I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 154 Dividing the Force
The Northwest Army was overjoyed, as if celebrating the New Year. But in the Dayu Imperial Palace, thousands of miles away, a suffocating atmosphere permeated the air.

Outside the Emperor's bedchamber, the Empress Dowager sat on a soft couch with a furrowed brow, her hands rapidly moving the prayer beads. The Empress sat beside her, holding a teacup, her heart already soaring into the bedchamber.

Suddenly, the doors of the imperial bedchamber swung open, and the palace maids and eunuchs serving inside came out carrying filthy cloths and copper basins filled with filth. Meanwhile, the palace maids and eunuchs outside came in carrying brand-new copper basins and cloths. This went on for seven or eight rounds until the emperor's aged vomiting and the sounds of the palace maids and eunuchs cleaning up the filth finally stopped.

A moment later, a monk dressed in white, with gentle features but a solemn expression, calmly walked out of the bedchamber, put his hands together, and bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, saying, "Amitabha."

The Empress asked anxiously, "Imperial Preceptor, how is His Majesty's health?"

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has awakened and is currently in good health."

The Empress Dowager stopped fiddling with her prayer beads, clasped her hands together in a gesture of respect, and then asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly faint?"

The Imperial Advisor remained silent.

The Empress Dowager glanced to her side, and with a wave of her hand, all the palace maids and eunuchs standing in the hall withdrew.

The Imperial Advisor remained silent.

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and ordered, "The Empress may also leave."

"Mother Empress," the Empress said resentfully.

The Empress Dowager looked at her sternly, and the Empress's heart skipped a beat. After a moment's hesitation, she left the bedchamber.

The Imperial Advisor then said, "His Majesty has been poisoned by the elixir."

The Gu family vied for power. As the eldest son of Emperor Kangzhi, Emperor Sheng'an inevitably had to lead troops into battle. Over the years, he suffered many injuries. When he attacked the former dynasty's palace, he was shot through the chest by an arrow. Although he was lucky enough to survive, his body was severely weakened.

After the establishment of the Great Yu, Emperor Sheng'an was made crown prince and helped Emperor Kangzhi handle state affairs. Due to the heavy burden of state affairs and lack of exercise, his body became increasingly heavy and his spirit increasingly weak. Not only did he feel as if countless ants were crawling and gnawing in his bones during the cold, snowy, and dewy weather, but he also had less and less time to be awake each day.

All the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy were at a loss.

After Emperor Sheng'an ascended the throne, he followed the example of Emperor Kangzhi and ordered the imperial advisor to concoct elixirs for him.

"Before I went into seclusion, I prepared enough pills for Your Majesty to last until the end of the year," the Grand Preceptor said, his eyes slightly closed. "However, before September, there were very few pills left in the furnace."

The Buddhist prayer beads in the Empress Dowager's hand suddenly scattered all over the ground.

"I urge Your Majesty to advise His Majesty that while moderate consumption of elixirs can strengthen the body and treat illnesses, excessive consumption can lead to poisoning and fainting, or even sudden death."

"I understand," the Empress Dowager said, taking a deep breath. "I beg the Imperial Advisor to keep the truth of the Emperor's fainting spell in order to prevent chaos in the court and the harem."

"Amitabha Buddha, from this moment on, this humble monk will practice silent meditation," the National Preceptor said, putting his hands together in a gesture of respect before turning and gracefully departing.

Outside the palace, the Empress went to greet him, "Grand Preceptor, what is Your Majesty doing?" Before she could finish her question, the Grand Preceptor had already vanished into the distance.

The Empress's face was extremely pale.

"The Imperial Preceptor is far too unruly, daring to ignore the Empress's question," said Granny Ping, her tone displeased.

"Stop talking," the Empress said, adjusting her expression. Then, the rushing-out nanny, Zhu, said, "Nanny, may I go in to serve His Majesty?"

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has decreed that Your Majesty should return to the palace to rest. His Majesty is being cared for by the Imperial Hospital," said Granny Zhu, bowing her head. "The Empress Dowager also said that Your Majesty should take good care of the six palaces and prevent any gossip from spreading." The Empress agreed. Seeing that the gates of Panlong Palace were tightly closed, she led her entourage back to Fengyi Palace and dispatched palace maids to urgently summon the concubines of the six palaces for a reprimand.

