"Qiao Qiu, don't think you're so high and mighty now. Let me tell you, the Emperor still has some pity for me. Just wait and see what happens when you fall." After saying that, Qiao Dong slashed his own face.

"No, Fourth Miss!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Qiao Dong had a gash on her left cheek, covered in blood, and the pain almost made her faint. Large drops of sweat poured from her forehead, soaking her hair, making her look extremely disheveled. She got up and shoved the bloodstained hairpin into Qiao Qiu's hand.

Honglan saw this, immediately rushed over, snatched the hairpin out, threw it on the ground, and scolded, "Qiao Dong, have you no shame?!"

"Haha, go ahead and curse me, I'll take revenge on your master!" Qiao Dong laughed wildly, then his expression immediately turned to pain. He covered his face and stumbled towards the crowd, crying, "Help! Help! Save me! Consort Ronghua has killed someone! She's going to kill me!"

"She's gone mad! She's a crazy woman! Your Majesty, what do we do now?" Honglan stomped her feet in anger, but Qiao Dong had already been supported by passing palace maids and eunuchs, and it was too late for her to chase after him.

The palace maids and eunuchs glanced in this direction, then, as if avoiding a plague, picked up Qiao Dong and ran away.

A short while later, a large number of Imperial Guards came running this way.

Qiao Qiu put her hand on Hong Lan's shoulder and said calmly, "Hong Lan, calm down."

Honglan turned around and saw Qiao Qiu's calm eyes. Miraculously, she also calmed down.

"yes."

The Imperial Guards rushed over, drew their swords, and surrounded her, awaiting the Emperor's order.

Honglan had never seen anything like this before and fearfully hid behind Qiao Qiu. Feeling a little more at ease, she sensed something was amiss. She glanced at the composed Qiao Qiu again, then looked away, only to realize belatedly that something was wrong—her mistress had remained perfectly calm from the very beginning!

Is this really the same fourth young lady who throws tantrums at the slightest inconvenience, is only fifteen years old, and has never seen the world?

"Your Majesty, are you worried?"

Qiao Qiu glanced at her sideways and asked lazily, her voice slightly nasal, "What are you worried about? What's there to worry about?"

"Well... Your Highness, why are you so slow to react?" Honglan was getting anxious for her. Could it be that she hadn't thought of anything at all, which was why she was so calm? Silly Your Highness, you don't even know you've been tricked.

Qiao Qiu smiled, a hint of warmth seeping into her bright, star-like eyes. Even if she hadn't done it, so what? Did she think she was afraid of being banished to the cold palace? Besides, she still vividly remembered what Zhao Yuce had said last night; now she had to take some concrete actions to show her.

Everything was under Qiao Qiu's control, so she naturally had nothing to worry about. But seeing Hong Lan, who was devoted to her wholeheartedly, she couldn't help but be moved and sighed softly, "Silly girl."

"Your Majesty, you still call me foolish? Qiao Dong is clearly framing me, you..."

"I know everything."

"You... you knew all about it?" Honglan was stunned.

At this moment, Xiao Shunzi ran over and saw the Imperial Guards pointing their knives at Qiao Qiu. He was almost scared out of his wits. He stumbled over and used his delicate, pinky-fingered hand to slap the hands of the Imperial Guards holding their knives, shouting, "Put them down! Put them down! Put them down! You're going to die! How dare you point knives at Consort Ronghua? You don't want to live!"

"Huh?" The situation was completely unexpected, and she was utterly dumbfounded.

Qiao Qiu smiled. After exchanging glances, the Imperial Guards all sheathed their swords and knelt down, saying, "Please forgive us, Your Highness Ronghua."

Qiao Qiu waved her hand and said calmly, "I am very satisfied with your actions. You did not take it upon yourself to attack me, so I will let you off this time. You may leave."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Honglan watched as Qiao Qiu finished speaking, and her understanding of her was refreshed once again.

Xiao Shunzi, being a man of many experiences, quickly suppressed his surprise and ran to her with a fawning smile, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has summoned me to invite Your Majesty to the Imperial Study."

"Let's go."

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, Qiao Qiu saw Qiao Dong kneeling on the ground, her hand covering half her face, tears welling in her eyes, looking utterly pitiful—a sight even Qiao Qiu, a woman herself, couldn't bear to see. However, the defiant look in Qiao Dong's eyes when she looked over made Qiao Qiu want to go up and slap her again.

The handsome emperor, who had been reviewing memorials, immediately closed them upon seeing her enter, and greeted her with a beaming smile, "My beloved consort."

The emperor didn't even glance at Qiao Dong, and walked straight past her.

Qiao Dong's heart grew colder and colder until it felt like she had fallen into an ice cellar, chilling her to the bone.

At that moment, she knew she had lost.

Qiao Qiu stood and looked at Qiao Dong for a while, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, why didn't you summon an imperial physician?"

The emperor considered for a while whether to grab her hand or hug her directly. In the end, he decided that hugging her directly was better. Just as he was about to reach out to her, he heard this and replied, "She likes to have her face painted. I will grant her wish. The imperial physician can be dismissed. If that's not enough, I have plenty of sharp tools here."

Qiao Qiu glanced at him, a half-smile on her face, and said, "Don't you think I'm the one who scratched her face?"

The emperor continued to extend his hand, smiling broadly, and said, "Love..."

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

"You despicable woman! How dare you assassinate your own sister? Will you dare to assassinate the Emperor in the future? Is there no law left? Guards, seize this vile woman!"

The Empress Dowager entered the Imperial Study and arrogantly ordered the old nanny to arrest people.

The emperor glanced over displeasedly, his cold gaze fixing on the old nanny. He withdrew his hand, walked in front of Qiao Qiu, blocking the Empress Dowager's view of her, and said coldly, "If the Empress Dowager has nothing to do in Yangfu Palace, she can go to Tan'an Temple to burn incense and worship Buddha. My harem is not for you to shout about."

The Empress Dowager swayed, her face grim. "Emperor, what are you saying? I am your mother! Everything I have done is for you."

"For me?" The emperor seemed to have heard something amusing and laughed twice. "What a fine 'everything for you'! Empress Dowager, the fact that you are still sitting in this position is because I am not holding it against you. But if you are any more restless, then don't blame me for being impolite. Guards, escort the Empress Dowager back to Yangfu Palace."

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were both fully aware of what had happened. They locked eyes, neither willing to give in, and the two Imperial Guards who had entered dared not move.

After a while, the Empress Dowager gave in, turned around with a flick of her sleeve, and said, "Hmph, I don't need you to see me off, I'll go by myself."

The Empress Dowager entered and left in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. She claimed to have come to seek justice for Qiao Dong, but she didn't even glance at her out of the corner of her eye.

With the situation so clear, what was there for Qiao Dong not to understand? It turned out the Empress Dowager had been using her all along, using her to trip up Qiao Qiu. All the show of affection the Empress Dowager had shown her was just an act. She only wanted to use her to get rid of Qiao Qiu. Now that she hadn't gotten rid of her, and she was no longer useful, the Empress Dowager had discarded her like a useless pawn.

Qiao Dong really wanted to laugh out loud. She wanted to ask why fate was playing such a cruel trick on her. Was she brought back just to see how loving the Emperor and Qiao Qiu were?

Qiao Dong cried; this time, she was truly heartbroken.