Chapter 6: The Emperor's Heart

The crowd dispersed, and the tea was cleared away.

It was only then that the old lady opened her eyes, with a hesitant glint in them. "Do you think I was too harsh with my words just now?" She paused, her eyelids drooping slightly. "Will she be able to take it in?"

Zhou Mama gently massaged the old lady's shoulders and carefully replied, "Madam, your words come from a place of deep love and concern. After all, she is your granddaughter. The stricter you are with her, the more outstanding she will become. She is now the eldest daughter of the Xiang family, and in the future, she will have to uphold the family's reputation and wield great power. If she cannot understand your heartfelt intentions, how will she be able to face the complex situation in the capital city in the future?"

"Yes, that's what I've been thinking. I'm just afraid that she will inherit the temperament of the Shen family." A bitter smile tugged at the corner of the old lady's lips. "The Shens are proud and willful, disregarding even the Tian family. A woman like that is bound to cause great trouble sooner or later..."

Her voice trailed off, as if lost in a reverie. "...But if I had known back then that she was already pregnant, how could I have been so ruthless?"

...

The corridors of the Zhao residence were winding and spacious, with warm incense burning inside.

As Zhao Ximei walked along, the gentle fragrance contrasted sharply with the cold wind outside.

But what surprised her was not these, but a gentle woman.

This woman, dressed in green, had a gentle smile in her eyes as she stood at the Moon Gate. She was accompanied by two little girls, who, upon seeing Zhao Ximei, smiled sweetly and chirped, "Sister Ximei!"

They were the Third Madam of the household and her two children.

Zhao Ximei stopped in her tracks and respectfully greeted, "Good day, Third Madam, and hello to the two little sisters."

"Oh, don't call me Third Madam, we're all family. Just call me Auntie Three from now on!" The Third Madam held Zhao Ximei's hand with a smile.

Zhao Ximei readily complied and called out, "Hello, Auntie Three."

Auntie Three nodded and asked with a smile, "Ximei, have you had your meal yet? I had some red bean steamed cakes made earlier and stewed a pot of wild chicken soup. We three couldn't finish it all, so why don't you join us for a taste?" She glanced at Zhao Ximei's somewhat thin clothes and showed a hint of pity. "I had some thick cotton clothes tailored the other day, but the colors seemed too delicate, so I kept them at the bottom of the trunk. But seeing you today, I think they would suit you perfectly."

She was a friendly and considerate person.

But Zhao Ximei couldn't accept this kindness, even though she was truly cold and hungry at the moment. She had just entered the residence and had no idea about anything in the household. There were still many issues to be resolved, and eating and dressing had become the least important matters.

She knelt down and bowed again, saying with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie Three. But the old lady has assigned a few people to the garden, and I must go and arrange things. Please don't blame me."

Auntie Three was a very understanding person, and upon hearing this, she didn't insist further. "Whenever you have time, come over again, and I'll have the kitchen prepare something for you." She smiled and added, "I live alone in the west courtyard, and it feels quite desolate with just me and the two little sisters."

Grateful as she was, Zhao Ximei was somewhat surprised.

How could a person feel lonely with two children?

Auntie Three showed a hint of sorrow and sighed softly, "Your Third Uncle is fighting in the west of Liangzhou, and the war is intense this year. He probably won't be able to come back for the New Year."

Zhao Ximei nodded thoughtfully.

Liangzhou had always been a major concern for the court, with years of ongoing battles and victories on both sides.

But this year, the southern floods and poor harvests would undoubtedly have an impact on the military capabilities.

At this critical time for the Great Wei, her father, as the Prime Minister, must be working very hard.

In fact, it wasn't just her father who was working hard, but also the current emperor.

The issue of his concubine had led to a mountain of accusations from the Imperial Censorate.

The Empress Dowager was worried that she couldn't find any fault with him, so she simply approved the Imperial Censorate's request for a thorough investigation.

At the same time, there was another piece of bad news: the Prince of Jiangxia and his family had returned to the capital.

The old Prince of Jiangxia was the late emperor's own brother and the current emperor's uncle.

When the emperor ascended the throne at a young age, and with the court in turmoil, he had relied on the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Jiangxia for everything. It wasn't until the emperor grew up that the old Prince of Jiangxia resigned from his official position and took his son and daughter-in-law and their whole family to their fiefdom.

Perhaps to avoid suspicion, or perhaps to truly enjoy their later years, in any case, the Prince of Jiangxia and his family had not returned to Chang'an for many years.

Now, the Prince of Jiangxia's son had returned.

At this juncture, if Zhao Ziyi were to be impeached, the Empress Dowager's faction would undoubtedly support the new Prince of Jiangxia.

As the emperor pondered, he felt his headache worsening: "Gentlemen, we must find a way to calm this matter for the Prime Minister."

It was a turbulent autumn in the court. The Empress Dowager's faction was not so much suppressing Zhao Ziyi as it was declaring war on the emperor.

The officials present were all old foxes and were unwilling to express their own thoughts.

The Minister of Works looked up at the sky. "The situation in Liangzhou is urgent, and I've been busy recruiting soldiers and buying horses."

The Minister of Education had his hands in his sleeves. "The southern disasters have been recurring, and I've been busy with farming and water conservancy in Huainan."

The Minister of Personnel looked anxious. "The public documents from various provinces have been piling up at the Ministry of Personnel, and we haven't had a break for a month."

...

*Cough, cough, cough—* The emperor's troubled thoughts caused him to cough incessantly, and the eunuch Cao De hurried over to attend to him.

"Alright." The emperor waved his hand and forced himself to perk up, saying, "Isn't there any other way to solve this matter?"

The courtiers looked at each other, all wearing expressions of "What can I do?"

The emperor's face darkened.

Having been chronically ill for many years, it seemed that he could no longer command the civil and military officials.

The Grand Master of Splendor let out a sigh, "If General Pei were here, this matter would be easily resolved."

Before he finished speaking, the previously silent Minister of Rites interjected, "General Pei's grandson got into a fight in the pleasure quarter less than a month ago, and it was just brushed aside like that?"

The Grand Master of Splendor replied, "General Pei has been on military campaigns for years, and it's understandable that he may not have full control over his grandson."

The Minister of Justice's expression turned solemn, "The Son of Heaven is equally guilty of the law as the common people. Just because General Pei is the father of the noble consort, should we turn a blind eye?"

"Then what about Prime Minister Zhao, who is the brother of the virtuous consort? The Imperial Censorate still impeached him."

As the deadlock continued, a eunuch suddenly announced loudly from outside the hall, "The Crown Prince has arrived—"

The several old foxes' faces darkened, and in an instant, they all fell silent.

A cold and imposing voice broke the silence in the room, striking at the hearts of the people, "Your son pays respects to the emperor."

"The Crown Prince." The emperor's tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and he waved with a smile, "Wasn't today supposed to be the martial arts class? Why did it end so early?"

The newcomer had an extremely handsome appearance, with a high nose, thin lips, and deep eyes, exuding a compelling and icy aura with every move and gesture.