She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 230 Those who know the situation, leave on their own

Chapter 230: Chapter 230 Those who know the situation, leave on their own

Zhang Lanyi would never have children of her own in this lifetime.

The Emperor gave her the utmost affection, the confidence to command heaven and earth, endless wealth, and supreme power...

All these were built on the fact that Zhang Lanyi would never have children of her own in this lifetime.

The Emperor had fourteen Princes and eight Princesses, yet Empress Zhang Lanyi bore none.

"Your Highness." Laifu couldn’t help but choke up, his eyes reddening.

"Silly Laifu, why are you crying?" Zhang Lanyi smiled, her red lips tinged with a touch of bitterness, "I personally took the medicine, no one else is to blame. What one gains, one also loses; I’ve never blamed anyone."

This was also a condition she had agreed to when she consented to be made Empress.

Besides, she had absolutely no spousal feelings for the Emperor, and the thought of bearing such a man’s children made Zhang Lanyi feel like she would wake up nauseous in the middle of the night.

Laifu wanted to say more but hesitated.

Zhang Lanyi slowly stood up: "I didn’t realize it’s gotten dark while sitting here; I should go bathe now."

She walked ahead two steps and saw Laifu still standing in the same spot: "Why are you still standing there like a fool?"

Laifu couldn’t help but rub his sore nose with his hand.

Yet Zhang Lanyi seemed to find something funny: "Laifu, you’re crying? At your age, what’s there to cry about."

Laifu felt a lump in his throat, unable to breathe in or out.

But their own mistress was always so unconventional.

Her moods came quickly and left just as quickly.

"Alright, alright, I’ll arrange for someone to attend to your bath," said Laifu as he wiped the glistening corner of his eyes with the back of his hand before putting down the comb and heading outside, calling for the palace maids to come in as he walked.

The hall suddenly became lively, the palace maids carrying baskets of flowers, streaming in one after another, with Laifu directing among them. Surrounded by everyone, Zhang Lanyi headed towards the Huaqing Pool.

While the Empress was bathing, the outside had turned into chaos.

No sooner had Eunuch Zhang stepped out than Lord Wang was secretly ushered into the inner palace.

In the depths of the palace, the Empress Dowager, who had not shown her face for over thirty years.

Everyone was curious about what kind of person the sister of the Prime Minister really was.

Lord Wang was extremely nervous, his hands trembling as he held the tea cup.

"My Lord, the Empress Dowager is ready, waiting for you to come over," said a handsome little eunuch, bowing to Lord Wang.

Lord Wang hurriedly put down the teacup and stood up: "Yes, yes, yes, I’ll come immediately. Please lead the way."

Passing through layers of curtains, Lord Wang, dizzy from the turns, finally arrived at a spacious area.

In the midst of large clusters of deep pink night-blooming jasmine, sat a beauty. You could see the traces left by time, but the girlish playfulness in her eyes was still distinctly visible. She drank merrily as if the years of time had nothing to do with her.

Around her stood several good-looking eunuchs, some holding wine jugs, some massaging her back and shoulders, others handing her fruit...

"My Lord, you must not look directly at the Empress Dowager," said the little eunuch who led him in, loudly.

Lord Wang quickly bowed his head.

Hearing the movement, the Empress Dowager curved the corners of her lips and raised her hand, prompting the eunuchs to stand to the side.

"Lord Wang." The Empress Dowager called out.

Lord Wang hurried forward to pay his respects: "I have seen the Empress Dowager, long live the Empress Dowager, may you live for thousands and thousands of years!"

"Stand up; you are a student of the Cao Family, no need for such ceremony," said the Empress Dowager, her slender fingers slowly resting on her knees as she casually observed the timorous court official before her.

"Thank you, Empress Dowager," Lord Wang stood up.

"Speak then, what good deeds has Cao Man done recently to have the Emperor personally deliver this to my palace?" A memorial was thrown onto the floor.

Upon closer inspection, Minister Wang was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground: "Empress Dowager, please calm your anger!"

"Every single issue listed here, just one taken at random, is enough to claim Cao Man’s life, let alone an entire memorial, to execute his entire clan would be letting him off lightly." The Empress Dowager sneered, her thin lips curling up sharply: "You students are quite bold, look at Minister Wang, plump and healthy, it seems you haven’t skimmed lightly over the years."

"How wonderful for you all, each and every one enjoying the good life in the Capital City, while my own brother was sent far away. After all these years, all I know is that he’s still alive, but who knows what he looks like now!" As she spoke, the Empress Dowager’s eyes actually reddened, and an eunuch at her side quickly stepped forward with a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Minister Wang didn’t dare to breathe.

"This old cur, Cao Man, harming me once wasn’t enough, now when he’s one foot in the grave, he still wants to harm me a second time!" The more she spoke, the angrier the Empress Dowager got. She suddenly stood up and glared fiercely at Minister Wang: "What does he, Cao Man, take me for? And what does he take the Emperor for?! With this memorial presented before me, if Cao Man has the sense, he would end it himself, and we could all have some peace. If not, forget about Minister Wang, even your daughter, pretty as a flower, will have to follow suit!"

After hearing this, Minister Wang’s legs gave out, and he collapsed on the floor.

His gaze landed on the memorial on the ground.

He reached out and touched it.

What exactly was written about the teacher here?

Minister Wang couldn’t help but swallow hard.

From her high position, the Empress Dowager saw his reluctance to look and became even more irritated: "Think carefully about the consequences before you read it."

Minister Wang instantly withdrew his hand.

He decided not to read it.

"Just let him go quietly, Cao Man is gone, he’s gone; after all, he’s had enough of the good times. I will remember our past connection and take good care of the Cao Family’s descendants," the Empress Dowager said again.

Minister Wang’s mind was thundering, and he was indecisive.

But people are selfish.

If the teacher were indeed to go quietly, then the court officials wouldn’t have to live in such fear and trepidation.

The fear was that this former Minister wouldn’t go quietly.

Knowing his teacher’s temperament and hearing the Empress Dowager speak this way, Minister Wang felt an urge to cry but had no tears: "Empress Dowager, please forgive me, the teacher is advanced in years, and the Minister of the Ministry of Justice is holding onto the case tightly, it’s really quite tricky."

"The Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xie Qun?" The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes: "Seems I have heard this name before."

A vague impression, but not a deep one.

Minister Wang immediately embellished the account of Xie Qun arresting Minister Cao in the middle of the night.

By the time he finished his breathless narrative, the Empress Dowager merely scoffed coldly: "A fly does not bite a seamless egg, Cao Man is no good, but why would Xie Qun not arrest someone else in the middle of the night, and choose to arrest him instead."

"Empress Dowager, it’s not like that—" Just as Minister Wang began to explain, he heard the sharp voice of a eunuch calling from outside: "His Majesty arrives—"

The Emperor was here!

Thirty years have passed, and the Emperor has come to the Empress Dowager’s chamber for the first time!

Not only was Minister Wang dumbfounded, but the Empress Dowager herself was also surprised.

"Empress Dowager!" Minister Wang was panicking, wishing he could dive right under the table.

Ministers are not allowed in the inner palace.

If the Emperor saw him, keeping his official hat was the least of his worries, his entire clan could be implicated because of him.

"What’s the panic for!" scolded the Empress Dowager, gesturing to the eunuch to take Minister Wang to the side corridor.

The Empress Dowager adjusted her clothing: "Let’s go, follow me to welcome His Majesty. After all, it has been many years since our mother and son last met."

Speaking of which, she was actually three years younger than the Emperor.

She was quite curious to see what the Emperor looked like now.