Chapter 1966 She is the Queen Mother

Ye Bufan arrived outside Lingxiao Academy, where Zheng Sanbao had already prepared horses. Everyone mounted, and the two rode side-by-side at the front.

"Grand Manager, do you know why the Empress Dowager wants to see me?"

Zheng Sanbao smiled slightly, "How could a servant like me presume to guess the Empress Dowager's intentions?"

Although he held an extremely special position in the imperial court, he showed no arrogance, speaking with a peaceful demeanor.

"Then how did the Empress Dowager know about me?"

Zheng Sanbao smiled again and said, "Divine Doctor Ye, there's no need to rush. You'll see the Empress Dowager soon, and then everything will naturally become clear."

Seeing that he couldn't get any information, Ye Bufan stopped asking questions and slowly pondered. For some reason, he always felt that the Empress Dowager seemed very familiar with him.

However, he thought for a long time, and indeed, since coming to Kunlun Continent, he had never met this Empress Dowager, nor even anyone related to the imperial court.

The horses Zheng Sanbao prepared were all High Grade horned horses, and everyone quickly arrived in front of a grand palace city.

Tianfeng Empire was divided into an outer city and an inner city, and the Imperial Palace was naturally built within the inner city.

Like the palaces he had seen in his previous life, the architecture here was magnificent and imposing, exuding endless majesty.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace gate, Zheng Sanbao handed the horses to the nearby guards, and everyone walked inside.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters.

Zheng Sanbao led Ye Bufan inside, then turned and exited, closing the door behind him, seemingly not at all worried that he would pose a threat to the Empress Dowager's safety.

He stood in the room, and besides a woman behind a bead curtain opposite him, there was no one else.

Ye Bufan felt deeply puzzled. What was going on? Was the Empress Dowager really so trusting of him?

Just then, the bead curtain opened, and a graceful woman emerged from within, adorned with a Phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, her beauty imbued with a natural imperial majesty.

"Dr. Ye, how quickly we meet again."

Ye Bufan felt the voice was so familiar. He looked up and saw that the person standing before him was precisely the woman he had treated in Tianlang City—Hua Ziyue.

At this moment, he was filled with shock. At the time, he only knew that Zhai Tianfang was unusually respectful towards this woman, but he never expected her to be the Empress Dowager.

"The situation was special then, and it was inconvenient for me to reveal my identity. Please forgive me, Dr. Ye."

"I…"

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"I wouldn't dare."

The little etiquette Ye Bufan had in his mind was learned from palace dramas in his previous life. Meeting a real Empress Dowager for the first time, he momentarily didn't know how to address himself.

Fortunately, Hua Ziyue didn't care about such formalities. She smiled slightly, completely devoid of the Empress Dowager's usual sternness.

"Dr. Ye, did Grand Manager Zheng arrive in time? Was the trouble resolved?"

"The trouble has been resolved. Thank you for your help, Empress Dowager."

Ye Bufan immediately understood that Zheng Sanbao had been sent by Hua Ziyue, but this was not surprising.

As the current Empress Dowager, it was reasonable for her to have her own informants within the City Guard, and it was natural for her to know about this matter.

"It's nothing. I still owe you a life from Tianlang City."

Hua Ziyue smiled and said, "Both of us are Cultivators, and you are my savior. There's no need to be so formal. You can just call me Sister Ziyue using Jianghu etiquette."

"Then I thank you, Sister Ziyue."

Ye Bufan said, bowing to Hua Ziyue. Regardless, he was very grateful for today's events.

"I said there's no need to be so formal."

Hua Ziyue reached out and produced a gold plaque, presenting it to him. "From now on, with this, you can freely enter and exit the Imperial Palace. If you have anything, just come find me."

Ye Bufan took the gold plaque and glanced at it. It was heavy in his hand, made entirely of pure gold. The front read 'Imperial Grant,' and the back bore the words 'Empress Dowager.'

He didn't stand on ceremony and directly put the item away.

"Sister Ziyue, there's something I don't quite understand. Why didn't you bring Grand Manager Zheng when you went to Tianlang City back then?"

Indeed, he was very puzzled. When Hua Ziyue went to Tianlang City, the guards she brought had low cultivation levels.

If she had brought a master like Zheng Sanbao, those assassins would probably have been killed before they even got close, and there would have been no danger at all.

Moreover, the Grand Manager of the Imperial Palace was originally responsible for protecting the Empress Dowager, so bringing him along would have been perfectly appropriate.

"That's a complicated story. Please, sit down, and we'll talk slowly."

Hua Ziyue motioned for Ye Bufan to sit down, a hint of worry flashing across her face, and began to recount the tale.

"Since the First Emperor's demise, the current Tianfeng Empire is vastly different from before…"

Ye Bufan, of course, knew that some matters were not suitable for him to know, but since she had already begun to speak, it was impolite to interrupt. He could only listen quietly.

After nearly

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a quarter of an hour, Hua Ziyue finally gave a general outline of the situation.

It turned out that a year ago, the Emperor of the Tianfeng Empire suddenly passed away, urgently abdicating in favor of the ten-year-old Little Emperor, with Hua Ziyue acting as regent.

However, this inevitably led some individuals to harbor covetous ambitions, vying for power, and even attempting to seize the throne.

Among them, the most powerful faction was led by the First Emperor's younger brother, Anshun Prince Song Jian.

This man held immense prestige throughout the Tianfeng Empire and was also the Grand Marshal of the Military, controlling military power. Such a person harboring rebellious intentions would be extremely difficult to control.

Fortunately, within the imperial court, there was Zheng Sanbao, acting as a pillar of stability, and some in the military remained loyal to the current Little Emperor, which was why no rebellion had been launched yet.

But that was only on the surface. Privately, Song Jian had been recruiting soldiers and expanding his power.

The reason Hua Ziyue was injured was because she encountered assassins when she went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for peace. The mastermind behind this incident was very likely Song Jian.

She finally said, "My last visit to Tianlang City to treat my injuries was done in secret. To prevent the news from leaking, I naturally couldn't take Grand Manager Zheng with me.

Moreover, he also had to guard the entire Imperial City and ensure the Emperor's safety. Naturally, he couldn't leave with me, otherwise, by the time we returned, the dynasty might have already changed."

"Oh!"

Ye Bufan nodded. It was often said that there was much strife within palace walls, and it seemed to be true now.

Conflicts of interest were not limited by time or space; they existed in every dynasty.

Then a hint of doubt arose in his mind: "Sister Ziyue, I have another question, I don't know if I should ask it?"

Hua Ziyue nodded and said, "Ask away!"

"It's just…" Ye Bufan paused, adjusting his words, "Looking at your age, you're at most in your early twenties. How did you become the Empress Dowager?"

If it were anyone else, they certainly wouldn't have this question, assuming Hua Ziyue had a way to maintain her youthful appearance.

But he was a doctor and had even taken her pulse before, so he was very clear about her body.

From her age, Hua Ziyue was only in her early twenties, at most not exceeding twenty-five. How could she possibly have a son as old as the Little Emperor?

Furthermore, there was another point he didn't feel comfortable mentioning: Hua Ziyue's primordial Yin Qi was still intact, clearly indicating she was a virgin. How could she possibly have a son?