Emperor Yongcheng, without thorough consideration, hastily pushed for reform.

As expected, it caused chaos, forcing him to halt the reforms and even "apologize."

At this critical juncture, Empress Dowager He suddenly ordered someone to appear, not only resolving Emperor Yongcheng’s crisis but also fully supporting him to continue the reforms!

Truly a biological mother, no matter how distant the mother-son relationship becomes, she still comes out to help her son at crucial times!

Not to mention the court officials, even Emperor Yongcheng himself, felt that Empress Dowager He was a good mother who had come to clean up the mess for him.

Only a few old foxes, represented by Wang Yuan and Feng Shou, secretly sneered: Ha! You are too naive!

It’s true that Empress Dowager He cleaned up Emperor Yongcheng’s mess, but "helping" is not necessarily the case.

Of course, since they are old foxes, they are very cunning and always see through but don’t reveal.

Under the envious eyes of the ministers, Emperor Yongcheng, with a complex mood, agreed to Wang Shijiu’s memorial.

Next, it was the compromise and cooperation between the noble family and the court.

Whether it was the establishment of the Salt Administration Bureau or the policies on salt fields and salt tax, Emperor Yongcheng only needed to grasp the general direction, while the specific details were handled by the relevant ministers.

The first decree seemed to be implemented smoothly, even forcing the noble families to make substantial sacrifices.

But, Emperor Yongcheng was not happy at all!

"It’s like this again, always like this!"

In his chamber, Emperor Yongcheng began to act like a donkey grinding, pacing around and muttering to himself—

"Every time she does this, on the surface, it’s for my good, making everyone say she’s a benevolent mother!"

"But in fact, she just wants to control me, wants me to act according to her rules."

"Otherwise, why didn’t she tell me about the Salt Making New Method earlier, and instead watched me flounder like a headless fly?"

"... Until the critical moment, she would never appear. She, she just wants to see me suffer and learn a lesson, then appear like a Bodhisattva who saves the needy!"

"She—"

Even though she has left the Imperial court, she still wants to control him, Emperor Yongcheng!

As Emperor Yongcheng’s most favored woman and acknowledged "virtuous assistant."

Zheng Nianer naturally stayed by Emperor Yongcheng’s side.

At this moment, hearing Emperor Yongcheng’s words, Zheng Nianer almost blurted out a curse, "Char siu!"

Isn’t he just a silly son!

No matter what Empress Dowager He’s reasons were, she did help Emperor Yongcheng in a critical moment.

Even if Emperor Yongcheng is not grateful, he shouldn’t be resentful.

Moreover, Zheng Nianer didn’t think Empress Dowager He had so many schemes!

How long has it been since Emperor Yongcheng proposed the salt reform?

Empress Dowager He wanted to help her son, even if she had the Salt Making New Method, she would still need time to work it out.

Fortunately, it’s spring now, with frequent sea breezes and clear weather, creating a good natural environment for salt drying.

Otherwise, Empress Dowager He wouldn’t have gotten those hundred thousand stones of sea salt.

Unless Empress Dowager He had the ability of foreknowledge, predicting Emperor Yongcheng’s "foolishness" and made preparations early.

But the problem is, Empress Dowager He doesn’t have superpowers.

Besides, with Emperor Yongcheng’s unpredictable nature, besides himself, it’s really difficult for others to catch his behavior patterns.

How could one make a preemptive judgment?!

Rather than doubting whether Empress Dowager He "had a plan all along," it’s better to think about how she got the salt drying method.

Could it be that Empress Dowager He also had an "adventure"?

But, Zheng Nianer did not sense a "kindred spirit" vibe from Empress Dowager He.

Even that rogue system indicated that Empress Dowager He is just a native.

At most, she is a bit more knowledgeable, more resolute, and more decisive in action!

Zheng Nianer felt guilty herself, always worried about encountering someone with the same background as her.

Therefore, she always pondered why Empress Dowager He knew about the Salt Making New Method, even subtly guiding Emperor Yongcheng to doubt.

Emperor Yongcheng: ... What’s there to doubt about this?

Mother must have seen the secret recipe from an ancient book.

Moreover, it might even be a heirloom skill from some noble family.

Compared to the newly wealthy Zheng Family, the treasures in Empress Dowager He’s possession definitely reached an astonishing level. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

One must know, at the end of the Previous Dynasty during the chaos of war, the He Family was also a powerful force.

The wealth they plundered during the chaos was enormous.

After the He Family allied with the Zhao Family, Empress Dowager He followed the late Emperor across campaigns, during which, who knows how much wealth was amassed.