FBC – Chapter 149 Entering the Palace

This was Gu Hua’s second time entering the palace. The memory of her first visit still left her with lingering fear, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

But the warmth of the old madam’s hand in hers seemed to calm her anxiety.

She couldn’t help but wonder—had Pei Yi and the others already arrived at the palace?

The carriage bore the insignia of Old Madam Mu, and it rode unimpeded straight toward the palace gates.

Gu Hua was stunned. The old madam was simply her idol.

So the old madam was this formidable—no wonder she had to pretend to be senile.

Someone who could barge straight into the imperial palace without resistance—no wonder those in power were afraid of her.

Gu Hua steadied her nerves, ready to fight a tough battle alongside the old madam.

She whispered, “Mother, how should we handle things once we’re in the palace?”

The old madam remained composed. “They’ve likely entered the palace already. Whether or not they’ve met His Majesty, we just need to play it by ear.”

Gu Hua was surprised. “Ah? How do you know?”

“Chiyu left me a letter after sending people into the palace—that’s why I brought you along.”

The old madam smiled and gently squeezed her hand. “You little lass, you sure have guts. Do you know the storm you’ve stirred up? The Jiang and Yuan families—two immovable mountains, deeply entrenched and powerful—and yet you dared to touch them? Truly, a newborn calf fears no tiger.”

Gu Hua’s face turned pale, and she mumbled, “I didn’t know things would escalate like this…”

But thinking she had done nothing wrong, she suddenly straightened up, her voice firm.

“But—Ziyuan is leading troops at the front lines to protect Great Liang’s country and people. If someone dares to tamper with winter uniforms and harm the Mu family army, how can I stand by and do nothing? And neither should His Majesty. Mother, don’t you agree?”

The old madam looked at her in astonishment.

Gu Hua grew embarrassed under her gaze, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head. “Mother, I was being impudent.”

The old madam burst into hearty laughter. “You were absolutely right to make such a fuss. If this old woman had known earlier, I would’ve stormed into the palace with my dragon-headed cane and given that old empress dowager a good beating!”

Gu Hua couldn’t help but laugh, hugging the old madam’s arm and leaning in to whisper, “Mother, only you would dare to beat the empress dowager. You’re simply too fierce.”

“Hah! Of course. If it weren’t for me and your father-in-law, how would she have become the empress dowager? No way!”

The old madam’s words filled Gu Hua with boundless strength.

As long as she was strong enough, no matter who the opponent was, she wouldn’t need to fear them.

The old madam then gave Gu Hua a brief explanation of the tensions between the emperor and the empress dowager, and how the emperor had ascended to the throne.

Gu Hua was astonished. “Then… with what I’ve done, His Majesty might not be angry?”

“Mm. But appearances must still be kept up. The Jiang and Yuan families can’t be toppled over just because of one incident.”

“They dared to kill a court official in broad daylight!”

“Whoever did it will take the fall. It depends on which scapegoat the Jiang and Yuan families decide to offer.”

Gu Hua’s eyes widened. Was that really how it worked?

While the two chatted, they arrived.

“Old Madam, why have you come to the palace in person?”

The emperor, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, quickly stepped down from the throne to greet her personally upon seeing her.

This was Gu Hua’s first time seeing the emperor. She was both nervous and curious.

There was no one else in the hall, which meant Pei Yi and the others hadn’t arrived yet.

Old Madam Mu respectfully bowed. “This old woman pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years.”

The emperor quickly said, “Old Madam, please rise. Imperial Father gave you special permission to enter the palace without needing to bow. I wouldn’t dare go against his command.”

“Rites between monarch and subject must not be neglected.”

The old madam stepped aside and gestured to Gu Hua behind her.

Gu Hua stepped forward with poise and knelt in formal salute. “Your subject’s wife, Gu Hua, pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years.”

Because of the old madam, the emperor addressed her kindly. “You must be Mu Junyan’s noble concubine, yes? I granted you the marriage, yet you’ve never come to the palace to express your thanks.”

Still kneeling, Gu Hua quickly lowered her head further. “Your subject’s wife, Gu Hua, thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness.”

“Rise.”

The emperor gestured toward the grand chair to his left. “Old Madam, please sit.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me a seat.”

Gu Hua followed and stood respectfully behind the old madam.

She was determined to learn everything she could from her.

“This old woman enters the palace today to offer an apology.”

The emperor’s expression changed. “Ah? Who has upset the Old Madam?”

“Just now, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict, ordering the palace guards to surround our Duke’s residence. They smashed doors, beat people, and tried to arrest my daughter-in-law. I don’t know what great sin we’ve committed—so I’ve come to the palace to plead guilty myself.”

