The Empress's face turned green with anger: "He finally slept, but I didn't sleep at all!" The Empress had been going crazy these past few days. She hadn't slept properly for so many days, and even when she did, it was just a nap of one or two hours during the day. No matter how much she slept during the day, she couldn't make up for it. Recently, she felt her mind was foggy, her eyes were sore and swollen, and she couldn't keep them open because they were dry. She felt like she was going crazy.
Granny Yan said, "The young master hasn't been sleeping well lately. It's probably because he was frightened a few days ago. There have been too many people taking care of him these past few days, haven't there? Alas, the young master has become increasingly depressed and quiet lately. We consulted the imperial physicians before, and they all said that there was nothing wrong with the young master's body, but his restless sleep is probably related to psychological factors. What if this has any impact on the future development of such a young child?"
The Empress's face darkened: "So you're saying it's my fault?!" Her voice was incredibly cold.
Granny Yan's point was clear: the Empress was in the wrong. Logically, the Empress had been tormented by Baili Su, but Baili Su's intentions were good. Although his actions were excessive, his youthful ignorance was understandable. Because of those actions, the Empress had become extremely cold and distant, keeping Baili Su so confined. The once lively and adorable child had become withdrawn and quiet, and now he even had nightmares. If the Empress hadn't insisted on bringing Baili Su along to care for him, none of this would have happened. Now that it has, it's truly inappropriate to get angry at an innocent and adorable child. It not only shows pettiness and lack of magnanimity, but also gives her no right to criticize him.
Of course, Granny Yan couldn't possibly know that all of this was done on Baili Su's part, but that's precisely why she could speak to the Empress so confidently.
If Baili Su was wrong, it was only because of his youthful ignorance and his excessive desire to get close to the Empress. If that was considered wrong, then it was truly hurtful. Now, Baili Su was also harmed by the Empress and was the victim. Yet, the culprit was now interrogating him. This made Granny Yan, who had spent so many days with Baili Su and was captivated by his cuteness and obedience, resentful: "This servant wouldn't dare, this servant didn't say that."
The Empress looked coldly at Granny Yan, who stared at her quietly and said, "It's so late. Since Your Majesty hasn't slept well these past few days, and the young prince has finally fallen asleep, Your Majesty should go back and rest."
"Granny Yan, although you once nursed the Emperor, I am still the Empress. How dare you speak to me like this? Even the Emperor cannot save you!" The Empress's eyes grew darker and darker, filled with a chilling killing intent that seemed to have a vast and dark future ahead.
Granny Yan laughed, "Your Majesty, you misunderstand me. I was just offering this suggestion out of kindness, and I had absolutely no intention of being disrespectful. It's just that I was living alone before and was quite unfamiliar with how to speak, so please forgive me, Your Majesty." Then she really put on an expression that said, "I'm doing this entirely for your own good."
The Empress curled her lips into a cold smile, then glanced at Baili Su, who was sleeping soundly and completely unaware of his presence, before turning and leaving.
"Waaaah!" But just as the Empress turned around and took a step, Baili Su suddenly opened his mouth wide and burst into tears again.
The Empress's face darkened, the veins on her forehead bulged, her fists clenched tightly, and her eyes seemed to ignite with two flames. This time, the Empress could no longer tolerate it and roared, "Guards, send General Baili Su out of the palace, immediately!"
"Waaaaah!" Perhaps sensing the Empress's anger, Baili Su opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat bewildered and confused, but he kept opening his mouth wide and wailing. Chuncao quickly picked him up and patted him to comfort him. Baili Su turned his head and looked at the Empress's angry appearance, then suddenly trembled all over: "Ghost...ghost...afraid...ghost..." The little man probably didn't understand what a ghost was, so he screamed and shouted.
The Empress was furious. Who had killed her in this state? This little bastard dared to call her a ghost! Her sharp nails dug into her palms, wishing she could strangle Baili Su to death. Her voice was barely audible: "Send him to me now! No, call Xuanyuan Yue here and take the young prince away immediately!"
