Li You is the Commander of the Palace, and the Palace Department was already the Emperor's personal guard, capable of entering and leaving the Imperial Palace at will. To obstruct Li You, there must be a reliable justification.
Since the Emperor punished Beauty Xu and Tang Yusheng, his illness worsened. Du Zheng served without leaving his side for a moment, yet the Emperor's condition showed no improvement. He hadn't uttered a complete sentence and hadn't even opened his eyes in recent days.
All affairs within the palace were being handled by her.
Du Zheng and his men could only watch from the sidelines. She made no significant moves, and Du Zheng dared not question her.
Empress Xu did not intend to seize power now. Both the Emperor and Du Zheng's men were barely hanging on, and she needed to utilize them to deal with Prince Qi.
