The palace maid had a lot to say, but she swallowed it all back down. She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. Her voice was so aggrieved that it was heartbreaking to hear and tearful to see. The two eunuchs and palace maids next to her, although they didn't cry, also had red eyes and their faces were full of grievances.
"What? You dare to cry here after hitting the young master? What kind of rules are these? How dare you disobey them? You're really something." Ouyang Yue looked coldly at the three of them, and finally her gaze settled on the palace maid who was covering her face and crying. Her face was cold, and she looked like she was not going to let it go: "Dongxue, thirty strokes for each of them."
The three were stunned, and even the crying palace maid was terrified. She hurriedly begged for mercy, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me! I didn't do it! I'm innocent!"
"How dare this servant hit the young prince? I wouldn't dare even if you gave me ten lives! Please forgive me, Princess Consort Chen!" The people screamed and begged for mercy. This is how it is when you work in the palace. You never know when you might displease your master and get beaten.
"What's going on? What's all this noise about?" Suddenly, a dignified voice rang out, attracting everyone's attention, and they all looked up.
Then the Empress was seen being helped out by two maids. When she saw Ouyang Yue, she couldn't hide her disgust. However, when she glanced around and saw the filth on the palace maids, eunuchs, and Baili Chen, she was stunned: "What happened to you? You look like you came out of the mud. What happened?"
Ouyang Yue's face darkened immediately: "Mother, the people in your palace are far too audacious. They actually dare to bully the Crown Prince and commit such an act of disrespect. I was just about to have them each given thirty strokes of the cane."
The Empress's face also darkened: "How can there be such a disrespectful person in my Anle Palace? Guards, drag him away and beat him to death with sticks!" Look, compared to Ouyang Yue's thirty strokes of the cane, the Empress is the real ruthless one.
The four men were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, crying out, "Your Majesty, spare us! How dare we bully the young prince! We didn't!"
"Your Majesty, spare me! This servant did not bully the young prince at all! He brought this on himself!" A palace maid also knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.
The Empress frowned and said, "The young master did this himself. What happened? Tell me quickly."
At this moment, Ouyang Yue held Baili Su's small hand, and Baili Su's soft fingers were digging into her palm. Ouyang Yue lowered her head slightly and saw that Baili Su's lips were slightly parted and his eyes flashed. He was very clever and didn't look like he had been bullied, so she felt relieved.
After the Empress spoke, the two palace maids and the eunuch began to take turns accusing Baili Su of all his evil deeds.
After Ouyang Yue brought Baili Su to Anle Palace, he was looked after by Granny Yan, Chuncao, and the other two. After taking a short nap, Baili Su woke up and started fussing about playing. However, since the child was just over a year old and had only just learned to walk, Granny Yan, being a rather strict person, initially disagreed. Chuncao was also worried that something might happen, but Baili Su was so noisy that he simply started crying, which alerted the Empress.
Upon hearing this, the Empress, out of love and concern for Baili Su, agreed. She then sent four young palace maids and eunuchs to accompany Baili Su. Of course, Chuncao also followed, out of concern for him. Holding Baili Su's little hand, they went outside to play. They were just strolling around when suddenly a cat appeared out of nowhere. Baili Su became curious and, holding Chuncao's hand, rushed to chase after it. Of course, the palace maids and eunuchs had to follow. When they arrived, they saw Baili Su rolling around in the dirt. The group was terrified when they saw the mud-covered child and rushed over to pick him up. During the struggle, Baili Su cried out in pain. They didn't dare to be too rough, but as soon as Baili Su started yelling, he grabbed dirt and threw it at them.
"Ahhh, you hit me! It hurts! You're all bad people! I'm going to have my mother chop you all up!" Then she lifted her little legs and ran away. No one knew where the little person got the strength, but she was surprisingly fast. The four of them were terrified and chased after her. Then they fell into the mud puddle and ended up on their backs, looking utterly disheveled. Now she was even accusing them of being the villains. They were almost wronged to death.
"Oh, is that how it is?" Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow. The four eunuchs and maids nodded in agreement. Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes and suddenly pulled open Baili Su's sleeve. "If you're just worried about Su'er, then where did this mark on his wrist come from? He's lying here. He not only bullies me, but he even dares to deceive the Empress Dowager. He's utterly unforgivable!"
