The new emperor didn't attend the early morning court session.
This is the first time such a situation has happened.
At this critical juncture, logically speaking, unless the emperor is dull and incompetent, he wouldn't neglect the affairs of the court.
Court officials speculate that it must be due to the emperor's ill health; hence, he did something absurd for the first time.
Others might not know the new emperor's whereabouts, but the Empress Dowager knows he's not in the palace at all.
It was previously agreed to bring Mingzhu into the palace to nurture her pregnancy, but now Mingzhu hasn't appeared, and the emperor has also disappeared.
There's no need to think; it's evident that the two are together.
Either something happened to Mingzhu.
Or... he has some other intentions!
As someone who has experienced this, the Empress Dowager can understand her son's feelings.
