Upon seeing this, Huo Chengche quickly said, "Grandmother, please don't get upset. I have already warned the Jingzhao Prefecture about this matter, and they will never dare to be negligent or inactive again."

The Empress Dowager frowned, and after a long while, she sighed and nodded. "I am shocked to hear about this. How could such a thing happen in the capital, right under the emperor's nose... Alas, I urge the Prefect of the Capital to take this matter very seriously!"

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager suddenly paused, her brows furrowed, and looked down at the little baby in her arms, "The one Niannian just mentioned, the one covered in injuries..."

"Sister Hua Xiao!" the little boy immediately replied in his sweet, childlike voice.

"Yes," the Empress Dowager realized something was wrong, "who is this?"

"She's Sister Fende's older sister," the little boy replied in a childish voice, with a smug look on his face as if to say, "Don't I know a lot?"

The Empress Dowager chuckled and tapped her little head, then looked at Huo Chengche with a questioning gaze, "How come I don't remember when Fende had an older sister?"

Huo Chengche sneered, a sharp glint in his eyes, and said calmly, "It's complicated, let me explain from the beginning: After rescuing those children today, one girl hesitated to go back. I sensed something was wrong, so I asked her a couple of questions..."

...

"Bang—" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table in anger, causing the teacups on the table to shake.

The Empress Dowager was furious, "These two scoundrels! Using innocent children to make elixirs?! They're worse than beasts!"

"And that Lin Huang! Knowing the truth but not advising, she actually wanted to imprison her husband's illegitimate daughter, hoping the prince consort would personally torture and kill his own daughter and eat her flesh?! You scoundrel! You're as venomous as a snake! All the worries I've had for her over the years have been for nothing!"

The Empress Dowager was indeed furious. Her angry shouts were so loud that even the young girl Hua Xiao, who was standing outside, could hear them clearly. Her already fearful body trembled even more violently.

Emperor Chongjin's face was also extremely gloomy. He had not expected that his son would encounter two major events in just over half a day after leaving the palace!

Especially the last one, it's simply outrageous!

Huo Chengche had calmed down from his initial anger, and he quickly stepped forward to help the Empress Dowager catch her breath, saying, "Grandmother, you said you wouldn't get angry about anything except my affairs."

Who wouldn't be angry and disgusted to hear about something like this?

However, the Empress Dowager kept her word. Apart from matters concerning the Crown Prince, she might be angry about other people's affairs, but she wouldn't get so angry that she would have a relapse of her asthma.

"Grandma, please don't be angry. Sister Hua Xiao is timid; she's scared."

The little boy held the Empress Dowager's hand and gently shook it. His soft, sweet voice slid into the Empress Dowager's heart.

Since her grandson and granddaughter-in-law had both said so, what could the Empress Dowager say?

She was more afraid of frightening the little baby in her arms, so she suppressed her anger, softened her expression, and gently rubbed the baby's head. "Okay, Grandma Empress Dowager, don't be angry anymore."

As she spoke, she looked up and asked, "Is that child outside? Bring him in so I can see him."

As soon as the Empress Dowager gave the order, Hua Xiao was immediately led into the room.

The little girl was timid, her head bowed, her whole body trembling. As soon as she entered the room, she knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head, and only whispered, "This servant...this servant kowtows...kowtows to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..."

The little girl was so frightened that Emperor Chongjin frowned deeply and raised his hand to stop Dejiang from scolding her.

It's not too late to learn the rules later, and it doesn't matter if we invite fewer people.