Chapter 521 I have a straightforward personality, unlike my younger brother...sigh.
"Sister...you said you would always be with me, but what about you! Now you're yelling at me for a man!" Lan Xiao looked at the Empress, her voice full of grievance.
The Empress looked at her younger brother, who, despite his advanced age, still had a baby face.
Especially now, it's even mimicking how it talked to itself when it was a child...
"Honey... I was wrong. I shouldn't have gotten angry with my brother. I'm a straightforward person, unlike him... Sigh!"
The emperor sighed and then lowered his head.
Empress...
Why do I seem so unwilling to talk to these people right now?
The Empress felt a headache coming on and didn't know how to talk to them for a moment.
Tang Bugui breathed a slight sigh of relief when he realized that a fight was unlikely to break out.
However, both His Majesty and Lan Xiao seem to be acting a little strange right now!
Tang Bugui seemed to realize something and looked at the little girl in his arms.
"Su Bao, do you know what happened between your royal grandfather and King Yama?"
Tang Bugui looked at his daughter and asked in confusion.
Little Su Bao immediately tensed up and instinctively wanted to shake her head.
But seeing her father's gaze, the little girl didn't dare.
She hesitated for a moment before saying somewhat guiltily, "I didn't do anything, I just used a little bit of the Rejuvenation Powder!"
Return to True Dispersion?
Tang Bugui naturally knew about this medicine, but the question was, where did Xiao Su Bao get it?
Huizhen Powder, as the name suggests, is a medicinal powder for returning to one's pure nature.
This drug can temporarily transport a person back to their teenage years.
Or rather, it allows people to find their most authentic selves.
However, there are some slight... side effects...
"This was something that Senior Brother Song and I accidentally figured out before, and it's not very harmful..." the girl said, sounding a little guilty.
Tang Bugui rubbed his temples, momentarily at a loss for words!
However, after thinking of something, he still said, "Well, I'll talk to Father about it next time before I use it."
Little Su Bao nodded obediently, her big eyes stealing a glance at the emperor and his two companions not far away.
She only used a tiny bit, it shouldn't be a problem...
Then, the Empress was seen grabbing one of them in each hand and giving the Emperor and her younger brother a good beating by pulling their ears.
The empress hadn't hit the emperor in many years, and the courtiers who had been secretly peeking out from their tents stared wide-eyed.
They quickly pulled down the tent flap, not daring to peek at all.
In the shadows, Wang Mingtian made hand seals, his eyes sweeping over the Emperor, Empress, and the other two.
Then, suddenly a black butterfly flew out of his hand.
The butterfly slowly flew behind the three of them, and a strange fragrance instantly filled the air.
The emperor, empress, and the other two paused slightly, then all three fainted.
Little Su Bao was startled and rushed over to help the Empress.
The little dumpling grabbed the black butterfly.
"Huh, why does this smell like Dream Fulfilling Powder?" Little Su Bao sniffed and paused slightly.
Tang Bugui and the others rushed over, and only when they saw that the Emperor and Empress were still breathing did they breathe a slight sigh of relief.
"Let them rest for half an hour!" Wang Mingtian came out, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"Master, what's wrong with you?!"
"I'll make their dream come true!" Wang Mingtian frowned slightly as he looked at his master's pale face.
Master's health hasn't been good since he arrived at the hunting grounds, and now he's used so much power...
"I'm fine, alright. Let's carry His Majesty and the others back to their rooms first!" Wang Mingtian said to Tang Bugui.
Tang Bugui looked at Wang Mingtian with a furrowed brow.
If Wang Mingtian weren't Xiao Su Bao's master, he probably would have already made his move!
Seemingly noticing the wariness and coldness in Tang Bugui's eyes, Wang Mingtian said impatiently, "Hurry up, time is limited. They all have their own inner conflicts, and this is the only way to help them resolve them!"
Actually, if Xiao Su Bao hadn't used the True Powder beforehand, Wang Mingtian's use of the Dream Fulfillment Technique would have been useless.
“Mr. Wang, please don’t do this again next time. The Emperor and Empress are the foundation of the country!” Tang Bugui’s voice was serious. Even though Wang Mingtian was incredibly capable, his eyes were very firm.
Wang Mingtian...
That brat is really...unbelievably biased...
Despite Tang Bugui's occasional sarcastic remarks to the emperor, which sometimes even infuriated the emperor to the point of being helpless, Tang Bugui's actions are not without their consequences.