The palace guards were a force directly under the emperor’s command—once deployed, it signified imperial action.

“What?” The emperor’s eyes widened.

Mother, have you stirred up a hornet’s nest? Don’t you know this Old Madam Mu is a tigress?

“Mother must’ve misunderstood. Or perhaps someone forged the edict. I will have someone investigate immediately.”

The emperor was just about to order someone to head to Baoci Palace when a sharp, sarcastic voice cut in.

“No need to trouble His Majesty—I’ve come.”

The empress dowager entered, surrounded by a grand procession of palace attendants.

The emperor quickly stood up. “Mother, what brings you here?”

The empress dowager cast a sidelong glance at Old Madam Mu. “How could I not come? Someone’s already stormed in to demand justice.”

The emperor wore a strained smile. “Mother, please take a seat.”

Old Madam Mu sat unmoving, perfectly poised.

The empress dowager forced a smile. “With Old Madam Mu here, is there no seat left for me?”

“How could that be?” The emperor helped her. “If you don’t sit, I can only remain standing too.”

Only then did the empress dowager take the upper seat. Her gaze landed on Gu Hua.

Gu Hua had no choice but to step forward and kneel. “Your subject’s wife, Gu Hua, pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May Your Grace live a thousand years.”

The empress dowager looked at her with venom and sneered, “Heh, Gu Hua—I heard you’re actually the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wenchang’s family. How did you end up as a concubine? Aren’t you bringing shame to your parents?”

Gu Hua kept her head down. “Replying to Your Grace—the marriage was granted by His Majesty, and the noble concubine title was bestowed by His Majesty as well. My parents are honored.”

The empress dowager: “…!”

The emperor sighed inwardly.

Old Madam Mu smiled faintly. Not bad.

The empress dowager was furious. “What a sharp-tongued little girl. I summoned you to the palace to marry Duke Yong as his principal wife. I pitied you and wanted to arrange a proper marriage. But you—you tore apart a good match and stole someone else’s place!”

Old Madam Mu remained calm and watched with interest as Gu Hua responded.

Gu Hua could no longer hold back. She raised her head and said firmly, “Your Grace, I was unaware of any marriage granted by you, so how could I be said to have torn it apart—”

The empress dowager’s face darkened. “Insolent! Did I permit you to speak?”

Gu Hua glanced at the old madam and, seeing her encouraging smile, her courage grew.

She said calmly, “If Your Grace speaks to me and I do not respond, would that not be disrespectful?”

The empress dowager: “…!”

She glared viciously at Old Madam Mu. “An Ruoying, your concubine daughter-in-law lacks manners—aren’t you going to teach her? A mere concubine dares to defy me. One day, she may bring disaster to your Duke’s household!”

Old Madam Mu lazily lifted her eyelids and looked at her. “Empress Dowager, you were once a concubine too.”

Gu Hua’s eyes widened in admiration. The Old Madam is mighty!

The empress dowager was momentarily speechless, but she couldn’t explode.

She was so angry she gritted her teeth.

Back then, the late emperor and empress had shared deep love and favored the crown prince. For her son to seize the throne, she had endured countless dangers and sufferings.

She had outlived the emperor, forced the crown prince to his death, and placed her son on the throne. At that time, she was only a consort. As long as the empress lived, even if her son became emperor, she could only be a royal consort dowager.

Only after she forced the empress to her death could her son elevate her to empress dowager. That was the past she most hated people bringing up.

The emperor darted his eyes left and right, clearly not wanting to get involved in this battle of women.

The empress dowager’s face turned dark. “An Ruoying—you’re not mad at all, are you? You’ve been deceiving the emperor by pretending to be insane!”

Gu Hua couldn’t help but interject. “Your Grace, Mother has dementia, not madness.”

Old Madam Mu sneered, “You wish I were mad, don’t you? If I were, no one could restrain you anymore! Don’t forget how you became the empress dowager. If you’re so determined to act out of line, I’ll gladly drag you down to the underworld to meet the ancestors of the imperial family and let them judge for themselves!”

The emperor’s face turned grim.

That implied his ascension to the throne was not legitimate.

The empress dowager was nearly in tears. “Your Majesty, are you not going to intervene? Is the Mu family planning a rebellion, trampling over me like this?”

Old Madam Mu stood up and slammed her dragon-headed cane onto the floor.

Thud.

The deep sound startled both the emperor and empress dowager.

Old Madam Mu glared coldly at the empress dowager. “Would you like to taste the late emperor’s gift—the dragon-headed cane—once more?”