Baili Su blinked his big eyes: "Is this something dirty? Su'er has it every day, doesn't Grandmother have it?"
Looking into Baili Su's innocent eyes, the Empress was speechless, probably not even knowing what she was saying herself. "Quickly move the people out of the hall and take the young prince back to rest. Keep a close eye on him and don't let him run around."
Baili Su sniffled pitifully as he was reluctantly dragged away. His innocent appearance infuriated the Empress, who couldn't even muster a temper. However, she was incredibly troubled. Given Consort Sun's temperament, she was bound to make a scene after what happened today. Although the Empress was confident that with her power and past intimidation, such childish and disgusting behavior would be easily dispelled once she calmed down and explained, Consort Sun would still seize this opportunity to slander her.
The Empress looked at Lanhe and said, "Go, go to the small storeroom and fetch the pair of jade butterfly ornaments to send to Consort Sun."
Lan He was taken aback. The jade butterfly ornament was so well-made and exquisitely carved that even the Empress couldn't resist it. When Consort Sun saw it, she shamelessly begged the Empress for it, but the Empress had never agreed. Consort Sun often said behind the Empress's back that she was stingy. This time, she actually sent it away as an apology. Seeing the Empress's pained expression, Lan He didn't think much of it and turned to go out to do her business.
Although the Empress was somewhat angry with Baili Su after this incident, he was ultimately just a child who didn't understand anything. Moreover, not long after, news came from the Lin family that the Empress's elder brother had agreed to the matter, and the Empress put today's unpleasantness behind her.
Another day has passed. Today it was Ouyang Yue's turn to attend to the Empress Dowager, and it was the morning shift. Ouyang Yue sent Baili Su over early in the morning. Although she was reluctant to leave, she was even more afraid that the Empress Dowager would blame her, so there was nothing she could do.
Baili Su was very well-behaved today. As soon as he came in, he started yawning, looking extremely sleepy.
The Empress smiled and said, "Is Su'er sleepy? Go and rest with Granny Yan."
"Young master, shall we go to sleep?"
Baili Su looked up with his cute little face, stretching out his arms for a hug. Even the usually serious Yan Mama couldn't help but smile: "Okay, Mama will hug you."
"Grandma, I'm so sleepy."
"Then, Granny, take the young master to rest."
"Hmm, haa..." He yawned again, clearly having gotten up early today. Baili Su was still asleep, leaning on Granny Yan's shoulder, and soon fell asleep.
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. She waved for Lanhe to take the palace's various account books and registers of all matters, and then pointed out the important points. The Empress stretched her neck, and Lanhe immediately went over to massage her neck and asked softly, "Your Majesty has just dealt with so many things, you must be a little tired. Why don't you lie down for a while? The soup in the kitchen isn't ready yet, it will probably take a little longer."
"Well, that's fine. I'm really tired, so I'll go lie down for a while." With that, she reached out and let Lanhe help her into the inner hall to rest.
The Empress fell asleep soon after lying in bed. She didn't know how long she slept, but suddenly heard a commotion outside. She frowned in annoyance, not opening her eyes, intending to sleep a little longer. Unfortunately, the noise outside persisted, causing her to open her eyes impatiently and angrily say, "What's going on outside? Go see! How dare they disturb my rest! Who's so ill-mannered? Drag them out and give them a beating before questioning them!"
"..."
However, there was no answer from inside the room. The Empress was stunned for a moment, then looked up and scanned the room. There was indeed no one in the room. That's right, there was no one in the room when the Empress slept. However, there were always two palace maids left in the outer hall to guard the room in case she woke up and made any requests. Now, all of them had disappeared without a trace.
The Empress immediately roared, "Guards! Where have you all gone?!"
However, no one answered from the outer hall. Instead, the noise outside grew even louder. Feeling neglected and ignored, the Empress became furious. She abruptly pulled the covers over herself and was about to get out of bed when her hand froze at something. It was soft and sticky, and it felt rather nice? While her hand remained still, her other hand lifted the covers. When she saw what it was, the Empress's eyes widened in shock. She was indeed touching something soft. As the covers were removed, she reflexively touched it a couple more times. The thing was green, with segments that seemed to be wriggling visibly. The Empress had felt quite comfortable with that sensation earlier, but now, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, unable to react for a long time.
