Hu Shanwei went to the Empress’s bedchamber. Empress Ma had already removed her phoenix robes and heavy headdress, lying on the sickbed while Pharmacist Ru removed the acupuncture needles. With all cosmetics washed away, her gray, sickly complexion was revealed, making Hu Shanwei’s heart race with alarm.

Only now did she understand why Shen Qionglian was so negative. Empress Ma’s true condition – forget about living to a hundred, she might not even make it through her fifty-first birthday seven days away.

The audience with She Xiang had already pushed Empress Ma to her physical limits. She lay on the sickbed with eyes slightly closed, as if she didn’t even have the strength to lift her eyelids.

The Empress was overexerted and needed rest. Hu Shanwei forcibly suppressed her grief and the words in her heart, gently and quietly lowering the bed curtains.

But Empress Ma opened her eyes: “Sleeping makes me dizzy. I hate lying here in such a stupor. Help me sit up.”

Hu Shanwei placed several pumpkin-shaped pillows behind Empress Ma’s back. Empress Ma asked her: “How is Xiao Chun doing in Guizhou? He’s only nineteen years old, leading a hundred thousand troops of Guizhou Guard – it must be very difficult for him.”

Hu Shanwei tried to put the best spin on it: “Mu Chun has a very capable captain under him named Chen Xuan. His father was once an assistant administrator of Chengdu Guard. He’s fluent in various dialects of the Yunnan-Guizhou region and can help Mu Chun sort out the complex local power relationships. Moreover, when Duke Yingguo Feng Cheng and Marquis Xiping Mu Ying heard the news that Mu Chun was temporarily commanding Guizhou Guard, they also sent capable staff advisors to Guizhou to help him. Your Majesty the Empress can rest assured – Mu Chun is someone who can hold his ground.”

“That’s good.” Empress Ma showed a look of relief on her face. “I hope father and son can fight side by side in the southern expedition and reconcile their differences. I have no legitimate son. Both Mu Ying and Mu Chun, father and son, were raised by me. Mu Ying was adopted by me when he was seven years old, while Mu Chun was brought to the palace at one month old and raised until age seven before being sent back to Marquis Xiping’s mansion. I watched Mu Chun’s childhood and Mu Ying’s youth, but never expected the father and son to be more like enemies. I… don’t have much time left, and probably won’t see the day they reconcile.”

Hu Shanwei held back her tears: “Your Majesty, don’t worry too much. Take good care of your health – the road ahead is still long. Your subject has already discovered some clues. Censor Liu Hai who petitioned to erect a monument for Consort Guo Hui’s father Guo Zixing, and staff advisor Cheng Pengju who incited Ma Ye – both were successful candidates from the Jiangxi examination site in the third year of Hongwu. The silkworm mother who assassinated Your Majesty was also from Jiangxi. Three incidents coinciding – your subject believes this is absolutely no coincidence. There must be someone in the rear palace behind this, attempting to covet the Empress position.”

“To be able to command these three people and cleanly divert trouble toward the Han King and Northern Yuan, her natal family’s influence must be considerable. Though the rear palace has many people, checking them one by one according to their power, those capable of achieving all this can be counted on one’s fingers. Your Majesty must recover your health, gather your spirits, and eliminate the troublemaker so the rear palace can return to peace.”

“That you could discover these clues so quickly shows you’re very talented, but…” Empress Ma rested for a while, then slowly shook her head:

“I’ve been able to live to over fifty years of age. Through wind and rain, I’ve tasted every kind of hardship and enjoyed every kind of wealth. Having been Empress for fifteen years, I’m already very satisfied and can’t demand too much.”

“These fifteen years, I believe I’ve lived up to the glory of being Empress, doing my utmost to be a good Empress – not showing favoritism, not greedy for power, not oppressing the weak, not arbitrarily humiliating and suppressing people I dislike. His Majesty has a violent temper and absolute power over life and death. Whenever there was someone I could save – whether a lowly eunuch or a court minister – I never retreated from His Majesty’s towering rage, always advising His Majesty.”

“I have no legitimate son. The many consorts of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces bear offspring for the imperial family. Some are pitiful people – Consort Dading and Consort Guo Hui were both sacrifices of political struggle. I could do nothing but try to treat them kindly. I am mortal, with emotions and desires, love and hate, and jealousy – my actions inevitably favor some over others. So I distributed authority among the Six Bureaus and One Office, having you all manage rear palace affairs. This both shares my burden and restrains my selfish desires, allowing these consorts to receive relatively fair treatment.”

