Her hand, which was trying to remove the jade bracelet, was held down, preventing her from moving any further.
The Empress stared at Granny Qin's face. She looked to be in her thirties, but she was well-maintained. While not a great beauty, she was still quite pretty. However, this woman stared at her with a forced smile, and her subordinates immediately returned the jade bracelet.
"Your Majesty is too kind. I am but a servant, how could I be worthy of being called Your Majesty's elder?" Yu Zhuo stepped back, bowed, and left.
The Empress's chest heaved violently as she stared intently at Granny Qin's departing figure.
"You bastard!"
She cursed angrily.
A palace maid approached and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, are you going to Cining Palace?"
The Empress slapped him hard across the face, her eyes practically blazing with murderous intent. "What are you planning to do if you don't go? Huh?"
The slap was delivered with almost no force, and the palace maid fell heavily to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She didn't dare wipe it away, but simply lowered her head and begged for forgiveness, "It's...it's my fault, please forgive me, Your Highness."
"You wretch! You vile creature, you made my hand hurt from hitting you!" She shook her hand, her palm slightly red.
Then a slightly older palace maid came over, silently handed over a damp handkerchief, and whispered, "I'm afraid we can't escape this. I just don't know if they've noticed anything over there."
This person was the Empress's personal maid, and she knew the Empress's temperament too well, so she didn't approach her when she was angry.
The palace maid who was beaten deserved it; she thought that by daring to go over at this time, she would be looked up to, but who knew that this would be the result.
"How about I say you're ill?"
The Empress told her to wipe her hands, and said coldly, "That old hag noticed that I'm perfectly fine. Can she just pretend to be sick and get away with it?"
The palace maid continued, "Your Highness, why should you worry? You are the one who holds the Phoenix Seal. The Empress Dowager is just an old woman, no matter what. What trouble can she cause?"
The Queen's chest heaved considerably as she said, "I'm afraid that what happened tonight will be leaked."
The palace maid shook her head. "That maid only knew that Her Highness was going to carry the little princess out, but she didn't know what was going to happen next. Even if she caught her, what could she do? Could she convict Her Highness?"
Hearing her personal maid say this, the Empress's emotions calmed down slightly.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, you are the Empress and the Mother of the Nation. This little matter will not shake your position."
"In my opinion, it's fine for you to go today, but it won't really matter if you don't go."
She carefully applied the ointment to the Empress's palms, very gently.
"Thank goodness for you." The Empress sighed, her eyes even becoming a little moist. "Alright, then I won't go."
...
Emperor Mingyang was discussing with Yu Shuo how to deal with the city lord of Shacheng when he suddenly heard that Granny Qin had come. Without thinking much about it, he immediately told Xue Huai'an to go back first, while he and Yu Shuo went to Cining Palace.
On the way there, Yu Shuo said to Emperor Mingyang, "Does Your Majesty value this Prince Xue highly?"
Emperor Mingyang chuckled lightly, "Hmm, this person is courageous and talented; he's a good man."
There's one more thing he didn't mention: this person is ambitious.
Emperor Mingyang believed that having ambition was not a bad thing; ambition was the motivation to climb the ranks.
Before Yu Shuo could speak, Emperor Mingyang said with a smile, "Don't dislike him just because he and Princess Chen had a previous engagement."
Yu Shuo: "..." He did dislike Xue Huai'an, but it wasn't just because of the marriage agreement.
At this moment, Yu Shuo had no recollection of his previous schemes with Qin Su and had no intention of giving Xue Huai'an a chance to climb the ranks.
"Your Majesty's concern for your younger brother is indeed wrong."
Upon hearing Yu Shuo's words, Emperor Mingyang burst into laughter. He patted Yu Shuo's arm and said, "I know you're not that kind of person."
Yu Shuo: I'm really sorry, that's just the kind of person I am.
"Your Majesty, I suspect that Xue Huai'an is colluding with the Lord of Shacheng."
Emperor Mingyang's smile vanished immediately. "What is your basis?"
Yu Shuo said, "It's better to put this matter aside; it's not appropriate to discuss it outside."
This isn't really the place to talk, but if he says something like that, Emperor Mingyang will definitely take it to heart.
"Alright, I trust you."
He trusted Yu Shuo, but that didn't mean he wouldn't investigate anything.
"There's one more thing: the Moon Tower in Sand City has betrayed us."
This is no small matter. Emperor Mingyang nodded solemnly, "Alright, come to the palace tomorrow and we'll have a proper talk."
The follow-up arrangements are rather complicated.
Yu Shuo nodded slightly.
They all assumed that Granny Qin had come to invite them just for a get-together, so they discussed matters of the court on the way.
"I heard you were injured in Shacheng? Are you feeling better now?" Emperor Mingyang stopped asking about state affairs and began to inquire about his younger brother's health.
Yu Shuo nodded. "The Princess found a famous doctor in the martial arts world to cure my injuries, but..." He hesitated for a moment, but did not hide anything. "I don't remember anything after I married the Princess."
Emperor Mingyang didn't think it was a big deal. "It's a minor matter. I'll remember it eventually. As long as there are no other health problems, that's fine."
Yu Shuo naturally nodded.
The two arrived at Cining Palace as they talked.
Emperor Mingyang bowed to the Empress Dowager, then sat down without asking why he had come.
Yu Shuo, seeing that Qin Su was still there, went over and asked, "Why aren't you going back? Are you waiting for me?"
He was actually somewhat hoping that Qin Su would give a positive answer.
However… Qin Su shook her head, “It’s really not for you.”
Yu Shuo fell silent. He sat down beside Qin Su, and his hand under his wide sleeves secretly reached out and squeezed her hand, not too hard, not too soft, as if venting his dissatisfaction.
"Where is the Empress?" the Empress Dowager asked with displeasure.
The palace maids from Fengqi Palace had already arrived. She bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress is feeling unwell and is afraid of infecting you with her illness, so she will not be coming."
This was originally nothing serious, and the person who said it made it sound very nice.
However, the Empress Dowager suddenly slammed her hand on the table and turned to ask Granny Qin, "Is what she said true?!"
The old woman, Qin, naturally answered truthfully, "I just saw the Empress, and her complexion was rosy."
The palace maid, who had been startled, immediately said, "Does this mean that Her Majesty the Empress is deliberately concealing this?"
Granny Qin remained unmoved, saying, "I didn't say that."
But that's the gist of it.
The Empress Dowager sneered, "Very well! It seems I'll have to go and invite her myself."
Emperor Mingyang and Yu Shuo looked at each other in bewilderment. What had happened?
Why is the Empress Dowager so angry?
The Empress Dowager was not a short-tempered person, especially when it came to the inner palace; she hardly ever interfered in its affairs.
What's wrong with me today?
Emperor Mingyang said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, please calm down. I will send Deng Quan to invite the Empress."
The Empress Dowager calmed down a little, but she was still stubborn, saying, "Even if she's just feeling unwell, or if she's lying in bed all day and can't get up, she still has to come! She has to be carried here!"
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