Moyuan returned to the Imperial Palace along with Senior Grand Secretary Zhang and the other officials. The Empress Dowager summoned them to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Princess Kangning, dressed in fine regalia, accompanied the Empress Dowager at her side.
The Empress Dowager had already been informed of Emperor Shengwu’s death and the news that the Crown Prince had been killed by Xie Mingzheng. In the span of just half a day, she had aged rapidly, her face etched with deep, prominent lines.
When Moyuan entered the hall, he did not join the other officials in paying his respects. Instead, he stood tall in the center of the hall, gazing at the Empress Dowager with indifference. His mother, Mo Rong, had been the Empress Dowager’s own daughter, just like Princess Kangning. However, through his investigations, Moyuan had discovered that the Empress Dowager was fully aware of the situation when Emperor Shengwu had privately imprisoned Mo Rong years ago. Moyuan loathed Emperor Shengwu, and he felt the same resentment toward this Empress Dowager, who had never cherished Mo Rong as a daughter.
Chapter 348