But after that crucial moment, Tang Bugui resolutely protected the emperor, even at the cost of his own life.
Who was Wang Mingtian? Some say he was Wang Mingyang, the former imperial advisor of the previous dynasty, but Wang Mingyang was already over a hundred years old at the time.
Now, Wang Mingtian looks no different from a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.
Tang Bugui showed no weakness when facing Wang Mingtian.
It even carried a hint of threat.
“Master didn’t hurt Grandpa and Grandma…” Little Su Bao hurriedly grabbed her father’s hand and stood between her master and father.
Wang Mingtian was too lazy to explain. Feeling somewhat unwell, he simply followed the Emperor and Empress back to the tent.
Tang Bugui didn't say anything, but simply reached out and patted his daughter's head.
"Sweetie, go and rest for a while. Leave the rest to Daddy!"
Originally, the Emperor and Empress were supposed to set off for the palace immediately, since Empress Dowager Cao was seriously ill, which was a very serious matter.
But no one has mentioned it now.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Empress Dowager Cao was deathly pale, her body trembling, and she was almost out of tears!
"How dare he, how dare he!" Empress Dowager Cao trembled, her eyes filled with intense killing intent.
"You dog emperor, you dog emperor, how dare you hurt my brother..." The Empress Dowager's voice was tinged with madness.
Her younger brother and she were born of the same mother and had a very good relationship since childhood!
After her mother passed away, she raised her younger brother alone in the mansion, struggling to survive, step by step, from an unloved legitimate daughter to an unloved legitimate son, and now she has come to where she is today.
She entered the palace so that her younger brother could live the life he wanted, but now, her brother is dead!
"They're all useless! Why aren't the Emperor and Empress dead yet? Why aren't they dead yet!" The Empress Dowager seemed to have gone mad, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Your Majesty, please take your medicine first, and then rest for a while!" The trusted nanny looked at her Empress Dowager with concern.
Empress Dowager Cao had no children, so she regarded her younger brother as her closest relative. Therefore, she was willing to take responsibility for her brother no matter how much trouble he caused.
But what about now!
The treacherous emperor killed her younger brother, and yes, and Little Su Bao too…
If Xiao Su Bao had obediently married Xuan'er, none of these things would have happened!
It's all Tang Bugui's fault, that jinx, that cursed star, who ruined my brother and the others!
"Where have all the people from the Underworld gone? Why haven't they sent a message back yet?!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes were sharp, and she slapped the dark medicine directly onto the ground!
The nanny felt sorry for her Empress Dowager, but dared not offer any more advice!
Even when the late emperor died, the Empress Dowager never acted like this. This time... she must be truly heartbroken!
The old woman was worried and sighed inwardly.
Immediately afterwards, the Empress Dowager turned to the nanny and said, "Go and convey my imperial decree, summoning the two old generals from the Li and Guo families to the palace for an audience!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes were filled with murderous intent. Since the Emperor was heartless, she would replace him!
It's just the throne; she's sat on it before!
The Empress Dowager thought of Lady Lan from the previous dynasty, and a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes.
So what if she's a woman? Who says the throne has to be sat on by a man?
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..." The old woman's expression changed drastically, and she couldn't help but raise her head to look at the Empress Dowager.
However, the words she was about to say were instantly swallowed back down.
"Yes, this old servant will go right away!" The old woman was horrified, but she still lowered her head.
The Empress Dowager's cold eyes swept over the nanny before she said, "Once I succeed, what's wrong with women serving as officials in court!" The Empress Dowager clenched her fists, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
The Li family and the Guo family were both her confidants; one was in charge of the city defense department, and the other was the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard.
They were all people arranged by the Empress Dowager back then; now, it's time to put them to use.
If the emperor is unrighteous, then she cannot be blamed for being unjust!
The old woman turned around and hurried off to deliver the message.
However, as soon as she reached the Empress Dowager's palace, she turned a corner and headed in the other direction.
That's the palace where the Dowager Consort lived, but she had been devoted to Buddhism for many years and didn't care about outside affairs.
When the nanny arrived, the people around the Empress Dowager let her in directly.
"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has gone mad! She's going to rebel and kill the Emperor!" The old woman knelt before the Empress Dowager, her entire demeanor one of utmost respect.
The Empress Dowager was the woman the late emperor disliked the most, but she gave birth to the current emperor.
