The imperial physician spoke thus, and a fleeting sharpness flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes. Her gaze casually swept over Mu Qingzhu. One younger one had gone mad, and there was still an older one.
She didn’t want them to leave the palace peacefully. How dare they yell at her just now? They were courting death. A vicious glint flashed across the Empress Dowager’s face before she smiled gently.
“I never imagined such a thing would happen. This is also my fault. If I hadn’t been resting, this wouldn’t have occurred. If you were to leave the palace, what would the Prime Minister think?”
In the great hall, everyone else remained silent. With such an incident, who could feel at ease?
Mu Qingzhu raised her head, saying nothing. Her dark eyes held a knowing glint as she coldly fixed her gaze on the Empress Dowager.
Now she understood. From the very beginning, the Empress Dowager knew the Emperor would not be manipulated by her. She had invited them into the palace intending to pit the three sisters against each other.
When they prepared to leave the palace, this old woman harmed them, injuring Qingxiang. She was sure the Empress Dowager would find a way to deal with her next.
“Does Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager still have any regard for my father?”
Mu Qingzhu gave a wry smile, her eyes filled with helplessness. They were merely pawns. If the Empress Dowager had respected her father, knowing that becoming a consort was hopeless, she would never have allowed them to enter the palace.
It was precisely because she didn’t place any importance on the Mu family that she hated Qingyao becoming Empress, and consequently brought her two sisters into the palace, intending to use them against Qingyao.
Now, seeing that they were no longer useful, she had cruelly dealt with them. Although her second sister had suffered such a horrific blow, based on her understanding of the Empress Dowager, she should have used them to deal with Qingyao.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The countenance of the woman seated high above grew displeased. She reprimanded Mu Qingzhu, slowly descended from the phoenix couch, and paced over to Mu Qingzhu’s side.
Mu Qingzhu remained still, hugging her sister and gazing at her. The woman, outwardly opulent and noble, with her hair adorned with countless jewels making her shimmer and gleam, was in reality a serpent-hearted old hag.
“Isn’t it true?”
The palace lamps flickered. Mu Qingzhu calmly questioned. Now it was easy for her to deal with them. With their wits, they couldn’t possibly contend with her; she could do as she pleased.
Mu Qingzhu tightly held Mu Qingxiang, calmly meeting the Empress Dowager’s gaze.
The Empress Dowager first glared at her coldly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and burst into laughter, her face radiating warmth and benevolence.
“It is I who was in the wrong. I offer tea instead of wine as an apology to you sisters. I will also send imperial physicians to the Mu residence to treat Miss Mu’s mental state. They will continue to do so until she is cured.”
The Empress Dowager spoke with apparent sincerity, as if truly remorseful for her actions. However, Mu Qingzhu did not believe she would easily compromise.
For now, she only wanted to leave this accursed place and return to the Chuxiu Palace. Tomorrow morning, she would leave the palace, never wishing to return. The old monster in the palace was too terrifying.
“Very well.”
“Come, serve the tea,” Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager commanded, and instantly, a palace maid presented the tea. Mu Qingzhu looked at the tea with suspicion, her eyes chillingly fixed on the Empress Dowager.
She feared the woman had ill intentions. Could she be plotting to poison her? She certainly wouldn’t drink it. She didn’t move at all. The Empress Dowager, unconcerned, picked up her tea and took a few sips, sighing with a face full of helplessness.
“Alright, you may return to the Chuxiu Palace. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to escort you out of the palace. You do not need to trouble the Empress either.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Qingzhu was filled with doubt. She had so easily promised to escort them out of the palace. She hoped it wasn’t some scheme. Turning, she helped Mu Qingxiang up, her voice unusually gentle, “We are leaving now.”
Mu Qingxiang kept murmuring, “Please, don’t touch me, please, don’t touch me.”
Mu Qingzhu repeatedly comforted her, “It’s alright, we’ll be home soon. Mother and Father are waiting for us at home.”
The two, along with their maids, exited Guangyang Palace. Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager stood in the center of the hall, a sharp glint in her dark eyes. The corner of her lips curled into a sinister cold smile. Her body suddenly tilted, and she collapsed onto the ground, groaning in pain.
This sudden action startled everyone in the great hall. Eunuch Li immediately cried out, “Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager, Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager? What is wrong? What is wrong?”
Someone rushed forward to support the Empress Dowager’s body. Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager’s face was pale, her eyes unfocused, and her entire body was curled up, twitching intermittently. Foam even appeared at the corners of her mouth. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell she had been poisoned.
Everyone in the hall rushed forward, forming a huddle. Eunuch Li calmly commanded, “Everyone, disperse. Immediately send for the imperial physicians, report to His Majesty and Her Ladyship the Empress. The Empress Dowager has been poisoned!”
In an instant, the eunuchs and palace maids in Guangyang Palace were thrown into panic. Some rushed to summon imperial physicians, others to inform His Majesty, and some went to request Her Ladyship the Empress.
The affairs of the inner palace were originally the Empress’s responsibility, but since the one poisoned was Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager, His Majesty naturally had to be informed as well.
Mu Qingzhu stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her, momentarily stunned, not understanding why everyone was panicking or in disarray. It wasn’t until she heard the frantic whispers of the eunuch beside her, “Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager is poisoned, who has such audacity!”
Mu Qingzhu’s scalp immediately tingled, her expression turned ugly, and she stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Her personal maid, Bao Zheng, nervously grabbed her:
“Miss, this won’t be blamed on us, will it? We didn’t do anything at all. She drank the tea herself and was poisoned herself. They won’t blame anyone else, will they?”
Mu Qingzhu couldn’t utter a single word. At this moment, she didn’t know what else she could do. The Empress Dowager had deliberately tried to frame them. Even with ten mouths, she couldn’t explain herself clearly.
Phoenix Palace.
Just as Mu Qingyao drifted into a dream, she heard the clamor outside her sleeping quarters and felt a surge of annoyance. She spoke coldly, “What’s all the racket?”
Mo Chou had already gone out to investigate and returned with a grim expression. “Your Ladyship, something has happened at Guangyang Palace?”
Mu Qingyao didn’t move at all. She suddenly opened her eyes, the sharp light in her pupils, as dark as ink, fixed on the bronze pillar carved with dragons and phoenixes. What was that woman up to again?
“What happened?”
“I heard Her Ladyship the Empress Dowager has been poisoned. Eunuchs from Guangyang Palace have come to report, requesting Your Ladyship to come over.”
“Poisoned?” Mu Qingyao scoffed. She had a feeling things weren’t so simple.
How could she be poisoned in the middle of the night? Who would provoke her? She was no ordinary figure in this palace; could others easily touch her? It would be more likely for her to act against others. Mu Qingyao wasn’t in a hurry. She slowly sat up, “Is she dead?”
Mei Xin and Mo Chou jumped, startled. Her Ladyship was truly uninhibited. They quickly reported, “The imperial physicians have already gone, and His Majesty has also rushed over. Your Ladyship should still go and see.”
“Come and help me get up,” Mu Qingyao yawned. To be honest, she was very tired. She had just settled Chun Han, and now the Empress Dowager was poisoned. The affairs of the palace were truly endless. When would it ever end?