d no longer be described as pale; she looked at her own Empress with a hint of despair.Take her away.Liri's expression remained unchanged as she commanded, after all, she was the original body's daugh..."Your Majesty, the incense is handled by the lady in charge of the palace's ceremonial fragrance offerings. All prepared are fragrances that Your Majesty typically enjoys. Only recently have we used a fragrance offered by the Emperor's family, which he himself uses as well. It was checked for any issues before being used for Your Majesty."

She spoke softly with an air of refinement.

"Even if they were foolish, they wouldn't tamper with the spices. The emperor himself uses them, which proves that the spices are fine."

The ripples were not unexpected. If the emperor's consort dared to take action, he would certainly remove himself from the situation.

"Where is the incense burner"

"I have already asked Mei Yuanzheng to check on it, and there should be news soon."

As soon as her words fell, a silvery voice echoed from outside the door:

A woman of refinement, the bell chimes back and forth.

Come in!

Huìqì raised her voice, and the maidservant ringing the bell outside the bedroom entered.

"The little bell was an orphan I adopted outside the palace. Her background is clean, her parents were killed by bandits when they came to Fengdu, only she survived because she went to the restroom."

Later, it was still the Fengdu Magistrate who captured the bandits. The child immediately identified the three perpetrators on the spot and accurately described their features. Looking at him, he seemed to be a well-behaved and clever child, so I took him in as my apprentice.

She explained two things quickly and softly, as if she had originally intended to teach the child for a while longer. However, today's matter was serious and required someone new, so she sent Linglong instead.

The bell's heart was filled with some anxiety. After entering the bedchamber, she didn't dare to look around randomly. She bowed respectfully and walked towards the bedside. When she reached three meters from the bed, she knelt down and paid her respects.

"Come on, speak up. Don't be so stiff."

Ripples wasn't used to bowing and scraping. She bypassed the entire ritual of bells, simply saying she didn't need it. Bell thanked her, then rose to her feet. Lowering her voice, she said:

“Your Majesty, Mei Yuan asked me to tell you that the incense burner itself is fine. It’s only after the incense inside burns and produces smoke that the smoke rising from the burner cover creates a colorless, odorless white smoke. This mixes with the scent of the incense, making it undetectable to others. Over time, inhaling this smoke will lead to weakness and insomnia.”

"Have Mei Yuan Zhengri come over and take my pulse."

"Yes!"

The bell immediately sounded, and she retreated backwards out of the bedroom.

"Huiqi, you have replaced the incense burner's lid. Tomorrow, bring it back to my bedroom. Continue burning incense. Keep an eye on the female official currently in charge of it and see who she is in contact with."

The ripples spoke softly.

"Yes, my lord, I understand what to do."

"Want some soup"

"The congee the emperor sent over is fine."

Then you and Lanxin, don't waste it, drink it for me.

Ripples spoke generously.

As for this original body, it's truly emaciated and cannot be nourished.

"Thanks for the Queen's award."

"After three days of cessation, what will their reaction be"

“There's none, they all said they would write a good letter.”

"This really makes me feel like I'm not needed anymore."

"Your Majesty, back then, if it weren't for us"

Lan Xin, full of self-reproach, started to speak, but her words were cut short by the ripples.

"Don't worry, after I fainted, I realized that sometimes you have to let go of things. Holding onto them for too long isn't always a good thing."

The sound of ripples was still and calm, yet it brought a strange pang of sadness to those with noble hearts. Which mother wouldn't feel pain in her heart when her own daughter schemes against her like this Especially someone as strong-willed as their own empress.

"You are the elders around me, you must stay calm, only if you remain calm, will they be unable to find out my specific situation. I already have a plan for next steps, just follow through."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Over the next three days, Liàn Yī did not summon anyone. The Emperor and Rong Shìjūn both came to pay their respects, but she refused to see either of them. The three imperial princesses tried to come and show filial piety, but Liàn Yī politely declined, citing illness.

When Lián Yī was indulging in a leisurely upbringing, Mèi Yuàn personally came to take her pulse. Combining this with his previous observation of her examining the incense burner, he had already formed a guess. After taking her pulse, he already had a plan in mind.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. This old minister will go back and prepare a prescription first. After you take it for three days, this old minister will come back to feel your pulse."

Mei Yuanzheng had a head of silver hair, but not a single wrinkle on his face. Although nearly ancient, he looked younger and more vigorous than the Empress who was in her fifties. His speech was slow and measured, deeply understanding the way of養生 (nourishing one's life).

"Fangzi, you don't need to record this. Just make the medicine into pills and bring them to me."

"This makes it convenient to take as pills, but the efficacy will be slightly reduced."

Mei Yuan is very strict.

"No problem, I'll take care of things at court first, and then you can make me some medicine."

"Yes, this old minister understands."

Mei Yuanzheng never took sides or participated in court struggles. Therefore, he earned the trust of the Empress and was also a master of traditional Chinese medicine, specializing in women's health and physical conditioning. He had extensive knowledge of health preservation techniques. The Empress had three daughters, all of whom maintained their figures thanks to Mei Yuanzheng's efforts.

On the fourth day, Lian Yi felt her body condition had improved a lot. For the past three days, she had only eaten and rested, and practiced breathing exercises to absorb qi. She managed to absorb a dozen or so spiritual energy points and also expel some toxins from her body.

So when Lian Yi wore the heavy ceremonial robe to court, she no longer felt the usual heaviness and clumsiness.

The three princesses and the court officials were all a little surprised to see the empress, who had not appeared for three days. Especially, her expression looked much better than before.

"Your Majesty, I have reviewed the petitions submitted by all of you. They primarily revolve around the eldest and second princesses. As their mother, it is truly difficult for me to make a choice."

Ripple paused, glanced at everyone's expressions, and then continued:

“However, as this Emperor grows older, I must eventually relinquish power. Both of my princesses are my daughters and have received the best education. Therefore, let these two women take turns ruling the country for a year each. During one princess's reign, the other will not participate in government affairs or attend court meetings. She will accompany me to Zhu Xiuan to recuperate, allowing me to enjoy the pleasures of family life as well. What do you all think”

All the ministers and three princesses were astonished. They hadn't expected that the Empress, after hiding for three days, would come up with such a scheme.

However, let me make it clear upfront, whoever inherits the throne from my hand will be judged by their achievements. If I find that you two are vying for power and hindering each other, disregarding the lives of the people of Dawn City, you will both be banished from Phoenix City immediately.

The ripples carried a faint sense of solemnity.

"Yes, your servant understands!"

The Great Princess immediately knelt down and paid her respects. Since she was first in line, it meant that she had seized the initiative.

"I have no objections!"

The second princess also knelt down and paid her respects.

The Third Princess thought it would be more interesting to go to Zhu Xiu Garden with her mother and happily agreed.

The ripples were crisp and decisive. She directly handed over state affairs to the eldest princess, patted her behind, and left the palace with the fathers of the three princesses, as well as the second and third princesses. Anyway, she held military power and the eagle talisman in her hands. Having absolute military force meant having the right to veto anything, so she left without any burden.t while we wait."Felix gestured, allowing the ripples to part as he walked to a round table in the warehouse. He then motioned for his men to join him in counting."Miss Yun, once the goods are checked...