"Nonsense—how could Consort Xian die from a cultivation accident?" Noble Consort Zhuang sneered immediately.
Yun Liyue said calmly, "Consort Xian tried to assassinate the crown prince and failed. Guilt and fear consumed her, so it's perfectly reasonable she went mad during cultivation."
"I already told you—don't use such excuses to fool me," Empress Dowager Meng said coldly. "Consort Xian was your own sister. His Majesty had already punished her. As the Empress, how could you go so far as to kill her afterward? Don't you fear that the world will see you as an Empress without virtue?"
Yun Liyue raised her head and looked straight at her. "Empress Dowager, Cheng'er was nearly killed by that assassination. Do you really think sending Consort Xian to the Cold Palace was enough to settle everything?"
"Empress Dowager, Your Majesty—listen to her! The Empress's words clearly show she's dissatisfied with His Majesty's judgment," Noble Consort Zhuang shrieked. "Now it's obvious—the Empress killed Consort Xian!"
Yun Liyue ignored Noble Consort Zhuang and kept her eyes on Empress Dowager Meng. "Empress Dowager, I am the Empress. Cheng'er is the crown prince. But looking at Noble Consort Zhuang's attitude, it's like she thinks she's the Empress…"
Clang!
Empress Dowager Meng slammed her teacup hard on the table. "Kneel!" she commanded icily.
Yun Liyue froze in shock.
Empress Dowager Meng's face was expressionless. "What's wrong? Has the Empress decided this old woman no longer deserves her respect?"
Yun Liyue's body tensed instantly.
"Mother," Emperor Qian Yuan spoke up urgently, "Yue'er just got emotional for a moment. She meant no disrespect to you…"
"If you say another word, you can kneel too," Empress Dowager Meng snapped coldly.
Emperor Qian Yuan's face turned dark.
"Grandmother Empress," a young, clear voice rang out, "the ancients said that children should bear the consequences of their parents' mistakes. If Grandmother Empress is angry, I am willing to accept punishment for Father and Mother."
Whoosh!
Everyone turned in unison to look at the small figure beside Yun Liyue.
It was Yang Cheng.
Empress Dowager Meng's eyes hardened instantly. "Crown Prince, are you saying you're dissatisfied with me?"
Yang Cheng looked up at her, his eyes sincere and full of innocent affection. "Grandmother Empress, you are the best grandmother in the world. I respect and love you deeply. I have no dissatisfaction at all."
Silently, he thought to himself, 'Grandmother Empress, I finally get to see you again.'
Yang Cheng's feelings toward Empress Dowager Meng were complicated.
In his previous life, everyone believed Empress Dowager Meng favored Yang Xiu and treated Yang Cheng with harsh indifference.
Everyone thought she only had eyes for Yang Xiu.
At first, Yang Cheng felt the same way. Especially when he lost his position as crown prince—Empress Dowager Meng never said a word to defend him. That only deepened his resentment.
But later, when Yang Xiu was about to seize the throne, Empress Dowager Meng—who had been Yang Xiu's staunchest supporter—unexpectedly launched a massive campaign to overthrow him.
Not only that, she planned to bring Yang Cheng back from exile to crown him emperor.
Unfortunately, by then Yang Xiu's power was already too great.
Empress Dowager Meng's rebellion failed, and Yang Xiu took brutal revenge.
Unlike Emperor Qian Yuan, who was only imprisoned, or Yun Liyue, who was cast into the Cold Palace, Empress Dowager Meng still wielded enormous influence. That made her fate even worse.
Yang Xiu's hatred of her betrayal was so deep that he extracted her soul and burned her alive for forty-nine days until she died.
Because of that, Yang Cheng realized he might have misunderstood her all along. Yet even by her death, he'd never fully understood her true intentions.
After all, her early love and support for Yang Xiu had been very real.
Ding!
Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Host has encountered Empress Dowager Meng's living form in the Great Zhou Imperial Capital—a rare event.]
