Mu Fengqie lowered her head, answering gracefully and with proper etiquette, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I don't know..."
But the Empress Dowager was enraged upon hearing this. She slammed her hand down on the table with a resounding thud. Immediately, the maids, eunuchs, and old nurses rushed into the hall in surprise, fearing that something might have happened to the Empress Dowager.
"All of you, leave. I'm fine," the Empress Dowager said, calming her anger and driving them all out. "Your coming into the palace must not be that simple, right? I see that you're a charming lass. Could it be that you're a vixen?"
Mu Fengqie suddenly realized upon hearing this. It seemed that the Empress Dowager's previous absurd actions now made sense. No wonder the Empress Dowager had taken a dislike to her. It turned out that she had been regarded as a vixen. How speechless!
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, apart from treating the sick and saving the injured, I've never had any ulterior motives. Please see clearly!"
Killing the dog emperor shouldn't count as an ulterior motive, right...
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. Her face was still extremely gloomy. "Don't think I don't know who you are. The Emperor visited your palace yesterday. How can you claim that you didn't enter the palace for wealth and honor?"
With Mu Fengqie's beauty, she was far more attractive than the women in the harem. Moreover, a young and beautiful woman like Mu Fengqie suddenly entering the palace, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but have some wild thoughts.
Mu Fengqie was shocked. "I truly have no ulterior motives. I'm already a married woman, and I'm even pregnant with my husband's child. Moreover, I've already declined the Emperor's kindness. It was the Crown Prince who found me this time that I decided to enter the Imperial Hospital."
At this point, Mu Fengqie noticed a change in the Empress Dowager's expression. Finally, the Empress Dowager wasn't as angry. She continued, "Every word I say is true. The Empress Dowager can send someone to investigate. If I tell even a single lie, I'll be struck by lightning and die a terrible death."
While swearing this poisonous oath with her mouth, Mu Fengqie silently thought in her heart that it didn't count. It was just a temporary measure. She did have ulterior motives. She entered the palace to find a way to investigate the defense map and to take the dog emperor's life!
The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows, half - believing and half - doubting Mu Fengqie's words. She would indeed send someone to investigate. If there was even a bit of falsehood in her words, the Empress Dowager had many ways to make sure Mu Fengqie never left the palace.
She hated vixens with exceptional looks the most in her life. She didn't want her son to go through the same misfortune as she did. Moreover, she knew what kind of person her son was. If he saw Mu Fengqie's peerless face, he would surely lose control.
"Since that's the case, then give me the acupuncture treatment. If you're obedient, I won't treat you badly. Don't even think about things that don't belong to you. Do you understand?"
The Empress Dowager's warning was particularly harsh, but Mu Fengqie didn't take it to heart. She never cared about such external things. Now that she had a husband, a child, and savings, she could be considered a winner in life.
Mu Fengqie nodded obediently, but then she knelt heavily in front of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was momentarily taken aback. "What are you doing? Are you having second thoughts?"
A flash of killing intent flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes. If Mu Fengqie was really as she thought, she might execute Mu Fengqie on the spot.
Mu Fengqie lowered her head to gather her emotions. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with hot tears. Her pitiful appearance even made the Empress Dowager feel a bit of pity.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please uphold justice for me. Please issue an imperial edict that Mu Fengqie shall never be a concubine in the palace for all eternity!" After saying that, Mu Fengqie kowtowed heavily on the ground.
The Empress Dowager was also shocked by what she saw. She originally thought that Mu Fengqie would show her ambition, but she never expected the situation to develop so differently from what she had imagined. Could it be that she had misunderstood her?
"I... you... Are you telling the truth?" the Empress Dowager asked again as if she couldn't believe it.
Mu Fengqie nodded with tears in her eyes. "I won't hide it from the Empress Dowager. The Emperor visited my courtyard yesterday. He actually wanted to... wanted to..."
Mu Fengqie didn't finish her sentence. The Empress Dowager, being a shrewd old fox, immediately understood what she meant and also understood Mu Fengqie's determination.
She then stood up and personally helped Mu Fengqie, who was kneeling on the ground, up. Her gaze towards Mu Fengqie softened a lot. "Get up. You're a good child. I will surely fulfill your wish."
Seeing that a beauty like Mu Fengqie wouldn't become a disaster, the Empress Dowager finally felt relieved. She became even more satisfied with Mu Fengqie.
"Servants!"
The Empress Dowager made a prompt decision, as if she was afraid that Mu Fengqie would become the Emperor's concubine if she was a bit late. Immediately, the old nurse beside the Empress Dowager appeared in the hall.
The old nurse bowed. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Pass on my imperial edict. Mu Fengqie has rendered meritorious service in treating me and is deeply loved by me. I bestow upon her the title of Princess Anning. She shall never be a concubine in the palace for all eternity."
As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Mu Fengqie was secretly delighted. She never expected such great good fortune to fall upon her. The title of princess was not something an ordinary person could obtain. With this title, her status would be completely different from now on.
In the following time, Mu Fengqie and the Empress Dowager got along very harmoniously. The Empress Dowager was very satisfied with Mu Fengqie. Although she came from a humble background, she had no intention of climbing the social ladder at all. She was really likable.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I've prepared some medicinal food and snacks I made myself for you today. Would you like to have a taste?" Mu Fengqie asked softly.
The Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes. After the acupuncture treatment, she felt even more refreshed. She had finally had a good night's sleep yesterday, and her mood was much better today.
"Since it's medicinal food, bring it here. You're a good child. Now that you have a title, don't be so formal in the future. Just consider yourself part of the family."
Since issuing that imperial edict, the Empress Dowager liked Mu Fengqie more and more. She even wished she could recognize Mu Fengqie as her god - daughter. If it weren't for the fact that Mu Fengqie was already a married woman, she might even want to bestow Mu Fengqie as a side concubine to the Crown Prince.
Mu Fengqie also felt the change in the Empress Dowager's attitude. She just went with the flow. Whatever the Empress Dowager said, she would listen. This made the Empress Dowager even more happy and satisfied.
Mu Fengqie brought the medicinal food, the mung bean cakes, and the zongzi she had made. The Empress Dowager was immediately attracted by the oddly - shaped zongzi and didn't even look at the mung bean cakes beside them.
"What's this ugly thing?" There was a look of confusion and disgust on the Empress Dowager's face.
The food she ate every day was extremely delicate. It was the first time she had seen such an ugly - looking zongzi. She was a bit curious and also a bit disgusted.
Mu Fengqie carefully peeled the zongzi for the Empress Dowager, revealing the crystal - clear zongzi inside. Although the zongzi was made of glutinous rice, the taste was excellent. The Empress Dowager couldn't stop after just one bite. She ate three in total before finally wiping her mouth in satisfaction.