Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

After everyone dispersed, he suddenly came to his senses. When he raised his hand, a crisp sound of self-blame echoed in the empty palace, leaving a bright red mark on his cheek.

He thought to himself that he was so easily persuaded and even inadvertently paved the way for the former Crown Princess of the Zhang family. Wouldn't this make it even more difficult for His Majesty to forget this woman?

Originally, he had intended to keep all the details about the former Crown Princess a secret and not reveal a single word to His Majesty.

Did he ever imagine that today he would take the initiative to add a mark to His Majesty's heart for her? Not smearing her was already a mercy. When the opportunity arose in the future, he vowed to return the favor and make His Majesty feel resentful and even disgusted with her.

However, worry was always with him. He was worried that His Majesty might not just be limited to superficial arrangements, but might also secretly send spies, such as those secret guards, to lurk around the temple and monitor everything.

If Your Majesty really does not trust her or wants to observe her actions, he must have a backup plan.

Therefore, he must be cautious in every move he makes. If there is any mistake and His Majesty knows about the things he has not reported in time, it will surely arouse suspicion.

Thinking of this, he decided to hold back and wait for the opportunity, while at the same time he did not forget to give the woman a little help as a test.

Just as he had made up his mind, a servant came back hurriedly and called him, "Manager An."

He shook his whisk lightly, his voice sharp and urgent: "Tell me quickly, what's the situation?"

The attendant replied, "We have arranged for personnel to keep a close watch on the outside of the temple, and those inside the temple are also in place. If there is any disturbance, they will report it immediately."

Upon hearing this, Manager An felt a little relieved, knowing that there were spies outside the temple and the people in the courtyard were also comforted. Although they knew that the emperor had left, they were still concerned about the former Crown Princess and wanted to get closer to ask questions.

He pondered for a moment and decided, "Tell them that Miss Zhang is praying for the Queen Mother right now. Please wait a moment and inform them when the time is right."

After saying this, he secretly decided in his heart that it would be more appropriate to call her "Miss Zhang" in the future.

The attendant took his orders and left. Eunuch An waved his whisk again and ordered, "Make arrangements quickly and ensure everything is done thoroughly. Whether Miss Zhang is willing to see them is entirely up to her. Do you understand?"

"understood."

After the person responded, he quickly retreated and disappeared from sight.

Eunuch An watched him go away, wondering in his heart, is the person in the backyard really as mysterious as the rumors say?

He shook his head, not wanting to delve into it any further, and instead looked outside the temple, his thoughts in turmoil.

At this moment, outside the temple, Matron Liu and her group were waiting anxiously. They paced back and forth, looking into the temple from time to time, their hearts filled with uneasiness.

Time seemed to stand still, and every second seemed extremely long.

Finally, the long-awaited figure appeared. They hurried forward and eagerly asked about the whereabouts of the former Crown Princess, eager to return to her side and serve her as soon as possible.

However, the reply he received was that the former Crown Princess was praying for the Queen Mother and could not meet her temporarily until the prayer was completed.

Several people looked at each other, confused.

"Didn't they say she was seriously ill and had been recuperating?"

As soon as the words fell, the other party explained: "The former Crown Princess's health has improved and she is able to participate in the blessing."

Upon hearing this, Matron Liu felt mixed emotions.

His Majesty has left, but the former Crown Princess is still praying here. Is there any other hidden story behind this?

She couldn't help but think of His Majesty's previous concern for the former Crown Princess's diet and the fact that the spies sent to the capital had lost contact, and her worries grew even more.

She knew very well that she had to get more information as soon as possible to resolve her doubts.

But if we send someone to the capital again, we are afraid of attracting the attention of His Majesty.

The former Crown Princess's avoidance made them feel even more at a loss.

During this long wait, they felt like years, every moment filled with torment. Now that His Majesty had left, he had left behind spies, making their actions even more difficult.

"We must meet the former Crown Princess, confirm her condition with our own eyes, and then report to the Crown Princess." Nanny Liu made up her mind secretly.

"Then we will wait here. When the former Crown Princess is free, please pass the message on."