At this moment, Granny Yan said in a calm voice, "Your Majesty the Empress is well past the curfew, and all the palaces and courtyards are locked. I'm afraid it's impossible for her to go out at this time. Besides, Princess Consort Chen is currently residing in Chenyu Palace, which is quite far from where the concubines of the inner palace live. To pass through the layers of palace restrictions, she would probably need to obtain a palace token or oral decree from the Emperor or the Empress Dowager beforehand." Granny Yan paused and said, "Your Majesty, shall we send someone to consult the Emperor and the Empress Dowager now?"
The Empress, staying up all night, even tried to disturb the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's rest. Even if she finally managed to wake them and explain, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would surely reprimand her. "You went through all that trouble to carry them away, and now you're sending them off in the middle of the night? Are you a child, or is it Baili Su who's being unreasonable?" And with this, the concubines in the harem will undoubtedly laugh at her. First, Baili Su brought flying insects that wreaked havoc on Anle Palace, then she rushed to fetch them, and now she's treating them like a plague carrier. This Empress is truly making a mess of things twice in a day and a half; in short, too much trouble!
"Waaaaah... Waaaaah..." However, Baili Su's brain-piercing sound had not yet ended when the Empress suddenly felt a series of sharp pains in her head, so painful that it felt like it was about to split open. Because she had not been sleeping well recently, under such stimulation, she felt dizzy.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong... this... quickly summon the imperial physician!" The Empress swayed, and palace maids rushed over to pull her back.
The Empress also felt dizzy and lightheaded. She was trembling all over and even felt nauseous. Her hands and feet trembled slightly, her heart was pounding, and she was sweating profusely. Immediately, her eyes rolled back and she fainted!
"Your Majesty the Empress! Your Majesty the Empress!" The palace servants were shocked. The Empress looked terrible; her face was deathly pale and she had fainted. If anything happened to her, they would all be in deep trouble.
"Quickly, carry her back!" Lan He was also shocked. She hurriedly ordered the palace servants to help the Empress back. Then, she took the Empress's nameplate and went to fetch the imperial physician that very night. As for the Empress's original purpose for coming here, no one cared anymore.
Chuncao, holding Baili Su, sneered and said almost imperceptibly, "I really don't know what they've come here for." Upon hearing this, Granny Yan sneered inwardly. Although Empress Lin came from the Lin family and had an aunt, the Empress Dowager, she still lacked a certain temperament. Compared to Empress Bai, she was worlds apart. However, in the end, Empress Bai still fell into a trap. Over the years, although Empress Lin was the empress, she always had to ask the Empress Dowager to make decisions on matters big and small. Naturally, her temperament, scheming, and composure were far inferior.
Baili Su's eyes darted around, then he yawned and went to sleep. Anyway, the old witch queen was already dizzy, and it wouldn't be easy for her if he kept bothering her. He was exhausted from tormenting her these past few days. Although he would catch up on sleep every now and then, he was still a bit sleep-deprived. It would be good for him to get a good night's sleep now so he could play with the old witch queen tomorrow. Baili Su chuckled, then yawned again and went to sleep.
"Granny Yan, you've been busy for so long, go and rest first. I'll take care of things here," Chuncao said, placing Baili Su on the bed.
Granny Yan nodded. Now everyone in Anle Palace was gathered in the Empress's bedroom, which was where the guards used to be. Naturally, they took turns sleeping there as before. Baili Su slept very soundly that night. However, apart from the group of people who took care of Baili Su, the people in Anle Palace still did not get a good night's sleep.
When the Empress was helped back to her palace, the imperial physician was immediately dispatched to check on her. The physician on night duty examined her pulse and could only conclude that the Empress was not seriously ill; she had simply fainted due to lack of sleep and overexertion. As for the Empress's night sweats, stomach cramps, and heart discomfort, those were also due to severe sleep deprivation. In the end, the physician only prescribed a sedative, which was quite useless for the Empress who had already fainted and was the cause of her lack of sleep.
Meanwhile, the Empress seemed to be in a state of extreme confusion. Although she had fainted, her mind was in complete chaos. One moment she dreamed that caterpillars were crawling all over her body, and the next she dreamed that flying insects were swarming all over her body, gnawing at her flesh. They stared with bloodshot eyes, like demons. Her ears were also ringing. In pain, she screamed incoherently from time to time, exhausting the maids serving her in Anle Palace. Coupled with not having slept well for several days, the exertion caused three maids to faint as well. Naturally, these maids were not entitled to make the imperial physician make another trip in the middle of the night. However, the people in Anle Palace knew what was wrong with them. They were exhausted, sleepy, and mentally drained. They were helped to rest and they were fine.