The reason why the Imperial Concubine has not been made Empress Dowager all these years is because of the late Emperor's will, but also because the Imperial Concubine herself is willing...
After all, she didn't want to be the late emperor's empress, and she certainly didn't want to be buried in the same tomb as him after she died.
A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the imperial concubine who was worshipping Buddha.
"Why would the Empress Dowager be so foolish?" the Consort Dowager asked calmly, letting the nanny and maid help her up.
The Empress Dowager was dressed in plain white, but she looked rather plump and luxurious.
"Cao Guojiu was killed by his first wife, and Cao Xuan, the Empress Dowager's most favored grandson, was beaten with military rods and is now in a coma. The imperial physician says that he may... he may never be able to have any more children!"
The nanny reported the truth, but there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
The Dowager Princess held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, her eyes half-closed.
The old woman paused before continuing, "When the Empress Dowager learned of this, she colluded...colluded with the villains of the Underworld. Now the Empress Dowager has ordered me to find the heads of the Li and Guo families..."
"Intending to control the capital and rebel!" After saying the last sentence, the old woman dared not raise her head.
The Dowager slowly opened her eyes, and the scriptures she was reciting stopped.
"Go ahead and try, it won't work!" the Empress Dowager said calmly, a hint of coldness in her eyes.
The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, then hurriedly kowtowed to the Dowager Consort and left.
After they left, a hint of murderous intent appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes.
She, as his mother, would do the things that her son couldn't do!
At this moment, the emperor was unaware of what was happening in the palace. His brows were furrowed, and it was unclear what he was dreaming about.
Half an hour later, the three of them opened their eyes at the same time.
Lan Xiao's eyes seemed somewhat dazed. In his dream, he saw things he had never seen before.
Neither he nor his sister were their father's biological children; everything their father told them was a lie.
Even the mothers who are good to them are fake!
They were tools used by the Lan family for revenge...
Impossible!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this old servant will go and fetch the imperial physician immediately!" Chief Eunuch Xu, who had shed many tears before, became excited upon seeing the solemn faces of the Emperor and Empress.
Lan Xiao turned to look at her older sister, her eyes filled with a strange expression.
"That was just a dream... right?"
Lan Xiao asked in a low voice.
"no!"
The Queen looked at her brother and then said in a very firm voice, "That was not a dream, that was the real thing that I know."
Their mother was the only daughter of the female general from the Lan family, but their father has not yet been identified.
Yama's eyes were icy cold, and he instantly got up and fled.
"I will investigate this matter myself. If it is different from what you say, I will take the life of this damned emperor!"
His ability to ascend to the throne of Yama, the King of Hell, proved his competence. The Empress and the Emperor exchanged a glance and did not send anyone to stop him.
The two seemed to sense something, and that's when they saw three pairs of eyes.
Little Su Bao, Tang Bu Gui, and Wang Ming Tian!
The little girl stood between Tang Bugui and Wang Mingtian, holding one of them in each hand.
"Grandma, are you alright..." The little dumpling stepped forward and took the Empress's hand in his tiny hand.
The girl breathed a slight sigh of relief when she sensed that the two were in relatively good condition.
"You little ungrateful brat, you only have eyes for your royal grandmother, and no eyes for your royal grandfather?" The emperor snorted and glared angrily at Little Su Bao.
Little Su Bao was taken aback. Why did it seem like Grandpa was becoming more and more childish...?
However, well, my grandfather is so good to me, I still have to coax him.
The little girl stepped forward, took the emperor's hand, and took his pulse...
emperor……
"Grandpa's health is much better now; he just needs to rest for a while longer!"
As Xiao Su Bao spoke, she handed a pill to the emperor.
The emperor ate it without a second thought.
Wang Mingtian...
She herself delivered medicine to the emperor, and he was extremely wary of her. Whatever the little maid gave him, the emperor would eat. It was truly...
"Mr. Wang, please tell me, what exactly happened?" The emperor ate the sweet pills, but his eyes swept over Wang Mingtian's face.
The emperor had sensed something was amiss, and after some thought, he concluded that only this person possessed such abilities.
Wang Mingtian, or rather, Wang Mingyang!
"There is a medicine that can trap you in the same dream, somewhat similar to the Dream Return Gu from before, but it can control time."
Everything you experienced in your dream was something you actually went through. However, since the Dream Return Gu is gone, and this medicine is all gone too!