Inside the Panlong Palace, the Empress Dowager dismissed everyone, sat on the dragon bed, and looked at Emperor Sheng'an, who seemed even older than herself. Tears finally streamed down her face.

"Son!"

"Mother," Emperor Sheng'an opened his eyes, "Your son is unfilial and has caused you worry."

"The Imperial Advisor has already told me," the Empress Dowager said, wiping away tears from her eyes. "I will now order Granny Zhu to destroy the elixir."

"No!" Emperor Sheng'an gasped for breath and coughed violently. "Mother, without the elixir, how will I manage state affairs?"

"What are all these civil and military officials doing? The imperial examinations are for selecting people to help the emperor handle state affairs," the Empress Dowager admonished her son while trying to soothe him. "Does the emperor have to do everything himself? That would be exhausting."

"Your Majesty, the court officials can only offer suggestions, but the final decision still requires my imperial approval," Emperor Sheng'an's cough subsided. "The dikes in Wanzhou have breached, the south is flooded, the north is filled with disaster victims, and there are constant conflicts in the northwest. Yet the national treasury is empty of money and food. All of these issues require my approval."

After a long silence, the Empress Dowager said, "It was because of this overwork that the late Emperor fell ill and passed away."

"There's no other way. Now that I've become the emperor, I have to work hard for the country. I don't seek to be remembered in history, I only seek to be worthy of the world."

Emperor Sheng'an smiled bitterly. When he was the crown prince, he longed to become emperor every day. Now that he was emperor, he realized how difficult it was to sit on the dragon throne.

The Empress Dowager suggested, "The Crown Prince is now over thirty and can share the burden of state affairs with the Emperor."

"Mother, ever since the Crown Prince entered the Imperial Study, the memorials submitted by court officials who have not served the Crown Prince are always the last to be presented, and the replies are often critical."

Emperor Sheng'an felt a dull ache in his chest when he mentioned this matter. "If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have taken so many pills and forced myself to handle state affairs."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "I am unaware of the Crown Prince's actions, but the Empress is all-powerful in the palace, and apart from me, no one can restrain her."

"I have also heard what the Empress Dowager said," Emperor Sheng'an said, his face turning cold as he thought of the Empress and her son's behavior recently. "I intend to bestow the third daughter of the Duke of Wei upon the Second Prince as a concubine and restore the Second Prince's power to supervise the Ministry of Personnel."

"The third daughter of the Duke of Wei? The daughter of that concubine whose surname was stripped by the late emperor?" The Empress Dowager felt that her grandson had been wronged.

"With the rebellion in the southwest and no generals in the court, I had no choice but to appoint the Duke of Wei." After only a few words, Emperor Sheng'an began to gasp for breath. "The Duke of Wei's second daughter has married into the Crown Prince's household as a concubine. If the Crown Prince's power is not divided, I fear that I, the emperor, will soon exist in name only."

The Empress Dowager sighed inwardly, her son had ultimately followed the same path as the late Emperor. "I will summon the old lady of the Duke of Wei to the palace tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mother Empress," Emperor Sheng'an said, unable to hold on any longer, he closed his eyes to rest.

The Empress Dowager waited for a while, and when she heard her son's breathing gradually become steady, she took the help of Granny Zhu to get up and leave. She had only taken two steps when she heard a voice coming from the dragon bed, "The seventeenth of October is the Empress Dowager's birthday. Let Prince Xuan send people to congratulate the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager suddenly turned around.

Emperor Sheng'an on the dragon bed seemed to be truly asleep, and remained silent.

The Empress Dowager gripped Zhu Mama's hand tightly and walked out of the main hall step by step. After returning to Cining Palace, she staggered and collapsed onto the soft couch as if all her energy had been drained.

"Empress Dowager!" Granny Zhu quickly helped the Empress Dowager up as she slumped over.

The Empress Dowager leaned back on the soft couch, "What a tragedy!"