The Grand Empress Dowager's face turned even uglier. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Sure enough, people from small places have no manners at all. I sent someone to invite her, but she didn't come. Is she trying to challenge me?" The Grand Empress Dowager slapped the table, and Mu Xingrou immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Maybe Mu Fengqie didn't do it on purpose. Maybe she went out of the capital on business and couldn't come back for a while," Mu Xingrou said in a panicked tone. However, there was no real panic in her eyes. Instead, she was gloating.
She never expected that Mu Fengqie hadn't been in the capital recently. The emperor had clearly sent people to follow her all the time. If it weren't for the well - connected Eunuch Hai finding out that Mu Fengqie might not be in the capital, she wouldn't have rushed to the Grand Empress Dowager to file a complaint.
Now that the Grand Empress Dowager and Mu Fengqie had fallen out, as long as she could catch Mu Fengqie making a mistake, she didn't believe she couldn't bring her down!
"What did you say!" The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly stood up, looking at Mu Xingrou. "Is what you just said true? Is Mu Fengqie really not in the capital?"
"I'm not very sure about this, Your Majesty. I just heard it from others. It may not be true," Mu Xingrou hesitated and said in a flurry.
But the Grand Empress Dowager looked at the flustered expression on Mu Xingrou's face and didn't think she was really in the dark. The Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand and said, "You can go now. Come back another day. I'm tired and need to rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave," Mu Xingrou stood up, curtsied, and then withdrew. After leaving the Cixi Palace, the malice on Mu Xingrou's face could no longer be hidden. Her eyes were full of venom.
After Mu Xingrou left, the Grand Empress Dowager immediately called her confidant to investigate this matter.
"Your Majesty, is it possible that this matter is false?" An old nanny said in front of the Grand Empress Dowager. She had been with the Grand Empress Dowager for decades and had a certain influence in front of her.
"I also suspect this. So I'll send someone secretly to investigate. Remember, be quick and quiet. Try to find out before tonight," the Grand Empress Dowager leaned on the imperial concubine's chair, supporting her forehead.
"Yes, this old servant understands," the nanny nodded. The Grand Empress Dowager had done many such things when she was still the queen. Although many years had passed and some people had died, their descendants were still there. They had signed indentures, and their descendants would always be their people.
The nanny quietly left the palace to contact those people. Meanwhile, Mu Fengqie also got the news and sneered, "It's been so long. I thought Mu Xingrou had learned her lesson, but it seems she still hasn't changed!"
She really didn't know what Mu Xingrou was so persistent about. Why didn't she just stay in the palace and fight with the other concubines? Why did she always target her?
"Your Highness, should we make some preparations?" Zhu Fei clenched her fists and asked. These people were really heartless, especially the Grand Empress Dowager.
"No, let them investigate. You go and help them," Mu Fengqie whispered a few words in Zhu Fei's ear under her confused look. Zhu Fei's eyes immediately lit up. Sure enough, her mistress was so smart. Why didn't she think of that?
"Okay, I'll go and do it right away," Zhu Fei nodded excitedly and left. What was the Grand Empress Dowager? In their mistress's eyes, she was nothing.
Mu Fengqie narrowed her eyes. It seemed that she had to teach the Grand Empress Dowager and Mu Xingrou a lesson, or some people would never know their place.
Mu Fengqie was sound asleep at night when Zhu Fei woke her up. She was so sleepy that she could hardly open her eyes. "What's going on?"
"Your Highness, someone from the palace is here. They insist that you go to the palace. They said the Grand Empress Dowager's old illness has gotten worse and wants you to go and have a look," Zhu Fei said with a gloomy face. It was clearly an excuse. The Grand Empress Dowager just couldn't sit still after hearing that her mistress wasn't in the capital.
Mu Fengqie woke up a bit. After she was fully awake, she was a little surprised. She didn't expect the Grand Empress Dowager to be so impatient. She thought that no matter how anxious the Grand Empress Dowager was, she would wait until dawn. But she didn't expect to be called into the palace at night.
"Okay, I know. Come in and help me get dressed," Mu Fengqie rubbed her eyes and got up.
While helping Mu Fengqie get dressed, Zhu Fei murmured, "The queen also sent someone out of the palace. She said that the Grand Empress Dowager met the emperor this afternoon. No one knows what they talked about. But when the Grand Empress Dowager came out, she looked very happy. And as soon as she got back, the emperor lifted the Grand Empress Dowager's house - arrest."
"It's okay. Don't worry. We'll cross the bridge when we come to it," Mu Fengqie said, smoothing her sleeves after Zhu Fei had dressed her.
She wasn't alone now. There was a baby in her belly, so she would never take risks. Before setting off, Mu Fengqie checked the things in her sleeves again. After making sure everything was okay, she set off with Zhu Fei.
"Princess Tianlin is here—" The eunuch standing at the palace gate announced immediately when he saw Mu Fengqie. Mu Fengqie walked in unimpeded.
"Greetings to Your Majesty, Greetings to the Grand Empress Dowager," Mu Fengqie glanced at the people in the hall. There were quite a few of them, and even Mu Xingrou was here.
"Rise. Come quickly and take a look at me. My head is hurting badly again," the Grand Empress Dowager said, looking at Mu Fengqie below.
At first, the Grand Empress Dowager was a little surprised when she saw Mu Fengqie. But then she thought of what the nanny had said and felt relieved. What was there to be afraid of a fake person wearing a human - skin mask? Fake was fake.
"Yes," Mu Fengqie curtsied and slowly walked over, feeling the Grand Empress Dowager's pulse.
"I haven't had this illness for a long time. I don't know what's wrong these days. It just keeps hurting. I don't remember your previous prescription, so I had to call you into the palace," the Grand Empress Dowager said.
I have to say that the acting skills of ancient people were really good. You couldn't tell it was fake at all. Mu Fengqie looked at the Grand Empress Dowager who seemed to be perfectly fine and sneered in her heart.
"Your Majesty has been worrying too much on weekdays. You must take good care of yourself in the future. Don't worry about the trivial matters in the palace anymore. Otherwise, your illness may not get better. It may even get worse," Mu Fengqie said expressionlessly.
You want to cause trouble for me? Fine. I'll first deprive you of your power and see what else you can show off!