Rumor

The Empress Dowager fixed a stern gaze on the aging duke, her displeasure evident.

All of this chaos was a result of his brother's actions.

He had argued that he feared the late emperor would be influenced by external forces, perpetually causing issues for the Public House. Now, witnessing the new emperor's unsettling methods of causing trouble, his predictions seemed eerily accurate.

Initially, the late emperor had conveyed to her that the Public House was discontent with the current state of affairs. She had dismissed the notion that they aimed to seize the throne.

Yet, her perspective was shifting.

In this moment of realization, she halted her reprimands of the new emperor. Despite his apparent foolishness, he remained her flesh and blood—a fact she couldn't overlook. She couldn't bear the thought of her own family crippling her grandson and usurping the throne.