But look at Baili Su's wrist, there is a slightly bruised handprint. Judging from the handprint, it is clear that someone deliberately squeezed and pressed it. A child's hands and feet are small, and using such force is not considered abuse. What is?
The four eunuchs and maids were immediately dumbfounded. They had only tried to pull Baili Su away. Even if they were a little dissatisfied with Baili Su's Taobao, they had controlled their strength well enough to only cause him slight pain. It shouldn't have left such a mark. Who did this? How could they be so stupid as to leave such a handle on him?
The Empress frowned, but when she saw the figure slowly approaching from the other side, she roared in anger, "As a maidservant by the Crown Prince's side, you dared to leave his side at will, causing him to be injured. Your crime is unforgivable. Such negligence and dereliction of duty, drag her out and beat her!"
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Chuncao. As soon as Chuncao approached, she heard the Empress's angry voice. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, but her face was completely blank: "Your Highness, you're back. Oh, young master, why are you covered in dirt?"
The Empress sneered, "If it weren't for your negligence, how could things have come to this? Seventh Prince's wife, this is what your Prince Chen's mansion produces. They're really useless. What's the point of keeping such useless servants around? Today, I'll teach them a lesson and let these useless servants learn their lesson. Let's see if they dare to neglect their master's requirements in the future."
Ouyang Yuechuncao's expression changed. Baili Su was not an ordinary child. He knew that the Empress's beating was not well-intentioned and she wanted to establish her authority. His eyes darted around, and he felt a little anxious.
"Your Majesty, please spare me! This servant doesn't know what happened, what negligence..." Chuncao knelt down, and something in her arms moved slightly. Ouyang Yue was taken aback, and Chuncao said, "Your Majesty, this servant and the palace maids and eunuchs assigned by Your Majesty are all responsible for taking care of the young prince. Before, the young prince chased a cat, but he couldn't catch it and cried, so he asked this servant to chase it. This servant thought that there was someone to take care of him at the time, so I thought I would find this cat to please the young prince. After that, this servant really doesn't know what happened and dares not presume to admit guilt."
Chuncao's clothes were rather loose, with wide sleeves, so when she put her hands on her waist, no one noticed that she was carrying something in her arms. As soon as she put her hands down, a small black cat jumped out of her arms. Baili Su laughed and said, "It's a cat! It's a cat! Chuncao, you did well! I'll reward you when we get back. You useless lot couldn't even catch my cat, and you're bullying me! Beat them up!" Baili Su clapped his hands and angrily shouted at the four palace maids and eunuchs.
"Oh, so Chuncao went to do errands for the Prince. But they're all servants, yet some serve their masters diligently while others take advantage of their young age to bully them. It's quite a difference." Ouyang Yue glanced at the four palace maids and eunuchs. The handprint on Baili Su's wrist was genuine; it wasn't left by these four, but by some servant in the palace, or even by the Empress. To dare to do this on the very first day, if she didn't show some deterrence, they would really think her Prince Chen's mansion was easy to bully. Ouyang Yue said to the Empress, "Mother, these four servants not only did wrong, but also dared to harm their master. Just based on this mark on Su'er's wrist, even if they died a hundred times, it wouldn't be enough to atone for their sins."
The Empress's expression darkened: "They were only recently assigned to take care of Su'er, so it's understandable that they're not used to it yet. But your maid, who should have been watching over her mistress all the time, was instead chasing after a cat. She clearly doesn't know her place and has no sense of propriety. She should be severely punished."
Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a cold smile: "Is this the rule in the Empress's Anle Palace? Those servants who take the master's orders as their own and serve the master wholeheartedly are punished, while those who neglect their duties and even cause trouble for the master escape punishment. If this continues, I'm afraid many people will neglect their duties because the master will forgive them no matter what they do wrong, right? But what about the Empress's dignity? How can these servants be allowed to tarnish the Empress's reputation like this? They dare to have such wicked intentions; they deserve to die!" As she spoke, Ouyang Yue's gaze towards the Empress gradually darkened.
