"Mother Empress!" Luo Yun'e called out earnestly, bowing deeply to perform a grand礼.
"As the mistress of the harem, I am still the mistress of the harem. Liu Lanxue is merely a concubine abandoned by His Majesty. If Mother Empress is angry with me for her sake, and it spreads, it will be His Majesty's reputation that is tarnished!"
This vixen was favored by the Empress Dowager from the moment she entered the palace. Now that she had committed such a grave offense, why was Mother Empress still protecting her!
Nanny Rongjin stepped forward, wanting to persuade, but sighed and swallowed her words.
Even so, if the Empress Dowager truly did not intervene, Concubine Liang would likely suffer even more in the future.
The Empress Dowager's gaze deepened, sweeping over the person trembling on the bed.
"Prince Yu has established his residence for a year and is highly regarded by His Majesty. I, the Empress Dowager, specially grant him permission to visit his mother in the Cold Palace at any time."
"As for you, reflect on your actions behind closed doors for three days. Issue a decree that today's events are not to be spread outside."
Luo Yun'e breathed a sigh of relief.
The Empress Dowager still cared about His Majesty's reputation.
However, she was unwilling to let that vixen Liu Lanxue have her way!
Nanny Rongjin spoke up to remind her, "Your Majesty the Empress, offer your thanks."
Luo Yun'e clenched her fists, concealing the hatred in her eyes. She dared not defy the Empress Dowager's decree and bowed her head, "Your Majesty, I obey."
"From today onwards, you are not allowed to come here again. If I find out, I will not be this lenient." The Empress Dowager's warning was clear.
Luo Yun'e gritted her teeth and said, "Yes."
The Empress Dowager flicked her sleeve, unwilling to face Luo Yun'e any longer, and turned to leave.
"I am tired and wish to return to my palace. The Empress has also been busy all day and is tired. It is best to return to your palace early."
Luo Yun'e bowed.
Everyone then withdrew from the Cold Palace.
Not long after they left, Nanny Qin entered from outside and hurried to help the Empress, "Your Majesty the Empress, how are you?"
Luo Yun'e stood up, her hateful gaze fixed on the person on the bed, raising her hand as if she wished to slap her again.
But Nanny Qin quickly stopped her, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The Empress Dowager has just left. If you get angry again and the Empress Dowager finds out, it will not be good."
Luo Yun'e suppressed her rage with all her might, clenching her fists, "Go investigate and see why the Empress Dowager came to the Cold Palace today!"
If she found out who was opposing her, she would skin them alive and tear them limb from limb!
Nanny Qin acknowledged with a "Yes."
Luo Yun'e then glared at Concubine Liang with a venomous gaze and turned to leave.
She had been gone for only a moment when a figure in blue brocade appeared from outside.
Ye Jingyu almost flew in, directly entering the room, "Mother Consort!"
When he saw the person on the bed, he froze on the spot, his limbs as if frozen.
After two years of not seeing her, the person on the bed had changed drastically.
Her face was now haggard, her expression dazed, and her eyes were devoid of light.
Without needing to ask, he could guess how much suffering she had endured over the years.
"Mother Consort!" Ye Jingyu felt a piercing pain in his chest and slowly moved towards the bed.
Concubine Liang, still reeling from the shock, saw a stranger enter and scrambled to hide in the corner, "Mmmph!"
Her expression was fearful, and she scanned her surroundings helplessly, as if looking for a place to hide, but found none. She could only cover her head and let out a whimper that sounded like a plea for help.
"Mother Consort, it's me, it's your son, Mother Consort!"
Ye Jingyu knelt on one knee by the bed, wanting to examine her injuries.
Concubine Liang was already extremely frightened and screamed, lashing out at him.
"Your Majesty!" Su Yunmo entered from outside and quickly went to the bed.
Concubine Liang heard a familiar voice, looked up in panic, and saw Su Yunmo. The fear on her face subsided slightly.