[Four hundred years ago, Empress Dowager Meng died while trying to stop Yang Xiu from taking the throne, becoming one of the host's greatest regrets.]
[Since the host's childhood, Empress Dowager Meng was strict with you and doted on Yang Xiu. When you became crippled, her harshness only intensified.]
[The host had already despaired of Empress Dowager Meng—until shortly after achieving the Asura Demon Body, you faced a fatal crisis and were saved by a group of mysterious figures.]
[After investigating in secret, the host discovered that the mysterious figures were actually sent by Empress Dowager Meng.]
[Empress Dowager Meng's attitude toward the host might have hidden reasons, and this is one of the host's inner knots. It also involves a crucial opportunity for the host.]
[Because Empress Dowager Meng's cultivation method is special, even after death, a remnant soul remains. The host must revive Empress Dowager Meng.]
[Note: This mission is insanely difficult. The host has seven years to complete it.]
[Mission reward: Divine Ability · Shrinking the Earth to an Inch.]
Yang Cheng was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the system to issue a mission related to his Grandmother Empress.
In his past life five hundred years later, this task truly would have been impossibly hard. After all, reviving a dead person was beyond difficult.
But now…
Yang Cheng looked up at his Grandmother Empress above him. She was right there—so why didn't the system recognize the mission as complete?
Of course. In the system's perspective, Empress Dowager Meng had already died. The person before him was, in its eyes, just a corpse.
So what would it take for the system to recognize her as alive?
At that moment—
Hearing Yang Cheng's words, Empress Dowager Meng fell silent, then her voice grew harsher. "Sweet-talking nonsense—who taught you to say things like that?"
Yang Cheng blinked in confusion. "Grandmother Empress, Mother always told me that even though you're especially strict with me, it's because you love me deeply. Isn't that true?"
These words were partly Yang Cheng's own guess, and partly a test of Empress Dowager Meng's reaction.
Her expression noticeably softened, and even when she looked at Yun Liyue, a trace of warmth appeared in her eyes.
Yun Liyue was startled. She had never said anything like that to Yang Cheng. But she quickly realized that his answer was perfect, bringing benefits to both of them. And since she was the Empress, she knew how to play along.
So she kept her face calm, as if silently confirming what Yang Cheng said.
"Then tell me—why do you think I made your mother kneel?" Empress Dowager Meng asked.
Yang Cheng shook his head, eyes clear with innocence. "I don't know, but if Grandmother Empress did it, there must be a good reason."
Hearing this, Empress Dowager Meng's face turned even more serious. "Empress, seeing things now, having you kneel was already lenient."
Emperor Qian Yuan's eyes flickered. Of anyone, he understood Empress Dowager Meng best—he was raised by her, after all.
He knew that the harsher she acted toward someone, the more it meant she cared. Did this mean she was actually pleased with Cheng'er?
But Yun Liyue didn't understand any of that. Hearing Empress Dowager Meng's words, she bit her lip hard.
Empress Dowager Meng, however, paid her no mind. She turned back to Yang Cheng and said sternly, "Crown Prince, since you said you'd bear your mother's punishment, then stretch out your hand."
Yang Cheng obediently extended his tiny hand.
"Gui Mama, the ruler," Empress Dowager Meng commanded coldly.
Gui Mama hurried to the wall, took down a ruler, and handed it over.
Yang Xiu smirked when he saw it. He had come to Tranquil Longevity Palace many times and knew there was always a ruler hanging there. But he'd never been hit with it himself. Seeing the crown prince about to be struck made him feel proud—clearly, Grandmother Empress truly favored him.
After all, she couldn't even bear to scold him.
Empress Dowager Meng took the ruler and, without the slightest hesitation, struck Yang Cheng's palm hard.
She used the force meant for a normal baby. But with Yang Cheng's innate divine strength, it didn't hurt him at all.
The others, however, felt their hearts tighten. They thought Empress Dowager Meng was being far too harsh on a one-year-old child.
"Crown Prince, I ask you—does it hurt?" Empress Dowager Meng said.