The Empress Dowager’s face turned iron gray from Prince Li’s words, trembling from fear to the point where she could barely sit upright, completely relying on the support of her cushions to keep from collapsing.

She was indeed afraid of death.

When Prince Li and Marquis Qingyang entered the palace today, it was as if they had suddenly become different people, no longer showing her the same respect as before. While the Empress Dowager was furious at Prince Li’s behavior, she wasn’t as heartbroken—she could only blame herself for poor judgment in mistaking a scheming traitor for a good person.

But Marquis Qingyang was her own younger brother. At this critical juncture, when even her own brother refused to help, the Empress Dowager truly couldn’t bear it.

Tears streamed down her face as the Empress Dowager clutched her chest, sobbing with extreme grief, looking as wronged as a lost child unable to find the way home.

“How can you all kick me when I’m down like this? How can you treat the mourning family this way! How can you treat the Emperor this way! He has treated you well. Such a terrible thing has happened, and you’re all relatives, yet you refuse to help. Not only do you refuse to help, you actually want to harm him! What benefit would his death bring you! Can you face your ancestors by doing this!”

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s heart-wrenching cries, Prince Li couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“It seems His Majesty has protected you too well, allowing you to develop such ideas.” Prince Li stepped closer, leaning in with gentle eyes. “What has given you the misconception that just because someone is a relative, they must submit to your commands, coming when called and leaving when dismissed?

“You placed me in this position, claiming it was for me to oversee state affairs, but wasn’t it because you saw my gentle nature as easy to manipulate, someone you could order around without hearing a single word of objection?

“But being forced into this position, with so many officials below calling me Regent, when His Majesty returns with his temperament, could he easily let me off? Even Pang Zhixi, who made great military contributions, His Majesty refused to spare—and he was someone who could never threaten the throne. As for me, who has been discussed as Regent, what good ending could I have?

“So everything I’m doing now is actually the same as what you’re doing—all for self-preservation.”

“You’re overthinking it. His Majesty isn’t that kind of person; he wouldn’t harm you.” The Empress Dowager, tears streaming down her face, anxiously grabbed Prince Li’s sleeve, both comforting and pleading. “His Majesty isn’t like that. The situation between him and Pang Zhixi was different—they weren’t blood brothers. But you’re different; you’re his own cousin.”

“How is it different? To secure his position, he would capture and kill anyone, let alone a cousin.”

Prince Li’s smile grew even gentler, like a demon tempting someone into corruption, his voice filled with soothing tones.

“Don’t worry, Empress Dowager. Whatever I do is only directed at His Majesty, merely to preserve my life. It has nothing to do with you, a woman of the inner palace. You just need to live peacefully in this palace. This prince and Marquis Qingyang will respect and show filial piety to you as before. Your life won’t change in the slightest. Isn’t that good?”

Looking at Prince Li’s expression, the Empress Dowager now realized that perhaps nothing she said would matter.

After all, he wasn’t flesh from her own body and had no blood relation with her. Not only could she not count on him, but it was already fortunate that Prince Li hadn’t directly taken her life.

The Empress Dowager then looked toward Marquis Qingyang: “Dayong, what about you? Will you treat me this way too? I’m your own sister! I’ve always treated you well, and I’ve done everything possible for our Zhou family. Even you want to do this, unwilling to spare your nephew!”

Marquis Qingyang helplessly spread his hands with a mischievous smile: “Sister, what you’re saying makes sense, but please think about my position too. You know best what kind of temperament your own son has. If we let him return and continue sitting on that throne, forget everything else—he’d first charge me with the crime of seizing the Huben Army’s military authority. Where would I go to plead my case then?”

“No, it won’t happen! It won’t!” Hearing that this was what Marquis Qingyang feared, the Empress Dowager rushed forward to grab his hands. “He won’t harm you. You’re his own maternal uncle. I dare guarantee he absolutely won’t go against my wishes! I’ll protect you!”

“Come on, sister, don’t deceive yourself.” Marquis Qingyang helped the Empress Dowager sit back down, looking down at her from above. “Like Prince Li said, he couldn’t even tolerate Pang Zhixi, who fought alongside him to establish this kingdom, let alone me.”

“I’ll tell the Emperor that I gave you the military authority of the Huben Army—it’s not your fault!” The Empress Dowager looked up anxiously, her face flushed red, veins bulging on her forehead.

But Marquis Qingyang said: “Would he believe it? Even if he believed it, he’s perfectly capable of fabricating some charge against me. Then with just a glare, my head would roll. What would I do then? Would sister die with me, or could you die in my place?”

The Empress Dowager slumped backward, collapsing in her seat. These two men had made up their minds, and she felt that nothing she said would matter. She was a useless mother without the ability to rush out and save her own son.

Now she could only place her hopes in Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu. Since they could secretly transport people to the prince’s mansion while avoiding the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s forces, they should also do their utmost to protect His Majesty’s life, right?

As the Empress Dowager thought this, she suddenly thought of herself.

Prince Li and Marquis Qingyang clearly harbored treasonous intentions and wanted to usurp power! Knowing such a huge secret, wouldn’t she be silenced in the blink of an eye!

The Empress Dowager stared with terrified eyes, her entire body shaking violently again. In her terror, she wanted to flee, but the two men before her wouldn’t possibly let her escape. They frightened her until her face turned deathly pale, trembling like a withered leaf about to fall from a branch in a fierce wind.

Seeing the Empress Dowager’s suddenly changed expression, Marquis Qingyang immediately understood what she was thinking and said helplessly: “Sister, you don’t need to be so afraid. We’re family after all. As long as you behave obediently and don’t speak carelessly, how could your brother, who isn’t a wolf or tiger, disregard your life? Besides, even if Prince Li ascends to the throne in the future, since Prince Li’s birth mother is no longer here, you can still continue being the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager trembled even more violently, tears streaming continuously as she looked at Prince Li in terror.

Prince Li smiled and patted the Empress Dowager’s shoulder: “The Empress Dowager truly needn’t fear. This prince isn’t a man-eating demon either. When I ascend to the throne in the future, I will also show you proper filial piety.”

Though he said this, Prince Li’s attitude was too frivolous, still leaving the Empress Dowager terrified and unsure what to do.

Prince Li and Marquis Qingyang each brought over chairs and sat facing the Empress Dowager, chatting with her intimately. Though their conversation was cheerful with frequent laughter, the Empress Dowager sat in her original position, crying in terror. The more heartily they laughed, the more fiercely her tears fell.

Meanwhile, leaving Ci’an Palace and slowly walking along the path out of the palace, Qin Yining’s group of three encountered Li Helan approaching with palace maids in an aggressive manner.