Chapter 257: Chapter 257

The Beauty Bottle, thin as a cicada’s wing and white as fine jade, was shattered to pieces on the ground. The eunuchs and palace maids immediately knelt down in rows.

Mr. Zhao also couldn’t manage a smile, trembling as he knelt by the side, summoning the courage to console the raging Empress Dowager Zheng: "Please calm your anger, Empress Dowager..."

Empress Dowager Zheng’s face was as dark as iron, as she picked up a teacup and smashed it. Mr. Zhao didn’t dare to dodge at all, taking the blow directly, the teacup grazing past his face and landing heavily on his shoulder, causing a searing pain.

Fortunately, it didn’t damage Mr. Zhao’s handsome face.

"Get out, all of you!" Empress Dowager Zheng’s fury was uncontrollable, and the eunuchs and palace maids quickly got up and scurried out.

Only Mr. Zhao remained, stubbornly staying, along with Eunuch Lan, hesitating to leave.

Empress Dowager Zheng, still angry, pointed a finger at Eunuch Lan: "Get out immediately!"

Eunuch Lan, pale as earth, retreated out.

Mr. Zhao was lucky to remain. However, at this moment, Mr. Zhao felt no sense of relief; he crawled to Empress Dowager Zheng’s knees, his eyes brimming with tears, choking with emotion: "Your Majesty, vent your displeasure on this servant if you must. Please take care of your health."

Mr. Zhao’s tear-streaked, more beautiful than a woman’s face slightly doused Empress Dowager Zheng’s flames of fury.

Empress Dowager Zheng snorted, gritting her teeth as she cursed: "Wang Rong, that treacherous minister, relying on the Emperor’s trust and importance, doesn’t regard the Crown Prince at all. Nor does he have any regard for the Empress Dowager and myself."

"Nanyang County intends to present a bulletin offering new grain, requesting the court to promote it. Not only did he refuse, but he also turned the tables, accusing the Empress Dowager of personal gain under the guise of seeking fame. He even claimed that the rumors spread by the Nanyang County Princess were malicious."

"Pah! Shameless dog!"

The more Empress Dowager Zheng thought about it, the angrier she became: "Shao Hua is a filial child, focused on sharing My burdens and the Emperor’s. She went through a lot to find grain seeds and cultivated new grain. She specifically presented it to the court. Such a good child deserves great reward. Wang Rong, for his selfish motives, lies and criticizes indiscriminately. The laughable thing is even the courtiers followed suit, acting foolishly."

Ultimately, this was what made Empress Dowager Zheng the most furious.

With Emperor Taikang incapacitated, her greatest support had fallen, and her influence in court politics waned immediately.

Wang Rong, as the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince’s Tutor, naturally assumed the responsibility of assisting in governance. As the situation shifted, the Empress Dowager’s faction was nearly suppressed into inactivity. Many even defected, turning towards Prime Minister Wang.

Yesterday, Wang Rong celebrated his birthday with a grand banquet at the Prince Mansion, with seven or eight-tenths of the prominent ministers personally attending to congratulate him. The birthday gifts received by the Prince Mansion even surpassed those for Empress Dowager Zheng’s birthday.

Empress Dowager Zheng’s outburst today stemmed from this.

However, such matters were inconvenient to speak of openly. Empress Dowager Zheng took the incident of Nanyang County’s grain donation as a pretext to vent her anger.

In truth, as Empress Dowager Zheng resided in the Brocade Palace, living in luxury and privilege, she had no knowledge of the common people’s hardships. The Northern drought starved some civilians, but it didn’t weigh on her mind.

Mr. Zhao knew it well, but dared not, could not, expose it; instead, he viciously scolded Prime Minister Wang.

Empress Dowager Zheng’s mouth went dry from cursing, her anger finally subsiding slightly.

At this moment, Young Master Zheng arrived.

Mr. Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and finally crawled up from the ground, quietly retreating.

