Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Zhou Zhilan and Chi Yan, along with a dozen or so guards, immediately followed.

Gu Hua turned around and waved her hand: "We don't need so many people. It's not like we're going to fight. Chi Yu, you've come back from the Southern Frontier, so it's not convenient for people to see you. You and Chi Yan take the guards and escort the adults away. Try to get them into the palace to meet the Emperor as soon as possible."

"Sister Zhilan, the maids can come with me."

Zhou Zhilan waved to Zhou Chunyu: "Hurry up and leave. There are a group of women here. I doubt they would dare to do anything reckless."

Chi Yan and Chi Yu exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement.

Chi Yu escorted the adults and followed Zhou Chunyu to the secret passage.

Chi Yan directed several men to lie in ambush on the wall near the gate, secretly protecting the lady.

Gu Hua led Zhou Zhilan and the others to the front yard, just as they broke down the door.

Gu Hua rushed forward, spread her arms, and blocked the doorway.

He shouted sternly, "Where did this madman come from, daring to smash the door of the Duke of Yong and trespass on our Duke's residence!"

Zhou Zhilan and the others shielded Gu Hua in the middle, drawing their swords and confronting her.

The commander, dressed in a suit of golden soft armor, stepped forward, gripping his sword hilt, his attitude arrogant and his tone flippant.

"This must be the Duke of Yong's new concubine, right? I'm on official business, so please step aside to avoid getting hurt by swords. If the Duke of Yong rejects you, don't blame me."

Gu Hua's face darkened, and a surge of anger rose to the top of her head.

Her face is exactly like Mu Junyan's!

Facing a large, heavily armed group of people, she showed no fear, standing tall and approaching the nonchalant commander step by step.

The commander was a full head taller than Gu Hua, so Gu Hua had to look up at him.

The commander raised an eyebrow.

This young woman looks delicate and sweet, but she's quite bold.

Gu Hua walked up to him, and without warning, suddenly jumped up and slapped him hard across the face.

The crisp sound of a slap shocked the group.

Commander San never expected that the little woman would dare to hit him in public, and he was so shocked that he couldn't react for a moment.

Gu Hua quickly took two steps back, and Zhou Zhilan and the others immediately shielded her in the middle.

Gu Hua's hands, hidden in her sleeves, were numb with pain.

The man was a head taller than her, and even when he jumped with all his might, he only managed to hit her chin.

Gu Hua shouted angrily, "How dare you! My marriage is ordained by the Emperor. If you dare to insult me, you are insulting the Emperor!"

Commander San realized what was happening and immediately flew into a rage, "Trying to use the Emperor to pressure me? I came here on the Empress Dowager's orders to arrest a fugitive. You think you can use the Emperor to pressure the Empress Dowager?"

As he spoke, he waved his arms and rushed forward.

"You filthy bitch, how dare you hit me! You're asking for it!"

Donghua and another maid rushed forward to stop him, but they dared not use force against the official. They could only endure being slapped twice by him, but the two of them still refused to move aside.

Commander San raised his foot to kick, but Zhou Zhilan drew her sword and rushed forward, the sword instantly pressing against Commander San's neck.

The commander, enraged, yelled, "Are you trying to rebel?! Men, arrest all these filthy women!"

The soldiers were about to charge forward.

"Let's see who dares!"

A powerful, resounding voice boomed out.

Gu Hua was overjoyed upon hearing this. She turned her head and saw the old lady, dressed in a first-rank imperial robe and leaning on a golden dragon-headed cane, leading a large entourage as they approached.

The old lady glanced at Gu Hua and nodded to her.

Gu Hua felt relieved, but she was also worried about implicating the old lady, so she felt flustered and anxious.

Zhou Zhilan sheathed her sword and retreated to Gu Hua's side.

The commander was startled.

Let alone a first-rank imperial consort, everyone knows the origin of that dragon-headed cane. Even the emperor could use it, let alone a mere minor official like him.

He quickly and respectfully bowed, saying, "This humble official greets Madam Mu."

The old lady gave him a cold look: "You just hit someone from my Duke Yong's Mansion?"

