Zhao Junyao’s expression tightened.
"What’s wrong with the Empress Dowager?"
The Imperial Physician said, "The Empress Dowager’s complexion is pale, and she is unconscious. It seems to be due to extreme anger causing phlegm to cloud her mind!"
"Is it serious?"
After all, she was his mother; Zhao Junyao couldn’t help but be concerned!
Thinking for a moment, the Imperial Physician quickly said, "Your Majesty, forgive me, I truly cannot be certain. We need to administer a dose of medicine and observe her reaction before we can say more!"
So, it was quite serious, then?
Zhao Junyao’s brows furrowed even more.
His gaze swept around the room. All the women were bowing their heads, each face filled with worry. Some with better acting skills were nearly at the point of taking out handkerchiefs to wipe their tears!
Xia Ruqing also stood among them with her head lowered, not uttering a word.
No one dared to breathe too loudly, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
Sister Qing personally led others to prepare the medicine and soon brought in a bowl of it.
The Empress quickly walked forward.
"Sister, let me do it!"
Sister Qing hastily said, "Your Majesty the Empress, please don’t say that. Let this servant do it!"
After saying that, she thought it over, felt it wasn’t quite appropriate, and quickly added, "This servant is used to attending closely; I’m afraid Your Majesty might be unpracticed..."
Even as she spoke, it still didn’t seem quite right.
It felt like the more she explained, the worse it sounded.
Sister Qing was a bit flustered herself, so she decided to stop talking and walked in with the medicine.
The Empress looked somewhat displeased.
Was Sister Qing implying that she rarely attended to the Empress Dowager? Indeed, she did so infrequently. But the Emperor was still present; such comments were really inappropriate!
Originally, Sister Qing had no such intention. However, with the Empress Dowager’s sudden fainting, this matter was inextricably linked to the Empress.
She too was somewhat dissatisfied. As the Empress, it was one thing not to attend regularly. But now, she had also fallen out with the Empress Dowager over the Emperor. Regardless of how rude the Empress Dowager was, she was elderly after all. Couldn’t the younger generation give her some leeway? If the Emperor didn’t like it, the Empress should have mediated. How could she relay messages between the two, angering the Empress Dowager to this state? Alas!
Zhao Junyao kept a stern face and said no more.
The Empress was also very embarrassed.
The people behind her dared not even breathe, trying to minimize their presence as much as possible.
「In the inner chamber」
After drinking the medicine, the Empress Dowager finally woke up after a while.
"Empress Dowager!" Sister Qing called excitedly.
The Empress Dowager opened her eyes groggily and weakly scanned her surroundings...
"What... what happened to me?"
Sister Qing hurriedly said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, you... you fainted. Fortunately, the Imperial Physician arrived in time. You’ve taken your medicine, and you’re all right now!"
The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, finally remembering why she had fainted.
Her expression stiffened, and then she gave a bitter smile.
"I have spent most of my life in the palace, enduring hardships and raising the imperial son into adulthood, only to find that he... would even oppose me over such a trivial matter!"
"With so many women in the Harem, why is Wanying unacceptable?"
She had to maintain the Shih Family’s glory and wealth!
The Empress Dowager hadn’t finished speaking when Sister Qing interjected, "You are mistaken, Your Majesty. As soon as the Emperor heard you were ill, he rushed here and has been anxiously waiting outside."
"Shall we invite the Emperor to come in?"
On hearing this, the Empress Dowager scoffed.
"What for? Does he want to see me even more ill?"
Sister Qing opened her mouth to speak but was unable to say anything before the Empress Dowager, furious, commanded, "Let them leave! Everybody out! No one is to come in!"
"After all, I’m just a troublesome old woman. Whatever I say or do is wrong. Tell them to go!"
Having said that, she sulkily shut her eyes tightly.
Sister Qing grew anxious.
"Empress Dowager, why are you... why are you doing this?"
The mother-son relationship within the Royal Family was inherently fragile and challenging to maintain. With the Empress Dowager acting this way, wasn’t she simply pushing the Emperor farther away?
As she thought this, Sister Qing tried to persuade her again with a few more words.
But it seemed as if the Empress Dowager had made up her mind. She kept her eyes firmly closed, motionless, with no intention of retracting her command.
Sighing, Sister Qing carried the empty medicine bowl out with her.
Zhao Junyao’s expression grew even darker.
He had heard every word the Empress Dowager inside said, clear as day. Hence, his heart also grew cold.
He didn’t know whether, in his mother’s heart, he, her son, was more important, or if the glory and wealth of the Shih Family held more importance. Wasn’t having one Noble Consort enough? Why was she in such a hurry to send the women of the Shih Family into the palace, one after another? What exactly would satisfy her? To make one of them Empress? Or their son the Crown Prince? This kingdom bears the surname Zhao, not Shih! The more Zhao Junyao thought about it, the more stifled he felt.
Just as Sister Qing was about to say something, Zhao Junyao suddenly raised his hand to stop her.
"Sister, there’s no need to say anything more!"
Having said that, he paused and then continued, "I am the ruler of this nation; a sacred Edict cannot be retracted. Since the Empress Dowager has awakened, she should rest well!"