Chapter 522 I don't know... what the Empress Dowager means.
The lady looked to be in her early thirties, still very charming, especially her eyes, which were exceptionally beautiful.
The Empress Dowager glanced at her indifferently, then said, "I have summoned all of you ladies here today only to ask one question: are you willing to follow me?"
The ladies were completely bewildered, as most of them were elderly women.
This time, all the young ladies and wives were taken by their master to the spring hunting competition.
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what the Empress Dowager meant.
"I wonder... what does the Empress Dowager mean?" The old lady of the Grand Tutor's mansion frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask.
"It means exactly what it says: the emperor is unrighteous, the empress is unkind, and the crown prince and the others are unfilial... I, Your Majesty, want to depose the emperor and choose a righteous person from among the royal family to be the new emperor!"
The Empress Dowager's face was somewhat grim, and she felt a sense of madness in her heart.
However, the more frantic she became inside, the calmer her expression remained.
She said choosing someone was just an excuse; she wanted to take that position herself!
She wanted to kill the Emperor and Empress, that adulterous couple, and the Crown Prince and his ilk...
Those who dare to harm their own brother will suffer his wrath!
Everyone fell silent upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words.
The way the old ladies looked at the Empress Dowager was as if she were a madwoman…
"Your Majesty, do you know what you're saying?" The Grand Tutor's wife couldn't help but stand up, her eyes filled with anger.
The Empress Dowager looked at Madam Yang with a hint of coldness in her eyes.
"What, Madam Yang, are you going to aid and abet evil?" Empress Dowager Cao put down her teacup, her eyes icy cold.
However, Madam Yang remained unfazed, even showing a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
"Although the emperor has some flaws in his personality, our Great Shang Kingdom has become increasingly powerful over the years, and has never shown mercy to its enemies."
"Since the emperor ascended the throne, the Great Shang Kingdom has not had a single princess sent to marry a foreign ruler!"
"Don't be fooled by the fact that the emperor sometimes does some outrageous things. When it comes to matters of principle, he does a better job than the late emperor did when he was alive."
Madam Yang looked at Empress Dowager Cao with cold eyes.
"Empress Dowager, by what right do you deny His Majesty and the Empress's achievements with just a single sentence!"
Empress Dowager Cao's absurd affairs with the late emperor back then were far more numerous than those of the current emperor!
Although Madam Yang did not say these words, the relentless determination in her eyes was obvious to everyone.
Despite the fact that the emperor seems to be somewhat afraid of his wife these days, and seems to do some outrageous things all the time.
In fact, in the hearts of women, the emperor and empress held a position that no one else could match.
With His Majesty above him, he fears his wife and dotes on her like his own life.
Among their ministers, who dared to favor concubines over wives, and who dared to disrespect their wives? All of this was brought about by the emperor and empress.
How could these beneficiaries say such things against their conscience!
"Insolence!" The Empress Dowager gripped the teacup and smashed it hard at Madam Yang's feet.
However, Madam Yang remained unfazed.
The Yang family members are inherently aloof and ruthless.
"If Your Majesty finds anything I said incorrect, please enlighten me!"
Madam Yang straightened up, her eyes cold and arrogant.
The ladies on the side exchanged glances and slowly stood behind Madam Yang.
The remaining people were either indecisive or were the Empress Dowager's people!
Looking at these women, the Empress Dowager's face darkened.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Madam Yang with hostility!
"What a fine Grand Tutor Yang, what a fine Madam Yang..." The Empress Dowager's eyes were icy cold, her gaze extremely gloomy.
However, Madam Yang seemed not to notice and remained standing ramrod straight.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Madam Yang said softly, seemingly oblivious to the Empress Dowager's suppressed anger.
"Men, take Sun away and beat her to death. The rest of you, all of you..."
Before the Empress Dowager could finish speaking, a cold voice came from the doorway.
"Wait!"
The Empress Dowager's expression changed slightly, and she narrowed her eyes as she looked outside.
Then the Dowager Consort entered with two elderly palace maids.
She was dressed in plain white, but she looked much younger than the Empress Dowager.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Dowager Consort!" The group hurriedly bowed to the Dowager Consort.
The Empress Dowager's face was gloomy, and her eyes were filled with murderous intent.
