Kou Ning'an has always been proud. The Kou family wields immense power. She killed the man she didn't love and gave birth to the son of the man she loved. Now, she is slowly pushing her son to a high position, and she is riding high on her success.

She always thought she had everything under control, that she could win battles from afar, and that the whole world was her backyard.

Therefore, there were no shadow guards stationed in her bedchamber, only a few eunuchs with decent skills, who were used to control Gan Lin.

She viewed Gan Lin, this puppet, as a pig or a dog. In Kou Ning'an's eyes, Gan Lin was the kind of pig or dog that she chained up. She never thought that Gan Lin could cause any trouble.

Indeed, this was the case; Gan Lin's forces were far from being a match for hers.

However, the Empress Dowager never expected that Princess Duanrong, who had always been obsequious, reckless, and shallow, and who had made futile attempts to resist, would suddenly go mad.

Gan Qiongying is indeed a bit crazy.

It's hard not to go crazy when someone forces you to drink poison!

Moreover, Gan Qiongying was not someone who grew up in a feudal society. Her thoughts were not constrained by the framework of this world, and she would not be like Princess Duanrong, who was unable to move an inch because of fear of harming others.

Of course, this is not to say that Princess Duanrong did not do well enough. She risked her life, so what could she possibly have done wrong?

She simply dared not take any risks whatsoever, she simply dared not gamble with the life of the person she loved.

It's just that Princess Duanrong considers countless consequences when she does something, while when Gan Qiongying is pushed to the limit, all she can think of is a cringeworthy statement she once saw—"Destroy this world!"

She grabbed Kou Ning'an by the hair and pulled her over from the other side of the table like a piglet.

Violence is not the solution, but in certain situations, the effects of using violence can be incredibly satisfying.

The people in Kou Ning'an's bedroom reacted quickly, but it was too late. Gan Qiongying was taller and stronger than the old witch, so lifting her was a piece of cake.

He pulled her close to his chest and held her, pressing the shards of porcelain against her neck, like one of those vicious robbers, feeling as if the whole world was in his hands.

Gan Qiongying felt an indescribable joy in her heart.

Gan Lin was also frightened by Gan Qiongying and immediately got up and went to Gan Qiongying's side.

When the Empress Dowager's people surrounded her, Gan Qiongying even said to them in a very excited tone: "Come on, all of you, charge forward! If you take one step forward, I'll poke a hole in the Empress Dowager's neck. I want to see if you can charge forward faster or if the Empress Dowager's neck is stronger."

With a little force, Gan Qiongying used a sharp piece of porcelain to leave a wound on the old witch's neck.

Blood gushed from the wound quickly, sliding down the porcelain shards across the Empress Dowager's slender, fair neck; the sight of fresh blood was so glaring it was horrifying.

Everyone stopped, not daring to step forward rashly.

The old witch in Gan Qiongying's arms realized after shouting that she had just been rude and shameful. She had never been "rude" in her entire life, nor had she ever been so embarrassed.

Gan Qiongying had completely ripped her hair out, leaving her head looking like a bird's nest.

Her face was flushed and she was trembling all over, partly from anger at Gan Qiongying's sudden change of heart and fear that she might actually slit her own throat. So she raised her hand to stop the people from coming to her rescue, and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Don't come any closer!"

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!" Aunt Hu rushed to the front anxiously. There was a bruise around her neck. She had already been frightened by Gan Lin earlier, and now that she saw that even Princess Duanrong had gone mad, her expression showed a real panic.

However, Aunt Hu was not confused. She understood the Empress Dowager's gestures and eyes, and immediately began to retreat towards the outside of the hall.

Unfortunately, Gan Qiongying also understood it.

Gan Qiongying pressed the porcelain shard against the Empress Dowager's neck again. "So you know how to use hand gestures, huh? You can let her go out and try it. I specifically consulted with the Imperial Physician. If you stick it in here, the blood will spray up to the sky. Guess whether there will be enough blood spraying out of your body when your guards rush in and subdue me?"

Gan Qiongying's voice was incredibly gentle as she lightly touched the old witch's neck, mimicking her usual gentle and slow tone, pretending to be an innocent girl, and using the same tone she used to scare Gan Lin, while poking her carotid artery close to her ear.

"I'm actually quite curious, does someone like you spit out black blood?"

Aunt Hu indeed dared not move, and Kou Ning'an trembled even more violently.

However, she was, after all, a cunning old woman who manipulated power. Although she had never been in such a predicament in her life, nor had she ever encountered a madwoman like Gan Qiongying, she quickly calmed down.

When Gan Qiongying realized that she had stopped trembling, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

After calming down, Kou Ning'an put on the mask she was best at disguising herself, her voice gentle and low, as if she had everything under control.

It's a pity she can't see her own image right now, otherwise she would probably be like that beautiful woman in a martial arts novel that Gan Qiongying once read, who was scared to death by her own disheveled appearance.

At this moment, Kou Ning'an's hair was disheveled, and her usually meticulous makeup was now completely ruined. The powder was loose and some of it had been rubbed off because she had applied too much powder. Her struggles and cries had created various lines on her face, revealing the age spots on her skin.

When Gan Qiongying looked down and saw it, she finally understood why she always applied so much powder to herself, making her look like a ceramic doll. It turned out that she was trying to cover up the blemishes that were more likely to appear during childbirth.

"What is Duanrong doing? Is she perhaps joking with the Empress Dowager?"

Kou Ning'an tried to give Gan Qiongying a way out and a reason to back down and become the weaker party in the "game" again, so that it would be easier for her to strategize and win.

She has been in the center of power for far too long, and her greatest skill is using pawns and manipulating others, rather than taking the lead herself.

So she pretended to give Gan Qiongying a small glimmer of hope, expecting Gan Qiongying to back down so that she could regain the initiative.

However, Kou Ning'an did not know that Duanrong was no longer the same Duanrong as before; she was now Niohuru Duanrong.

The chessboard has already been overturned, so how can you possibly pick up the pieces and start playing again?

Gan Qiongying scoffed and said, "I thought you were so capable, but it turns out this is all you've got? You won't admit that you're being held hostage by me and are powerless to fight back?"

The Empress Dowager's expression instantly collapsed. Her eyes twitched rapidly, and the smile on her lips vanished. Finally, she uttered a vicious sentence: "Have you gone mad?"

"You're only now realizing I've gone mad?" Gan Qiongying slapped the Empress Dowager's face, making a loud slapping sound.