She thought the emperor had truly let bygones be bygones with her, and even gave up the control of state affairs that she had held for many years.
Who knew the emperor has recently been secretly plotting to get rid of her.
If the emperor is unkind, then she won't blame herself for being unrighteous.
She wanted the emperor's life!
Everything was arranged so ingeniously that, had Minister Xing not known it was a trap set for him, he might have believed it himself.
All these letters were written by the Empress Dowager Zhuang; there were no replies from Minister Xing, which was understandable.
Minister Xing's replies must certainly be in the hands of Empress Dowager Zhuang. If they could not be found there, there was an explanation—given Empress Dowager Zhuang's cunning, she wouldn't leave any evidence behind and would surely burn everything after reading.
"Then why would I keep any evidence? Am I not afraid of a scandal breaking out?" Minister Xing questioned Minister Li.