Only after she took several deep breaths did she seem to regain her voice. Suddenly, she lifted herself up and, as if possessed, threw the caterpillar aside while screaming, "Ah!" The scream was extremely piercing and sharp. Two palace maids finally stumbled in from outside. Seeing the Empress's pale face, they were terrified and stammered, "Your Majesty... you're awake..."
Enraged, the Empress slid off the bed, her legs still in her shoes, ready to berate the two palace maids. However, the moment her foot touched the sole, she sensed something amiss. Something seemed to be moving about inside. The Empress froze, then, as if struck by a sudden realization, her expression shifted between shock and anger, and she screamed, "Ah...ah..." She sprang back onto the bed. The two palace maids, seeing the usually dignified and composed Empress behaving so dramatically today, were equally terrified and at a loss for what to do.
The Empress cried out in fury, "Ah! There's something on the sole of my shoe!"
Upon hearing this, the two palace maids immediately ran over. Looking down, they saw a white caterpillar and a light green caterpillar leisurely crawling and playing inside the empress's exquisitely embroidered shoes. One of them was even quite capable, as it managed to crawl up the shoe's upper and onto the surface.
"Ugh, what disgusting bugs!" one of the palace maids cried out in shock upon seeing them, even jumping away as if the caterpillars had leaped onto her. The other maid, though slightly less alarmed, also quickly took a step back. However, the Empress, seeing the two disgusting creatures on her beloved embroidered shoes, was so enraged that she nearly fainted. She angrily slammed her hand on the bed, when suddenly her hand touched something soft. The Empress's body tensed, she screamed, and her entire body tumbled off the bed.
With a loud bang, it seemed as if the ground itself shook. At that moment, a group of people rushed in from outside. When they saw the scene inside the room, they were so shocked that they couldn't speak!
☆、 267、The Tragic Empress (Part 1)
The usually noble and dignified empress suddenly screamed, then fell headfirst off the bed in a state of extreme panic and disarray. As she got off, her hands flailing wildly in fear, making her look even more pathetic.
"Ouch!" The Empress landed on her side, letting out a heartfelt cry of pain, like that of a wild beast. Her eyes instantly turned red. The palace servants who came in after hearing the noise were quite frightened. The Empress had actually fallen. Given her temperament, would she let them off the hook?
One by one, they approached cautiously and whispered, "Your Majesty... Empress... are you alright?"
"Nothing wrong? You wretched wench, try falling down and see if you're alright!" the Empress roared. Then, as soon as she raised her head, her eyes widened in shock. She hadn't been able to control the force or angle of her fall, so she hadn't expected that her head would land directly on the wooden mat. There, her exquisite embroidered shoes had been resting. Now, two caterpillars on the shoes, with their tiny green-black eyes, stared at her, miraculously wriggling towards her!
"Hiss!" The Empress's eyes widened again, her head jerking back in fright. With a 'snap', her mouth gaped open slightly, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly screamed, "My head, my head..."
But then they saw that her head was tilted back in a strange shape, as if it had been completely turned around. This was a movement that most people couldn't do, so it was clear that her head had been twisted. The palace servants were terrified and rushed over. Their faces were pale with fright, and their hearts were in their throats. If the Empress really died in an accident, none of them in Anle Palace would be able to escape. They were scared to death.
"Your Majesty the Empress!"
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
The chaotic footsteps rushed over, and the two innocent caterpillars, long forgotten, were trampled to death on the back of their necks. These people hurriedly helped the queen up, only to find that her head was still tilted back, her mouth slightly open, and her eyes wide open. After being lifted up, she remembered and began to groan in pain.
Everyone's faces turned pale: "The...Empress...Her...neck...twisted......" One of the palace maids stammered, each word uttered one by one.
"Then...then what...what should we do..." another person stammered, also infected by the commotion.
