I insist

Chapter 254: The New Emperor

She spoke directly to the Empress Dowager, her eyes revealing a hint of unease: "His Majesty's health is not very good right now."

The Empress Dowager was now completely panicked. She was able to act with impunity in the palace thanks to the Emperor's support. When her affair with her male favorite was exposed, she had been trying to find a way to cover it up.

Fortunately, the emperor did not take it to heart, and the matter was dropped.

But now the Emperor's health is not good, which means that the Emperor does not have much time left. The Empress Dowager's eyes darted around anxiously. What should she do if the Emperor passes away?

Her fingers involuntarily gripped the hem of her dress, wrinkling it but refusing to let go. The Empress Dowager murmured, "What am I supposed to do now?"

The Prince of Yi perished in the fire, and the Empress will definitely search for clues. She will focus more on herself, since she surely believes that if it weren't for her, the Prince of Yi would still be the Crown Prince and so many terrible things wouldn't have happened!

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager nervously tightened her clothes, fearing that the Empress would not let her off after the Emperor's death.

Granny Hua could tell that the Empress Dowager was in a state of confusion.

Having served the Empress Dowager for many years, she understood that the Empress Dowager was surely thinking about the Empress. Granny Hua glanced at Song Miqiu, thought it over and over, and finally asked her to leave.

"Imperial Physician Song, the consultation is over. The Empress Dowager is clearly tired. You should leave quickly so as not to delay her rest."

Song Miqiu glanced meaningfully in the direction of the Empress Dowager. A slight smile appeared on her lips. Considering that Granny Hua had often helped her in the past, Song Miqiu did not make things difficult for Granny Hua, but nodded obediently.

She turned and strode away from the place.

After the others left, Granny Hua strode up to the Empress Dowager. Seeing her agitated state, she asked softly, "Empress Dowager, are you afraid that the Empress will deal with you?"

Based on the information she knew, Granny Hua was able to guess some of the details.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the other party, then summoned her trusted confidant. In a low voice, she said, "Go and find the Prince of Yi immediately. I have a feeling that he is not dead!"

She thought about it more carefully and found it very strange. After all, the Wing King wasn't brainless; it was impossible for him to be burned to death without making a sound.

The corpses rumored to be in the fire were probably not those of the Wing King.

Granny Hua was somewhat puzzled. Standing beside the Empress Dowager, she asked in a low voice, "What do you mean by those words, Your Majesty? Do you perhaps think that Prince Yi is still alive?"

"He must be alive!" the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice. She looked up at Granny Hua and moved closer to her. The Empress Dowager asked softly, "Granny Hua, among the next few people, who do you think is most suitable to be the emperor?"

Granny Hua covered her mouth in slight surprise, bowing even lower as she asked in astonishment, "Your Majesty, are you planning to choose a new emperor ahead of schedule?"

"His Majesty is in poor health now. I must find a new patron as soon as possible, lest when His Majesty passes away and the Empress bullies me, there will be no one to help me fight back."

This is why the Empress Dowager most wanted to find a new emperor; in her eyes, she couldn't bear to suffer.

Not long after Song Miqiu returned home, she saw Qiu Tianlei and Tian Yumei packing up and returning from their stall.

She sat there, smiling as she looked at the other person, and saw Qiu Tianlei very attentively helping Tian Yumei pack up all the things in her hands.

"Wife, don't overwork yourself now!" Qiu Tianlei said excitedly. He noticed that the wind was strong today, and it was already fierce during the day. It would definitely be even stronger at night.

"It's not as delicate as you make it out to be," Tian Yumei complained, but a smile played on her lips. She chuckled and placed her hand on Qiu Tianlei's chest, explaining softly, "I still need to prepare the ingredients for tomorrow."

"Why are you preparing the ingredients?" Qiu Tianlei said with a look of disapproval. "I'll prepare these ingredients. You should go back to your room and rest."

As soon as Qiu Tianlei said this, Tian Yumei immediately objected. She grabbed Qiu Tianlei's arm and said in a deep voice, "If you're left to do all this work yourself, you'll definitely wear yourself out! We have a lot of customers now, and their needs are huge!"

Qiu Tianlei understood what Tian Yumei was saying, but he was just worried about Tian Yumei's health.

The two stood their ground for a while, neither willing to give in. Finally, Qiu Tianlei was the first to back down. He pinched Tian Yumei's cheek and said, "In that case, you should wear more clothes! Otherwise, you'll get cold tonight!"

"it is good!"

He swiftly returned to the house, found a cloak, and draped it over Tian Yumei's shoulders. At the same time, he seized the opportunity to plant a kiss on Tian Yumei's cheek.

Qiu Tianlei had already planned that when preparing the ingredients later, he would give Tian Yumei some of the easier tasks. This way, Tian Yumei would feel that he was helping her, and she wouldn't be overworked. It would be a win-win situation.

They assumed no one was home, since it wasn't yet time for Song Miqiu to return from her shift.

Just as Qiu Tianlei was about to get intimate, Tian Yumei suddenly saw something and shrank into Qiu Tianlei's arms in fright.

"What's wrong?" Qiu Tianlei asked anxiously.

Tian Yumei did not respond to the other party in time. She looked in the direction of Song Miqiu, patted her chest in surprise, and said helplessly, "Mother, you came back without saying a word. At least you could have lit a candle next to you."

"You were so quiet just now, you scared us to death!" Tian Yumei said reproachfully.

Song Miqiu's eyes were full of smiles. She had been somewhat mesmerized by Qiu Tianlei and Tian Yumei's previous interactions, and when she came to her senses, their atmosphere was so pleasant that Song Miqiu didn't want to disturb them. So she quietly stayed to the side and watched them with a smile.

"I'm just seeing you two being all lovey-dovey, and I don't want to bother you."

The mere mention of what had just happened made Tian Yumei blush slightly, as if she had been stepped on. She glanced at Qiu Tianlei and gestured to him.

Clutching the cloak Qiu Tianlei had given him, he quickly shrank back and ran towards the room.

Seeing this, Qiu Tianlei smiled and gave Song Miqiu a grateful look. No matter what he said, Tian Yumei wouldn't go, but Song Miqiu only mentioned it and she went back immediately.

However, remembering their original plans, Qiu Tianlei awkwardly walked up to Song Miqiu, scratched the back of his head, and stammered, "Mother, I want to buy a house, but I don't know what you..."

He glanced up at Song Miqiu's expressionless face. Afraid that Song Miqiu would be angry, Qiu Tianlei quickly explained, "My wife said she wants to buy more houses because she's worried that there won't be enough room for everyone in the future."