All the ministers withdrew.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation returned to quietness.

Consort Yun breathed a huge sigh of relief. Fortunately, Chu’er had reminded her to unite with all the imperial consorts in the harem who had given birth to princes.

At the time, she had worried that those consorts might betray them.

But Chu’er said that for mothers, children come first.

If His Majesty passed away, the most miserable would be none other than these princes.

Ask yourself—which mother could gamble with her own biological child?

The Seventh Prince held the hands of the Ninth and Tenth Princes and said: “Ah Jiu, Ah Shi, Father Emperor is resting. We won’t go see Father Emperor today. Come on, let’s go play in the Imperial Garden.”

The Tenth Prince said in a childish voice: “But I haven’t seen Father Emperor in a long time.”

“Shh.” Chu Hongyu made a silencing gesture. “If those ministers ask, just say you saw Imperial Grandfather just now. You can’t let it slip, okay?”

The Tenth Prince immediately covered his mouth and shook his head: “I’ll be obedient, I’ll be good, I won’t let it slip!”

The Ninth Prince patted his chest: “Just now Father Emperor praised me. You all saw it, right?”

“Right, I saw it.” Chu Changsheng said with a smile. “Let’s go to the Imperial Garden!”

Meng Shen and the Seventh Prince led the group of children toward the Imperial Garden.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Noble Consort Shu continued feeding the Emperor medicine.

At the side of the great hall, Grand Tutor Xu sat there reviewing memorials. He was a first-rank senior minister who had served as an official in court for half his life—he could make decisions on some major matters.

But some even greater matters, such as opening the national treasury, receiving foreign envoys, dispatching additional troops to the frontier… these were not things a single minister could decide. They could only be temporarily delayed.

Yun Chu calculated the time.

There were two more days left. Once Noble Consort Shu fed the last two doses of medicine, His Majesty would truly awaken, and Chu Rui would no longer be a threat.

Seeing the Hall of Mental Cultivation temporarily stabilized, she took steps back to the Eastern Palace.

As soon as she entered, she saw Consort Yin holding Jue’er and playing with him. Seeing her approach, she handed Jue’er to the wet nurse, stood up and said: “Qinghua will arrive in a quarter hour. Come with me to welcome her.”

She knew that because of that maid Ding Dong’s matter, a rift had formed between Qinghua and Yun Chu.

One was her biological daughter, the other her daughter-in-law—both were dear to her. She still hoped these two could get along better.

So she specially proposed bringing Yun Chu along to welcome Qinghua.

Yun Chu nodded.

Both emotionally and logically, she truly should go welcome her personally.

The two walked to the palace gates, just as Qinghua descended from her carriage.

“Second Sister.” Yun Chu greeted with a beaming smile. “The journey must have been tiring. I’ve had lunch prepared at the Eastern Palace. Please come to the Eastern Palace, Second Sister.”

Qinghua was somewhat fatigued. After thinking, she said: “I’m really worried about Father Emperor. Let me first pay my respects to Father Emperor.”

“This…” Consort Yin looked at Yun Chu. “Chu’er, what do you think about this…”

The smile on Yun Chu’s face didn’t change: “Then let’s go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”

Qinghua had rushed all the way from Pingliang Prefecture to the capital to visit the sick. She had no reason to obstruct her.

Moreover, Chu Rui had probably already guessed about His Majesty’s unconsciousness, but had no evidence.

Even children as young as the Ninth and Tenth Princes could know this secret, so there was no need to hide it from Qinghua.

Besides, there were only two days left.

The group walked toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

They had just reached the long palace corridor when a young eunuch hurried over to report: “Crown Princess, this is bad! Young Master Yu and the Ninth Prince have started fighting.”

“What?” Yun Chu’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean they’ve started fighting?”

Yu’er and the Ninth Prince were about the same age, and their relationship was especially good. Although they were uncle and nephew, they actually got along like brothers. How could they be fighting?

