Lying Down

Arguments were common in the imperial court, and even shouting and cursing were not uncommon, but physical altercations were rare.

When things escalate to the point of physical violence, it signifies that the conflict between the two sides has reached an irreconcilable stage.

Less than a quarter of an hour after the new emperor left the main hall of Anle Palace, the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou had already begun their contest.

"They're vying for power in the harem!"

There can only be one emperor in the imperial court, and only one voice in the harem.

Princess Dou was indeed a step below, and it was difficult for her to succeed the Empress Dowager's authority.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to hide the Empress Dowager's passing.

However, the challenge to authority came sooner than expected, and the challenger was also unexpected.

Not much different from the current empress, the Empress Dowager had always been dutiful and followed the rules of Anle Palace, never vying for power or influence, and she and Emperor Jing were a model of harmonious marriage.

But after the Empress Dowager passed away, the other party's attitude changed completely.

While still in the mourning hall, the Empress Dowager launched a direct and drastic attack.

Despite all the precautions, the Empress Dowager probably never imagined that trouble would arise from within her own ranks, and that Divine Lord Zhenyuan, who was supposed to be guarding Anle Palace, would offer no help whatsoever.

Did your wife and parents get into a fight?

As Zhang Xuezhou's thoughts were wavering, the new emperor dismissed the old eunuch who was delivering the message, covered his mouth with his hand, and began to ask questions in a low voice.

"I don't know," Zhang Xuezhou looked up at the new emperor, then transmitted his voice, "I was unconscious for twelve days!"

"But your family has been arguing for days, and you should have been sober for more than two days by now," the new emperor said.

"I'm not feeling well and have been bedridden for the past two days. I haven't even seen my wife. Then I came to Your Majesty's place!"

"Did you stay in bed for two extra days?"

Zhang Xuezhou rambled on about everyday matters, without directly addressing the conflict between the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou, but the answer was obvious.

Seeing the empress so depressed she was vomiting blood, the new emperor ultimately did not move his foot.

His head drooped, his face turned an unnatural red, a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, and his body became slightly slanted.

"Someone come quick! Summon the imperial physician!"

The new emperor merely glanced at Han Yan, and Han Yan immediately jumped up and shouted.

The imperial physicians who were to treat the Empress were still in line in the side hall; it wouldn't be a problem to bring half of them over.

Wei Qing helped the new emperor up by the arm, and was about to slap the emperor's back to purify his blood and qi, when the emperor grabbed his hand and pushed him away.

"The... Imperial Physician!"

The new emperor took a deep breath, indicating that he did not need Wei Qing's rough treatment.

"You all leave! All of you leave!" the new emperor gasped. "Dongfang Shuo, you and Han Yan stay here for now!"

The room was in chaos as people sought the opinions of others. Some called for the imperial physician, some helped the new emperor up, and others diagnosed the new emperor's health in their own ways.

Only Han Yan understood this perfectly, while Zhang Xuezhou had almost stepped out of the room and was just waiting to leave.

The new emperor had to shout a couple of times, panting heavily.

It wasn't that Wei Qing and the others were incompetent, but rather that Han Yan and Zhang Xuezhou were skilled at this kind of thing, and their cooperation made things easier for the new emperor.

With a simple inquiry, the new emperor already knew who would temporarily handle this trouble.

But his heart was heavy.

Officials gathered outside Anle Palace. Not only did the Empress Dowager's faction come, but the Empress Dowager's faction also came. Many of them were completely unfamiliar faces. The number of people gathered was at least three thousand.

The new emperor had only a handful of trusted advisors around him.

His individual abilities were still insufficient to control the situation, and his manpower was simply not enough for this situation.

The aftermath of the Empress Dowager's passing will continue to have far-reaching consequences.

How to maintain his composure amidst this turmoil, and how to truly reclaim power, will pose a tremendous challenge for him.

He had been on the throne for six years, which seemed like a long time, but Emperor Jing had not been able to clean up the mess in nearly twenty years. How could a new emperor achieve this overnight?

Throughout this turmoil, the new emperor struggled to discern the Empress Dowager's intentions.

The other party was his mother, but in Emperor Jing's dying instructions, the Empress Dowager also had many connections with the outside world, making it difficult for the new emperor to judge whether the Empress Dowager was on the side of the Great Han Dynasty or had ulterior motives.

