Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

Chapter 369: Letter of Cooperation

If it was any other monster, the Queen Mother would have shown no mercy, but now the monster was most likely Yan Niang. If she had not been forced into a life-and-death confrontation, the Queen Mother would not have been able to bear to kill Yan Niang.

Moreover, Yan Niang knew all about her past. If at the critical moment, Yan Niang revealed all the secrets of the past without any regard for the old friendship, the Queen Mother would be forced into a desperate situation.

Therefore, the Queen Mother hoped to appease Yan Niang as much as possible and negotiate with her as peacefully as possible.

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After Taoist Yuan Rong left, the empress dowager took a short rest. After she calmed down, she took a personal eunuch, Eunuch Lian, to Tianning Palace.

When the fake Tianning Yanniang heard that the Queen Mother had come in person, she could not help but feel suspicious and guessed that Taoist Yuan Rong had said something in front of the Queen Mother. But if that was the case, why did the Queen Mother, who knew that Princess Tianning might be a demon, take the risk in person? Did she want to personally verify whether Princess Tianning was possessed by a demon, or did she firmly believe that the demon would not harm her?

Yan Niang thought as she went out to greet the Queen Mother. But just as she reached the door, she saw the Queen Mother walking slowly along the corridor towards her room.

Several meters away, the Queen Mother's eyes fell directly on Yan Niang's face. For some reason, Yan Niang felt a little flustered by the calm gaze of the other party, and lowered her head awkwardly. After all, the other party was the master that Yan Niang had served loyally for more than ten years, and they knew each other very well. At this moment, Yan Niang felt like she was seen through by the other party.

"Tian Ning." Just as Yan Niang was in a daze, the empress dowager's low call came from in front of her.

Yan Niang bowed her head and said, "Tian Ning pays respects to the Queen Mother. What can I do for you, Queen Mother?"

The Queen Mother said nothing, but just looked at Tianning quietly.

"Mother?" Yan Niang was a little anxious. She raised her head and met the empress dowager's gaze. Her voice was full of uneasiness and suspicion.

The Queen Mother winked at Eunuch Lian behind her. Eunuch Lian immediately realized that the Queen Mother wanted to discuss something with the princess alone, so he quietly withdrew without saying a word.

The Queen Mother took a few steps closer to Yan Niang and whispered in her ear, "Tian Ning, there is something we mother and daughter should talk about inside."

Yan Niang really wanted to see what tricks the Queen Mother was playing, so she said calmly, "Okay, Tian Ning hasn't listened to the Queen Mother's teachings for a long time."

The two of them came to Tianning's bedroom, closed the doors and windows, and sat side by side in the dim light.

Yan Niang did not speak, waiting for the Queen Mother to speak. The Queen Mother carefully looked at Yan Niang's appearance again, and then said: "Tian Ning, the Queen Mother finds that you are becoming more and more beautiful."

She didn't expect the other party to open the conversation with such an answer. It was beyond Yan Niang's expectations and she didn't know how to respond for a moment. She just lowered her head and listened silently.

The Queen Mother reached out a hand and lovingly stroked Tianning's long hair, saying softly, "Tianning... although your appearance has not changed, your expression seems to be much more mature than before."

Although the appearance can change, the gaze and expression cannot be concealed.

Yan Niang's chest suddenly tightened. She realized that the Queen Mother was testing her intentionally, so she raised her eyes and asked, "Mother, what do you want to say?"

With Princess Tianning's personality, she would definitely be straightforward and force the other party to speak out her true intentions - Yan Niang decided to play the role of Princess Tianning to the end in front of the Queen Mother.

"Then I will speak directly." The Queen Mother's eyes suddenly darkened, with a hint of intimidating courage, "Yanniang, why do you possess Princess Tianning? Do you want revenge on me?"

Hearing her calling out her name directly, Yan Niang's heart beat faster. She stood up suddenly and shouted in surprise, "Mother, what are you talking about?" How could the Queen Mother know that she was Yan Niang?

The Queen Mother also stood up and said hurriedly and earnestly, "Yanniang, if it is really you, I beg you to let Tianning go. We have been master and servant for more than ten years, and I believe you will never betray me. Yanniang, what do you want to do? If you can tell me your true intention, I will definitely help you."

If it were in the past, seeing the Queen Mother trying to persuade her so sincerely, Yan Niang would definitely be soft-hearted. As long as she was soft-hearted, her identity would be exposed. But now, facing the Queen Mother's plea, Yan Niang was surprisingly calm. Because at least she still remembered that she had already sold the secret of Princess Tianning's life experience, which the Queen Mother did not want anyone to know, to Liu Guang.

Since you have already chosen to betray, there is no way back to make amends.

Yan Niang has no choice but to keep hiding her identity and continue to fight together with Liu Guang.

"Yanniang, I know it's you, it must be you." The Queen Mother saw a hint of hesitation in Princess Tianning's eyes, and immediately confirmed her guess.

Yan Niang refused to admit it and instead asked, "Mother, did Taoist Yuan Rong say anything to you?" As she spoke, she pretended to be Princess Tianning and hugged the empress dowager's arm tightly.

Yan Niang's eyes were clear, and she looked more and more like Princess Tian Ning. The Queen Mother was shaken, wondering if she had guessed wrong.

