“You—” The Empress Rong had not expected Feng Jiu’er to dare talk back — and in front of the Empress Dowager, no less. She flew into such a rage that her hand rose at once, a slap already on its way down.

Without warning, the sound of a cup shattering against the ground rang out from beside the stone table.

The Empress Dowager rose to her feet, trembling, and fixed her eyes on Feng Jiu’er. Her expression was overwhelmed with agitation. “Jiu’er — you… are you that Jiu’er? That… you are the daughter of General Long?”

She really was getting muddled in her old age! Earlier, she had only heard Yu Jingfeng address the girl as Miss Jiu’er, and so without much thought, she had taken to calling her Jiu’er as well.

But how had she not thought of it — the Ninth Miss of the Feng Family was also called Jiu’er?

Then she… she truly was the Ninth Miss of the Feng Family. She truly was Long Feiyan’s daughter?

Feng Jiu’er felt nothing particularly stirring about this — she had assumed the Empress Dowager already knew. But from the look of things, the Empress Dowager had only just realized it now.

She inclined her head. “Yes. Long Feiyan is my mother.”

“You — you — oh! I am truly growing muddled in my old age. You look so very much like Feiyan — how did I only see it now?”

No wonder, upon first setting eyes on this child, she had felt an inexplicable loveliness and warmth toward her, and had grown fonder with every glance.

She truly was getting old and muddled! Truly muddled!

How could A’Jiu have become entangled with Feiyan’s child? The two of them! How could this be!

“You—” The Empress Dowager looked at Feng Jiu’er, the words dying on her lips, her expression a picture of indescribable anxiety — anxious, unsettled, deeply alarmed.

Feng Jiu’er had no idea what the Empress Dowager truly meant. Long Feiyan was her mother — was that something so shocking? Why did the Empress Dowager look so strangely at her?

“How could this be! How could A’Jiu become involved with Feiyan’s daughter — how could this be…”

The Empress Dowager muttered to herself, her breathing grew erratic, and color began flooding into her face — she even began to cough, and with every cough the fit grew worse.

“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, do not distress yourself — please rest easy!” Lian’er was frightened and immediately fell into a flurry, hurrying to pat her back and help her catch her breath.

But the Empress Dowager’s coughing would not let up. No matter how Lian’er patted her back and coaxed her to breathe, she showed not the slightest sign of stopping — on the contrary, the fit only grew more violent.

“Go and fetch Master Mo Bai — go quickly!” Yu Jingfeng immediately gave the order.

One of the guards shot out at top speed, making for Master Mo Bai’s courtyard as fast as his legs could carry him.

The Master’s quarters were some distance away, but the Empress Dowager’s color looked truly dreadful — flushing red, almost deepening into purple.

The Empress Rong had not thought much of it at first. This coughing ailment of the Empress Dowager’s was not the first time it had flared up — what was there to care about?

But what she had not expected was that the coughing would grow worse and worse. The Empress Dowager’s face had flushed to the color of pig’s liver; plainly, she could not even draw breath.

Long Feiyan’s daughter — so what? What was there to make such a fuss about, getting worked up to this degree?

Could it be that the Empress Dowager also knew Feng Jiu’er had once been betrothed to the Crown Prince, and then later matched to Nanmen Xu?

Thinking that a woman of such scandalous conduct had become entangled with her beloved son — was that what had made her so angry?

By the look of things, that had to be it.

And yet the Empress Dowager had always kept herself apart from such affairs — how was it she knew so much?

Lian’er was already on the verge of tears from desperation, and still Master Mo Bai had not arrived.

At that moment, someone reached out and caught the Empress Dowager’s wrist. Then the Empress Dowager was guided forward and settled face-down across the chair. The person held some silver implement that Feng Jiu’er could not quite make out, and in a single motion, drove it into a point on the Empress Dowager’s back.

“What are you doing?” Lian’er grabbed hold of Feng Jiu’er’s sleeve, frantic with worry. “What have you done to the Empress Dowager? You — you stop this at once!”