How could she have forgotten about the Dowager Consort!
Oh, right!
Over the years, the Dowager Consort has remained aloof from worldly affairs in the palace, spending her days practicing Buddhism and Taoism in her own palace!
She was the emperor's birth mother, yet she remained extremely low-key, to the point that people almost forgot about her!
The Empress Dowager looked at the woman before her with a hint of murderous intent in her eyes!
"Greetings, Empress Dowager!" The Empress Dowager gave a perfunctory bow and then straightened up.
"What did Madam Yang do to anger the Empress Dowager so much that she wants to have her beaten to death in the palace!"
The Empress Dowager spoke softly, but her eyes bore a resemblance to those of the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager looked at the Consort Dowager before her, her voice slightly cold: "If you don't come out, I will consider you dead. Since you are determined to seek your own death, I will grant your wish!"
"Guards, drag the Dowager Consort, Madam Sun, and the others away and beat them to death!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes turned slightly cold, as if she had already made up her mind.
Several guards rushed in from outside, seemingly there to arrest them.
However, two elderly palace maids beside the Empress Dowager directly attacked and beat the guard so badly that he lay on the ground, unable to move.
"How dare you! The Empress Dowager is His Majesty's birth mother! Who would dare to touch her!" The old palace maid said, glaring at the guards.
The nannies and maids from the Empress Dowager's palace rushed over!
However, they were no match for the two old palace maids.
Outside, imperial guards soon arrived.
These guards showed no mercy to the women of the harem.
"Hmph, since I've gone this far, how could I possibly fail? I just didn't expect that after all these years of being well-behaved, you would still have such tricks up your sleeve. I underestimated you!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes were cold, and her voice carried a hint of anger.
However, the Empress Dowager's expression changed slightly, and he took out a seal from his pocket.
"This is His Majesty's Tiger Tally; who dares to touch it!"
Those guards were all following orders from their superiors. When they saw the tiger tally in the Empress Dowager's hand, their expressions changed drastically.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The guards immediately knelt down before the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Cao's expression changed drastically, and a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.
At that moment, Tang Bugui and his men had already returned from the palace gates.
Those rebels, seeing that Tang Bugui and his group had returned safely, were so frightened that they dared not resist.
You must know that the Empress Dowager said that the Emperor was already dead, which is why they dared to be so presumptuous.
"Greetings, Your Majesty; greetings, Crown Prince..."
Everyone hurriedly bowed, their eyes filled with panic.
The emperor snorted coldly, then said, "Su Shan, take these people to the market and behead them!"
"Your Majesty, spare our lives! We were deceived by the Empress Dowager, that's why we acted this way. Please, Your Majesty, spare our lives!"
The Li family members looked extremely grim; they never expected that the emperor and his entourage would actually return alive!
"Grandpa Emperor, they're lying!" Little Su Bao said softly, standing beside the Emperor.
"Did you hear that? Even the children don't believe you!" The emperor curled his lip, then looked at Tang Bugui.
"Su Shan!" the emperor said coldly.
Su Shan walked over instantly and took the person away.
Looking at the tightly closed palace gates, the emperor's eyes held a hint of murderous intent.
"Father, should we rush in now?" the Crown Prince asked the Emperor.
The emperor glanced at his son, then shook his head: "No! Your grandmother is here; Empress Dowager Cao can't cause any trouble!"
The emperor thought of his mother, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"Grandmother?" The Crown Prince rarely went to the inner palace and had only heard rumors about the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine.
Little Su Bao glanced into the imperial city, and just then, a kind face appeared before her.
The little girl was slightly taken aback, but then she saw Empress Dowager Cao, in a desperate move, directly pierce the kind old lady's chest with her long sword.
The next moment, the little girl saw her grandfather, heartbroken, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The Crown Prince's uncle was stabbed by a maidservant of the Empress Dowager while trying to save his father.
Moreover, many people had died in the house before they went in.
Little Su Bao saw some familiar faces, such as Mrs. Yang...
Her expression changed instantly, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.
The little girl couldn't describe these future scenes, so now she can only try to get in and hope to stop the danger from continuing.
She looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost time; if it got too late, she wouldn't make it in time.