“After Noble Consort Chengmu Sun died, I lost my only confidante and companion, feeling very lonely in the rear palace alone. Having been a virtuous empress for fifteen years, I feel tired and want to rest.”

Empress Ma gazed distantly at the window, as if her soul floated to the heavens, overlooking the entire Great Ming imperial palace: “I have no fear of death – I even look forward to it. Being Empress for one day means fulfilling an Empress’s responsibilities for one day. To rest, I can only bid farewell to the world forever.”

“Your Majesty!” Hu Shanwei hadn’t expected Empress Ma to harbor thoughts of death. Desperately wanting to stimulate the Empress’s will to live, she forgot her position as a subject and said loudly:

“If Your Majesty leaves, wouldn’t that be exactly what the mastermind wants? Your Majesty has worked hard to protect the palace for fifteen years. They don’t know how to cherish their blessings – with the most luxurious life in the world before them, they don’t enjoy it, but instead use sinister tricks in the shadows to harm people for private gain. Your Majesty must persevere. Your subject swears to root out the real culprit. Whoever engages in palace struggles, I’ll deal with them. Whoever competes for succession, I’ll deal with them. None of them are allowed to cause trouble!”

Empress Ma laughed: “Your vigor reminds me of Palace Supervisor Cao when she first entered the palace as a young woman. Actually, the rear palace is like the front court – everyone has selfish desires and wants to climb higher. This is human nature. Therefore, you can never kill them all or eliminate them completely. I’m fortunate to have no legitimate son, otherwise even I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t do terrible things to consorts and illegitimate sons to secure a legitimate son’s position as heir.”

Hu Shanwei quickly said: “Your Majesty the Empress is tolerant and benevolent. Please don’t deprecate yourself.”

Empress Ma waved her hand: “You’re still too young. With your drive, daring, and cleverness, you stood out among many female officials and won my appreciation. In just two years, you’ve been promoted three levels, rising rapidly to become a sixth-rank Palace Official. Starting with compiling the ‘Records of Virtuous Consorts’ Admonitions of the Song Dynasty,’ you’ve repeatedly offended people in the rear palace and front court, even Prince Qin. But because you’re my favorite and have Palace Supervisor Fan’s protection, no one in the rear palace dares retaliate against you. For someone like you, once a new empress takes power – whether she’s the mastermind or someone else – as they say, ‘new emperor, new ministers’ – you’ll definitely be the first female official the new empress becomes wary of and alienates, possibly even facing mortal danger.”

Hearing this, Hu Shanwei’s heart shook: Empress Ma was like a brilliant chess player, making one move while calculating three moves ahead. She herself was oblivious to future major crises, only wanting to catch the real culprit, but Empress Ma was thinking ahead for her.

Empress Ma looked at Hu Shanwei with eyes full of pity: “I know your past – Prince Consort Wang Ning… Every time I hear ‘The Lute Song,’ I can’t help wondering what you must feel, how much courage you needed to recommend this southern opera that directly touched your wounds to be performed before the emperor. I treasure talent and admire your courage in facing the past, appreciating you even more. Therefore, when Palace Supervisor Cao presented six candidates for Palace Official, though I knew your qualifications were insufficient, I still marked your name with the vermillion brush.”

Hu Shanwei’s heart ached deeply: “Your subject’s love and hate with Wang Ning is like a book – once a page is turned, it’s closed forever. Your subject has no regrets. Your Majesty the Empress’s grace in recognizing talent – your subject will never forget it. Your subject swears to root out the real culprit and make her get her deserved comeuppance.”

Empress Ma shook her head again: “I don’t want you to repay kindness or seek revenge. I only want you to live well. Despite your shallow qualifications, you’ve been able to establish yourself in the rear palace and even thrive like a fish in water – all because of my trust and support. But this is also the source of your future disasters.”