Wang Mingtian glanced at the emperor's expression and a slight smile played on his lips.
At this moment, the imperial physician was brought in by Chief Steward Xu.
After taking the emperor's and empress's pulses, it was found that they were both in good condition. However, the empress needed to be more careful during this period because she had been stabbed in the arm.
The Queen looked at the bandaged area and realized it didn't hurt that much.
"Your Majesty, it's almost time. We must return to the palace now, or things might change!"
Tang Bugui's eyes were solemn; he had already received news from the capital.
The emperor's eyes turned slightly cold, and then he said, "Hmm, it's time to go back and deal with Empress Dowager Cao's matter!"
The Cao family is truly detestable, almost as much as the Zhou family, and is hated by the emperor.
This time, Tang Bugui, the emperor, and the crown prince rode ahead on fast horses, leading their men back.
However, when it was time to leave, Xiao Su Bao insisted on coming along, so they had no choice but to let Tang Bugui take the little girl with him.
After a long and frantic journey, they finally arrived outside the capital city in two hours.
The city gates, which had been open all along, were now closed.
Tang Bugui's eyes turned slightly cold: "His Majesty has returned, open the city gates!"
However, no one responded on the city wall. Tang Bugui was about to go up when Xiao Subao stopped him.
"Daddy, wait a minute." The little girl called out to Tang Bugui, then poked the little bell in her arms that was pretending to be dead.
Little Bell reluctantly opened her bright red eyes.
Looking at her little master, Xiao Lingdang sighed. She thought, "He's my master, I'll take care of him myself!"
The little guy climbed right onto Xiao Su Bao's head, stood upright, and made a couple of squeaking noises.
Then I saw several very large rats dart out from the side, and in the next instant, they disappeared.
Tang Bugui...
Should he pretend he didn't notice anything, or...?
Looking at the little girl in his arms, Tang Bugui felt a bit of a headache, but finally said, "Su Bao, leave these things to Daddy. You're still a child... As long as you grow up happily, that's enough!"
"The blessings bestowed by God are finite. What if God wants to take them back one day?"
"Compared to everything else, all Daddy wants is for Su Bao to live a good life."
"You just need to grow up carefree, without having to try to please anyone."
"You are the apple of your father's eye, so it's okay for you to be a little willful. Even if the sky falls, your father will hold it up for you!"
Tang Bugui's words made Su Bao pause, and the little girl felt a lump in her throat.
"Daddy... Su Bao understands!" the little girl said obediently, but there was a strange light in her eyes.
His back straightened up a bit.
Tang Bugui nodded slightly as he looked at the little girl.
A moment later, the mouse returned, carrying a letter in its mouth.
Little Bell jumped down quickly, grabbed the letter, and came back.
The mouse disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Su Bao glanced at the paper and handed it to Tang Bu Gui.
Tang Bugui opened it and glanced at it, a strange look appearing in his eyes.
A moment later, Tang Bugui whispered something to Ling Buqi and the others.
Immediately afterwards, these people quietly left.
The second prince looked at Tang Bugui and couldn't help but say, "Brother Tang, can I take a look too?"
The second prince had come over at some point, blinking his big eyes and saying cheerfully.
Tang Bugui looked at the Second Prince and, without hiding anything, handed the letter to him directly.
The second prince's face was extremely gloomy as he looked at the letter, and his eyes were filled with a hint of coldness.
At this moment, he truly resembled a royal.
"Okay, okay, okay!"
His eyes were slightly cold as he placed the letter in his pocket.
Little Su Bao knew that her second uncle was angry. She didn't know the contents of the letter. She originally wanted to send him some pills and say a few words of comfort.
But then she remembered what her father had said earlier, and the little girl quieted down.
Before long, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the city gate, followed by the sight of a figure.
Tang Bugui whispered in Su Bao's ear, "Don't be afraid! It's your brother Ling and the others!"
Little Su Bao nodded, but in her heart she was praying for them.
Less than half an hour later, the city gate was opened.
Ling Buqi came out with the people from the General's Mansion.
Little Su Bao even saw the Qian family.
"Mother... what are you doing here!"
Xiao Su Bao looked at Qian Shi nervously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was alright.
"Mother is alright, thanks to the guards of the General's Mansion. Otherwise, I'm afraid Mother would have been in a lot of trouble!"
Ms. Qian felt a lingering fear upon reflection.