"Waaaah!" The next morning, Baili Su's wailing started again, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere that Anle Palace had finally managed to maintain.
To the Queen, the sound was like a thunderclap, suddenly exploding in her ears. In her dream, she was being overwhelmed by a swarm of flying insects, and her body was covered in caterpillars. Suddenly, a thunderclap rang out in the sky, then struck her head with lightning speed, instantly turning her body charred black. However, before she could even cry out in pain, she suddenly heard a "crack, crack" sound from her body. She looked down and saw that a crack had appeared on her body from below. The crack widened rapidly and then split open from the top of her head. She froze, completely unaware, as if her body was floating. Then she saw a black ball suddenly emerge. This black ball suddenly opened its mouth wide. Yes, this monster covered in black fur actually had a mouth. Its mouth opened extremely wide, and its blood-red mouth rushed forward, ready to swallow her whole.
"Ah! Don't come any closer, damned thing, monster!" The queen sprang to her feet in an instant. She was covered in sweat, her face contorted with fear, her eyes filled with utter terror.
"Your Majesty... what's wrong...?"
"Ahhh! There's a monster! There's a monster!" the queen screamed. She had only slept one night, and had a whole night of dreams. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression was ferocious and eerie. To others, she looked more like a monster.
"Your Majesty, no, that was a dream...you had a nightmare."
"A dream?" The Empress's expression hadn't faded, but her eyes were still filled with confusion. "Where are the bugs? Where are the bugs?" The Empress sat on the bed, turning around as she searched. Finally, when she couldn't find a single bug, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the headboard, unable to catch her breath for a long time.
"Quickly, bring Her Majesty a cup of tea." Lan He hurriedly instructed the palace maids to do so, and the Empress's mood gradually calmed down.
"Waaaah!" Baili Su was still crying loudly. The Empress's eyes narrowed instantly. "Damn you, you little bastard! It's all your fault! I'm going to strangle you! I'm going to strangle you!" The Empress was furious. She threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed to rush towards Baili Su.
Lan He was terrified when she heard this and rushed over to stop her: "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down. How can you go over like this? If something happens to the young prince, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will be looking for you first."
"Waaaaah!" The demonic sound hadn't even faded yet, and the Empress was already so angry that the muscles on her face were twitching uncontrollably. Just a moment ago, she really wanted to rush over and strangle Baili Su herself, but if she really did that, not only would she lose her position as Empress, but it was also hard to say whether she would even lose her life. Murdering royal offspring was something that even she, as Empress, would be powerless to reverse in the face of irrefutable evidence.
Meanwhile, in Chengxiang Palace, the Empress Dowager was having breakfast. Today, it was Ouyang Yue's turn to attend to her. However, the Empress Dowager usually only summoned servants after she had finished her meal. Today, Ouyang Yue arrived very early and didn't say much. When Zhan Mama bowed, she seemed weak and listless. No matter what Zhan Mama asked, she didn't answer until the Empress Dowager came out, Ouyang Yue greeted her, and then stood aside.
The Empress Dowager was having her meal, and since Ouyang Yue wasn't a servant, how could she not be invited to eat? Ouyang Yue did sit down, but she seemed absent-minded. She didn't touch the bowl and chopsticks in front of her for a long time, staring at the dishes. Her eyes even welled up with tears, and she looked like she was about to cry.
The Empress Dowager and Granny Zhan exchanged a glance. The Empress Dowager couldn't even pick up her bowl anymore. How could she eat if she saw Ouyang Yue like this? She coughed lightly and asked, putting down her chopsticks, "Seventh Prince's wife, what's wrong with you? You look so listless. Is something wrong? If there's anything, tell your grandmother. The Empress is an experienced woman and can always give you some advice."
Ouyang Yue raised her head, glanced weakly at the Empress Dowager, pursed her lips, took a deep sniff, and forced back her tears. She forced a smile that looked worse than crying and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Grandmother. It's just that I didn't sleep well last night, so I look tired. I'm perfectly fine, please don't worry, Grandmother."
