The commotion was not confined to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. After paying their respects to the empress and exchanging a round of barbed pleasantries, the consorts stepped out of the Perching Phoenix Palace and were dumbfounded too.
The consorts grabbed a couple of palace maids to ask what was happening. When they learned that Princess Yongning wanted to loosen the soil throughout the entire Imperial Palace, they nearly fainted, then hurried back to their own residences.
After seeing off those vixens who spent all day scheming, Cui Zhao'an had barely taken two sips of tea when Nanny Mei came in to report.
"Your Majesty, the Princess seems to have caused a dreadful disaster. Please hurry and stop her. But she is still a child, so please don't lose your temper too badly."
Just look at that artful wording. Only after uncovering certain things had Cui Zhao'an begun to appreciate how formidable the people around her were.
Knowing her temperament, those words would once have successfully stirred her anger, yet they sounded remarkably like an attempt to soothe her.
Once she saw her daughter and truly lost her temper, Nanny Mei would offer comfort after Ge'er was scolded. Naturally, her daughter's affection for her and for Nanny Mei would grow increasingly unequal.
"What happened?"
Her tone became leisurely. So long as nobody had been killed, she had decided never to get worked up again.
With that brain of her daughter's, could she really turn the heavens upside down?
Nanny Mei had not expected the empress to be so calm today, but she otherwise seemed much the same as usual, so Nanny Mei obediently bent forward and spoke:
"Your Majesty, Her Highness summoned every palace maid and eunuch who had time to spare... they've nearly dug up the entire Imperial Palace.