Having finally worked up the nerve to bring the medicine to the bedside, Yu Jingfeng had no intention of giving up easily.

He understood perfectly well that, were it not for Miss Jiu’er in his arms, His Highness would certainly have kicked him straight out.

Right now, even though His Highness clearly carried some anger, his demeanor was, relatively speaking, rather gentle—at the very least, lacking his usual icy coldness.

“Your Highness, Miss Jiu’er, she…”

“Hand it over.” Di Wu Ya lowered his gaze to the figure stirring slightly in his arms and said in a low voice.

Yu Jingfeng drew in a sharp breath and forced his stiff legs forward two steps.

For someone to dare wake Miss Jiu’er, yet force His Highness to drink medicine—he must truly have a death wish.

Yu Jingfeng knelt down beside the bed. Seeing Di Wu Ya about to try to sit up, he quickly said in a low voice, “Your Highness, there’s no need to get up.”

“You can use… a straw.”

Yu Jingfeng carefully produced the “straw” he had prepared in advance and placed it into the medicine bowl.

“This is a hollow grass stalk the brothers went and found. Miss Jiu’er said it could be used as a straw.”

“None of us knew what a straw even was before, but this thing really is quite useful.”

He placed one end of the straw into the medicine and held the other end up to Di Wu Ya’s thin lips.

“Your Highness, just try it—simply draw the liquid up, and that’s all there is to it. It saves a great deal of trouble.”

Perhaps it was hearing Yu Jingfeng mention that this little device had been Feng Jiu’er’s invention, but Di Wu Ya’s expression eased, and he didn’t refuse to drink the medicine through the straw.

Seeing the medicine in the bowl steadily disappearing, Yu Jingfeng felt much more at ease.

“Your Highness, you may not know this, but when you couldn’t eat or take medicine at all in the beginning, it was Miss Jiu’er who tended to you the whole time.”

“This straw, in fact, was the idea she came up with back then.”

“It’s a good thing that—”

Just as Yu Jingfeng continued chattering on, a faint “slurping” sound rang out.

Di Wu Ya glanced sideways at the now-empty bowl and said flatly, “You may leave.”

“Yes.” Yu Jingfeng didn’t linger a moment longer and stood up at once.

Whatever else, His Highness had drunk the medicine, and his mood was good—that alone was enough.

Yu Jingfeng rose, stepped back a few paces, and asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, since Miss Jiu’er has fallen asleep, now that you’ve taken the medicine, perhaps you should rest a while too?”

“I’ll bring the bathwater and porridge in again in two hours—how does that sound?”

“Get out.” Di Wu Ya tossed out a single word, gently stroking the back of the woman in his arms.

Seeing this, Yu Jingfeng dared not say another word. He took the bowl and turned at once, vanishing from the tent.

Feng Jiu’er stirred slightly, then drifted back into deep sleep.

Di Wu Ya gently stroked her small head and closed his eyes.

…

Having finally repelled Di Wu Ya’s army with great difficulty, Zhan Yuheng never imagined that everything would suddenly be thrown back to square one.

To properly see to the defenses, Zhan Yuheng had not returned to the palace promptly even after coming back to the imperial city.

Yet unexpectedly, word arrived from the palace that the Empress Dowager wanted him to return at once.

After Zhan Yuheng ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager had also been elevated to Grand Empress Dowager.

In the past, Zhan Yuheng had greatly respected the Empress Dowager; now, as the reigning emperor, he still held a measure of respect for this Grand Empress Dowager.

What mattered more was that the long-missing Grand Empress Dowager had appeared in the palace—on this occasion, Zhan Yuheng had no choice but to rush back.

Upon receiving the news, Zhan Yuheng mounted his horse and rode back toward the palace.

That day, all the civil and military officials had received word that there would be a morning court session. As was customary, everyone arrived early before the main hall to wait.

It wasn’t until Zhan Yuheng appeared that everyone outside the hall followed him in.

Ye Xuening and Zhan Lingtian, having also received word, soon appeared in the hall as well.

After paying homage to the emperor, the officials split into two columns, standing in attendance within the hall. No one knew what this morning’s court session was about.

Ever since Zhan Yuheng’s ascension, his entire focus had been on resisting Di Wu Ya’s army—a morning court session like this hadn’t been held in quite some time.

The hall fell silent. Zhan Yuheng turned his head to look at Ye Xuening, seated not far from him.

“Grand Empress Dowager, what is the reason for gathering all the officials today?”

Ye Xuening turned her head and glanced at a eunuch standing nearby.

The eunuch nodded, came to her side, and knelt down.

Ye Xuening drew a sealed letter from within her robes and handed it to the eunuch.

The eunuch took the letter, stood, bowed, and turned to descend from the hall.

Zhan Yuheng’s gaze followed the letter in the eunuch’s hands as it moved to the lower part of the hall, his expression growing grave at once.

Word had come back at the time from Phoenix City that the Empress Dowager held an imperial edict drafted by Zhan Bufan, one declaring that the throne should pass to the descendants of the Di Family.

But soon after, the Empress Dowager had vanished without a trace.

Emperor Qiwen had died suddenly, and whether the Empress Dowager had been hidden away by him—even Zhan Yuheng did not know.

The Empress Dowager’s sudden return to the palace, edict in hand—what exactly did this mean?

The eunuch carried the letter to the center of the hall, raised it high, glanced once over the assembled officials, and let his gaze settle back on Zhan Yuheng.

He lifted the letter high and knelt down.

“The Great Emperor’s imperial edict is here. To see this edict is as to see the Great Emperor himself.”

Quite a few officials had already heard talk of the edict the Great Emperor had once drafted.

One official dropped to his knees and called out loudly, “Long live the Great Emperor, long, long live!”

Immediately after, every official in the hall knelt down, calling out in unison, “Long live the Great Emperor, long, long live!”

Zhan Yuheng watched Ye Xuening and Zhan Lingtian descend, then rose and stepped down as well.

The Grand Eunuch hurried after him, lifting the hem of his dragon robe.

Once Ye Xuening and Zhan Lingtian had knelt, Zhan Yuheng, standing at the very center, knelt down as well.

With everyone kneeling, the eunuch began to proclaim the edict that Zhan Bufan had left behind in his time.

It turned out the news from Phoenix City had indeed been true.

The Great Emperor had left behind an edict passing the throne to the eldest son of the Di Family, Di Wu Ya.

As for why this edict existed, and why Emperor Qiwen had ended up taking the throne afterward instead—no one could say for certain even now.

Once the eunuch finished proclaiming the Great Emperor’s edict, he came before Zhan Yuheng.

Zhan Yuheng stood frozen in place, momentarily unable to react.

The Grand Eunuch stood, bent down, and supported his arm, calling softly, “Your Majesty.”

Only then did Zhan Yuheng come back to himself. He straightened his robes and stood.

Ye Xuening turned, climbed a few steps back to her seat, and swept her gaze over everyone in the hall.

“The Great Emperor’s edict has been in this old woman’s keeping all along. The reason it wasn’t brought forward earlier was simply that Wu Ya was still far too young at the time.”

When Ye Xuening spoke the name “Wu Ya,” her gaze swept over Zhan Lingtian beside her.

She turned back to face the hall and let out a faint sigh.

“Now that the time is ripe, and with a great many people outside falsely claiming to be of the Di Family, hoping to seize the throne, this old woman believes it is time the truth came to light.”