"Oh, is that so?" The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow.
Ouyang Yue forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Of course it's true. How could your granddaughter-in-law dare to lie to the Empress Dowager? It's really true." Seeing Ouyang Yue's repeated emphasis and the hint of excitement on her face, it was clear that she was lying. However, since that was the case, the Empress Dowager naturally wouldn't ask any more questions and picked up her bowl to continue eating.
A moment later, the sound of Ouyang Yue sobbing could be heard. The Empress Dowager looked up and saw Ouyang Yue frantically wiping her tears. "What are you pretending for? Everyone can see it!" The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Seventh Prince's wife, what happened to you? Tell me what's wrong. But you're not feeling well. That's alright. Why don't you go back and rest? It's fine if you miss a day of attending to the sick. Don't ruin your health because of this, or your grandmother will feel guilty."
Ouyang Yue shook her head repeatedly, so quickly and forcefully that two tears visibly flew out and landed on the table: "Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law is really alright, please don't rush to your granddaughter-in-law's side, sob sob sob..." This time she really cried, and the Empress Dowager had no choice but to say nothing more.
But the moment he lowered his head to pick up the bowl, a dark glint flashed in his eyes.
Because of Ouyang Yue, the Empress Dowager didn't eat much for breakfast and had it taken away. Ouyang Yue simply sat to the side as usual, which was considered attending to her illness. However, it was quite a coincidence that a palace maid fell and injured her leg while walking in a hurry. As soon as Ouyang Yue heard this, she immediately ran over and took over the maid's job. No matter how much Zhan Mama tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen. She was afraid that if she was slow, her precious treasure would be snatched away, so she quickly ran out.
The Empress Dowager said with a puzzled look, "What's wrong with Princess Chen today? She's always been fine before, why is she acting so strangely today?"
Granny Zhan added, "Yes, this servant can tell that Princess Chen clearly has something on her mind, but she won't say anything no matter how I ask. Moreover, judging from her behavior, she clearly intends to curry favor with someone. I don't know..."
The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered: "Ignore her and see how long she can endure it. It's better if she doesn't want to talk about it, so I don't have to worry about their trivial matters."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this servant understands," Zhan Mama replied immediately.
A moment later, Ouyang Yue brought in a basin and smiled at the Empress Dowager, saying, "Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law will help you wash your hands." As she spoke, she walked over with a forced smile, but just as she reached the Empress Dowager, something strange suddenly happened.
The chair that Ouyang Yue had placed aside earlier now had one leg sticking out. Ouyang Yue didn't notice and took a step forward. She screamed in fright, "Ah!" and her whole body lunged forward, causing the water she was holding to slip from her hand.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Granny Zhan cried out in surprise. Seeing the basin coming at her, she didn't have time to think and immediately turned around to rush towards the Empress Dowager to protect her.
"Splash!"
"Hiss..." Granny Zhan gasped sharply as the basin of water was poured over her head. Fortunately, Granny Zhan protected her properly and in time, otherwise the Empress Dowager would have been affected as well. However, Granny Zhan's back was completely soaked.
Everyone in the hall was stunned. The Empress Dowager was also surprised, and Ouyang Yue was so frightened that her face changed drastically. She said, "Grandmother, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I really didn't mean it, sob sob sob... Grandmother, let me wipe it for you..."
Granny Zhan was drenched in water and felt completely chilled. When she saw Ouyang Yue rushing over, she didn't think twice and immediately blocked her way, saying, "Don't come any closer, Princess Consort Chen. What are you going to do to the Empress Dowager?"
Then, with this block, she thought she hadn't used much force, just a retaliatory movement to prevent the Empress Dowager from getting hurt. But the force of the humiliation was actually quite considerable. Ouyang Yue screamed "Ah!" and actually crashed into the table. The entire table couldn't withstand such an impact, and the plates and bowls on the table crashed and shattered on the ground. The Empress Dowager hadn't even had a couple of bites of the food on the table, and now it was all inedible.
"Ouch!" However, because of the force, Ouyang Yue bumped into the table and rolled to the ground, crying out in surprise and pain.
