The Empress Dowager ordered sternly. The eunuchs of Guangyang Palace rushed in, dragging Huamei and Xiaoqiu out.
The two maids were completely unresponsive, as if stunned. Their minds held only one thought: they were doomed to die today. They had become sacrifices in the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Empress. If only they had been more obedient from the start.
"Wait."
The Empress spoke. Even the eunuchs of Guangyang Palace dared not move. They looked up at the Empress with trepidation, wondering why she had suddenly called them to a halt.
Mu Qingyao's expression was one of authority, her lips curled into a cold smile, her voice clear and sharp.
"These two damned servants dared to slander the Empress Dowager. If they are not severely punished, I fear others in the palace will follow suit, thus instigating discord in the harem. Take them away and have them beheaded."
"Ah, no, Empress, spare us! Empress, spare us!"
At this moment, Huamei and Xiaoqiu finally realized that when it came to ruthlessness, the Empress was no less so than the Empress Dowager. If they provoked her, their deaths would be even more tragic. But their realization came too late.
After giving her orders, Mu Qingyao turned and gazed at the Empress Dowager, who sat on the high seat, with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"Does Your Majesty the Empress Dowager think this is acceptable? By punishing the eunuchs and maids of the harem in this manner, we remind them that it is better to be obedient while living in this palace."
The Empress Dowager was speechless. This woman had set a trap for her, and now she was in a difficult position. Even if she had wanted to spare Huamei and Xiaoqiu, she could not.
She could only blame these two maids for their lack of intelligence, for so easily revealing their weakness. They were simply seeking death. The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and waved her hand sternly.
"Take them away and have them beheaded."
As these words were spoken, the great hall seemed to be enveloped in a layer of biting frost. Everyone felt as though the ice was three feet thick, a chilling cold pervading their bodies. Huamei and Xiaoqiu, hearing the command of beheading, began to laugh in despair, their laughter turning into frantic ravings.
"Empress Dowager, you are so heartless! This servant did this for you! This servant will not forgive you even as a ghost!"
"Still not taking them away to be beheaded?"
The Empress Dowager's scalp tingled. With a stern face, she waved her hand, ordering the eunuchs to take the two women away for execution.
Mu Qingyao smiled faintly and casually instructed, "Mochou, keep an eye on them. Don't let those two girls escape. If they escape, the Empress Dowager will surely be furious. We mustn't make Her Majesty the Empress Dowager angry."
"Yes, Empress."
Mochou took her orders and walked out with the eunuchs. From a distance, the desperate curses of Huamei and Xiaoqiu could still be heard, echoing from outside the hall doors.
Seated on the high throne, the Empress Dowager's face was pale, her entire countenance beaded with cold sweat. She was tiredly propping up her head. She had killed people before, but never had she felt so weak.
It was because she had not wanted to kill anyone, yet she was forced to do so under pressure. This internal struggle, coupled with the despairing curses of Huamei and Xiaoqiu, made her feel as though she was suffocating. She felt waves of dizziness.
However, in front of this woman, she tried her best to maintain her composure, determined not to admit defeat.
"Empress, those two scoundrels have been dealt with. I am tired. Empress, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Mu Qingyao rose unhurriedly, bowed, and took her leave, leading Meixin and Bingxiao out of the great hall of Guangyang Palace.
How blue the sky was, how white the clouds were! Her mood was as clear and refreshed as if it had been washed by water.
This time, she had gained a slight advantage. However, from now on, she and the Empress Dowager were officially in a confrontation, and she feared the coming days would be even more thrilling.
At Fengluan Palace,
Mu Qingyao sat expressionlessly on a soft couch in the side hall. Meixin brought her tea. The entire palace was silent.
They had all heard about the handling of Huamei and Xiaoqiu today. At this moment, they felt a sense of oppression. Those who offended the Empress would likely meet a bad end, so they decided to be more cautious.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea."
"Mm." Mu Qingyao took the teacup, her face filled with contentment. Meixin walked behind her and massaged her shoulders, speaking softly, "Your Majesty, why didn't you spare Huamei and Xiaoqiu?"
"Spare them? I wanted to spare them, but don't forget they belong to the Empress Dowager. If I let them go, it would be like letting a tiger return to the mountain. Would you have me keep a scourge by my side?"
Mu Qingyao spoke coldly. The steam from the tea warmed her pupils, making them appear somewhat hazy and indistinct. She continued,
"If I spare them, I am being cruel to myself. Being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself. Do you understand?"
Seeing that her mistress seemed a little angry, Meixin knelt down with a thud. "This servant deserves to die. I didn't think that far. I only felt pity for those two girls."
"Everyone facing death is pitiable. As a bird is about to die, its song is sad; as a person is about to die, their words are kind. Anyone facing death evokes sympathy. But have you considered what they did before they died? Do you know how many people they harmed? Should those people have died?"
Mu Qingyao's cold words echoed through the hall. Many listened with trembling hearts, yet they also felt that the Empress was righteous and that her words made sense.
Outside the hall door, Mochou walked in. She glanced at Meixin. Seeing that her mistress's expression was not good, she dared not ask further and reported respectfully.
"Your Majesty, it has been handled."
"Mm, that's good." Mu Qingyao nodded, then glanced at Meixin. "You may rise too. You are indeed kind-hearted, but don't forget, this is the Imperial Palace. It's better to be more careful, or you won't even know how you died next time."
"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant understands," Meixin replied obediently.
Compared to the tranquility of Fengluan Palace,
Guangyang Palace was filled with an atmosphere of ice and snow. The ground was strewn with debris, and fragments of porcelain and jade were everywhere in the great hall. The vast palace was eerily silent. No one dared to speak, not even to breathe heavily, for fear that doing so would be a capital offense.
Seated on the high throne, the Empress Dowager's face was covered in a dark cloud. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she gnashed her teeth so fiercely that she resembled a Yaksha, completely losing her former dignified and noble demeanor.
She was driven mad by the Empress. In their several confrontations, she had no advantage. The woman's methods were swift and unpredictable, making it impossible to guard against her. It seemed she had to take the initiative and not wait for destruction.
As the Empress Dowager was pondering countermeasures, a tall figure walked into the great hall from outside. It was Princess Murong Ruoyin. She casually glanced around the hall, raising her beautiful eyebrows with an understanding smile. "You may all withdraw."
"Yes, Princess."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and slowly withdrew.
The Empress Dowager glared at her daughter with dark, gloomy eyes. This girl really took matters into her own hands, treating her Guangyang Palace as her own. Just as she was about to reprimand her, Murong Ruoyin took a step forward, her eyes and brows filled with a smile. "Mother, your daughter knows you are vexed. Your daughter has come to bring you some ideas?"