The grand empress dowager is sitting comfortably on a cushion. There's no light coming from the outside. The secret room inside her hall has only several candles to give her light in the dark. The sandalwood scent from the burned incense is lingering in the entire place.
The room is not anything special except that there's an altar facing the West. In the middle of it, two memorial tablets are situated. One has the name of his late husband and the other one has the name of the late emperor, her son, and the Yin siblings' father.
But that's not the only thing that makes this secret room not so special.
In the dark corner of the room, there's this chaise lounge. Yes, just a luxury elongated chair. Nothing strange about it except there's a body laying down on it. It's a body of a woman. Her consciousness had long since separated from her container. However, for some reason, her body is well-preserved and she looks like she's just sleeping soundly. She could have looked perfectly fine if not for some bruises on her body.
"Grand Empress Dowager..." The Empress Dowager calls out behind the door. "It's the Empress."
Upon hearing what Empress Dowager just said, she sighs silently. Without turning her head away from the altar, she demands, "Come inside."
"Yes, your highness." The door slides open and the empress dowager steps inside the secret room.
"What did she do this time?" Still not bothering to turn around to face the other, the grand empress dowager asks.
The empress dowager, on the other hand, is lowering her head and interlocking her fingers on her both hands.  She seems she isn't sure how will she start. "Well... the emperor..."
The grand empress dowager raised her left eyebrow and finally turns her head towards the empress dowager behind her. The old woman said, "You said it's about the empress, now it's the emperor."
"It's like this, your highness..." She walks closer to the grand empress dowager and sits on the vacant cushion near the old empress. She continues, "The emperor took the empress under the custody of Ministry of Justice."
The old empress knitted her eyebrows, adding more wrinkles on her forehead. She asks, "Why so?"
The empress dowager answers, "It was said that the emperor accused the empress of treason."
"..." The grand empress dowager widens her eyes. She almost forgot to breathe because of the shock. Still with bulging eyes, she asks with a hint of panic, "Did she say something to him?"
"I am not certain about that matter, your highness." The empress dowager replies. "Grand Empress Dowager, please calm down."
Despite the advice of the empress dowager, the grand empress dowager is not relaxing a bit. She rises from her seat and walks back and forth. She thinks deeply, perhaps all negative thoughts. As she's walking around the secret room, her eyes lay on the lady's body on the chaise. She agitatedly comes closer to her and grips the cadaver's neck. She's strangling the empty container as if doing so will hurt the dead.
With eyes carrying a deadly glare, she stares at her angrily and said, "Even in death, your vexing legacy lives on through your children. I can't believe those three are my son's offspring!"
The empress dowager scoffed silently. Is she laughing at the emperor's late mother? Or mocking at the emperor's grandmother? Who knows?
After quite some time, she speaks again to the grand empress dowager, "I suggest you take her back, your highness. They always listen to you."
"Does that even matter? What if she already spilled it all?" She finally lets go of the poor body and turns to face the empress dowager. "How long was she under custody anyway?"
With her usual calm manner, she replies, "About an hour ago, your highness. I apologize for knowing such an important thing late. I only heard the news not too long after I arrived here." She smiles sweetly to the grand empress dowager, "I do not think the empress is not too foolish as to spill everything to his majesty."
"How certain you are?" The empress dowager tickled the grand empress dowager's curiosity that made the latter pay more attention to her.
"We got her under control, your highness. Have you forgotten?" The empress dowager's smile remains sweet but her eyes, however, have a motive in it.
"..." The old woman understood what she means immediately. She doesn't really like the idea but she does not despise it either. With a straight face, she said as she sits back to her original place. "Let's just hope that she keeps that thing in her mind."
"We better make a move now before it's too late." The empress dowager persuaded further.
"I know but we should not enter a battlefield without a weapon." The other response.
When the grand empress dowager isn't looking, the empress dowager shrugs and shakes her head slowly.
"We will think of a better way to get her." The grand empress dowager pinches her chin and thinks deeply.
"Grand Empress Dowager." A mischievous smile appeared on her highness' lips. "I have a plan. This is exciting!"
The grand empress dowager narrows her eyes and said, "I'll hear it out."
Meanwhile in the Department of Justice...
"Your highness, you'll be staying here for the meantime. Don't worry, we will not allow others to come close to you, even the grand empress dowager." Prince Yin Wenyan reassured.
