ASTRP -Chapter 154 A Rift Between the Young Emperor and the Empress Dowager

As soon as Feng Jingge offered her reminder, Xiao Jinghan not only did not get up.

Instead, he lay back down again.

Leaning against the armchair, he closed his eyes to rest.

“It’s a good sign.”

“???”

That completely nonsensical remark left Feng Jingge utterly confused.

She looked at him in bewilderment. “What good sign?”

Xiao Jinghan lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at her. “If the Empress Dowager catches Xiao Yu sneaking out of the palace through a dog hole, what do you think will happen?”

Without thinking, Feng Jingge replied, “No need to guess. She’ll fly into a rage.”

“And then?” Xiao Jinghan pressed.

“He’ll be beaten and punished, what else—”

Halfway through her sentence, a flash of insight struck Feng Jingge. She stared straight at him.

“You’re trying to use the Empress Dowager?”

Xiao Jinghan curved his lips into a faint smile. “This prince is staying in his residence, not stepping out of the gate. How is that using anyone?”

“Besides, I’m only human. I don’t have eyes that see a thousand miles. How could I possibly manipulate the Empress Dowager?”

Feng Jingge rolled her eyes inwardly as she listened.

No “eyes that see a thousand miles,” sure.

But the palace was full of his spies.

He knew everything happening inside the palace like the back of his hand.

Any slight movement in the palace would reach him in no time.

For example, what Chu Ning had just said about experts protecting Xiao Yu—openly and secretly, it all implied that the mastermind behind those experts was Xiao Jinghan.

Now Chu Ning coming to report all this to Xiao Jinghan clearly meant he was passing information—he was leaning toward Xiao Jinghan’s side.

Thinking of this, Feng Jingge said, “Chu Ning he…”

Xiao Jinghan had already noticed the change in her expression.

He could even see through what she was thinking.

“It should be the Chu family’s instruction.”

“They’ve been quiet for decades, but now that Chu Ning has been chosen as an attendant, their ambition is stirring again.”

Just hearing it made Feng Jingge’s head hurt. Power struggles, scheming, intrigue…

As expected, she was more suited to a simple life without overthinking things.

It was just as well. Everyone had ambition—it depended on how Chu Ning chose to act.

“If he has his own judgment and isn’t just a puppet of the Chu family, this prince can support him a little.”

“If not… then I’ll have to suppress him.”

Feng Jingge sighed. “Earlier we were just saying that if Chu Ning is sincere toward Xiao Yu, we could use the Chu family to balance the Pei family.”

“And now after one visit from him, everything has changed.”

She sighed again. “Life is unpredictable.”

“It’s just like Xiao Yu—you spent nearly a month building trust with him.”

“Just when the bridge of trust was almost complete, the Empress Dowager comes in with a few words of concern, and the bridge collapses.”

Feng Jingge shook her head. “It wasn’t just concern. Concern alone wouldn’t shake Xiao Yu’s heart.”

“The Empress Dowager must have said something else.”

“Mm.” Xiao Jinghan responded calmly. “No rush.”

“We’ll soon know what she said to Xiao Yu.”

Seeing Xiao Jinghan’s composed, strategizing demeanor, Feng Jingge felt that before long, the Empress Dowager might be the one in trouble.

—

At this moment, inside the imperial palace.

In a remote, overgrown corner filled with wild weeds, three small figures were hiding among the grass.

Xu Shu crouched at the base of the palace wall, pulling away loose stones and weeds that covered a hole.

He was sweating profusely.

Xiao Yu and Jin Anhao were keeping watch nearby.

This place was secluded and next to the Cold Palace—no one would come here.

“Done.”

Xu Shu turned back and said, “You two go first. I’ll go last.”

He stepped back to make space for them.

Xiao Yu and Jin Anhao moved forward.

Xiao Yu had already used this hole once before.

Compared to his hesitation the first time, he was now much more decisive.

He lay down and carefully crawled out.

Just as his upper body passed through the hole, a familiar voice came from above his head.

“Yu’er, where are you going?”

Xiao Yu froze.

He lifted his head sharply—and saw his mother standing there, smiling gently at him.

Beside the Empress Dowager were several palace maids, along with Eunuch Chen and other attendants…

All their gazes were fixed on him. Xiao Yu’s face instantly turned pale.

Without thinking, he retreated backward.

The Empress Dowager did not stop him. She simply watched him with a smile as he slowly disappeared back into the hole.

After he retreated, Xiao Yu collapsed to the ground and shouted urgently:

“Xu Shu, Jin Anhao, run! My mother is here!”

But when he turned around, his expression froze.

His voice stuck in his throat.

A blade was already pressed against Xu Shu and Jin Anhao’s necks.

They were members of the imperial guard!

Xu Shu remained calm, unaffected.

Jin Anhao, however, was terrified—her small face pale, her body trembling.

Xiao Yu’s anger surged. “What are you doing?! Put the swords down!”

A man in golden armor stepped forward and bowed slightly.

“Reporting to His Majesty, these two have acted suspiciously toward Your Majesty—”

Xiao Yu’s face turned cold as ice. “I told you to put the swords down!”

The man frowned and looked at him.

Xu Shu and Jin Anhao both froze, turning to look at Xiao Yu.

They had been with him for more than half a month—this was the first time they had ever seen him refer to himself as “I, the Emperor.”

The first time he had truly taken on the authority of an emperor.

Seeing that even after he spoke as emperor the man still did not order his subordinates to lower their swords, Xiao Yu felt a surge of humiliation and fury.

Was he not even considered an emperor?

Anger raged within him. His hands under his robe clenched tightly into fists.

Just as he was about to speak again, hurried footsteps sounded.

Everyone turned toward the sound—it was the Empress Dowager.

She led the way, followed by Eunuch Chen, palace maids, and attendants.

Her gaze swept over Xiao Yu briefly, then turned to Xu Shu and Jin Anhao.

She spoke calmly, “Pei Yuan, these two are the emperor’s attendants. Do not harm them. Put your swords away.”

At her words, the armored man named Pei Yuan immediately obeyed.

“Yes, Empress Dowager.”

With a wave of his hand, the swords pressed against Xu Shu and Jin Anhao’s necks were instantly withdrawn.

The scene made Xiao Yu’s anger and unwillingness surge violently in his chest, as if tearing him apart.

He had ordered Pei Yuan twice—both times useless.

But the moment the Empress Dowager spoke casually, Pei Yuan obeyed.

So… his authority as emperor meant nothing?

Heh…

Indeed. He was nothing more than a puppet emperor.

Eunuch Chen, who had been following behind the Empress Dowager with his head lowered, saw Xiao Yu’s face turning extremely dark.

He was clearly on the verge of exploding.

Still just a child after all—worried he might lose control, Eunuch Chen braved the risk of being punished by the Empress Dowager and stepped forward.

Blocking the Empress Dowager’s view, he quietly asked Xiao Yu with concern:

“Your Majesty… are you alright?”