Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Inside the palace gates, a flicker of alarm crossed Xiang Shi's mind.

The palace was indeed under martial law, and no one could enter or leave. Moreover, at this crucial moment, someone intercepted them.

Fortunately, the clothes were only briefly checked; otherwise, she would have taken them directly back to Chang Le Palace.

Just as Xiang was anxiously waiting, Xing'an slowly arrived.

"By order of the Empress Dowager, I have been instructed to deliver the clothing bestowed by the Consort Xian to the Prince of Cheng's residence."

Upon hearing this, Xiang hesitated, not daring to give the clothes to Xing'an rashly.

Xing'an reached out and grasped the clothes. Seeing that no one was around, he whispered, "The princess has no shortage of clothes. You should advise Consort Wu not to work so hard. Prince Cheng is also a filial son. Entering the palace to pay his respects and visit Consort Wu is a matter of filial piety. He only needs to ask permission a few times. The Empress Dowager is a reasonable person and will not stop him."

Xiang was shocked upon hearing this.

After saying this, Xing'an, taking advantage of Xiang's momentary daze, seemingly angrily snatched the clothes from Xiang's hands and strode away.

Upon seeing this, two trusted palace maids hurriedly stepped forward and followed closely behind.

In Chang Le Palace, Consort Wu, upon hearing Xiang's report, asked doubtfully, "Is this person truly saying such a thing?"

"This servant dares not speak recklessly!" Madam Xiang recalled the entire process, confirming it was all true, then paused, "But that garment, this servant dares not speak of it!"

"Leave it to fate, go down!"

Consort Wu never imagined that her son's mole was actually a high-ranking eunuch.

This statement conveys two meanings: martial law is in effect in the palace, so people should not pass information privately, lest the Empress Dowager find a pretext to implicate Prince Cheng.

Secondly, Zhu Qiyu wanted to force his way into the inner palace. After repeatedly requesting permission under the pretext of "serving the emperor," Empress Dowager Sun had no choice but to accept it. It was possible for him to enter the inner palace and discuss matters face-to-face, without having to take any risks.

Consort Wu grasped the key point and felt reassured. If we're talking about being a Ninja Turtle, she's one of the best in the world.

In the palace of Prince Tan.

Xing'an came by imperial decree to read out the Empress Dowager's oral edict.

Taking the opportunity, Xing'an quickly whispered, "Your Highness, I have acted according to plan. Today, Consort Xian caused a scene at Cining Palace, and the Empress Dowager was in the wrong. The palace is under martial law. The Empress Dowager intends to send officials to the north again under the pretext of delivering clothing, in an attempt to mediate for His Majesty's return. I took it upon myself to remind Consort Xian not to act rashly."

Zhu Qiyu responded loudly, "Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Xing, and please convey my gratitude to the Empress Dowager and my mother."

Xing'an gestured for two palace servants outside the door to enter and hand over the clothes and the Empress Dowager's gifts to Zhu Qiyu.

"This servant takes her leave!"

Xing'an came quickly and left quickly, without lingering for even a moment.

No sooner had Xing'an left than Princess Wang Lingshu arrived upon hearing the news.

"My lord, is there an imperial decree?"

"My mother sent some clothes."

Zhu Qiyu stared at the clothes for a long time, feeling that something was wrong. His mother was a clever person to act so quickly, coordinating inside and outside the palace to confirm that Empress Dowager Sun was bullying him and his mother.

With martial law in place in the palace, palace servants were not allowed to leave the palace. My mother had been in the palace for decades, how could she not know this? Why go to all this trouble to send clothes at this critical juncture, only to attract attention?

The only possible reason for taking such a risk is to convey some urgent information.

Zhu Qiyu touched his clothes, sniffed them, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

No, wait! It's an imperial edict hidden in a belt!

Seeing Zhu Qiyu's sudden change in expression, Wang Lingshu couldn't help but ask, "My lord, what's wrong?"

Zhu Qiyu trusted his intuition and said, "Ling Shu, carefully cut open the clothes your mother gave you!"

"You mean Mother Consort used clothing to send messages?" Wang Lingshu was a clever person and understood immediately. She picked up the clothing and felt it for a while. "My lord, there seems to be nothing unusual. It doesn't seem like there are any objects hidden inside."

"We'll know once we open it. If my judgment is wrong, I'll force my way into the palace again another day and apologize to my mother!"

Wang Lingshu nodded, took the scissors and carefully opened it up until she reached the cuff where it was sewn. There was a small piece of silk, and sure enough, there were words on it.

"The Empress Dowager wishes to summon Prince Xiang to the capital."

Based on her understanding of Empress Dowager Sun, Consort Wu judged that Empress Dowager Sun must have such thoughts when she dodged the question. Just in case, it would be right to remind Zhu Qiyu.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Qiyu was immediately alarmed. No wonder his mother was so anxious and risked her life to deliver the message.

