empress Dowager's palace."

"You...you actually dare to spy on me?" The Empress Dowager's pupils contracted as she looked at the Emperor.

"It's not a matter of surveillance. As the Empress Dowager's child, it's only natural that I should protect her safety and keep an eye on her on a regular basis."

"Ha, do you still remember that I am your mother, and that you are my child? Do you have any filial piety left?" the Empress Dowager said.

The old nanny Qiulian behind the Empress Dowager shook her head almost imperceptibly.

What time is it? Why are you still acting so arrogantly towards the Emperor?

It makes sense, considering the Emperor was raised in the Empress Dowager's palace at a young age. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor always spoke in this way, so perhaps she didn't realize there was anything wrong with it.

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, so his true expression was unreadable.

The Empress Dowager was taken aback; that smile, without her realizing it, gave her a heavy sense of oppression.

"How could I forget? The events of the past are still vivid in my mind," the Emperor said leisurely.

"My mother was originally a palace maid in the Empress Dowager's palace. You offered her to the Emperor in order to gain favor." The Emperor still had a smile on his face and spoke in a calm tone.

“You treat my mother badly. When she makes you unhappy, you slap her and make her kneel.”

“Your son was so frightened that he cried, and you will punish him as well.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's pupils contracted sharply.

These things happened a long time ago, and she thought that the emperor was too young to remember them.

Unexpectedly, he remembered everything, and now when he talks about it, it's as if it were still vivid in his mind.

"You also use me to compete for favor, for example, making me stand in the cold wind wearing only a thin garment, deliberately letting me catch a cold, and then having Father come to see me." The Emperor picked up an orange from the table and slowly peeled it.

The Empress Dowager turned her head away guiltily, becoming nervous and flustered.

"Later, you had your own son, which made you extremely happy."

"Your son has become the control group for your son. For example, on Father's birthday, he carefully selected a gift, saying it was from his younger brother, and wouldn't let his son give it to him, in order to highlight how sensible his younger brother was."

"Later... your son unfortunately died young, and my mother also passed away."

"You have raised me under your care, and you have treated me much better. However, you may not have realized that you still maintain that arrogant and domineering attitude."

"Tell me, how could I forget these things?" The Emperor finished peeling the orange and handed it to the Empress Dowager, whose shock and fear were barely concealed.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager did not accept the orange, the Emperor gently placed it on the table.

"The Empress Dowager is unwell. You must make sure she takes her medicine. Do you understand?" the Emperor instructed Qiu Lian behind him.

Qiu Lian bowed slightly and replied, "Yes."

"The Empress Dowager is upset because of Consort Xian's matter and likes to smash things. You must not let her go to the palace gate anymore. From now on, the palace gate will be closed, and she can only move around inside the palace."

"Yes," Qiu Lian replied.

The emperor got up and left.

This time, the Empress Dowager neither yelled nor made a scene.

She was still immersed in the emotions she had just experienced.

She recalled the time when the emperor fell ill shortly after ascending the throne.

At that time, he was very ill and could not get out of bed all day.

"Mother, I am truly unable to attend court due to my health. I trust you with the affairs of the court."

"Having a mother is a blessing for your son, and also a blessing for Emperor Yao."

"Your Majesty does indeed intend to consider making Dong Qian the Crown Prince, but we must wait until he has achieved military merit; otherwise, it will be difficult to gain the support of the people..."

The words the emperors had spoken still seemed to echo in her ears.

He acted as if he completely trusted her, and even said he had ideas about giving the crown prince to Dong Qian.

That's why she didn't kill him.

However, after recovering from his illness, he never mentioned again the matter of making the War King the Crown Prince.

Now, she regrets not taking action back then.

The Empress Dowager suddenly felt dizzy.

She didn't want to think about anything anymore; she just wanted to sleep.

He then collapsed onto the couch.