"Yes."
Ran Qiu and Nian Xia immediately accepted the order, turned around, and hurried out of the palace hall. Ren Dong, however, hesitated for a moment before leaving.
After they had gone, Su Qiao put away the excitement on her face and instructed the two people who remained with a solemn expression:
"Nanny, sorry for the trouble, but please stand guard at the entrance."
"Chunyu, go keep an eye on Ren Dong. If you notice anything unusual, don't alert her. Just quietly come back and report to me!"
The usually composed Chunyu was rarely left stunned. "Empress, Ren Dong...?"
"If the Empress tells you to go, then go." Nanny Bai was not surprised in the slightest.
She had secretly observed the four maids as well. Ren Dong was the only one who seemed to have developed ulterior motives.
She just had not realized that Ren Dong had already done something to the Empress—and had even been discovered by her.
Su Qiao let out a cold snort. "Hmph. She dared betray me and drug my bridal wine. I absolutely won't let her off lightly!"
Su Qiao hated people scheming against her behind her back, but what she hated most was being betrayed by those close to her.
It made her feel incompetent.
Chunyu could hardly believe it. "Empress, this... Is this really true?"
"Ren Dong... How could she...?" Madam Su was so furious that her face flushed red.
She had carefully selected these four maids. Their fathers and brothers were all working in the household, and they had grown up alongside her daughter. With all those years of affection between them, they surely would not betray her daughter.
Yet she had never expected that Ren Dong would betray her mistress immediately after entering the palace.
And she had committed such an