The Empress choked slightly, her eyes narrowing: "Alright, it's just a small matter. Why make it sound so serious? Su'er was just playing around for a moment. It's not a big deal. I don't even know if the mark is from a tree branch when he was rolling on the ground playing. Su'er is fine. Let's just let it go today."
Ouyang Yue gave a cold laugh, simply staring silently at the Empress without saying a word. The Empress felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze: "You four, take good care of the young prince. Remember, the young prince is your master, the apple of my eye. If anyone causes him the slightest grievance, I will be the first to not forgive them. Although your intentions this time were for the young prince's sake, you were too careless in your actions and deserve punishment. Ten strokes of the cane each. Remember to take good care of the prince from now on. If any more mistakes occur, none of you will live."
The four palace maids and eunuchs immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives. We will take good care of the young prince from now on. If the young prince goes east, we will never go west."
"This servant will do her utmost and will never let anything happen to the young master again."
The Empress smiled faintly and glanced at Ouyang Yue: "This is Su'er's first time in Anle Palace, so he is probably still a little unaccustomed to it. He only has some mud on him. Children are playful and mischievous, it's their nature. Seventh Prince's wife, don't be too restrictive of Su'er's personality, otherwise he will become dull and sullen. I think it's good that he is so lively and cheerful now."
Ouyang Yue smiled coldly, looking at the four palace maids and eunuchs staring intently at her. She knew these four were handpicked by the Empress for Baili Su, and were considered her confidants. She knew that dealing with them today would likely be impossible, and might even lead to conflict with the Empress. So she said, "Ten strokes of the cane are to teach you a lesson. You are servants, don't become arrogant. If your master says nothing wrong, then you are wrong when your master is in trouble. When something happens to you, you only try to exonerate yourselves and blame innocent people, which will only lead to your early demise. Consider today a lesson for yourself. If it happens again, I, the Princess Consort, will not care. If you hurt the young prince, none of you will get away with it."
Ouyang Yue's voice was cold, which made the four people tense up. The Empress's eyes also darkened, but in the end she didn't say anything.
Ouyang Yue said slowly, "Since the young master is being taken care of by you, if anything happens, I will not look for anyone else but you. If the young master is injured, I will take one of your legs or arms, but if he bleeds and is seriously injured, I will take your heads. This is to give you a warning, so that you will not be so careless in the future, and not think that serving your master is so easy."
"Ah..." The four palace maids and eunuchs were immediately dumbfounded. Did the Princess Consort Chen mean that their lives were now tied to the young master? If anything happened to him, none of them could escape: "Princess Consort Chen, but the young master is so lively, he..."
"Still making excuses!" Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes, and the four men immediately shut up in fear. Ouyang Yue then said to the Empress, "Mother, what do you think of my suggestion? These servants are careless because the punishment is too lenient. For the sake of the Crown Prince, I am willing to be the villain. Only by establishing a strong authority over these servants who serve their master will they be careful and prevent today's incident from happening again."
The Empress sneered inwardly: "Since that's how it is, then so be it. You all, listen carefully. Princess Consort Chen values the Crown Prince so much. If you dare to make any more mistakes, next time it won't just be ten strokes of the cane."
Although the people were transferred by the Empress, she might not really care about their lives. However, if she disagreed, Ouyang Yue might cause trouble for the Empress Dowager or the Emperor. She deliberately avoided mentioning abuse, but the handprint was clearly a human handprint. If it were the Emperor or the Empress Dowager, they wouldn't have let it go just because she pressured them.
Ouyang Yue laughed, a sinister smile creeping across her face at the four men: "So from now on, you'll have to pray to the gods and Buddhas to protect the young master, otherwise..."
"Yes, yes, this servant will do his utmost to protect the young prince and will absolutely not let anything happen to him."
"If the young master says east, this servant will never dare to say west, and will never dare to disobey the young master again..."
"This servant/maid Jinji!"
"Alright, take them out and give them a beating." Ouyang Yue snorted, still not forgetting about the beating. The four men, with pained expressions, were dragged away and the boards were lashed repeatedly. But since they were from the Empress's palace, even though they cried out loudly, the force of the blows was probably only a third or a half of what it should have been. But it still hurt.
