Concubine Oriole cried and screamed like a crazy person, but Empress Dugu only gripped her handkerchief and looked away, acting as if she didn’t know who Concubine Oriole was.
“Her Majesty the empress told me to say all those things… Your Majesty, it was her —”
Infuriated, Empress Dugu gripped her handkerchief so hard that blue veins popped on the back of her hands.
“Your Majesty, what Concubine Oriole is saying is pure slander…” Holding Emperor Wu’s hand, Empress Dugu gave the emperor a pleading look with her teary eyes.
But Emperor Wu only waved her off. He only cared about his mother.
When the empress dowager was finally able to breathe normally again, she looked up and stared at Emperor Wu. “What did you do to my Baby Jun?!”
Even when she was having difficulty breathing, the empress dowager’s first reaction was still to find justice for Jun Linyuan.
Holding his mother’s hand, Emperor Wu said, “Your health is the most important thing right now…”
The empress dowager gasped. “If you really care about my health, get Baby Jun out of that place!”
Emperor Wu said, “Well…”
The empress dowager threw off his hand and rose to her feet.
Emperor Wu said, “Your Majesty, where are you going?”
The empress dowager smiled grimly. “I’m going to see my Baby Jun now, and if you won’t release him, I’ll stay in the water dungeon with him. I’m going to take the punishment with my Baby Jun!”
Emperor Wu was utterly dumbfounded.
The empress dowager was usually a kind, amiable lady, but she could be hopelessly stubborn when Jun Linyuan was involved.
Emperor Wu frowned. “Your Majesty, the heads of all the clans are all on their knees outside the gate. How am I going to convince them if I don’t punish him?! He cut off all four limbs of the head of the Xuanyuan family!”
The empress dowager said, “That’s because my Baby Jun is talented!”
Emperor Wu was rendered speechless. “Your indulgence is the reason Jun Linyuan has always been such an unruly son! He does whatever he wants and listens to no one else!”
Emperor Wu had made up his mind that he would teach his son a good lesson!
“He committed a heinous crime, but he can’t give a convincing reason for it. It’s preposterous, and I’ve had enough. This is a good time to teach him a lesson.”
“Was it because of that girl, Feng Wu?” The empress dowager frowned.
Well…
Emperor Wu snorted. “I wish it was because of her! That way, at least he would have a reason!”
That calmed the empress dowager down a little.
Emperor Wu glanced at Empress Dugu, hinting at her to change the subject so that the empress dowager wouldn’t go on about Jun Linyuan.
Empress Dugu’s eyes darted around, and she was struck by an idea.
She said, “By the way, I heard that Feng Wu is going to die.”
The empress dowager said, “What?!”
Emperor Wu was equally surprised.
Empress Dugu put on a long face. “Well, that Feng Wu girl agreed to a duel to the death with Xuanyuan Yi of the Xuanyuan family, but given her capability, Feng Wu can’t possibly defeat him. She’s asking to be killed.”
“With Xuanyuan Yi? A battle to the death?” Emperor Wu glanced at Lady Northern Feng.
Lady Northern Feng bit her lip and nodded in resignation. “That’s true.”
The empress dowager heaved a sigh of relief.
The old lady liked Feng Wu less and less by the day, and thought it was a great chance to get rid of Feng Wu for good.
Lady Northern Feng had been watching the empress dowager the whole time. When she saw the look on the old lady’s face, Lady Northern Feng’s heart sank.
No…
No matter how hard she tried to explain on Feng Wu’s behalf, the empress dowager already hated Feng Wu. This was going to be difficult.
