The last ray of sunset vanished from the horizon.
Mingzhu rubbed her forehead and entered the Great Empress Dowager’s bedchamber.
This was destined to be a sleepless night. So even though the palace servants had prepared another cot under the window for her, she had no intention of resting. She simply sat quietly on the cot, reading some letters by the lamplight.
The letters were ones she had written to the Great Empress Dowager from outside the palace, all filled with childish words. For example, what delicious food she had eaten today and how she wanted to share it with the Great Empress Dowager; or what fun things she had done and how she would bring them into the palace to show the Great Empress Dowager; some were thank-you letters for gifts from the Great Empress Dowager; and the last letter was about the sudden death of Emperor Zhengqian, in which she comforted the Great Empress Dowager and begged to enter the palace to take care of her.
Although these were events from many years ago, these letters made Mingzhu feel as if they had just happened yesterday. She picked up one letter, lit it on the candle flame, watched it turn to ashes, and the smoke wafted towards the depths of the hall. The Great Empress Dowager, who had been dozing with closed eyes, suddenly opened her eyes and angrily exclaimed, “What are you doing!”
Mingzhu continued burning the letters calmly and said, “These letters are useless to keep. It’s better to burn them and make room.” After this night, there would be no reason for them to be close anymore. The past was past, and there was no need to hold onto it.
The Great Empress Dowager fumed, wanting to jump out of bed to snatch the remaining letters from Mingzhu’s hands, but she couldn’t. She could only use her remaining strength to forcefully throw the pillow at Mingzhu and exclaimed, “You wicked and treacherous creature! Who allowed you to touch my things?”
Mingzhu paused. In fact, she didn’t quite understand what the Great Empress Dowager was thinking. On one hand, she hated her and was doing things to sever ties with her, but on the other hand, she wanted to keep those things from her. Why was that?
The Great Empress Dowager panted with rage, “Put down my things and get out! Don’t force me to lay a hand on your precious heartthrob!”
Sang Shen exclaimed in panic, “Your Majesty!”
Mingzhu suddenly stood up, intending to throw the stack of letters into the bronze basin and burn them all, but in the end, she didn’t. She placed the letters back on the table and said calmly, “Tang Chunlai will arrive soon. I hope the Great Empress Dowager will cooperate with his treatment.”
The Great Empress Dowager sneered in silence, gesturing for Sang Shen to take the stack of letters and hand them over.
Sang Shen quickly ran to fetch the letters and brought them back. The Great Empress Dowager then ignited all the letters, watching them turn into ashes without expression, and coldly said, “These are my belongings. Even if I don’t want them, they can’t be taken away without my consent. Whether they’re destroyed or not is my freedom.”
Mingzhu turned her head to the window, deciding to give up on talking to her.
Imperial Consort Min brought food with her people. To prevent Mingzhu from being scolded by the Great Empress Dowager again, Mingzhu decided to eat outside. Imperial Consort Min anxiously waited for her to finish her meal before whispering, “Tell me, has His Highness encountered any trouble?”
Mingzhu suppressed her anxiety and forced a smile, “No, there’s no news for now. No news is good news.”
Imperial Consort Min’s eyes suddenly reddened. “I had a nightmare last night and I’m very worried.”
Mingzhu smiled, “What a coincidence, I had a good dream last night. Everything will be fine.”
Imperial Consort Min was still suspicious, “Really?”
Mingzhu nodded firmly, “Really. I’m staying here not because His Highness is in trouble, but because the Great Empress Dowager’s condition has relapsed. I’m worried, so I stayed behind specially to take care of her. After Mother returns, someone will inquire about this matter with you. Just answer like this.” If Yuwen Chu wasn’t in the capital, she needed a reasonable explanation to stay in the palace overnight, otherwise, it would cause unrest and incite certain people to take action. She believed her father and brothers would do their best to stabilize the situation and take care of the Regent’s mansion and the two children, but she also needed to stabilize the situation here with Imperial Consort Min and Funing.
Imperial Consort Min still didn’t quite believe her. After so many years in the palace, she had learned to be suspicious when things happened.
At this moment, Donghui led Tang Chunlai to arrive. Mingzhu instructed Tang Chunlai, “I feel that the Great Empress Dowager’s complexion and spirit are not very good. Since Jiang Zhouzi is not here, hurry up and check her pulse.”
Seeing this, Imperial Consort Min had to believe it. She ordered her people to pack up and went to the door of the Great Empress Dowager’s room to bow and pay respects according to etiquette. Mingzhu took the opportunity to call Liu Gugu to come over and quietly instructed her, “Be alert, be cautious, watch the doors carefully, and if anything seems wrong, close the palace gates tightly to protect the Imperial Consort and Princess.”
Liu Gugu was carefully selected by Yuwen Chu to take care of Imperial Consort Min. She was calm and capable, not wasting a single word, and simply said, “Yes, Wangfei, please rest assured.”
With Imperial Consort Min’s departure, everyone in the palace knew that the Great Empress Dowager’s illness had relapsed and understood why Mingzhu had stayed. This brought a sense of relief to the anxious hearts. As for the few who were aware of the true situation, they wouldn’t dare to speak or act rashly until news from the Jishan military camp was received.
When the news finally came back, Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief. However, the matter was far from over. The Great Empress Dowager refused to let Tang Chunlai diagnose her pulse. Given her status, she didn’t need a reason to refuse medical attention; simply refusing was enough. It wasn’t as if they could force her to be examined.
Mingzhu signaled for Tang Chunlai to follow her outside and asked the question that weighed most heavily on her mind: “In your opinion, how much longer do you think the Great Empress Dowager can live?”
Tang Chunlai remained silent in contemplation.
“You can boldly speak your mind; I won’t blame you if you’re wrong.” Mingzhu felt she was about to uncover the Great Empress Dowager’s last move.
Tang Chunlai whispered softly, “From my perspective, it could be within the next few days, but definitely not more than a month.”
Mingzhu took a deep breath, confirming her suspicions. Indeed, the Great Empress Dowager was in a hurry due to her health. A dying person, having no need for a way out, would undoubtedly be extremely ruthless and terrifying. She signaled Tang Chunlai, “Keep your mouth shut and pretend you know nothing. If anyone asks, just tell the truth.”
Tang Chunlai silently withdrew.
Mingzhu took several deep breaths to calm herself before stepping into the Great Empress Dowager’s bedchamber. The Great Empress Dowager laid reclined, under the dim yellow light, looking exceptionally old, tired, and fragile, yet also pitiful. She gazed quietly at Mingzhu, her expression peculiar.
Mingzhu’s feelings at that moment were extremely complicated. Was everything about to come to an end? Was this old woman, who had loved her, spoiled her, protected her, and schemed against her, about to depart, bringing relief to everyone? The endless calculations and struggles day and night were not easy tasks.