"Your Majesty's Qi and Blood and qi are fluctuating, likely due to grief and emotional distress. I will use silver needles to acupuncture at three points: 'Zhongfu,' 'Shanzhong,' and 'Tianchi,' which should relieve your distress!"

There are far too many cases of people becoming disoriented and grief-stricken after the death of a loved one. For the imperial physicians at the Imperial Medical Academy, this is nothing unusual; they can tell the situation with just a glance.

The sound of hurried footsteps followed, accompanied by the imperial physician's diagnosis.

His thoughts were interrupted, and the new emperor could only wave his hand.

Having lived in the treacherous environment of the palace for many years, one could not expect the new emperor to be cheerful and lively. He could only adjust his mind and body when he left the palace, either by playing around with children like Huo Qubing or by listening to Wei Zifu's songs.

Most of his physical symptoms were caused by being forced into labor, while some were consistent with what the imperial physician had said.

After being pricked with three silver needles by the imperial physician, the new emperor felt much better and finally lay down on the bed in the side hall to rest, thus avoiding the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou from witnessing the power struggle.

"I'm just lying here like this, how long do you think I'll have to stay like this?"

The atmosphere in the side room was extremely heavy. The imperial physicians dared not utter a sound or leave, while Han Yan and Zhang Xuezhou stood silently to the left and right.

After waiting for a while, the new emperor couldn't help but ask a question via voice transmission.

How long you lie down is not up to you!

Zhang Xuezhou at the door, looked helpless.

He hadn't expected that royalty was no different from ordinary people, and that they too were involved in all sorts of mundane matters.

Zhang Xuezhou could only be thankful that his family was relatively harmonious, and that even if there were some minor issues recently, they wouldn't have any lasting impact.

If Zhang Xuezhou can help Zhuang Qingdi get through this trouble, he will be able to get a new mansion and live separately for the time being.

Once he loses his Suoyang Law Power, Aqiao won't need to work day and night anymore, and living with his parents won't be a problem.

Of course, things can be easily resolved if the parents fully adapt to his rather absurd treatment methods.

However, many matters concerning the royal family were left unresolved, and even after Zhang Xuezhou personally listened to the Empress Dowager's account, he still found them intricate and complex, making them difficult to handle simply.

In this incident, the Empress Dowager was clearly an overlooked variable, which caused everything to take an uncontrollable turn.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the new emperor could only be waited for.

No matter what, the new emperor was the rightful ruler of the Great Han Dynasty, and both the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou had to rely on the new emperor to maintain their glory and power.

If anything happens to the new emperor, all the wealth and possessions of these two individuals will be for naught.

Zhang Xuezhou's answer left the new emperor feeling somewhat depressed, so he had no choice but to lie down on the bed.

When the emperor was feeling dizzy from holding his breath, he heard familiar and rapid footsteps approaching, which made him turn his head to the side.

"Mother, you are bleeding!"

The Empress Dowager's angry and anxious face came into view, but the new emperor was more concerned about the several bloody scratches on her face, as if she had been scratched by fingernails.

He asked urgently from his bedside, which prompted the Empress Dowager to quickly bend down.

"It was just a few scratches from the cat's claws, nothing serious. Your Majesty must not grieve too much!"

"Mother!"

"This Great Han is His Majesty's Great Han; there's no reason why the system can't function without him!"

The Empress Dowager was somewhat disappointed in her son and gave him a serious reminder.

This was the end of the Empress Dowager's life, and also the long-awaited rebirth for Emperor Jing.

If Emperor Jing were still alive, he could have laid out all his Emperor Jing plans in a very short time.

Reforms involving politics, culture, and the economy can be promoted. The court will no longer be filled with mediocre people, nor will it be a group of people who rely on the protection of their ancestors to eat and drink for free. Furthermore, it will no longer be filled with people with different thoughts and factions.

Even if Emperor Jing were given ten years to truly develop, a strong and powerful court system could certainly be rebuilt.

With Emperor Jing gone, the Empress Dowager placed all her hopes on the new emperor.

But time was very tight and urgent, so urgent that the Empress Dowager could not wait a moment longer.

If she cannot take the lead soon, her replacement may be on the way.