re already hungry by this time. Although she didn't dare come in earlier, she had cooked porridge in the kitchen ahead of time. Now, she was drinking it just right, neither hot nor cold.After filling...“What a noble act from the Crown Prince!” a guest quickly praised with a smile, “The Emperor has keen eyes. Choosing the Crown Prince as his son-in-law is truly the most suitable match.”

"That's right, the son-in-law is both virtuous and capable, a blessing for Tianwu." The other person also quickly agreed.

Lu Zong really didn't want to be insincere with them, so he went back to change his clothes. When he came out, Chang Sui also returned.

The master and servant found a secluded spot. Chang Sui then said, "Young Master, both Lord and Mr. Wen sent gifts, but they didn't show up."

According to reports, Mr. Li fell asleep with the window open last night and caught a chill. He wasn't feeling very comfortable.

Mr. Wen was a censor, and he didn't just avoid Cai's household; when others had happy events, he also never showed up.

As for Master Liu, he came once before the feast began. He just sat for a while when someone from his family came to inform him that his grandfather's condition had worsened and a doctor had been called. So he hurried back home...

Lu Zong frowned, pondering for a long time without speaking.

These three people had reasons to be absent, and nothing seemed amiss.

But he had a bad feeling, like there was something he'd missed, or something he was being kept in the dark about...

At that moment, the front yard suddenly erupted in noise.

As if many people were shouting, very frightened and anxious.

Lu Zong quickly brought his long-serving attendant back to the front yard.

Just now, there were many guests filling the room, but now all the chairs and tables are empty.

Everyone gathered at the front door of the main hall, leaning on their feet and peering out.

Lu Zong couldn't help but grab someone and asked, "I just went out for a while, why did things get so noisy What happened here"

"Oh dear, but something terrible has happened!" The person who was pulled exclaimed. Their eyes glittered with malicious joy, but their expression tried hard to feign sadness, making it all seem very strange.

"Master Cai just ate a meatball, probably swallowed it too quickly, and ended up choking unconscious."

Hearing this, bystanders also joined in the fun and added a sentence.

"The imperial physician is drunk and can't wake up right now. Someone has already gone to the palace to invite a court physician, hoping they arrive in time."

Both men also wanted to make room for Lu Zong, but Lu Zong waved his hand and even quietly stepped back.

He turned his head to look at the empty courtyard, remembering Li Laoer and the others who were absent. Suddenly, he felt like he understood something...

Two quarters of an hour later, the imperial physician finally arrived in a rush.

Even the emperor heard about this and was very concerned, so he sent Feng Gonggong to follow the imperial physician, in order to report back at any time.

Unfortunately, Cai Taifu's luck was too bad. He wasted too much time. By the time the imperial physician felt his pulse, he had already passed away.

The old man, who was originally a picture of youthful vigor with white hair and an ethereal presence, now had his face turning purple and green. His eyes bulged out in fear and unwillingness.

This appearance, upon seeing it, anyone would inevitably feel chills and apprehension.

Death came too suddenly and was too unbelievable!

After serving two dynasties and enjoying all the glory, the venerable grand tutor is gone just like that!

The Cai family wept bitterly, as if the heavens had fallen. They had lost their pillar of support, and indeed, the world seemed to have collapsed around them.

You have to know that the Emperor's preferential treatment of the Cai family was all due to his respect for the master-disciple relationship with Old Master.

What's more, there are some unknown reasons why the old master absolutely couldn't have had a problem, yet he did...

Seeing Cai Taifu's children and grandchildren crying until they fainted, everyone couldn't help but feel sympathy for them and began to console...

Soon, the Cai family, despite their grief, had to pull themselves together and make preparations for the funeral.

Good fortune turned into disaster in an instant!

With the guests gone, the news spread throughout the entire New City.

Some were surprised, some sighed, some grieved, but more couldn't help but gossip.

"What's going on lately, so many misfortunes! Chang Tongling only died a few days ago, and now even Cai Taifu has met with an accident, choked to death by meatballs!"

"Yeah, I haven't heard of this happening in years. This is the second time in a row."

“Who knows, it’s really unsettling. If there’s no rain in the sky, will there be plagues on the ground”

"Don't talk nonsense, plague people are in groups, there are only two of them. Besides, these were all accidents, coincidences."

"Never mind, I just feel a shiver down my spine. I'll definitely go to the temple tomorrow and burn incense, asking for an amulet of protection."

"Let's go together, have a good time, and seek peace of mind."

On every street corner, you hear these kinds of conversations, of course, with the main characters being ordinary housewives.

While the officials at court weren't afraid yet, they all felt a bit uneasy.

Especially the elderly, taking off their shoes at night, they wonder if they will be able to put them on tomorrow morning.

What terrible luck, you could be killed even by a simple fall...

Among these people, there is still one who is the most afraid.

That is Empress Dowager Cixi in the Shou'an Palace!

"What Master Cai has died!" Upon hearing the news, the Empress Dowager directly dropped the teacup from her hand.

The elderly eunuch, upon hearing the news, was also terribly alarmed. He replied, "Yes, Empress Dowager, the news is definitely not wrong. This old servant heard a guard at the gate say it. This old servant bribed him with a jade ring before he would reveal the information."

"No, no!" The Empress Dowager's increasingly aged face turned pale. She paced frantically, "Something must have happened! General Chang's death could have been an accident. But Master Cai's death... that means something is definitely wrong! They've been discovered!"

The old eunuch hurried to ask, "Empress Dowager, should the old slave go out for a while"

"No, the secret passage must not be exposed. Wait a little longer." The Empress Dowager tried her best to calm down and ordered, "The Emperor kept me in Shou Kang Palace on the pretext of my illness for so long, just to force me to use the secret passage. I will absolutely not let him have his way."

"Tomorrow is the day when the Noble Consort will come to pay her respects. Then, this palace will send her to deliver a message."

"The Consort… will she come Right now, the court is pushing to select a Crown Prince. With the Second Prince's position, he could easily ascend to the throne. The Consort…" The elderly eunuch seemed worried.

The Empress Dowager coldly interrupted her, "She wouldn't dare disobey. She did so many things for this palace before, it's not something easily washed clean. If the Emperor knew, even if he loved her dearly, he would have her executed!"

Besides, the Second Prince is frail and can't possibly handle the affairs of state alone. With this palace as a warning, the Emperor would absolutely not allow the Noble Consort to become another me, interfering in government matters. It's likely that the day the Second Prince becomes crown prince will be the day the Noble Consort dies.

"The Noble Consort must survive, the only way is to cooperate with this palace, to install the second prince as emperor, and even...eliminate the current Emperor!"

The old eunuch bowed his head deeply, not daring to answer.

The Empress Dowager also found it boring, waving her hand to dismiss them. "Go now, and wait until the Noble Consort comes to pay her respects tomorrow."

The old eunuch quickly retreated, and a sudden night wind blew through the courtyard, making him shiver...

Will things really go as smoothly as the Empress Dowager predicted

No one knew the answer, but at this moment, Cai Taifu's residence outside the palace was more lively than daylight.

To be precise, it was the cries that were louder.

The only direct descendant of the Cai family for four generations, due to the chaos of mourning, lost his servant's care and secretly slipped to the small lake in the garden to catch fish.

When he was found, he had already drowned and was floating on the surface of the lake...

The grandfather died in the morning, and the great-grandson died in the afternoon. What a pair to keep each other company on their journey to the underworld! boxes of snacks emptied, each one looking like a fluffy little cat after eating."Meow, I want this box to hold my treasures!" yelled the kitten, dashing forward like a wild pony."Whose box is this" L...