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Susu spoke righteously, "Grandpa said it’s Grandma."

Feng Wuyou and Jun Wuxian exchanged glances, both somewhat curious.

"Let’s wait for Dad to come back before discussing it."

*

When Jun Moqing returned from outside the palace, the sun had already begun to set.

Feng Wuyou was lying on the couch eating pastries when she saw her father return. She sat up and asked with a smile, "Dad, where have you been?"

"I went out for a walk to see if I could encounter that person," Jun Moqing sat down on the couch.

Not long after, Chun Xi came in with fresh tea, placed it in front of Jun Moqing, and then withdrew.

Feng Wuyou asked, "Is it someone who looks very much like me?"

Jun Moqing picked up the teacup and was about to drink when he heard her and nodded, "Mm-hm, you know?"

Feng Wuyou said, "Susu told me, she said that I resemble Mom a lot, even Susu mistook her for you. Dad, do you think that woman is Mom?"

Jun Moqing replied, "I have my suspicions, but I can only be sure once I’ve seen the person."

Feng Wuyou found herself hoping that the woman was her mother. Although she was very unfamiliar with her mother, her father must have always wanted to find her, otherwise he wouldn’t have left the palace to search at the slightest clue.

In this vast sea of people, searching for one person is extremely difficult.

"Susu saw her again today."

Jun Moqing paused in his tea-drinking, looked up at his daughter, and asked, "Where did she see her?"

Feng Wuyou explained, "Right in the East Palace. Susu was playing in the yard and saw that woman. Moreover, the woman was wearing a black veil, apparently having sneaked into the Imperial Palace."

Jun Moqing had been searching outside the palace all this time, and had never encountered her. If that woman really was her, he thought their fate must be shallow; after so many years, he hadn’t met her even once.

Yet Susu had already seen her three times, this fate...

"What did she say to Susu?"

Feng Wuyou summarized succinctly, "Susu asked if she was Grandma, and the person said no."

Just then, Susu ran in with her little short legs, and upon seeing Jun Moqing, she threw herself into his arms and sweetly called out, "Grandpa, are you back?"

"Mm-hm." Jun Moqing lifted Susu into his lap and then picked up a piece of Mung Bean Cake from the plate and offered it to Susu, "Eat some Mung Bean Cake."

Instead of eating it right away, Susu held the Mung Bean Cake and excitedly said, "Grandpa, I saw Grandma."

Jun Moqing pressed, "Then what? What did you say to her?"

Susu repeated the content of her conversation with Grandma. Although it wasn’t comprehensive, she highlighted the main points.

"Grandpa, why doesn’t she want to be my Grandma?"

Jun Moqing replied, "Whether she is your grandma has to be confirmed by Grandpa seeing her, understand?"

"She flew away so quickly, I wanted to ask her to come see Grandpa, but unfortunately, she flew away." Susu finished with a sigh, lowered her head to look at the Mung Bean Cake in her hand, and bit into it with craving.

Jun Moqing comforted her, "Don’t worry, we will be able to meet her in the future."

Susu’s cheeks were puffed with a big mouthful of Mung Bean Cake, making her speech somewhat muffled.

"Next time I see her, I’ll hold on to her and won’t let her go until Grandpa comes."

Feng Wuyou couldn’t understand what her daughter was saying, only hearing her mumble something indistinctly.

But Jun Moqing understood, and he nodded in agreement, "Okay."

Susu, pleased, bowed her head and continued eating her pastries.

*

On the day of the Beginning of Winter, the temperature plummeted, and a fine rain drifted from the skies, the wind carrying a chill that cut to the bone.

The Emperor suddenly fell gravely ill and could not rise from his bed.

The Imperial Doctors were at a loss.

The Empress looked at the Sovereign on the sickbed, her complexion somewhat pale; she reached out to touch his forehead, only to retract her hand due to the burning heat.

In her eyes, the Emperor had always been full of vigor, when had she ever seen him lying on the couch so weak?

When the Emperor awoke, he saw the Empress at his bedside and slowly asked, "Empress, how long have I slept?"

The Empress, seeing the Emperor awake, was somewhat excited, "You have slept for one night and a day, and the Imperial Doctors have already examined you several times."

The Emperor, seeing the dark circles under the Empress’s eyes and the red bloodshot in her eyes, guessed that she had not slept all night.

He had always felt that the Empress’s affection for him had gradually diminished with time, especially in recent years, growing more irritable, frequently becoming angry and refusing him entry to Fengyi Palace.

But now, seeing this, he realized that the Empress still cared about him.

He reached out and held the Empress’s hand, his weak voice as if comforting her.

"I’m alright, just a bit tired," he reassured.

There’s a saying that illness strikes like a falling mountain, and so it was with the Emperor; it was as if he was gravely ill.

The Empress, of course, didn’t believe it, still saying he was alright even when so sick?

"But your high fever isn’t subsiding, if it continues, I’m afraid you will become delirious," she said.

The Emperor smiled and replied, "Nonsense, how could I become delirious?"

The Empress rebuked tenderly, "Then you should recover soon. Looking unwell like this, aren’t you already confused?"

The Emperor weakly said, "I’m just too tired and want to sleep a little longer; when I awaken, I’ll be better."

The Empress said, "Then Your Majesty should rest first, I will have the Imperial Doctor come to take another look."

"Mm," the Emperor closed his eyes and nearly instantly fell asleep; in all his years as Emperor, this was the first time he had fallen asleep so quickly.

The Imperial Doctor arrived promptly, and they began to diagnose and treat the Emperor.

Imperial Doctor Wen also came, similarly taking his pulse once more, his brows knitted in concern.

The Empress, with a look of anxious concern, asked, "How is His Majesty doing?"

Imperial Doctor Wen bowed respectfully, "Empress, His Majesty has been invaded by an evil energy, disrupting his qi and blood, leading to physical weakness. As for the persistent high fever, even I am at a loss."

The Empress, both anxious and infuriated, said, "Is there really no solution? What good are you all, a bunch of quack doctors, if you can’t even treat an illness?"

The gathered Imperial Doctors, scared, took several steps back and with a few "plop" sounds, knelt down in unison, too afraid to speak out.

After hesitating for a long while, Imperial Doctor Wen said, "Empress, I know of someone who should be able to cure His Majesty."

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ps: Just a note about the new book, which will be pre-collected for a month. Because it hasn’t been released yet, it’s been hidden, but it will be visible once it’s published.

The opening has already been reviewed by the editor, but discussions and revisions are needed, so it will be published later.

My dear readers can follow Master Yunsi; the system will notify you when the work is published. (Around a hundred words of idle talk, not for charge)