The Empress Dowager had fainted.
Cining Palace immediately fell into chaos.
At that time, Emperor Jingming was in Yangxin Hall, playing with Jixiang.
With endless memorials to handle daily, since that day when the novel hidden among the memorials was nearly discovered by his officials and sons, Emperor Jingming had temporarily abandoned this hobby.
As a result, he became more prone to depression, and playing with Jixiang was undoubtedly a good way to adjust his mood.
“Jixiang, have some dried fish.”
The fat cat glanced at the finger-length dried fish in Emperor Jingming’s hand and elegantly strolled over to take it, leaving its master looking embarrassed.
Emperor Jingming wiped his hands with a handkerchief and sighed dejectedly.
It wasn’t like this that day.
The scene of Jixiang looking up at him and meowing that day lingered in Emperor Jingming’s mind, but afterward, Jixiang was still the same Jixiang.
It seemed it was time to summon General Xiaotian to the palace.
Jixiang seemed to sense its master’s underhanded thoughts and angrily meowed at Emperor Jingming twice before disappearing without a trace.
Hurried footsteps approached.
Emperor Jingming glanced at Pan Hai’s grave expression and immediately put aside his mood to play with the cat.
Without asking, he knew something had happened again!
“What’s the matter?”
Pan Hai bowed, not daring to raise his head: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has fainted—”
Emperor Jingming’s mind buzzed. Without asking for details, he rushed towards Cining Palace.
Pan Hai quietly sighed, wiped the sweat from his brow, and hurriedly followed.
“His Majesty has arrived—”
Emperor Jingming entered with a stern face, asking Nursemaid Chang, who was at the forefront bowing to him: “Where is the Empress Dowager?”
Nursemaid Chang replied in a trembling voice: “In the inner chamber—”
Emperor Jingming continued walking, passing by Nursemaid Chang.
The Empress Dowager had been placed on the bed, and the imperial physician who had rushed over was taking her pulse.
Seeing Emperor Jingming enter, the imperial physician wanted to rise and bow but was stopped by a wave of his hand.
After watching for a moment, Emperor Jingming returned to the hall and asked about the situation: “Why did the Empress Dowager faint?”
Nursemaid Chang fell to her knees with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing: “It’s all this servant’s fault for speaking out of turn, causing harm to the Empress Dowager—”
“What exactly happened?” Emperor Jingming asked sternly.
Nursemaid Chang, head lowered, wiped her tears and said: “This servant went to Fude Temple to donate money for incense oil on behalf of the Empress Dowager, and accidentally overheard someone say that Princess Rongyang had passed away…”
“You told the Empress Dowager?”
“This servant deserves death—”
“You indeed deserve death!” Emperor Jingming’s face turned ashen, unusually using harsh words.
At this moment, he was burning with anger, unable to contain himself.
One wave had not settled before another arose. Who else had such a difficult time being an emperor as he did?
The Empress Dowager’s voice came from inside: “Is that the Emperor outside?”
Hearing this, Emperor Jingming put aside his anger with Nursemaid Chang and hurried inside.
“Mother, are you alright?” Emperor Jingming walked to the bedside in a few steps and sat down, holding the Empress Dowager’s hand.
The Empress Dowager looked at Emperor Jingming and smiled: “I’m fine.”
Despite her words, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Rongyang’s matter?”
Emperor Jingming lowered his gaze, feeling quite guilty: “It’s all my fault, Mother. I bear responsibility for Rongyang’s death—”
“Don’t blame yourself, Your Majesty. This was Rongyang’s fate. I failed in my teachings; if anyone is to blame, it should be me…” The Empress Dowager said, finally unable to hold back her tears.
Emperor Jingming felt even more guilty and quickly said: “Mother, please don’t think that way. It was my impulsive decision to demote Rongyang to a commoner that led to her untimely death…”
The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long while before asking: “If Rongyang were still a princess, would Cui Xu have spared her after learning about her harming Lady Su?”
