Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

Nanny Liu had never expected that the former Crown Princess would be so direct and reveal her edge in front of others without any concealment.

She wanted to say something but hesitated. The horrifying stories about the former Crown Princess, along with her cold warning that day, were like ice that sealed her throat.

Now that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not here, she should have felt a little more confident, but she inexplicably felt a chill.

"Former...former Crown Princess." She finally mustered up the courage, her voice as soft as a mosquito.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianai curled up a playful smile. She slowly stood up, snuggled in Chunmei's arms, and approached Aunt Liu step by step.

The steps were light and firm, and each step seemed to step on the beat of everyone's heart, making people hold their breath in anticipation.

"Are you scared? How about repeating what you just said? I want to hear it clearly. Are you saying that I've been expelled from the palace, that His Majesty doesn't want to see me, and that my journey is completely in vain? Or is that laughter hiding contempt and disdain for me?"

Zhang Tianai's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

Seeing this, Matron Liu and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. The fear in their hearts grew like weeds, and they almost wanted to run away.

But their reason told them that retreating at this moment would only make the situation more embarrassing. So, they stood there stiffly, their panic evident even though their bodies did not move.

Zhang Tianai saw it and a mocking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

She knew that these people were just bullies who only cared about the weak and were afraid of the strong. If they didn't have someone to rely on, how could they dare to be so rude to her?

But she was not in a hurry and had her own plans in mind.

Her target was the almighty emperor, her former father-in-law.

"What? You have nothing to say?" She slowly approached, her tone filled with unquestionable authority.

"Remember, you can talk freely when I'm not around, but don't let me hear you. If the day ever comes when I show you my methods, don't regret it."

After saying that, she casually took out a white handkerchief from her sleeve and gently covered her lips with it, followed by a deliberate cough.

Although the cough was soft, it was like the last fallen leaf in autumn, foreshadowing the coming of winter and making people shiver involuntarily.

Her gaze, like a sharp blade, swept across the group of people in front of her one by one, finally settling on Aunt Liu, as if to say, "If you really want to try my methods, then go ahead. But please remember, you will bear the consequences at your own risk."

Liu Pozi and her group were very nervous, especially Aunt Liu, who followed the figure who was about to speak, afraid of missing any information.

"Alas, this throat couldn't escape the disaster after all." Zhang Tianai sighed softly, followed by a rapid and suppressed cough, as if to pour out all the forbearance and pain.

When the coughing subsided, she forced a smile, and her pale cheeks were faintly flushed because of the ordeal, adding a bit of heartbreaking sickly beauty.

"When I met the emperor, I tried hard to hold back my coughing, for fear of disturbing the emperor. It's funny to think about how cautious I was now." There was a hint of self-mockery in Zhang Tianai's words. She gently wiped the corner of her mouth, and a hint of amusement appeared between her eyebrows.

Then, she slowly raised the delicate handkerchief in her hand, made a feint, and pointed it at Liu Pozi seemingly casually. This action instantly made everyone present nervous and they involuntarily took a step back.

However, Zhang Tianai just smiled lightly, and that smile contained too much meaning - relief and provocation.

"Madam Liu, seeing you so nervous makes me laugh. Don't worry, I have no bad intentions, I was just joking." There was a hint of teasing in her words.

"You're really worrying too much. Let me tell you the truth. Today, I met with the emperor, and not only was I not treated coldly, but I was actually appreciated by him. He even invited me to come again."

At this point, Zhang Tianai's eyes became unusually bright. "So, there's no need for you to panic, and there's no need to doubt me."

After saying this, she gently withdrew her hand, turned around and was about to leave, leaving behind a crowd of people looking at each other in astonishment.

Chunmei seemed to be hesitant to speak, as if she had many more questions she wanted to clarify; while Liu Pozi and the others were stunned, their hearts full of doubts and confusion.

"Your Majesty... How could His Majesty..." Mrs. Liu muttered to herself, her voice full of disbelief.

In her opinion, after the former Crown Princess was deposed, she should have been disliked by the Emperor and it was normal for her to avoid him. So why would he summon her so abnormally and even ask her to go again?

To them, all this was like a fairy tale and was difficult to grasp.

"Don't overthink it. How can ordinary people like us guess what the emperor is thinking?"

