Li Yanyan watched Qin Yining’s retreating figure, hating her so much she nearly ground her silver teeth to pieces.

She truly wished she could have someone drag Qin Yining out and beat her to death with clubs!

But with the huge accusation of “the Li family committing treason” pressed down on her, she was crushed breathless and didn’t dare touch a single hair on Qin Yining’s head, otherwise she would become a criminal who disregarded the nation’s fortune.

“So, you’re opposing this palace now, which means the Qin family wants to oppose my Li family?” Li Yanyan chased a few steps and looked up at Qin Yining on the stairs, wanting to use her own tactics against her.

Qin Yining didn’t stop walking and replied without turning back: “Wasn’t it Your Majesty who came to my door today to cause trouble?” She had already reached the second floor and casually closed the lattice gate at the stairway.

Li Yanyan’s face immediately turned completely red, whether from anger or embarrassment.

Nanny Li flew into a rage, rushing upstairs while cursing: “There’s actually such a shameless little hussy in this world! Even while cultivating, she doesn’t forget to seduce the Emperor, and being spoiled makes her so disrespectful even to the Empress! If such a demon woman is left in this world, won’t she corrupt the morals of proper young ladies!”

Ji Yun’s temples bulged with veins as she blocked the foot of the stairs, pushing the charging Nanny Li back two steps.

“This nanny should please keep her mouth clean. Which eye of yours saw my master becoming someone else’s concubine? My master comes from a distinguished family, is a proper refined young lady, and came here to cultivate by imperial decree. For this nanny to slander my master like this – are you questioning Master Tianji’s divination, or questioning the Emperor’s judgment?”

“Truly a silver-tongued master raising a dog that barks differently from other dogs!” Nanny Li spat at Ji Yun’s face.

But Ji Yun had martial skills – how could she be hit by an old woman’s spit? She immediately dodged and angrily said: “My master just set up an altar to question Heaven and brought auspicious omens, all for Great Yan’s mountains and rivers, and for the imperial family’s realm. Who would have thought the Empress would abandon the bow once the birds are shot, coming to bully people at our door! Is this the Empress’s meaning, or the Emperor’s meaning!”

“What are you to question this palace!” Li Yanyan raised her hand to slap – if she couldn’t punish the master, couldn’t she punish the servant girl?

Ji Yun could have easily dodged, but in a flash of thought, she turned her body to meet the slap head-on, taking it firmly while avoiding the Empress’s two pure gold finger guards, preventing her face from being scratched.

Only the sharp “slap” sound echoed in the spacious hall.

The door upstairs was pushed open, and Qin Yining hurriedly rushed downstairs, pulling Ji Yun behind her and meeting Li Yanyan’s gaze head-on. “Your Majesty the Empress, did you come to my place today to cause trouble and raid my home!”

Li Yanyan met her intimidating gaze and couldn’t quite dare to look directly, only forcing herself to maintain dignity due to her status as Empress and her belly full of jealous hatred, stiffening her neck: “This palace, as the mother of the nation, naturally must set standards for all women under heaven. Your fox-like seduction is simply a disgrace to all women!”

“Is that so.” Qin Yining said in a low voice: “Since in Your Majesty the Empress’s heart your subject’s daughter is so despicable, then your subject’s daughter is unworthy of continuing to cultivate here. Someone, quickly enter the palace to report to the Emperor – say that I want to return to the Qin mansion immediately and request the Emperor’s permission.”

“Yes.” Among the guards facing off outside the hall, one quickly departed – it was the very one Qin Yining had helped earlier.

Li Yanyan felt somewhat panicked.

She knew the Emperor liked this woman. If the Emperor appeared, he would surely favor Qin Yining.

But things had already developed to this point. If she backed down, wouldn’t she lose all face? She hadn’t done anything wrong!

Qin Yining took Ji Yun’s hand and led her to a side room to apply medicine, leaving the spacious, bright main hall to the Empress and her entourage.

Only after estimating that Qin Yining and Ji Yun had gone far enough did Nanny Li worriedly whisper in Li Yanyan’s ear: “Your Majesty, if this matter becomes public and the Emperor learns of it, he might not refrain from getting angry. Perhaps we should return first.”

“This palace did nothing wrong. Why should I avoid first?” The tears that had been circling in Li Yanyan’s eyes finally fell.

Nanny Li heartbrokenly took a handkerchief to wipe Li Yanyan’s tears, continuing in a low voice: “But Your Majesty, that little hussy is eloquent and good at arguing. I fear she’ll turn black into white and push all the blame onto us. Your Majesty and the Emperor have only recently married – don’t anger the Emperor. Wouldn’t that affect the marital affection between you and the Emperor? You’d be letting that little hussy benefit for nothing.”

Li Yanyan sniffled. After crying, she felt much better and more composed.

“This palace understands nanny’s meaning. Rest assured, if she dares slander this palace later, this palace will make her pay!”

Hearing that Li Yanyan still intended to wait here for the imperial decree, Nanny Li hurriedly advised: “Your Majesty, why not avoid the immediate confrontation now? She’s right here – are we afraid there won’t be opportunities to deal with her later?”

Hearing this, Li Yanyan became somewhat hesitant.

Actually, she was already regretting why she had come to confront directly today. As Empress, lowering herself to clash head-on with a subject’s daughter not only lost dignity but easily provided fodder for gossip. Moreover, if she wanted to kill Qin Yining, she could use other methods – poisoning, assassination, any underhanded trick would work. Why did she have to make such a public show of her dislike for Qin Yining?

No wonder before her marriage, her mother had repeatedly warned her never to be impulsive and to learn to respond calmly to situations. Yet she had revealed such a huge flaw right from the start.

The more Li Yanyan thought, the more panicked she became. The irrepressible anger from earlier had now disappeared. She slowly nodded: “Avoiding immediate confrontation and deciding later is also a good strategy.”

“Exactly.” Nanny Li then said loudly: “Your Majesty, you’re feeling unwell. Shall this servant attend you back to the palace?”

“Mm.” Li Yanyan leaned on Nanny Li’s arm and headed outside the hall with a group of palace attendants.

But just then, she unexpectedly came face to face with someone she hadn’t expected.

“Em-Emperor?” Li Yanyan stood frozen in place, looking at Yuchi Yan who had returned, momentarily not knowing what to say.

It was Nanny Li who pulled her, and only then did Li Yanyan hurriedly kneel and bow: “Your subject’s wife pays respects to the Emperor.”

Yuchi Yan stood with hands behind his back, not telling Li Yanyan to rise, but asking: “Why are you here?”

Hearing this, Li Yanyan felt her heart pierced like by knives, but had to put on a gentle and respectful appearance: “Reporting to the Emperor, your subject’s wife heard there was a major event at the villa today, so I specially came to see how Sister Qin questioned Heaven.”

“Mm. So what did you observe clearly?” Yuchi Yan looked at her coldly.

“Your Majesty, your subject’s wife is dull-witted. Your subject’s wife only came to visit Sister Qin.”

“Your so-called visit means blocking someone’s door, questioning her abilities, questioning Our judgment? We see that Duke Anguo’s education of his daughter lacks dedication.”

Li Yanyan instantly felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, looking up at Yuchi Yan in disbelief.

Such a reprimand was even more humiliating than being directly slapped.

Qin Yining and Ji Yun had been kneeling at the side room door for quite some time.

Yuchi Yan frowned and stepped forward to help them up, but Qin Yining knelt and backed away: “Your Majesty, please leave your subject’s daughter a way to live!”