Aunt Sumala tried to calm her down. "Please don't be angry, Your Highness. If you truly leave His Majesty at the mercy of those court politicians, how is he supposed to withstand their combined pressure by himself? You are the only loyal supporter he has."
The Grand Empress Dowager's anger simmered down almost immediately. Truthfully, she felt a little sorry for her grandson. Her eyes reddening, she muttered darkly, "That's exactly why he needs to grow into his role as quickly as possible. He can't keep relying on me—I don't have much time left at this age! What if I were to die tomorrow? Without my support, can he hold his own fort on the Dragon Seat?"
"Mistress, you can't say that! His Majesty cannot bear the burden of your words," Aunt Sumala begged, her eyes filling with tears. "If His Majesty hears about this, he will definitely kneel outside your palace for three days straight in repentance. Your heart will ache for him again."
"Sumala, I want to know if there's a single person in this palace aside from myself who can be of help to the Emperor." The Grand Empress Dowager stood up and walked over to the altar. She clasped her hands together and uttered a prayer before continuing, "I thought that Uya girl was rather promising, but it seems that I was wrong."
However, Aunt Sumala demurred. "In my humble opinion, Mistress, First-Class Female Attendant Wu's future will depend on how she deals with this matter. It does not matter whether she wins this battle, but how she reacts in its aftermath. For now, you cannot afford to abandon His Majesty. He needs your help to go up against the court politicians. As for the mistresses in the harem, I suppose everything rests on their destiny. What do you say?"
The Grand Empress Dowager clicked away at her Buddha beads, the shimmer of the beads reflecting off her thoughtful, meditative face. Finally, she sighed and replied, "Let's wait and see, then."
Meanwhile, in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the young, foolish Emperor was flipping through the memorials, his expression growing more furious and astonished as he read. Every single document had the same outrageous demand delivered in the same aggravating tone. A muscle jumped in Xuanye's cheek. If he didn't do as they say and make the Niohuru woman the next Empress, there might be a riot in front of his palace soon.
"Ridiculous!" Although Xuanye was furious, he hadn't lost his head completely. Firstly, he had only been joking about making Lanqi his next Empress. Secondly, those court politicians would be delighted to see him helpless and confused, and he wasn't going to give them the pleasure.
He turned his gaze to Head Eunuch Li, who had been standing morosely by the door. "Go and investigate! I'd like to see which wretched servant in the Palace of Accumulated Purity had the guts to eavesdrop on my conversation with Lanqi. You were standing guard near the door, and you didn't hear anyone sneak in, did you? Don't tell me they were hiding in the hall the entire time!"
He continued darkly, "And go and investigate that woman in the Palace of Earthly Honor. Head Eunuch Li, don't you dare tell me someone is trying to ruin our relationship and turn me against her again! If she really had nothing to do with this, she'll be innocent in my eyes. If she was behind this, however..."
"Your Majesty!" Head Eunuch Li interrupted timidly, "If it turns out that Consort Zhao is behind this, then you should let the matter be."
A wave of anger washed over Xuanye, but he merely glared at Head Eunuch Li, resisting the urge to launch something at his head. Since the day he stripped Oboi of his titles and power, Xuanye had vowed that he would never let himself be pushed around by the court politicians again. However, Head Eunuch Li didn't really mean for him to admit defeat.
Xuanye barked with laughter. "Just go and launch an investigate. I can let the matter be, but I must know who was behind it."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Head Eunuch Li sighed with relief, silently thanking the gods for Xuanye's extraordinary intelligence. As the head eunuch, investigating the source of palace rumors was the easiest thing for him. He ordered his best disciple to ask around. Eventually, the truth of the matter was revealed, and it turned out that the rumors had originated from the Palace of Earthly Honor.
And how would Consort Zhao have overheard Lanqi's conversation with Xuanye? There was evidently a spy in the Palace of Accumulated Purity.