If I were born again, I would marry a strong but short-lived husband.

When Shen Suian heard that the Empress Dowager had returned to the capital, his eyebrows jumped violently.

She couldn't help but feel a little worried. Could it be that the Empress Dowager chose to come back at this time just for the Queen and the Fifth Prince?

Shen Sui'an thought of the Qu family in Annan.

If she cannot change the situation and the Qu family still wants to compete, she hopes that the Qu family will not repeat the same mistakes as in the previous life.

"Sui Sui, you don't have to come to see me every day. The mother and wet nurse you left behind are very capable and take good care of me and the child." Cheng Zhiyun said with a smile.

Shen Sui'an came back to her senses and looked at Cheng Zhiyun's rosy complexion. She smiled and said, "Just think of me as someone who loves your daughter and wants to see her every day, okay?"

Cheng Zhiyun's eyes fell on her belly, "You are anxious to have a baby yourself, right?"

"Sister Cheng even teases me now." Shen Sui'an said with a smile.

She felt a little emotional. Cheng Zhiyun was really well taken care of by Zhou Zhou. When she first saw her, she was like a walking corpse, without any emotions that a human should have.

Now he is smiling and looking at his daughter with loving eyes.

It's really good.

As they were talking, Zhou Zhou came back.

He did not go into the house to see his wife and children immediately, but went to take a shower and change clothes, appearing refreshed.

"How are you today?" Zhou Zhou asked in a low voice.

Cheng Zhiyun smiled and nodded, "Very good, how are you doing in the palace? I heard that the Queen Mother is back."

Zhou Zhou lowered his eyes and said, "The emperor asked the second prince to supervise the country, and the queen was confined by the queen mother. Now the harem is still managed by Concubine Yao."

Shen Sui'an was surprised, "The Queen Mother has confined the Queen?"

"Yes, after the Empress Dowager came back, she scolded both the Empress and Prime Minister Zhang, and asked Prime Minister Zhang to go home and reflect on his actions, and the Empress was confined to house arrest to reflect on her mistakes." Zhou Zhou said calmly.

The person most surprised by the Empress Dowager's decision was Queen Qu, she burst into tears on the spot.

The Emperor seemed to have known the Queen Mother's choice for a long time and was not very surprised.

Please ask the Queen Mother to help the Second Prince handle state affairs.

"..." Shen Sui'an felt that his understanding of court affairs was still too superficial.

Even though she lived again, she was not familiar with state affairs. Compared with those experienced politicians, she was as naive as a child.

With Concubine Yao kneeling down to apologize and the return of the Empress Dowager.

The court, which had been in a state of panic, seemed to have calmed down.

The empress dowager also personally summoned the headmaster and had a long conversation with him for an hour. After the headmaster left the palace, he took all the scholars back to the academy.

The chaotic situation finally returned to its former order.

Only the emperor's body can no longer be recovered.

"Thank you, mother, for coming back to help me clean up the mess." The emperor leaned back on the soft pillow and looked gratefully at the empress dowager who was sitting not far away.

"I am not doing this for you, but for the Feng family's kingdom." The Queen Mother said lightly.

She stared at the emperor with deep eyes, "Your Majesty, are you so afraid that the Qu family bloodline will produce an emperor?"

The emperor sighed softly, "Mother, this is also what the late emperor meant."

"Before his death, the late emperor left a will that the son of the daughter of the Qu family must not be made the heir."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask someone to go to the imperial mausoleum and get the decree from the late emperor that is sealed in the mausoleum."

The Queen Mother did not expect this to be the reason.

Regardless of whether it was true or false, there was no way she would take out this will.

Without this will, even if the Qu family cannot produce a crown prince in this generation, the girls of the Qu family will still have the opportunity to enter the palace in the future. But once it is taken out, no emperor in the future will marry a girl from the Qu family.

"Doesn't what the emperor said in the letter violate the late emperor's will?" the empress dowager asked with a sneer.

As soon as the news of Guangning's murder of his lover came out, the emperor sent someone to take a letter to the empress dowager.

In the letter, he promised the Queen Mother that as long as she could control the Queen and stabilize the political situation, he would grant the girl from the Qu family to the Second Prince in marriage and let her become his wife.

"The Qu family left Shangjing and withdrew from the court. As long as it's not Xiaowu, there will be no threat." The emperor whispered.

The Queen Mother raised her lips and a hint of sarcasm flashed in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, don't make it hard for yourself to make such a promise. I will help you, but you have to promise me to let the Queen and Xiao Wu go, and give the Qu family a golden medal of immunity from death."

The emperor was surprised. Is this all? Is it not as good as letting another girl from the Qu family become the queen?

"Li'er is the only girl of marriageable age in the Qu family now. I can't bear to let her go to the palace and suffer." The Queen Mother said coldly.

"The Queen was not like this at the beginning. Why has she become so unrecognizable? Doesn't the Emperor know?"

The emperor's face turned even paler.

The Queen Mother sighed, "Guangning's death really has nothing to do with the Queen. Someone must have taken advantage of the situation."

"Guangning has been spoiled." The emperor said in a low voice.

Hearing that the emperor did not really believe what she said, the empress dowager did not force it.

"If the Queen had this brain, the harem would not be ruled by Concubine Yao today." The Queen Mother said lightly.

"Mother, Prime Minister Zhang is too ambitious. Over the years, he has used the name of the Qu family to form cliques for Xiaowu. I can no longer use this man." said the emperor.

The Queen Mother nodded, "I will persuade him to retire."

"With you protecting the Second Prince, I can rest assured and recuperate."

"I'll ask Concubine Yao to take care of you." The Queen Mother stood up.

"I have demoted her to Concubine Yao," said the emperor.

The Queen Mother: "Not as good as the noble concubine."

emperor:"……"

Concubine Yao came to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. She was wearing a simple palace dress, her hair was simply tied up with a hairpin, and the corners of her eyes were a little red and swollen.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." She knelt down and saluted. Even though her face was haggard, her eyes were still clear and bright.

"You have suffered." The emperor said in a hoarse voice.

Concubine Yao choked up.

"I regret day and night why I spoiled Guangning so much. If I had treated her like a son and taught her strictly since she was young, perhaps she would not have developed this character."

"It's the father's fault if the son is not well educated. I am also responsible." The emperor sighed.

"Get up, the ground is cold."

Concubine Yao stood up and looked at the emperor's graying temples. She felt heartbroken and said, "Your Majesty, you must take care of yourself."

The emperor smiled and waved his hand, "Princess Yao, don't let anyone investigate who murdered Guangning, at least not now."

"Meng Zhi is back. He said that after Guangning left Shangjing, he always felt that someone was following them." Concubine Yao whispered.

"Your Majesty, someone has long wanted Guangning's life. Everything that happened in the capital was premeditated."

Emperor: "That's because Guangning has leverage in the hands of others, so he was easily used."

Concubine Yao nodded with hatred, "Yes, I know."

She knew Guangning was wrong, and demoting Guangning to a commoner was the severest punishment.

But someone wanted to kill her.

She could not forgive the person who killed Guangning.

The pain of losing a daughter is heart-wrenching.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will never investigate if you don't allow me to." She whispered.

But Meng Zhi knew clearly that there was something unusual along the way, and he would definitely be able to find out and lead the butcher to Guangning.

As long as the butcher is alive, I will find him even if I have to dig three feet underground.