son, don't mess around

Lin Jiangnian's purpose in entering the palace to see the Empress Dowager was to confirm his suspicions with her.

At present, it is almost certain that the Empress Dowager is indeed behind the Lü family case. The fact that the Lü family escaped the Third Prince's rebellion is mostly due to the Empress Dowager's consideration for their past relationship.

Of course, this matter is still inextricably linked to that emperor.

The Empress Dowager's favor was one thing, but the Emperor was the one who truly determined the fate of the Lü family.

Therefore, the suspicion of that emperor cannot be completely ruled out.

The Empress Dowager seemed to have been without anyone to talk to for a long time. After Lin Jiangnian finished asking about her important matters, the Empress Dowager pulled Lin Jiangnian aside to chat about her own business.

The important matter that the Empress Dowager mentioned was naturally the marriage between Lin Jiangnian and Li Piaomiao.

This marriage was arranged by the late emperor and was already widely known.

Now, both Lin Jiangnian and Li Piaomiao are well past the age of marriage. However, there has been no progress in their relationship, which has made the Empress Dowager very anxious!

A year ago, when she learned that Piaomiao had followed Lin Jiangnian to the Prince of Lin's mansion, the Empress Dowager was initially very happy, thinking that good things were about to happen.

Unexpectedly, things still didn't progress.

Piaomiao went to the Prince Lin's residence, but didn't stay in the capital for long after returning. A few days ago, she left the capital again.

The Empress Dowager had no idea where Piaomiao had gone. Throughout the entire capital, very few people knew Li Piaomiao's whereabouts.

Now that she has seen the Crown Prince of Lin again, the Empress Dowager naturally wants to ask him some questions.

But his question put Lin Jiangnian in a difficult position!
Why did the Empress Dowager have to ask this question at this particular time of year... and Zhao Xi was watching from the side.

At this moment, Zhao Xi stood quietly beside the Empress Dowager, without saying a word, like a well-behaved little maid.

However, her bright eyes remained fixed on Lin Jiangnian, looking at him with a hint of amusement and resentment, her gaze meaningful.

Although she didn't say anything, Lin Jiangnian understood all of the woman's thoughts.

"cough……"

Lin Jiang cleared his throat and changed the subject: "Your Majesty, the world is in chaos. Xu Hong in the north is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He has kidnapped the Third Prince and intends to overthrow the dynasty. The situation is critical. As subjects of the dynasty, we should share the burden for the people."

"At this juncture, we cannot afford to be preoccupied with personal feelings. As for my affair with Piaomiao, I will give Your Majesty a satisfactory answer once the world is at peace!"

This Empress Dowager's question is not easy to answer.

Pressure to get married? Pressure to have children?
Not to mention that Miss Zhao was watching him intently from the side; if he agreed, wouldn't she cause trouble for him?
Furthermore, the Empress Dowager was unaware of the agreement and plan between Lin Jiangnian and Li Piaomiao, so she naturally could not tell the truth.

Therefore, we had no choice but to change the subject.

Fortunately, the dynasty was in turmoil, and the Empress Dowager was clearly aware of this beforehand. A look of worry appeared on her brow as she sighed deeply, "Yuan'er, he's so foolish!"

"It's my fault as his mother for failing to discipline him properly, leading to this widespread suffering..."

Lin Jiangnian spoke up to comfort her: "This is not Your Highness's fault. His Highness the Third Prince was misled by the words of a treacherous minister and went astray."

The Empress Dowager said with deep concern, "I've heard that the situation at the front is critical. The Emperor doesn't want me to worry and refuses to tell me the truth, but how can this matter be kept secret..."

The Empress Dowager looked very unhappy.

The dynastic turmoil was undoubtedly the most difficult decision for her.

The world is in turmoil, and it is her people who suffer. The longer the war lasts, the more people will suffer.

But how should this situation be resolved?

Both sides are her sons, and no matter the final outcome or which day they win, it's not what she wants to see.

After a long silence, the atmosphere seemed to grow heavy. Finally, the Empress Dowager's gaze returned to Lin Jiangnian.

She gazed silently at Lin Jiangnian, lost in thought, and sighed deeply: "The world is in chaos now, and although the harem is not supposed to interfere, I bear an inescapable responsibility for what is happening now."

"Now that you are here, Jiang Nian, and there are no outsiders present, I would like to ask you a question. Jiang Nian, can you answer me truthfully?"

Looking into the eyes of the Empress Dowager before him, Lin Jiangnian seemed to realize something and calmly said, "Your Majesty, please speak."

The Empress Dowager sighed deeply: "Now that the court is at war with the northern rebels, I do not want either the Emperor or Yuan'er to kill each other. But I also understand that one of them will inevitably be defeated."