"Princess Consort Chen, what are you doing? How dare you offend the Empress Dowager like this and do something that endangers her? What is your punishment?" Granny Zhan was furious. She felt her clothes were sticking to her body. Although she had protected the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager was not entirely spared. Her face and head were still wet. Granny Zhan immediately took out a handkerchief to wipe the Empress Dowager's face and head while questioning her.
The Empress Dowager remained silent with a stern face, but her eyes were sharp as she stared at Ouyang Yue.
“Waaaah…” However, Ouyang Yue’s answer was more direct; she sat on the ground and started crying.
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened further. What could she say now that she'd been offended? The culprit was even crying! What did she have to cry about? What did she have to feel wronged about? Of course, the Empress Dowager believed she was just afraid, and that was indeed the case. Ouyang Yue raised her tear-streaked face, sobbing uncontrollably, "Grandmother, please forgive me! Grandmother, please forgive me! How dare I offend you, Grandmother! I truly didn't mean it! Please, Grandmother, spare my life! Waaah..."
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened: "When did I say I wanted your life? What grievances are you making?"
"Grandmother Royal, please spare your life...Grandmother Royal, please spare your life..."
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, a murderous intent flashing within them, but she quickly withdrew it: "Alright, get up now. You usually seem so composed and intelligent, why are you so flustered today? What happened?"
Ouyang Yue was stunned for a moment, then cried even harder.
"What is it? If you have something to say, then leave. If not, then leave. I don't want to hear you cry!" The Empress Dowager scolded, instantly frightening Ouyang Yue into stopping her tears. She pursed her lips aggrievedly and said, "Grandmother, actually... actually, I've been worried because I heard that Su'er hasn't been sleeping well these past few days. And I heard that Su'er couldn't sleep and cried a lot last night, and that Mother Empress fell ill because of it. I'm worried about Su'er's health, and I'm also afraid that something might happen to Mother Empress."
"Oh, is that so?" The Empress Dowager was taken aback.
Granny Zhan hurriedly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress did indeed faint last night. I heard it was due to overwork, but I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."
Normally, to avoid upsetting the Empress Dowager and affecting her appetite, Granny Zhan would only discuss matters after breakfast unless it was extremely urgent. So, the Empress Dowager was indeed unaware of this matter. But what about overworking? What could the Empress possibly be overworking? A few account books and some palace allocations were all established by the ancestors. The Empress simply followed them and assigned servants. If this could cause overworking, then the Empress would be far too incompetent and inexperienced.
"I heard that the Empress is exhausted because she hasn't slept well for the past few nights."
"Waaah... Su'er..." Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yue cried even harder. Zhan Mama glanced at Ouyang Yue and said, "The young master has been unable to sleep at night for the past few days and has been crying incessantly, affecting everyone in Anle Palace."
The Empress Dowager frowned, but Ouyang Yue said anxiously, "Grandmother, Su'er is still young. He doesn't understand any of this. He didn't know he would bring so much trouble to you, Mother. He didn't mean it. I was so afraid something would happen to him that I was distracted. Please forgive me, Grandmother." She was already crying her eyes out.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Zhan Mama and said, "Go change your clothes, and then help me to Anle Palace to see her." She then looked at Ouyang Yue indifferently and said, "You are thinking of Su'er and are so worried that you are distracted. Your grandmother understands. Although you have made a mistake, I will let it go today. But you must not do such a reckless thing again. There are so many servants in Chengxiang Palace. Why do you, a princess, need to run around like this?"
Ouyang Yue bit her lip and looked weakly at the Empress Dowager, saying, "Grandmother, if Mother's anger doesn't subside, could I ask you to plead for Su'er? I'd do anything for you."
The Empress Dowager glanced at Ouyang Yue indifferently: "Su'er is also my great-grandson. How could I stand by and watch him get into trouble? Besides, what kind of person do you think your mother is? She is a very magnanimous person. Otherwise, why would she, who is used to a quiet life, take the initiative to ask Su'er to take care of her when you come to serve me? In the end, this law is for your own good. You can't blame the Empress for this."
"No, no, no, I never thought that way. I am so grateful that Mother is willing to take care of Su'er. It's just that Mother is working hard because of Su'er, and I am afraid that there will be any complications."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand: "Alright, you look so listless, I won't keep you any longer. You may leave now."
