Xu Ruoyun watched as Qiujiu kicked and puffed in her mother's arms, spraying her mother's face with saliva, and nervously pleaded for Qiujiu's life.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Qiuqiu was young and ignorant, and spat in your face! I am willing to take the punishment in her place!"
The princess watched in astonishment as her mother's face slowly regained its rosy hue and her skin became delicate and smooth after being sprayed with saliva by Chiu Chiu. She opened her mouth wide in surprise.
"Mother, your face..."
The Empress Dowager also felt that her body had become lighter and her back more relaxed. She touched her face and it seemed to feel much firmer.
What's wrong with my face?
Princess: "Your face has become younger and more beautiful, as if... as if some kind of secret magic has been used, is it a magic to reverse aging?"
The Empress Dowager ran to the mirror to look at herself, and just as Qiuqiu had said, she had become younger and more beautiful. This was priceless; health, life, and youthful appearance were things one could not obtain even if one sought them!
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and immediately took out a luminous pearl for Qiuqiu.
"Chirp chirp, this is for you. You should come to the palace to keep me company more often. I'll give you any good things I have."
Princess: "Mother, you're being unfair! I've asked for this luminous pearl of yours so many times but haven't been able to get it. And you just give it to Qiuqiu like that? Aren't you afraid I'll be angry?"
Empress Dowager: "What do you know? You're such a grown woman, yet you're still fighting over a baby!"
Xu Ruyun quickly snatched the luminous pearl from Qiuqiu's arms and gave it to the princess.
"Chiu Chiu dares not take away what the princess desires. Please, Empress Dowager, take back this luminous pearl and give it to the princess!"
The princess chuckled, "Alright, alright. I was just joking. You all saved my life, why would I care about a luminous pearl? Since it was given to Qiuqiu by the Queen Mother, you should keep it safe for her!"
Xu Ruyun had no choice but to accept: "Yes! Thank you, Empress Dowager! Thank you, Princess!"
The Empress Dowager is beautiful inside and out; she's such a wonderful person. I've seen the beautiful princess again! I want a princess carry! A hug!
Chirp chirp reached out her hand to the princess in a gesture of goodwill.
The princess happily picked up Chiu Chiu.
"Come here, let me hold the baby! This little one is so chubby and cute!"
The Emperor has already ordered his men to find out who killed the Empress Dowager.
Just as the Empress Dowager said, the murderer was Consort Zhang.
Consort Zhang, relying on the Emperor's favor, held absolute power in the harem, indulging in extravagance and mistreating her servants. The Empress Dowager had always disliked her.
Consort Zhang felt that the Empress Dowager was always suppressing her, so she decided to get rid of this major threat.
If she could get rid of the Empress Dowager, she could dominate the harem and have absolute power. The emperor, who had been delaying in appointing an empress, would eventually put making her empress on his agenda. However, as long as the Empress Dowager remained an obstacle, she would not be able to realize her dream of becoming empress.
The Emperor looked at Consort Zhang in front of him, then turned away in disappointment.
"Haven't I been good enough to you? How could you be so vicious as to harm my mother?"
Consort Zhang knelt on the ground, clutching the Emperor's robes and weeping, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! Please do justice for me!"
The Emperor said, "Injustice? Now that there are witnesses and physical evidence, you still dare to say you're innocent? You went to great lengths to poison the Empress Dowager, and you prepared more than one scheme!"
Consort Zhang, seeing that she couldn't refuse, began to feign weakness.
"Your Majesty, I was momentarily bewitched and made a mistake. Please give me another chance, and I will never do it again."
The Emperor said, "Never again? Every concubine in the harem who has even a little bit of favor will die or go insane for no reason. Isn't that all your doing?"
Consort Zhang: "Your Majesty, you love me the most. No matter what I did before, you never blamed me..."
The Emperor said, "Whatever you do, including taking lives, it's all my fault for neglecting the women of the harem. Only now do I realize that so many lives have been taken by you! Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
Consort Zhang: "Your Majesty, I beg you to spare me, considering our past relationship!"
The Emperor: "I will show no mercy to a viper like you! Guards! Throw Consort Zhang into the death row and give her a white silk noose!"
Consort Zhang collapsed to the ground, exclaiming, "It's all over! Everything's ruined!"
Outside the palace, Qi Jiating, who had not attended the birthday banquet, returned to his residence in a dejected manner. Feeling irritable and with nothing to do, he went to Xiao Zhenzhen's place.
Xiao Zhenzhen: "Cousin, didn't you go to the palace banquet? Why are you back?"
Qi Jiating thought to himself: "They really know how to rub salt in the wound."
So Qi Jia replied perfunctorily, "Hmm."
Xiao Zhenzhen held her daughter Jinlan up for her cousin to see.
"Cousin, look how much our daughter looks like you. She has delicate features and is very beautiful."
Only after picking up his daughter Jinlan did Qi Jiating gradually show a smile.
The Qi family's future might depend on this daughter's rise.
At this moment, Qi Gaoming, the illegitimate son of Xiao Zhenzhen and Qi Jiating, walked over and politely called out, "Dad!"
Looking at his handsome son, Qi Jiating felt much more gratified.
"Gao Ming, how's your schoolwork going lately?"
Qi Gaoming: "Father, I won first place in the academy again this time! Look—"
Qi Gaoming showed his article to Qi Jiating.
After reading it, Qi Jiating couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent! It's truly a fine article! Well done, my son!"
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