Too high to reach

Chapter 377 Dark and windy night
"Look, the Emperor is much better than before. His complexion is even rosy. Physician Zheng's medical skills are truly excellent!"

The Empress Dowager sat opposite the Emperor, looking him up and down with concern.

The emperor smiled gently but didn't say anything; he himself wasn't feeling very good!

"You know, when you were little... your health was weaker than theirs. But then again, what about the sixth and thirteenth princes, who were stronger than you? What about them now?"

Those were the Emperor's brothers; the sixth prince died of illness. The thirteenth prince is now hooking his arms and legs together and making circles...

"You bear the weight of the entire world on your shoulders, handling so much state affairs every day, yet your health is far superior to theirs! You should be more proud of yourself!"

The Emperor liked to hear this, and he sighed, "But I'm tired too! I've been sick and have had a few days to rest."

"Crown Prince... if he can manage, please let him share more of the burden." The Empress Dowager carefully observed the Emperor's expression.

The Emperor snorted coldly, "He just had a legitimate son, which is a joyous occasion. But you don't know, these past few days, several memorials have implicated him in various matters. Privately, he's not as good as he appears!"

"Sigh... It's normal for a child to grow up and have their own ideas. You should teach him well!"

The emperor did not speak.

The Empress Dowager continued, "This winter, I feel it's different from previous years. The carriage stops at the gate of the courtyard, and I need someone to help me walk just a few steps in."

Having enjoyed so many years of blessings with the Emperor, that's enough. Now, besides worrying about the Emperor's health and Xiang Qing's marriage, I don't think about anything else!

"Xiang Qing... isn't she still a young girl?" the Emperor said dismissively.

"Your Majesty, did you think she was some little girl tugging at your clothes begging for candy? Her head is almost taller than mine!"

"Really?" The emperor paused for a moment, "Indeed, in just a few years, the little girl has grown into a young woman. Is there a family she's interested in?"

"...I'll offer one suggestion. If the Emperor is unwilling, then consider it me, an old lady, speaking nonsense out of old age!"

"Are you still being polite with your son? Go ahead and speak..."

"Little Fifteen!"

"Him?!" The Emperor paused, a smile playing on his lips. "Look at my son's brain! Fifteen and Xiang Qing grew up together."

"Indeed!? The first thing I thought of was the bond of childhood sweethearts. And then, the fifteenth prince... he's handsome!" The Empress Dowager chuckled.

The emperor laughed for a while and felt much better.

"But... I still need to ask Xiao Dong again. If she's not happy, Xiang Qing won't have a good time..." The Emperor shook his head and sighed.

"Of course! I'll do whatever you say!"

The situation in the capital is becoming somewhat strange.

The crown prince's joy was short-lived, as it was interrupted by a series of events.

Several memorials directly targeted him...

Your Majesty, you just sent over the generous reward for the Crown Princess.

He then sat up abruptly from his illness, flew into a rage, and began to berate the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was somewhat bewildered, staring at the memorials that had been thrown at him... Yes, he had essentially written them all. But when did the Emperor find out?

Besides, some of them aren't even a big deal, are they?
"Put down what you're doing and reflect on your actions behind closed doors!"

Although this punishment was nothing, or even not a punishment at all, it was the first time for the Crown Prince.

The Empress rushed to the outside of the Hall of Mental Cultivation to plead for the Crown Prince.

But the emperor was nowhere to be seen.

Within the palace, there were naturally spies from the Prince Qi's residence. Mo Yi listened as Granny Zhao recounted: the Crown Prince was confined to his quarters; the Empress visited him and pleaded for his life, but the Emperor refused to see her; the Empress Dowager went to see him, but did, and even had Qian Xiangqing summoned...

After listening, Mo Yi shook her head: "This is a devastating blow to the Crown Prince. The Emperor is seriously ill, the Prince is missing, and he has just had a legitimate son... Plus, he handled several things very well before. He probably thought a great talent was about to arrive... He never expected to be confined to his quarters!"

Aunt Zhao nodded.

"No wonder the Emperor didn't respond to the Xu family's report. It turns out they're pooling their resources to suppress him! As soon as there was bad news from the Prince, the Crown Prince immediately ran into trouble too. Isn't this the Emperor's art of checks and balances?"

