The life of a maid meant nothing to Emperor Changde. Upon hearing this, Qiu Xi knew she couldn't escape death and fainted on the spot.
Gan Yongfu looked at her with disdain and quickly called for someone to drag her away. "Take her out, take her out. Useless thing."
Emperor Changde glanced over, but with just that one look, Gan Yongfu felt a chill run down his spine and lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.
Emperor Changde found the whole affair utterly boring and was furious that Cao Lan’er had dared to oppose him. He stood up. "To the cold palace!"
From his tone alone, Gan Yongfu knew Emperor Changde was angry, and the deposed Empress was likely to suffer. However, Gan Yongfu had his own troubles and no energy to spare for sympathy.
Following Emperor Changde to the cold palace, they found Cao Lan’er sitting in front of a mirror, examining her appearance. She was still a beauty, but age had taken its toll. Wrinkles marred her face, and she no longer looked as she had in her youth.
The more Cao Lan’er looked, the angrier she became. When she saw Emperor Changde arrive, she only gave a perfunctory greeting, not even bothering to bow.
This attitude naturally enraged the already displeased Emperor Changde. He walked over and kicked over the dressing table, shouting, "Cao Lan’er, I warned you to behave!"
The dressing table fell to the ground, scattering cosmetics and jewelry everywhere. The bronze mirror also fell, spinning and making a sharp, grating noise.
Cao Lan’er stood up and calmly looked at Emperor Changde. "Your Majesty, what brings you to the cold palace for leisure today? Has the beauty you locked in your chambers died from your torment, making you remember this deposed Empress?"
Emperor Changde clasped his hands behind his back, his anger rising. "You’re not worthy!"
"Cao Lan’er, stop talking nonsense in front of me. I’m only asking you, did you order someone to spread those rumors outside?"
Cao Lan’er smoothed her hair and smiled. "Your Majesty, didn’t you already investigate before coming to see me? Since you’ve found out, why bother asking? I admit it, it was me who ordered it."
Cao Lan’er stepped closer to Emperor Changde, placing her hand on his chest and stroking it. "Your Majesty, when you pushed all the blame onto me, you should have expected this day. Besides, it’s just a small rumor. It won’t have much effect on you, will it?"
Emperor Changde grabbed Cao Lan’er’s hand and threw it aside, then gripped her chin. "I warned you to behave. It seems you need a few Cao family heads sent to the palace to keep you company before you’ll learn. If that’s the case, I’ll grant your wish."
Emperor Changde’s grip was so tight that Cao Lan’er felt her jawbone might shatter. She tried to pull away, but Emperor Changde wouldn’t let go. Cao Lan’er raised her hand to slap him, but before she could, Emperor Changde caught her wrist and shoved her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Cao Lan’er half-lay on the ground, unmoving. She looked up at Emperor Changde. "Your Majesty thinks you can threaten me with the lives of the Cao family? Go ahead and kill them. It would be best if none were left."
When she spoke of the Cao family, there was hatred in her eyes, startling even Emperor Changde. He hadn’t expected this woman to be so ruthless, not even caring about her own family.
"Cao Lan’er, don’t forget, there’s still the Crown Prince. If you dare to stir up moth larvae again, I’ll depose him and confine him for life. You’ll never see him again!"
[幺蛾子 (yāo é zi)]: lit. Moth larvae; fig. Refers to trouble, mischief, or unexpected problems]
Cao Lan’er wasn’t afraid of never seeing her son again. What she feared was Emperor Changde deposing the Crown Prince, stripping him of any chance to ascend the throne.
But at this moment, Cao Lan’er couldn’t back down. She slowly stood up, picked up the bronze mirror, and sat back in her chair, holding the mirror to examine her face. "If you depose the Crown Prince, Your Majesty, aren’t you afraid you’ll have no one to inherit your throne?"
Feeling her words were too vague, Cao Lan’er added, "Your Majesty, when you only have one son left, do you really have a choice?"
Emperor Changde understood the hidden meaning in her words. He stepped forward and grabbed the back of her collar. "Cao Lan’er, what have you done?"
Cao Lan’er smiled, her lips curving. "What could I have done? Of course, I helped the Crown Prince eliminate some threats. Your Majesty, guess when your beloved eldest prince will return to the capital?"
Seeing Emperor Changde’s face on the verge of erupting in anger, Cao Lan’er laughed even more joyfully, her expression tinged with a hint of seduction. "Perhaps, like Wei Su, he’ll never return."
Emperor Changde’s hand, which had been gripping her collar, moved to her neck, squeezing tightly. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he tried to strangle her.
Cao Lan’er gasped for air, her eyes rolling back, barely able to struggle. Only when she was on the verge of passing out did Emperor Changde release her, throwing her heavily to the ground.
Cao Lan’er clutched her neck, coughing and laughing at the same time. "Cough… Your Majesty, you should never have made me your opponent."
"I know you won’t kill me because you don’t dare. The great Emperor of Dayue, afraid of something. How laughable, how laughable! Hahaha!"
Emperor Changde looked at her with disgust. "Madwoman."
He spat out these words and turned to leave.
Cao Lan’er shouted at his retreating figure, "Yes, I’m a madwoman. Your Majesty, don’t provoke me again, or I don’t know what I might do in my madness."
Emperor Changde had come in anger and left with even greater fury, regretting that he had been so blind as to marry such a vicious and insane woman.
As soon as he left the cold palace, Emperor Changde ordered Gan Yongfu to investigate whether the Empress had sent people to the border to kill the eldest prince. He also instructed Gan Yongfu to arrange a team of secret guards to protect the eldest prince and ensure his safe return to the capital.
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