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two months of traditional recuperation, Yan Gen was immediately invited to the imperial palace to bring Jinhai with him to visit. It was not just Noble Consort Su who wants to see the child again but also the Empress Dowager who was so delighted by the news and couldn't wait to hold the child in her arms.

Jinhai was after all, the first grandson of the Emperor, the second prince already has two daughters.

The invitation came out as a surprise for Yan Gen, it wasn't long ago since the palace forbid anyone to personally visit, even the imperial court meetings was held up for a few weeks, and the emperor didn't make an appearance for months. Suddenly, the palace is now open for visits?

Did the emperor regain his health? But he still didn't make a public appearance, the ministers are still obliged to write a report to him every few days however. It can be because they're trying to lighten up the atmosphere since the victorious army's return or it can also be because of Zhu Deming. What's the use of an old Emperor who couldn't govern his Empire properly anymore when there are many potential heirs who can govern way better than him? The emperor has already left out his youthful sharp mind.

The ministers, at the moment, are arguing to themselves which princes they will side on. The largest faction used to be the first prince and the second prince. Unfortunately for the latter, he was overthrown by the one he wished to get raid of right after the third prince was thrown into the prison upon falling into their many schemes.

Now the princes factions were reduced to two. The strong faction of the first prince, Zhu Deming, ever since he started his military campaigns, even threatening the Emperor's throne and the rising faction of the favored fifth prince ever since his interference of civil activities to this current war of battling two frontlines.

Though the fifth prince was favored greatly by the Emperor, probably because he's his last son, he made no indication of passing the dragon throne to him.

As for the fourth prince, Zhu Hai, who has always love peace, clearly made his stand in the imperial court from the very beginning. Always avoiding conflict by going to seclusion and staying out of the public eyes. Thus, when the battle for the dragon throne made another dangerous wave at the suspicion that the emperor is sick and is nearing his time, the fourth prince immediately asked to be relocated and have his own fiefdom, far away from the imperial capital.

With his wife, Li Mei. In the original novel, although Zhu Hai loved peace, he doesn't want to get out of the capital, he doesn't believe that his brothers will eventually targeted him if he stays in the capital. Hence, he was eventually beheaded under the pretext that he wants to covet the dragon throne.

Things were escalating too fast and it was getting out of control. Yan Gen doesn't know if he's really inside a novel or in another dimension that has similar names of the characters in the novel he had read in the past.

Li Mei married Zhu Hai and was already far away from the capital. Then how the hell will Zhu Mingli get the dragon throne? The female lead served a critical role for his ascension, she was his spy inside the palace.

“Lan-er...” Yan Gen snapped out of his thoughts when the Empress Dowager called him. The elegant old lady laughed at his lack of attention while carrying Jinhai in her arms. “You must be thinking of your husband since he's about to come home in a few days” she said in a teasing tone.

Blinking his eyes a few times, Yan Gen lowly laughed and started acting like a shy little girl when someone mentioned her crush. When in fact, he actually forgot about it if the Empress Dowager didn't mention it today. It's not his fault, he was just so busy these days. If he was busy before his pregnancy, he was busier after giving birth. Ah... he was starting to become really good at acting after getting married in the Imperial family.

Royal ladies and noble mademes went to visit him to take a look of his son, saying congratulatory words to him and sending him gifts.

“Ah, yes. That must be the case” Yan Gen faked another laugh while the Empress Dowager continue to play with Jinhai in her arms.

The Empress Dowager was so attached to Jinhai she keeps playing with him until noon, she even invited him to stay for dinner, saying that she has more than enough guards to escort them back to the wangfu at night. If it wasn't appropriate, she would have invited her to stay in the palace for the meantime until Zhu Mingli arrived.

Thus, Yan Gen took advantage of the situation to gather useful informations in the palace. Under the excuse that he's heading to his aunt's hall for a visit since he's already here in the palace. He's sure that Jinhai will be in good hands in the mean time, Yan Gen didn't touch him once after the Empress Dowager got him from his arms.

Good thing, his son isn't hard to handle, he rarely cries and he doesn't seems to be indifferent towards strangers. He even laugh when he was handed toys.

“Come back soon before dinner time, your son might look for you and cry” Yan Gen respectfully replied to Empress Dowager's reminder, he was then led by two of her maids while his two handmaidens followed behind him.

The people in the palace might be tight lipped, one wrong word and they might be beheaded, but their subtle actions may reflect their master's current situation. Just like now, none of his majesty's personal servants appeared around the palace, and the most talented physicians in the palace are also out of sight, none of the royalties or nobles were able to summon them. They didn't appear in public ever since the rumours about his majesty's health start to circulate.

The ministers who are obviously siding with the first prince are walking with their head held up high, none of the other faction or neutral ministers dare to provoke them so their arrogance is brimming to the point that they even reprimanded some of the few men from noble houses that are yet to take a post.

And to Yan Gen's fortune or misfortune, he crossed path with Zhu Deming.

Yan Gen stepped aside to give way to him before he bowed in greetings, his head lowered not daring to look up at him.

The man was already emitting dark aura and strong presence the moment he stepped in your sight.

“Mingli's wangfei? This prince missed the opportunity to congratulate you and my brother in your wedding as I was kept by important duties”

At the mention of Mingli's name, Yan Gen lowered his head even more. Is he targeting him now knowing how much Zhu Mingli valued him?

“Duties to the Empire comes above all, the Princess Consort understands and held nothing against his highness” Zhu Deming's eyes narrowed at his petite figure that was ready to kiss the ground. “held nothing against me, eh?” there was some sort of sarcasm in his voice.

“In that case... why don't you accompany this prince to pay respect to the Empress?” Yan Gen's head immediately swept up to him, an advisor beside the prince who looks like a scholar also immediately step up, wanting to stop his initial plan but a single sharp look from the prince was all it took for him to shut his mouth.

“It seems you're on the way to visit Noble Consort Wei, the princess consort also visited the Empress Dowager, wouldn't it be rude not to pay respect to the Empress herself?” Zhu Deming continued in a monotonous tone.

Cold sweat started to form on his back. What is this prince planning? Deliberately making things difficult for him?

Zhu Deming made a point, he was just politely asking. Besides, they're in an open space where servants eyes and ears are all over the place. What could possibly go wrong? Yan Gen has no right to refuse for if he did, it would be seen as being disrespectful to an imperial family--his brothes in law.