The Empress Dowager summoned the Princess, and she never emerged. There was no sound from within the palace.
Princess Mu Rong Ruoyin knelt in the center of the grand hall, her gaze cautiously fixed upon her mother, the Empress Dowager, seated on the high throne. Her mother's eyes held not severity, but a flicker of disappointment.
A weariness crossed the Empress Dowager’s usually opulent face as she propped her head on one hand. For a long time, silence reigned. Why had her mother summoned her, made her kneel, and then said nothing?
“Mother?”
Mu Rong Ruoyin tentatively called out.
The Empress Dowager raised her head, her eyes, as dark as an abyss, now churning with rage. A cold smile played on her lips.
“You might as well confess. Whose is the bastard child you carry?”
The words struck Mu Rong Ruoyin like a thunderclap. Her mouth fell open, and she was speechless for a long time. Her face slowly flushed with color, then turned deathly pale.
As a princess, she understood how embarrassing this matter was for her mother. She had intended to abort the fetus secretly, but her mother had found out.
Someone must have informed her mother. It must have been her personal imperial physician. What a despicable dog of a servant! She would teach him a lesson later. Mu Rong Ruoyin thought fiercely, but for now, dealing with her mother was the priority.
“Mother, what are you talking about? Ruoyin doesn’t understand what you mean.”
A face flashed in Mu Rong Ruoyin’s mind. Recalling that person’s words, she resolved to deny everything.
“Little Li Zi, summon the imperial physician for me!” The Empress Dowager, seeming weary of arguing with Ruoyin, directly ordered Eunuch Li, who stood nearby.
She had a bastard, and yet she dared to deny it. A princess of the realm, engaging in such a disgraceful affair, becoming secretly pregnant. It was a complete betrayal of her countless affections.
Perhaps it was precisely because she had doted on her too much that she had caused such a grave mistake. The Empress Dowager’s expression was dark and displeased, a mix of heartache and fury.
Upon hearing her mother’s words, Ruoyin’s face turned even paler, and she cried out.
“What does Mother intend to do?”
The Empress Dowager looked at her, her face grim. With a cold, forceful command, she said, “You’d best confess honestly. Whose is this bastard child? If you confess, I will fulfill your wishes.”
“I…”
Ruoyin’s eyes flickered, her lips pressed tightly together. Just as she was about to speak, a eunuch’s voice sounded from outside the hall. “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Empress has arrived.”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s eyelids twitched, and a sense of unease settled in her heart. Just as trouble was brewing, that woman arrived. Could it be such a coincidence? She waved a hand, signaling Ruoyin to stand. “Stand aside.”
“Yes, Mother.” The usually arrogant and overbearing princess was now as meek as a rabbit. She knew she had committed an unforgivable mistake, and she could only hope her mother could save her.
Watching the grand hall return to normal, the Empress Dowager spoke coldly, “Let her in.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The little eunuch outside respectfully replied. Soon, footsteps echoed, and the person entered the hall in an instant.
Leading the way was the Empress herself, followed by her personal maids, Mei Xin and Mo Chou. The Empress’s face was cold and stern, her eyes filled with fury. As she entered the grand hall, she restrained her anger and slowly bowed.
“Greetings, Empress Dowager.”
“Rise, and be seated,” the Empress Dowager commanded impassively. Eunuch Li immediately stepped forward to arrange a seat for the Empress and then retreated to the side.
In the grand hall, the cold gazes of the two women met in mid-air, a silent battle unfolding. Finally, the Empress Dowager veiled her brilliance and spoke slowly, “May I ask why the Empress has come?”
Mu Qingyao’s expression was serene. She raised a hand as white as jade and waved. “All of you may withdraw.”
“Yes.” Mei Xin and Mo Chou obeyed, curtsied, and withdrew.
Only Mu Qingyao, the Empress Dowager, the Princess, and Eunuch Li remained in the grand hall.
No one knew why the Empress was so cautious. All eyes were fixed on her, and a sense of unease flickered in each of them.
Mu Qingyao waited until her two maids had left, then slowly smiled.
“Empress Dowager, I received word that the Princess is pregnant.”
As Mu Qingyao’s words fell, the three in the grand hall displayed different expressions.
The Empress had such swift news. This indicated that her influence in the palace was now nearly on par with the Empress Dowager’s. In such a short time, she had become her equal.
It was understandable; her prestige in the palace had grown considerably of late. Who dared not fear her?
The Empress Dowager’s gaze turned cold, and her face darkened considerably. She struck the low table beside her heavily.
“Absurd! Where did the Empress hear such talk? To dare slander the Princess! For a princess of the realm to engage in such unspeakable acts. The Empress should indeed punish her.”
“The Empress Dowager speaks wisely. That is why I have come to verify, to prove that the servant slandered the Princess. I will certainly punish her severely and will not let her off lightly.”
Mu Qingyao’s face lost its earlier serenity, and she smiled gently. Her gaze casually swept over Princess Mu Rong Ruoyin. The princess today was exceptionally quiet, a far cry from her usual arrogance. She stood in a corner of the hall, watching them with composure.
If something hadn’t truly happened, the usually arrogant and fierce princess would not have remained so impassive when someone slandered her. A clear understanding flashed in Mu Qingyao’s eyes.
Hearing the Empress’s words, the Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief, her expression easing. She waved her hand calmly. “As you can see now, the Princess has indeed done nothing of the sort. It is important that the Empress punish that servant properly. As the head of the harem, you allow people to casually slander the royal family’s purity.”
The Empress Dowager was eager to dismiss Mu Qingyao. For now, it was best to deal with the bastard child in Ruoyin’s womb, lest it become a subject of gossip.
As for the person behind her, they were truly hidden deeply. She would make them reveal themselves.
Seeing the Empress Dowager’s growing impatience, Mu Qingyao, as if granting her wish, smiled indifferently and remained unmoved.
“To silence the palace staff, I have specifically brought an imperial physician to examine the Princess and prove her innocence.”
At these words, a chilling aura swept through the hall. The entire hall was enveloped in a thin layer of ice.
The Empress Dowager’s face, Princess Ruoyin’s face, and Eunuch Li’s face all turned extremely grim.
The Empress Dowager, the first to react, her eyes flashed with fierce resentment. She glared menacingly at the woman seated below. She suspected Mu Qingyao had come prepared and would not give up easily. What should she do now?
Before the Empress Dowager could react, Princess Ruoyin jumped up, pointing an angry finger at Mu Qingyao.
“What did you say? I am a princess, and you dare to summon an imperial physician to examine me? How audacious! A princess is of royal blood, and you think you can examine me whenever you please.”
As Ruoyin spoke, she took two steps back, her face as white as paper, her eyes flashing with fear. If she fell into the hands of this malicious woman, Mu Qingyao, her situation would likely be dire.