The other party agreed indifferently, then turned and left, leaving Liu Ma and the others standing there, looking at his back, feeling both expectation and helplessness.

"Do you really want to wait here?" At this moment, a subtle voice sounded quietly, with some uncertainty.

Nanny Liu's facial muscles twitched slightly, and then she answered with a firmness that was almost like an oath, "Of course, it's for the Crown Princess, and even more so for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. We must always be vigilant and not allow anything to happen that would damage Her Majesty's reputation. This is also the fulfillment of our promise to Her Majesty."

She secretly calculated in her heart that even if the former Crown Princess did something improper, she must ensure that everything was under control and live up to the Queen's trust.

The Crown Princess herself was still unaware of the undercurrents at the moment and was immersed in tranquility.

Seeing this, the others nodded and tacitly chose silent support.

However, the scorching summer heat is attacking everyone. The continuous lack of rain for many days has made the air even more stuffy, and the sunlight is so dazzling that it is difficult to look directly at.

They looked up at the boundless blue sky, feeling a little irritated and eager to find some shade, but they were helpless as the surroundings were empty and there was nowhere to hide.

At the same time, Eunuch An had already made up his mind.

He decided to go there in person to find out how the former Crown Princess Miss Zhang prayed.

So, he quietly came to the outside of the hall where Miss Zhang prayed. This was once a sacred place where His Majesty prayed, but now Miss Zhang took the initiative to take over.

Eunuch An winked gently at the guard at the gate, then slowly approached and peeked inside through the crack in the door.

I saw Miss Zhang praying devoutly, and the palace maid Chunmei was kneeling beside her, equally focused.

Eunuch An did not stay long. He just took a quick glance and turned to leave. He instructed the guards to wait until Miss Zhang finished praying and then inform her that there was a guest visiting the courtyard and she needed to receive him personally.

"Yes, sir!" the guard replied respectfully.

After leaving these words, Eunuch An walked away.

His departure seemed to bring a subtle change to this hot afternoon.

While Zhang Tianai was praying, a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

She had already expected that Eunuch An would come here to investigate. After all, how could such an occasion not attract his attention?

She secretly glanced at Chunmei beside her and found that Chunmei was praying intently and was not aware of her thoughts at all.

Zhang Tianai smiled secretly in his heart, Chunmei, oh Chunmei, do you know that I have already seen through everything?

She gently relaxed her tense body, preparing to take a short break when no one was paying attention.

Just as she was about to reach out and massage her legs that were sore from kneeling, Chunmei suddenly called out, "Girl."

This call made Zhang Tianai immediately stop her action. She looked at Chunmei, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

Chunmei still looked pious, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.

A smile inadvertently appeared on the corner of Zhang Tianai's mouth. His eyes fell gently on her and he whispered softly: "You... also..." Before he finished speaking, the delicate whisper only rippled gently in their hearts.

All the noise from the outside world is invisible to their backs at this moment and cannot be detected.

Chunmei continued to communicate in a silent language, her fingers dancing lightly, sketching pictures in the air: "Eunuch An, has he visited?"

Zhang Tianai nodded slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth again. They already had a tacit understanding between them, and the arrival of Eunuch An was just a foregone conclusion.

She wondered in her heart, besides sending Eunuch An, were there any other chess pieces hidden?

"Let's give it a try." She decided secretly in her heart.

Inside the capital, another scene was quietly unfolding.

Murong Shuo returned to the Forbidden City quietly without letting any news leak out.

He rode up, whipped his horse, dismounted swiftly, ignored the attendants who came to meet him, and walked straight into his own bedroom.

He took off his clothes with swift movements, and in the blink of an eye he had put on the dragon robe and resumed his majestic imperial demeanor.

"Your Majesty." A eunuch walked in quietly, knelt down and saluted, his voice respectful and low.

Murong Shuo's eyes flashed, and then he stood up and asked as he walked until he saw the person he wanted to see. After dealing with the urgent matters, he did not forget to send someone to inquire about the empress dowager's well-being.

Just at this moment, the queen arrived.

"Let her in." Murong Shuo's voice came through the crack in the door, carrying unquestionable majesty, but his eyes were already cast at a farther place.