“Chu’er, go quickly and take a look.” Consort Yin said urgently. “When these children quarrel they have no sense of restraint. It would be terrible if someone got hurt and something happened.”

Yun Chu followed the young eunuch toward the Imperial Garden.

Consort Yin led Qinghua toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Before reaching it, halfway there, they encountered Su Ziyue.

“Consort Yin, Princess Qinghua.” Su Ziyue curtsied. “I just went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The attendants said Imperial Uncle just fell asleep. Consort Yin and Princess, don’t make a wasted trip.”

“No matter.” Consort Yin’s face wore a smile. “Qinghua came from so far away. No matter what, she must pay her respects. Princess Zhuang, please go ahead.”

Su Ziyue walked forward. As she brushed past Consort Yin—

She suddenly stopped.

“Oh my, it seems Your Ladyship has lip rouge on your teeth.”

She reached out, holding a handkerchief in her hand, and wiped toward Consort Yin’s lips.

Consort Yin immediately felt uncomfortable.

She was about to dodge when she suddenly felt her lips go numb. Something crawled from the corner of her mouth into it, then flowed down her tongue into her throat.

Her eyes suddenly widened as she clutched at her own neck.

“Mother!” Qinghua rushed forward in a stride, pushing Su Ziyue aside to check on Consort Yin. Seeing Consort Yin desperately clutching her own neck, she glared furiously at Su Ziyue: “What did you do to my mother!”

Su Ziyue’s girlish face was full of innocence: “I didn’t do anything. Isn’t Consort Yin fine?”

Qinghua turned her head and saw that Consort Yin had already returned to normal, as if the strangeness she had just witnessed was an illusion.

She wanted to say more.

But Consort Yin had already stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Qinghua could only follow inside.

Inside the hall were many Imperial Guards, one stationed every three steps, looking extraordinarily solemn.

Palace maids were brewing medicine. The unpleasant medicinal smell permeated the Hall of Mental Cultivation, making people somewhat uncomfortable.

“Greetings to Consort Yin, greetings to Princess Qinghua!”

The palace servants at the door all paid their respects in unison.

Consort Yin pushed open the hall doors and walked in.

Qinghua’s face was full of shock.

Coming to Father Emperor’s place didn’t even require announcement—one could just enter directly?

She suppressed the doubts in her heart and followed Consort Yin inside.

She didn’t see the Emperor. She only saw thick curtains hanging around the dragon bed on all sides, blocking all lines of sight.

“Sister Consort Yin.” Noble Consort Shu, who had been sitting beside the dragon bed, stood up and curtsied. “Has Princess Qinghua come to pay respects to His Majesty? His Majesty just fell asleep.”

“Trouble Sister Noble Consort Shu to bring a bowl of medicine. Qinghua wants to personally feed His Majesty medicine and fulfill her filial duty.” Consort Yin spoke with a calm expression.

Qinghua frowned.

She didn’t seem to have said anything about wanting to feed Father Emperor medicine.

However, since Mother wanted her to do so, then she would do so.

Before long, Noble Consort Shu came in carrying a bowl of medicine.

Consort Yin stepped forward first to take it in her hands, stirring it with a spoon while saying: “Pull open the curtains.”

Noble Consort Shu stepped forward and pulled up the heavy curtains layer by layer, hooking them to the side.

“Father Emperor…”

Qinghua looked at the person on the dragon bed, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

Was this still her Father Emperor? How, how had he become so thin? Where was even half the presence and majesty of a true Son of Heaven?

Although Father Emperor didn’t like her as a daughter, how could she not care for Father Emperor?

Like every child, she longed for her father’s affection.

And hoped her father could live a hundred years.

“Father Emperor, what on earth happened?”

Qinghua’s tears fell.

She had already strongly sensed something was wrong.

With such a great commotion in the hall, how could Father Emperor show no signs of waking at all?

Consort Yin handed over the medicine she had stirred for a long time: “First feed your Father Emperor the medicine.”