Although Song Yunzhao didn't get involved, news kept flowing in. The spies at Yaohua Palace were highly effective; under Zhang Maoquan's tutelage, they had a real knack for gathering information.
Song Yunzhao hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to still clash so head-on with the Emperor at a time like this. 'Tsk. The ones to suffer in the end will definitely be An Xiaoyi and the Gu'en Houfu.' The Emperor couldn't very well take his anger out on his own mother, but An Shutong had the misfortune of being present.
Soon, more news arrived. The Emperor had asked Honorable Lady Xu to clearly explain what happened when she paid her respects to the Empress Dowager the day before. 'This is shaping up to be a major confrontation,' Song Yunzhao mused.
Consort Shu had just punished An Xiaoyi, who had fainted from the cold. The Empress Dowager knew to demand justice for An Xiaoyi, but what about justice for Xu Mingying?