"Good, good, good! Well done! Let's see if they dare to bully this young master again! Well done, well done!" Baili Su clapped his hands and cheered. The Empress narrowed her eyes, glanced at the lively Baili Su, and her expression turned sour.
After the ten strokes of the cane were finished, Ouyang Yue took Baili Su away. Normally, once he was sent to the Empress, Ouyang Yue wouldn't need to take him anymore until the Empress Dowager finished attending to her. However, given what happened today, the Empress couldn't stop her. Ouyang Yue deliberately didn't wash the mud off Baili Su, and carried the little black boy away. Along the way, palace maids and eunuchs from various palaces were astonished and whispered among themselves. Seeing this, Baili Su stretched out his chubby little arms, hugged Ouyang Yue's neck, and sobbed, "Waaah, Mother, Su'er doesn't want to stay there, Su'er is scared...waaah..."
The handprints around his hand were clearly visible, and coupled with Baili Su huddled in Ouyang Yue's arms, unable to get up, and covered in dirt, it was clear that he had been severely abused. Everyone couldn't help but sigh, "How could the Empress be so cruel as to harm the young prince?"
So, although these people dared not openly speak ill of the Empress, they all quickly ran back to their own palaces and various offices. Before long, news spread that Ouyang Yue had been taking care of the Empress Dowager while she was ill, and that the Empress had taken Prince Chen to Anle Palace to look after him. However, the news of Ouyang Yue's alleged mistreatment of the young prince had already spread. The Empress had just punished four palace maids and eunuchs and was reprimanding them when a palace maid relayed a message. Ouyang Yue was furious: "What! This Xuanyuan Yue is so cunning! She just established her authority in front of me and beat one of my people, and now she's going around spreading these baseless rumors. When did I ever mistreat Baili Su? This is outrageous! Send someone down here, and I'll see who dares to speak nonsense. They will all be punished for disrespect."
Lan He hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Lan He had been by the Empress's side for many years and was a capable and sensible person. The Empress trusted her completely. Seeing her like this, the Empress frowned and said, "What, can't I do it?"
Lanhe knew that the Empress was angry at the moment, but she still said softly, "Your Majesty, perhaps this is what Princess Chen did on purpose. If the Empress uses her power to suppress people and punishes a few servants, wouldn't that just be as everyone says, that the Empress is abusing the young prince? Wouldn't that be just fulfilling Princess Chen's wish?"
The Empress frowned upon hearing this and snorted coldly, "This Xuanyuan Yue even dares to scheme against me. I'd like to see who wins this final round." Seeing that the Empress had listened to her advice, Lan He breathed a sigh of relief.
The Empress squinted at the four palace maids and eunuchs kneeling below and said, "I sent you to look after a child, and you've been so useless. Ten lashes are a lesson for you. From now on, just keep an eye on Prince Chen. As long as he doesn't get hurt, let him do whatever he wants. Don't do anything unnecessary."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The four servants had tears streaming down their foreheads, and their faces, still filthy from not washing, were dirtier than a cat's. The Empress couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust at the sight. Seeing this, Lan He immediately said, "You may all leave now. We must not let anything happen to the young prince again."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress." The four hurriedly withdrew, sighing inwardly at their bad luck. They had originally thought that being summoned by the Empress to serve a young prince would be a good job, but who knew they would be beaten on the very first day? In the end, they didn't get any benefits from the Empress either. Wasn't it clearly the Empress who hinted at it? This is what it's like to be a servant. If you do things well, you can only get a smile from your master, but if you do things poorly, all the blame falls on you. What a miserable life.
As soon as the four officials left, Lanhe asked, "Your Highness, judging from the way Princess Chen looked, she didn't seem like she was going to release them."
The Empress sneered, "She won't have a choice then." Lan He remained silent, her eyes also filled with coldness.
The Empress held a lotus-patterned porcelain cup in her jade-like hands, slowly taking a sip of tea. Her eyes narrowed. Ouyang Yue was not a threat. In fact, if Ouyang Yue went to attend to Baili Su, anyone could take care of him. It wasn't really something the Empress needed to worry about. However, the Empress suddenly had a sudden thought. Now that the four princes were all grown up, Baili Mao, who seemed easy to control, had gradually revealed his ambition since Baili Jian's death. He accepted the olive branches extended by both the Lin and Sun families, even inciting them to fight each other openly and secretly. Yet, he married the eldest daughter of the Ning family, and his principal wife was from the Leng family. Although the Leng family had no intention of competing, Baili Mao's appetite was far too great. The Empress had to consider whether, after winning him over and promoting him, this ambitious man might eventually swallow up the Lin family as well. In the struggle for imperial power, there was never a shortage of shameless people who would betray their benefactors.
