The high priest raised an eyebrow: "The Duke and his wife have no children, so where did this girl come from?"
"I don't know, but I heard from the guards at the palace gate that the Duchess said that the woman was her daughter." Liuli naturally didn't know these things either, she was just telling the truth.
Upon hearing this, Ah Qi raised an eyebrow.
He had just heard from Marquis Ningyuan a while ago that they had found the Xu family and could sever the connection between Tianxiang Tower and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but now it seems that the plan has failed.
He sneered, "The only one she can call her daughter is naturally Xu Yuehuai."
"Then what about us?" The high priest hadn't expected things to progress so quickly.
Ah Qi's eyes were full of malice: "Then let's go and see what bad things Manager Xu will say about me."
He wasn't just talking; he went straight to the Phoenix Palace.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Ah Qi entered and greeted the Empress.
The Empress looked at Ah Qi, who had suddenly appeared, but her face showed no joy; instead, it revealed a hint of impatience.
She rubbed her forehead and said, "Your Highness, what brings you to my Phoenix Palace today? Since it is Consort Min's birthday, you should go and offer your congratulations."
"Your Majesty's words are truly too kind to me." A hint of fear appeared on Ah Qi's face.
He knelt down on the ground: "Your Majesty, I have always remembered that Mother is my birth mother. It was only because Mother was unwilling to be close to me that I deliberately approached Consort Min in an attempt to anger Mother. Who would have thought that Mother not only did not care about me, but even misunderstood me."
He almost burst into tears as he spoke.
However, the Empress really couldn't like Ah Qi, and even felt that he was just putting on an act. She disliked him even more, but still said perfunctorily, "If you were my own son, even if we never saw each other, our blood ties would not be severed, so there would be no need to use such methods."
"Alright, today is Consort Min's birthday. As the Crown Prince, you should..." She casually replied with a few words, trying to send the person away. Just then, the Duchess of Zhenguo and Xu Yuehuai arrived, and the Empress had no choice but to give up. However, the displeasure on her face was obvious at a glance.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty the Empress and wish you good health." Even the Duchess of Zhenguo had to pay her respects before entering.
Xu Yuehuai followed suit, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress and wishes you good health."
"Alright, alright, get up quickly. Someone, bring them seats." The Empress's expression softened upon seeing them.
She remembered that she wanted to ask about the argument at the palace gate, so she spoke up to comfort her, "Xu...A-Yue?"
"Yes." Xu Yuehuai immediately became respectful.
"I heard about what happened between you and Zhao Min at the palace gate. You don't need to take it to heart. Zhao Min is the Prime Minister's only daughter and the Imperial Concubine's niece. She's been spoiled since childhood, which is why she speaks so carelessly. Don't take it to heart. I will punish her in the future." The Empress's seemingly considerate words of comfort made Xu Yuehuai somewhat uneasy, wondering what she meant.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am humbled." Xu Yuehuai dared not forget her manners, after all, this was the palace, and none of them were simple people.
Looking at her, the Empress knew she was well-mannered and nodded with satisfaction. Thinking back on the rumors about Tianxiang Tower, she found her even more pleasing to the eye.
Not to mention, this person is now the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
If Xu Yuehuai can be won over, then the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and the Regent's Mansion will be won over.
Thinking of this, the Empress's smile deepened: "It's understandable that you feel reserved since it's your first time in the palace, but your mother and I are old acquaintances. With my protection, I don't think anyone will bully you anymore. Go."
"Guards, bring me my pearl headdress and bestow it upon Xu Yuehuai." She smiled at Xu Yuehuai, a smile that was neither obvious nor inappropriate, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
Not to mention, her actions made Ah Qi envious.
Even though he was the Empress's son, she always treated him with indifference, while valuing everyone else more.
He clenched his fist but didn't say anything more.
Xu Yuehuai on this side also dared not accept it.
Fearing that the Empress was being unreasonable, she thought for a moment and then politely declined, saying, "Your Majesty, I cannot accept such a gift without merit. I am of no help to the country and its people, and I cannot accept such a grand gesture. You are making me feel ashamed."
The Duchess of Zhenguo, standing to the side, smiled at them but remained silent, her emotions unreadable.
"Hahaha, if I say you're worthy, then you are worthy." The Empress looked at her cautious appearance and felt even more certain.
The more cautious and prudent a person is, the easier it will be for them to be manipulated in the future.
The Empress even smiled at the Lady of the Duke of Zhenguo at the end of her speech.
"Ah Yue, since it's a gift from Her Majesty the Empress, then accept it and thank Her Majesty the Empress." The Duchess of Zhenguo tugged at Xu Yuehuai's sleeve, gave her a look, and spoke up for her to accept it.
"This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for your kindness." Xu Yuehuai noticed the Duchess's gaze, expressed her gratitude, and then accepted the gifts with peace of mind. The Empress was overjoyed to see them accept the gifts.
"Madam, now you have a wonderful and caring daughter. It's truly enviable." The Empress was ostensibly making a sarcastic remark about the Madam, but in reality, she was implying that the Crown Prince was not good enough. "Unlike me, I have few children and no one to care for me. Ah Yue, if you have any free time in the future, you must come and visit this old body of mine more often."
The Duchess of Zhenguo and Xu Yuehuai exchanged a glance, and naturally understood what the Empress meant.
The Duchess immediately chuckled: "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, how could you say such a thing? Your Majesty has no daughters, so you don't know the hardships of raising them. I, on the other hand, hope to have a son as intelligent as the Crown Prince, so that he can serve the court in the future."
Ah Qi, who was standing to the side, also sensed the inappropriateness in the Empress's words, and his expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.
"Your Majesty, you are the mother of the nation, and all the people under heaven are naturally your subjects." Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai also spoke up to ease the atmosphere.
The Empress laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Lady Duke, your daughter is truly amusing."
"Ah Yue, I've heard you're an excellent cook. If you ever have some free time, you must come over and cook for me. I'm already tired of the food in this palace." Every word she spoke revealed her intention to win over Xu Yuehuai.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com