"For the sake of the dynasty and its people, the court must not be defeated under any circumstances..."

"I would like to ask you, the court is now in a precarious situation. What will your Prince Lin's Mansion ultimately decide?"

"Are you planning to start your own business, or...?"

The Empress Dowager did not continue speaking; her gaze remained fixed on Lin Jiangnian, awaiting his reply.

Lin Jiangnian was not surprised by this question.

He looked up and met the Empress Dowager's direct gaze, and calmly said, "I already answered this question for Your Majesty a year ago."

"My answer today remains the same as it was a year ago!"

A year ago, the Empress Dowager had asked Lin Jiangnian a similar question. At that time, Lin Jiangnian replied that as long as the court did not reduce the power of the princes, the Lin Prince's Mansion would always be a subject of the Great Ning Dynasty.

And now, Lin Jiangnian's answer remains unchanged.

"The Prince Lin's Mansion will always be a subject of the dynasty, and that will never change."

Lin Jiangnian remained calm. Compared to a year ago, after a moment of silence, he added another sentence.

"If the imperial court needs it, the Prince Lin's Mansion is ready to send troops to quell the rebellion at any time!"

Upon hearing this answer, the Empress Dowager seemed to breathe a deep sigh of relief.

"With Jiang Nian's words, I am at ease."

The Empress Dowager said with a look of relief, "I don't understand your political struggles. I only hope that you are all well and that there will be no more war in the world."

"I hope to see you and Piaomiao get married before I die, and to see you have children..."

At this point, the Empress Dowager sighed softly: "Piaomiao has never been close to anyone since she was little, but she has always been cold on the outside but warm on the inside. If she does anything wrong, Jiang Nian, please be more tolerant of her."

"The world is in turmoil these days, and I hope you will take good care of her..."

Facing the expectant gaze of the Empress Dowager, who was the mother of the nation, Lin Jiangnian nodded: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will take good care of Piaomiao."

The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction, then turned to look at Zhao Xi beside her, her voice gentle: "And Xi'er, you must take good care of yourself too."

"You're about the same age as Piaomiao, shouldn't you be at the age where you should be thinking about marriage?"

Zhao Xi, who had been standing aside watching the drama unfold, was suddenly dragged into it and was momentarily stunned: "Me?"

"Xi'er, you're still not married, are you?"

"without……"

"Do you have someone you like?"

Hearing this, Zhao Xi was even more stunned, her face turning somewhat unnatural. She subconsciously glanced at the scoundrel beside her and saw him looking at her with a mocking expression.

"Your Majesty, I... I'm not in a hurry..."

Zhao Xi coughed.

"How can I not be anxious? You're older than Piaomiao, aren't you? Logically speaking, you should have gotten married long ago."

The Empress Dowager spoke gently; she liked Zhao Xi very much.

This daughter of the current Chancellor Zhao was kind and gentle from a young age, and spoke very pleasantly. She was also familiar with Piaomiao and often came to the palace to keep her company. The Empress Dowager always treated her like a daughter.

"What? Doesn't Prime Minister Zhao care about your marriage, Xi'er?"

"I……"

Zhao Xi hesitated, unsure how to answer. "It doesn't matter?"
how come!
Her father was eager to introduce her to promising young men.

"My father..."

Zhao Xi's eyes darted around: "My father is too busy. There's war in the north right now, and he's very busy. The country is more important."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager sighed softly.

Indeed, as a veteran of three reigns, Prime Minister Zhao is now a pillar of the court. In the past, because of his high position, Prime Minister Zhao often neglected to take care of and show concern for his daughter.

"Prime Minister Zhao devoted himself wholeheartedly to the court and devoted countless efforts, which is worthy of admiration."

The Empress Dowager sighed, then looked up at Zhao Xi, took her hand, and said softly, "However, even if you are busy, your marriage is also very important, Xi'er. I happen to know some outstanding young talents in the capital. If Xi'er is interested, I will arrange for you to meet them later."

Hey, the Empress Dowager has become a matchmaker?

As Lin Jiangnian listened, he began to sense that something was amiss.

No, this Empress Dowager has even tried to undermine someone else.

Turning around, he met Lin Jiangnian's gaze. Perhaps noticing Lin Jiangnian's gaze, Zhao Xi's expression quickly changed, and she raised her chin slightly at him, as if in provocation.

It was also as if she was proudly telling him... See, I'm still very popular!
This woman needs to be taught a lesson again!
Lin Jiangnian returned a dangerous, threatening look.

Zhao Xi was not afraid at all. She snorted coldly, rolled her eyes, and looked away.

