Chapter 196

After listening to them chatter on and on, Tao Tao heard footsteps slowly approaching her.

She pursed her lips, tightened her grip on the sides of her skirt, and tiptoed silently to the other side of the sound with tiny, small steps.

Qi Roufu looked down at the broken potted plant on the ground, the soil scattered in a pile, the delicate flowers lying diagonally on the ground, and fallen petals beside them.

She snorted coldly, stepped on it without hesitation, and crushed the beautiful flower into a terrible state with her toes before walking away.

After she could no longer hear footsteps, Tao Tao waited for a while before slowly standing up, her gaze fixed on the direction where Qi Roufu had just gone.

Recalling how Lin Wange and Li Miaomiao's faces had been seen by them, all he could do was silently light a candle for the two of them.

Fortunately, she anticipated this and dodged it in time; otherwise, her name would definitely have been added to the princess's kill list.

Qi Roufu has a grudge against the Empress, and he's definitely going to cause trouble now, so there's going to be a good show to watch.

She wouldn't do anything to them in public, but she would definitely find an opportunity to do so in private.

Lin Wange and Li Miaomiao are just ordinary women, without such strong mental fortitude. When they are hurt, they may inevitably betray her out of fear.

So, does that mean she absolutely has to protect them? If she really does protect them, doesn't that mean Qi Roufu sees her as deliberately going against her?

Even if Qi Roufu is arrogant and domineering, in everyone's eyes she is still the eldest princess, the current emperor's sister. No matter who it is, they will not get the better of her if they openly oppose her, especially since she has dedicated herself to the Celestial Empire.

Tao Tao frowned, her expression turning slightly grave. She felt that this matter was a bit tricky, so if she wanted to control this madman who didn't recognize his own family, she needed to have some leverage.

The bargaining chip she's using now is precisely the reason she wants to kill the witness.

She shook her head, looked down at the peony in her hand, tossed the flower into the flowerbed, and turned to leave.

Looking at the harmonious scene, Qi Roufu smiled charmingly, but her eyes revealed a coldness as she slowly said, "Your Majesty is holding a banquet and enjoying the flowers at Shouyue Garden. Why didn't you invite your younger sister?"

She approached slowly, smiling, yet giving off a feeling of ill intent.

Everyone rose to greet her, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Eldest Princess."

The Empress looked at the person who walked in, abruptly stood up, her brows furrowed, her expression changed drastically, and she said coldly, "Why are you here?" Her tone clearly showed that she was not welcoming her arrival.

"I am His Majesty's own sister, the current Princess. What? Am I not even allowed to enter a garden?!"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she had no choice but to soften her expression and say gently, "Not at all, you're so busy, how could I possibly bother you? If I were to ruin your plans, I would be very upset."

Her words were full of sarcasm and mockery. If one did not know the truth, one would not understand what she meant. However, these ladies were very well-informed and knew that Qi Roufu not only kept male lovers in the princess's residence, but also frequented the Chu Feng Pavilion.

Qi Roufu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant as he recalled what had just happened, but it only lasted for a moment before disappearing as he began to retaliate.

"If my sister-in-law cares so much about my feelings, why didn't she invite me to her banquet? Could it be that she was just saying it and didn't mean it?"

"If that's really the case, how would the world feel if they knew that the mother of a nation was such a hypocrite?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face darkened instantly. She looked at her coldly and said in a harsh tone, "It's my fault, sister-in-law. I will definitely invite you to join me another day."

The moment this person arrived, she instantly lost her mood, wondering how to get rid of him.

Lin Wange and Li Miaomiao, who were sitting next to their mother on the right, turned pale upon seeing this person, their eyes filled with terror.

The two looked down at each other and saw the panic in each other's eyes. Then they shrank back and tried their best to make themselves less noticeable.

Tao Tao also blended in the moment everyone stood up, appearing silently in front of the desk.

The atmosphere was tense. Everyone fell silent as they listened to the two most honored women in the harem exchanging barbs, fearing that they might be caught in the crossfire.

Qi Roufu's lips curled slightly, revealing a silent sneer. His phoenix eyes, filled with contempt, slowly swept over them, as if searching for someone.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a woman's face, she narrowed her eyes slightly, and slowly approached.

Lin Wange lowered her head, pretending to be nonchalant, but the tips of her intertwined fingers under her sleeves were white, her heart was pounding in her throat, and cold sweat broke out on her back.

The approaching footsteps felt like they were stepping on her rapidly beating heart, and the invisible pressure made it hard for her to breathe.

Li Miaomiao was just across the table from her, and like her, she kept her head down, not daring to make a sound, her eyes tightly closed, and praying frantically in her heart that she would not be noticed and would not come over to her.

Suddenly, a clanging sound rang out in the quiet environment, drawing everyone's attention.

The palace maid slumped helplessly to the ground. Before she could even pick up the plate that had fallen to the ground, she realized that everyone's eyes were on her. She panicked and knelt down to beg for mercy.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Princess, spare me! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it..."

Tao Tao, who was slightly behind her, lowered her eyes and subtly adjusted her sleeves.

Qi Roufu stared at the palace maid on the ground and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I didn't expect that my sister-in-law would have such a clumsy and lowly servant. She is not worthy of being presented in public. How dare my sister-in-law let such a lowly servant come out and embarrass herself?"

“Those who don’t know the situation might think that the Empress Dowager’s rule is lax, which could tarnish her dignity. So let me solve this problem for her.”

A sinister glint appeared in her eyes, and her beautiful face became slightly contorted as she roared, "Guards! Drag this lowly servant away and beat her to death!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the palace maid was terrified and repeatedly kowtowed, begging for mercy: "This servant knows she was wrong...this servant knows she was wrong...Please, Princess, have mercy! Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"

Several eunuchs standing to the side hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and bent down to drag the palace maid out, when a cold shout came from behind.

"Wait!"

The eunuch turned his head and saw that it was the Empress, so he immediately let go of her.

The Empress's brows furrowed with anger as she stared at Qi Roufu. She slowly descended from her high position, her expression slightly unpleasant, and said in a low voice, "I am the mistress of the harem, and it is none of your business to interfere with the maids under my command!"

"What happened just now was merely a momentary lapse in judgment; it's nothing serious, and there's no need to have her beaten to death. If the Princess is in the mood, she can stay and enjoy the flowers and tea. If not, I won't take up any more of your time, and you may leave as you see fit."