Ouyang Yue hesitated for a moment, but eventually withdrew. Soon after, Zhan Mama changed her clothes and helped the Empress Dowager and a group of palace servants to Anle Palace.
When the Empress Dowager heard this news in Chengxiang Palace, how could the other concubines in the palace not know? Moreover, the Empress had been exempting everyone from the morning and evening greetings these days. Upon hearing the news that the Empress had fainted from overwork, everyone, whether they were watching the show with schadenfreude, following the crowd to watch the excitement, or truly concerned about other things, was moved and came to Anle Palace as if by prior arrangement.
However, upon arriving at Anle Palace, these people were once again dumbfounded. What was going on? Why were they all somewhat bewildered? Even the well-informed Empress Dowager was stunned.
The main hall of Anle Palace was in an uproar. Although the Empress had changed into her usual formal attire, her face was so ugly that even rouge could not cover it up. Dark circles under her eyes looked like two black ink marks, her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips were chapped. She was looking at the person next to her with grief and anger, saying, "Please leave quickly, please leave quickly!"
On the other side, Granny Yan was holding a little girl with a pale, rosy face and big, red eyes from crying. The girl was struggling to break free from Granny Yan's embrace and reaching towards the Empress. Who else could it be but Baili Su? Baili Su was crying very hard, his cries were clear and aggrieved, and he cried out very sadly, "Grandmother... I want... Grandmother... no... sob sob... I want Grandmother... sob sob sob..." He was trying to hug the Empress, but the Empress was so frightened that she leaned back.
There were more than two people crying in the hall. A slender, thin woman was kneeling on the floor, crying in fear and pleading, "Mother... Mother, please don't be angry with Su'er. Su'er couldn't control himself. Su'er didn't want to do it. Su'er admires Mother so much. Please don't blame him, Mother..."
For a moment, the voices of the three people in the room rang out from time to time, even intertwining, and with the palace servants pulling and persuading them from the side, the voices were so loud and piercing that they seemed to be booming in my ears, making my eardrums hurt.
"Alright!" The Empress Dowager's head ached from hearing that voice, and she couldn't help but speak up.
"Please, go quickly..."
"Royal Grandma, I want Imperial Grandma..."
"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness, Su'er..."
However, the Empress Dowager had underestimated the noise in the room. Her voice was like a stone sinking into the sea, instantly drowned out. The Empress Dowager's brows furrowed: "Shut up, all of you!" The Empress Dowager's angry shout had an effect. Everyone in the room stopped crying and looked at her.
Seeing a group of people at the entrance of the hall, they were stunned, especially when they saw the Empress Dowager with a stern face. They were so frightened that they immediately knelt down and paid their respects.
The Empress Dowager said coldly, "What exactly is going on here? Can anyone tell me? The dignified Anle Palace, the imperial bedchamber, is as noisy as a vegetable market. It's simply too impolite." Her gaze swept over the Empress, then glanced at Baili Su, and finally fixed her eyes on the top of Ouyang Yue's head.
Granny Yan, holding Baili Su, bowed and remained kneeling on the ground, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. The matter is as follows. After the incident with the flying insects at Anle Palace, I don't know if the young prince was frightened or detained, but these days he has been quiet and sullen during the day. However, at night he often has nightmares and wakes up frightened. We servants coax him to sleep, but not long after, the young prince will wake up again. As a result, Your Majesty the Empress has not been sleeping well for many days, and over time, she has become ill from overwork. Last night, she fainted."
"After waking up this morning, Her Majesty the Empress wanted to send the young prince away. However, the young prince had lived with Her Majesty the Empress for quite some time and had developed feelings for her. He had made a mistake in order to please the Empress, but in reality, he had the intention of getting closer to her. Although the young prince is too young to understand, he seemed to sense that he was about to leave. He cried and made a fuss, and he did not want to leave the Empress's place."
Granny Yan glanced at Ouyang Yue again and said, "Princess Consort Chen has probably misunderstood something. When Princess Consort Chen came in, she saw the Empress telling the Prince to leave, but the Prince was crying and refusing to leave. She thought the Empress had been angered by the Prince, so she was so scared that she kept crying and begging."
The Empress Dowager glanced at Granny Yan, her lips pursed deeply, as if she wanted to say something but didn't.