"Your Majesty, in truth, those in high positions do not value offspring as much as ordinary people. Even if they do, it's only for their own benefit. Back then, the Emperor favored Li Zhen the most, but when the matter urgently required establishing a Crown Prince, he dared not refuse to appoint our Yuan-ge'er!"

Why? Isn't it because he valued his position most? Even back then, he harbored malicious intentions!

There were only two people in the room, so Granny Zhao spoke without any restraint.

"Back then, our Empress was furious. Now that Yuan-ge'er has been made Crown Prince, what if she wants to replace him in the future? After the crisis was over, it was thanks to our Princess Ming'an, who dared to stand up and back down. The Emperor also gave her special face. She was so young, yet she took a bullet for her brother..." Zhao Mama's eyes were wet with tears.

"And then there's our Prince, so devoted to Nian-ge'er! This is for the whole world, Your Majesty! The Prince's character is extraordinary!" Mo Yi smiled. "That's what I admire about the Prince. And Nian-ge'er, he lost his parents at birth. Yet, even in front of Madam Liu, he can maintain a pure heart and not be bound by convention... It shows his kind and virtuous nature!"

"Yes!"

“A storm is brewing… His Majesty has acted too hastily! Isn’t he afraid of a counterattack from the Empress and the Crown Prince?” Mo Yi sighed.

After the coldest period of winter, the weather begins to warm up.

Springtime is windy, and the night is dark.

Several fires broke out in the capital.

Soldiers and officials were running around the city trying to put out the fire. Fortunately, it wasn't a densely populated area, so nothing too serious happened.

Even the area near the front gate of the Prince Qi's residence was ablaze.

There was so much noise that even people from the mansion had to go out to put out the fire.

Outside the small side gate behind the Prince's Mansion, a dozen or so men in black stood silently against the wall.

His face was covered with a cloth, and a knife was tucked into his waistband.

This small side door is used for disposing of swill and night soil in the mansion. It is opened once in the morning and once in the evening, and is locked from the inside at other times.

Just now, a small team consisting of guards and old women checked again and left.

A figure crept over furtively and unlocked the door.

A dozen or so people quietly entered and headed towards the main courtyard where Mo Yi lived.

Among the crowd was Feng Liniang.

The fear, regret, and embarrassment I felt before have now turned into excitement.

She also knew that Li Jing had been missing for a long time...

If I can deal with Mo Yi, or even just get rid of the child in her womb, I will still have a chance of winning.

The key is, if we fight, there might still be a chance. If not... we'll die immediately.

It's a do-or-die situation.

As soon as they reached the central garden, the group was spotted. Lanterns and torches illuminated the area, and shouts began to emanate from the surroundings.

"Damn it!" one of the men in black said. "Let's finish this quickly!"

Some stayed behind to fight the guards, while the rest continued toward the main courtyard.

They had seen the blueprints of the Prince's Mansion beforehand, and with Feng Liniang's explanation, their goal was very clear even though it was dark.

Upon arriving at the main courtyard, the gate was locked, but no longer worried about making a commotion, they quickly opened it.

Feng Liniang was a little nervous and didn't dare to go inside. Zhou Dong stood next to her.

Zhou Dong is now like a puppet, devoid of any spirit or energy, just blindly following orders. Originally, he said he could find someone to open the door and didn't want to get involved in anything else, but his word doesn't count.

"There's no one inside!" The man in black who had gone in immediately came out.

"She was prepared?" Feng Liniang became even more nervous upon hearing this.

"The basement!" she gritted her teeth. "Come with me!"

Zhou Dong closed his eyes briefly, shook his head helplessly, and followed behind.

The basement is where the library is located. It's quite large; one side contains valuable, moisture-resistant treasures. The other side is a place where people can temporarily hide, with ventilation holes and basic facilities.

Feng Liniang knew how to open it without a key.

Upon arriving here, it was pitch black. "Light it up!" Feng Liniang said coldly to Zhou Dong, "Now that things have come to this, don't put on that face. It's a matter of life and death, you know?!"

Zhou Dong covered his face and raised the torch.

Feng Liniang stepped forward and decisively extended her hand. It was unclear what she was fiddling with, but several rumbling sounds were heard.

The stone wall receded to the side, revealing the iron gate.

Then, the iron gate was quickly opened again.

There were lights inside, and the royal family, led by Mo Yi, were inside...