However, she wasn't afraid of Lin Jiangnian's provocation at all, and even seemed to be doing it on purpose. But when it came to the Empress Dowager's idea of ​​acting as a matchmaker, Zhao Xi refused without even thinking.

"Your Majesty, there's no rush. I'm still young..."

"Besides, now is not the right time."

Zhao Xi sighed softly: "The court is in grave danger right now. My father, as the prime minister, must stand with the court through thick and thin and fight against the rebels. This is not the time to dwell on matters of the heart. On the contrary, if we were to talk about personal feelings at this time, it would only give others something to use against my father."

Zhao Xi's reply was reasonable and well-founded.

The Empress Dowager, upon hearing this, was naturally aware of it. Therefore, although she felt somewhat regretful, she did not say anything further.

She nodded slightly, then, as if remembering something, turned to look at Lin Jiangnian and said softly, "Xi'er and Piaomiao have known each other since childhood. They are as close as sisters and can be considered family. Now that the situation is turbulent and uncertain, you two should look after each other while you are out and about.

Upon hearing this, both Lin Jiangnian and Zhao Xi displayed somewhat strange expressions.

Lin Jiangnian glanced at Zhao Xi's suppressed laughter and nodded meaningfully: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely take good care of Miss Zhao."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xi, who was standing to the side, felt a jolt of fear and a chill run down her spine.

That jerk's tone is off; there's something wrong with him.

How does he want to take care of himself?

But the Empress Dowager didn't notice, and simply nodded with satisfaction: "That's good."

"It's getting late, so I won't disturb Your Highness any longer!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Jiangnian rose to take his leave again. This time, the Empress Dowager did not stop him.

Not long after Lin Jiangnian took his leave, Zhao Xi also got up to say goodbye.

After the two left, Jingning Palace returned to its quiet and desolate state.

The Empress Dowager sat there, her expression wistful, lost in thought. After a long while, she slowly rose, pushed open the door, and walked into the courtyard.

A cold wind howled through the courtyard, and the Empress Dowager's gaze was deep and resentful; she remained silent.

Then, not long after, the voice of a palace maid could be heard from outside the palace.

"Your Majesty is here!"

The Empress Dowager slowly raised her eyes, and her gaze fell upon the courtyard gate where Li Cining appeared, walking briskly towards her.

"Mother!"

Li Cining quickly approached and bowed to her mother. She then asked with concern, "Mother, it's cold outside. Why did you come out?"

"It's stuffy in the room, I'm going out for some fresh air."

The Empress Dowager spoke softly, her gaze falling on Li Cining: "What brings you to visit your mother today?"

"Since I had nothing to do today, I came to visit Mother," Li Cining said with a smile.

"Isn't that more than that?" The Empress Dowager gave him a meaningful look.

Li Cining smiled and said, "Mother is indeed clever; nothing can be hidden from her."

The Empress Dowager shook her head slightly, looking at her eldest son before her, her weak expression tinged with heartache.

"How is your health?"

Li Cining smiled lightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. I am doing well."

"Why do you need to hide it from your mother?"

The Empress Dowager sighed, "Your complexion is much worse than it was a few days ago."

Li Cining paused for a moment, then said, "It's an old problem caused by the cold weather, it's nothing serious."

"You can't get into trouble."

The Empress Dowager frowned: "Given the current state of affairs in the world, if something happens to you, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Li Cining said, "Your subject will be careful."

The Empress Dowager remained silent and did not ask any further questions.

She understands many things perfectly well, but she can't change them, nor should she try to.

If she hadn't stopped him a year ago and hadn't asked Li Cining not to harm his brothers, would the situation be completely different today?
"What about Piaomiao?"

The Empress Dowager sighed softly: "Where did you send her?"

Li Cining paused for a moment: "Piaomiao went to a place she was meant to go."

The Empress Dowager frowned, opened her mouth as if to ask something, but ultimately said nothing.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have already made all the necessary arrangements..."

He paused for a moment before saying, "Even if something happens to me, the court will not be thrown into chaos."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager glared at him and demanded, "What do you want to do?!"

A slight smile appeared on Li Cining's pale face: "Your subject has learned some news that Your Majesty will surely be interested in."

"what?"

"The Imperial Uncle is back."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly: "Which imperial uncle?"

"Second Imperial Uncle," Li Cining said softly.

The Empress Dowager froze on the spot, her expression gradually becoming dazed.

"Second, Imperial Uncle?"

She was lost in thought, and a distant, familiar yet unfamiliar figure seemed to gradually emerge in her mind.

He's still alive?!
...(End of chapter)