The empress smiles, "Yes, your majesty. Thank you so much. I thought I'll be confined in a prison."
Princess Yin Xiulan raised an eyebrow. "Of course not! Unless you'll provoke us to do so."
"Xiulan, don't be like that." Prince Yin Wenyan said in a low voice but it's no use since the empress could clearly hear him. He faced the empress and said with an apologetic smile, "Your highness, please don't mind the princess. She's like that to everyone."
With a pair of sincere eyes, she responds, "I'll keep in mind what the princess said. I dare not to provoke you two or any of the members of the royal family."
Just like the Department of War and Defense, the Department of Justice has a bedroom intended for the Princess General. Including the princess' hall, Yin Xiulan has a total of three bedrooms. Since she has a lot of rooms to rest, they decided to spare this room for the empress to stay in the meantime.
"But your majesty, may I ask you something?" The empress seems hesitant but managed to speak with her gathered courage for a very short time.
"Tell me, your highness." The prince attentively replies.
"Ming--- Xu Zhengming. May I know how is he? I didn't manage to see him today." She lowers her head. "How is his condition?"
Hearing Xu Zhengming's name, the prince got serious. What about him now? Why ask about him all of a sudden? For some reason that even Prince Yin Wenyan doesn't know, he felt uncomfortable about it. However, Yin Wenyan will always be Yin Wenyan. He feels like he should not be rude to the other.
"I regret to tell you this but I'd be lying if I say Eunuch Xu's current state is getting better. However, worry not, your highness. I got the cure he needs and will treat him after my duties for today are done. He'll be fine in no time."
The empress says, "Is your majesty talking about the rare spirit herb named Yueguang Hua?" Although she's still hesitant to tell his majesty about it, the conscience and concern for Xu Zhengming weigh heavier.
Prince Yin Wenyan got surprised that the empress knows about it. Yueguang Hua is a legit rare spirit herb that only a few cultivators know of its existence. But on the second thought, the empress came from a clan of cultivators, the Liaodong Xue Sect. It's not surprising for a member of the said sect to know such a thing. They specialize in poisons and antidotes after all.
"I see. You have heard about it." Yin Wenyan comments.
"I just recently heard about it from the empress dowager." She raises her head to meet his majesty's gaze. "Your majesty, you don't have it with you now, am I wrong?"
Prince Yin Wenyan's pair of phoenix eyes widen. He quickly reached for his pouch hanged by his waist. "It's gone..." What's left hanging on his belt is the severed string of the pouch.
"What?!" Princess Yin Xiulan subconsciously looks around her brother hoping for a small pouch to see. She then looks at the empress with a sharp gaze. "How did you know about this? I tell you, don't lie to us!"
"As I said, I heard it from the empress dowager." She said. "I do not know how or when or where exactly did she snatched it from his majesty."
Prince Yin Wenyan lost his composure and held the empress tightly in both shoulders. "Tell me, how much does she know? What exactly does she know?!" How did she know he had the flower with him? Why did she snatch it from him? Did she know what was that for? Or what he's planning to do with it?
"Calm down." Princess Yin Xiulan lightly taps her brother.
The Prince glares at her too. "I can't calm down! Eunuch Xu... Xiulan, think about it, that's Lin-dage's son! And now the flower that can save him from death is gone."
"I know. That's why we need to think of a way to solve this. To do that, we need peace of mind." She strives to convince her brother to calm down but it doesn't seem to help.
"The princess is correct, your majesty. I suggest that you calm down first." Despite the pressure she gets from the prince, the empress still managed to remain calm.
"Calm down? Someone's dying here!" He yells.
"..." Princess Yin Xiulan is speechless. In an instant, her calm and collected brother can turn into a scary person. He usually doesn't get angered easily but it's different nowadays. Now that she thinks about it, she started to wonder how and when exactly did this strange behavior of her brother started. What stirred and messed up his emotions? Or is it a question of who?
Xu Zhengming... ever since he served as the emperor's personal servant, Prince Yin Wenyan treats him exceptionally nice without knowing his family background. He's willing to go to such extents for him. And he's emotional when it comes to Xu Zhengming. Princess Yin Xiulan doesn't want to give it other meanings but she doesn't think nobles would willingly climb mountains and swim oceans for their servants.
