687 Unfortunate People

Flower?

Nan Hua was looking at the fragrance pouch that the girl used. It was depicting a beautiful tulip. Looking at that flower, Nan Hua had the faint feeling that she knew the reason why Empress Dowager Mei looked so agitated.

"Your Highness, this…" the girl was so scared that her voice cracked.

Empress Dowager Mei's face was still so ugly. "Who's in charge of making the fragrance pouch? Come over here!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

The girls were all staying silent when they saw Empress Dowager Mei erupted in anger. They didn't know what was wrong with the tulip flower. Those who selected the same type of fragrance pouch silently touched the fragrance pouch on their hips.

They were afraid that they would be targeted because of this fragrance pouch.

Didn't the maidservant say that all of them were the same?

Why did Empress Dowager Mei suddenly turn angry because of this?

"That flower reminded Her Highness of an unfortunate incident." Long Qian Xing sipped the tea without changing his expression. However, his eyes remained rather cold as he was staring in Empress Dowager Mei's direction.

"The servants will be punished."

"Not everyone knows the story." Long Qian Xing chuckled lightly. "She wouldn't be able to vent her anger."

Listening to Long Qian Xing's words, Nan Hua began to think that this small incident was actually planned. And the mastermind of this incident was actually the man who was sitting peacefully beside her.

Nan Hua herself knew the backstory of this tulip flower.

It used to be Empress Dowager Mei's favorite flower because her former lover often gave it to her. However, it was also the same flower that Empress Dowager Mei carried with her when she was pushed to Emperor Xuan and had to marry him as his Imperial Concubine.

How could she not be bitter?

It was so much that she didn't like this flower anymore. Instead, she hated it so much.

Emperor Xuan always brought tulip flower for her and even built a garden filled of that flower to her. In Empress Dowager Mei's eyes, it was nothing more than flower that reminded her of her former lover's betrayal.

When she became Empress Dowager, the first thing she did was to destroy that entire garden.

She didn't want to see even a single one of this flower anymore.

But this matter was kept among those who were close to the emperor. Emperor Yang Zhou knew about it and had told Long Qian Xing about this matter a long time ago. Nan Hua wouldn't be too surprised if Long Qian Xing were to use this information to create trouble for Empress Dowager Mei.

What interest her was the real reason why Long Qian Xing didn't want Empress Dowager Mei to lead this Empress Selection.

"Hua'er, do you want more refreshment?" Long Qian Xing asked. He waved his hand and the servants came to bring a few more plates of cookies and sweets.

Nan Hua looked at the table filled with the refreshment as she blinked her eyes. When did she say that she wanted them? But under Long Qian Xing's gaze, she could only pick the closest cookie to her and bite slowly.

Sweet.

That was what she felt when the cookie entered her mouth.

"Do you like it?"

Does she like it?

Nan Hua looked at the cookie in her hand and nodded before taking another bite. It was sweet.

Her grandfather had prepared her a lot of food like this too, but Nan Hua rarely ate them. After all, she was used to take care of her diet in order to preserve her body proportion and strength. As an assassin, how could she ate food randomly?

She only ate these things occasionally.

"That's good." Long Qian Xing smiled and made a mental note to prepare more of this cookie when Nan Hua visited Long Family Residence in the future.

Prang!

The sound of broken porcelain attracted Nan Hua's attention back to the group at the front. Truthfully, their voices couldn't be heard that clearly from this distance, but as a martial artist, Nan Hua could hear everything they said.

Loud and clear.

At the other side of the area, Prince Yang Lu and Princess Mu Fei Xin were also looking at the commotion in front of them. Their expression was rather impassive as if they had long gotten used to this kind of scene.

Mu Fei Xin sighed. "Her Highness hadn't controlled her temper well."

"Her Highness must have been quite tired after taking care of the harem all this time." Prince Yang Lu looked at the broken porcelain. His eyes showed traces of pity. "I don't think Imperial Mother Mei is suitable to lead this Empress Selection today."

"It would seem to be case." Mu Fei Xin looked at the farce in front of her and put her hand in front of her mouth. "Shall I step forward to speak with Imperial Mother Mei?"

"It'll be inappropriate." Prince Yang Lu looked at Empress Dowager Yan, who was standing at the side and had stepped forward. "There will be someone more suitable to handle this matter."

"I see."

The two of them spoke of the matter carelessly yet outsiders wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with their words even if they came close. The two of them had long learned how to control their speech.

Even though they were living in seclusion for the past few months after that rebellion, they didn't stop interacting with some nobles who came to pay a visit. And this kind of method of speaking had been honed in their bones for countless years.

How could they forget about it so easily?

"Imperial Sister, this wouldn't be the most suitable time to take care of this matter." Empress Dowager Yan tried to calm Empress Dowager Mei down. "How about if you calm down for now and let me take charge?"

Empress Dowager Mei furrowed her eyebrows when she saw the gaze of the girls in front of her. She gritted her teeth and her body trembled, but she knew that she had fallen into a trap.