“Do not panic. Miss Jiu’er’s medical skill is considerable — let her try!” Yu Jingfeng stepped in immediately and gently pulled Lian’er aside.

Feng Jiu’er… was a physician?

Lian’er could not quite process it, but Feng Jiu’er had already driven something into the Empress Dowager’s back — her heart was frantic with alarm!

The Empress Dowager was still coughing. Jiu’er did not only insert a single needle.

Having placed the silver needles into her back, she immediately turned the Empress Dowager’s body over and prepared to insert needles at her chest as well.

The speed was such that Lian’er had no time to stop her.

Off to the side, the Empress Rong showed not the least desire to intervene. If this Feng Jiu’er were to stab recklessly and kill the old woman, how would A’Jiu ever be with this wretched girl in the future?

She actually rather hoped Feng Jiu’er would truly lose her hand and finish the old woman off quickly with one needle!

But unfortunately, after Jiu’er’s silver needles went in, combined with the massage technique she applied to the Empress Dowager, by the time Mo Bai arrived, the Empress Dowager’s coughing had already ceased, and she was breathing in gentle, shallow gasps.

Feng Jiu’er withdrew the needles and continued to pat the Empress Dowager’s back. What she had not expected, however, was that after catching her breath, the Empress Dowager actually pushed Jiu’er away, her expression cold as frost.

“Your Ladyship…” Lian’er rushed over, helping to soothe her breathing as she asked carefully, “Your Ladyship, are you uncomfortable anywhere? Master Mo Bai has arrived — please let the Master take your pulse and examine you.”

But the Empress Dowager continued to stare at Feng Jiu’er, her expression complex — seemingly overwhelmed, yet in the end, consumed entirely by anger.

“You cannot! You must not be with A’Jiu! You — you absolutely must not!”

She had only just caught her breath, and already she was growing agitated once more. The color that had only just calmed in her face immediately began to flush red again.

Lian’er grew desperate. “Your Ladyship, please do not be angered — if it cannot be, then it cannot be. Your Ladyship has the final word — please do not distress yourself!”

Mo Bai glanced at Feng Jiu’er. No one knew what Feng Jiu’er had done to offend the Empress Dowager.

But the way the Empress Dowager looked right now, Feng Jiu’er would do well to withdraw first. After all, the Empress Dowager had never been in strong health, and she could not endure any disturbance.

Jiu’er understood Mo Bai’s meaning. With Mo Bai present, there was nothing more she could do here.

She nodded, inclined her body toward the Empress Dowager in a bow, and said, “Your Ladyship, then — Jiu’er will take her leave first.”

Without waiting for a reply, Feng Jiu’er turned to go.

The Empress Rong, however, had rarely been treated to such an entertaining spectacle. How could she bear to let her simply walk away like that?

She stepped forward, fury in her voice. “Stand where you are! You have brought the Empress Dowager to this state, and now you think you can simply leave? This consort will not permit such insolence!”

A smile played at the corners of her lips, and her mood could not have been better. “Feng Jiu’er has made an attempt on the Empress Dowager’s life. Someone come, seize her — this consort intends to personally interrogate her and find out who else stands behind her!”

The two guards the Empress had brought moved toward Feng Jiu’er. Jiu’er simply watched them with calm indifference — and sure enough, Yu Jingfeng stepped in to block them.

“Your Ladyship the Empress, Miss Jiu’er has shown no disrespect to the Empress Dowager. We ask that Your Ladyship look into the matter clearly.”

“Who do you think you are? The Empress Dowager’s affairs are yours to meddle in? What a laughable overestimation of yourself!”

The Empress paid him not the slightest attention and continued furiously, “Someone — seize Feng Jiu’er!”

Now that Feng Jiu’er had even offended the Empress Dowager, the Empress would only be venting the Empress Dowager’s anger on her behalf. Would A’Jiu really be displeased even now?