Chapter 366: Chapter 363: Scheming to Swap the True Bloodline of the Imperial Family

The red walls and tile eaves of the Imperial Palace stood majestic and imposing.

Inside Jiaofang Palace, the silence was profound.

The messenger eunuch bowed his head deeply, not daring to breathe loudly.

It was strange, as soon as he stepped inside, he sensed something unusual about the Empress, as if she had suffered a serious illness, and she seemed less spirited than before.

Upon hearing that the Holy Emperor was coming, she actually dropped the tea cup she was holding.

"Your Majesty?"

The Empress closed her eyes briefly to steady her nerves.

"I understand, you may leave now."

As soon as the eunuch left, the nanny beside her was filled with anxiety.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?"

"Panic for what!"

"Make sure the Eastern Palace is watched, don’t let her cause trouble!"

The Crown Princess Consort had previously come to Jiaofang Palace in a panic when she heard that the child was taken back to Chu Ning’s parents’ home, only to be warned by the Empress and sent back.

The Empress kept a cold face, instructing the nanny to apply makeup to cover the fatigue under her eyes.

Ever since she learned that the child was foolish, she hadn’t had a single day of peace.

She once rushed into the Duke Zhou Mansion, ignoring her brother’s injuries from the beating, reprimanding him thoroughly.

Bluntly saying she had been ruined by him.

What enmity existed between them and Gu Fuju for no reason!

When he was just a small Imperial Censor, throwing away Jiasan’s newborn child was one thing, but now that he had become the Grand Tutor, why not stop and go after Yu Tingwan ruthlessly!

And she wasn’t even aware!

Now, neither the Grand Tutor Mansion nor the Duke Shun Mansion would support the Eastern Palace.

The Empress was also angry at Duke Zhou for not handling matters properly.

He brought back a child with mental problems and went through so much trouble to swap the real blood of the Imperial Family!

It all sounded absurd to her.

Duke Zhou, however, wore a sullen face, listening to her complaints quietly.

"Ruthlessly? I too was following orders. You should ask the one sitting on the dragon throne."

"As for the child... indeed, it was my oversight. Let your elder brother plan carefully. If the Holy Emperor finds out his child is foolish, the Eastern Palace will have no chance to turn things around. Though the child has shown himself once, he changes daily..."

This statement was filled with deep implications.

Other matters would be privately handled by Duke Zhou; all she needed to do now was wait.

Surely there’s nothing that could catch them off guard within just a few days.

The Empress put on a proper smile and rose to greet them.

As she stepped out of the palace doors, she saw Emperor Ying seated on a palanquin, the sides embellished with dragon motifs, exuding air of authority. Over twenty eunuchs carried him, with palace maids holding fans and umbrellas beside them.

The Empress was about to step forward when she noticed that the Fifth Prince, Ying Yin, was accompanying him.

Her eyelids twitched, feeling a sudden vigilance, though she showed nothing on her face.

As Emperor Ying descended with support, the Empress stepped forward to pay respect, her golden phoenix hairpin swaying with her movement: "Holy Emperor."

Emperor Ying nodded.

Ying Yin respectfully stepped forward to greet her: "Mother Empress."

The Empress smiled: "Old Five is here too."

"I heard from the people below that you had a poor appetite, and I was worried. It just so happened Old Five was here, so he came along."

The Empress frowned slightly: "How did such a small matter reach the Emperor’s ears?"

"How can I not care about your health?"

Emperor Ying looked at his wife like an ordinary husband, showing concern. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

When she was young, the Empress might have truly believed this man cared for her.

But at her age, how could she still be unaware of how insincere Emperor Ying was?

In his heart, he yearned only for Ning Suxuan!

Back then, he lacked the power to oppose the late Emperor and thus married her.

"Your servant is fine."

Whether Emperor Ying believed it, or just wanted to go through the motions, he took her hand and walked inside. Upon passing a decorative screen painted with court ladies, he paused as if reminiscing.

"This screen was bestowed upon the Empress Dowager by the late Emperor, and when she passed, her nanny gave it to you."

This Empress Dowager was Princess Consort Yue.

"I remember when the Crown Prince was young, he fell and splattered ink on the corner that couldn’t be removed. You reprimanded him harshly, saying he was disrespectful to his grandmother, and then carefully stored this screen in the warehouse."

After all, it was her own son; how could the Empress not truly care?

She just harbored too many ambitions.

She was slightly stunned as she faced the screen, her tone lowering: "Just a few days ago, I had the servants place it back there. Seeing this screen reminds me of him."

Emperor Ying: "After the Crown Prince left, I’ve feared you couldn’t overcome the sorrow. Even I have often been in a daze, as if he were still here. What more of you."

"He was my first child, and I cherished him most. Alas... our father-son ties were too short."

The Empress lowered her eyes, silent.

Yet she didn’t believe a word of it!

Cherished the most?

He clearly cherished Ying Yin!

Otherwise, why keep him close and personally teach him?

Just because her son’s health was frail, and Emperor Ying assumed he would not live long?

"Having the Holy Emperor’s thoughts, Yi’s brief visit to this world was not in vain."

Emperor Ying sighed, and after entering the hall, sat in the main seat, taking the tea offered by the nanny.

He stirred the tea cover a couple of times without the intention of drinking.

"How is the little prince doing now?"

The Empress remained unchanged: "Everything is fine; it’s just that the child lost his father so early, it’s pitiful."

"He just cried a while ago, and I barely managed to coax him to sleep. Would you like to have him brought over to see you?"

Emperor Ying responded: "Leave it be, lest he wakes him up."

He finally said what he came for.

"Although he is the Crown Prince’s bloodline, cherishing him is only natural. But the Crown Princess Consort is his biological mother. The child should be with her."

"You need to manage the inner palace and also look after the little prince. Over time, how can you balance both? Don’t wear out your body."

"The Crown Princess Consort was chosen by me as an imperial spouse, so she can take good care of him."

What child isn’t raised by their biological mother?

The Empress suddenly raised her gaze.

The child had been raised with her for so long. The Holy Emperor hadn’t said anything before, so why intervene now?

She didn’t believe this matter had nothing to do with Ying Yin!

Indeed, it was Ying Yin’s doing.

He knew better than anyone how much Emperor Ying disliked the late Emperor allowing him to be adopted under the current Empress Dowager.

He merely nudged a bit appropriately, and the Empress’ actions earned Emperor Ying’s disapproval.

Ying Yin simply kept his head half-lowered silently.

He had done so much, including having someone assist in bringing out the Crown Princess Consort locked in the Eastern Palace.

The Empress was grinding her teeth. Emperor Ying seemed like he was discussing, but his tone left her no room to refuse.

"Holy Emperor, the Crown Princess Consort suffered a lot in childbirth, her body hasn’t recovered yet."

She took a deep breath, preparing to say more. But then a woman dressed as a palace maid suddenly rushed in from outside and knelt directly in front of Emperor Ying.

The Empress frowned.

Mr. Tu, beside Emperor Ying, reprimanded, "Insolence! How dare you behave so rudely before the Holy Emperor, seize her!"

Then the woman raised her head.

Ying Yin seemed shocked: "Imperial Sister-in-law?"

This one sentence drew everyone’s attention to that woman.

The Empress turned frantic, her eyes sharp as knives.

The Eastern Palace belonged to her people; the Crown Princess Consort was virtually under house arrest. How could she possibly appear here?

Emperor Ying leaned forward slightly: "Crown Princess Consort, what is this?"

"Forgive me, Father, if I didn’t disguise as a palace maid, I wouldn’t have been able to see you."