There was a long period of silence and suspicion afterward. Emperor Xuande and Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't make up their minds. Ding Yun, guessing they might need some private time to discuss, considerately stated she had matters to attend to and couldn't wait indefinitely.
She immediately took her leave for the time being,
asking them to make their decision and then find her.
Once Ding Yun was gone, Emperor Xuande intended to revisit the entire situation from the beginning, starting with his mother:
"Mother, let's not rush for now.
May I ask you a few discreet questions?"
"You suspect me?"
Although Empress Dowager Zhang knew it was difficult for her son to immediately believe so much information after just waking up, it was still hard for her to accept that he would suspect her as soon as Jing Ci left, and she felt quite hurt.
"No, Mother, I...
So much happened in such a short time. First, you regained your youth, then there was talk of deposing Empress Hu Shanxiang, and suddenly she cultivated to success.
Each of these events is quite incredible.
Most importantly, Hu Shanxiang used this to threaten us, demanding that I depose the Crown Prince. The implications of deposing the Crown Prince are too immense. Even if I were willing, all the court officials would surely object and prevent it.
Therefore, I must get to the bottom of this.
Mother, I hope you can understand me. My fate is not just my own, but also tied to the entire imperial family and the future destiny of all the people."
The trickle of green vital energy Ding Yun had injected into him was quite effective. At least, he felt an immediate sense of recovery, allowing him to sit up and clearly explain his predicament.
As long as that green vital energy lasted,
his spirit, energy, and mind could be maintained at a normal level.
Since Emperor Xuande had put it this way, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't possibly make things difficult for her own son. She eventually agreed, expressing her understanding and began to answer Emperor Xuande's questions, primarily focusing on matters that, theoretically, only she and her son would know.
The core point was how Emperor Xuande learned of the previous emperor's death in time during his journey to Jinling for sacrifices, managed to rush back, and simultaneously evade the assassination attempt by his uncle, the King of Han, before safely returning to the capital.
What his mother had done to help him during that time,
and what he himself had done.
Once these aspects aligned, Emperor Xuande was thoroughly convinced that the young woman before him was indeed his mother, restored to her youth, and could be trusted to discuss other matters.
"So, she has truly cultivated to success?"
"That's right, and her abilities are extraordinary. She knows the art of silencing, the art of rejuvenation, and she can also divine the future. If you are absolutely certain that no information will leak from your side, then her ability to divine the future is likely true.
However, even if she can divine the future,
I don't know if she will tell the truth.
Revenge is a possibility. Although she has no son, as long as Sun Shi's son doesn't become emperor, Jing Ci should be quite happy."
"But we have no way to prove her words are false. What if she's telling the truth?
If Zhu Qizhen truly becomes the emperor who opens the gates to enemies,
it would be the greatest shame since the founding of our Great Ming.
Just thinking about it makes me want to strangle him."
"Regardless of truth or falsehood, your health is paramount.
If it's true, even if Jing Ci doesn't demand the deposition of the Crown Prince, we must depose him. If it's false, and by deposing the Crown Prince we gain Jing Ci's help to extend your life, we might still have a chance to reinstate the Crown Prince in a decade or two, or even longer.
Or, if all else fails, we simply don't appoint a Crown Prince.
When you are truly on your last breath, you can issue an imperial edict. She only demands the deposition of the Crown Prince, not that the Crown Prince is forbidden from inheriting the throne. Don't you think so!
Moreover, even if what Jing Ci says is true, it's likely that Qizhen's future downfall will be due to your premature death and his lack of proper education.
This makes it even more crucial for you to survive.
Only by living can you properly educate Qizhen.
Alternatively, if you have more princes, you'll have more options and can choose a more capable prince to succeed you."
Empress Dowager Zhang still wished for her son to continue living. After all, a grandson is not as dear as a son. At the same time, she knew what her son was hesitating about – he was too embarrassed to admit his fear of death.
So she spoke for him,
making excuses and finding reasons for him.
Finding reasons why he had to agree to Ding Yun's terms.
