“Grandmother, it has nothing to do with Aunt. It was A-Jun who acted on her own. All the orders were given by A-Jun, and A-Jun was the one who killed the person. If you want to punish someone, punish A-Jun. It has nothing to do with Aunt.” Zhao Shu hurriedly spoke up for Huo Danlan. She knew the Empress Dowager’s temper. She was absolutely capable of calling a deer a horse and blaming others.
Having lived a life of iron-fisted courage, who had she ever feared? If she had to push someone out to bear the blame, the Empress Dowager would have pushed Huo Danlan out without hesitation. When it came to risking her life, the Empress Dowager was definitely the one least afraid of death.
The Empress Dowager sneered, "You think you're safe?"
Zhao Shu quickly lowered her head and wiped away her tears. She had made a mistake, and although shedding tears in front of the Empress Dowager might be of some use, it wouldn't be very effective. If she didn't know when to stop, it would definitely backfire.
"This humble woman is willing to accept punishment." Huo Danlan solemnly kowtowed.
Zhao Shu watched anxiously from the side. Was the Empress Dowager the kind of person who would be lenient if you admitted your mistake and had a good attitude? Sometimes, when she got down to principle, even she was afraid of herself.
"Grandmother, this has nothing to do with my aunt. Please punish A-Jun. A-Jun will never misbehave again." Zhao Shu crawled on her knees before the Empress Dowager, swaying the hem of her phoenix robe.
The Empress Dowager looked down at her, feeling helpless and disappointed. She was intelligent, but also prone to meddling. What did the Crown Prince's affairs have to do with her? The struggle for the throne had existed since ancient times; what was so strange about it? She sighed and poked Zhao Shu's forehead. "You promised last time you wouldn't do anything reckless again. How long has it been? Do you think I'm made of clay?"
Hearing this tone, Zhao Shu felt a huge weight lifted from her throat. She immediately put on a fawning smile, her face still streaked with tears, and said pitifully, "Grandmother... Ah Jun really knows she was wrong. Next time, she will never do it herself and will let someone else do it, okay?"
"You want a next time?! Guards, lock them both up! Don't let them out until they know they've done something wrong!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the armrest and glared at Huo Danlan. Good, very good. Not only is she bold and resourceful, but she also dares to provoke her. It's been so many years since anyone has spoken to her like this. Truly remarkable! Yet, amidst her anger, she felt a certain admiration for this woman with such courage.
Huo Danlan knelt down and cried out, "Thank you for your grace, Empress Dowager."
"Oh, Grandmother, are you really going to punish me? Didn't you just say that A-Jun was wrong? You only said that A-Jun wasn't smart enough. If she's not smart enough, you can teach her. Why punish her? The Crown Prince's leg hasn't healed yet. If A-Jun is locked up, how can she visit him? A-Jun won't be able to rest easy without seeing him." She pitifully tugged at the Empress Dowager's phoenix robe and shook it.
The Empress Dowager confronted her, saying, "Say one more word, and I will take all your people back." Her words made perfect sense, but she couldn't let it go unpunished. Rather than letting others find out and criticize her, it was better for her to strike first and punish them to prevent the matter from being brought up again later and making it difficult to defend herself.
And right now, the most important thing is not to teach the two a lesson. There are many things that she only has a vague understanding of and is eager to know the whole truth.
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Zhao Shu immediately shut up and obediently began massaging the Empress Dowager's legs, even kneading and massaging them a couple of times.
When Ji Yun and the others entered, they saw Huo Danlan kneeling on the ground, and Zhao Shu massaging the Empress Dowager's legs. The group was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and curtsied, saying, "Princess, Miss Huo, please come with us."
Zhao Shu pretended to be reluctant and went down with Huo Danlan and Ji Yun and the others. The place where they were confined was the right side hall, which was good, as they didn't have to go back to Jinlan Hall. It was also convenient to see the Crown Prince, who stayed in another side hall.
Inside the side hall, there were books to while away the time, a warm kang (heated brick bed), and a rocking chair that could be gently swayed. Zhao Shu and Huo Danlan walked in, but Green Luo, Magpie, and the others were stopped outside and not allowed to come in. They had been waiting outside the hall for quite some time and were very worried. Now that they saw that they were only confined to their quarters, they were somewhat relieved.
After the two left, the Empress Dowager instructed Du Bai, who had just entered, "Go and check if any news has leaked. If anyone dares to utter a word, I'll tear their tongues out!" As she spoke, her eyes were filled with intense malice, as if they could breathe fire.
"Yes, this servant will go and do it immediately." Du Bai curtsied and withdrew. The Empress Dowager also waved her hand, ordering someone to invite Zhihai. Zhihai was quickly invited into the main hall. The Empress Dowager remained seated on the phoenix throne and said calmly, "Speak."
Zhihai knelt down. Only he and the Empress Dowager were in the hall; no one else was present. "Reporting to Your Majesty," he said. He usually addressed her as "Your Majesty," rarely as "Empress Dowager." After organizing his thoughts, he said, "After escorting the Princess to the Tea Plum Manor, I learned that His Highness the Crown Prince had already been taken there. His Highness trusts the Grand Tutor and the Imperial Uncle more, which gave them an opportunity. After Ouyang Ping examined the Crown Prince's injuries, he diagnosed him with lifelong disability. The Grand Tutor and the Imperial Uncle then concocted a deadly poison with celestial herbs and gave it to the Crown Prince. Fortunately, the Princess discovered it. However, the Grand Tutor and the Imperial Uncle had a second plan: assassins were secretly monitoring him. If the Crown Prince refused to die, they would assassinate him and steal the package His Highness had given to the Princess. The package likely contained information about the location of a gold mine."
The Empress Dowager listened and pondered for a moment. "I heard there's still a maid alive?"
"Yes, he's still alive. Would you like to see him, Master?"
The Empress Dowager nodded. "Bring her in. I have some questions for her."
Zhihai got up and went out of the main hall. Soon after, he brought a maid with her hands and feet bound and her mouth gagged. When she came to the Empress Dowager, Zhihai kicked the maid in the knee. She knelt down in pain and tried to glare at Zhihai, but when her eyes met his cold eyes, her momentum faltered.
The Empress Dowager stared at the girl with a dark face. What a big dog! A mere servant dared to bring poison to her grandson!
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