The Empress Dowager entered the palace angrily and saw a figure sitting quietly behind Xiang Fei's bamboo curtain. She opened the curtain and went in without any greeting. She just asked angrily, "Grand Empress Dowager, I don't understand why you mobilized so many troops as soon as you returned to the palace, and even asked the emperor to kneel outside despite his illness and refuse to meet him. The emperor honored you out of the benevolence and filial piety taught by Emperor Hui. Don't be so arrogant and take chicken feathers as an order."
An imperial edict was thrown to the ground and fell at the feet of the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager took one look and was furious. "Depose me? On what basis do you want to depose me?"
This was the imperial edict deposing the Empress Dowager, and it was spread out at the feet of the Empress Dowager.
"By..." The Empress Dowager sitting on the armchair didn't even raise her eyes, and said lightly: "I am still the Empress Dowager."
"Tell me the reason why you deposed me?" She was furious. She had heard of deposing the empress, but had never heard of deposing the empress dowager.
If this gets out, how will the Great Zhou retain its reputation
"Because you are not qualified to be the Empress Dowager." The Grand Empress Dowager remained motionless and didn't even look at her.
The Empress Dowager sneered, "Do you think that I, the Empress Dowager, can be deposed just because you want to?"
"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager raised her eyes in slight surprise. "Then tell me, if I can't depose you, who can?"
When the Empress Dowager saw her stern expression, she felt in her heart that this old woman was not as simple as she had imagined.
She was not trying to intimidate her, but really wanted to depose the empress dowager.
But, that's not possible. She has already prepared to fight her. How can she be defeated before she even finishes
"You can't do this, you can't destroy me, I haven't done anything wrong." Her face turned pale, and she didn't know how to defend herself for a moment. She only felt the anger and panic in her heart slowly seeping into her bones. She couldn't fall down.
She has already shown her majesty.
The Empress Dowager looked at her coldly, "You still live in Yanxi Palace, and you still act like your Concubine Xi. From now on, concubines and ladies don't have to come to the palace to pay respects. Your expenses will still be paid by the Empress Dowager."
"Tell me the reason, otherwise I will die here." The Queen Mother said fiercely.
She had no shortage of those expenses. Over the years, she had never had to worry about food and drink, which must have been the best in the palace.
She had completely forgotten that she came here to be punished. The edict deposing the empress dowager completely disrupted her mind.
"Ashe, take her away!" The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes, a look of annoyance already on her face, and she didn't want to waste time talking to her.
Aunt Ashe winked, and then two women in green clothes came out from nowhere, grabbed her and dragged her out.
When the Empress Dowager was touched on the arm by the two men, she couldn't utter a word and even found it difficult to breathe, as if the two men were holding her trachea and lifeline.
The people outside the palace saw the Empress Dowager being dragged out. They didn't know what was going on and were just shocked. Even someone as difficult as the Empress Dowager was thrown out without saying a word. What on earth did this Empress Dowager want to do
The emperor's expression changed, then returned to normal.
In the palace, Aunt Ah She handed tea to the Empress Dowager, "It doesn't matter whether she is deposed or not, why bother?"
What Aunt Ah She meant was that there was no need to make such a fuss. It was a waste of effort and breathing. Just let her die.
"Although she was unruly and arrogant in her life, she did not commit any serious mistakes. There is no need to sacrifice her life for her." The Empress Dowager said indifferently.
"Who can stop her from dying?" Aunt Ashe has always been cold-hearted. She never cares about other people's life or death unless they are someone she cares about.
The Empress Dowager's face was filled with annoyance. "Do you think I can control you? After all, I am married into the Murong family."
"There's a person from the Murong family kneeling outside. Do you want to see him or not?" Aunt Ashe was not moved by her anger at all and just said coldly.
What she hated most in her life was the palace. There was fighting day and night. How could there be leisure time to travel and enjoy the scenery
"Let him kneel first!" The Empress Dowager was also very worried. She raised her head and asked, "Do you know where the seventh brother is?"
"We sent a snake... We sent someone to look for it, but there's still no news."
"Look for her again!" The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea, her expression becoming more gloomy. "Also, notify Zi'an and ask her to come back from Hanshan."
"What are you going to do?" asked Aunt Ah She. She was also very depressed. Why did Lao Qi disappear? Although he came back a little late, if you want to find an injured person, you should be able to find him by following the smell of blood, but there was no news.
"Doesn't the Emperor want to treat his illness?" The Empress Dowager stood up, looking impatient. "I can't possibly save him, but I will tell Zi'an how to treat his illness."
"Isn't that equivalent to interference?" Aunt Ashe thought it was a matter of taking advantage of the situation.
"No one in the world can calmly accept his fate. His life should have ended, but he forced Sun Fang'er to use evil methods to prolong his life. The mess he has now is caused by his cowardice. But how long can this forced change last? He will either die of illness or other reasons. He will not be able to stay. But he was brought up by me, and I can't bear to let him continue to make big mistakes. If he is still like this after this time, there will be nothing to say."
Others might not understand what the Empress Dowager said, but Aunt Ah She knew it.
The Empress Dowager thought for a while and said worriedly, "Forget it, let him come in."
Two palace servants helped the emperor in. The emperor wanted to kneel down, but the Empress Dowager glanced at him and said, "Haven't you knelt enough outside? Sit down now."
The emperor knelt down and cried bitterly, "Grandfather, I was wrong."
He knelt down, hugged the Empress Dowager's legs, and cried so sadly and aggrieved, as if he was not the one who did something wrong, but the one who was wronged and hurt.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, her face also somewhat mournful, how could it become like this? The Murong family had always lived in harmony since Huizu, and there were rarely such incidents of sibling violence.
Now, look at what it looks like now
The elder brothers don't act like elder brothers, the fathers and mothers don't act like parents, and the relationship between relatives is filled with scheming and poisoning. Why
She sighed heavily and reached out to touch his head. "Get up. I have something to say to you from the bottom of my heart."
The emperor cried so hard that he was dizzy and didn't want to get up. He just held her legs and cried hard, and his tears and snot wiped her skirt.
Seeing that she could not persuade him, the Empress Dowager said angrily, "That's enough. Get up. Look at you now. How can you still look like an emperor?"
The emperor listened to her rage, then he stammered and moved away, sobbing, "Yes!"
Aunt Ashe helped him sit down, sent the palace maids away, and asked the concubines outside to go back. Then she closed the palace door and stood outside herself.
(End of this chapter)