Chapter 7: Chapter 38

The Empress did not know why Meng Fuying had suddenly stopped, and she also worried that the girl might go mad again in a moment. Thus, she shouted at the palace maids prostrate on the ground, "Quick, catch her! Hurry!"

The Empress had truly been terrified of Meng Fuying's beating just now, so she was deathly afraid that Meng Fuying would pounce on her again and beat her crazily.

The palace maids scrambled to their feet desperately, cautiously closing in on Meng Fuying. However, they were still afraid that something might suddenly fly toward them again, so they were all being extremely cautious.

"Don't hit me, don't hit me, don't come over here!" Meng Fuying brandished the golden hairpin in her hand, intentionally shouting loudly. Her hearing had always been excellent, and she could already faintly hear the chaotic footsteps outside.

It seemed the Empress Dowager had indeed arrived.

"Catch her! We can't let her go mad again!" At this moment, the Empress was in a fit of rage, so she naturally paid no attention to anything else, her only thought being to capture Meng Fuying.

Seeing that those mysterious objects from before were no longer flying toward them, the palace maids grew a bit bolder, surrounding her one after another in an attempt to seize her.

And this was the scene the Empress Dowager saw when she walked in.

Several palace maids were surrounding Meng Fuying, attempting to restrain her.

"What are you doing?" The Empress Dowager's usually affectionate eyes were now filled with icy severity, and her usually gentle voice carried a trembling fury that made one shudder.

The palace maids froze in shock. They turned their heads slightly, and upon seeing it was the Empress Dowager, their faces instantly turned deathly pale. Everyone knew that the Empress Dowager loved the Third Miss of the Meng family to her very core; seeing this situation now, she would surely misunderstand.

If the Empress Dowager grew truly angry, they feared even ten heads would not be enough to satisfy her wrath.

The Empress's body also suddenly stiffened. She had never expected the Empress Dowager to arrive at this moment—not earlier, not later, but precisely now...

"Mother, Fuying's madness suddenly flared up just now, and she went mad and started hitting..." The Empress decided to strike first and play the victim. After all, the injuries on her body were evidence; they were all caused by that woman after she went mad.

Meng Fuying's eyes darkened slightly. The Empress truly had the nerve to say such things. Consequently, Meng Fuying pretended to be terrified, her whole body trembling as she said, "They're all bad people, all bad people, don't hit me."

"Ying girl, what happened to you?" As soon as the Empress Dowager saw Meng Fuying's state, she was no longer willing to listen to the Empress. She hurried to Meng Fuying's side, holding her tightly and asking with heartache.

"They... they hit me." Meng Fuying leaned into the Empress Dowager's embrace, speaking with a slight tremor. Then, when she looked toward the Empress, she put on an even more frightened expression, suddenly extending her small hand to point at the Empress and shouting loudly, "And her! She is a bad person! She hit me so hard just now!"

If there was a definition for "lying through one's teeth," it was likely exactly what she was doing.

"Mother, no, there was no such thing! I did not hit her, she hit me! Look, she even injured me and hit my palace maids!" The Empress explained repeatedly, her face pale with terror.

"Are you telling me, Ying girl hit everyone in this room?" The Empress Dowager, holding Meng Fuying, slowly stood up. Her eyes looked coldly at the Empress as she spoke each word with chilling precision.

The Empress froze for a moment, then whispered, "Yes." In all these years, this was the first time she had seen the Empress Dowager so furious. However, the people in this room had indeed been beaten by that dead girl just now.

It was a fact.

"You might as well wait until you tell the Emperor that this old woman beat everyone in your room," the Empress Dowager said with a cold laugh upon hearing her answer, before roaring with even more severity.

"I wouldn't dare!" Upon hearing this, the Empress became even more stunned, replying in a low voice repeatedly.

"You wouldn't dare? What else do you not dare to do? You even dare to deceive me about something I saw with my own eyes. Do you truly think my old eyes are clouded?" The Empress Dowager's eyes continued to stare coldly at her, her voice growing even more frigid.

As she spoke, the hand holding Meng Fuying tightened slightly, as if she were afraid of hurting her.

A wave of emotion washed through Meng Fuying's heart. The Empress Dowager truly doted on her; such protection made her nose sting with emotion.

From childhood until now, no one had ever protected her like this.

In truth, given the Empress Dowager's shrewdness, it wouldn't be hard to see the flaws. After all, she was perfectly fine without a single scratch, while the Empress and the palace maids were all covered in injuries.

Yet, the Empress Dowager believed her so much and defended her so fiercely.

"Mother, please let me explain... it wasn't like that..." The Empress's stiff body trembled slightly as she hurriedly explained once more.

"The Emperor has arrived!" At that exact moment, the shrill voice of a eunuch suddenly rang out.

"Fine. Save your explanations for the Emperor." The Empress Dowager gave a cold snort and stopped looking at the Empress, instead walking forward a few steps while holding Meng Fuying.

The Emperor hurried in, with Xuan Yuanye following behind him.

Seeing her leaning tightly against the Empress Dowager, the corners of Xuan Yuanye's lips curled up slightly again. She really was...

Seeing the disarray in the room, the Emperor frowned slightly. Seeing the Empress Dowager's irritated face, his heart sank, and he asked nervously, "Mother, what happened? What is going on?"

"Believe it or not, an old woman like me beat everyone in your Empress's room," the Empress Dowager said. She was likely exasperated, so her tone toward the Emperor was somewhat blunt and even seemed a bit unreasonable.

Meng Fuying was slightly stunned, the corners of her lips curling up. The Empress Dowager's words reminded her of a certain official's explanation: *Whether you believe it or not, I believe it.*

She hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to have such a lovely side.

The Emperor was momentarily dazed. Seeing Meng Fuying being held tightly in the Empress Dowager's arms, he guessed the general situation.

"Let me escort Mother back first," the Emperor said respectfully, casting a cold glance at the Empress before turning to the Empress Dowager.

"No need." The Empress Dowager's voice softened slightly. Her eyes shifted and she paused for a moment when she saw Xuan Yuanye, but then she called out, "Ye'er, hold your wife. Let's go back. Look how frightened you've made her."

"Mm." Xuan Yuanye walked over very obediently and took Meng Fuying from the Empress Dowager's arms.

Meng Fuying's body stiffened. She hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to let Xuan Yuanye hold her, nor did she expect him to actually agree. Being held by him like this was indeed a bit awkward.

And he actually leaned down slightly and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. It's over now."

If she hadn't been clever enough, if he hadn't discovered the Empress's scheme, she feared that right now...

Meng Fuying's body froze completely. She found it hard to believe that these words had come from Xuan Yuanye's mouth.

However, why did she have a faint feeling that there was a deeper meaning behind his words?

Or perhaps, he simply thought she had truly gone mad and was sympathizing with her.