Chapter 63: The Malicious Empress Dowager

Hearing this, the little fox instantly realized she had been played by Xuanyuan Yu. Fur bristling with anger, she bounced up, kicked him, and then bolted out of the council hall like a flash of lightning.

Xuanyuan Yu was somewhat stunned by the little fox's reaction, never expecting her to overreact to such an extent.

Liyue, seeing the little fox run off, hurriedly gave chase.

The little fox was naturally petite and lightning-fast, vanishing from sight within a few bounds. No matter how Liyue searched, she could not find her, leaving her with no choice but to keep looking.

By this time, the little fox had no idea where she had run. She strolled leisurely down the path with dainty, elegant steps, as if admiring the scenery.

Spotting a solemn palace bearing a plaque that read "Xingqing Palace," she sneezed, glanced around, and scurried right inside.

She hopped up onto the windowsill. Before she could even step inside, she heard a harsh, vicious female voice: "That Xuanyuan Yu is still not dead despite being afflicted with the icy poison. Had I known, this empress dowager should have killed him outright back then instead of letting him strut around arrogantly before me now."

The moment the little fox heard that voice, she recognized it as the empress dowager's, whom she had briefly laid eyes on in the celestial prison. Back then, she had thought the woman wasn't entirely evil, just rather obnoxious.

Never had she imagined that this old hag had actually poisoned her beloved master! How utterly vicious and shameless!

"Empress Dowager, please do not be angry, lest it harm your imperial constitution. That Xuanyuan Yu is unlikely to live much longer with the icy poison in his body. Even if he somehow survives, whenever the full moon rises each month, the flare-up of the poison will make him wish he were dead." This second voice carried a flattering tone, and the sycophantic timbre made the little fox extremely displeased.

The little fox poked her tiny head out and glared fiercely into the room.

The empress dowager wore a golden hairpin adorned with phoenix tassels, her long black hair coiled into an intricate bun. Her face was delicately and lightly made up, and she wore a dark red imperial robe embroidered with a soaring phoenix, the cuffs threaded with gold, fully displaying her noble status.

The matron conversing with her wore a dark imperial gown embroidered with only faint floral patterns. She looked significantly older than the empress dowager, with fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and an expression plastered with fawning obsequiousness.

"Indeed. His icy poison has been acting up for ten years now. Forget about saving his younger brother; I doubt he can even save himself." The empress dowager stroked her long, pointed fingernail guards, her eyes filled with ruthlessness.

As long as Xuanyuan Yu died, her imperial son's deep enmity would be avenged, and he would no longer blame her, his empress dowager mother, for failing to protect him. Her poor child had been so young, having scarcely tasted life, before he was murdered by Xuanyuan Yu.

"That goes without saying; that icy poison is not easily cured. If—"

*Clang.* Suddenly, a porcelain bottle slipped to the floor and shattered into smithereens.

"Who's there!" the empress dowager snapped harshly. To think someone actually dared to eavesdrop on them—they must be tired of living!

Without daring to entertain another thought, the little fox scampered off at top speed, her little paws flying. Oh dear, if she were caught by this wicked empress dowager, she’d surely end up stewed in a soup!

Poor her, and poor her master, actually having to live in the same city with such people day in and day out—it was sheer torture. No, she had to hurry back and tell her master so he could obliterate this woman in a second.

Hmph, old witch, just you wait until I tear your old lair apart, or else I'll change my last name to yours and call myself Empress Dowager Fox!

The matron walked cautiously over to the spot where the bottle had shattered, peering out of the window repeatedly until she was certain no one was there. Seeing the plum-blossom paw prints on the windowsill, she finally returned to the empress dowager's side with a reassuring smile. "Empress Dowager need not be alarmed; it was merely a stray cat."

Is it because Nuomi didn't update yesterday that everyone stopped giving me votes? So heartbroken, I have no motivation left...