Who knew that someone from the palace would suddenly come looking for me!
Fortunately, the General's Mansion somehow got wind of this and sent someone to take Madam Qian away in advance.
When the Empress Dowager's people arrived, the Tang family only had some servants.
The Empress Dowager's people were unwilling to give up, but after searching around, they still couldn't find Qian Shi. They then went to the Princess's residence under the pretext of going there, but still found no one there.
Only then did they reluctantly leave.
When Ms. Qian learned of this, she was shocked.
Now that he is the only one left in the mansion, he would be in even greater danger if his son and grandson were still alive.
"It's good that you're alright!"
Xiao Su Bao jumped off the horse immediately. She held Qian Shi's hand, feeling a little scared.
"Oh, right... The Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree ordering you to marry Cao Xuan!" Madam Qian was furious when she thought of this.
Why should their perfectly good daughter marry that scoundrel from the Cao family?
Little Su Bao is only nine years old, still very young. Besides, the Cao family's uncle-in-law was once involved with Zhou Shi, so it's inevitable that the Cao family will take their anger out on Su Bao!
Madam Qian was furious, but neither the emperor nor Tang Bugui had returned, so Madam Qian was helpless.
However, the fact that Xiao Su Bao and Cao Xuan were betrothed by imperial decree was common knowledge.
Madam Qian looked at Su Bao with heartache. If it weren't for the fact that this wasn't the proper place to vent her anger, she would have loved to curse the Empress Dowager...
"That old hag is really dreaming!" The Second Prince, however, was somewhat lacking in sensual pleasures and blurted out the curse.
Although the Great Shang Kingdom values filial piety, it is not blind obedience. Moreover, the Second Prince was almost harmed by the Empress Dowager, so he had no goodwill towards Empress Dowager Cao.
As soon as he spoke, Madam Qian's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but look over.
This second prince knows how to talk, he should say a few more words!
When the second prince saw Madam Qian looking over, the look in his eyes...
Why does it look a bit like the way Dad usually looks at me? Is he trying to get me to say more?
As they were talking, Tang Bugui returned.
He interrupted the Second Prince, who was lost in thought, and said, "The Li family and the Guo family have all been arrested."
The emperor also walked up from behind, his eyes filled with a hint of coldness.
"How dare you scheme against my accredited granddaughter... Do you think I'm dead?" The emperor's eyes were icy. Since Empress Dowager Cao could stay quietly in the harem, he naturally couldn't be bothered with her.
However, scheming against Little Su Bao...
Empress Dowager Cao miscalculated.
"Grandpa Emperor..." Little Su Bao called out obediently.
Madam Qian, who was standing nearby, quickly bowed and said, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty!"
The emperor glanced at Madam Qian, but didn't make things difficult for her: "Hmm, get up. You've been wronged this time!"
"In Your Majesty's eyes, what I have suffered is nothing. It's just that Su Bao suffered a lot when she was little. I don't ask for anything else, I only hope that Su Bao can grow up simply, peacefully, and happily!"
Ms. Qian spoke solemnly, and this truly reflected her purest thoughts.
The emperor, having lived in the village, knew what kind of person Qian was. For her to go to such lengths for Xiao Su Bao was already an extremely rare thing.
"Yes, I also like Su Bao. She is a noble princess of the Great Shang Kingdom, and she will naturally be safe and happy in the future!" The emperor glanced at Madam Qian and said.
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!" Madam Qian kowtowed to the emperor with heartfelt sincerity.
The emperor waved his hand, saying that this was not the time to talk to Lady Qian.
While they were talking, Tang Bugui had already led some people into the city.
There are quite a few troublesome things happening in the capital today.
The Empress Dowager had her trusted confidants invite many elderly ladies or wives from the families of court officials!
Almost everyone who didn't go on the spring hunt was brought into the palace by the Empress Dowager.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager was drinking tea, looking at the women in her palace.
She wore a phoenix crown and her eyes swept over the people.
Those noble ladies, well-informed at the time, either feigned illness or simply avoided the Empress Dowager's people.
Most of those who came were either simple-minded or simply trying to curry favor with the Empress Dowager.
The ladies remained silent for a long time, unable to understand the Empress Dowager's purpose.
They didn't dare ask, and could only sit quietly.
After observing the expressions on the faces of these people, the Empress Dowager finally fixed her gaze on a woman.
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