Chapter 131 - 129. Empress Dowager and Princess Yue II

Third person POV

When Hong er was talking to Lu Cixi ( Empress Dowager), a bright and cheerful girl walked into the hall with an innocent smile on her face. Princess Yue slightly frowned her brow as she hugged Hong er's arm tighter. Lu Cixi's face remained calm but the servants could clearly felt the coldness in her eyes.

Servants: ' We are dead!'

Hong er saw the eunuch that guided her was running panicky to chase after the girl but the girl didn't pay any heed to the eunuch. Goosebumps rise up as he felt Lu Cixi's cold gaze, his whole body was trembling in fear as he lowered his head.

Murong Qing: " Greetings to the Empress Dowager! Greetings to Princess Yue!"

Murong Qing greeted cheerfully.

Lu Cixi: " Mian li."

Murong Qing: " Thanking Your Majesty!"

Princess Yue: " Hey you! Why you didn't greet my sister-in-law?"

Murong Qing turned her eyes to Hong er and cutely pouted.

Murong Qing: " Eehh~ But she hasn't become an empress yet, isn't she should be the one to greet me~?"

Princess Yue wanted to retaliate but Hong er's hand stopped her. Hong er slowly stood up and walked towards Murong Qing then greeted her like how she greeted another noble lady.

Hong er: " I apologize for my negligence, Miss Murong. Please accept my greetings."

Murong Qing: " Aiyo~ It is fine since this is the first time for Miss Xu to come here right? But please refrain yourself from doing that again, if not, everyone will be become as disrespectful as you-"

Lu Cixi: " Enough, Miss Murong. On what occasion did you came here for?"

Murong Qing: " Why does Auntie call me that? When I was little, auntie used to call me Qing Qing."

Murong Qing took Lu Cixi's hand and cutely swayed it side to side while pouting cutely. Hong er turned around and wanted to sit back on her seat, but when she almost reached her seat, Murong Qing quickly sat on her seat. Meiyun and Huayun frowned deeply and were going to complain, then Hong er raised her hand and shook her head.

Hong er: " There is no need to waste our time on someone like her."

Hong er inaudibly whispered so that only the Yun sisters could hear her. They nodded their head and took a step back.

Lu Cixi: " Miss Murong, why are you sitting on Miss Xu's seat? If you want to sit, Ai Jia will tell the servants to bring another chair."

Murong Qing: " Ehhh~ I thought that this is my seat and it is easier to talk to Auntie like this~"

Lu Cixi: " Miss Murong, don't forget your place."

Lu Cixi said with a cold smile, Murong Qing flinched as she released Lu Cixi's arm. Her eyes started to get watery and her face was truly pitiful.

Murong Qing: " Pl-please forgive me, Auntie~ I-I just wanted to have a talk with Auntie but if Miss Xu insisted on sitting here then I have no choice but to move over."

Hong er: ' I haven't said a word.'

Hong er: " It is fine, Miss Murong. You can sit there as much as you want and please have a pleasant talk with Her Majesty. Then I shall excuse myself Your Majesty, Your Highness."

Princess Yue: " Sister-in-law, how about you join our conversation?"

Hong er: " Is it fine if this lowly one join the conversation?"

Lu Cixi: " Of course, Ai Jia likes to talk with you. Come here~"

Hong er: " Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."

Hong er bent her knees and lowered her head as an expression of gratitude. The servants brought another seat and placed it beside Lu Cixi. Hong er slightly unnoticeably widened her eyes in shock when she felt a faint of killing intent in the hall. She raised her head and took a brief look of Murong Qing.

Hong er: ' The killing intent came from her, but why?'

Even though Murong Qing's face was smiling but her eyes were not. Having years of experience in the battlefield, Hong er was very sure that she didn't see wrong. But the killing intent only lasted for a few second, Hong er inaudibly sighed and sat on her seat. Murong Qing ignored Hong er and continued to talk with Lu Cixi and Princess Yue where they didn't pay any heed to her talk.

The bored Princess Yue went to Hong er's side and talked to her instead of to Murong Qing. Murong Qing knew that Princess Yue didn't like her that's why her main target was Lu Cixi.

Murong Qing: " Cousin brother treated me better than any girls he had ever met and I think he likes me."

Murong Qing said shyly.

Lu Cixi: " Audacious! You dare to call His Majesty cousin brother?"

Murong Qing: " Bu-but cousin brother didn't mind that I called him that."

( A/N: there will be an explanation on why Murong Qing called Weisheng 'cousin brother' even though they weren't related.)

Murong Qing's body shrunk as her eyes got watery again.

Lu Cixi: " He didn't mind, Ai Jia mind."

Murong Qing: " Ye-yes, Aunti-"

Lu Cixi: " And don't call Ai Jia Auntie. It would be a bad example to the others just like what you said before."

Murong Qing: " Yes, Your Majesty."

Lu Cixi: " So? What is your purpose in coming here, Miss Murong?"

Murong Qing: " Auntie, I want to marry His Majesty too."

Lu Cixi's hand that was placed on the table clenched, crushing the table. Murong Qing jolted up, she didn't expect that Lu Cixi would be this angered.

Murong Qing: " Yo-Your Majesty?"

Lu Cixi: " What.did.you.just.say?"

Lu Cixi's face was as dark as ink, all of the servants knelt to the ground, afraid that the past Lu Cixi has awakened.

Lu Cixi: "Who do you think you are?"

Lu Cixi growled at Murong Qing which caused Murong Qing to fell on her knees.

Murong Qing: " This lowly one didn't mean to anger Your Majesty. Please cease Your Majesty's anger. I really apologize for my bluntness but please, please, I really love cousin brother."

Lu Cixi: " Someone, send Miss Murong off."

Murong Qing: " Your Majesty…"

Murong Qing stared at Lu Cixi with tears in her eyes but Lu Cixi indifferently looked back at her. A realization struck Murong Qing, how could she forget that the woman she was begging for forgiveness was the merciless and ruthless empress that rules over the previous emperor's harem. Even though at the first sight Lu Cixi looked like a very calm and tranquil person, actually in the palace, she was the most feared person after the current emperor. Even the previous emperor, her own husband, feared his empress.

One day, one of the previous emperor's new beloved concubine entered the palace, she thought that the empress had fallen out of love as the emperor rarely went to Lu Cixi's chamber. Getting big head from being spoiled by the emperor, she planned to poison Weisheng so that her son in her belly could be the new crown prince.

Even after multiples warnings from her servants and other concubines, she still went on her plan. Weisheng ate the poisoned food but the deadly poison that could kill a bear with just a drop didn't work on him. Bewildered by the unexpected situation, she immediately sent people to investigate Weisheng.

But before she could get information from her spy, Lu Cixi barged into her room with whip on her hand.

Concubine: " Greetings to Your Majesty. On what occasion-"

Lu Cixi grabbed her hair harshly and dragged her outside, she was screaming the emperor's name and asked for his help. Lu Cixi threw her to the ground and sat on the chair that her servants brought, she played with her whip on the crying woman while indifferently stared at her.

The concubine looked up with tears streaming out from her eyes and was shocked to see every concubine and servants in the palace standing in front of her, watching her.

Lu Cixi: " Don't worry, those little spies of yours had been wiped off from this world."

Concubine: " How dare you! Even if you are an empress, you can't treat me like this! Just wait for His Majesty's punishment."

Just as she said his name, the emperor appeared from the side whilst panting tiredly from running.

Concubine: " Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The empress wants to kill me! Please save me!"