Chapter 1109: Chapter 1109: Sometimes Like a Good Person, Sometimes Like a Bad Person

Long Xiyuan’s brows furrowed slightly, and he said, "Fine, I will ask."

Yet the former Empress knew him well.

She looked at his expression and suddenly smiled sadly.

The smile carried a sense of desolation.

"The Emperor will not ask, you simply do not trust me."

She had already seen the word ’suspicion’ in Long Xiyuan’s gaze.

Long Xiyuan, realizing she had noticed, no longer concealed it.

"You are closely associated with Prince Li Zheng, and as Empress, you hold great significance to the harem and even the entire realm."

"How can I be certain that you are not colluding with Prince Li Zheng?"

"Princess Consort Liang can manipulate matters within the Imperial Affairs Bureau; wouldn’t you have the concubines change their statements to defame Princess Consort Liang?"

"I need to investigate, give me time."

Long Xiyuan felt that he would never forget the look in the former Empress’s eyes at that moment.

Dark and hollow, as if looking at a stranger, yet also someone from the past.

The former Empress said nothing.

She simply sighed slowly.

She said, "If that’s the case, please hand the Six Palaces’ power back to me, let me oversee matters personally."

"If the Emperor finds that I perform poorly, you can immediately remove me from the position of Empress, and I will have no objection."

Considering her health condition, Long Xiyuan realized she lacked the energy to manage the Six Palaces again.

Yet the former Empress insisted, and even sat up from the bed.

Helplessly, Long Xiyuan agreed and arranged for two Chief Palace Servants to assist her.

Engulfed in memories, Long Xiyuan was already standing by the bed where the former Empress once slept.

He lowered his eyes, his tone revealing no trace of sadness.

"At that time, she seemed to be stubbornly exerting herself, personally attending to everything."

"I don’t know if it was due to her efforts or if Prince Li Zheng had intervened somehow, but the harem became extraordinarily harmonious."

"Yet within half a month... she could no longer hold on."

Upon hearing the news that the late Empress had vomited blood, Long Xiyuan hurried to Changle Hall in the Dragon Chariot as fast as possible.

However, as he arrived, the late Empress had already breathed her last.

The Chief Palace Servant beside her tearfully handed a booklet to Long Xiyuan.

"This is what Lady instructed me to give to Your Majesty before her passing."

"Lady said that ever since she became Empress, she was always acting for the Emperor’s benefit, regardless of whether he believed it or not."

"Some matters were not her intention."

Once Long Xiyuan opened the booklet, it thoroughly documented the financial expenditures managed by the former Empress during her half-month of overseeing the Six Palaces’ affairs.

All the writing was done by her alone.

Bai Zhi’er couldn’t help but ask curiously, "That’s quite strange."

"You mentioned earlier that she used her favor to bully other concubines and shielded her maternal family when they erred by relying on her status as Empress."

"How could she seem like a good person at times and a bad person at others?"

Long Xiyuan let out a bitter smile.

"I don’t know. I thought I understood her well, but now thinking back on our past interactions, at the end of her life, she and I were like strangers."

Feng Fuce, renowned in Great Chu for his adeptness at uncovering traces, contemplated for a moment and asked coldly, "Where is the account book the Empress gave you?"

Long Xiyuan snapped back to reality: "I had it stored away in a private vault, it’s not too important, why?"

Feng Fuce furrowed his brow: "Bring it out, let me take a look."

Long Xiyuan felt somewhat perplexed.

But he still ordered the Chief Eunuch to retrieve the account book left behind by the former Empress years ago from the private vault.