Yun Xiao and Liu Xing exited Changxin Palace with nimble movements, boarding the luxurious imperial carriage outside the palace gate. Yun Xiao smiled and gave instructions.
“Take us out of the palace.”
Inside the carriage, the eunuch driving it was momentarily confused. Seeing Yun Xiao smiling happily, he didn’t suspect anything and drove the carriage straight towards the palace exit.
After the carriage had traveled a distance, Yun Xiao looked at Liu Xing and whispered, “If not now, when? Do you think the Emperor will let us leave the palace?”
The two chuckled. Liu Xing reached out and touched Yun Xiao. After scanning their surroundings and confirming no one was present, he swiftly flashed away. The little eunuch driving the carriage, completely oblivious, continued to drive unhurriedly towards the palace gate.
Inside the sleeping chambers, the Empress Dowager finally woke up. She blinked weakly, looking at the people gathered around her. She parted her lips to speak, but not a single word came out.
Upon clearly seeing her imperial son beside her and recalling his actions, she wept silently, turning her head to look away from Shangguan Yao.
Shangguan Yao remained silent, his head bowed. Ping An, who was beside him, choked back a sob and spoke.
“Empress Dowager, this servant has come to see you. The Emperor has not eaten or drunk for days and has lost a lot of weight. Doesn’t Your Majesty dote on the Emperor the most? Please, do not be angry anymore. How can this servant live if you are like this?”
As soon as Ping An finished speaking, the Empress Dowager turned her head and looked at Shangguan Yao. Her imperial son had indeed lost a lot of weight. Looking at Ping An’s red and swollen eyes, a complex mix of emotions surged within her. She didn’t know what to say, only watching them, tears welling up.
Seeing his mother looking at him, her eyes still filled with doting affection, Shangguan Yao felt both guilty and happy. He turned and called out behind him.
“Feng Guan, quickly, see if the Empress Dowager is still in any serious condition.”
“Feng Guan?”
After calling out twice without a response, everyone began to sense something was amiss. They quickly turned to look, but the person who had answered the imperial proclamation was nowhere to be seen.
When did this happen? The eunuchs and palace maids turned ashen with fear, all kneeling down with a thud. Trembling, they spoke.
“Your Majesty?”
Shangguan Yao’s face was grim. His mother had only just woken up, and these people were all eunuchs from Changxin Palace.
If he were to punish them, it would likely distress his mother, and it would be of no help. The most important thing now was to capture that ghost-handed individual. They were truly too cunning.
“Little Tingzi, go after them immediately. Do not let them leave the palace. The Empress Dowager’s health has not fully recovered yet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Little Tingzi responded and stood up, leading two young eunuchs who quickly flashed away in pursuit. Along the way, he inquired and learned that the physician had led his subordinates into the luxurious imperial carriage parked in front of the palace and had it sent out of the palace.
Little Tingzi was burning with anxiety. He immediately summoned four guards and sped off, determined to intercept the carriage and apprehend the people.
The guards rushed as diligently as they could and managed to stop the carriage before it exited the palace gates. However, there was no one inside. The faces of the guards changed drastically, and they could only return to report.
Inside the sleeping chambers, Shangguan Yao issued another order, summoning the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to immediately prescribe medicine for the Empress Dowager.
The imperial physicians came with trembling hearts and discovered that the Empress Dowager had awakened, finding it hard to believe.
However, with the Empress Dowager awake, prescribing medicine was much easier. They immediately wrote out prescriptions and sent people to fetch the medicine. They also ordered the immediate retrieval of a highly nourishing health pill for the Empress Dowager to take.
For days, she had been maintained only by some medication, without consuming any food. The Empress Dowager was extremely weak at this moment, unable to even speak.
After taking the health pill and the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, the Empress Dowager, exhausted, fell asleep again.
At this moment, Little Tingzi entered to report.
“Your Majesty, that person has already left.”
“What?” Shangguan Yao’s voice was filled with a chilling coldness that seeped out, enveloping the sleeping chambers. Little Tingzi and the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall dared not utter another word, keeping their heads bowed, carefully watching the ground, awaiting the Emperor’s instructions.
“Immediately go to Jinhua Palace and issue the decree. Also, this matter must not alarm the Empress Dowager. If anything reaches the Empress Dowager’s ears, I will show no leniency.”
Shangguan Yao feared provoking his mother’s anger. If she were to fall unconscious again, perhaps that person would not be willing to enter the palace.
As for that foolish Empress, he absolutely did not wish to keep her. Would he keep her for the world to mock?
This time, he would conveniently use the ghost-hand’s reputation to depose the Empress. After posting the imperial proclamation to announce it to the world, people would only blame that detestable ghost-hand, while he was merely trying to save his mother’s life.
“Yes, this servant will attend to it immediately.”
Little Tingzi led a group of people away. Inside the sleeping chambers, the other people remained kneeling. Shangguan Yao did not even glance at them. After days of turmoil, he was truly exhausted. His mother was no longer in any serious danger, and he was relieved.
“Take good care of the Empress Dowager. There must not be the slightest mistake.”
“Yes, this servant accepts the decree.”
Shangguan Yao led the little eunuchs from Jingfu Palace back to rest…
Inside Changxin Palace, Yun Xiao had returned and changed her clothes. She was sitting in front of the dressing table in her sleeping chamber, tidying her hair. Xiuxiu had already left, and Wanwan was attending to her hair while inquiring.
“Your Highness, how is it? Will His Majesty issue a decree to depose the Empress?”
“Soon, I expect.”
Yun Xiao sneered, staring intently into the bronze mirror as she arranged her temples. That man couldn’t wait to divorce the Empress.
Now that there was such an opportunity, although it seemed to be done for her sake, this ‘sake’ might still hide further intentions, Yun Xiao mused. xxs壹贰
Shangguan Yao, I fear you wouldn’t let even a fool off the hook, would you? This time, you’re using the ghost-hand’s name to depose the Empress. Will you secretly kill the fool afterward?
You have always been somewhat narrow-minded. I wonder if my guess is correct?
As the two were speaking, Xiuxiu came around from the side of the screen, panting as she arrived.
“Your Highness, Eunuch Ting has come to deliver an imperial decree. Please go and receive it, Your Highness.”
“So fast,” Yun Xiao smiled and stood up.
Xiuxiu, not understanding the meaning behind her Highness’s words, stared blankly at her mistress. Wanwan, however, reached out to help her mistress walk outside. Xiuxiu followed closely, and the group left the sleeping chambers.
After they had left, Liu Xing began to pack things with nimble movements. As per her mistress’s orders, everything belonging to Yun Wang Fu was to be taken out of the palace, leaving not a single item for these people.
In the grand hall, Eunuch Ting held the imperial yellow brocade, awaiting Yun Xiao’s appearance. Upon seeing the foolish Empress emerge, a flash of pity crossed his eyes, but he dared not disobey the imperial edict.
Wanwan and Xiuxiu flanked their mistress, kneeling together. The eunuchs and palace maids of Jinhua Palace also rushed in, all kneeling in a neat row.
“By order of the Heavenly Mandate, the Emperor decrees: Yun Xiao, daughter of Yun Mo, being a person of dull intellect, casts a shadow upon the image of the Eastern Qin Empress Mother. Henceforth, she is deposed as Empress.”