Chapter 902: Health Is Damaged

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

In the capital, she had the backing of the royalist faction led by the Empress of Aether.

In the North, there was also King Yue Fei, who had a large army.

Even the princes and princesses in the palace might not have as strong a background as her. He Zhixian was not a fool. It was impossible for him to lose his head for the Han Clan.

As the saying went, a strong dragon couldn’t suppress a local snake.

King Li of Zhou was impressive, right? He was a legitimate descendant of the royal family, but after arriving in the North, under the control of the n.o.bles, even a dragon had to lie low, right?

In the end, he even lost his life.

The person who had really framed King Li of Zhou and led all of this was still high up in the air in the North.

In He Zhixian’s opinion, the Han Clan was a local tyrant in the North. In the North, even King Yue Fei did not dare to fight them head-on.

If the Han Clan was the mastermind behind the matter of framing the Princess, He Zhixian would at most follow suit. If the sky fell, wouldn’t the Han Clan still be in charge?

The Han Clan couldn’t possibly dig their own grave!

Framing the Princess was not a small matter. It required He Zhixian’s cooperation. Not just anyone could intimidate He Zhixian and make him follow orders.

From this, it could be inferred that the person sent by the Han Clan must be a direct descendant of the Han Clan.

Yu Youyao’s expression was a little complicated. “Do you think the Han Clan is too confident? Or do they think too highly of me? When Xu Jie wanted to defeat Yan Song, he had to first obtain the support of the emperor, Jiajing. He had to dismantle the emperor’s trust in Yan Song. However, the emperor’s trust in Yan Song was almost deeply rooted. Xu Jie used a roundabout method to start with Yan Songs son, Yan Shifan, and finally achieved his goal. The Han Clan actually dared to let the direct descendants of the family get involved in framing the Princess.”

Weren’t they worried that the framing wouldn’t go through and that the direct descendant of the Han family would become the second Yan Shifan?

Yin Huaixi smiled faintly. “There’s a prerequisite for Xu Jie to defeat Yan Song. Xu Jie and Yan Song were both powerful ministers of the cabinet. It’s a conflict of equal status. The Han Clan even dares to frame the va.s.sal lord. Although they’re confident, you’re already on the same level as them now. It’s not that they think too highly of you, but that they don’t dare to underestimate you.”

Yu Youyao was in a daze for a moment. “After Yu Zongzheng went into mourning, Elder Han, who was already the second-in-charge, was even more successful in the cabinet. The Han Clan’s reputation soared. If it weren’t for the fact that the emperor hasn’t been in the court for a long time and the Empress Dowager is in charge of the court, I’m afraid the royalist faction would have been suppressed by Elder Han.”

This was the root of the Han Clan’s confidence.

“That’s not all.” Yin Huaixi raised his hand and flicked the drooping branch above his head, letting Yu Youyao pa.s.s first. “The emperor hasn’t been in the court for a long time, and the hearts of the people in the court are fluctuating. The battle for the throne is already on the table. The royalist faction follows the Empress Dowager’s lead. However, there was news from the palace earlier that the Empress Dowager’s health was damaged because she was overworked.’

Yu Youyao held her breath in surprise. “Is the Empress Dowager’s condition very serious?”

Ever since she was conferred the t.i.tle of County Head, her relationship with the palace had gradually become closer. Most of her current dignity stemmed from the Empress Dowager’s deep love.

It was not up to her to comment on what kind of person the Empress Dowager was.

However, at least in her matters, the Empress Dowager was still considered fair.

The Empress Dowager was not careless about donating to the disaster relief.

Yin Huaixi nodded. “She’s already sick and lying in bed. The news has been kept secret. Outsiders only think that the Empress Dowager is old and can’t withstand fatigue. It’s just that her health isn’t well, but the court officials will more or less have some guesses. On the surface, the person in charge of the royalist faction is still the Empress Dowager, but in fact, not long after the Empress Dowager fell sick, the Empress used the excuse of attending to her illness to move into the Longevity Palace.”

“It’s simply right for one to take the initiative to take care of their mother-in-law when she’s in a bad state.” Yu Youyao was shocked. She took a deep breath and stabilized her emotions. She continued, “Filial piety comes first. The Empress will definitely be famous, so the Empress is in charge of the royalists now.”

There was no more logical way to claim credit for the work of others.

It seemed that Concubine Lan and Concubine Xu in the palace were already so angry that they were stomping their feet. Compared to the unfathomable Concubine Lan, this one was really hiding her strength.

Yu Youyao had mixed feelings. “I’ve heard long ago that the Fourth Prince has close ties with the Yi Kun Palace, so the royalists are forced to take sides, right?”

It turned out that the battle for the crown prince had already reached this stage.

Yin Huaixi nodded. “There are rumors in the capital that the Empress lost her beloved son in her early years. As she couldn’t take the blow, she fell sick and couldn’t get up, so she sealed the palace door. It’s also because of this that the Empress pitied the Fourth Prince, who had lost his mother at birth. It’s also because of the Fourth Prince’s company that the Empress gradually recovered from the shock of losing her son and her health gradually improved.”

When Yu Youyao heard this, she understood. “The Empress treats the Fourth Prince deeply and treats him as her own son. Since the Fourth Prince can help the Empress walk out of the pain of losing her son, I think the Fourth Prince should also be a talented and filial prince.” At this point, she sighed softly. “As virtue rises by one foot, vice rises ten. How can Concubine Lan and Concubine Xu fight until their heads bleed? From this point alone, Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Xu are inferior to the Empress.”

With the Empress’s virtue, she was the mother of the world.

Only when the prince had a good reputation could he win people’s hearts.

The Great Zhou Dynasty valued the first wife and the eldest son. The Empress occupied the t.i.tle of the first wife, so it was very difficult to surpa.s.s her innate advantage. If she was not careful, she would be infamous for doting on the concubines and destroying the wife.

Unless the Empress lost her virtue first, Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Xu could do nothing about the Empress on this point.

After the Ning Residence was convicted, the emperor did not vent his anger on the Empress. Although there were all kinds of reasons, it also meant that the Empress was a model of virtue. She was enough to be a mother to the world and could not be punished because of her maiden family.

This was also the Empress’ cover.

Yin Huaixi agreed deeply. “There are rumors in the capital that the Empress

Dowager wants to adopt the Fourth Prince under the Empress’s name. The

Fourth Prince is the heir who was promoted from the son of a concubine to the son of a legitimate wife. It has nothing to do with the Second and Third Princes However, Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Xu have been running around for so long. How can they be willing? Even if it’s to protect themselves, they won’t let it go easily. It won’t be long before the capital is in chaos.’

This day was even faster than she had imagined. Yu Youyao was a little dazed. “You just said that there’s another reason why the Han Clan attacked me, right?”

“That’s what I’m going to say next.” Yu Youyao walked a short distance on the cobblestone path, but her feet felt a little sore. Yin Huaixi quickly supported her and slowed down.

“The Empress is the empress, but her mother’s family, the Ning Residence, was convicted early on, and her family is already in dire straits. In addition, she has been sealed in the palace for many years. Now, she has only gradually gained power with the help of the Empress Dowager, but it’s not enough to control the entire royalist party. The hearts of the royalists are also fluctuating..”