The Empress Dowager, dressed in magnificent robes, held a blooming peony in her hand, inhaling its fragrance, yet her expression was one of utter rage.
With her personal attendant, Granny Liu, serving her, the room was unusually quiet. A short while later, a young eunuch entered to report, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."
"A useless piece of trash who's good for nothing but causing trouble, let her in! She's really giving me a headache." The Empress Dowager muttered under her breath, a flash of anger in her eyes. Then she threw down the flowers in her hand, lay down, and closed her eyes.
The Empress was already in a state of great anxiety because of Sai Miaoshou's affair, and now, being suddenly summoned by the Empress Dowager, she became even more uneasy.
As she stepped into the Empress Dowager's palace, she felt an oppressive and uncomfortable feeling as soon as she entered. The fragrance in the air only made her head throb with pain.
"Your daughter-in-law greets Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" She walked to the bedside and knelt down.
The Empress Dowager remained silent, as if asleep, while the Empress knelt on the ground. She knelt for the better part of an hour, the room eerily quiet.
Granny Liu stood by the bed, looking at the Empress with a grim expression. The Empress wanted to learn something from her, but she simply shook her head.
Another half hour passed before the Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, which looked somewhat frightening due to their bloodshot appearance.
"Get up!" Her voice carried a hint of languor.
"Thank you, Mother Empress!" The Empress, not hearing anything amiss, slowly stood up.
Snap!
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager landed on her feet and slapped the Empress across the face, causing the Empress, who was not standing properly, to stumble and fall to the ground, looking at the Empress Dowager with a face full of fear.
"You wanted to covet the Qian family's possessions but didn't have the ability. Now look what you've done, you've lost both your wife and your army. How can you face the ancestors of the Wang family now?" The Empress Dowager cursed after beating the two siblings, who had almost exposed her because of their greed.
That person from the Qian family must live, even if it means living a life worse than death!
Qian Chongming, are you satisfied with what I did in the afterlife? Who told you to betray me first? This is the retribution the Qian family deserves.
The Empress panicked after hearing the Empress Dowager's words. Could it be that her brother...?
"The odds are against you! Don't touch the Qian family for now. What you want, I will give you after I finish this matter. You just need to get the Crown Prince to marry the second young lady of the Qian family, but she absolutely cannot be allowed to take the position of Crown Princess." The Empress Dowager smiled coldly, swaying as Liu Mama helped her to sit down.
"Yes! Your Majesty, I will do as you wish." The Empress was still thinking about Sai Miaoshou, and her face was very unpleasant. Seeing her mother wave her hand, she knelt down and withdrew.
Stepping out of her mother's palace, she seemed to realize something, turning her head to glance at the cold, indifferent place. She had always known her mother disliked the Qian family, but she hadn't expected it to have come to this. Her mother hadn't stopped them from harming Qian Youxue before, so why had she spoken up now?
With many questions swirling in her mind, she still couldn't let go of Sai Miaoshou, and after returning, she asked Granny Wang to inquire about Sai Miaoshou's whereabouts everywhere.
...
Almost a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and Qian Muxue's wedding day is fast approaching. However, Qian Youxue has not brought the War King back to the Qian residence during this time, and Qian Muxue seems somewhat uneasy.
Without the appearance of the War King, even if Qian Yingxue were to replace her, it wouldn't be enough. We need to find a way to bring back that useless War King.
However, she was unaware that the Empress had another reason for setting the wedding date on the sixteenth. On this day, even if Qian Youxue wanted to return, she dared not easily leave the Qian residence.
But she was a ruthless woman who wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted. In order to bring Qian Youxue back, she had no choice but to resort to a desperate measure.
In the Qian family, the person Qian Youxue cares about most is naturally her grandmother. For the sake of her own happiness, one can't blame her for being ruthless.
With her eyes half-closed, she opened the drawer, took out a brocade box, and inside was a porcelain bottle. After taking the bottle out, she instructed Tao'er to prepare some pastries, which she wanted to send to her grandmother as a token of her respect.
Inside the War King's mansion, Qian Youxue watched with great satisfaction as Bowen identified the medicinal herbs. Indeed, a great teacher produces a great student; those who are not taught are truly different.
However, her younger brother was also exceptionally intelligent, possessing a photographic memory that astonished even Wuya. Even if she felt jealous of Bowen, she could only blame it on the fact that her talent was inferior to Bowen's.
"Sister, did I guess these medicinal herbs correctly?" Qian Bowen was in a great mood when he saw the smile on his sister's face, but her expression seemed a little off.
Did she have a fight with her brother-in-law, the War King?
Having been at the Prince's residence for almost a month, even a blind man could see how much the Prince's brother-in-law doted on his sister. Knowing what flowers she liked, he filled the front and back courtyards of the residence with them. Knowing what dishes she liked to eat, he even brought over the head chef from a famous restaurant to the Prince's residence.
Most importantly, knowing her sister's fondness for medicinal herbs, not only did her sister have free rein to choose from the herbs in the master's medicine storehouse, but the Prince Xian also went to collect many precious herbs and send them to the palace. Tell me, how many women in the world receive such treatment? Even the ladies of the palace probably couldn't do that!
"Yes, yes, all right! But you should be more modest, don't embarrass your brother Wuya too much." Qian Youxue whispered to Bowen, "Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future, right?"
Um!
Qian Bowen nodded in understanding. His master had been very good to him these days, and Wuya was like an older brother, taking care of his daily life and often buying him snacks from outside. Compared to his time at the Qian residence, he felt that he would be happier here.
It's just that I haven't seen my mother for a while, and I wonder how she is doing now?
"Missing your mother, huh?" Qian Youxue patted Bowen's head. These days, she had been so busy preparing the antidote for a certain demon, as well as some pills that needed to be refined, and she had also gone to the auction house several times that she hadn't had time to go back to the Qian family.
Qian Bowen nodded sincerely, he really missed his mother.
Qian Youxue knew that although Bowen had been away before, he always had Ryukyu by his side. Now that such a serious matter had occurred, she naturally wouldn't agree to Ryukyu coming to the palace. However, she hadn't received any news from her mother, and wondered how the investigation into the traitor was going.
As the two were talking, Mei'er rushed over from the other side of the corridor, followed by her grandmother's maid, Zhu'er.
A bad feeling crept into her heart, and Qian Youxue immediately went to meet her.
"This servant greets Your Highness, Your Highness. The old lady suddenly fainted for some unknown reason. Master has summoned several doctors, but none of them could find anything wrong." Zhu'er anxiously recounted the old lady's situation, unable to hide her panic.
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