The villain who defeated the son of destiny was my father

The warm sun of the afternoon shone obliquely into the palace walls. Sima Zheng and Qu Qingyan walked together into the solemn and dignified palace to report to the emperor on the major cases they had handled during this period.

The atmosphere in the palace was solemn and quiet. The old emperor sat on the dragon throne, carefully flipping through the scrolls in front of him, which recorded the details of the case and the process of solving the case. His eyes moved with the text, sometimes nodding slightly, sometimes falling into deep thought. After a long time, he finally raised his head, a gratified smile appeared on his face, and he praised Sima Zheng: "My dear, I have read the files of these cases. Your performance during this period is really good. The speed and efficiency of solving the case far exceeded my expectations. It is really a blessing for my dynasty!"

Sima Zheng heard the emperor's praise, but he did not show the slightest complacency. Instead, he turned slightly with a humble look, cast his eyes on Qu Qingyan who was standing beside him, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I dare not be proud of my achievements. These days, we have been able to solve these cases so quickly, in fact, thanks to Yan Qing's assistance. Yan Qing is very smart and quick-witted. He can often find clues that we have overlooked at critical moments and point out the direction for solving the case. Without his great help, I would never be so successful, and it would be impossible to solve these cases so quickly."

The old emperor's eyes slowly fell on the young man, as if he saw another familiar figure through him, his eyes full of nostalgia, "Yan Qing, you... can you tell me when your master will be back?"

Qu Qingyan lowered his head slightly, and he also felt nostalgic for his father. He replied softly, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister should be back in half a month."

Hearing this, the old emperor's eyes fell back on the pile of memorials in front of him. His brows knitted slightly, a look of fatigue emerged on his face. He sighed deeply and said helplessly: "There is still half a month left... During this half month, I will be busy and toil in the court again, and handle many affairs personally. Alas, now that the prime minister is gone, I deeply understand how difficult it is for him on a daily basis!"

In the past, when the prime minister was in office, he was in charge of all the affairs in the court, and he only needed to enjoy himself behind the scenes. Now that the prime minister is no longer in the court, he knows the hardships and difficulties involved.

Just at this moment, the chief eunuch, looking very embarrassed, hurried over with a young eunuch.

The young eunuch trotted into the hall, and seeing the high and mighty old emperor, he knelt down without hesitation, with his forehead pressed against the ground. He kept kowtowing and shouted anxiously, "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! The Empress Dowager has a splitting headache, which is unbearable. She keeps shouting desperate words like she doesn't want to live anymore. Your Majesty, please go and see her quickly. The Empress Dowager is in a critical condition!"

"I'm not an imperial physician. What's the point of me going?" The old emperor listened to the young eunuch's crying and refused coldly.

The young eunuch still pleaded, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother knows very well that she has done some things that have let you down in the past. Now she feels that she does not have much time left. She just wants to see you again at this last moment, so as to complete the mother-son relationship of many years. Your Majesty, please just pity the Queen Mother."

The old emperor looked calm and unmoved, but in the depths of his eyes, a hint of tenderness emerged. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I have already sought famous doctors for the queen mother. I believe it won't take long before the queen mother's long-standing illness can be completely cured."

"Your Majesty," Qu Qingyan saw that the time had come, stepped forward and said respectfully, "I was fortunate enough to learn from a hermit master, and I know a little bit about medicine. Maybe I can relieve the Queen Mother's headache."

She knew clearly that tomorrow Qu Xinzhu would take down the imperial decree and come to the palace to treat the Queen Mother's headache. How could she just watch Qu Xinzhu complete the system task so easily?

The old emperor looked at her in surprise, then remembered the great power of the prime minister, and nodded in agreement, "Well, you can go with me."

Sima Zheng was surprised and asked quietly, "Yan Qing, I didn't expect you to know medicine?"

"I just know a little bit." Qu Qingyan raised the corner of his mouth and smiled modestly, with a hint of calmness in his eyes.

Soon, everyone arrived at the Cining Palace. Before they even stepped into the palace, the Queen Mother's voice, full of pain and suffering, could be heard.

"I can't bear it anymore! Please ask the imperial physician to bring me medicine so that I can be relieved as soon as possible and avoid this suffering." The Queen Mother's voice was filled with deep despair.

"Empress Dowager, please be patient for a moment. The imperial doctors are trying their best to find a solution." The palace maids persuaded her anxiously, their voices full of worry.

"Hmph! Those quack doctors," the Queen Mother's voice suddenly rose, full of resentment, "After so many years, we have tried every possible method, but they still can't cure my disease. They are really useless!"

"Your Majesty is here!"

With the eunuch's shrill and long shout, the hall suddenly became quiet and the empress dowager's scolding also stopped abruptly.

Everyone knelt down and greeted.

Qu Qingyan and Sima Zheng also saluted the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?" The Queen Mother raised her eyes and saw the old emperor. She forced a smile on her face and tried to stand up despite her weak body. She pretended to be strong and said, "I have only some minor problems. It's nothing serious. Your Majesty is very busy. You should go back quickly. Don't let me delay state affairs."

The old emperor looked calm, and just explained casually: "My mother is ill. As a son, I should come to visit her. But I have been busy with court affairs recently and I can't spare the time, so I am late. I hope my mother can understand my difficulties and don't blame me." After that, he pointed to Qu Qingyan behind him and introduced him: "Yan Qing once studied under a hermit master and studied medicine for many years. He has made great achievements. I brought him here today to let him take a closer look at my mother. Maybe he can relieve her pain."

When the Queen Mother heard this, she glanced at the man. When she saw that it was Yan Qing, the smile she had been trying to maintain disappeared instantly, replaced by a face full of displeasure and disgust. She snorted coldly and said bluntly: "Humph! Even if I die of pain, I will never let anyone from the Prime Minister's Mansion treat me." Obviously, she still hated what happened in the past.

When the old emperor saw that the empress dowager had so mercilessly rejected his face, any softness in his heart disappeared in an instant. His face turned cold and he immediately stood up and pretended to leave.