Chapter 49: with translation of chapter title

After returning to the palace, the emperor said nothing; everyone understood, each going back to their own palace.

Hongdou's eyes flared with anxiety; she hurriedly grabbed Mu Yuanzhi and whispered, "My lady, the emperor won't just let this go, will he?!"

"As expected." Mu Yuanzhi was not surprised at all.

Rather, if the emperor were to blame Consort De, that would truly surprise her.

Consort De enjoyed great favor; besides her appearance, her family's influence was also an important reason—she was from an aristocratic clan, her ancestors were the foremost among the three founding heroes, and her father was one of the four great vassal kings.

An imperial consort like her would naturally be a source of apprehension for the emperor.

"This is too bullying!" Linglong felt like crying instantly.

"Your Majesty!" the chief eunuch approached, saying, "Your Majesty, the Grand Empress Dowager has been waiting for you in Xuanshi Hall for quite a while."

Grand Empress Dowager?!

Everyone was shocked!

The Grand Empress Dowager hadn't left the Grand Moon Palace in ten years—how could she suddenly go to Xuanshi Hall today?!

Could it be because of today's incident at the Grand General's residence?

Consort De felt uneasy in her heart, and Pei Shangling also felt a heavy weight; he glanced at Mu Yuanzhi, suspecting she had gone to stir up trouble before the Grand Empress Dowager again—after all, last time that meddling servant Zhang Mamam had stepped forward to defend her!

"Birth mother." Pei Yunxi, who had never seen the Grand Empress Dowager, was now feeling nervous and agitated.

She didn't know what method Mu Yuanzhi had used to curry favor with the Grand Empress Dowager; surely the Grand Empress Dowager would be biased against her!

Pei Yunxi touched her face; the swelling seemed to have mostly subsided—the emperor had just ordered the imperial physician to apply anti-swelling medicine, making it heal faster.

"It's fine, the Grand Empress Dowager is your own great-grandmother." Consort De patted the back of Pei Yunxi's hand, whispering comfort, then glanced at Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi hadn't expected the Grand Empress Dowager to come in person—did she already know about today's events so quickly?

Upon arriving at Xuanshi Hall, Mu Yuanzhi immediately understood.

It was Gu Rongjin!

He stood inside the hall, smiling at her.

How could this guy manage to summon the great-grandmother?

Gu Rongjin hastily bowed to the emperor, then quickly stepped to Mu Yuanzhi's side, gently touching the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her forehead and said, "It must hurt terribly—you really smashed into the coffin three times solidly!"

His words echoed in the hall; hearing them, the Grand Empress Dowager's face darkened a fraction more, and Consort De dared not look up, her eyes darting away.

"You walked past the gates of hell—do you say it hurts?" Mu Yuanzhi, echoing Gu Rongjin's words, truthfully recounted her peril at that moment.

With the great-grandmother present, she naturally could not waste this opportunity.

"My poor little Yuanzhi, you've just exchanged poisoned blood and now suffer this—how can you constantly deal with the King of Hell day after day?" Gu Rongjin and Mu Yuanzhi spoke in tandem; without close listening, one wouldn't detect the genuine concern hidden in his slightly exaggerated tone.

This time even the emperor's face showed some discomfort; he stepped forward to meet the Grand Empress Dowager, his steps pausing before resuming, and with a smile he invited: "Grandmother, why did you come without notifying your grandson first? So I could go greet you."

Consort De smiled along, several princes nodded, and Pei Yunxi boldly spoke up: "Little Xi hasn't yet seen her great-grandmother—does the great-grandmother recognize Little Xi?"

Her repeatedly successful gentle and lovable demeanor left no relative able to resist—after all, she was so pitiful, so sensible, and intelligent; liking her was only natural.

Previously, the great-grandmother had favored Mu Yuanzhi merely because, like her father and elder brothers, she had never experienced anything better; once she had something to compare, Mu Yuanzhi amounted to nothing.

Thinking this, Pei Yunxi's confidence returned largely.

When she had just entered, she had looked in the bronze mirror; although the red swelling on her face had mostly faded, the chaotic slap marks remained, proving how hard and vicious Mu Yuanzhi's strike had been.

Unexpectedly, the Grand Empress Dowager gave a cold snort, glanced at Pei Yunxi, then said to the emperor: "Your Majesty means well, but I think I should still get out and move about more; otherwise, who knows when this palace might be overturned."

She emphasized the latter part of her sentence, her gaze sweeping over Consort De and finally settling on Pei Yunxi.

The mother and daughter were frightened to the point their hearts skipped a beat.

Pei Shangling clenched his fists and couldn't help but say: "Great-grandmother, you usually don't concern yourself with worldly affairs, making you easy to be stirred by those with ulterior motives—what could possibly be happening at the palace gates?"

"If nothing happened, why did Yuanzhi almost die a miserable death in her own home?!" The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly slammed the table.

All the palace attendants instantly knelt on the ground.

The Grand Empress Dowager's slap seemed to land on Consort De's heart, leaving her startled and anxious, unable to draw a breath.

She truly hadn't expected the usually indifferent Grand Empress Dowager to be so furious.

Why? Little Xi is the true descendant of the Pei clan!

Why does the Grand Empress Dowager turn a blind eye to the injury on Little Xi's face?!

Upon thinking this, Consort De's guilt and pity for having unintentionally hurt Mu Yuanzhi just moments ago vanished completely.

She only pities her own child; others' children are not her concern to pity!

"Yuanzhi, come here so the great-grandmother can see your wound." The Grand Empress Dowager beckoned Mu Yuanzhi, and her irritated expression instantly turned kind when facing her.

This child is clearly gravely injured, yet she stands silently without crying or fuss, as if she knows no one would pity her even if she did.

Lately, she has kept hearing Zhang Mamam say this child is injured here and there, leaving her with few peaceful days, despite being so young, at the age of a blossom.

Seeing Mu Yuanzhi approach with unsteady steps, she didn't wait, went over and pulled her, asking, "How many rounds have you changed this bandage?"

Perhaps the Grand Empress Dowager's gentle voice and kind gaze stirred Mu Yuanzhi's distant memory, causing her to recall how, as a child, the emperor and Consort De had also cared for her in this way.

But in those dust‑sealed memories, their faces have become blurred; even if they stood before her now, they would not match the faces in her recollection.

How could they match? Those were her deceased father emperor and mother consort—not the current emperor and Consort De who merely bear similar faces.

A sour feeling rose unbidden in her nose; she quickly covered it before speaking: "Three rounds."

"Three rounds—how much blood must have been lost, how severe the injury?" The Grand Empress Dowager looked at Mu Yuanzhi's reddened eye sockets, still holding back tears, wondering whether she felt wronged, in pain, or both.

Mu Yuanzhi kept her head lowered, silent; though the Grand Empress Dowager treated her so well now, she dared not cherish it, fearing that one day this kindness might vanish abruptly—after all, her initial show of goodwill toward the elder had been motivated by ulterior intent.