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I was ordered by the Empress Dowager to arrest several suspects who ran into the Duke's mansion. This concubine is not very familiar with the rules of officialdom, so this has caused a little misunderstanding."

Gu Hua walked to the old lady's side and took her arm.

The old lady specially wore her official robes and carried her dragon-headed cane, presumably because she knew the reason for the matter.

The old lady patted her hand and turned to look coldly at Commander San.

"Whoever he hits, hit him back! Do you think the Duke of Yong's mansion is so easily bullied?"

Gu Hua's gaze was intense.

The old lady is truly magnificent!

Donghua and her friend immediately stepped forward and slapped Commander San four times, left and right.

Commander San was furious. He had been beaten by a woman in front of all his subordinates, a humiliating experience that had been made public.

But he dared not confront the old lady directly.

Before he developed dementia, this man had even beaten the Empress Dowager.

Unexpectedly, Mu Junyan married a concubine and held a grand wedding banquet, and her dementia was cured.

Being beaten is a minor matter; the important thing today is that the prince ordered him to intercept several officials who had escaped, and he dared not mess this up.

Commander San suppressed his anger and forced a smile: "Grandma, please don't be angry. Could you allow me to go in and catch the fugitive first, and then you can beat and scold me as you please?"

The old lady scoffed, "What a joke! Since when has anyone, no matter how small or no one, been allowed to come and go as they please in my Duke Yong's mansion?"

Commander San's face was grim, but he dared not refute.

"I ask you, why is the Empress Dowager interfering in the affairs of fugitives? What right does she have to interfere in politics? Or are you forging an imperial edict?"

The commander's expression changed slightly.

"Your humble servant..."

The old lady had no intention of listening to him: "Hua'er, let's go to the palace. I will personally see what imperial decree the Empress Dowager has."

"Yes, Mother." Gu Hua nodded with a smile.

The commander hurriedly begged for mercy: "Grandma, please don't trouble yourself."

"Get out of the way!" The old lady swung her dragon-headed cane with one hand, creating a gust of wind, and swept it across, hitting the commander squarely in the buttocks.

"Ouch."

The commander, clutching his backside, jumped up, stumbled, and missed his footing.

With a scream, he tumbled down the steps.

The soldiers quickly helped the man up.

The old lady slammed her dragon-headed cane into the ground: "Guard the gate! Anyone who trespasses, throw them out!"

The people of Yong Kingdom shouted in unison, "We obey!"

The deafening sound startled all the guards in front of the palace, causing them to take several steps back.

The old lady walked forward majestically step by step, while the ranks of the palace guards retreated step by step.

The carriage arrived, and Gu Hua helped the old lady into it. The gate of the Duke of Yongguo's mansion slammed shut with a loud bang.

The assembled guards in front of the palace looked at each other, bewildered.

Enraged, the commander kicked several men around him, yelling, "Get out of here! Are you trying to embarrass yourselves?"

"Nervous?" The old lady tilted her head and looked at Gu Hua.

Gu Hua shook her head, suddenly realizing that she was holding the old lady's hand too tightly, and quickly let go.

She smiled sheepishly and said, "My daughter-in-law is useless; she's too timid."

The old lady looked at you with admiration: "You've done a remarkable job. It's rare to see a young lady like you with such courage."

Gu Hua was a little flustered.

She caused such a big problem without informing her mother beforehand.

"Mother……"

"I won't say more, your mother believes you."

Gu Hua's eyes reddened with emotion: "But I've made a big fuss about this."

"It's not that you made a big fuss; it's that someone is incredibly audacious, deceiving the emperor and trying to cause a major upheaval. You exposed this shocking conspiracy; you've done a great service."

Gu Hua's face turned even redder.

She was acting out of selfish revenge, but she never expected to involve so many people, and some even bleed and get injured because of it.

"Mother, are we really going to the palace?"

"Yes. How can we close a major case of stealing military supplies without going to the palace?"

Gu Hua opened her mouth in surprise.

"Mother, do you know that the military supplies have been stolen?"

The old lady touched her nervous little face with heartache.

"Good child, do whatever you want, I'll take care of everything for you."

Gu Hua could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in her eyes.