Outside the palace doors, Yun Xiao, Wanwan, and Xiuxiu, along with other palace maids, were surprised by the little eunuch’s flustered demeanor. They wondered why he was so nervous.
Suddenly, they thought that perhaps the Emperor was inside. The Emperor had always disliked the Empress, so he must have been angered, which explained the little eunuch’s fear. The Empress Dowager would never lose her temper.
Yun Xiao glanced up at Wanwan, who immediately became highly alert. She hadn't expected to encounter the Emperor here, and feared that what followed would be unfathomable.
Why had the Empress Dowager summoned the Empress? Why was the Emperor also present? And he suspected the Empress was not foolish. Once they entered this great hall, it would likely be a treacherous and unpredictable situation.
However, since they were here, why should she fear them? Yun Xiao curved her lips into a cold smile.
When the army comes, we’ll fight them; when the water rises, we’ll build a dam. She was ready to meet them. They had come so quickly; it was good, very good.
Yun Xiao led Wanwan into the hall, while Xiuxiu and the two eunuchs, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Zhao, waited outside the palace doors.
Sunlight streamed through the palace doors, casting ten thousand fine threads of golden light. Two figures passed through the light, graceful and elegant, smiling sweetly and cutely as they slowly entered the great hall.
The young Emperor Shangguan Yao and the most authoritative Empress Dowager of the court were stunned at first glance, staring blankly at Yun Xiao as she entered.
It was the first time they had seen her so serene. Her small, lovely face was adorned with a dewy smile. Her large, clear black eyes flickered with confusion and curiosity. Her long, beautiful eyelashes fluttered, and she gazed up and down the magnificent hall, completely unafraid. On the contrary, she was very excited, occasionally speaking to Wanwan beside her.
“Sister, it’s so beautiful. It’s so beautiful here.”
Wanwan quickly reached out and pulled her down to kneel: “Your Majesty the Empress, greetings to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Yun Xiao knelt as instructed, glancing at Wanwan. Following her lead, she performed the bows with a similar grace. Her movements were pure and innocent, like a child’s, natural and unpretentious, making it impossible to dislike her.
“Wanwan greets His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“Xiao’er greets His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“Rise,” the Empress Dowager said, coming back to her senses. She waved her hand, smiling sarcastically. Just a moment ago, she had been almost certain this woman was not foolish.
When she was quiet, she was truly elegant and beautiful, like the clearest, purest spring water in the mountains, exuding a refreshing coolness. She was also like a crimson plum blossom in the snow, exuding a faint fragrance.
But a fool was still a fool.
Perhaps she had previously suspected Yun Mo of ulterior motives, but now she no longer did. If Yun Mo had ambitions, he would never have relinquished power so easily.
If Yun Mo had no ambitions, why would he have his daughter pretend to be a fool for so many years? Therefore, this Empress was naturally foolish.
It was just that her Imperial son had never believed it.
The Empress Dowager tilted her head and glanced at her son, only to see him slightly stunned, his pupils reflecting a hint of amazement and surprise.
Thinking about how Yao’er had been beaten that night, could it really be because he had tried to touch the fool below, which led to him being beaten?
As the mother and son pondered their own thoughts, the hall fell silent as water. Unexpectedly, a sweet voice, as melodious as a yellow oriole, rang out.
“Sister, you kowtow to dead people like this too.”
The moment these words were uttered, a suffocating atmosphere swept through the hall, a chill pervading everything. The sound of frantic beating echoed repeatedly.
The eunuchs and palace maids turned ashen with fear, and everyone knelt down. Only Yun Xiao smiled like a summer flower, her face a picture of bewildered innocence, turning her head to look at one person, then another.
Even Wanwan beside her knelt with a pale face, filled with hatred, wishing she could choke her mistress to death.
Why must you say such shocking things? Oh heavens, let a lightning bolt strike and kill my mistress! She’s too bold; does she not want anyone to live?
“Your Majesty, quickly kneel and kowtow to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager,” Wanwan urged, tugging at Yun Xiao. Yun Xiao followed suit and knelt down, then added, “Kowtow again?”
Wanwan could no longer concern herself with her and began to plead tearfully.
“Your Majesty, spare us! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, spare us! Your Majesty the Empress did not do it intentionally; she’s just not very bright.”
A chorus of pleas echoed through the hall: “Your Majesty, spare us! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, spare us!”
Golden gauze lightly fluttered, incense curled, and a chill permeated the air. The pleas of the eunuchs and palace maids rose and fell. The faces of the two figures seated on the high thrones were colder than winter ice, their eyes malevolent, their gazes fixed on the woman below with bloodlust.
At this moment, Yun Xiao was radiant, her eyes sparkling, gazing directly at them without the slightest fear or apprehension. Instead, there was a clarity about the unknown.
If this foolishness was an act, and truly the world was foolish while she alone was clear-headed.
Her acting was too brilliant; she was quite the character!
The Empress Dowager’s eyes flickered, and she coldly commanded, “All rise. What are you wailing about? What has become of propriety?”
Despite the cold reprimand, she ultimately spared these servants their lives. As everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their legs felt weak, and they rose unsteadily, standing to the side.
In their hearts, they couldn’t help but resent this fool. Of all the things she could have said, why did she have to utter such taboo words? They had no idea if she would say anything else shocking.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Wanwan also took the opportunity to help Yun Xiao rise, standing respectfully in the center of the hall.
Shangguan Yao, seated high above, had remained silent the entire time. His initial astonishment was now overshadowed by a somber mood. His deep eyes glinted with darkness. His tall frame suddenly rose, and he walked directly forward, his steps steady and powerful. He stopped before Yun Xiao, and his arrogant, devilish voice rang out.
“I don’t care if you’re truly foolish or not. Dare to hit me, and you will have to pay a price.”
Yun Xiao looked up, her smiling face like a flower. Her raised eyebrows were like willow branches sprouting new buds in spring. In her clear, bright eyes, ripples of turquoise water danced. Her sweet smiling face bore dimples on both cheeks, adding a delicate charm, exuding a subtle fragrance.
Shangguan Yao was once again stunned.
The harem boasted three thousand beauties, all plump or slender, each a captivating sight.
This fool was not considered beautiful at all, yet she possessed a unique radiance that drew the eye. A flicker of melancholy arose in his heart; it was a pity she was a fool.
As this thought occurred, he suddenly became alert. His eyes instantly deepened and turned cold, glaring at this woman. He, an Emperor, was being captivated by a fool. If this were to spread, wouldn’t it be a laughingstock?
The hall fell silent. Wanwan watched the Emperor glaring at her mistress with anxiety, fearing he might do something impulsive and harm her.
Fortunately, the Emperor remained motionless, enveloped in a thick aura of hostility, but without further action. However, Wanwan had a premonition that this matter was not over. She quickly reached out and pulled Yun Xiao, forcibly dragging her to kneel.
“Your Majesty, spare us! My lady is truly not bright; she did not do it intentionally. We beg Your Majesty to spare us.”
Shangguan Yao said nothing. The Empress Dowager, seated on her throne, slowly rose, her posture languid. She did not look at what was happening in the center of the hall, but instead lowered her head to stroke her brightly colored finger cots. A strange glint flashed in her pupils. When she looked up again, a faint smile played on her lips, her expression dark and unfathomable.
“Xiao Linzi, where is the medicine prepared for the Empress?”