After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 536 - 353: My Son Has His Own Difficulties! (Requesting Monthly Tickets)_2

Chapter 536: Chapter 353: My Son Has His Own Difficulties! (Requesting Monthly Tickets)_2
Fu Zhen then recounted in detail the story Yang Yi had told last night. "The old grudge between King Dongzi and Empress Dowager Wu was exploited by Lian Yang. If his conspiracy succeeds, it will certainly cause destruction to the Great Zhou, so our General dares not delay."
The Empress inhaled deeply: "These small countries are also not peaceful. Once royal power is involved, nothing is small." She paused and mused: "I have some impression of that King Dongzi. When he first ascended the throne, he sent envoys to the Great Zhou and brought gifts, which surprisingly were products of my ancestral home.
"I thought then that this person is meticulous and thorough in handling affairs.
"But later, as the Great Zhou and Dayue waged war for many years, the exchanges with Dongzi halted.
"How did news from their country reach your hands?"
Fu Zhen, unperturbed, said: "Last night, we received an anonymous letter that detailed the entire process. At first glance, it seemed unrelated to the Great Zhou, but upon deeper reflection, we realized we couldn’t afford to be careless. Lian Yang is ambitious. Though he currently wanders in exile with no power to turn the tables, if he has the backing of Dongzi’s two hundred thousand soldiers, the situation changes."
The Empress pondered: "But Lian Yang is already like a stray dog. What leverage does he have to convince those generals to cooperate with him?"
"Lian Yang has no troops now, but if he allies with these people to first seize the throne of Dayue, he will gain his own forces. Then, if he helps these people swallow Dongzi, it would be beneficial for both sides."
The Empress, after a moment of contemplation, nodded: "Makes sense." She then sighed: "The desire for power truly drives people mad."
Fu Zhen covertly observed her: "Why does Your Majesty make such a remark?"
The Empress sighed and shook her head: "As the Empress of a nation, holding power in my hands, I really have no right to speak of such things."
"Your Majesty, that’s too serious. I didn’t mean it that way."
The Empress smiled faintly: "I don’t blame you; it was purely an expression of my feelings."
Fu Zhen looked at her graying temples and slumped shoulders: "Your Majesty has truly worked hard for the country over the years. If only the esteemed Crown Prince were by your side. With such an outstanding Prince, he would certainly make a good Crown Prince, learn how to govern the world in an orderly manner, and spare Your Majesty from worry."
As she finished speaking, the eunuch beside her cast a sidelong glance at her, then cleared his throat: "General’s Wife, please be cautious with your words."
Back then, the Empress lost her son and had been heartbroken for years. For someone to mention this in her presence now would be rubbing salt into her wounds.
Looking at the Empress’s expression, it was certainly not as calm as before.
But how could Fu Zhen not know the delicacy of the matter?
She was certainly doing it on purpose.
Standing up to apologize: "I misspoke, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The Empress sat in silence for a moment, then waved her hand: "Enough, sit down."
Fu Zhen expressed her thanks and sat back down, then said: "Actually, there was a reason for what I said just now... I dare not speak of it."
The Empress glanced at her: "You spoke of what you dared not to say, what is there to fear now?"
Fu Zhen chuckled: "Does that mean Your Majesty forgives my fault? Then I will speak." She paused, then said: "There is a martial arts school in the capital called Taishan Hall, run by an old fellow named Li Yi. Back when His Majesty led the army to capture the capital city, Mr. Li, along with several heroes, helped out of righteousness and was later rewarded by His Majesty. I wonder if Your Majesty knows of him?"
When Fu Zhen mentioned Li Yi’s name, the Empress had already raised her head, and only after Fu Zhen finished speaking did she respond: "What about him?"
"Here’s the thing. A while ago, Mr. Li said that several of his shops in Cangzhou were vandalized. Seeing him in distress, I loaned him a couple of shopkeepers to sort out the accounts. A few days ago, he returned, still worried, and came to me, saying that his shops were smashed because he was implicated. The group that smashed the shops was looking for someone with a phoenix-shaped birthmark on the back of their neck...
"Your Majesty, when I heard about this phoenix-shaped birthmark, why did I immediately think of the Crown Prince?"
The Empress sat upright on the brocade couch, yet her slender frame appeared unusually tense, and her usually not-so-plump face turned somewhat pale, "You said it was a few days ago?"
"Exactly, he returned to the capital city three to five days ago at most."
"I asked about his shops being smashed!" The Empress became anxious, her once-kind eyes now sharp, "When did his shops get vandalized? Why would his shops getting smashed be related to someone with a phoenix-shaped birthmark?"