Everyone stared wide-eyed. Just then, two maids dressed as palace maids rushed in. It was none other than Lan He and Lan Ni. Behind them, a panting figure followed. Upon seeing the Empress, the figure exclaimed in surprise, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly help Her Majesty the Empress to sit down. Two people, come here quickly, we need to straighten Her Majesty's neck!"
As soon as the person spoke, the palace servants immediately busied themselves helping the Empress to her feet and sit down on the soft couch to the side. Lanhe and Lanni pushed through the crowd, and the figure turned out to be a sprightly old nanny with silver hair. She pointed directly at Lanhe and Lanni and said, "Quickly, hold down the Empress's shoulders and straighten them before the twisting takes too long."
No one dared to speak. A row of palace servants stepped aside, their eyes fixed on the scene, fearing that if the Empress were to fall into such a state, their own lives would be over.
Not to mention them, even Lan He and Lan Ni were very nervous at this moment. The old woman looked closely at the Empress and then said softly, "Your Majesty, you have twisted your neck. I am going to help you straighten your neck now, so it may hurt a little in a moment. Please bear with it, Your Majesty."
"Granny An?" The Empress tilted her head back and was startled when she heard the voice.
Granny An nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, it's me, I'm back..." Seeing the way the Empress tilted her head back, Granny An was a little envious.
Granny An was brought from the Lin family by the Empress. Her father's family also bore the surname An, and they had been servants of the Lin family for generations. She was considered a household servant and had taken care of the Empress since childhood, so the two had a deep bond. She was naturally extremely loyal to the Empress. Some time ago, Granny An's son injured himself while working, and her wife was newly pregnant and unable to take care of him. Her husband was also a manager and was usually very busy, so he didn't have time to look after their son. The Empress had treated her quite well, and Granny An herself was worried, so the Empress sent her back to take care of her son. She had just returned to the palace, carrying a small bundle on her back. She hadn't even had a chance to catch up with the Empress when she saw the Empress in such a disheveled state, which naturally made her feel sorry for her.
"Okay...faster...my neck." The Empress groaned, clearly in considerable pain.
"Your Majesty, please bear with it, this old servant is about to take action." Granny An couldn't help but advise again. Lan He and Lan Ni were already pressing on the Empress's shoulders, while Granny An was pressing on both sides of the Empress's head. Suddenly, she said, "Your Majesty, this servant recently heard an interesting story in the mansion. It is said that the rooster in the North Courtyard laid an egg."
"What!" The Empress was stunned.
"Card!"
Just then, Granny An made her move, twisting the Empress's head sharply. "Ouch!" The Empress cried out in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. She angrily said, "Granny An, what are you doing? Do you want to harm me too?" The Empress jolted back in pain, only to find that the palace servants around her were looking at her with hot eyes. Only then did the Empress belatedly realize that she could move her neck again, and that she was now fine after the pain from before. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Granny An, thank goodness you're here, otherwise I would have had to keep my neck bent over like this, it hurts so much." The Empress looked at Granny An and forced a smile, but she couldn't manage to laugh.
At this moment, Granny An said with a cold face, "What are all the people in this palace good for? Why is there no one in the Empress's palace? And you even made the Empress fall off the bed. Don't you all want to live?" Because the Empress valued Granny An, the people in the palace both respected and feared her. If there was anyone who could really stand up to her, it was Lan He and Lan Ni, the two confidantes of the Empress. However, compared to Granny An, Lan He and Lan Ni took care of the Empress for even less time, so even they dared not exaggerate when facing Granny An.
The Empress twisted her neck slightly, but her face was now particularly dark. To think that a caterpillar was crawling on her noble phoenix bed, and that there were even two more in her shoes, she thought. If it weren't for such disgusting things, would she have been so humiliated today? Just thinking about this made her face as black as if it had been splashed with ink.
However, Granny An noticed that the palace maids all had strange expressions. Even Lan He and Lan Ni had inscrutable expressions, as if they were hiding something from her: "Tell me, what's going on? There have never been such disloyal servants in Anle Palace before. Why are they all gone today? Has something happened?"
Upon hearing this, a strange expression flashed across the Empress's face.