Su Yunmo nimbly climbed onto the bed, allowing Concubine Liang to embrace her, and gently patted Concubine Liang's back to comfort her.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Ye Jingyu watched them cling to each other, his retracted hand clenched into a tight fist, his eyes closed to hide the sorrow within.
After a while, his emotions gradually calmed.
"Thank you." Ye Jingyu had regained his usual expression, though a hint of sadness remained in his eyes.
When she mentioned the gift last night, he had guessed it would be this. But seeing his mother in person now, he realized that emotions could become uncontrollable at their peak.
"It's not easy to hear you say thank you," Su Yunmo said in a lighthearted tone, dispelling some of the sorrow in the room.
However, seeing them reunited was worth the grand performance she had put on before the Empress Dowager, and the tears she had shed for so long.
Otherwise, how would the Empress Dowager have come to the Cold Palace and witnessed the Empress's violent act?
"However, it's still a bit late," Su Yunmo frowned, looking at the injuries on Concubine Liang's face.
Although she knew that Luo Yun'e would surely resort to violence after coming, there was no other way.
Concubine Liang had to endure this hardship. If she hadn't been caught by the Empress Dowager, how could she have had the chance for a mother-son reunion?
Ye Jingyu shook his head, "This is already very good."
Over the years, his mother consort had suffered far more than just a slap.
Su Yunmo took out medicine from a glazed lock and applied it to Concubine Liang's face.
"The toxicity of the Soul Devouring Soup is decreasing. In about a month at most, as long as nothing goes wrong, her memory will be completely restored."
Ye Jingyu nodded deeply.
She would fulfill her promises, and he believed in her medical skills.
"Mmm~" Concubine Liang cried out, seemingly feeling pain.
Su Yunmo softened her movements.
"The Soul Devouring Soup is very bitter and spicy. I presume that when Your Majesty was force-fed this poisonous soup, her throat was injured. Therefore, even if her memory recovers and she can speak, her voice will be greatly altered."
Ye Jingyu placed his hand on Concubine Liang's ankle and applied force.
The iron chain snapped!
"The Empress did not force-feed it. I was the one who served the Soul Devouring Soup to Mother Consort."
Su Yunmo looked up in astonishment.
Ye Jingyu lowered his gaze, gently rubbing Concubine Liang's swollen foot, and said nothing more.
At that time, the Empress had slapped his mother consort in front of him, and he couldn't bear it any longer, so he agreed to her request.
However, as the Empress's son, the first command she gave him was to personally force-feed his mother consort the Soul Devouring Soup, thereby severing their mother-son bond.
If he refused, his mother consort would be beaten to death, and she would tell his father that he was a child born of adultery, not of royal blood.
The consequences he faced then were imaginable.
His mother consort drank the poisonous soup to save him.
Even now, he could still often hear his mother consort's words from back then.
'Don't be afraid, Yu'er. Mother is thirsty. Yu'er is a good child, can you bring the soup to Mother?'
His mother consort's expression was always so gentle and calm, even when she drank the Soul Devouring Soup that day.
Su Yunmo's expression was complex. Even if he hadn't said it, she could imagine the difficult situation he was in at that time.
"Since the Empress will no longer cause trouble, you should talk to Concubine Liang properly. I will wait for you outside."
Ye Jingyu nodded.
Su Yunmo then stepped out, closing the door, not wanting to disturb their rare mother-son reunion.
She did not go far after leaving the Cold Palace, sitting under a pavilion not far away.
Ye Jingcheng would soon know about the commotion today.
The first few times, he had only schemed in secret. From today onwards, the battlefield would likely move into the open.
"Here."
A shadow fell over her.
Su Yunmo came back to her senses, looked up, and met a pair of persistent eyes.
Ye Jingkun, who had arrived at some unknown time, pushed a wooden box towards her: "Birthday gift."
Su Yunmo was stunned. After helping him at the academy last time, she hadn't seen him for at least two months, and she had almost forgotten about him.