Fourteen-year-old Zheng Chen, with a handsome face and upright posture, bright and sharp eyes.

Empress Dowager Zheng, seeing her nephew, let go of most of her anger: "Zixi, you’re not with the Crown Prince, what brings you to Jingyang Palace?"

With the Emperor bedridden, the Crown Prince took charge of the court. Thereby, the Crown Prince’s Companions also entered the court as a matter of course.

Court matters are heavy and complex, and the young Crown Prince is entirely unable to bear the burden; affairs of state actually fall into Prime Minister Wang’s hands.

The companions now merely accompany the Crown Prince to court.

Zheng Chen, feeling resentful and dissatisfied, had to suppress it, lowering his voice to say: "Yesterday, Prime Minister Wang celebrated his birthday, and the courtiers went to congratulate him, each gift more precious than the last, piling up like a mountain. Knowing the Empress Dowager’s displeasure, I came specifically to console you."

Empress Dowager Zheng, having her thoughts exposed, felt somewhat annoyed, snorting once.

Zheng Chen continued: "There’s one more matter. Nanyang County offering new grain not only dampens Prime Minister Wang’s prestige but also bolsters yours. It’s a win-win situation; why not strive to make it happen?"

Empress Dowager Zheng snorted again: "I have spoken with the Emperor, yet he says that stability is necessary in the court, and disputes should be avoided."

This Emperor Taikang, weak and ineffectual.

Zheng Chen harbored complaints internally. Unbeknownst, to the ailing Emperor, maintaining court stability remained the foremost concern.

As governance relied on Prime Minister Wang, major court affairs had to heed his counsel.

Empress Dowager Zheng was fully aware of this, and thus, despite her anger, repressed the matter to avoid distressing Emperor Taikang during his illness.

Zheng Chen asked quietly: "The Nanyang County Princess, has your Majesty sent a letter to reassure her?"

Empress Dowager Zheng dismissively replied: "I’ve sent a letter. Shao Hua is obedient and understanding; she wouldn’t be upset or hold a grudge over such a trivial matter."

Obedient and understanding.

The two County Lords and Miss Fan, raised in the palace, never received such praise from Empress Dowager Zheng.

The Nanyang County Princess, as mentioned by Empress Dowager Zheng, was nothing like the cold and sharp Jiang Shaohua in his mind.

Zheng Chen, suppressing the ripples in his heart, accompanied Empress Dowager Zheng in conversation, only leaving after an hour.

... ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁

Inside Zhaohai Palace.

The pale and thin Emperor Taikang lay listlessly on the Dragon Couch. The beautiful and dignified Consort Li sat beside the couch, feeding him medicine.

After the Emperor’s stroke, half of his body was paralyzed, requiring assistance to drink medicine and even for personal needs. His speech was slurred and labored.

After Empress Ji passed away a few years ago, Consort Li, with the highest rank and being the Crown Prince’s biological mother, naturally assumed the responsibility of caring for the Emperor’s health.

The medicinal decoction was bitter and hard to swallow; Emperor Taikang managed a few sips before he couldn’t continue.

Consort Li, feeling anxious, softly consoled him, to which Emperor Taikang gave a bitter smile: "In my current state, whether I drink the medicine or not, it makes no difference."

Stroke is an incurable disease!

Be they civilians, merchants, civil servants, or military generals, even the Emperor on the Dragon Throne, succumbing to a stroke, lies on the Dragon Couch.

Unable to rise, unable to move, with speech slurred and labored. Memory fails day by day, the body gradually deteriorates. He could even smell the decay emanating from within.

"Don’t say that, Your Majesty; with so many skilled physicians in the Imperial Hospital, they will surely cure you."

Consort Li’s heart was laden with sorrow, her words accompanied by tears rolling down her cheeks.

Emperor Taikang neither had the strength nor the inclination to comfort her.

In the somber atmosphere, Mr. Qi came in to report: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, Princess, and Second Prince are here to attend to your illness."