"Reporting to Your Majesty's Madam, it was the young prince who caused such a ruckus earlier. He had people watering the palace and picking flowers and plants. We tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. I saw that he had almost ruined all the newly planted flowers and plants in the palace, so I tried to persuade him, but unfortunately, the young prince didn't understand at all. Instead, he made a bigger fuss, making Anle Palace very messy. I was afraid that Your Majesty would be unhappy when you woke up, so I sent everyone to clean up. This...this...I don't know who put this disgusting thing on Your Majesty's Madam's bed." Lan He was also quite angry. As the Empress's personal guard, apart from making a few mistakes when she first entered the palace, she had never been scolded by her mistress. Today, however, she was in a bad mood because Baili Chen had discovered such a big oversight.
"Young Master? The young master of the Prince Chen's residence?" Upon hearing this, Granny An immediately understood. The one who could be called the young master and had a connection with the Empress was none other than Baili Su, the young master of the Prince Chen's residence. "Isn't he just over a year old?"
The maids in Anle Palace were busy running around trying to keep up with the antics of a one-year-old child, and even the Empress's palace couldn't spare any manpower to guard him? These shrewd people are all so clever, yet they can't outmaneuver a one-year-old child. This excuse just doesn't sound convincing.
Lan He's lips twitched upon hearing Granny An's words. Because he was only a little over a year old, he couldn't explain things clearly. Moreover, this Prince Chen was extremely opinionated; he was practically driving people crazy. It was obvious without investigation that the matter concerning Consort Sun was orchestrated by Baili Su, who acted completely oblivious when the Empress reprimanded him, letting the Empress's beatings and scoldings go unpunished. Now that he's causing these troubles again, it's obvious he's behind it all.
Granny An's face darkened: "Weren't you all there to help him? Where did he get these bugs, and how did they get into the Empress's palace? Are you just making excuses to absolve yourselves?" In the end, Granny An, Lan He, and Lan Ni didn't come from the Lin family together, and each of them had ambition. What these servants wanted was to be in the limelight in front of their masters, to be trusted by them, and to be entrusted with important responsibilities. It was inevitable that the three of them would fight, but they all knew their limits and dared not let the Empress suffer because of their fighting. Otherwise, none of the three of them would survive. But if they had a chance, why wouldn't they attack?
Lan He and Lan Ni looked unwell but couldn't speak. There was no one in the palace to help them. The Empress woke up and was so frightened by the caterpillar that she fell and twisted her neck. If it weren't for Granny An returning in time to bring her back, the Empress would still be crying out in pain with her neck tilted back.
The Empress was also somewhat dissatisfied with Lan He and Lan Ni's negligence this time: "What Granny An said is true. You were outside, so who put the things in this room?"
Lan He and Lan Ni lowered their heads, and the latter said softly, "Please forgive us, Your Majesty, because the young prince was running around and we were cleaning, I saw that Your Majesty was about to wake up again, so I was in a hurry to call for people to clean, so... so... I didn't notice the young prince..."
"What?! You're all so mischievous and you didn't even pay attention! You're all so careless! You caused the Empress's nanny to fall! You're guilty!" Granny An immediately scolded.
The Empress said with a dark face, "Bring Baili Su to me."
Immediately, two palace maids ran out and soon brought in a struggling little figure, followed by Granny Yan, Chuncao, and the wet nurse. Granny An was also stunned when she saw Granny Yan. She was an old hand in the palace and knew Granny Yan well. Wasn't this the Emperor's wet nurse? She had been summoned to take care of the young prince, which showed how much the Emperor valued him. But this child was too mischievous and annoying. He was really audacious, daring to tease even the Empress. How could he not be taught a lesson? Of course, Granny An didn't dare to say this out loud.
"Young Master is tired from playing and is about to rest. I wonder what brings the Empress to see you here?" As soon as Granny Yan stopped, she asked. Her tone was seemingly inquiring, but only Granny Yan herself knew how much respect she actually showed.