The young girl thought for a moment, then looked solemnly at the emperor.
"Grandpa Emperor, may I go into the palace to take a look first?" Little Su Bao asked solemnly.
Her eyes were full of seriousness, with a hint of worry.
What if my grandfather won't let me go... then I'll sneak in!
The emperor's heart stirred slightly, and he inexplicably thought of his mother.
He glanced at Xiao Su Bao with a complicated expression, and then hesitated almost without hesitation.
"Okay, boss... never mind, you're not feeling well. Second brother, you take Su Bao and bring her in through that dog hole you always crawl in and out of. Also, bring a few extra people with you, and be careful!"
Since the girl is going to sneak in, it might delay things if they rush in directly. It would be better for him to stay here and keep the people inside occupied.
Let Xiao Su Bao and Lao Er go in and catch them off guard.
Tang Bugui and Xiao Mobao appeared behind Xiao Subao at almost the same time.
emperor……
Doesn't he need anyone to protect him?
This guy has forgotten about himself now that he has a daughter, it's infuriating!
The emperor glared at Tang Bugui, glanced at the guards beside him, and waved his hand dismissively: "Get out, get out, hurry up!"
He didn't bring his wife along, and he's inexplicably a little scared this time...
Thinking of this, the emperor hid behind the crowd.
He's not afraid of death, but he can't die now!
The crown prince watched them as they were about to leave, then thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "I had your dog hole sealed off a few days ago. If you go towards the eastern Cold Palace, you'll see a dog hole there..."
The Crown Prince gave a detailed location, and the Second Prince, standing to the side, said with a dark face, "Last time when I went out, I couldn't squeeze through the dog hole!"
It turns out it was the Crown Prince who was behind it all!
"Boss, could you please stop doing things that harm others without benefiting yourself next time?"
The second prince muttered something to himself and turned to leave.
The crown prince touched his nose and didn't say anything. This matter... he had actually done something somewhat unethical.
Madam Qian looked at Xiao Su Bao and gave her a few words of advice, but she didn't say anything to stop her.
Watching them leave, Madam Qian sighed and clasped her hands tightly together.
Wishing everyone peace and safety...
Meanwhile, inside the palace, the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine Dowager were locked in a standoff, which made the women inside very nervous.
The Empress Dowager was the only Empress Dowager in the Great Shang Kingdom, while the Imperial Concubine was the Emperor's birth mother. Neither of them were people they could easily offend.
But now the Empress Dowager is furious!
"Your Highness, what good will your arrival do? The Emperor is probably dead by now. You've spent most of your life in seclusion, why come here to seek death!" Empress Dowager Cao's eyes were icy, and her gaze towards the Consort revealed a deep chill.
The Empress Dowager remained extremely calm, but her tone held a hint of determination.
"His Majesty enjoys boundless blessings and longevity, and will certainly not be harmed by villains. Empress Dowager, please give up on this idea!" After saying this, the Consort looked at the palace maids and eunuchs beside the Empress Dowager.
"You must know who is in charge of the Great Shang Kingdom now. Don't follow the wrong master, or you'll lose your life!"
As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the expressions of the eunuchs and palace maids changed.
They all knew the emperor's temperament. If this coup succeeded, they would have accomplished a great feat; but if it failed...
Thinking of this, they couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Hmph, even now, the Empress Dowager is still so calm. It makes me wonder if the Emperor is even your son. There were rumors back then that the real Emperor was dead, and this one is illegitimate and has no legitimacy!"
"I am doing this to set things right and prevent our Great Shang Kingdom from falling into the hands of outsiders..." Empress Dowager Cao wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager gave a cold laugh, and her clear eyes instantly turned icy.
"If it weren't for your interference, Empress Dowager, my son would never have ended up in the mortal world. When he was found, he was poisoned. If he hadn't been blessed with longevity, you would have killed him long ago!"
Despite being dressed in plain white, the Empress Dowager still exuded an aura of dominance.
"It's a pity that you made a mistake. Your unborn child died, and your eldest son died of a stroke. It's true that the wicked get their just desserts. Your Majesty, have you been sleeping well these past few years?"