Unfortunately, Baili Cheng died without an heir, while Baili Chen had a son, who is only a little over a year old and still doesn't understand anything. At such an innocent age, he might even consider someone he's lived with for a long time as a close relative. The Empress found this increasingly plausible. Keeping Baili Su by her side constantly would foster dependence in the child, who is easily manipulated at such a young age. Furthermore, given Baili Chen's favor with Emperor Mingxian, the support of the Xuanyuan family and Princess Shuangxia behind Ouyang Yue, and the combined influence of the Lin family and Baili Cheng's original power, Baili Su's ascension to the throne was practically a certainty.
However, the Empress could not completely trust and love this child. Once he grew older and became more sensible, he probably wouldn't listen to anything she said. So, for now, she had to keep Baili Su under her control and cultivate a bond with him while he was still young. In fact, the Empress's original intention was to let Baili Su live here longer so that the palace maids and eunuchs could not really mistreat him, but should be cold and even stern towards him. Then, she could show her kindness and love, acting like a good grandmother. This child has always been very straightforward about his likes and dislikes, so wouldn't he like her more and more?
The Empress originally intended to spoil Baili Su a bit. The child was too smart, which would not be good for her or the Lin family. On the contrary, if he continued to act so recklessly and childishly, he would be able to become a dutiful puppet emperor in the future. If another Baili Mao were to emerge, then she would lose more than she gained.
The Empress's eyes slowly shifted with a cold indifference. However, this Ouyang Yue was really difficult to deal with. On both occasions, for the sake of Baili Su, she had even disregarded her dignity as the Empress. It would be difficult to take the child directly from her. The Empress Dowager's health was poor, and attending to her illness was not a long-term matter. It seemed that one plan was not enough, and she would have to think of several backup plans.
A cold glint suddenly flashed in the Empress's eyes, carrying an inexplicable chilling killing intent. She looked at Lan He and said, "Send a message to the Lin residence, saying that I miss the clan leader's wife. Tell her that if she has nothing to do these next few days, she should come to the palace to keep me company."
Lan He bowed her head in response and then sent a junior palace maid to relay the message. This kind of thing didn't require her, as the senior palace maid, to give the order directly.
Inside Chenyu Palace, Baili Su sat on the bed with his hands on his hips: "I did it on purpose."
Ouyang Yue frowned: "Even if it's intentional, it's still not okay. How can you let yourself get hurt? You're too reckless, child. You don't cherish yourself at all." As she spoke, Ouyang Yue stretched out her finger and angrily tapped Baili Su's forehead, turning it red in a few strokes.
Baili Su pouted, "I didn't do anything wrong. Those guys have really bad tempers. When I said I wanted to go out and play, they deliberately scolded me, so I just wanted to play a trick on them."
Ouyang Yue asked in confusion, "Oh, is the Empress good to you?"
"She kept smiling at me, as if she wanted to get close to me, but her smile was awful, I didn't like it at all," Baili Su said, pursing his lips. Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow, thinking that the Empress couldn't possibly be genuinely kind to Su'er. After all, they were enemies. But what did the Empress mean by sending these palace servants to torment Su'er without much effort, while she herself pretended to be a good person? Did she just want to establish a kind grandmother image in the palace? It didn't seem like it at all. With the Empress's methods, although ruthless, her reputation inside and outside the palace was still quite good. Why would she need to use Su'er to further enhance her reputation? She would believe it if the Empress wanted to deliberately abuse Su'er, or was it just that she couldn't do it on the first day?
Baili Su had already been washed by Ouyang Yue and was now wearing a white undershirt. His big eyes were still wet from the bath, and they blinked adorably, making him look incredibly cute and charming. His face looked like two big apples, making you want to take a bite out of him. He stretched out his arm to support his leg, his little hand supporting his chin, and his round eyes darted around. Ouyang Yue looked over and said helplessly, "You're still young. Don't be so clever as to do dangerous things, okay? If something happens to you, do you know how heartbroken I'll be?"
