Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

At this moment, Wei Zhongxian lowered his head and looked down, his face displaying just the right amount of sorrow, but his heart was ice-cold.

"Prince Xin...he's putting on quite a show of brotherly affection." Wei Zhongxian sneered inwardly. "This feigned retreat, seemingly wanting nothing, is actually what he wants most—this vast empire! Otherwise, why hasn't he left the palace? Why hasn't he taken up his fiefdom?"

Admittedly, Prince Xin was still young, but in Wei Zhongxian's eyes, this was clearly irrefutable evidence of treason.

He coldly observed that the emperor was clearly moved by this display of "filial piety," and his heart grew anxious. The emperor's favor was currently at its peak, and he couldn't afford to harm Prince Xin in the slightest, but that didn't mean he was helpless.

"Your Majesty, please take good care of your health and live a little longer..." A sinister thought swirled in his mind, but his face became even more respectful.

The emperor, whose emotions had calmed down slightly inside the warm pavilion, picked up the charcoal pencil drawing again, still unable to put it down.

He hesitated for a moment, then said to Chen Jian, "This young man is indeed ingenious, excelling in both calligraphy and painting; he is a rare talent. I would like to meet him and ask him some questions..."

Chen Jian's heart tightened, and he was about to speak.

The emperor pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head and sighed, "Forget it. If I summon him today because he presented the map, countless people will rack their brains tomorrow to find some strange and frivolous things to curry favor with me. If this trend is started, it will be a waste of resources and manpower, and will do no good to the country. I cannot set this precedent."

The emperor carefully rolled up the design and said gently, "Jian'er, on my behalf... bestow the reward upon that young man. But I wonder if that young man from the Jia family is currently working in the government office or studying at home?"

Chen Jian hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, he is not currently holding any official position. He is studying diligently at home, preparing for next year's imperial examination."

"Oh? Preparing for the imperial examinations..." The emperor nodded. "Let him focus on his studies. If he truly has talent, he will have a bright future in the examinations."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Chen Jian bowed and accepted the order, feeling a pang of regret for Jia Yun, yet also a slight sense of relief.

Not summoning him might actually be a form of protection for the boy.

The warm pavilion fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of silver charcoal in the bronze incense burner with animal-shaped handles.

Just then, the emperor coughed lightly. Wei Zhongxian, who had been standing silently like a shadow, stepped forward quietly, took the black fox fur cloak with ease, and gently draped it over the emperor.

Wei Zhongxian's voice was hoarse, almost choked with emotion: "Your Majesty, although it is warm in the warm chamber, drafts can still seep in through the cracks in the doors and windows. You were just agitated, you must not catch a cold... This old servant... this old servant's heart is always with you..."

As he spoke, he actually raised his sleeve and forcefully wiped the corner of his eye, which had no tears. He looked exactly like an old servant worried about the master's health.

Emperor Chen Xiao seemed to be used to his behavior. He was not surprised at all, but instead comforted him gently, saying, "I know. Consort Wei, there is no need to worry too much. I am not that delicate."

"In this old servant's heart, Your Majesty is the heavens! Your Majesty's safety is related to the fate of the nation and the lives of hundreds of millions of people! This old servant wishes he could take Your Majesty's place, and only prays that Your Majesty enjoys good health and longevity!"

As Wei Zhongxian spoke, he suddenly knelt down with a thud. Ignoring the cold gold bricks on the ground, he touched his head to the ground, his voice still trembling with sobs, "If...if something really happens to Your Majesty...what meaning is there for this old servant's worthless life? It's better...it's better to go with Your Majesty!"

His performance was so sincere and moving that, if one didn't know his background, one would almost be moved by his "loyalty and courage".

Seeing this, the emperor could only sigh and personally helped him up, saying, "Get up quickly, what kind of behavior is this? How could I not know your loyalty? I promise you that I will take good care of myself, and you must also take good care of me. I cannot do without your old servant by my side."

"Your Majesty! This old servant...this old servant..." Wei Zhongxian then shakily got up as if he had received a great favor.

But his old face still had red eyes, and now he stood obediently to the side with his hands at his sides, his posture as humble as an old dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

Prince Xin, Chen Jian, watched coldly, feeling his stomach churning and almost vomiting.

This eunuch, in public, was the powerful and influential eunuch known as "Nine Thousand Years Old," whom all officials trembled in fear. Yet, before his elder brother, the Emperor, he could so perfectly portray the obsequious and subservient demeanor!

It wasn't that there weren't upright officials who risked their lives to submit memorials, tearfully recounting how the eunuch Wei was forming cliques and framing loyal officials. But the Emperor... the Emperor seemed to be blinded by greed, always thinking it was the court officials attacking him, and instead believing that this old servant's diligent service and loyalty were beyond question.

"What a loyal servant! What a 'Nine Thousand Years Old'!" Chen Jian sneered inwardly, but had to maintain a calm demeanor on his face. He even had to cast a perfectly timed glance at Wei Zhongxian's "heart-stirring" performance.