The Empress's expression darkened further. Suppressing her anger, she gave Baili Su what she considered a friendly smile, but it was clearly a forced one, looking quite strange. Baili Su's eyes darted around, and she clutched the hem of Granny Yan's dress, hiding behind her, only peeking out with a frightened expression. Granny Yan looked up at the Empress, her face expressionless. The Empress clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, saying, "Su'er, come here to your grandmother. I'm not scolding you, I just want to ask you some questions. Su'er, you must answer me seriously."
"Oh..." Baili Su didn't know if he understood or not, and uttered a single sound.
"Su'er, have you been naughty? You put a caterpillar on your grandmother's bed and threw it into your shoe. Do you know that you scared your grandmother so much that she fell off the bed and is still in pain? You are still so young, how can you be so naughty? Do you even know what you did wrong?" The Empress originally wanted to gently scold her and show her grandmother's kindness and benevolence in front of Granny Yan, but the more she spoke, the angrier she became. The more she thought about the fright, fall, and pain she had experienced, the more she felt a surge of anger rising within her. In the end, her words sounded like a shout.
Baili Su was so frightened that he stood there for a moment, then jumped behind Granny Yan with a "whoosh," sobbing aggrievedly. Granny Yan saw that the Empress's clothes were somewhat disheveled and no longer as dignified and neat as before, which was enough to imagine how embarrassed she had been just now, so she didn't say anything.
"Su'er, don't hide behind Granny Yan. If you've done something wrong, you must admit it and take responsibility. A mistake is a mistake, and you should apologize to your grandmother. But if you continue to be so mischievous and unrepentant, your grandmother, as your elder and the head of the palace, will discipline you when the time is right, you understand?" The Empress squinted, her hatred growing stronger the more she looked at the face that resembled Baili Chen's. If it weren't for her future plans to use Baili Su, she would have loved to slap him dozens of times. This was something she had always wanted to do when Baili Chen was a child, but never had the chance to, and it tormented her deeply. If her pregnant belly couldn't hold back, she wasn't afraid to use this opportunity to teach this little brat a lesson, to punish that wretched bastard descendant of the White Empress.
“I did nothing wrong…” Baili Su suddenly poked his head out and said provocatively before shrinking back.
The Empress laughed angrily: "Fine, you're young, and I just thought it would be good for you to be lively. But who would have thought you would be so naughty, causing Grandmother to fall ill? You don't know you're wrong and you dare to talk back? Guards, take the young prince to the back hall and make him kneel there for a whole day!"
There was an inconspicuous side hall in the back hall. The room was dark, and once the door was closed, it was very dark. In the past, palace servants who made mistakes were often punished in this room. It was commonly known as the "little dark room". During the time they were locked up, no one would bring them food or water. They would just endure it until the higher-ups were willing to release them. Once, a palace maid was locked up in there for five whole days. When she was finally carried out, she had died of thirst and starvation.
Upon hearing this, Granny Yan's eyebrows furrowed. At this moment, Baili Su burst into tears, crying, "I didn't, I didn't, Su'er loves Grandmother, I wasn't naughty, I wasn't... Waaah..."
The Empress coldly replied, "No mischief? Ha, so you really like your grandmother that much, using those caterpillars to scare people?!"
Baili Su kept tugging at Granny Yan. Granny Yan lowered her head and looked at him, only to see Baili Su asking her with a bewildered, innocent, and nervous expression: "Granny... Granny... Chongchong... likes... Su'er baby... give it to Grandmother... Su'er is good... sob sob..." As he spoke, he blinked his big eyes and two tears fell down.
Her face was pale with fright, and her large, bright eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful and vulnerable. Granny Yan, having understood Baili Su's thoughts, quickly and lovingly embraced me, saying, "Granny Yan, the young prince is still very young. He likes those caterpillars and considers them his priceless treasures. He especially loves Your Majesty and is very grateful for your kindness these past few days. Unable to repay you, he wanted to give you his most precious possession to make Your Majesty happy. But he's only a little over a year old and doesn't understand much. He doesn't know that Your Majesty doesn't like these things, and even dislikes them. Although the young prince did something wrong and caused Your Majesty to fall, it was out of filial piety. Although a good deed has turned into a bad one, if you punish him like this, how will he dare to be close to Your Majesty in the future? How will he dare to discipline Your Majesty? Please, Your Majesty, consider that the young prince is so young and doesn't understand much, and don't hold it against him."
