Cui Xiaoqiu's gaze remained calm throughout.
He understood his mother.
My mother isn't very bright; she has many ulterior motives.
But his mother loved him.
Therefore, he can use methods, but he won't harm his mother.
If he were to be with Yanran at the cost of permanently harming his mother, he would not be happy in the future.
Therefore, he needs to resolve the conflict between these two people.
There are actually no irreconcilable contradictions.
His mother, in particular, was completely unguarded around him.
Even if he said the sun rises in the west, his mother would only nod in agreement.
After Madam Cui had vented her emotions, Cui Xiaoqiu said, "Mother, please finish your porridge."
"Okay, sure."
"Mother, think about it, have you offended anyone?"
"No... I don't think so. Oh, if we're talking about that matter with Cui Run, about your third uncle, I objected... Did that offend your third aunt and Cui Run's mother?"
"It's not that."
My third aunt and Lady Gao are not people with that kind of power.
Moreover, there was no motive.
"Then I don't know." Madam Cui looked puzzled. "Ling'er, are you asking these questions to investigate a case?"
"Yes," Cui Xiaoqiu said, "Mother, I must get to the bottom of this. Yanran has been helping me the whole time. Please be patient for a while, stay here and rest quietly, don't overthink things, we're here for you."
"Okay." Madam Cui's eyes glistened with tears. "Go and thank the princess for me... thank her for believing in me. Is she alright?"
"She's alright. She's skilled in martial arts; she's always the one who gets there before I do when there's danger..."
"That's true. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so famous in the capital."
Madam Cui now felt that the princess was extremely good to her son.
Even if it were an ordinary woman, or even a maid, how many of them would be willing to stand in front of their son in danger?
Cui Xiaoqiu stopped there, chatted with her for a while longer, and then left.
Madam Cui tossed and turned, barely sleeping a wink all night.
A few days later, Cui Xiaoqiu went to the palace to request an audience with Emperor Wen.
He has already ascertained the truth of the matter.
Faced with Emperor Wen's imposing presence, Cui Xiaoqiu remained composed and articulate, quickly presenting all the evidence he had gathered.
Emperor Wen said nothing and told him to leave.
Cui Xiaoqiu was not disappointed and withdrew politely, making no mistake whatsoever.
After he left, Emperor Wen sat quietly for a moment, then rose and said, "Prepare the carriage for the Purple Tenuity Palace."
The retired emperor still lives there, but it is no longer the center of power; it has become a retirement home.
The retired emperor still did not want to see Emperor Wen, but Emperor Wen insisted on his stance this time, so the father and son finally met again.
The Emperor Emeritus was in poor health and mostly bedridden, with Dowager Consort De attending to him.
"What are you doing here?" the retired emperor said sternly. "Have you come to see if I'm dead or not?"
"Father," Emperor Wen said calmly.
He only wants the throne, not empty words.
"The Dowager Consort De is no longer young, and she may not be able to serve you properly. I will have the Imperial Household Department select a new batch of people, and you can choose the ones that suit your taste."
The Dowager Consort De's pupils contracted sharply.
The retired emperor had already smashed the teacup beside him, and said in a fit of rage, "Now that you've grown so powerful, you're not satisfied with forcing me to abdicate; are you trying to drive me to my death?"
He actually dared to reach out to the few remaining old acquaintances around him.
The retired emperor now only finds Dowager Consort De and Pei Shen somewhat pleasing to the eye.
He even disappeared without a trace, Tang Mingfan.
--It wasn't that I was dissatisfied with Tang Mingfan, but rather with the arrogant daughter he had raised.
The retired emperor always felt that Emperor Wen's current situation was closely related to Tang Zhuyun.
If it weren't for her being a femme fatale, things wouldn't have come to this.
And her own son was becoming increasingly unruly; she hated him even to look at him.
Emperor Wen calmly asked, "Father, have you ever truly understood Dowager Consort De? Do you know who triggered your heart ailment?"
Dowager Consort De could barely stand, gripping the bed railing tightly to keep her balance; her fingertips were pale from the effort, and her body swayed slightly.
However, she tried her best to remain calm, but the panic and anger in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
"Mingzhu's portrait was sent to the capital and presented to Prince of Ding; assassins were arranged to kill Yanran... all of this was your doing," Emperor Wen said.
The Dowager Consort De had planted people in the Prince's residence.
That was a very successful covert operation.
Because he was an old man who had followed Emperor Wen, he escaped repeated investigations.
The Dowager Consort De was twisted.
Because her hatred had no clear target.
It could be said that she hated the Emperor, hated Emperor Wen, and even hated the Prince of Ding, whom she later supported... She was as crazy as if she wanted to be at odds with the whole world.
Emperor Wen used a tone of affirmation, rather than a question or a probe.
The retired emperor's chest heaved, his face turning purplish-red as he glared angrily at Dowager Consort De.
Is he telling the truth?
"So what if it's true?" Seeing she could no longer hide her true intentions, Dowager Consort De revealed her true colors, sneering, "Yuwen Cheng, this is retribution, this is the retribution you deserve!"
Emperor Wen signaled for someone to give the retired emperor a heart-saving pill.
Dowager Consort De burst into tears, murmuring, "Back then, I was the one who accompanied the Emperor first. Why was Xiao Wu able to surpass him? Why is it that she, who did all the bad things, received all your favor, while I can only get a little pity by being virtuous? I'm not convinced, I'm not convinced..."
Xiao Wu was indifferent to the Emperor, yet she was willing to die for him.
The difference in effort yields a difference in reward, but it's a completely different kind of difference.
Torn by the imbalance of unrequited love, the Dowager Consort De gradually became twisted...
Emperor Wen showed absolutely no interest in her emotional journey.
Everyone suffers, but that is not a justification for doing evil.
However, the retired emperor was clearly deeply moved.
However, this did not change the outcome.
"I was with the Emperor first," Dowager Consort De repeated, "I hate everyone in the Xiao Family!"
"You just need a reason to harm people," Emperor Wen sneered.
He himself was clearly at odds with Xiao Wu.
The Dowager Consort De suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "You think you've won now? Are you very pleased with your happy and fulfilling life? Hahahaha... I've planted more than one spy around you; go ahead and pull them out if you dare..."