"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine."
"Oh, it's the Empress." Upon seeing the Empress, Dowager Consort Beiyumao's eyes lit up, but she stepped forward to greet her without changing her expression.
"Does Your Highness have something to discuss with the Empress Dowager?" Empress Yun asked with a smile.
"Actually, it's nothing," the Dowager Consort Beiyu said with a smile. "It's been so many days since I last saw you. Last time I left the palace to go home, I didn't ask the Empress Dowager for permission. Now I realize that wasn't appropriate, so I've come to express my gratitude."
The Empress nodded. "The Dowager Consort is indeed very thoughtful."
Deep down, she didn't think so. The Beiyu Family was one of the three great priest families, and its status was even higher than that of the Qi Family. Even if Empress Dowager Qi was the birth mother of the current emperor, given the background of the concubine, there was no need for her to fawn over her. In fact, Empress Dowager Empress Dowager Qi's personality had never been well-liked, and the Dowager Consort Beiyu had often clashed with her.
The claim that she took the initiative to express her gratitude today might fool outsiders, but in her view, there must be something wrong with it.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." An elderly nanny approached with a smile and bowed, saying, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is unwell and will not be able to receive you. She appreciates your kind intentions."
"Oh dear, you're ill?" The Dowager Consort Beiyu covered her mouth in surprise. "Is it serious? Have you summoned the imperial physician?"
The Empress also spoke up, saying, "How could I not know that the Empress Dowager was ill? What are you doing? Imperial physicians must obtain my approval to enter the palace. I haven't heard of any imperial physicians entering the palace these past few days. The Empress Dowager is ill, and you didn't report it to me immediately. What if her condition worsens? Are you trying to implicate me as an unfilial child?"
Empress Yun was born into nobility, and the Yun Family was a family of military generals. Empress Yun, who had practiced martial arts, was quite imposing when she scolded someone. The old nanny was so frightened that she trembled and immediately knelt down.
Dowager Consort Beiyu glanced at the Empress out of the corner of her eye, but secretly pondered in her heart. Since taking charge of the six palaces, Empress Yun had always been relatively low-key, especially restraining herself from conflicts with the Empress Dowager. She had also been patient during the Black Lantern Incident. But now she was showing off her power, which was very different from her usual way of doing things.
It seems something really has happened.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It's just that the Empress Dowager instructed that no outsiders should disturb us. This old servant..."
"Get out of my way!" the Empress said coldly.
How could the old nanny dare to stop her?
And so, the Dowager Consort Beiyu entered the Empress Dowager's bedchamber with the Empress without any difficulty.
The palace maids followed closely behind, and the two walked all the way to the front gate of the imperial bedchamber. On the way, they each had their own thoughts. The Empress was puzzled. The Emperor kept his door closed and the eunuchs at the gate were extremely powerful, while the Empress Dowager's place was normal. They were afraid that the situation was not the same.
As they were thinking this, the two of them suddenly stopped when they reached the entrance of the main hall, staring in shock at the palace in front of them.
In broad daylight, the Empress Dowager's bedroom seemed shrouded in darkness, completely out of place with the surrounding style, eerily sinister, a phenomenon they had witnessed in the past few days.
Black Lantern!
"How dare you!!"
The Empress was the first to erupt in anger, turning around and roaring at the old nanny who had rushed over, "Who gave you the audacity to put such things in the palace?!"
The palace maids all knelt down and kowtowed, their panicked expressions clearly showing that they were terrified of that thing.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This... this was not my idea, it was... it was..."
"Go and pick them!" the Queen commanded directly.
The old women exchanged glances, their faces deathly pale, clearly too trembling to speak.
"What? Do I have to call the guards before you'll move?"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This old servant will..."
"The Empress has arrived!"
A soft voice rang out from inside, immediately bringing a sigh of relief to the kneeling old women. Although they didn't like hearing the Empress Dowager's voice at all, they were even less inclined to dismantle her lamp at this moment.
In the past few days, hundreds of palace maids have disappeared outside the Empress Dowager's palace, leaving not even a trace of their bones. No matter how hard they search, they can't find them. For ten days, the Empress Dowager has forbidden anyone from approaching, not even those who bring food. What could possibly be inside? Who would dare to investigate?
The Empress, of course, dared not.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has already rallied the entire realm. This Nether Moon Sect is an evil cult. How can you..."
"Ah, it's rather complicated. Since the Empress is here, why don't you come in and talk?"
Go in? Go in my foot!
The Empress's face twitched. She would only dare to go in if she were crazy. It was true that she came from a military family, but she was not a warrior. She had only learned a little bit of martial arts and did not have the bloodline of a warrior. She did not have the guts of a warrior.
" Xia He." The Empress looked at her personal maid behind her. "Take my token and go to the East Gate to mobilize troops. Say that the Empress Dowager has been kidnapped by villains. Also, have someone invite the great sorcerer Qi Long over."
He froze as soon as he finished speaking.
Because a man dressed in white robes suddenly appeared at the entrance of the bedchamber, gazing intently at the empress who was issuing the order.
"The Empress is looking for me?"
The Qi Da swallowed hard. Qi Long, the Grand Sorcerer of the Palace, was the only First Rank Sorcerer in the Qi Family, a position comparable to the three High Priests.
What are you doing here?
"Oh," Qi Long bowed and looked up, saying, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is unwell and, not wanting His Majesty to worry, has discreetly summoned this humble subject to examine her."
"I see." The Empress forced a smile. Now there was no reason to force her way in with her troops. Given Qi Long's status, even if he summoned the guards, they wouldn't dare to force their way in. But how could they know the truth if they didn't go in?
"How is the Empress Dowager's health?" the Empress could only ask with concern.
"It's nothing serious," Qi Long said with a smile. "Just some minor ailments. I've written a prescription; my men will fetch the medicine from the pharmacy and prepare it. Does Your Majesty wish to visit the Empress Dowager? Shall I lead you inside?"
Empress: "."
"I am fine, but I happened to be passing by and saw the Dowager Consort being stopped outside, so I followed out of curiosity." The Empress immediately looked at the Dowager Consort.
Dowager Consort Beiyu's face twitched. Looking at the dark palace, she felt a chill run down her spine. She whispered, "I only came to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager because she hasn't shown her face for many days. But I don't know why Her Majesty is still hanging such things in front of the palace. Shouldn't Qi Da advise the Empress Dowager?"
"This thing," Qi Long said with a smile, "I've tried to dissuade her, saying it's useless and doesn't have the exorcising and calming effects those cult followers claim. But the Empress Dowager insisted, and I couldn't do anything about it. Even His Majesty hasn't said anything, so Your Majesty should just let the Empress Dowager have her way."
This left the Empress speechless, but she was still somewhat unwilling to leave just like that.
"That won't do." The Dowager Consort had come with a purpose and couldn't leave empty-handed. Of course, she wouldn't dare let her in. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly looked at the Black Lantern.
"This thing is extremely evil. The Empress Dowager's health might very well be affected by this ghostly thing. The Empress Dowager has been bewitched by a sorcerer, how can Qi Da just stand by and do nothing? And even condone it like this?"
Without saying another word, he walked towards the Black Lantern and grabbed it.
This scene startled even the Empress; this woman from the Beiyu Family is quite bold.
Qi Long, standing at the door, saw this and his previously calm expression instantly twisted into a grimace. "Stop!!"