“The clues you’ve discovered now are all speculation – they can’t even be called evidence. No one will believe you. On the contrary, you could easily be bitten back, accused of slandering consorts and selling integrity for glory. Your best choice is that after I die, regardless of who becomes the new empress, you keep your mouth shut. Relying on Palace Supervisor Fan and the others, you’ll have a foothold in the Six Bureaus and One Office. Never fantasize about continuing to investigate the real culprit and find evidence in the rear palace. Without my protection, you’ll die miserably.”

Hearing this, Hu Shanwei was first somewhat afraid, then said as if encouraging herself: “Your subject isn’t afraid. Your subject has decent relationships with Mao Qiang, Ji Gang, and… Mu Chun. They’ll help your subject. Your subject believes they also want to root out the real culprit.”

“Foolish child, they’re all external ministers,” Empress Ma said. “The hierarchy of ruler and subject – once a new empress is established, they must set aside personal desires and be loyal to the new empress, becoming subjects. They have no choice. What can you, a mere female official, do? With the slightest carelessness, you’ll not only bring disaster upon yourself but involve others as well.”

“So let it go. The rear palace is the Great Ming’s greatest arena of fame and profit. After I die, for the sake of the Empress position and even the heir position, the rear palace will become the greatest colosseum, tearing at each other until a new empress emerges victorious. The Great Ming palace is about to face its greatest upheaval. Just to protect yourself, you’ll need to use all your wisdom. Don’t fantasize about anything else.”

Empress Ma was worldly-wise, speaking perfect sense as she advised Hu Shanwei to give up. But how could Hu Shanwei be willing?

Hu Shanwei knelt and said: “Your Majesty the Empress, your subject is a Palace Official – whatever Your Majesty says, your subject listens to. But today, please forgive your subject for being unable to follow Your Majesty’s instructions. Your subject understands Your Majesty’s meaning – Your Majesty feels court struggles are endless, no need to worry about the mastermind’s repeated harm to Your Majesty. Without Your Majesty’s protection in the future, your subject’s self-preservation is important – just observe coldly from the sidelines.”

“But the silkworm chamber assassination and inciting Ma Ye – everything targeted Your Majesty’s life, reputation, and safety. As Your Majesty’s Palace Official, advising and protecting Your Majesty is also your subject’s duty. Facing the enemy’s provocation, your subject chooses to fight to the end. Please respect your subject’s choice.”

Twenty-three-year-old Hu Shanwei, who had been a female official in the palace for three years, couldn’t truly understand the choice fifty-year-old Empress Ma, who had been Great Ming’s Empress for fifteen years, was making for her.

She was angry, she was annoyed, she was unwilling. How could she agree when Empress Ma wanted her to give up?

Many years later, Hu Shanwei, who had served as Palace Supervisor through five reigns, understood how brilliant Empress Ma’s seemingly passive choice before death actually was, with hidden mysteries. She blushed deeply for her younger self – still too young and naive.

But now, twenty-three-year-old Hu Shanwei was defiant, holding her head high, expecting Empress Ma’s approval.

Empress Ma smiled helplessly and was about to advise again when Shen Qionglian came to report: “Your Majesty, Pharmacist Ru has come to check your pulse.”

Empress Ma was displeased: “I clearly didn’t summon her for diagnosis. What is she doing here? Tell her to leave.”

Shen Qionglian looked troubled: “Pharmacist Ru refuses to leave. She says she must prescribe medicine for Your Majesty – perhaps there’s still hope for recovery.”

Empress Ma rarely showed anger, throwing the pumpkin pillow from behind her: “Do you all have a death wish? Get out! All of you get out!”

Chronic illness breeds irritability. Hu Shanwei and Shen Qionglian withdrew. Outside, Pharmacist Ru was indeed still there, dejectedly setting down her medicine box.

Hu Shanwei, having just returned, didn’t know about changes in the palace and asked Pharmacist Ru: “When did Her Majesty the Empress become so averse to medical treatment?”

Pharmacist Ru’s eyes filled with tears: “Her Majesty knows her time is short. Once she dies, given His Majesty’s violent temper, he’ll surely order the execution of doctors who treated her and prescribed medicine. To protect the female physicians and imperial doctors, ever since falling seriously ill, except for today’s audience with Madam She Xiang, Her Majesty has consistently refused to summon imperial doctors and female physicians for treatment. I’d rather be executed by His Majesty than not try to extend Her Majesty the Empress’s life by even one more day, but Her Majesty refuses and always sends me away.”