Chapter 422 The Fake Empress Offended Someone
The emperor truly regarded Lady Fan and her foolish son as the empress and the crown prince.
Tao Meiyu was naturally regarded as his daughter-in-law.
The family moved into the palace and began a life of luxury.
In just over ten days, Tao Meiyu transformed from a peasant woman who had been driven from her home into a magnificently dressed crown princess.
After they entered the palace, the emperor's health improved day by day.
But even the most similar people will eventually be exposed.
Although the emperor had not seen the empress for a long time, he still remembered her past personality.
The Empress was kind and benevolent; she never even scolded or beat the eunuchs or maids in the palace.
After serving as empress for a few days in the palace, Lady Fan revealed her true nature.
The palace maids brought out fruit that the emperor had specially sent.
She took the fruit and turned her head to find that the palace maid holding the fruit was very beautiful.
A sudden wave of displeasure washed over Madam Fan. She slammed the fruit down, snatched the hairpin from the maid's head, and snapped at her, "Who are you trying to impress with all this elaborate dressing up, little girl!"
The young palace maid immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I have always dressed like this and have no intention of seducing anyone!"
The young palace maid's hair ornaments were not improper; Lady Fan was simply displeased because she found the maid beautiful.
She was arrogant when she was in the Lu family, but she suffered a lot after being displaced and married, which made her develop a mean-spirited nature.
Lady Fan raised her hand and slapped the little palace maid hard across the face. "How dare you talk back when I'm reprimanding you!"
The young palace maid cupped her face and quickly kowtowed to her, saying, "Your Majesty, this servant knows she was wrong."
Seeing her like this, Madam Fan's expression gradually improved. She waved her hand at her and said, "Get out of here now!"
The young palace maid quickly got up and left.
After she left, Madam Fan smugly picked up the fruit on the table and began to eat it.
After finishing the meal, she didn't forget to save a few for her son.
The young palace maid, holding her swollen and red face, tearfully arrived at the emperor's palace.
When Eunuch Liu saw her arrive, he hurried over, "Lian'er, what brings you here?"
This young palace maid, named Lian'er, was in love with Eunuch Liu.
Eunuch Liu was the same eunuch who went to Cheng'an County to find a doctor for the emperor last time. He had obtained a prescription from Doctor Xu and had temporarily brought the emperor's illness under control.
Therefore, he was highly valued by the emperor.
Lian'er cried as she said, "The Empress suddenly pulled my hairpin and hit me."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu looked surprised. "You mean the Empress hit you?"
Lian'er nodded with a wronged expression, "Yes."
Eunuch Liu looked surprised and said, "I've heard that Her Majesty the Empress has a good temper and has never laid a hand on any of the palace maids or eunuchs!"
Lian'er raised her moist eyes and said, "Could it be that her time outside the palace has drastically changed her personality?"
Liu Gonggong pondered for a moment, "It's possible. Don't cry yet. I'll mention this to the Emperor later."
Lian'er wiped away her tears and obediently replied, "Okay, I'll go back first."
Eunuch Liu saw her out, and just as he was about to turn back into the hall, he ran into Eunuch Zhang who had returned.
Some time ago, Eunuch Zhang went to the old house to visit his deceased parents. He was originally scheduled to return to the palace in ten days, but when he heard that the Empress had returned, he immediately rushed back.
"Little Liu, have the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the young princes all returned?" Eunuch Zhang asked impatiently.
He thought it was Zhou Ruiyuan and Du Wanchun's family who had returned.
Eunuch Liu was taken aback. "What little grandson? Her Highness the Crown Princess has no children yet."
Eunuch Zhang sensed something was amiss and asked again, "Where are the Second Prince and the Third Prince?"
Eunuch Liu was taken aback again. "The Second Prince and the Third Prince were already dead when they encountered the bandits back then."
Eunuch Zhang frowned and asked Eunuch Liu, "Which palace are the Empress and the others staying in now?"
Eunuch Liu replied, "They live in the former residence of the Empress."
Without asking any further questions, Eunuch Zhang turned and went to the residence of Madam Fan and Tao Meiyu.
As luck would have it, he bumped into Tao Meiyu, who was strolling in the Imperial Garden, on his way there.
Tao Meiyu was extremely pleased with herself. She was dressed in a gorgeous pale yellow dress, with a gold hairpin in her hair, and more than a dozen palace maids were with her. She even had to have a palace maid feed her fruit.
Upon seeing this, Eunuch Zhang stepped aside and asked the maid beside him, "Which palace does this lady belong to? Why is she making such a grand entrance?"
The young palace maid lowered her head and replied softly, "This is the newly arrived Crown Princess."
Zhang Gonggong's face instantly darkened. He stared at Tao Meiyu again, and seeing her affected manner, he probably already knew that someone was impersonating the Empress and the Crown Prince.
At the same time, Eunuch Liu also told the emperor about how Lady Fan had slapped Lian'er for no reason.
The emperor initially didn't believe it, saying, "Impossible, Zhou'er would never do such a thing."
Eunuch Liu lowered his head and replied, "Your Majesty, Lian'er came with a swollen face just now. As you know, Lian'er used to be a little palace maid in the Empress's palace, and later grew up under your watchful eye. She would never use such a thing to frame the Empress."
The emperor frowned slightly upon hearing this; he had also noticed something amiss these past few days.
For example, she always forgets what happens in the palace.
Especially the matter between the two of them. It was initially thought that it was because the Empress suffered after leaving the palace that things turned out this way, but now it seems that they have become one person.
The emperor remained silent.
Eunuch Liu whispered, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the royal bloodline; we must not make a mistake."
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