The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 113: The Older, the Wiser

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: The Older, the Wiser
Indeed, they are people under the Empress Dowager.
What fine things haven’t they seen?
The Cold Palace’s decay, disorder, desolation naturally don’t catch their eyes. If they didn’t show disdain and contempt, it would actually be strange.
Qiong Hua held Jun Ning’s hand, and the mother and daughter came out to meet them with dignity.
Afraid that Jun Ning might be frightened by these aggressive people, Qiong Hua gave her a reassuring look not to be afraid. Then she looked at the group opposite and asked, "May I ask why the Empress Dowager is looking for A-A?"
"I presume you are Lady Hua?" The Chief Maid at the front scrutinized Qiong Hua, "I didn’t expect that after staying in the Cold Palace for more than two years, you still look the same, not changed at all."
"Nanny Zhang." Qiong Hua nodded slightly.
The Empress Dowager has two Chief Maids, namely Nanny Zhang and Nanny Liu. This one in front is Nanny Zhang, known for her old-fashioned, serious, unsympathetic demeanor, making her difficult to talk to.
If Nanny Liu had come today, Qiong Hua could’ve asked what the Empress Dowager wanted with Jun Ning. But since it was Nanny Zhang...
Even if she asked, nothing would come of it.
Just as Qiong Hua expected, Nanny Zhang had no intention of conversing further. She stepped forward, pulling Jun Ning beside her, expressionless, "Lady Hua, this Eighteenth Princess... no, should be the Eighteenth Prince, I will take away first."
Eighteenth Prince?
Could it be that the Empress Dowager knows about the Emperor letting A-A dress as a boy?
This sudden visit, specifically naming them, is it to hold someone accountable?
Qiong Hua belatedly realized that not disclosing Jun Ning’s true gender could cause trouble for both of them. Jun Ning might even get hurt because of it.
With this thought, Qiong Hua’s heart beat faster. She seemed to hear the thumping of her heart through her chest.
"You’re hurting me, let go." Jun Ning, here, was still struggling to shake off the hand grabbing her.
The hand was not only emaciated but also dry, like wood. As it clutched her wrist, Jun Ning felt as if her wrist’s skin would be torn apart, extremely uncomfortable.
Nanny Zhang sternly rebuked Jun Ning, "Shut up."
Jun Ning: "......"
Just a nanny, and she dares to tell her to shut up?
"How dare you." Jun Ning looked at Nanny Zhang coldly.
Nanny Zhang, for a moment, felt like she wasn’t facing a child.
How could a child have such an expression? And such an aura?
But it was just a fleeting moment. The next second, she sneered, moved the hand holding Jun Ning’s wrist to the back of her neck, and with a slight lift, hoisted Jun Ning up as if picking up a little chick.
Jun Ning: "You, you, you, you’ve offended me."
She hated being lifted by the neck of her clothing the most.
Nanny Zhang ignored Jun Ning’s words and carried her out of the Cold Palace towards the Empress Dowager’s sleeping quarters.
In a hurry, Qiong Hua chased after them, but was stopped by the Empress Dowager’s people, who warned her that she was not invited and going uninvited would be considered an offense.
Qiong Hua hurriedly explained, "I’m not going uninvited, I’m accompanying the Princess. The Princess has never seen the Empress Dowager, and she is not familiar with strangers; I fear she might cry."
In order to follow and protect her daughter, Qiong Hua resorted to lying with her eyes wide open.
The first time Jun Ning met Emperor Yongning, she wasn’t afraid at all, even daring to smack her backside at him.
"In any case, you can’t go." The person refused outright.
"But..."
"No buts, you just can’t go."
The Empress Dowager wanted to see the Eighteenth Princess alone and reprimand her alone.
If her birth mother went along, with her interference, even the Empress Dowager might find it inconvenient to act, despite her title and rank.
Seeing this, Qiong Hua no longer begged, preparing to seek help from Emperor Yongning. If the Empress Dowager intended to do something, with Emperor Yongning present, she would likely hold back a bit for his sake.
But Qiong Hua, after all, was just Qiong Hua, no match for the seasoned Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had anticipated such thoughts when sending people out.
Just two steps towards the Imperial Study Room, Qiong Hua was struck from behind and fell unconscious to the ground.
The Empress Dowager wanted this handled quietly, avoiding Emperor Yongning’s involvement, which could affect their mother-son relationship.
You have to admit, the experienced are indeed the sharpest.
Jun Ning was carried directly to the Empress Dowager’s chamber, the Cining Palace.
All the way to the Cining Palace, she kept wailing and crying, as if something terrible was happening to her, attracting much attention and whispers. Some even criticized Nanny Zhang for being so stern and ruthless that she wouldn’t even spare a child.
Hearing these discussions, Nanny Zhang initially scolded Jun Ning a few times, asking her to keep quiet. But seeing it didn’t work, as if Jun Ning hadn’t heard her at all, doing as she pleased.
Finally, unable to take any more, Nanny Zhang had Jun Ning’s mouth gagged, hands and feet bound, finally quieting her down.
When Nanny Zhang presented the bound and gagged Jun Ning before the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager glanced at Nanny Zhang, puzzled, "I asked you to invite her over, not to tie her up."
Nanny Zhang apologized, "Responding to the Empress Dowager, I intended to invite her over, but the Eighteenth Princess was truly hard to invite, so I had no choice but to bring her tied up."
"Truly hard to invite?"
The Empress Dowager’s puzzled gaze fell on Jun Ning.
Today, Jun Ning wore a narrow-sleeved red dress, the red a pure, noble hue. Even sitting bound on the ground, no sign of distress showed; rather, a semblance of a beleaguered princess’s poignant beauty emanated from her.
It was evident the little girl was quite unwilling, struggling persistently to break free from her bonds.
Struggling so vigorously, the little girl appeared like a crawling maggot, displaying an adorably silly demeanor. Her pale face showed a myriad of expressions—pride, resentment, and anger...
The genuine charm of a little girl is most evident in such moments; instead of being grating, it’s immensely endearing!
How is she hard to handle? She’s clearly adorably silly and cute!
The Empress Dowager’s heart, as calm as an ancient well and calm for years, suddenly came alive upon seeing Jun Ning.
She smiled.
For a moment, she even forgot about the original gender of the little girl before her, regarding her as a charming, cute little girl, as well as her little granddaughter.