Duanmu Shenghua received Xiao Jincheng's letter last night, but did not dare to enter the palace to look for him that very night.
The next day, he found an opportunity to meet Xiao Jincheng in the inner palace, but he ran into a palace under martial law.
Seeing the obvious increase in the number of Imperial Guards, Duanmu Shenghua pulled a palace attendant aside and asked, "What's going on? Why are there so many Imperial Guards?"
Upon seeing that it was Prince Hui, the palace attendant quickly bowed and said, "The palace is under martial law. His Majesty just issued the order at noon, saying that no one is allowed to enter or leave the inner palace at will."
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Shenghua immediately frowned.
The order was clearly directed at her and Xiao Jincheng.
She went to see Xiao Jincheng last night, so today we're taking precautions to prevent her from entering the palace and meeting with Xiao Jincheng!
What exactly does she want to do? Does she really want to divorce Xiao Jincheng?
If it were before, she would have been overjoyed to divorce Xiao Jincheng and would have wholeheartedly supported it!
But now Xiao Jincheng is the Empress, and they have a daughter named Qingxin. Even for Qingxin's sake, they absolutely cannot let Duanmu Junyu divorce Xiao Jincheng.
If things really escalate to the point of divorce, she might lose her status as a princess, and all her previous efforts would be in vain.
She knew that she was not recognized by the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast, and that she was destined to lose to Duanmu Junyu in this life, and was destined not to become the true Empress of Western Liang.
But she was unwilling to accept it. She had painstakingly built everything over twenty years, only to have to give it all back to Duanmu Junyu in the end.
She had clearly governed Xiliang very well over the past twenty years, working diligently and striving for excellence. She was in no way inferior to Duanmu Junyu, so why couldn't the Empress Dowager see her back then?
And that damn Vermilion Bird Divine Beast, why did it specifically target Duanmu Junyu? What is it about her that makes her better?
On what basis did it conclude that only Duanmu Junyu was qualified to be the Empress of Xiliang? From what aspects did it make this determination?
She just wouldn't accept it!
Even if she herself cannot become empress in this lifetime, she will make sure that her daughter sits on the throne of the Western Liang Empress!
Why should the Empress of Xiliang be Duanmu Junyu and her daughter? Duanmu Shenghua insists on defying fate and changing this destiny!
Knowing that the Imperial Guards were stationed in the inner palace, Duanmu Shenghua knew she would never be able to enter. She turned around and angrily headed towards Fengming Palace.
As expected, she was stopped by palace servants as soon as she arrived at Fengming Palace.
Duanmu Shenghua's face instantly darkened with anger, and she said coldly, "Go and inform His Majesty that I wish to see her."
Duanmu Shenghua's two sentences completely baffled the palace attendant.
This Prince Hui is too audacious! Even if he wants to see His Majesty, he should ask for an audience. How could he speak in such a tone?
However, since she was Prince Hui, the palace attendant dared not say anything more. He bowed to her and went into Fengming Palace to report.
Duanmu Junyu was holding Xiaobao in the main hall, amused: "Xiaobao seems to have gotten a bit rounder. The little guy is getting more and more handsome."
Bai also joined in to tease the baby: "The midwives in Xiliang really know how to prepare. Our baby is obviously getting too much nutrition, and Ning'er is also being well taken care of."
She was actually quite worried that Ning'er wouldn't be able to have a proper postpartum period in Xiliang, since there were some differences in lifestyle between Dongchu and Xiliang. But she didn't expect that Xiliang would place even more importance on postpartum care than Dongchu.
The midwives here are even more professional than those in Dongchu. The postpartum meals they prepare for Ning'er are very nutritious and beneficial to both Ning'er and the baby.
In addition to preparing excellent postpartum meals, those midwives are also very good at taking care of children.
Perhaps because Xiliang is a matriarchal society, they understand the difficulties women face during childbirth and cherish the children that women risk their lives to give birth to. Therefore, they take special care of women who have just given birth and infants.
Duanmu Junyu smiled and looked at Bai Shi: "Our little Bao is good-looking, just like you."
Bai was a little embarrassed by Duanmu Junyu's sudden praise, and quickly said, "Actually, Xiaobao looks a bit like you, especially his eyebrows and eyes, they are exactly the same!"
Their little one does indeed resemble Zhan'er by about 70% and Ning'er by about 30%.
Because Zhan'er resembles her by 90%, and Ning'er resembles His Majesty by 90%, so looking at them together, they really do look like her and His Majesty.
"They really do look alike!" Duanmu Junyu couldn't help but laugh when she looked at Xiaobao's eyebrows and eyes, which were exactly like hers.
This is her own grandson, so naturally he'll resemble her.
As they were talking, Jinzhu entered the inner hall: "Your Majesty, a palace servant has come to report that Prince Hui is at the entrance of Fengming Palace and requests to see Your Majesty."
Jin Zhu's words caused everyone in the hall to turn their attention to Duanmu Junyu.
Fearing that she might delay her plans, Bai quickly took Xiaobao from Duanmu Junyu's arms.
Duanmu Junyu frowned, turned and went outside the hall, saying to the palace attendant who had delivered the message, "Go out and tell Prince Hui that I am very busy and do not have time to see her for the time being. Also, tell her not to come to the palace unnecessarily!"
Seeing that Duanmu Junyu seemed unhappy, the palace attendant didn't dare to say another word and bowed as he withdrew.
Once outside, the palace attendant bowed to Duanmu Shenghua: "His Majesty said he has no time to see you, and also said..."
The palace attendant stole a glance at Duanmu Shenghua, and braced himself to pass on the message: "I also told you not to come to the palace unnecessarily."
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Shenghua's face instantly turned icy cold. She stared at the palace attendant with a sinister gaze: "Did His Majesty say this himself?"
The palace maid swallowed hard and immediately nodded, "His Majesty personally came out to instruct me; I was merely relaying the message."
She can't afford to offend either His Majesty or Prince Hui!
Of course, she couldn't afford to offend His Majesty even more, so she had to convey His Majesty's words!
Duanmu Shenghua was so angry that her lungs felt like they were going to explode, and she wanted to crush her fists.
That damned Duanmu Junyu, does she even understand the situation?!
For the past twenty years, she has been managing the entire Western Liang on her behalf; during these twenty years, she has been the true empress of Western Liang.
She'd lived in this palace for over thirty years, and now she's telling her not to come here anymore!
This place has long been her territory, yet she still dares to boss her around!
Duanmu Shenghua was so angry that she wanted to immediately summon the Imperial Guards to capture Duanmu Yunyu alive and then skin her alive.
But considering that she is no longer the Empress of Xiliang, and that the Imperial Guards may not necessarily obey her orders.
Besides the Imperial Guards, there are also the Shadow Guards in the palace and so many palace servants; none of them will obey her orders anymore.
Duanmu Shenghua suddenly regretted it. If she hadn't pretended to be the empress under the identity of Duanmu Junyu for so many years, but instead directly announced that Duanmu Junyu was dead and openly became the empress of Xiliang under the identity of Duanmu Shenghua.
Now everything is different, isn't it? Even if Duanmu Junyu returns, she can't take anything away from her!
It's all that damned Vermilion Bird beast's fault! If the people of Xiliang hadn't worshipped it, why wouldn't she have dared to use her identity to become the Empress of Xiliang!
Sooner or later, she'll kill that stinky bird!!!
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