The palace in front of him was somewhat gloomy, exuding an indescribable stillness. It was like a lurking wild beast, sending shivers down one's spine just by looking at it. A faint purple hue gradually emerged on the horizon, indicating that the last bit of light of the day was about to fade into nothingness.
Shen Mingyuan always thought that as the Son of Heaven, there was nothing in the world he should fear. However, just thinking about the person inside, just picturing that proud and radiant face, he couldn't help but freeze in place, even feeling a hint of an emotion similar to avoidance.
Chaoyan, standing beside him, had a look of confusion in her eyes. Seeing him standing there in a daze, she was about to remind him when she saw Shen Mingyuan take a deep breath and then step inside.
After passing through the courtyard and entering the main hall, he saw the woman sitting on the upper seat. At this moment, she was quietly looking at him, her face wearing an inscrutable expression.
"Your Majesty Mother."
Shen Mingyuan stepped forward respectfully, bowed to her, and then took another step forward, standing in front of her.
Chaoyan beside him ordered the palace servants to bring a chair, then frowned and retreated, closing the main door.
"Bang—"
The main door was heavy, and there was inevitably some noise when it was closed. Shen Mingyuan was suddenly startled, instinctively glanced at the door, and then turned to look at the Empress Dowager.
"Take a seat."
The Empress Dowager spoke, her tone carrying a hint of the same melancholy as the twilight. "Your Majesty doesn't need to call me Your Majesty Mother. Just address me as before."
Hearing this, a hint of sadness flashed in Shen Mingyuan's eyes. Finally, he said to the Empress Dowager, "Alright, Your Highness."
The Empress Dowager, rarely in a clear state of mind, sighed and then continued, "I rarely wake up. For a moment, I don't even know what time it is."
Saying this, she let out a soft laugh and then went on, "Does Your Majesty have a candidate for the Empress in mind now?"
Shen Mingyuan was silent for a moment before finally saying, "The country is currently unstable. I'm not considering these matters for the time being."
She stared at Shen Mingyuan for a few moments and then continued, "That's fine. Anyway, you're the master of the world now, and no one can make decisions for you."
There was no trace of sarcasm in the Empress Dowager's words. Just thinking about the past, she couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. Looking at Shen Mingyuan, she suddenly laughed and said, "If that old fellow knew that you'd end up sitting on this throne, he'd probably be so angry that he'd die."
After saying this, she was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Shen Mingyuan and laughed, "I even forgot that he's already dead."
So she pondered for a moment, then looked at Shen Mingyuan and said, "Have those people been taken care of?"
"Yes." Shen Mingyuan replied, his tone respectful. "Your Highness, all the aristocratic families related to the Crown Prince's death have been dealt with by me. There are just a few families that only watched but didn't take action. I'm waiting for your decision."
The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment and then said to him, "I'll leave it all to you. Do as you see fit."
Shen Mingyuan wanted to say something else, but when he saw the solemn look in the Empress Dowager's eyes, he closed his mouth and nodded.
Shen Mingyuan suddenly noticed that after not seeing the Empress Dowager for a few days, she seemed to have aged ten years. "How has Your Highness been feeling these days?"
The Empress Dowager came back to her senses, let out a soft laugh, and said, "I'm probably not doing well. I've been at the end of my strength these days. I don't know if I'll be able to see next spring."
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager looked at him and continued, "The things we agreed on have been completed. You don't need to be so polite to me."
"I helped you seize power and pushed you onto the throne. You avenged my son and protected my Mingzhu. I've seen it all." As she said this, she got up, walked in front of Shen Mingyuan, and stared at him. "Do you ever resent me for being heartless and only using you as a tool for revenge?"
Hearing this, Shen Mingyuan was slightly startled and quickly got up. "Your Highness is joking. If I hadn't had the protection of Her Royal Highness and you before, I don't know if I could have lived to this age, let alone dream of ascending the throne."
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes, and a few tears gradually welled up in them. Finally, she looked at Shen Mingyuan and said, "You're a good boy."
Shen Mingyuan was silent for a moment and then said, "I've always regarded you as my mother."
Shen Mingyuan's biological mother passed away very early. He didn't even have a single impression of that woman.
Although he was a prince, before being brought back by Shen Mingzhu, his treatment in the palace might have been worse than that of a certain palace maid.
Because his mother was framed for infidelity and passed away after giving birth to him.
But both Shen Mingyuan and the Empress Dowager knew that this was true. He was indeed not the child of the late emperor but the child of one of the late emperor's brothers. No one knew the specific details, but it was vividly rumored in the palace.
When the rumor reached the late emperor's ears, he sent people to investigate, but they couldn't find out the truth at all. However, his mother still fell out of favor.
After that, he was raised like a transparent person until he met Shen Mingzhu.
Then the Crown Prince died a tragic death, and the Empress Dowager approached him. Because she knew that he wasn't the late emperor's child, she made a deal with him with a hint of revenge in mind and pushed him onto the throne.
Just thinking about this made Shen Mingyuan feel a chill in his heart. However, when facing the woman in front of him, he still couldn't help but feel a bit grateful.
"Your Highness." He spoke again, looking at the Empress Dowager with tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you asking about Her Royal Highness?"
The Empress Dowager was silent, unable to hide the guilt in her heart at all. She only asked, "Is she still investigating?"
"Yes." Shen Mingyuan replied.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and continued to ask, "What's the relationship between her and the son - in - law like?"
A strange look flashed across Shen Mingyuan's eyes for a moment. Finally, he masked the emotion in his tone and respectfully said, "Her Royal Highness and Young Master Xie have a very deep affection for each other."
"That's good."
The Empress Dowager didn't notice the fleeting emotion in Shen Mingyuan's eyes. She just sighed and then said to him, "Thank you for your hard work."
"I know my own body well. If I can't hold on, I hope you'll keep that matter a secret first. Wait until Mingzhu is in better health before telling her."
"Yes."
Shen Mingyuan frowned. Looking at the solemn look in the Empress Dowager's eyes like ashes, he felt a pain in his heart.
...
When Xie Lang came back, it happened to be dinner time.
It was as if he had come back on time.
When Shen Mingzhu saw him, she got up and said, "Go and have dinner. I'll tell you something after you're done."
Xie Lang raised his eyebrows when he heard this and said to Shen Mingzhu, "What's the matter?"
Before Shen Mingzhu could answer, he quickly continued, "Wait, I also have something to tell you."
After dinner, Shen Mingzhu saw Xie Lang quickly go to wash up, change into a new set of clothes, and then sit beside her.
"What do you want to say?"
Shen Mingyuan was still a bit unaccustomed, so she wanted Xie Lang to speak first.
Could it be about the child?
Shen Mingzhu looked up at him. Seeing the faint tiredness on Xie Lang's face, her heart gradually sank.
"I've been running around all over today and finally found this thing."
What thing?
Shen Mingyuan's breath caught slightly.