After the two finished washing up while joking around, they respectively donned their formal attire and court dress before heading to the queen dowager’s Longevity Palace.
Inside the Longevity Palace’s side chamber, the king and queen were chatting with the old queen dowager when “the crown prince and crown prince consort are here” was announced outside.
When they looked outside, they could see from their angle a golden couple walking in with clasped hands.
From a glance, they truly were emerald jade made by heaven, extremely pleasing to the eye.
However, at this time, this stoic-faced daughter-in-law was still without much expression. Queen Zhao frowned on the inside.
“Come, come, come. Come here quickly to Grandmother.” The queen dowager’s eyes curved into a smile as she beckoned to Qiao Mu, patting the brocade divan beside her.
“Grandmother.”
“Royal Father, Royal Mother.”
Qiao Mu saluted in turn before obediently walking up.
There were also two elderly women sitting below the queen dowager. They looked to be in their early sixties, but Qiao Mu did not know them.
The queen dowager held her petite arm and pulled her down next to her. She was beaming from ear to ear. “Child, this is Kanghui Palace’s Consort Dowager Shu. This is Old Madam Hong from the Hong Family.”
Qiao Mu’s gaze glided over the two elderly women before standing up and giving them a curtsy.
Even so, the two elderly women did not dare put on airs and quickly stood up to have her forego formalities.
Reportedly, Old Madam Hong was Her Majesty the Queen Dowager’s sister by blood. However, when comparing that old madam’s tanned skin and old-fashioned way of dress to the queen dowager’s benevolent expression and plump figure, they really did not look alike at all.
“Child, it was tough accompanying the crown prince to complete the mission at Jiaozhong Base, right.”
“It was okay.” Qiao Mu actually didn’t feel that it was that tough. Only the appearance of Fan Qiuhe, that despicable person, in the middle soured her mood.
The queen dowager gazed at her smilingly and said with a nod, “I know you are a child that can endure hardship. Otherwise, your cultivation wouldn’t be so high at such a young age.”
The king and the queen who were sitting on the side couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
As both of their cultivation levels were very low, didn’t that mean that in the queen dowager’s eyes, they couldn’t endure hardship?
But actually, they couldn’t be blamed for not working hard. After all, one’s root constitution determined everything. Even if they became mystic cultivators, people with mediocre talent may not necessarily advance past level five, while some were so pitiable that they couldn’t even open their inner worlds.
Luckily, I have opened my inner world! The king and the queen simultaneously thought.
“Cough, Royal Mother, how about letting the crown prince consort serve you tea.”
“Okay, okay!” The queen dowager nodded repeatedly.
The royal maid who had been waiting on the side immediately carried a tea tray to Qiao Mu and bent down docilely.
Yet Qiao Mu knitted her brows and stood there without moving, merely looking coldly at that royal maid who had docilely lowered her head while holding the tea tray.
“Crown Prince Consort.” The king coughed lightly.
Seeing that his daughter-in-law was still standing there without moving, he quickly sent his son a look.
Crown Prince Mo looked at his father guilelessly. He did not urge Qiao Mu but squeezed her petite hand instead. “What did you discover?”
“Today, if my hands touch the tea you hand over. And Grandmother faints after drinking the tea I served, I would probably be unable to wash myself of suspicion even if I were to jump into the Hope Sea.” Qiao Mu’s detached voice was like a stone that had been tossed into a lake, instantly creating ripples on the surface of the water.
“Wha-What?” Queen Zhao boggled in shock. Her sharp gaze instantly swept to that royal maid who knelt down in panic.
That royal maid kept shaking her head, her entire body twitching in fright.