The empress speaks, "Your majesty, I gave Xu Zhengming a charm. It would slow down the changes in his person as long as he keeps it near him. It would stretch his life for three months and slow down his physical changes. To save him, within these three months, we have to find a cure for him."
Princess Yin Xiulan got a glint in her eyes, a spark of a little hope ignited within her. "That's it! Three months. We still have three months to find another one."
"But you need to be careful, your highness. The empress dowager seems to keep an eye on you as well as his majesty." The empress reminded.
Prince Yin Wenyan turns his head to her. "Xiulan, do you think we're lucky enough to find another one? And another thing, I noticed something is off..." This time, he turns her head to face the empress. With a hint of suspicion in his phoenix eyes, he confronted the empress. "You know what exactly his illness is? If not, how did you know that something is changing within him and that charm of yours can help him?"
"About that..." The empress can't find the right words to say. Honestly, the story behind these circumstances is way too long and complicated. Where will she even start?
"Tell me the truth!" The emperor pressures him even more.
"Wenyan..." The princess said in a low voice. She made sure that the empress didn't hear her call his name. But then again, the prince is too outraged and completely ignores his sister.
"What exactly do you know? What are you hiding?" He asks further. There's no gentleness left in his handsome face. It really is true that you would not want to anger a kind person... it's just too scary.
The empress can't act all calm anymore. Her eyes filled with fear and helplessness. Her lips slightly tremble as she speaks, "Your majesty, I confess to you. It's me who you should blame for Xu Zhengming's condition."
"Just what did you do?!" What Yin Wenyan did next surprised the empress and even his princess sister. With an ashen expression on his face, he strangles the empress.
"Y-your... majesty..." Empress Xue Chi struggles as she gasps for air.
All she could see is the angered expression that filled his majesty's face. She never thought that the emperor she knows has this kind of temper. At this very moment, she confirmed that an emperor is indeed a temperamental person.
"Wenyan, please." Princess Yin Xiulan pulled her brother away from the empress before it gets too late. She holds both his cheek and forced him to look at her in the eyes. "What are you thinking? We can't solve this if you're like that. What's done cannot be undone. Things will go worse if you kill her."
Prince Yin Wenyan lower's his gaze and his eyelashes slightly tremble as he did so. "Sorry. I lost my composure."
She pats his cheek lightly. "Leave it to me, okay? Go collect yourself first.
"Mn." Yin Wenyan nods obediently.
He just realized what he did. How could he do such a cruel thing and to a woman on top of that? This sudden surge of emotions, he's not used to it at all so it's difficult for him to control himself. He needs to remain calm and gentle at all times. If he can't do that then... what is he really like? His name is already thrown away and lived as Yin Renshu for the past few years. He can't afford to throw away his personality as well. This is the only real part of him that's left... and now it's slipping on his hands.
Princess Yin Xiulan comes closer to the empress who is still gasping for air and holding her throat. Her eyes tell that she really got terrified. Of course, in her perspective, the emperor really tried to break her neck. If the princess didn't stop him in time, she really could have died there.
The princess speaks to the empress, "Your highness, Eunuch Xu's condition seems to be getting worse day by day. Is there some at least temporary aid for him?"
After she finally catches her breath, she answered the princess in a low voice. Her voice still trembling slightly. "I know a little about medicine. I can only formulate an aid for him if I can see him personally."
The princess nods. "That's a relief. Let's go to Lotus Hall first. We will settle this when we get back. Is that fine to you, your majesty?" She looks behind to face her brother.
The emperor speaks but refuses to look in their direction. "She can't leave the room or else the grand empress dowager will think that I am not serious about my words and will easily give the empress to her if she asks me to."
The princess looks back at the empress and asked. "How about this, we will ask Eunuch Xu what he's feeling and will tell you by the time we come back here?"
Empress Xue Chi pursed her lips and by the looks of her face, she seems to have something in mind but for some reason, she can't voice it out. The truth is, she really doesn't need to see him personally. Just knowing his current condition is enough for her to make a temporary treatment. She just wants to see him with her own eyes however, the situation she's currently in is a little complicated than her usual day. She knows she can't push her selfish wishes through or else there might be some consequences.
Princess Yin Xiulan continued, "Except what he's feeling. What else do you have to know? His heart rate? Temperature?"
Even though it's entirely against her will, she can't do anything about it. She replies in a soft voice, "Yes, it would be better if your highness can check it."