At this time, it is not a good thing for King Xiang to enter the capital. Although the position of regent cannot be given to King Xiang, since the edict has been issued and the ministers will not agree, we must guard against another matter.

If someone were to bring back Zhu Qizhen's abdication edict from the north to Prince Xiang, Empress Dowager Sun would then make a gentleman's agreement with Prince Xiang to return the throne to Zhu Jianshen once he came of age.

Neither Zhu Qiyu nor the Prince of Xiang were the first in line to the throne, and both had natural disadvantages.

Although Zhu Qiyu was the emperor's younger brother, he was born out of wedlock; although Prince Xiang, Zhu Zhanxian, was the emperor's uncle, he was born out of wedlock and had served as regent several times, thus enjoying great prestige.

This is also a major reason why the ministers thought of Prince Xiang first when they wanted a prince to oversee the country. If Prince Xiang were in the capital, the position of overseeing the country might not have fallen to Zhu Qiyu.

More importantly, Zhu Qizhen did not die. If his edict designated the abdication to the Prince of Xiang, and the Empress Dowager supported it, and the court officials were not obstructed, there would be no problem in terms of law and reason. Moreover, there were still many officials in the court who were loyal to Zhu Qizhen.

Historically, the coup of the gate allowed Zhu Qizhen to easily restore the throne. Firstly, Zhu Qiyu had no children, and secondly, the power base of the illegitimate Zhu Qiyu was unstable. These imperial nobles were also loyal defenders of the primogeniture system.

Wang Lingshu's brows were also furrowed at this moment. As the saying goes, "two tigers cannot share one mountain." With the addition of King Xiang, there were no longer just two tigers.

"My lord, what should we do?"

Zhu Qiyu remained calm, knowing that Empress Dowager Sun's plan made things easier.

If Zhu Qiyu had not summoned Prince Xiang to the capital as regent, it would have been perfectly reasonable. But now that Zhu Qiyu has been regent, why summon Prince Xiang to the capital? What is he planning? How could he possibly hide it from these old foxes in the court?

"It's alright. Just leak the news out, and the court officials won't allow Prince Xiang to enter the capital. Prince Xiang probably won't dare to get involved in this mess."

Zhu Qiyu summoned Cheng Jing and whispered a few words in his ear. Cheng Jing nodded and hurriedly left.

Even at night, the six departments were still brightly lit.

At this point in time, no official dares to take a break easily, as various departments are already short-staffed.

This is the busiest time for the ministry, but today the thoughts of many officials are in turmoil.

After much effort, Prince Cheng was chosen as the pillar of the state, stabilizing the court and establishing the determination to fight to the end. However, discord arose within the palace, and the people's hearts were unsettled.

Within the Ministry of Personnel, several officials from the Selection Department were listing official files, muttering complaints all the while.

The physician couldn't help but speak up: "The empress dowager is not supposed to interfere in politics. Her continued vying for power is truly... a lack of discernment."

The official chimed in, "Indeed, I heard that after His Highness Prince Cheng was punished, Consort Wu, who is over fifty years old, cried terribly. It's clear that life in the palace isn't easy for her either. Consort Wu is an old servant in the palace, and the Empress Dowager didn't even give her any face. It's truly disappointing."

The official in charge suddenly said in a mysterious, low voice, "I've heard that the Empress Dowager intends to summon Prince Xiang to the capital."

The physician disagreed, saying that summoning the King of Xiang to the capital was nothing unusual, so why make it so mysterious?

"It is not reasonable for the Prince of Xiang to be summoned to the capital. This morning, many officials also had this idea."

The official frowned slightly, shook his head, and said, "But now that His Highness Prince Cheng is already acting as regent, what is the purpose of Prince Xiang coming to the capital? If both princes act as regents, whose orders should we listen to? Wouldn't this just create more chaos in the court?"

As soon as the official finished speaking, a hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder.

"Where did you get this information from?" Wang Zhi, the Minister of Personnel, appeared and disappeared mysteriously.

Several officials were so frightened they nearly lost their souls. They trembled as they reported, "Minister Wang, the rumors have spread like wildfire, but it's hard to tell if they're true or false. It's probably not just a rumor."

Wang Zhi coldly retorted, "Everyone should perform their duties; no one should speak recklessly!"

"Your humble servant understands."

Wang Zhi felt quite heavy-hearted at this moment. This was probably not just a rumor, but something that really happened.

Prince Cheng was helped out of the palace, but having seen it with his own eyes, he was likely to be right about the rest.

Just as Wang Zhi stepped out of the Ministry of Personnel office, Hu Ying came to meet him, clearly having also heard some news.

The two understood each other perfectly, and without saying much, they walked a few steps side by side.

Wang Zhi gazed at the night sky, where a bright moon hung high in the sky.

He slowly began to speak: "The sun and moon are already in the sky, and the bright moon can shine on people. I believe that the Prince of Xiang need not go to the capital again!"

"That's how it should be!"