Yan Niang seized the opportunity and continued to attack Taoist Yuan Rong in the Queen Mother's ear: "Mother, there must be something wrong with Taoist Yuan Rong. He might even be colluding with the Anti-Imperial Society. He is spreading lies to confuse the people. You must not trust him."

"The Taoist priest said he met you outside the Queen Mother's palace today..." The Queen Mother looked at Princess Tianning with suspicion.

"That's right, we met. He even grabbed my hand and tried to cast a spell on me. Fortunately, the captain protected me, otherwise he would have succeeded. Mother, didn't you say that the people from the Anti-Imperial Society wanted to kill me? Maybe Taoist Yuan Rong is a spy from the Anti-Imperial Society who sneaked into the palace to murder me. Mother, you must not keep this person by your side." Princess Tianning said a lot in one breath without even taking a breath in between.

The Queen Mother looked straight at Tian Ning calmly, and her heart gradually wavered. If the other party was really Yan Niang, she would never say what she wanted without strategy. This straightforward way of speaking really looks like Princess Tian Ning. In addition, Princess Tian Ning insisted that Taoist Yuan Rong was a spy, which made it even more difficult for the Queen Mother to tell who was real between her and Yuan Rong.

"Mother, why do you suspect that I am Yan Niang? Didn't Yan Niang disappear a long time ago? Could it be that... Yan Niang is..." Princess Tianning grabbed the empress dowager and was determined to get a result.

The topic became more and more sensitive, and the Queen Mother did not dare to talk more about Yan Niang in front of Tian Ning. In the palace, only the Queen Mother and Yan Niang knew that Yan Niang was a fox demon, and Princess Tian Ning knew nothing about it. If the Tian Ning in front of her was not Yan Niang, then wouldn't what she said just now have aroused her suspicion?

The Queen Mother hurriedly said, "Tian Ning, don't ask any more questions. Taoist Yuan Rong said that there is evil spirits running rampant in the palace. Anyone could be possessed by the monster. You must be more careful."

Hearing the empress dowager call herself "Tian Ning" instead of "Yan Niang" as before, Yan Niang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and her rapid heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

At this moment, as if it was agreed, there were two knocks at the door, followed by Yuemao's gentle voice: "Princess, the commander wants to see you."

"Captain? Did he tell me what it was about?" Yan Niang asked in a high voice, imitating Princess Tianning's tone.

Yuemao answered from outside the door: "Princess, the commander is not here to see you, but to see the queen mother. He heard that the queen mother is in Tianning Palace, so he came here specially..."

"Don't you see that I am discussing important matters with my mother? Let him wait outside for a moment." Yan Niang rudely and unreasonably refused Liu Guang's request for a meeting.

The Queen Mother originally suspected that this was a play, but when she saw that Tian Ning did not let Liu Guang report, she gradually relaxed her vigilance. If this was really a play, the other party would definitely be eager to let Liu Guang take the stage.

Seeing that Princess Tianning disagreed, Yuemao did not dare to persuade her and had to leave obediently. But after a while, Yuemao came back and leaned against the door and said tremblingly: "Princess, the commander said that the matter is of great importance and must be reported. He asked you to let him see the queen mother."

"Hmph, he's so arrogant just after taking office. Let me, the princess, go and chase him away myself." Yan Niang stood up and rushed to the door.

He had just taken two steps when he was stopped by the Queen Mother. She said calmly, "Let him in. I also want to hear what he wants to see."

Yuemao looked at Princess Tianning's expression, because she knew that even though the Queen Mother agreed, if Princess Tianning was unwilling, the Queen Mother would often give in to Tianning.

Princess Tianning looked displeased. After a little hesitation, she said reluctantly, "Okay, let him in."

In fact, Yanniang and Liuguang had already colluded with each other. The words Liuguang said to Yanniang not long ago were to let Yanniang use the identity of Princess Tianning to frame Taoist Yuanrong for being bribed by the Anti-Imperialist Society and intended to murder him, while Liuguang was responsible for forging evidence. Given the Queen Mother's suspicious character, after seeing the evidence, she would definitely determine that Taoist Yuanrong was the traitor.

At this time, Liuguang presented the Queen Mother with a stack of coded letters, saying that they were searched out from Taoist Yuan Rong's room. After deciphering them, they were found to be letters of collusion with the Anti-Imperial Society.

The Queen Mother flipped through the letters impatiently. She could not understand the ciphertext on the letters, but she had already received a hint in her heart and determined that these ciphertexts were the evidence of Taoist Yuan Rong's collusion with the enemy.

"Mother, let me tell you, Taoist Yuan Rong definitely has bad intentions. He tried his best to please you just to gain your trust." Yan Niang fanned the flames and made the lies come true.

The Queen Mother's hand holding the letter was shaking slightly. She couldn't believe that Taoist Yuan Rong was the one who betrayed her.

Liu Guang said, "Queen Mother, if this man is not eliminated, he will be a great threat to the palace. We must kill him before he is alert. Otherwise, with his magical power, it will be too difficult for us to defeat him head-on."

"No rush, I want to ask him myself..." The Queen Mother tried her best to maintain her last bit of sanity.