This time, it was Emperor Jingming’s turn to fall silent.
Cui Xu was not one to curry favor. If it weren’t for the consideration of his mother back then, he wouldn’t have married Rongyang.
For someone like him, once he learned that the woman he loved had been harmed by Rongyang, he probably wouldn’t care about Rongyang’s status and would choose revenge.
The Empress Dowager smiled bitterly: “In the end, Rongyang was ill-fated. In her youth, she sought what she shouldn’t have, and Lady Su gave birth to a too-capable daughter—”
“Mother, the Seventh Prince’s wife avenging her mother is also filial piety for children—” Emperor Jingming quickly defended Jiang Si.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Emperor Jingming and said flatly: “I’m not blaming the Princess of Yan for any wrongdoing.”
Emperor Jingming faltered.
Mother was angry.
Rongyang’s death couldn’t be blamed on the Seventh Prince’s wife; it was just the fruit of past actions. But he could understand his mother’s displaced anger towards the Seventh Prince’s wife.
“When I close my eyes, I see you and Rongyang as children, one on the left, one on the right, listening to me read to you…”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes moistened, and so did Emperor Jingming’s.
Those youthful memories were undoubtedly precious to Emperor Jingming after decades of rule as emperor.
If at first, upon hearing of Princess Rongyang’s death, he felt shock, anger, and regret, that was all. Rongyang’s repeated misconduct had long since eroded their sibling relationship.
But now, facing his white-haired, tearful old mother, Emperor Jingming felt deep remorse.
He was the ruler of a country, the master of Da Zhou. Even if Rongyang had made mistakes, letting her live to keep his mother company would have been an act of filial piety. But now—
“Your Majesty, don’t let my mood affect you. Rongyang’s death, if anyone is to blame, it’s her evil intentions and Cui Xu’s ruthlessness. No one else can be blamed.”
“Mother—” The Empress Dowager’s understanding made Emperor Jingming even more ashamed.
The Empress Dowager smiled: “I understand everything, it’s just that I couldn’t get over it for a moment, especially when I think of the Seventh Prince and his wife, I can’t help but think of Rongyang’s death—”
Without thinking, Emperor Jingming blurted out: “I’ll tell the Seventh Prince later, not to let them come before you.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m not senile yet; it’s wrong of me to displace my anger onto them.”
“Mother, please ease your mind. In the future, let Fuqing and the Fourteenth Prince keep you company more often…”
After that, Emperor Jingming gave some instructions to the imperial physician and warned the people of Cining Palace before leaving.
“You may all withdraw. Nursemaid Chang, stay behind.”
With the Empress Dowager’s protection, Emperor Jingming didn’t punish Nursemaid Chang.
After everyone else had left, the Empress Dowager asked Nursemaid Chang: “Didn’t you ask about the identities of those two women?”
“This servant didn’t inquire further.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, asked a few more questions, and then ordered Nursemaid Chang to withdraw.
The inner chamber quickly became very quiet, with only the Empress Dowager slightly curling her lips, revealing a cold smile.
After leaving Cining Palace, Emperor Jingming didn’t return to Yangxin Hall but went straight to the Imperial Study and ordered Pan Hai to summon Yu Jin to the palace.
Yu Jin quickly arrived, only to be immediately scolded by Emperor Jingming.
Listening to Emperor Jingming’s spit-flying tirade, Yu Jin inwardly sneered and pursed his lips.
The old man was going all out, digging up eight-hundred-year-old gang fights just to scold him.
When Emperor Jingming had scolded enough, he said with a stern face: “Acting so brazenly without restraint, showing no remorse at all. Go back to your residence and think it over carefully. Don’t come to the palace to annoy me unless it’s necessary!”
“Son understands.”
Yu Jin readily agreed, not asking a single question, leaving Emperor Jingming feeling as if he had scolded in vain.
In the afternoon, a eunuch came to report: “Your Majesty, the Commander of the Brocade Guard requests an audience.”