"Mom, don't worry, I know what to do. Besides, Chuncao and Granny Yan are with me. Granny Yan is really amazing. The servants in the Empress's palace are like cats seeing mice when they see her. Sister Chuncao even said that she feels more at ease having Granny Yan check my food, clothing, and daily necessities. Granny Yan is very capable." Baili Su's eyes sparkled.
Ouyang Yue smiled. The people sent by Emperor Mingxian couldn't be too bad. Granny Yan wouldn't have the ability to survive in this dog-eat-dog world, let alone be so highly regarded by Emperor Mingxian. If it weren't for Granny Yan's care, she naturally wouldn't feel at ease. As for the other wet nurse, she was actually a member of the First Killing Alliance, her martial arts skills no less than Dongxue's. Because Granny Yan and the other two's main task was to take care of Baili Su, they weren't too restricted in the Empress's palace. For example, Chuncao could casually leave Baili Su to go find the cat, while the other was already watching from the shadows. And according to Chuncao, the people in Anle Palace seemed quite happy to see them relax their guard on Baili Su. Did they really want to see these people intimidate and threaten Su'er, and then give the Empress a smile? A beating followed by a sweet treat?
The Empress's plan was well thought out. If it were an ordinary child, he would have trusted the Empress more because of her. Unfortunately, her Su'er was a hundred times smarter than ordinary children. He had long harbored suspicion and disgust towards the Empress. It was impossible to change his mind!
Ouyang Yue patted Baili Su's little head: "No matter what, you can't be too reckless. If you get hurt, don't blame me for spanking you."
Baili Su stuck out his pink tongue, nestled in Ouyang Yue's arms, his eyes darting around. He was thinking, "Today's nothing! Tomorrow's the real fun begins! Does that old woman think I'm stupid? Her smile is so fake; she's not genuinely kind to me. Does she think I can't see through her? Humph!"
Baili Su had taken a tour of the area today and had a general understanding of the terrain of Anle Palace. He would start his plan tomorrow and was sure to scare that old woman so badly that she would wet herself. Hehehe! Baili Su immediately revealed a cunning and wicked smile.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that Baili Su had been brought back to Chenyu Palace by Ouyang Yue covered in mud, Emperor Mingxian presented the Empress with a jade ruyi. The Empress's face darkened for a long time upon receiving the ruyi. She knew perfectly well that Emperor Mingxian was reminding her, as an elder, to care for the younger generation. If anything were to happen, especially in Anle Palace, the Empress would certainly face reprimand. The Empress hadn't intended to kill Baili Su; she merely wanted to snatch the child from Ouyang Yue's grasp. However, she dared not say this to outsiders. Seeing Emperor Mingxian's blatant warning in the jade ruyi, her expression darkened, her heart filled with extreme resentment. "Do you treat Baili Chen's son like a treasure? Do you still remember that you once had a son who was the Crown Prince, and that he was the most likely to become Emperor, Baili Cheng? For so many years of marriage, you've always been indifferent. When have I ever seen you care for me like this? Your Majesty, why are you so cold to me? I hate it!"
The Empress was still feeling gloomy and pained when she received a message from the Empress Dowager summoning her to Chengxiang Palace. The Empress looked unwell; such a small matter had caused such a stir. However, she dared not delay and went directly to Chengxiang Palace. She waited in the outer hall for about half an hour, and drank three bowls of tea before Zhan Mama slowly came out and said, "The Empress Dowager invites you."
The Empress stood up, bowed her head, and followed her inside. The Empress Dowager, dressed in her undergarments, was slumped over the headboard, with a palace maid gently fanning her. The Empress Dowager was resting with her eyes closed. The Empress approached and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
The Empress Dowager gave a faint "hmm," and the Empress straightened up accordingly. The Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, her somewhat aged eyes not as cloudy as those of an average old person, but instead revealing a shrewdness. She looked at the Empress with a cold gaze: "Now that the child has been brought to Anle Palace, why are you still causing so much trouble, not a moment of peace? Don't you know what's going on in the palace?"