Baili Su only uttered a dozen or so ambiguous words, yet Granny Yan managed to spout so many profound truths, and every single one of them left the Empress speechless.
Bai Lisu may not have handled things properly, but his intentions were good. He gave you what he considered his most precious possession, which was a child's heartfelt gift. Whether you liked it or not, you couldn't just waste it like that, or even punish the child. Otherwise, the child would never be close to you in the future, and you wouldn't be able to get gifts from others again.
The Empress gritted her teeth, thinking about her purpose. She knew that if she really punished Baili Su like this, all her previous efforts would be in vain. Ouyang Yue could take Baili Su away tomorrow and not send him back. This concerned her future, so she had to endure it. Just thinking about her previous embarrassment and disgrace made the veins on her forehead throb, but she still gritted her teeth, calmed her anger, and then smiled and said, "Su'er likes Grandmother, and Grandmother is happy. Su'er, don't worry, how could Grandmother blame you? However, Grandmother appreciates Su'er's intentions, but next time, please don't bring those crawling insects to Grandmother again. Grandmother doesn't like those things."
Baili Su didn't seem to understand, but the Empress ignored her and said to Granny Yan, "Granny Yan, although you are the Emperor's wet nurse, the Emperor has entrusted you with the care of Su'er. Su'er is a noble young prince, how can he be allowed to roll around like a mud child every day? Granny Yan should also do her best to take care of the young prince. I don't want this kind of thing to happen again in the future."
Granny Yan nodded expressionlessly and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely keep an eye on the young prince and prevent him from running around grabbing these things in the future."
However, Baili Su was frowning at this moment, and Granny Yan couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, why are you unhappy?"
"Waaah, Grandmother doesn't like crawling... Waaah..." His little face was all scrunched up, looking very troubled. Granny Yan gently rubbed Baili Su's head and said, "Your Majesty, Anle Palace is probably going to be in a lot of trouble today, so let me take the young prince to Chenyu Palace."
"Hmm, let's go." The Empress said indifferently. After all the commotion today, she was too annoyed to see Baili Su again, let alone try to get closer to him. She was really afraid that if Baili Su stood next to her, she would be unable to resist slapping him.
"Bang!" As soon as Granny Yan raised her hand, the Empress angrily threw the teacup in her hand and smashed it on the ground.
The Empress was filled with resentment. How could she not? From childhood, she had been a pampered princess, practically raised on pampering and flattery. Although she had used some methods to enter the palace, most of the old guard had already died, so the Empress didn't care. Her feigned nobility and dignity were quite pleasing to everyone. She had always been noble and high above, but today she had lost face so badly in the Anle Palace. All the servants had witnessed her disgraceful behavior, yet she couldn't punish the culprit because that little bastard was too young and still of value to her. Besides, what was that Granny Yan? Even if she had nursed the Emperor, she was still a lowly servant. How dare she teach her what to do? How hateful!
She, the victim, had to grit her teeth and force a smile to agree to the culprit, leaving her speechless with bitterness. She had never felt so aggrieved in her entire life.
The empress's chest heaved with anger, her fingernails digging into her palms so hard they pierced them, causing a sharp pain and drawing blood.
"Your Majesty, please calm down! You mustn't hurt yourself!" Granny An cried out in alarm as she watched the blood trickle from the Empress's palm.
Lanhe and Lanni hurriedly took out handkerchiefs to wipe the blood from the Empress, but the Empress shoved them away, saying angrily through gritted teeth, "You damned little brat!"
Upon hearing this, Granny An's expression immediately changed: "You lot, hurry up and go collect the load. Don't just stand here. Get to work."
"Yes, Granny An." Granny An, Lan He, and Lan Ni were all kicked out.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. That little brat will be dealt with sooner or later. You must not harm your health for him. It's not worth it." Granny An gently patted the Empress's back and softly advised her, but the Empress was so angry that her chest swelled up and she couldn't calm down for a long time.