Zhang Tianai seemed to see through their thoughts. After leaving a meaningful word, he slowly left with Chunmei's support, leaving behind a series of crisp footsteps.

As night fell and the stars began to appear, only the sound of light footsteps echoed in the corridor. "The Crown Princess has left, we..." Several maids looked at each other, their eyes full of helplessness and hesitation.

"What should we do? We can't contend with the former Crown Princess's authority." Their voices were tinged with fear, yet also revealed a hint of confusion.

"Let's wait for the right time." Finally, someone made this suggestion. Although it was helpless, it became the only option at the moment.

At the same time, Zhang Tianai and Chunmei returned to their own courtyard. As soon as they stepped into the door, Zhang Tianai let go of Chunmei's hand, and his casualness and unruly nature were instantly beyond words.

She sat down leisurely, asked Chunmei to make tea, and immersed herself in her own thoughts.

Chunmei picked up the teapot lightly, and as the aroma of tea rose, she couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Miss, the tea is getting cold again."

Zhang Tianai seemed not to hear. Her gaze passed through the window lattice and turned to the gradually darkening sky.

"Let's keep dinner simple. We'll go to my ex-father-in-law's place early tomorrow morning." Zhang Tianai said calmly, as if everything was under control.

Chunmei wanted to say something else, but was gently interrupted by Zhang Tianai: "Chunmei, there's no need to call me anymore. I have my own plans."

"Tomorrow, I will cook for the emperor myself," Zhang Tianai suddenly announced.

Upon hearing this, Chunmei was surprised and even more puzzled: "Miss, are you trying to...atone for your sins? Has the Emperor agreed?"

"Yes, this is the opportunity I created for myself." Zhang Tianai smiled, a mysterious arc appearing at the corner of her mouth. "If not, how can I get close to him and resolve those misunderstandings?"

Chunmei looked at Zhang Tianai, her heart full of doubts and admiration.

She felt that the girl in front of her had become more elusive overnight.

The next day, before dawn, Zhang Tianai got up and called Chunmei to prepare the bowl of soup with special meaning.

Chunmei looked at Zhang Tianai's serious and focused look, and was secretly amazed in her heart: It turns out that this girl is not only good at giving orders, but also has a pair of skillful hands and can cook such delicious dishes.

Zhang Tianai smiled and tapped Chunmei's forehead: "Just wait and see, everything will be fine."

In her memories of her previous life, whether it was delicious meat dishes or fresh and elegant vegetarian dishes, she could easily get them.

Today, she carefully selected several vegetarian dishes for her personal maid Chunmei to taste. Chunmei's eyes were full of disbelief and surprise.

Zhang Tianai tidied up casually and set off for the temple with Chunmei again.

When we arrived, it was not yet dawn and the temple was silent, with only the occasional sounds of morning bells and evening drums breaking the tranquility.

Zhang Tianai asked softly the imperial guard who was waiting there, and it was still the same one from yesterday.

When the guard saw her visiting again, he was about to ask her something, but she interrupted him.

She calmly claimed that she came in compliance with the emperor's order and asked the guards to inform him on her behalf.

Although the guard was surprised, he had no choice but to obey and turned to walk into the inner hall.

Not long after, Eunuch An hurried out, whisk in hand, his face filled with confusion. "Why is the former Crown Princess here again? The Emperor has just gotten up and is in his bedroom, dressing himself."

Zhang Tianai smiled slightly, motioned Chunmei to hand the food box to Eunuch An, and explained softly, "This is breakfast I personally prepared for His Majesty. I hope you can present it to him. I wonder if His Majesty still prefers the lighter taste of vegetarian food."

After saying this, she changed the subject and mentioned the agreement between herself and the emperor, expressing her willingness to serve the emperor personally to make up for past mistakes.

Upon hearing this, Eunuch An was stunned for a moment and thought to himself: When did the emperor agree to this?

But seeing Zhang Tianai's determined expression, which would not tolerate any questioning, he had no choice but to agree, took the food box, and prepared to do as he was told.

Before Eunuch An could fully recover, Zhang Tianai had already walked lightly into the inner hall, leaving behind a series of crisp footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

She passed through one screen after another and finally met the supreme monarch.

The emperor was alone at the moment, with his back to her...