With her words, it seemed that whether Ding Yun's claims were true or false, agreeing was the best course of action, beneficial not only to him but also to the country, the future,
and even the current Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen.
With Empress Dowager Zhang's support, Emperor Xuande finally made up his mind to agree to Ding Yun's request. However, his agreement alone was not enough, as it did not guarantee the officials' consent. Especially given his current precarious health, the officials would never allow the deposition of the Crown Prince at such a time, which would destabilize the nation.
He was not his grandfather, Emperor Taizong,
nor his great-grandfather, the Hongwu Emperor.
He couldn't command absolute obedience where no minister dared to object. For minor matters, ministers might oblige, but deposing the eldest son and heir apparent was definitely not within the scope of polite concession.
On this matter, Empress Dowager Zhang and Emperor Xuande discussed it privately for a long time but could not come up with an excuse that would absolutely persuade all officials. Therefore, they finally decided to discuss this topic further with Ding Yun. One reason was to express the difficulties they faced in deposing the Crown Prince.
The other, of course, was to probe Ding Yun's bottom line and see if there was room for negotiation.
Just as they were discussing this,
the green vital energy Ding Yun had previously infused into Emperor Xuande was completely depleted. Emperor Xuande immediately collapsed back onto the bed as if all his spirit and energy had been drained, leaving him weak and listless.
Seeing his face turn instantly pale, Empress Dowager Zhang promptly summoned the imperial physicians again. Their diagnosis was the same as before: they could not save him and he had only a few days to live, requesting the Emperor's forgiveness.
While being unwell was one thing, Emperor Xuande had just experienced several minutes of good health. His heart surged with the desire not only to live but to live healthily.
So he immediately discussed with Empress Dowager Zhang,
asking her to quickly send someone to invite Ding Yun back,
stating that he would agree to all her demands.
However, before Empress Dowager Zhang could send someone to summon Ding Yun from Chang'an Palace, Empress Sun had already sent people to eavesdrop on their conversation and learned that Ding Yun demanded the deposition of the Crown Prince in exchange for her help.
Upon hearing this news, how could she tolerate it?
She was on the verge of becoming the Empress Dowager, and now a sudden interloper threatened to foil all her efforts. How could she accept this? Therefore, while Empress Dowager Zhang and Emperor Xuande were discussing whether to agree to Ding Yun's demands, she had already used all her connections and the imperial seal, mobilizing all available personnel to launch an attack on Chang'an Palace under the charge of witchcraft.
Demanding the immediate execution of Immortal Master Jing Ci,
that is, Ding Yun.
Concurrently, she sent people to contact court officials, stating that Emperor Xuande had become delirious and even intended to depose the Crown Prince, urging them to cooperate and protect the Crown Prince.
In addition, she procured a potent stimulant powder.
This powder was ineffective against ordinary people,
at most causing sneezes and minor illnesses.
However, for severely ill individuals, it was a significant stimulant, and inhaling too much could even lead to sudden death.
It must be said that Empress Sun was a natural political talent. In such a short time, she had used the information at hand and all the power she possessed to make the most advantageous decisions for herself.
These were to kill the deposed Empress Hu, and to assassinate the Emperor.
If the former was accomplished, no one could save Emperor Xuande. Waiting a few more days, Emperor Xuande would die. When he was on his deathbed, even if he knew that Empress Sun was behind the act, he would have no choice but to endure it and continue paving the way for his son, Zhu Qizhen.
If the latter was accomplished, it would be even simpler. The emperor was dead, and he had not deposed the Crown Prince before his death. The Crown Prince would naturally ascend the throne. At that point, even if the deposed Empress Hu possessed any abilities, could she contend with thousands of soldiers?
It could be said that if she accomplished even one of these two objectives,
her grand plan would be assured.
Not only would her son's position as emperor be secure,
but her position as Empress Dowager would also be stable.
Having made these decisions and deployments in an extremely short period, Empress Sun, as soon as she received the poison powder, passed by the female official sent by Empress Dowager Zhang to invite Ding Yun, and quickly entered the inner chambers of the rear hall of Qianqing Palace, preparing to "care" for Emperor Xuande with the poison powder.