This kind of frustration—knowing someone is wicked yet forced to feign compliance—is like a boulder blocking one's chest, suffocating and unspeakable. If Jia Yun were present and witnessed this chameleon-like acting, he would surely say he deserves an Oscar.

The emperor was clearly tired of Wei Zhongxian's "genuine expression of emotion." He rubbed his temples and was about to say something more to Chen Jian when the soft tinkling of jade pendants and the announcement of a palace servant came from outside the hall—the Empress Dowager had arrived.

The Empress Dowager, supported by palace maids, entered the warm pavilion. Although she was dressed in elaborate and solemn robes, she could not hide her deep weariness and worry between her brows.

The Empress Dowager first carefully examined the Emperor's face. Seeing that his eyes were sunken and his complexion was poor, her heart tightened. Then, seeing Prince Xin with slightly red eyes beside him, her worries weighed heavily on her.

"Empress Dowager." The Emperor and Prince Xin bowed together.

The Empress Dowager waved for the two sons to sit down, her gaze shifting between them. A thousand words welled up in her chest, and for a moment she didn't know where to begin.

She was deeply worried about her eldest son Chen Xiao's illness, and the medical records from the Imperial Hospital were becoming increasingly perilous.

If something were to happen to Xiao'er, how would the five-year-old Crown Prince be able to secure his throne? At that time, the only one he could rely on would be his gentle and kind-hearted youngest son, Chen Jian.

But... another kind of fear immediately arose in her.

In the imperial family, even close relatives are powerless; power is the most corrosive. Now that the Imperial Secretary is in power, the brothers can still live in harmony. But once the Imperial Secretary is gone, will the Imperial Secretary be able to maintain his integrity when facing the throne?

The Crown Prince is so young, what if… She dared not think too deeply, feeling as if her heart had been torn in two.

Moreover, the emperor also had a powerful eunuch like Wei Zhongxian by his side, who harbored treacherous intentions.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the old servant and saw him bowing his head, looking pitiful and worried about his master, as if he were a servant who could not live without his master.

The Empress Dowager snorted inwardly, but her face remained impassive. These heavy thoughts inadvertently stirred up old pain buried deep in her heart for many years.

She thought of her second son, Chen Mo, who died at the age of four. If Mo'er were still alive, perhaps... perhaps the situation would be different? Although the imperial family was heartless, for her, at least she would have one more blood relative, one more source of support.

Thinking of this, a sharp pang of sorrow suddenly struck her. The Empress Dowager hurriedly pressed her handkerchief to the corners of her eyes, forcefully suppressing the tears that were about to spill out.

"How are you feeling today, Xiao'er? Can you still hold on?" She ultimately reduced it to the most ordinary greeting, but her voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother. Your son is well," the Emperor replied gently.

The Empress Dowager's gaze slowly shifted to the Emperor.

"Xiao'er, the other day I mentioned wanting to have a portrait painted for Mo'er... Is that possible?"

The emperor quickly bowed and replied, "How could I dare delay what the Empress Dowager instructed? The painting was finished long ago, but..."

He hesitated, glancing at the Empress Dowager's expression. "I'm worried that if Mother sees this, it will only stir up her sadness."

After saying this, the emperor clapped his hands lightly, and a young eunuch immediately stepped forward with a brocade scroll in hand, his head bowed and eyes lowered.

Fearing that his mother was too grief-stricken, the emperor quickly signaled to Prince Chen Jian with his eyes.

Chen Jian understood and stepped forward to gently persuade her, "Mother, if my second brother were alive, he would not want you to suffer from excessive longing."

At this moment, the scroll was slowly unrolled in the hands of the young eunuch.

The painting depicts a young boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in the everyday robes of a prince. His delicate features bear a striking resemblance to the emperor and Prince Xin. The boy exudes a gentle and refined air, with a subtle smile always playing on his lips.

This was originally the painter's interpretation of what Chen Mo would look like when he grew up, based on the emperor and empress's descriptions and referring to portraits of Chen Mo as a child.

The Empress Dowager stared blankly at the unfamiliar young face in the painting, her eyes gradually reddening.

She tremblingly reached out her hand, her fingertips tracing the outline of the person in the painting, but she did not lose her composure; her gaze simply lingered on the portrait.

After a long silence, the Empress Dowager suddenly asked softly, "The painting... is excellent. But why can't I see the three small moles side by side behind his earlobes?"

The Emperor was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled, "Mother, this has put the painter in a difficult position. This is a frontal view; how can anyone possibly capture the subtle details behind my second brother's ear?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the warm pavilion fell into silence.

The two brothers understood perfectly well: behind their mother's seemingly critical question lay a deep longing. She still remembered every subtle detail about the child who had died young.

The emperor was also filled with a myriad of complex emotions.

Looking at the gentle young man in the painting, he thought to himself: If his second brother Chen Mo were still alive, perhaps his mother wouldn't have to be immersed in the pain of losing her son every day, and the unyielding sorrow between her brows would have dissipated a little? Perhaps the three brothers could have truly supported each other, and brought a little more human warmth to this cold palace.

But all of this was ultimately just a mirage.