"Father Emperor... you..."
Chu Chenyi's eyes snapped shut. Were there other ways out of the imperial palace that he had never known?
"There is a switch on the dragon throne in the Taiji Hall that opens a secret passage. Following this passage leads directly outside the palace."
"Father Emperor, this... this is..."
"This secret passage was prepared for emergencies. Only the emperors of Dong Chu throughout the ages have known of its existence. The previous emperor revealed it to me and the Empress Dowager on his deathbed. Today, I am telling you this. Do you know what it means?"
Chu Chenyi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately knelt down. "This son will not fail Father Emperor's expectations. I will resolve the crisis in the capital!"
"Go, be careful."
By telling him this, the Emperor had already made up his mind. The current situation was irreversible, and he could only pass the throne to Chu Chenyi.
"This son takes his leave."
Chu Chenyi clenched the token in his hand, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and walked out. He had to leave the palace as quickly as possible and then lead troops to resolve the current predicament.
...
When the Empress Dowager saw Emperor Xuanwen return alone, without Chu Chenyi, she knew what had happened.
"It seems you've decided to establish Chenyi as the Crown Prince?"
"I have carefully considered my sons, and only Chenyi is most suitable for this great responsibility!"
Indeed... he had no better option now. Appointing a Crown Prince under these circumstances was also a natural progression. It was all destiny.
"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, as a woman of the inner palace, I cannot interfere in state affairs. I shall withdraw first!"
"You've already heard. There's no point in withdrawing now." Emperor Xuanwen reached out and held the Imperial Noble Consort's hand, stopping her from retreating. "My dear consort, I have not appointed our child as the Crown Prince. Do you have any grievances?"
Hearing this, the Imperial Noble Consort's heart tightened. She quickly knelt on the ground. "This concubine dares not. This is a matter of state. How can I, a woman confined to the inner palace, understand such things? Whatever decision Your Majesty makes, this concubine believes it is right. As for... as for our child, he is not suited to be an emperor, and this concubine has never harbored any hope of him becoming the Crown Prince."
"This concubine's only wish in this life is to grow old with Your Majesty and watch our child grow up healthy and safe. As for anything else, this concubine dares not think of it, nor dare to ask for it."
Her lifelong wish had been fulfilled, and she had nothing else to ask for. She only wished for peace and prosperity in the days to come, and to grow old with her husband.
"Ru'er's heart is pure and kind. It has been I who have wronged you all these years. Henceforth, I will use the rest of my life to make amends for my past failings."
"No... Your Majesty has never wronged this concubine. To have met Your Majesty in this life, and to have married Your Majesty as I wished, I was already content. Now that I have Your Majesty's genuine affection, I would die without regret."
"Enough, stop saying such foolish things. We are not completely out of danger yet. If you are talking about life and death here, do you truly think you have lived too long?"
The Empress Dowager could no longer stand the two of them being so affectionate and spoke with a sigh.
Emperor Xuanwen and the Imperial Noble Consort heard the Empress Dowager's voice and suddenly felt they had gone too far. They lowered their heads in embarrassment.
The harmonious atmosphere in the hall had not lasted long before someone with no regard for the situation barged in to disrupt it.
Empress Liu, surrounded by many attendants, walked in and said arrogantly, "Empress Dowager, have you considered... Your Majesty!"
Upon seeing Emperor Xuanwen standing there perfectly fine, the Empress subconsciously cried out loudly. Her legs weakened slightly, but a palace maid nearby supported her, preventing her from falling to the ground.
"Your Majesty, you... how are you awake?"
"Why does my awakening frighten you so!"
The Empress gasped for air, forcing a calm expression. "Your concubine... your concubine was merely worried about Your Majesty's health. Now that I see Your Majesty awake, I am relieved."
"Worried? I wonder how the Empress worries about my health, or is she worried that I am not dead and will ruin her plans!"
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Your concubine's heart towards Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon. As long as Your Majesty is safe, your concubine can..."
With a loud 'bang', a blue and white porcelain teacup shattered at the Empress's feet. The Empress instinctively took a step back, but some tea water still splashed onto her skirt. Coupled with her panicked expression, she looked extremely disheveled.
"Facing the consequences, you still quibble. If I hadn't woken up, Chu Yanxi would have ascended the throne before long, and you would have already become the Empress Dowager!"
"Your Majesty... this concubine has absolutely no such intention. It must be... it must be that Your Majesty misunderstands. This concubine acted this way because she was worried someone might harbor ill intentions due to Your Majesty's illness. That is why I sent Yanxi into the palace to protect Your Majesty's safety. It must be the Imperial Noble Consort... the Imperial Noble Consort has always disliked this concubine. She must be spreading discord. I implore Your Majesty to investigate!"
How had she not noticed the Empress's eloquence before? If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he would truly have been deceived by her sweet talk.
Emperor Xuanwen snorted disdainfully. "If I hadn't witnessed it all with my own eyes, I would never have imagined you were such a person. I have been blind all these years to have doted on you, this venomous woman, for so long..."
"Your Majesty... this concubine..."
"Silence! I do not wish to hear your honeyed words any longer. From this moment on, you are no longer my wife; you are no longer the Empress of Dong Chu!"
The Empress's expression froze. She had not expected Emperor Xuanwen to be so heartless, abandoning years of marital affection so readily.
With things reaching this point, the Empress no longer pretended. She stood up, the panic gone from her face.
"To depose me, you may no longer have the资格. The entire imperial palace is now under my command. Soon, my Xi'er will be the new Emperor of Dong Chu. You are the one who should be worried!"
"Do you intend to commit regicide!"
"If Your Majesty cooperates obediently, Yanxi respects filial piety the most. In consideration of our years of marital affection, I can have Yanxi enfeoff you as the Retired Emperor to live out your years in comfort. But this lowly woman cannot be spared. As long as Your Majesty personally kills her, I can pretend that none of this ever happened, and Your Majesty will naturally remain the Retired Emperor!"
The Empress glared at the Imperial Noble Consort, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She had been suppressed by this lowly woman for so many years. This woman's death was the only way to quell her hatred!
"Liu Shi, you wicked woman, you are utterly insane!"