"Do you know why the late emperor made my son emperor? It's because even Heaven itself recognized that my son was the future emperor of the Great Shang Kingdom! Heaven and Earth approved of it!"
The Empress Dowager looked at the Empress Dowager with a haughty gaze in her clear eyes.
The Empress Dowager already had a headache, and hearing the Empress Dowager's words made it even worse.
Her eyes were slightly red, but she sneered: "Ha, so what? He's probably dead now, his body has vanished. The only one who can have the last laugh is me!"
Empress Dowager Cao's men tried time and again to break through the defenses of the two old palace maids, but the two maids were too skilled, and the men could not get close at all.
The Empress Dowager clenched her fists slightly, but her expression remained unchanged.
With Tang Bugui by the emperor's side, as long as Tang Bugui lives, the emperor will not die!
Tang Bugui was the emperor's guardian deity, a fact that the Empress Dowager knew back then.
Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly sensed something was wrong and looked at the Empress Dowager!
"Master, this room is poisoned!"
Just then, one of the old palace maids suddenly shouted.
“Poison…Empress Dowager…” A minister’s wife looked at the Empress Dowager, her eyes filled with panic.
The Empress Dowager gave them a disdainful look, but said, "If you behave yourselves, I will certainly not treat you unfairly. If you do not behave yourselves, then don't blame me!"
Madam Yang, standing to the side, looked extremely unpleasant. She and her trusted maidservant stood protectively in front of the Dowager Consort.
At the same time, several other women hesitated slightly before joining in to protect her.
"Your Highness, please leave quickly, lest they harm you!" Madam Yang said solemnly.
Before the Empress Dowager could speak, a palace maid standing nearby suddenly lunged at Madam Yang.
Madam Yang had learned some martial arts in her early years, and she only had time to block the man, but she was injured in the arm.
"Your Highness, leave quickly! Don't worry about us anymore!" Madam Yang gritted her teeth and rushed forward, engaging in a fight with those people.
The Empress Dowager's men are fighting outside with the Empress Dowager's men, and they have no manpower to spare at the moment.
The other ladies' expressions changed slightly. One of them was the prime minister's mother. She glanced at the empress dowager and then at the imperial concubine, thinking about how the emperor was suppressing his son.
A slight thought crossed her mind, and she quietly moved towards the Dowager Consort.
Her movements were subtle, and she had been by the Empress Dowager's side the whole time.
If she can injure the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager might be so pleased that she won't let her son step down!
Thinking of this, Madam Liu became even more excited.
The next moment, they saw Old Madam Liu rushing towards them.
She moved very fast, and there was a fierce look in her eyes.
"Watch out!" The crown prince disregarded everything else and rushed in.
But a small figure was faster than the prince.
Xiao Su Bao and Xiao Mo Bao rushed in instantly. The little girl touched the ground with her toes, and then her body moved like lightning.
With a side kick, she sent Old Madam Liu flying.
Xiao Mobao, the Crown Prince, and Tang Bugui joined the battle directly.
Many people were startled the moment Tang Bugui arrived.
Especially the palace maids and eunuchs around the Empress Dowager.
They were absolutely too scared to move!
Back then, Tang Bugui charged into the Empress Dowager's palace with a sword in hand!
That god of death is terrifying!
At this moment, Xiao Su Bao's eyes became almost exactly the same as Tang Bu Gui's.
Only now did she begin to resemble a young general.
The Empress Dowager saw Xiao Su Bao at first glance.
The hatred in his eyes was extremely intense.
"It's all because of you!" The Empress Dowager looked coldly at Xiao Su Bao. All of this was caused by Xiao Su Bao.
If Xiao Su Bao had agreed to marry Cao Xuan back then, that child wouldn't have bought the medicine or taken the wrong turn!
It's all because Xiao Su Bao refused!
That's why his own brother was killed by that crazy woman, and why the only nephew he trusted was now missing and his fate unknown.
She directed all her hatred at Xiao Su Bao.
The little girl sensed the malice emanating from the Empress Dowager, and her brows furrowed slightly.
The Empress Dowager's karmic burdens were extremely dense, and there was even a faint feeling that they were about to erupt!
"Eh..." Little Su Bao suddenly exclaimed, staring intently at the Empress Dowager as if she had seen something that surprised her.
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