The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Xiao Jingyan was taken aback, then carefully bent down and lifted the Empress Dowager from the bed, gently placing her on the soft couch beside him.

Hearing the commotion, Granny Qin rushed in to help, but the Empress Dowager waved her away, signaling her to retreat to the outer room to guard.

Under the Empress Dowager's guidance, Xiao Jingyan peeled back the layers of bedding one by one, and then pulled out the bed board to reveal a small hidden compartment underneath.

There was a brocade box in the hidden compartment. He took out the brocade box, made the bed again, carried the Empress Dowager back to bed, and tucked her in.

The Empress Dowager leaned back on her pillow and gestured with her chin toward the brocade box: "Open it."

Xiao Jingyan opened the brocade box, inside which lay a bright yellow imperial edict.

He carefully unfolded the imperial edict, his eyes scanning its contents, and his expression suddenly changed.

Yun Jin stood beside him, her gaze falling on the imperial edict. She was startled; it was a secret edict of succession written by the late emperor himself. It read in black and white: If the current emperor violates human ethics and harms the court, his throne shall be deposed and the throne passed to Prince Yi.

Their eyes met for a moment in mid-air, and both saw shock in each other's eyes.

The Empress Dowager took in their reactions and said with a wry smile, "Were you frightened?"

Xiao Jingyan tightened his grip on the imperial edict slightly, but remained silent.

The Empress Dowager looked at the canopy above her head, her voice filled with grief and frustration: "He always worried that your father would take his throne, but he didn't know that what he treasured was less than a roadside stone in the eyes of others."

His narrow-mindedness is utterly extreme. I've never seen an emperor act like this. He's been on the throne for over a decade, and not only has he not established a crown prince, but even after his son got married, he wouldn't even grant him a princely title. This Great Zhou dynasty, if handed over to him, will surely perish sooner or later.

She took a breath and continued, "Back then, your grandfather also felt that he was not as suitable as your father to be emperor, and originally wanted to pass the throne to your father. But your father was free-spirited and did not want to be confined by these four city walls."

He himself didn't want the throne, and your grandfather couldn't persuade him otherwise, so the throne was passed to the present emperor. However, your grandfather still wrote this imperial edict during his reign and entrusted it to me for safekeeping. He said that if that rebellious son ever did anything immoral, I should use this edict to depose him from the throne.

As the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she slowly shifted her gaze to Xiao Jingyan. The weariness and sorrow in her eyes were gone, replaced by a clear-headedness and resolute determination, as if she had already made a do-or-die decision.

"Ayan, when your father returned to the capital this time, I asked him again, and he still said he didn't want to be emperor. So, I'm giving you this imperial edict. Take it to save your life. If he ever lays a hand on you, take out this edict and seize his throne."

If you want to be emperor, then be emperor yourself; if you don't want to, then choose a prince you approve of and put him on the throne. After that, you and Ninghai can go wherever you want, free to roam the world.

Xiao Jingyan gripped the imperial edict tightly in both hands and nodded vigorously: "Grandmother, I understand. Rest assured, I will not use it unless absolutely necessary. But if that day ever comes, I will never let it harm you, my father and mother, or Jin'er."

When the Empress Dowager saw that he had agreed, she seemed to have a weight lifted off her shoulders, and her whole demeanor relaxed considerably.

She turned her gaze to the door and suddenly said, "Granny Qin."

Upon hearing the sound, Granny Qin lifted the curtain and entered, standing before the bed with her hands at her sides.

The Empress Dowager looked at the old palace maid who had served her for most of her life, and her gaze softened for the first time: "Yu Yan, you should leave the palace with A Yan. You have served me for most of your life, don't waste any more time in Shou Kang Palace."

Granny Qin knelt down before the bed with a thud, choking back tears and shaking her head desperately, "No, this servant will not leave. This servant has served the Empress Dowager since I was fourteen years old. Wherever the Empress Dowager is, this servant will be there. If the Empress Dowager is gone, this servant will not live either. Please, Empress Dowager, do not send this servant away..."

Xiao Jingyan hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, but Granny Qin knelt so deeply that she refused to get up no matter what.

Yun Jin also tried to persuade her, but Granny Qin just cried.

Seeing her stubbornness, the Empress Dowager finally sighed and waved her hand, saying, "Fine, fine, do as you please. Just remember, if I really pass away one day, you must protect Ayan and safeguard my children and grandchildren for me."

Granny Qin wiped away her tears, kowtowed heavily, and then stood up.

Yun Jin stood aside, carefully observing Qin Mama for a moment, then looked at Xiao Jingyan and nodded almost imperceptibly.

This nanny has a 45% favorability rating, which isn't extremely high, but she has absolutely no ill intentions and is purely loyal to the Empress Dowager.

The palace maids who served her closely were also called in to serve tea. Yun Jin scanned them one by one in the darkness and by candlelight.

The other people's favorability ratings were normal, except for the two palace servants responsible for rough work, who seemed somewhat evasive.

Yun Jin silently memorized the appearance of the two people, and only after Xiao Jingyan dismissed everyone did she whisper, "There's a nanny in the kitchen who's responsible for fetching ingredients, and a young eunuch who's responsible for cleaning. There's something wrong with them. The others are clean, though."

Xiao Jingyan nodded and said, "We'll find an excuse to deal with it later."

The Empress Dowager shook her head: "No need to deal with them. Even if we deal with these two, he'll just send others. Now that we know who they are, we should just be more cautious in the future."

Yun Jin thought for a moment, picked up a pen and wrote a prescription, handing it to Xiao Jingyan. She whispered, "This prescription is to help the Empress Dowager cleanse her body of toxins and regulate her health. Don't get the medicine from the palace. Have someone prepare it outside and send it to Granny Qin. Don't let it pass through anyone else's hands."

Xiao Jingyan took the prescription, put it away, and nodded solemnly.

She then took out a water bag filled with water from the spatial spring and handed it to Granny Qin: "Granny, please keep this safe. If the Empress Dowager is thirsty these next few days, please feed her the water in this bag."

She then placed a small celadon bottle in her hand. "Granny, this is an antidote pill. Feed the Empress Dowager one pill daily, and when combined with the prescription I wrote, it will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Granny Qin accepted the gift with both hands, carefully putting it away as if it were a precious treasure, and thanked her profusely with tears in her eyes.

The Empress Dowager lay on the couch, looking at Yun Jin calmly and slowly, and then said, "Ning Hai, let me ask you, are you really not angry? I say you are not worthy of A Yan."

Yun Jin glanced at Xiao Jingyan, meeting his smiling eyes, then turned to look at the Empress Dowager and said frankly:

"Your Majesty, I am not angry. Your Majesty merely spoke the truth. In terms of family background and social standing, I am indeed unworthy of Ayan. But Ayan has taken a liking to me, which is my blessing. All I can do is to treat Ayan and those he cares about with the same kindness I feel for him."

The Empress Dowager stared at her for a long time, as if trying to confirm whether her words were sincere.

A moment later, she gave a soft hum, still sharpening her tongue: "Quite clever, isn't she? Alright, go back now, it's almost dawn. This Shou Kang Palace isn't a place for you to linger."