The Empress also said with some resentment, "Mother, it is that Xuanyuan Yue who is insidious. She has already established her authority in Anle Palace by beating people, but who would have thought that she would cause trouble again? She is truly hateful."
The Empress Dowager said coldly, "Alright, is what you did honorable? I know what you want to do, but don't go too far. That Princess Consort Chen is not someone to be trifled with. That girl is cunning and shrewd. Don't let your plans fail and end up being ruined by her. It wasn't easy for you to get to this position, so be careful."
"Your Majesty, I understand." The Empress Dowager looked at her in a deep voice: "Alright, I don't care what you want to do, but whatever you do, you have to be able to keep it a secret. If you cause such a disgraceful thing again, you'd better know your place."
"Yes, daughter-in-law will definitely do better next time, it won't happen again."
"Go down."
The Empress withdrew and returned to Anle Palace with a grim expression. A cold smile played on her lips. "If things are settled, it will be of great benefit to you. Otherwise, would you have so readily agreed to play along with my act? You always come to lecture me. It's really annoying."
Since the Empress entered the palace, she has never escaped the Empress Dowager's control. She finally survived the death of Empress Bai and ascended the throne, then Consort Sun became the Emperor's favorite. After Consort Sun was killed by her, Fenyan rose to power, and now there's Consort Sun. She's constantly being checked and balanced, and to make matters worse, there's always someone above her who reprimands her. It's truly hateful. Once I become Empress Dowager, you can just wait to die like that Grand Empress Dowager. Do you really think you can control me forever?
Thinking about it this way, the idea in the Empress's mind came back to her. Baili Su was such a small child that he was easy to control, but could Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue do as she wished? If this obstacle was not removed, it would be very disadvantageous for her.
The next morning, Ouyang Yue took Baili Su to Anle Palace as usual. Today, Baili Su gave up his red clothes and changed into a black jacket. Although it was not as pleasing and cute as the red ones, it made him look energetic and spirited.
"Greetings, Princess Consort Chen." Just as they reached the corner, a group of people came from another path. The leader was a noble lady adorned with jewels, with clear features and sharp eyes. Upon seeing Ouyang Yue, she quickly took a few steps forward to greet her.
Upon seeing this person, Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "So it's the First Madam of the Lin family. Are you here to visit the Empress Dowager?"
Madam Lin smiled respectfully and said, "Your Highness, the Empress sometimes feels bored in the palace and will call me over to chat. It just so happens that the Lin family estate has fruit in season these days, and I would like to send some to Her Majesty the Empress to try. If Your Highness likes them, you may also pick some."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll gladly accept your offer."
Madam Lin was taken aback, thinking that she was just being polite, but Princess Chen actually accepted it. However, she still smiled gently and the two chatted as they walked towards Anle Palace. When they arrived at Anle Palace, the Empress was instructing the palace maid on some matters. The two stepped forward to pay their respects, and the Empress then dismissed the maid.
"What brings you here today, sister-in-law? Please have a seat." After saying that, she glanced at Ouyang Yue and said to Lan He, "Go and tell them to take the young master out to play."
Lan He smiled and took Baili Su's hand as they went out. The four palace servants from yesterday were standing outside the hall. Upon seeing Baili Su, regardless of whether they were sincere or not, they all put on a fawning and obsequious attitude. Baili Su's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "I want to see the flowers."
"The young prince is indeed extraordinary, having such refined tastes at such a young age."
"Aren't you annoying? Hurry up and take me there. Squat down, I want to ride on your shoulders." The eunuch who had been fawning just moments before stiffened, but resignedly squatted down. Baili Su's eyes darted around, and with a chuckle, he mounted the eunuch and rode away...
Inside Anle Palace, the Empress still had important matters to discuss, but Ouyang Yue was too lazy to leave. She couldn't help but ask, "Su'er has already gone to play. Is there anything else, Princess Consort Chen?"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yue's eyes immediately reddened, which surprised the Empress and Madam Lin. Why was she crying like this? Her resentful eyes made people wonder what had happened to her. What was going on? Ouyang Yue seemed not to notice their changed expressions and began to sob while pulling at her handkerchief. The two women's faces darkened even more!