All the furnishings in the palace were painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans of the Imperial Household Department.
Unlike the modern light - industry, the ancients had to use a relay - style carving method on boulders weighing thousands of jin. The stone statues of qilins, symbols of good fortune at the palace gate, took two or three years to complete, which was a testament to their enormous size!
Mosang had taken off his outer robe, revealing his well - muscled arms. It was easy to see his powerful build. He held his head high and strode straight towards the stone statue, pressing his large palm firmly against the inner wall of the statue.
"Ah—"
With a roar, the veins on Mosang's forehead and arms bulged, and his cheeks turned as red as if he had downed a whole flagon of wine.
Everyone present gasped in disbelief. Shi Muwang couldn't help but feel her heart racing.
Surprisingly, the huge stone statue actually moved under his pull!
"Wow, the qilin is moving!"
"Mosang can actually shake a stone statue weighing thousands of jin!" All the court officials were in disbelief, gaping at the spectacle before them.
Mosang's hands trembled as he exerted all his strength. His muscles tightened, and the sweat on his forehead and face grew more profuse.
"Ah!" The man let out another roar. The next moment, he suddenly released his hands and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Half an inch!"
Mosang had actually managed to shake the boulder with his bare body and move it exactly half an inch!
Many people were greatly surprised, but only Shi Muwang's lips curled slightly.
She was bound to win this round.
"Your humble servant requests the presence of the Empress Dowager!"
Coming to his senses, Mosang tidied his clothes and then stood respectfully in the hall. The envoys around him looked elated, not believing for a moment that Shi Muwang, a woman who had been living a life of pleasure in the harem, had the ability to move the boulder.
Shi Muwang didn't have the time to engage in verbal sparring. She waved her sleeves confidently and said, "Servants, prepare several items for me!"
At her command, the eunuch nearby quickly stepped forward. After she listed the items she needed, within a short while, over a dozen maids and eunuchs entered the hall.
The court officials frowned at the small stones and wooden boards scattered on the ground, wondering what strange thing this Empress Dowager was up to.
Seeing that everything was ready, Shi Muwang strode forward, picked up a wooden board, and inserted it under the qilin stone statue. Then she placed a triangular iron cone in the middle and had people move all the stones to the other side.
"Clatter—" As the stones were moved, the previously immovable boulder immediately lifted half a foot off the ground!
Seeing that the qilin stone statue was about to topple over, Shi Muwang finally curled her lips.
"This is what I call moving a stone! I'm tired. You may continue your drinking and feasting!"
With half of the country's territory in sight, there was no need for further posturing. A smile played on Shi Muwang's lips as she walked out of the hall briskly, leaving the court officials behind, stunned.
As soon as Shi Muwang left, a young eunuch scurried in nervously. He deliberately walked around to Cui Qizhou's side and whispered in his ear.
"The Empress Dowager said that the matter of ceding the territory shall be entirely handled by the national master.
Unexpectedly, she has become smarter today. She takes all the glorious deeds for herself and shirks all the unseemly ones.
Cui Qizhou stood silently on the side. He always felt that Shi Muwang had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on how.
When the envoys from the barbarian lands saw Cui Qizhou's gaze, they all lowered their heads in silence, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
The court officials, who had been dejected, thinking that the country's territory was lost, all stood up. The two sides quarreled heatedly, mostly trying to avoid the matter on the grounds that the bet was not trustworthy.
As for the events in the palace hall, Shi Muwang didn't inquire further, but somehow the news spread to the common people.
"Have you heard? The Empress Dowager in the palace obtained half of the country's territory without sending a single soldier!"
"The Empress Dowager is a master of strategy. It's a blessing for our country!"
"The Empress Dowager must be blessed with great fortune! Raising all three imperial grandchildren by her side, she is truly a wise empress dowager."
The discussions both inside and outside the palace reached everyone's ears.
In a palace closest to the imperial garden, many exquisitely dressed imperial concubines had gathered. The woman in a cyan dress at the front was the Noble Consort Rui, the most prestigious concubine in the palace after Shi Muwang.
"Empress Dowager dotes on the three imperial grandchildren so much. Aren't you worried, sister?" The Noble Consort Qi in a pink dress with a beaded flower in her hair behind her couldn't help but ask.
They were older than Shi Muwang, but since they had no children and no powerful family backing, they had to remain in the palace.
Over the years, although they hadn't had any direct conflicts with Shi Muwang, now that she was so popular among the people, they were afraid that they would eventually suffer some unexpected disaster.
The Noble Consort Qi had a conflict with Shi Muwang not long ago, and now just thinking about it made her shiver with fear.
Afraid of being secretly tripped up and given a death sentence by Shi Muwang, the concerns of the Noble Consort Qi were well understood by the Noble Consort Rui. She sneered with her upturned eyes.
"Why are you all so anxious? Although she has changed her personality after a serious illness, what she has done still shows that she remains the same."
Where had there ever been an empress dowager who cooked herself and mingled with the servants?
The Noble Consort Rui looked down on Shi Muwang from the bottom of her heart. A woman who had become the empress dowager relying on her elder brother would one day be brought down!
Hearing her words, the Noble Consort Qi and the others gradually calmed down.
"The young crown prince has arrived!"
The shrill voice of the eunuch came. The eyes of the Noble Consort Rui suddenly flashed. She quickened her steps and blocked Ji Heng's way.
"Your grandson pays respects to the Noble Consort." Ji Heng bowed respectfully. Even though he was still young, he was well - versed in the palace rules.
"Heng'er is becoming more and more outstanding. I'm sure it won't be long before you ascend the throne!"
The Noble Consort Rui's words carried a hidden meaning. Shi Muwang was only twenty - six years old. Since she had become the empress dowager, she had never done things according to the rules.
Ji Heng was nine years old now. According to the convention, shouldn't he be officially crowned?
At the same time, the Noble Consort Rui also had her own selfish motives. She couldn't compare with Shi Muwang in terms of family background, but if she could win over the imperial grandson, wouldn't she have a chance to turn the tables in the future?
Right now, she wanted to mislead Ji Heng and create a rift between him and Shi Muwang.
How could Ji Heng, with his innocent and young mind, guess what the adults were thinking? "Your grandson still has his studies to attend to. I take my leave from the Noble Consort." After saying that, he led a group of maids towards the Palace of Longevity and Peace.
A look of triumph flashed in the eyes of the Noble Consort Rui.
Inside the inner hall, Shi Muwang was bored. She was coaxing Ji Ling to play kickball with a bamboo ball.
The original owner's body was so weak that she was sweating all over after just a short while. It was nothing like her previous life when she could walk through the streets without getting out of breath.
"I'm tired."
Ji Ling was still chasing the ball in the distance. As soon as Shi Muwang said that, the maids surrounded her. Some wiped the sweat off her face, while others served her tea. It was quite lively.
After taking a sip of the sweet green tea, when she looked up again, she saw Ji Heng walking in with a troubled look on his face.
"Oh, what's wrong with my dear imperial grandson today?"