northernbook Chapter 184 Hongmen Banquet
Chapter 184 Hongmen Banquet
After Zhou Yuan woke up, the first thing he did was ask about the condition of An Ying Su Yinyin.
Shadow replied truthfully, "Your Highness, the princess left you some medicine and then departed."
Zhou Yuan frowned deeply. "She just left like that?"
Shadow continued, "The princess also said that she wanted you to give her money."
Zhou Yuan smiled helplessly, "This woman is still so greedy."
At this moment, the palace maids and nannies in the Empress Dowager's palace were all trembling with fear, afraid that the Empress Dowager's anger would affect them.
The Dowager Consort sat in her chair, panting heavily. "Su Yinyin, I, the Dowager Consort, will never let you go!"
The old nanny beside her carefully advised, "Your Highness, please calm down. Don't get upset and harm your health."
The Dowager glared at her fiercely, "You're all a bunch of useless things, you can't even handle Su Yinyin."
The old woman quickly lowered her head, not daring to say another word.
Su Yinyin and Lao Yi, who had left the Prince's Mansion, were on their way back.
The old man said, "Miss, has the Dowager Princess completely forgotten the incriminating evidence she wrote herself?"
Su Yinyin sneered, "She's probably thinking of ways to deal with me and has forgotten about that note."
The old man asked curiously, "Miss, are you still too kind?"
A sly glint flashed in Su Yinyin's eyes. "I think we should let Zhou Yuan handle this himself."
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager was still furious and ordered her subordinates to find another opportunity to slander Su Yinyin.
At this moment, a trusted confidant rushed in, whispered a few words in her ear, and the Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically.
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth, thinking to herself, "This girl is so cunning." She decided to keep Su Yinyin calm for now, and then find a way to seize the evidence.
After calming herself down, the Dowager Princess transformed from a frenzied and ferocious state into a seemingly kind and approachable one.
She instructed the palace maids to change her into a set of exquisite and gorgeous clothes, and also instructed them to make her look younger.
Once everything was ready, she instructed all the matrons and maids to wait outside the palace. No one was allowed to enter without her permission.
After everyone had left, the Dowager Empress blew out all the lamps in the palace, leaving only the one closest to her bed that had been lit for the past few days.
After checking the surroundings to make sure everything was safe, the Dowager Consort slowly climbed into her bed.
The palace maids guarding the gate were all very curious as to why the Empress Dowager was dressed so extravagantly, even though it was already bedtime.
At this moment, after the Dowager Consort got into bed, she lifted the quilt and gently pressed a mechanism. The bed board suddenly flipped over, revealing a stepped ladder, which the Dowager Consort slowly climbed down.
It turned out that this was a hidden secret room. And at the other end of the secret room was a mansion.
The room was dark and damp, with a musty smell.
The Dowager lit an oil lamp, and by its dim light, she walked for an unknown amount of time before finally reaching her destination.
At this moment, the palace maids waiting outside the palace began to whisper among themselves.
"What's wrong with the Dowager Consort? Why is she being so secretive?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling something big is about to happen."
The next morning, when the palace maids came in to help the Empress Dowager wash up, they noticed that her clothes from the previous night were disheveled and wrinkled, and had a foul odor.
Although the palace maids had doubts, they didn't dare to say anything, no matter how they looked at each other.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager woke up and, seeing the strange looks from the palace maids, angrily shouted, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and serve me my washing up!"
The palace maids quickly got to work.
Meanwhile, Su Yinyin learned of the Empress Dowager's strange behavior last night, and her doubts deepened.
"Jin, what exactly is the Empress Dowager up to?" Su Yinyin asked.
The old man shook his head. "Miss, I'm afraid the Dowager Consort is going to meet some people we don't know."
"how do I say this?"
"Getting dressed up before bed, there's definitely something fishy going on. She must be meeting her lover," the old man bluntly stated.
Su Yinyin smiled. "Given the Dowager Consort's past record, Jin, your analysis makes sense."
"Miss, this is just my guess. I think the Dowager Consort's lover is someone of considerable importance!"
Su Yinyin pondered for a moment, "Hmm, I wonder who it could be."
The old man said, "I have sent people to investigate the whereabouts of the Dowager Consort last night, but there is still no news."
Su Yinyin frowned. "The fact that the Dowager Consort acts so secretly suggests that there may be some ulterior motive behind it."
The old man nodded. "I share this concern."
Just then, the third brother rushed in, "Miss, Boss, we've found some clues."
Su Yinyin's expression tightened. "Speak quickly."
The third son said, "The place the Dowager Consort went to last night seems to be related to a powerful figure in the court."
Su Yinyin was startled. "Powerful figures? Could it be that the Dowager Consort wants to collude with outsiders to deal with me?"
The old man's gaze was cold. "No matter what, this matter must be thoroughly investigated."
Su Yinyin said, "Jin, this matter needs to be considered carefully. We must not alert the enemy."
The old man pondered for a moment, then said, "Miss is right."
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager was also restless in the palace, knowing that her whereabouts might have aroused suspicion.
However, what they didn't know was that the Dowager had already realized that someone was watching her and was preparing a new round of counterattack.
"Go, invite Su Yinyin to the palace. Tell her I have important matters to discuss with her," the Dowager Consort said to the nanny beside her.
Although the nanny had doubts, she dared not ask any more questions and hurried off to do so.
Su Yinyin was preparing to leave the mansion for the Duke's mansion when she received an invitation from the Dowager Consort before she even set off.
"Miss, it seems the Dowager Consort is about to make her move again," the old man said worriedly.
Su Yinyin pondered for a moment, "Since she invited me, it would seem guilty if I didn't go. However, I admire the Dowager Consort; she's truly an unyielding force!"
The eldest brother was still worried. "Then Miss must be extra careful."
Su Yinyin nodded, changed her clothes, and headed to the palace.
Upon arriving at the palace, Su Yinyin saw the Dowager Consort sitting upright above her with a fake smile on her face.
"Yinyin is here, please sit down," the Empress Dowager said.
Su Yinyin bowed and then sat down. "May I ask what business Your Highness has with me?"
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "What happened before was all a misunderstanding. I was just anxious for a moment."
Su Yinyin sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. "Misunderstanding? Your Highness makes it sound so easy."
The Empress Dowager's face stiffened, and then she said, "Yinyin, I know you have been wronged, and I will make it up to you in the future."
Su Yinyin looked at the Dowager Consort, "Compensation? How does Your Highness intend to compensate us?"
The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered. "As long as you hand over that note to me, I promise I will no longer make things difficult for you, and I will give you endless riches and honors."
Su Yinyin stood up. "Your Highness, do you think I would believe that?"
The Empress Dowager's face darkened. "Su Yinyin, don't be stubborn and ask for trouble."
Su Yinyin was not afraid at all. "Your Highness, you should think about how to explain this to the Emperor first."
After saying that, Su Yinyin turned to leave.
The Dowager Princess shouted angrily, "Stop her!"
Immediately, a group of guards rushed in.
Su Yinyin's heart tightened, but she remained calm and composed. "Your Highness, are you openly defying the law?"
Just as tensions were rising, a loud shout rang out, "The Emperor has arrived!"